low-res-eng-dec-2014 by My Mobile

December 2014 ď Ź Rs 100

www.mymobile.co.in

for a connected lifestyle

Productivity Phone Wars

iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 4 vs BB Passport

P 62

The Best of 2014 Fourteen devices, Fourteen segments

P 18

Tested

Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Alpha, HTC Desire 816G, Nokia Lumia 730, Huawei Honor 6, Micromax Canvas 4 Plus, and many more. P 41

4S, 5S, 5C, 6 or 6 Plus Which is your iPhone? Phone of the month Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro P 46

P 36

@mymobilemag

first call Is it already the end of 2014?

ime does seem to fly in the world of technology, but seldom has it flown past with the kind of speed that it has this year. In truth, 2014 is going to be remembered as the year which saw a number of massive changes in the world of technology. It was the year in which Microsoft took over Nokia, Lenovo took over Motorola, Google launched Android One, e-commerce came into its own in India, high-performance phones got more affordable than ever, and of course, the arrival of numerous new brands in the Indian market. And that is just the tip of the iceberg of change that was 2014. Under the surface were massive developments whose effects we will feel for years to come.

Summarising such a busy year in a single issue is a formidable task, and it is one that we have undertaken in the lead story in this issue, in which we attempt to bring you the best devices across fourteen segments. Our attempt has been to give you the best of a very special year across different price segments, explaining why each device chosen is special and what made it stand out from the competition. We hope we have succeeded. Of course, we could not have spent the entire issue just looking back, so apart from the lead story, this issue comes packed with the usual dollop of content. We take a close look at three phones that are attempting to redefine mobile productivity - the iPhone 6 Plus (so Apple has finally made a large-screen phone), the Galaxy Note 4 and the BlackBerry Passport - and try to figure out which one works best for those looking to work on the move without being saddled with a notebook or a tablet. While on the subject of the iPhone, Indian consumers find themselves royally spoilt for choice, with no fewer than SIX iPhones up for sale in the market - the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5c, the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S. What’s more, all of them run the latest iOS, version 8.1. But which one of these works best for you? Well, we have attempted to answer that question in a feature as well, and some of the answers will surprise you. We also take a closer look at the new version of Android, Lollipop, unveiled by Google recently and its major features - we hope it arrives on your smartphone soon, As always, the handset burn tests make up the core of the issue. And once again, we present you with reviews of the latest devices in the market ranging from both (yes, both) new iPhones to the amazingly priced Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro to Samsung’s premium designed Galaxy Alpha. There are also reviews of accessories, including a new headset from Jabra and a look at Airtel’s new SmartSim, which can fit into any phone. We also bring you interviews with key personalities in the industry and bring you up to speed with the latest developments of yet another busy month. And no issue would be complete without your feedback and our attempts to answer your queries and address your problems. We hope to remain worthy of your trust in the coming year too. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. And happy reading too. .

04 MYMOBILE december 2014

Facebook facebook.com/mymobilemag Twitter twitter.com/MyMobileMag

EDITORIAL Pankaj Mohindroo |

Editor-in-Chief

DESIGN Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer Pooja Papnai | Assistant Graphic Designer

MARKETING Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business Apoorv Bhatnagar | Sr. Manager – Marketing Sandeep Kumar | Manager – Marketing

OPERATIONS K. Rajagopalan | Advisor-Legal, Accounts & Admin Deepak Kohli | Manager – Accounts Sneha Sahu | Web Co-ordinator Pooja Sachdeva | Manager – HR

CIRCULATION Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation

ADVISORY BOARD Prithipal Singh S.C. Khanna S.D. Saxena Rajan Mathews T.R. Dua T.V. Ramachandran Shiv K. Bakhshi Sonu Halan Bhasin Bejon Misra Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. B-2, Sector 63, Noida. Distributed by My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. Copyright 2005. My Mobile is a registered trademark of My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form– electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without prior permission.

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and the views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.

Volume X, Issue XI, DECEMBER 2014

content

Lead Story

14 devices, 14 segments the phones and tablets that rocked 2014

chief speak

face to face

Videocon Telecom CEO Arvind Bali on their amazing comeback and 4G plans in the coming days.

ADCOM founder and chairman Sanjeev Bhatia shares some insights about the brand's plans for the coming days.

28 cell-clues There are five iPhones in the market today - which one works best for you?

06 MYMOBILE december 2014

Letters

News

Mobile Doctor

Consumer Forum

Gear Guide

Praveen Valecha of Alcatel on why online channels are crucial for the sale of smartphones, and much more besides.

content

versus

The Productivity Phone War: BlackBerry Passport vs Galaxy Note 4 vs iPhone 6 Plus

my guide

75 just in Samsung Galaxy Note 4 enters the market and the HTC One (M8 Eye) brings HTC's new camera muscle to India.

sneak peek There is a new Nexus coming and its bigger than ever before. And a Lumia without Nokia branding.

Sennheiser PX95, Groovez SMC 650, Canon PowerShot SX400IS.

iball ANDI 4.5M Enigma

nokia lumia 730

apple iphone 6

lenovo vibe z2 pro

samsung galaxy alpha

HTC Desire 816G

Huawei Honor 6

Philips Xenium W6610

Apple iphone 6 Plus

Micromax Canvas 4 Plus

hp 7 voicetab

Total number of pages = 100 (96 + 4 cover) 08 MYMOBILE december 2014

vantage point

SanDisk's Rajesh Gupta on what makes USB 3.0 special.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new in Android 5.0, or Android L? We take a look.

Boredom Busters

40 94

etcetera

BURN TESTS

Gear up for Cars: Race Like Lightning, Morph with Angry Birds Transformers, and plan a robbery in Happy New Year.

Smart Apps

Google puts a spin on Gmail with Inbox, Dulux Visualizer lets you paint walls without using any paint, and Opera Mini compresses video too now.

letters I started reading My Mobile a few months ago and now I am one of the IT'S HERE! regular readANDROID ONE ers for your ARRIVES Tested magazine. I love to read the Etcetera section which is very interesting and informative for me as I’m an engineering student. I also eagerly read the letters section as soon as the magazine comes to my university. -Saurabh Makode Amravati NOVEMBER 2014  Rs 100

www.mymobile.co.in

FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE

Phone of the month BlackBerry Passport

Windows 10 is coming

P 56

Check out its coolest features

The Guide for e-Shopaholics

An online buyer's guide

P 64

P 66

P 18

Nokia Lumia 830, Moto G (2nd Gen), Sony Xperia Z3, Jolla, Moto X (2nd Gen), LG G3 Beat, Sony Xperia C3, Oppo N1 Mini, Xolo Win Q900s, Nokia X2, and many more... P 38

@mymobilemag

I am an avid reader of My Mobile magazine and being a student, I get to know a lot more about electronics and gadgets which engrosses me. My favourite section is the Boredom Busters where I can find the right game to play and enjoy my free time. I have even downloaded the Bang Bang game on my device. -Rahul Bharadwaj Kasauli Reading a magazine like My Mobile is always fun. It provides so many details and is so objective that one can make informed purchases. I bought the new Jolla handset for myself based on your Burn Test. It is working well and is different from the other devices. Thanks for being such an informative magazine. -Pijyusha Raman, Banglore I am a working professional who works in an MNC and enjoy being up to date with the latest and trendy gadgets. It is My Mobile Magazine which gives me so much knowledge about smartphones, games, applications and I even like reading the Mobile Doctor section where people get the answers to their questions every month. I appreciate the work done by the magazine and wish you luck for the future. -Rajni Karan Gupta Gurgaon My Mobile, I am a regular reader of your

10 MYMOBILE december 2014

magazine and even check your online portal every day. The articles which you carry in your magazine are so nice and informative that I read them whenever I want to buy any gadget for myself or anyone in my family. The website gives me knowledge about the new devices coming up every day. I love your Sneak Peek section where you provide little treasers about upcoming products. I feel excited when I read that section. -Raja Krishnan Kariappa Puri Dear My Mobile, I am a new mobile store retailer who reads your magazine to get updated with the devices and the best mobiles in the market. Many of my customers come to my store due to the detailed description I give to them about any device they wanted to purchase. This is because of your magazine which gave me immense knowledge about mobiles, operating systems, and how to keep devices safe. -Karan Pratap Rana Banaras My Mobile is my favourite magazine and I gifted the Moto X (2nd gen) to my father on his birthday. Your magazine is a piece of hard work and lot of labour seems to have been done on the research behind each article I wonder how you write so well about so many device without being biased. Keep up the good work. -Rachael Chang Nasik

all my friends about new devices and gadgets after reading about them in your magazine. They even borrow it to get to know about the latest handsets available. I would like to inform you further that I have bought the iPhone 6, after reading about it in the Just In section of the magazine. -Mayank Upadhyay Srinagar (J&K) I am a teenager and love gadgets. My preference from the last 1 year is My Mobile magazine. It is not only because it gives me knowledge about handsets, but because it also gives the pros and cons of the handset objectively. I like the Burn Test where all the description of the new devices are found. This is the magazine which I prefer carrying anywhere I go and never get bored of reading it. -Marilen Joseph Goa I am a school student in class X and I love mobile phones. I love reading your magazine because it is easily available in my city and is easy to understand. I particularly like reading the Versus section where I can see the difference between two high-profile devices. It is the most engaging section of your magazine for me. And your Buying Guide is also very helpful for knowing the details of different devices. -Swapnil Goswami Shillong

My Mobile magazine is the only magazine I read. Though I hate reading, but I read this magazine because it is so interesting and I am a mobile freak. I inform

e the nd hav a s e m n a drea ellpho n c i t y u e o k so st y ab es? can al u craz e it he late ew lin Are yo l to pen a f or news and hands on t ink you hav f th ur tia poten have a nose ve to lay yo em? If you h a dia’s to t u r Do yo ? Do you c orld about sh your CV y Mobile, In w u ne headli and tell the g for you. R r name in M n s ou i gizmo e are look .in to see y w o , in you mymobile.c e. n i @ z team bile maga o m best

news bits Mitashi Unveils Play Senior Friend Smartphone for Senior Citizens Mitashi has unveiled a smartphone for senior citizens, PLAY Senior Friend at Rs.4,999. The smartphone has a large font for storing contacts, for dialer and for reading messages, has FM radio, SOS button for emergency call, color coded icons for those who cannot read or write, dual SIM and dual camera support. The smartphone runs on Android KitKat and has a 4 inch IPS display with 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor, 512MB RAM and 4GB internal memory.

Dell Unveils Venue 7 And Venue 8 Dell has released its Venue 7 and Venue 8 tablets. The Venue 7 tablet is priced between Rs.11,999 to Rs.14,999, while the Venue 8 is priced between Rs. 12,999 to Rs. 18,999. Both tablets run on Android 4.4. KitKat and have 16GB internal memory. Venue 7 is a 7-inch tablet, has 1.6 GHz dual core Intel Atom Z3460 processor, 5 MP rear and 1 MP front camera, 1 GB RAM and Intel HD graphics. Venue 8 is an 8-inch tablet, has a dual core Intel Atom Z3480 processor, has a 5 MP rear camera, 2 MP front facing camera. It further offers a choice between 1GB and 2GB RAM.

Champion Launches My Phone 41 and My Phone 51 Champion has launched My Phone 41 and My Phone 51 at Rs.3,999 and Rs.4,999 respectively. Both the handsets run on Android 4.2.2 JellyBean OS and support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, G SENSOR and FM. My Phone 41 is a 4 inch handset powered by a 1 GHz dual core processor, has 1400mAh battery, dual SIM configuration, 5 MP rear camera, 2MP frontfacing camera, and 2 GB internal memory, expandable upto 32GB. My Phone 51 has a 5 inch capacitive touch screen, runs on a 1.2 GHz dual core processor, has a 1650 mAh battery, dual SIM support, 2 MP rear camera, 2 MP front-facing camera and comes with 4GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB.

Vu Launches 65 Inch Curved 4k Uhd Smart Led Tv

The television has Bluetooth connectivity, so that the users can pair their devices and it features voice interaction for Web browsing, Air Mouse Remote for an interactive point and click experience, cloud storage access for the tech savvy consumer and 8GB NAND storage for local downloads.

able in 25.65 cm display size. The Yoga Tablet 2 with 20.32 cm display (Android OS) is priced at Rs. 20,990, the 25.65 cm display (Android OS) one is priced at Rs. 28,990, the 25.65 cm display one (Windows OS) tablet is priced at Rs. 34,990 and the 33.78 cm display one (Android OS) is priced at Rs. 47,990.

New Flickr App For iPad Launched

ASUS wins 17 Good Design Awards

Yahoo has launched a new Flickr App for the iPad which will enable users from all over the world to browse around 10 billion Flickr photos on the iPad. The app will enable users to access, organize, and share their snapshots from any device. The company claims that the app will supprot image resolutions of up to three million pixels per photo. The app is available in English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

ASUS products won 17 Good Design Awards at a ceremony held in Tokyo. The devices which won the award are- ZenBook UX305, ZenBook NX500 Series, X555 Series, ROG GX 500 Series, ROG G751, Chromebook C Series, Transformer Book V, ROG GR8, ROG G20, Chromebox, Portable AiO PT2001, ASUS Fonepad Series (FE375CG/FE380CG), MeMOPad 7 (ME572), ROG Maximus VII Series, S1 Mobile LED Projector, ROG SWIFT PG278Q , MagSmart Cover Series. The awards is extremely prestigious and winners are chosen from thousands of nominations.

Panasonic Launches T40 Smartphone Panasonic India has launched a new smartphone Panasonic T40 at Rs. 5,990. The smartphone is targeted at the youth and is pocket friendly. The model is available in Bright Red, Dark Grey and White colors and comes with a 4 inch IPS display, powered by 1.3 GHz Quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory expandable upto 32GB, a 5 MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash and a 2MP front facing camera. The device runs on Android 4.4.2. KitKat and has a 1500 mAh battery.

STK Unveils Bluetooth Speaker SMC650RD STK has launched the Groovez series SMC650RD portable and lightweight Bluetooth speaker which is available in red color and is priced at Rs. 2,199. The 3 Watts speaker can seamlessly pair with mobile or any Bluetooth compatible device and has a music playback time up to 3 hours. The inbuilt microphone allows the user to make and receive calls via Bluetooth enabled mobile phone by pressing a button within the range of 10 meters.

New Yoga Tablets from Lenovo

Vu Televisions has launched a 65 inch curved 4K UHD SMART LED TV which is available in retail as well as online stores at Rs. 2,24,900.

14 MYMOBILE december 2014

Lenovo launched its next-generation Yoga Tablet 2 which will exclusively be available on Flipkart.com. The tablet is powered by Intel processors and the company showcased 4 distinctive tablets. Lenovo is offering 3 sizes and 2 operating systems - Android and Windows. On Android, the models come with display sizes of 20.32 cm, and 33.78 cm. The consumers can choose a Windows model which is also avail-

Adcom Launches A40 At Rs. 2,999 Adcom has releeased the A40 smartphone which runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat and is priced at Rs.2,999. The handset will be available in Black and White color.â&#x20AC;&#x2039; The A40 has a 4 inch screen and is powered by 1.2 GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 512MB internal memory which can be expanded upto 64GB, 2MP rear camera, 1.3MP front facing camera and a 1650mAh battery. Further the device supports 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS, Proximity Sensors and 3D Gravity.

Gionee Unveils Marathon M3 at Rs. 13,999 Gionee has launched its latest smartphone the Marathon M3, with a battery of 5,000mAh, with a price tag of Rs. 13,999. The M3 has a 5-inch IPS display, runs on Android 4.4 KitKat OS,and comes with a 1.3GHz quadcore processor, 8GB internal memory which can be expanded to 128GB. It also features an 8.0megapixel rear camera with smile shot, beauty shot and 99 shots in one click, and a 2.0 megapixel front-facing camera. For connectivity, it has Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G HSPA and supports OTG USB.

Guvera: A Free Music Streaming Platform enters the Indian market Guvera, a music streaming platform has launched its services in India. The company will offer a library with 12 million tracks, which can be surfed through Web and mobile platforms. The mobile application will feature unlimited free music from Bollywood albums and the international artists. The application is available on the Google Play Store and iOS App Store. Guvera is in a global partnership with Lenovo and the Guvera app will come preloaded on to Lenovo smartphones and tablets.

news bits Motorola says Hello, Lenovo Lenovo bought Motorola earlier this year for $ 2.91 billion and now it will officially own Motorola’s Moto portfolio which includes the first and second gen Moto G and Moto X, Moto E and the Droid Ultra series, besides the Motorola Mobility brand, trademark portfolio and more than 2000 patents. The company will be an owned subsidiary of Lenovo and will continue to operate from their Chicago headquarters, focusing on providing pure Android and fast upgrading to the latest version of Android.

Jivi launches Android smartphone for just Rs. 1,999 Jivi, one of the feature phones manufacturers in India, has entered the segment of smartphone by launching the Jivi JSP 20 at a surprisingly low price of Rs.1,999. The handset clams to be not just India’s but also the world’s lowest-priced Android smartphone and the slimmest in the 3.5 inch display segment as well. The device comes with a 2.0-megapixel rear camera, six language support which includes English, French, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu for messaging- , has a 1GHz processor with dual SIM, and comes with social networking apps like WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube.

Zebronics unveils Bluetooth 2.1 Multimedia Speaker at Rs. 1,999 Zebronics has launched its first Bluetooth speaker with wireless technology, the ZEBBT3430RUCF multimedia 2.1 which is priced at Rs. 1,999. With a sleek and compact design, the speaker claims to offer an excellent audio performance in its segment. The package further includes two satellites as well as aux input cable, user manual, full-function remote control and subwoofer. It supports Bluetooth version 3.0, which enable the speaker to pick the audio from smartphones, tablets and laptops. The speaker also supports MP3 and WMA audio file formats and can tune in to FM radio.

LG becomes first to roll out Android 5.0 Lollipop Upgrade LG Electronics has begun to roll out the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop updates to its G3 smartphones in Poland. This will be followed by a rollout of the update in other key markets, making the company the first to announce

16 MYMOBILE december 2014

updates for its devices. The latest OS has a new designed language with added depth, shadows and animations. Notifications option will be improved with a color scheme and layout and will be available on the lock screen. A new security feature has been added to increase the connectivity between devices and to unlock smartphones when they are near a pre-registered Bluetooth device such as the LG G Watch or G Watch R. The update also introduces Android Runtime (ART) software to improve the performance.

Opera Mini crosses 50 million users milestone in India Opera Mini announces that their platform are being used by around 50 million people in India for searching online. By reaching this milestone, the company further announces that they became the third largest mobile application used in India after Facebook and WhatsApp. Opera claims that 16 Indian handset manufacturing company have preinstalled their browser in the Android devices which are available in the market. The browsers further supports several Indian languages like Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Oriya, Assamese and Kashmiri

Uninor brings the WebWise initiative for children Uninor has launched an initiative named the WebWise program with the aim of educating children about cyber crime and to strengthen them against Internet related risks. As part of the program, the company is conducting workshops in schools on the safe Internet. Through this initiative, the company commits itself to make its young customers have a safe online surfing experience, creating awareness on Internet safety and making them familiar with the habits that can give them a safe browsing experience.

Skullcandy launches Sports performance earphones Skullcandy has come up with a new range of earplugs for those who prefer music while working out. This is the PUSH PLAY which includes two ear plug styles - the Method which is priced at Rs. 2,499 and the Chops Buds which are priced at Rs. 1,299. Skullcandy Sport Performance (SSP) earphones are designed to stay in the ears while working out in gym, field, slopes or in the streets with the help of sweat-resistant materials, durable construction and Sticky Gels.

Jabra Storm launches at Rs. 4,499 Jabra has taken the covers off its bluetooth

headset, Storm which is priced at Rs. 4,499. The main feature of the headset is the crystal clear call sound in outdoor and windy condition and its 10 hours talktime life. The Storm headset is based on microPOWER technology, which boosts battery life. The headset is small and light weight and is comfortable to wear. Further, the device supports HD voice, supports the Noise Blockout feature, and comes with Voice control guidance and NFC for easy pairing.

SanDisk unveils New Cruzer UTM USB flash drives SanDisk Corporation has launched the Cruzer UTM USB flash drive for students which are available in 8GB to 64GB variants and are priced between Rs. 429 to Rs. 2,599. Cruzer UTM supports a U-clip for attaching to backpacks, bags and key rings to protect the device from getting lost. The drive comes with SanDisk’s SecureAccess software.

Say Thanks. Says Facebook Facebook has launched the Say Thanks campaign in which the user can create a video card for their friends on Facebook. To create a video, users have to choose a friend, then Facebook will generate a preview of the video. You will be allowed to use different theme and images accordingly and can post the video by clicking on “Share.” The user will also have the option to write a personalized message before posting. The video will be posted on your Timeline and your friend will be tagged.

Kapil Dev launches SloPho An Indian made social gamified collaboration platform named ‘SloPho’ has been launched by Kapil Dev, the former captain of the Indian cricket team. This social platform enables the users to participate in games, polls, contests and quizzes. By participating, the users can even win daily rewards like points on a leaderboard, which can be redeemed or could be transferred/gifted to others or can be bartered for the advertising space on the app. The app also has social networking and sharing options.

Videocon launches Infinium Z50Quad Videocon has launched the Infinium Z50Quad smartphone at Rs.7,349. The smartphone is said to be one of the slimmest devices around and is available in Black and White colors. The handset has a 5 inch qHD IPS Capacitive touchscreen, 8GB internal memory, 1GB RAM, 5.0-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash, and a 2.0-megapixel front facing camera. The handset is powered by a 1.3GHz Quad-Core processor, runs on Android 4.2.2 KitKat OS and has a 1,900 mAh battery. It also comes preloaded with a number of apps. n

lead story

The Greatest Hits of 2014 It was a year that saw change and innovation like few others have. So when we sat together to work out the best devices of 2014, we had quite a task on our hands. Read on to find out which devices rocked 2014, in our opinion. My Mobile Team

18 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

It was the year in which smartphones started becoming available for as little as Rs. 3,000. It was the year in which Moto returned to the market with a bang. It was the year in which the likes of Xiaomi completely turned the whole smartphone selling experience on its head. It was the year in which Nokia and Motorola were taken over by Microsoft and Lenovo respectively. It was the year in which Apple decided to finally make a phablet. It was the year in which phones with highend hardware started becoming available at relatively affordable prices. It was the year in which brands like Gionee and Oppo changed perceptions about Chinese brands in the Indian market. It was the year in which Google decided to make Android updates mainstream with the Android One movement. It was the year in which BlackBerry refused to fade out silently into the night and mesmerised the world with the Passport.

nd there was so much more. No matter how you look at it, 2014 was an amazing year for mobile devices. After a period in which innovation seemed to be limited to merely providing better hardware and updated software, 2014 saw a number of brands decide to make the smartphone really mainstream, bringing down prices to a surprising level, from Motorola surprising the world with the Moto E to Xiaomi selling out stock in seconds with the Mi 3 to Asus rocking the midsegment with the ZenFone 5. Of course, this is not to say that the established order sat idle - Apple, Samsung, Sony, HTC and LG all came out with innovations of their own, on the software as well as hardware front. And as we go to print, news has come in of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first layered smartphone from Lenovo and the first Lumia device to come without the Nokia brandname. So when we sat down to compile a list of the best devices in different price segments, we had quite a task on our hands. After many discussions, arguments and nearfights, we finally arrived at a list of devices across fourteen price segments, each of which we thought was a star performer in its particular price zone. So, without further ado, here is our take on the best mobile devices of 2014. What a year it was indeed!

december 2014 MYMOBILE 19

ne ho

upto R s. 3,0 00

ne of the surprise packets of the year were the Firefox devices which were released by Spice, Intex and Alcatel. Although not as well known as Android and other operating systems, the Firefox devices redefined smartphone pricing at the lower price levels because they delivered a rock solid browsing and Web app experience at surprising low prices. Yes, the purists complained about the absence of multiple core processor and about the relatively low resolution displays and cameras, but what really mattered was that for the first time, a consumer could get a decent smartphone experience for less than Rs. 3,000 in phones that came from well-known brands.

Bes t

lead story

Firefox phones

Xiaomi Redmi 1S

Best P

: Rs. 3,000-

6,0

20 MYMOBILE december 2014

e on

Runner-up: Asus ZenFone 4

or many people, 2014 was the year when one started getting really decent hardware at affordable prices. The Moto E stunned everyone, delivering a good display and reasonably powerful processor for a price that was less than Rs 7,000. And then came Xiaomi, which actually served up a 720p display, a multi-core processor and 8.0-megapixel camera in the Redmi 1S for as little as Rs 5,999. Asusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ZenFone range followed suit with some very good design as well, but at the end of the day, the Redmi 1S was easily the best device in this price band. Getting one remained a problem - the stock often got sold out within seconds of arrival at Flipkart, its exclusive seller.

Rs. 6,000-

Asus ZenFone 5

0 00 10,

Best

: ne

hoever said that devices in the sub-Rs 10,000 category were more functional than stylish had clearly not seen the Asus ZenFone 5. Driven by an Intel processor and featuring a brilliant 5.0-inch 720p display and a very good camera, the ZenFone 5 was designed to not just work brilliantly (courtesy an Intel processor) but also turn heads with its sleek design. A new benchmark had been set for design and performance at the Rs 10,000 price point. Nokia meanwhile, surprised the Indian market when it released the first device (Lumia 630) running Windows Phone 8.1 at that very price point, showing that you did not have to spend a bomb to get the latest software in a very good device.

www.mymobile.co.in

Runner-up: Lumia 630

Rs. 10,000-

Xiaomi Mi 3

00 0 15 ,

Best P

Runner-up: Moto G (2nd Generation)

ho n

014 saw the return of one of the oldest phone brands after a sabbatical and the arrival of a new one. Motorola kicked off the mid-segment smartphone wars with the first Moto G, which offered surprisingly good hardware and software (720p display, quad core processor, latest Android) for as little as Rs 12,999. A few months later, however, Xiaomi turned the whole price-spec equation on its head with the Mi 3, which offered the kind of hardware one found in flagships (full HD display, 13.0-megapixel camera, quad core processor, stunning design) for as little as Rs 13,999. Before the year was out, Motorola hit back with an updated Moto G, but in terms of sheer value for money, the Mi 3 was well nigh-unbeatable, although once again, finding one was difficult - stock kept getting sold out.

december 2014 MYMOBILE 21

Rs. 15,000-

Lenovo Vibe X2

00 0 20 ,

Best P

s the year ended, we were treated to two surprising devices - the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first multi-layered phone and the first Lumia designed for selfies. While the Lenovo Vibe X2 surprised us with its multiple layered design using a special magnesium alloy, the Lumia 730 put a whole new spin on the selfie phenomenon with its front facing 5.0-megapixel camera, and showed a return to its classic Lumia roots with its funky colourful design. In the end, the Vibe X2 wins out thanks to its amazing design, better hardware and staggering performance (driven by a true octa core processor from MediaTek), but the Lumia 730 comes a very creditable second, serving notice that when it comes to cameras and funky design, Nokia remains in a league of its own (ironically, at the time when this was being written - the first Lumia phone without Nokia branding had been released. How times change!)

ho n

lead story

Runner-up: Lumia 730

Best P

Rs. 20,000-

HTC Desire 816

00 0 25 ,

22 MYMOBILE december 2014

Runner-up: LG G3 Beat

ho n

t might have started out at a higher price tag but as the year wound down, there was no doubt that the HTC Desire 816 had been one of the large screen surprises of the year, proving more popular among many users than even its iconic One range. The reasons were simple - good design in best HTC tradition, very good front and back cameras, and staggeringly good sound. Sony offered some stiff resistance with the Xperia C3 which scored on a selfie camera, but second place went to the LG G3 Beat with its innovative interface, rock solid design and good performance. A year ago, we would have laughed at the idea of having devices of this quality at this price point. Today, we are celebrating.

Rs. 25,000-

Nokia Lumia 830

00 0 30 ,

Best P

ho n

www.mymobile.co.in

t was the year in which Microsoft took over Nokia’s mobile business, and the first Lumia device without Nokia branding was released by the end of the year. However, before that happened, Nokia showed the world what it was capable of with the solidly designed, brilliantly performing Lumia 830, which blended a good-looking yet tough exterior with a very good PureView camera. Ironically, the other star performer in this price segment was the BlackBerry Z30, BlackBerry’s all-touch device with a brilliant AMOLED display and typically good mail and messaging performance. It started out at a higher price point but by the end of the year was a star performer in this price band.

Rs. 30,000-

00 0 35 ,

Best P

ho n

Runner-up: BlackBerry Z30

Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro

erhaps one of the most surprising devices of the year was Lenovo’s Vibe Z2 Pro. Packing in some of the most powerful hardware we had seen - a 6.0-inch quad HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM - it also came with surprisingly good design (a laser etched back!) and a price tag of Rs 32,999, which was staggeringly low for the kind of cutting edge performance it delivered. However, it just shows how much the smartphone market has changed when you consider that even with such an offering, it faced competition from the new Moto X, which came with a full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and a brilliant design (we got a review unit with a wooden back) for Rs 31,999. In the end, the Vibe Z2 Pro won out because of its vastly superior hardware but what a battle it was.

Runner-up: Moto X (2nd generation)

december 2014 MYMOBILE 23

lead story R

Samsung Galaxy S5

00 0 40 ,

Best P

Rs. 35,000-

ho n

oth phones were released at prices that were well above Rs. 45,000 and were considered expensive at that time. However, as the year wound down, both the LG G3 and the Samsung Galaxy S5 were available at significantly lower prices, which made them excellent propositions. While the G3 came with a quad HD display and very good hardware, we felt the Galaxy S5 offered more in terms of innovation and performance, thanks to its heartbeat sensor (right next to the camera), surprisingly good battery life and of course a brilliant Super AMOLED display. However, by the end of the year, the writing was clear on the wall: the established brands were facing stiff competition from newcomers.

Runner-up: LG G3

014 was the year in which many experts had predicted that BlackBerry would finally fold up. Not only did that not happen, the brand came back with perhaps the most innovative device of the year, the BlackBerry Passport which courted the enterprise segment with its 1440 x 1440 display combined with a full QWERTY keyboard and fantastic hardware. Yes, it did not come cheap, but it was also perhaps the only device of its kind in the market. HTC meanwhile, continued to define design in highend smartphones with its beautifully crafted One M8, which also featured top notch hardware, but dazzled users more with its sheer beauty.

Rs. 40,000-

BlackBerry Passport

24 MYMOBILE december 2014

00 0 50 ,

Best P

ho n

Runner-up: HTC One M8

www.mymobile.co.in

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

60,0

Best ph on

Rs. 50,000 -

hat, no iPhone 6 at this price point? Well, we all felt that while Apple’s latest edition of the Godphone was quite a good performer, the Android twosome of the Galaxy Note 4 and the Sony Xperia Z3 had the edge on it in terms of e: performance and hardware. While the Note 4 was arguably one of the most powerful devices in the market at the time of writing (quad HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor), the Xperia Z3 served up a dazzling blend of fantastic design and very good performance. The Note 4, of course, also came with the iconic S-Pen stylus that allowed users to do far more with their devices. The Z3 on the other hand redefined mobile photography with a very good 20-megapixel shooter that could even work underwater!

R e:

s. 60,000

Best

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

bove

a nd

Runner-up: Sony Xperia Z3

ot no budget issues and want the best smartphone out there? Well, we would recommend the iPhone 6 Plus without any hesitation. The reasons are simple: while the iPhone 6 is a great device, the 6 Plus trumps it in three vital areas: display (it has a full HD display as compared to the 720p on the iPhone 6), camera (it comes with Optical Image Stabilisation) and battery life. We cannot stress the last enough - the iPhone 6 Plus is the first iPhone we have used that sees off two days of heavy usage on a single charge. And of course, there is the ‘pane’ view which places apps side by side when you hold the phone in landscape mode and the usual array of fantastic iOS apps and the intuitive interface. In terms of sheer performance, the iPhone 6 Plus is easily the best iPhone ever. And if your hands and pockets can accommodate it, buy it without fear of disappointment!

december 2014 MYMOBILE 25

t (upto 9

in e s)

t would take something special to beat an iPad mini in the smaller tablet segment. And Lenovo served up something special indeed. While the design of the Yoga 2 Tablet was very similar to that of the first (although with the addition of a ‘hang’ mode, allowing you to dangle the tablet off a wall if need be), what won our hearts was the fact that the Yoga 2 tablet came with a full HD display, an Intel processor and staggeringly good battery life (more than a dozen hours on a single charge). What’s more, even the traditional Android display was tailored to work better on the large. Round that off with a price tag of Rs 20,999, which was well below that expected of the iPad Mini 2 with Retina Display, which struck us as a smaller upgrade, and the Yoga 2 Tablet was very much our weapon of choice for the road warrior seeking a handy tablet. The spine does make a difference for one handed use!

le ab

B es tt

lead story

Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablet

Runner-up: iPad Mini 2 with Retina Display

h inc

Apple iPad Air 2

es)

Best ta

larger than ( t 9

bl e

t might not yet have arrived in the Indian market officially at the time of writing (it is expected soon), but when it came to the larger tablets, the iPad Air 2 ruled the roost. Truth be told, we do not think Android has come up with anything to match even the older iPad Air’s design and performance. With better hardware, even sleeker design and a fingerprint scanner in tow, topped off with a formidable array of apps, the iPad Air 2 still sets the benchmark for the tablet market. But competition to it is coming not just from Android but from Windows. Notion Ink surprised us with the Cain, a notebook that could also work as a tablet and yet was so compactly designed, that together with its keyboard (in a special cloth cover which could fold up to create a stand for the notebook to rest on), it weighed less than the earlier iPads did. And yes, it cost a mere Rs. 19,999. 2014 was also the year in which Windows finally came to the tablet party, and innovative devices like the Notion Ink Cain played a major role in this.

Runner-up: Notion Ink Cain (Written by Nimish Dubey, based on voting by Team my Mobile)

26 MYMOBILE december 2014

team@mymobile.co.in

fa c e t o fa c e A part of the Advantage Group, Advantage Computers or ADCOM, has been making its presence felt in the Indian mobile market with a number of innovative offerings across different segments. We met Sanjeev Bhatia, founder and Chairman, ADCOM, to find out more about the company and its future plans. Abhijit Ahaskar

“We are expanding and growing very fast” How has been Adcom’s journey in the mobile industry so far? The mobile industry and business is very interesting and dynamic. It is changing very rapidly, much faster than any other industry as per the new innovations in technology and user-friendly applications. As a result very few brands and companies are able to survive for long. But we are blessed to have sustained, grown and be well accepted in the industry month over month. What devices do you think have helped you stand out in the Indian market? Since our beginning we have been launching several models in all categories of mobiles, be it feature phones, 2G and/or 3G smartphones. But the models that have really stood out are X 10 in low end feature phones, A 35 in low end smartphones, A440+ in the middle end and A54 in high-end smartphones. Feature phones might be considered old technology but there are a huge number of people who still uses feature phones due to low cost and lack of information on new technology in Tier 2 tier or Tier 3 cities, towns and villages. The X10 is extremely low on price (MRP Rs. 999), but comes with WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, as well as features like music player, video player, Bluetooth and camera. I think that this is the best device in this segment not only in ADCOM but in entire Mobile Industry. A35 is a low cost 3G smartphone, running Android

28 MYMOBILE december 2014

KitKat with dual camera and dual SIM, and costs just Rs. 2699. The A440+ is a midsegment smartphone with Android KitKat, has a dual core processor and 512MB RAM, and a screen size of 4 inches, and is available on a best buy price of Rs. 3499. The A54 is our latest model for top line smartphones users. It has a large 5-inch display with a quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, 8.0-megapixel rear camera and 3.2-megapixel selfie camera. With a price band of just below Rs 6000, it is our highest selling model with highest demand from the customers. The competition in the budget smartphone segment is more intense than it was a year ago. Don’t you think a buyer is more likely to invest in a more popular brand than yours? Absolutely right, but as time passes, people start trusting you and appreciate your efforts when they look at what you are offering, including innovation, price and service. As mentioned before, we keep on launching something which is not there in the industry. Every day we are bringing some innovations at unbelievable prices as well as the All India service where customers are getting much better service than popular brands. And this is the mobile industry, if Samsung can overtake Nokia and Micromax can surpass Samsung, then why cannot ADCOM surprise some popular brands?

Tell us about the company’s after sales service. We are very conscious about the after sales service and as I mentioned earlier, we provide much better service than some of the very popular brands in the country. As per industry standards, we give one year warranty on all our mobiles. We have more than 300 service centres in all parts of the country and we have our dedicated team which coordinates with service centres to fulfil their requirements on spare parts, software etc., so that the customers can get the service in minimum time. We are planning to take the number of service centres to more than 500 in the next 2-3 months. What are your future investment and marketing plans? We are expanding and growing very fast. ADCOM is available to customers all over India through our online presence on all the major e-commerce portals. We also have a presence through our distributors in north and east India. We have plans to be available pan-India offline as well by the end of March. A major chunk of investment is done offshore in R& D to develop some ODM models which can be innovations keeping in mind the technology and taste of Indian users. We are also investing in our supply chain and inventories to cope with the demand of ADCOM mobiles that is rapidly growing. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

chief speak

30 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

“Our comeback has been quite satisfying” It is one of the best known consumer brands in India, but has been seen as a relatively slow mover when it comes to telecom. Be that as it may, there is no denying the importance of Videocon in the Indian telecom scenario. The company did receive a slight setback from the Supreme Court’s decision to cancel its 2G licence, but seems set to make a grand comeback, riding high on 4G. We met Arvind Bali, CEO, Videocon Telecom, to find out more about the company and its plans for what seems set to be a very exciting future indeed. Mukesh Kumar Singh & Abhijit Ahaskar Videocon was known as a consumer electronics brand. What made you venture into telecom and how has been the journey after all these years? Videocon is one of the largest and best-known business houses in India having diversified business lines. The key reason to enter the telco business was to diversify the group’s footprint into service industry and to capitalise on the fastest growing industry in the country backed by attractive macroeconomic indicators of the Indian economy. After a good head-start with commencement of our services in 2010, we got a major setback when our 2G license got cancelled by the honourable Supreme Court for no fault of ours. We suffered huge monetary losses due to the set back. Despite the circumstances, we made a strategic comeback in the telecom sector after successfully bidding for six circles in early 2013 and resumed our operations. We are currently operational in four circles, including Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and MP with a clear plan to launch services in the remaining three circles, UP (E), UP (W) and Bihar within in the next 1 year. Our comeback has been quite satisfying, and within an year of our comeback we have re-established ourselves in the market. We currently have over 8.3 million subscribers in our 4 operating circles and posted a 60 per cent growth in our GSM Gross Revenue in Q2 2014-15 over the same period in the last year. This growth was fuelled by high voice and data consumption and a consistent increase in subscriber base. We aim to maintain and accelerate this growth rate further during the current financial year. You lost almost all your licenses when the SC cancelled 122 licenses in 2011-12. How did it affect your brand image and morale? The fact that despite having received a clean chit from CBI, our telecom licenses were cancelled

obviously hit us very hard. We had to abruptly shut down our business, we lost huge amounts of money and subscriber base. It takes significant time to build trade confidence which was lost almost suddenly. The outcome was catastrophic from everyone’s perspective and a comeback after this wasn’t easy. Videocon didn’t take part in this year’s spectrum auctions in the 1800 MHz and 900 MHz bands. What was the reason for this? We initially planned to participate in this year’s auction and bid in the 900 MHz band for Delhi and acquire some additional spectrum on the 1800 MHz band for our operational circles to accommodate growing subscriber base. However, after a lot of contemplation, and discussion with our team and consulting partners, we decided to instead focus on the rollout of services in our three high potential circles including UP(E), UP(W) and Bihar where we already have spectrum. Further, we were keen on taking some additional spectrum for Punjab circle where we felt there was need to accommodate the growing customer base, however, spectrum in the 1800 MHz block was not available in cities including Ludhiana and Amritsar in Punjab Telecom circles, where we actually had the requirement. Moving on to 4G, when are you going to roll out your 4G services, and which circles will get it first? The world is gearing up for the upcoming 4G revolution. There is a huge opportunity in data, as per a recent study, Data traffic is expected to show a sharp increase till 2026 at a CAGR of 60 per cent; with the first five years’ CAGR being 137 per cent. We are ready with our blueprint with equipment vendors tied up, network planning and market mapping done, tie ups with OEMs

made. However, the most critical part for the successful rollout will be the timing. The market needs to be ready, and most importantly the device ecosystem. We are studying the, market very closely and will be soon firming up our rollout strategy. The rollout, of course will start from high potential cities. Stay tuned. Most subscribers in India still use 2G. Do you think the country is ready for 4G? Data is the next ‘in’ thing in the Indian Telecom landscape. The Indian market is a market of early adopters, now with availability of 3G, people are gradually upgrading to 3G from 2G and once 4G is made available backed with a device ecosystem, the users will upgrade to 4G services. What can we expect from Videocon in the mobile sector in the coming days? Our immediate plan is to rollout out services in remaining three circles including UP (E), UP (W) and Bihar in the coming financial year. Additionally, we plan to become the first telco to rollout 4G LTE FDD services on the 1800 MHz spectrum in the country. Our ambition is to ensure fair Customer Market Share and Revenue Market Share in our operating circles within the next 2 years and to become EBITDA positive within next 1 year. Videocon Telecom has been a pan-India player in the past, and aspires to become a pan-India player once again, but in a phased manner. Once we successfully roll out in our seven circles, which is the Hindi-speaking belt of the country, we shall definitely look at acquiring spectrum for new circles by picking select circles in one go and eventually expanding, forming a corridor. n mukesh@mymobile.co.in abhijit@mymobile.co.in

december 2014 MYMOBILE 31

mobile doctor can I upgrade, please tell me the process. -Sunil Rajput

I want to buy an Android mobile within the range of Rs 8000- Rs. 10,000, with a better camera and with the ability to handle graphics-rich games like Modern Combat and Batman Arkham Origins. And which does not hang. Please suggest. -Rajdip

Dear Sunil, You cannot upgrade a phone the way you can a computer. At the most you can add more storage to it using a micro SD card. If you are looking to upgrade its operating system to a newer version of Android, then that depends on the manufacturer and you will have to contact Micromax in that regard. You can also root your phone to upgrade the OS, but that will render your phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warranty invalid. I want to purchase a phone(excluding Windows Phone OS) and have a price limit of Rs 7,000. It should have the following features: good voice calling, excellent battery performance, very

Dear Rajdip, I would suggest that you try the Asus ZenFone 5. It has a 720p 5.0-inch display and is powered by a 64-bit Intel processor. It also comes with 2GB RAM, so it should be able to handle the games that you are talking of. It also has a very good 8.0-megapixel camera, and is priced at Rs 9,999. I want to buy a smartphone with HD display, good sound quality, dual SIM support, good call quality and a good Internet speed. My budget is Rs. 22,000. Please suggest. -Yogendra Sharma Dear Yogendra, We would suggest that you try out the Lenovo Vibe X2, which has been recently released. It is priced at Rs 19,999 and comes with a 5.0-inch full HD display and comes with an octa core processor that has been securing very high marks in benchmark tests. It supports 4G, has dual SIM support and also comes with a 13.0-megapixel camera. You can also try out the Huawei Honor 6, which is priced at Rs 19,999 and also meets most of your requirements. I am using Micromax Canvas HD. I want to upgrade it. How

32 MYMOBILE december 2014

good music experience in loudspeaker mode, autofocus camera, and it is important to tell you that brand does not matter. Kindly suggest. -Amit Narain Dear Amit, We would advise you to purchase a Xiaomi Redmi 1S, which comes with an excellent 4.7 inch display and a very good 8.0-megapixel camera and falls well within your budget. However, this phone is

not easy to find (it is a Flipkart exclusive), and if you cannot find it, then we would suggest you try the Android One phone from Micromax, the Canvas A1, which meets most of your requirements and is available in your budget.

I want to buy a phone, which is the best in the market. Please tell me which one is the best amongst Sony Xperia Z3, LG G3 and the Samsung Galaxy S5. Besides these, please also tell me what you think of the Lumia 930 and which is the best handset from Nokia these days. -Subhash Verma Dear Subhash, Of the three phones that you have mentioned, we would recommend the Sony Xperia Z3 which we think has the best design, the best battery life and the best camera of the three. The G3 has a very good quad HD display and processor too, while the Galaxy S5 works smoothly and has a good camera. We would also advise you to check out the iPhone 6 Plus as well as the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro, both of which we have reviewed in this issue of the magazine. In our opinion, the Lumia 930 is the best device from Nokia (or Microsoft as it is now called) in the market at the present time, with an excellent display and a very good camera. I am planning to buy a phone under the range of Rs.16,000 and I am thinking to buy the Nokia Lumia 730. What do you suggest? -Rahul Verma Dear Rahul, The Lumia 730 is a very good option, coming as it does with

a very good front facing selfie camera, AMOLED display and a quad core processor. It also has Skype calling integrated in it almost seamlessly, and comes in a number of attractive colours. So yes, I think your choice is a very good one. If you are thinking of an alternative, I would suggest you try to get your hands on a Xiaomi Mi 3 or a Moto G (second generation), both of which boast very good hardware and cost lesser. If you are ready to spend a little more, you could also consider the original Moto X, which is an excellent handset and is retailing at Rs. 17,999. I am a student and I am confused between a 5.0-inch mobile phone and tablet. Please suggest what will be better for me. My budget is Rs 10,000. -Kumar Ravi Dear Kumar, It really depends on your needs. If you need a device for reading, then a tablet would be a better option. However, if calling and texting and other phone functions are important, then it would be better to go with a device with a 5.0-inch display. A very good option for you would the Asus FonePad which has a 7.0-inch display but has been designed for calling and is available for a price of Rs 8,999.

Is your mobile phone acting strange? Email your queries at team@mymobile.co.in and our mobile doctor Arshdeep Singh will suggest remedies for your ailing device. Disclaimer: The views expressed by Arshdeep Singh are his own and do not necessarily coincide with those of My Mobile.

fa c e t o fa c e

“Online channels are crucial for smartphone sales” Alcatel has been flitting in and out of the spotlight in India over the past few years, grabbing attention with a high-profile device and then going oddly silent in the days that followed. However, that seems set to change with a consistent flow of devices this year, most notably from the company’s One Touch range. We met Praveen Valecha, Regional Director, APAC, BU India for Alcatel OneTouch, to find out more about the company’s strategy. Abhijit Ahaskar Alcatel has been in India for a while now. Where would you say the brand stands today? The brand has progressed and has been now acknowledged for its quality and innovatively designed products which deliver value for money. India is a vast market with a number of brands. What steps have you taken to ensure that Alcatel stands out, especially when compared to the likes of other newcomers like Xiaomi, Gionee and so on, as well as the established ones like Nokia and Samsung? As Alcatel is a global brand and we are very quality conscious, we have been chosen by most of the carriers as their first choice. This has helped us to boost the confidence of customers in India that the product is stable and also assured them. And then there is the design element - you can see our differentiative and award winning design which has made us separate from the ‘me too’ segment. A number of brands have of late been taking the online-only route in India to sell their products. What is your take on this trend? We also foresee the online

34 MYMOBILE december 2014

and e-commerce channels as being crucial for smartphone sales in India and hence we have launched two products recently with Flipkart on an exclusive basis with a tremendous response. We have segregated our product road map which has some very innovative products for Flipkart Exclusive launches. Alcatel has been one of the brands that has been using Mediatek’s true octa core processors to make high speed processing power accessible to mainstream users. What has been the response to your devices so far and what else do you plan? We launched the Idol X+, an octa core phone, and the response has been very positive at Flipkart. The customer reviews are really encouraging and with the Smart Band and the JBL headset that accompany the product, I believe it has created a niche for itself. What next can we expect from Alcatel in the coming days? A very interesting launch is on the cards. I cannot reveal any more details. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

c e l l- c l u e s

Which is

your

iPhone? For the first time, Indian consumers have not one or two but five iPhones to choose from. But which one works best and

for whom? We attempt to find out. Nimish Dubey

or iPhone lovers in India, this is the best of times indeed. In the past, a person looking for an iPhone generally had three devices at the most to choose from - the most recent iPhone, its predecessor and a two generation old device that had significantly older hardware but still received software updates. Well, fast forward to today, and the user has no fewer than five devices to choose from, each of which is running the latest version of iOS (iOS 8) - the recently released iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iPhone 5S and 5C and the iPhone 4S, which was released in 2011 but still continues to go strong. And this is when we do not count the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4, which are still being sold in some markets and online portals. But which iPhone works best for you? Do you need the absolutely latest and greatest or do you want to save your cash and start small? Well, here is our very rough guide to the five iPhones right now in the market and which one suits your needs the most. (all prices are approximate and based on market and online prices)

36 MYMOBILE december 2014

e: Pric Rs. 00 62,5

iPhone 6 Plus This is pretty much the powerhouse in the iPhone range. Although it has mostly the same innards and software as the iPhone 6, it scores over it in three departments its camera comes with optical image stabilisation for less blurry images and videos, its display is a full HD (1080p) affair as compared to the 720p one of the iPhone 6, and last but not least, it comes with a massive battery that allows it to coast through a dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heavy use without any trouble whatsoever. The display is magnificent, the camera is one of the best around and although the phone itself can be a bit difficult to handle with one hand, it clearly is the most powerful iPhone around. By some distance. Great if: You want the best iPhone around. And have the hands and the wallet for it.

www.mymobile.co.in

iPhone 5C It was criticised as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;plastic iPhoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; but we actually think that the iPhone 5C was one of the best designed iPhones we have seen. It featured the slightly larger display seen on the iPhone 5S (4 inches) and came with an excellent 8.0-megapixel camera as well as a better battery than the now-discontinued iPhone 5. In fact, in our experience, its battery life was better than that of the iPhone 5S. It still runs all iOS apps with a degree of ease and works very smoothly indeed. But what really makes it stand out from all other iPhones are the bright colours it is available in. A very good option we would say for those who want a smaller iPhone but want something more funky. And keep your eyes open: many online retailers sometimes dip its price to below Rs 30,000 on times. At which it remains a better deal than many Android devices.

e: Pric Rs. 00 35, 0 ds r a onw

Great if: You want the iPhone experience inside a funky, colourful exterior.

iPhone 5S

iPhone 4S

So what if there are new iPhones in tech town, for many the iPhone 5S remains the best iPhone simply because it is incredibly easy to use. It is very compact and will fit into most palms without any struggle. And well, in terms of performance, while the iOS 8 update has resulted in a few crashes and the occasional drain on battery life, the phone itself continues to perform magnificently. e: The 8.0-megapixel camPric . era remains a formidable s R 0 0 proposition and is as good as 0 45, s d r many seen on much higher a onw end devices. And as of now, it handles almost all regular apps as well as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, although the differences in performance start becoming evident as you move into high definition territory. But yes, a flagship in every sense even now.

Some might scoff at it now, e: Pric but the fact is that the iPhone Rs. 4S remains a very good device 90 more than three years after its 19, 9 ds ar launch. It is incredibly compact onw and although its 3.5 inch display might seem ultra small by modern phablet standards, it is wonderfully sharp for reading and browsing the Web and basic tasks like email and social networking. The 8.0-megapixel camera remains capable of taking very good pictures, and well, Siri, the virtual assistant works just fine on it. Just do not try anything too high end in terms of gaming on it and you will be just fine. A great device even now for those wanting iOS on a tight budget. Just remember that storage will be limited - currently only 8GB and 16GB models are available in the market. And yes, the glass back looks very attractive even now.

Great if: You want the iPhone experience but do not like the larger size of the new iPhones.

Great if: You want the iOS experience but do not feel up to spending more than Rs 25,000 on it.

iPhone 6 Which brings us to the new iPhones, both of which come with larger displays than seen in their predecessors. The iPhone 6 is the smaller of the two but that does not mean that it is any less in terms of performance, although its design does tend to look a bit more predictable than in the past. The improved 8.0-megapixel camera with focus pixels takes some awesome shots, and the 4.7 inch display is just wonderful for viewing websites and playing games. The larger display also makes it a lot more fun to play games like Infinity Blade on it. The phone comes with an improved A8 processor and although battery life is not the greatest, the phone itself is a top-level performer in the truest sense of the word. Great if: You want the latest iPhone but find the iPhone 6 Plus too big and/or too expensive.

nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

e: Pric 00 3 5 ,5 Rs. ards onw

december 2014 MYMOBILE 37

just in HTC One (M8 Eye) M8 Style, With More Camera Muscle

TC seems to be betting very heavily on its One range this year. The company had already released the One M8 and the One E8 this year and now comes the One (M8 Eye). And unlike in the E8, where HTC opted to go for a plastic back, this time the company has not held itself back – the M8 Eye comes in gunmetal grey and has a metal unibody design, making it look every bit as stunning as the original M8 itself. And it has terrific specs too. It comes with a 5 inch full HD display, runs on Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core processor. What gives the device its name, however, is HTC Eye imaging experience which revolves around the 13.0-megapixel Duo camera (which adds a depth sensor to the main camera) at the back, complemented by 5.0-megapixel selfie camera. This could well be the next imaging powerhouse on the smartphone block. And of course, there are those trademark front facing BoomSound speakers. What’s more, it is available at a price that is significantly lower than the original M8 - Rs. 38,990. n team@mymobile.co.in

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Another Note-able Phablet

eople might have laughed at the size of the first Galaxy Note, but the device went on to pioneer the phablet segment of the smartphone market and to many remains the perfect blend of tablet and phone. So you can imagine the interest in the market around the latest edition of the Note, the Note 4, which has arrived in the market even as we go to print. The Note 4 comes with a 5.7inch Super AMOLED display with a staggering resolution of 1440x2560, placing it in quad HD territory. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and comes with a 16.0-megapixel camera and a 3.7 megapixel front facing camera. It runs on Android Kit Kat (4.4.4), and yes, before you ask, accompanying it is the gadget that many thought had been made extinct by the iPhone – the stylus or the S Pen as Samsung calls it. And of course, it comes with a whole range of new gestures and tricks that make the Note series the productive powerhouse that it is, not least a wonderful battery life. Mind you, all this does not come cheap – investing in the Galaxy Note 4 will set you back by as much as Rs. 58,399. That said, we can see people lining up to purchase it, such is its aura. n

38 MYMOBILE december 2014

sneak peek Nexus 6 Big Size, Big Price

oogle pulled a rabbit out of its hat when it announced the Nexus 6 this year. While not too many were surprised at the fact that the product was made by Motorola (which has been taken over by Lenovo as we go to print), the sheer size and price of the device surprised many. The Nexus range has been known for showcasing Android in compact devices that generally have cost lesser than similarly specced devices in the market. However, the Nexus 6 is a very contrary beast in that regard. It comes with a massive 6.0-inch quad HD display, and while it does pack in some various hardware muscle (a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor clocked at 2.7 GHz, 3GB RAM, 13.0-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization), it comes at a price of Rs. 44,000, which places it right at the top-tier of Android flagships. Of course, the main charm of the phone remains its ability to get the latest updates to the Android OS directly from Google itself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is also the first device to be released running the latest version of Android, Lollipop. Although already listed on the Google Play Store in India, it is expected to be available in early December, and has been teased on Flipkart as well at the time of writing. n

Microsoft Lumia 535 A

Lumia Minus the Nokia Name

n some ways, the Lumia 535 marks the end of an era. It is the first Lumia phone to be released without the Nokia brandname on it. And yet, in many ways, the phone itself reflects the core values of its original parent. In best Lumia tradition, it is colourful, built on solid lines and comes with swappable back covers. There are some new touches, though. The Lumia 535 is perhaps the first device in the Lumia range to be called a budget-level phablet, and also comes with a 5.0-megapixel camera in front as well as at the back. It features a 5.0-inch qHD display, runs on a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, and runs on Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim update. The device will come in single and dual SIM variants and is aimed squarely at the younger generation with its large display, funky looks and powerful selfie camera. The device is expected in early December and is expected to be priced in the vicinity of Rs. 7,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

40 MYMOBILE december 2014

burn test

www.mymobile.co.in

For Selfie Lovers The iBall Andi

4.5M Enigma is tailored for vanity shots

ith the selfie fever gripping the mobile world, a number of manufacturers have come out with devices that are designed for taking selfies. One of these is the iBall Andi 4.5M Enigma. On the surface it seems a routine device with looks that do not really stand out in a crowd, but it is a very different kettle of fish when it comes to the feature department. Launched primarily as a selfie phone, the device comes with some formidable specs that put it in a league of its own in the very competitive Indian smartphone market.

Camera power The Andi 4.5M Enigma has a 4.5 inch screen with 960 x 540 resolution. Though the resolution is low, the display is bright enough. We have Moto E and Asus ZenFone, which are available in the same price range and have better displays. In terms of the camera, however, the Enigma is far ahead of any other competitor at this price point. The handset comes with a 13.0-megapixel rear camera and for the selfies fans, there is an 8.0-megapixel front facing camera. Unfortunately, the camera quality is not commensurate with the megapixel count of these devices, but when you consider the price points, this is quite a surprising camera set for a phone.

Great specs for the price Running on Android 4.4 KitKat, the handset comes with a 1.3 GHz quad core processor, which handled routine tasks like surfing the Web very well. It has 8GB internal memory which can be expanded upto 32GB by a micro SD card. Besides this, it has 1GB RAM. For connectivity, the device supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G. And in a very neat touch, the phone comes with a back panel touch sensor by which one can start the camera, take pictures and even scroll through the images by just touching the back panel. Users can even scroll the screen and the menu through the sensor. The UI has five home screen panels, which can be customized with oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apps and widgets.

Conclusion The iBall Andi 4.5 M Enigma comes

Pros 8.0-megapixel selfie camera NFC support

packed with features. The back touch sensor, 8.0megapixel selfie camera, 13.0-megapixel rear camera and NFC connectivity at this price point are impressive. Yes, we would have liked a more eye-catching design and better overall camera performance, but once again, we need to stress that at this price point, this device brings a lot to the budget phone party. The fact that it is compact and can easily fit most hands and pockets does not harm its cause at all. The iBall Andi 4.5M Enigma is priced at Rs. 7,999. Those looking for selfie phones at this price point can also check out the Lava Iris X1 which is priced at Rs. 6,999. n team@mymobile.co.in

Iball Andi 4.5M Enigma

tech specs

Cons Average looks Mediocre picture quality

Size | 133.77x 66.31x 8.77 Weight | 135 grams Memory | 8GB, microSD OS | Android OS 4.4

verdict

Screen Size | 4.5-inch, Capacitive Battery | Li-Ion 1,500 mAh Talktime/Standby | -/-

perfoRmance

GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes Features

Camera | 13.0-megapixel Others | NFC, Back Touch sensor, Gesture Control

Price: Rs 7,999

Looks

ease of use

/10

value for money

overall

82%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 41

burn test Funky Lumia The Lumia 730 guns for

the younger generation

t has been a roller coaster ride for the Lumia brand in 2014. It started off strongly but then came a period of quiet with not too many launches as the Microsoft-Nokia deal went through. With that out of the way, however, the Lumia has returned strongly to the centrestage. While devices like the high-end Lumia 830 and 930 have been hogging the limelight, there is a feeling that the real ace in the Lumia pack could be phones like the Lumia 730, which come with more modest specs and lower prices, but still carry appeal for the young audience. But does the Lumia live up to its promise?

Classic Lumia looks In terms of appearance, the Lumia 730 is a blast from Lumia’s classic past. It is unabashedly bright and colourful – we got the orange model and well, it turned heads all the time. The sides are curved rather than straight and even the back is slightly convex with the sides sloping slightly upwards as they reach the back. The front is all about the 4.7-inch display, below which you get the standard three touch buttons that you see in all Windows Phone devices – for home, search and back. The left side of the phone is totally bare, the top houses the 3.5 mm audio jack and the base has the micro USB slot. The right side has the volume rocker and the display/power on/off button. Rather surprisingly, there is no dedicated camera button – surprising when you consider that the camera was marketed as one of the highlights of the device. The back is bright and glossy and while it will attract the odd smudge, there is nothing that cannot be wiped away. At 8.7 mm, the phone is on the thinner side and will fit most hands comfortably. And well, it certainly looks very funky

Pros Funky design Very good front facing camera Bright display

42 MYMOBILE december 2014

indeed, especially if you get one of the brighter colours.

Decent hardware Lumia 730 is a mid-segment smartphone and is not designed to smash hardware benchmarks. That said, it is more than handy in the hardware department, packing in a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, backed up by 1GB RAM and 8GB storage, which can be expanded using a memory card (the back of the phone can be removed, incidentally). On the connectivity front, it comes with dual SIM slots, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC. The strong points of the device however, are its front facing camera, which is a 5.0-megapixel affair and display, which in spite of being a 720p HD one, is an AMOLED one and is a visual treat. The back camera is a 6.7-megapixel one.

Skype and selfie magic …to an extent One of the highlights of the Lumia 730 is its front facing 5.0-megapixel camera – Nokia has called it the first smartphone designed specifically for Skype and selfie calls. While integrated Skype does make video calling an almost seamless process, we must confess we expected a bit more from the selfie camera. Yes, it is wonderfully wide angled so you can actually capture groups of people without too much trouble, but there are irritants too. For instance, we found it very strange that we could not switch from normal to selfie camera mode by hitting a button in the Nokia Camera app – we actually had to go in the menu and choose Front Facing camera (although the default Windows Phone app has an icon for letting you switch between the two

cameras). Similarly, we had expected features like face recognition and the option to take pictures with smiles and gestures in the main camera app. That said, we must confess that the front facing camera takes outstanding pictures and selfie freaks will have a lot of fun with this device – our advice would be to use the Lumia Selfie app for best results. That apart, the Lumia 730 is a solid performer. The display is excellent for videos and pictures, although we would advise checking pictures taken by the camera on your computer (the AMOLED display does show slightly oversaturated colours), sound quality is very good, and general multimedia performance spot on. There were some slight lags while playing games like Asphalt 8 but these were minor. We did expect a bit more from the rear camera too – it took good pictures, but we actually thought the Lumia 720 had a better camera in terms of detail. The phone also comes packed with the usual Nokia goodies such as maps and music and the battery is good enough to see you through a day of use.

Conclusion At the end, one cannot help but feel that Lumia 730 has fallen just short of greatness. Yes, it looks very good and is a decent performer, and a year ago, would have been considered a terrific bargain at its price. However, the past year has seen a deluge of devices at this price point, and today it faces very stiff competition from the likes of Moto G and Micromax Canvas Nitro, while there are those who might be swayed by the slightly more expensive but powerfully specced Lenovo Vibe X2 and Huawei Honor 6. n team@mymobile.co.in

Cons Higher specced devices available at the same price Rear camera not the greatest

www.mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 15,249

verdict perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

82%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 43

burn test Is bigger better? The iPhone 6 tries to prove that size matters

might turn their noses up at the 1334 x 750 resolution, the fact is that browsing the Web and reading mails and text on it are an utter joy. We also felt that iOS 8 seemed to work more smoothly on the larger display as compared to what we had seen on the iPhone 5S. And then there is the camera. Although it has the same megapixel count (eight) as seen in the iPhone 4S, 5, 5C and 5S, Apple claims that it comes with a new sensor with Focus Pixels. We are not going to get into the jargon here. The quality of the camera is a notch above that of the iPhone 5S and slow motion recording at 240 frames per second is nothing short of amazing. One area where we did expect some improvement but got very little was battery life. Although the iPhone 6 has a better battery life than the iPhone 5S (especially after the iOS 8 update), it still will need at least one recharge a day to see heavy users through. Finally, the iPhone 6 retains Apple’s greatest strength in mobile devices: its buttery-smooth interface and amazing treasury of high quality apps.

ne of the criticisms labelled against the iPhone was the fact that its display was too small in this era of phablets. With iPhone 6, Apple has taken its iconic handset into the large display era. But does it manage to hold on its unique aura?

Looks bigger, but… If you were a fan of the earlier iPhones, then you might not find the iPhone 6 to your liking. Yes, it is bigger than before with a 4.7-inch display as compared to the 4.0-inch and 3.5-inch ones seen in earlier generations. But there are other subtle changes in design as well. For one, the slightly ‘boxed’ design that had been prevailing since the iPhone 4 has been cast aside and what we have now is a more curvey iPhone with the sides curving out gently towards the back, a bit like the latter generations of the iPod touch. The back too has changed, and no longer features the two tone theme that we have been seeing in the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5S. Now the back has a single colour, albeit separated by two bands – one at the top and one at the lower part. The upper part also houses the 8.0-megapixel camera with True Tone flash, which rather surprisingly, juts out a bit, which might make it susceptible to picking up scratches and dust particles as the phone will rest on it every time you place it on a flat surface. The button for power/display that was on the top has been moved to the right side and the volume buttons are no longer spherical, but are sliver shaped and are on the left. The surface of the display is also just a bit raised and is not as flat as it was in previous editions. That said, the phone itself looks very classy and at 6.9 mm is very thin indeed. Do not listen to those rumours that it appears fragile – it is very comfortable to hold and its mix of metal and glass feels premium and solid. That said, we must confess that it does not stand out in a crowd quite like the iPhone 5 and 5S did.

Still a performer par excellence Whether you like the design of the iPhone 6 or not, we have no doubt that you will absolutely love its performance. In best iPhone tradition, the phone flies along at a rate of knots, thanks to the improved A8 processor. And while some Android fans

44 MYMOBILE december 2014

Conclusion

Price: Rs 53,500

At the end of the day, the iPhone 6 is a bit of a mixed bag. Yes, it does come with improvements over the iPhone 5S but they are in areas in which most users did not have major complaints – performance and camera. And while the larger display will be welcomed by some, others might find it comes at the cost of one handed ease of use and with a design that seems relatively routine. We also honestly expected better battery life. And the price of Rs 53,500 remains one that will make eyebrows rise especially when you consider that this is not the most powerful iPhone around either – the iPhone 6 Plus boasts better specs. Still, if you are looking for a slice of iPhone magic and do not have the hands and/or the wallet for the iPhone 6 Plus, then this is a very good option indeed. If, however, you are looking for a high-end device with a good camera, check out the Sony Xperia Z3, which comes with a very eye catching design, an excellent display and very good camera. However, if you want the most powerful iPhone then you should consider the iPhone 6 Plus which has a full HD display, a camera with optical image stabilisation and much better battery life. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobile.co.in

Pros Good performance Excellent camera UI and apps

Cons Expensive Battery life Design not as eyecatching as before

verdict perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

80%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 45

burn test Stunning Vibe Lenovo delivers

fantastic value for money with the Vibe Z2 Pro

Pros Excellent hardware Eye catching design Amazing price

enovo has been making its presence felt slowly but steadily in the Indian market with a series of devices that deliver a fair bit of innovation at relatively competitive prices. However, with the Vibe Z2 Pro, the Chinese company has seemingly gone for broke, serving up amazingly good hardware at a price that seems staggeringly low. But should you consider buying it in the face of better-known competition?

Classy looks The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro is a big phone, make no mistake about it. But it actually seems smaller than it actually is â&#x20AC;&#x201C; although it sports a 6.0-inch display, it is actually shorter in length than the iPhone 6 Plus, which has a 5.5 inch one. And at 7.7 mm, the phone is not very thick either, although we do need to clarify that you are going to need two hands to use it properly most of the time. There are three touch buttons beneath the display for home, menu and back, and the sides curve out to meet the back, which is metallic and has a subtle brushed weave design. The 16.0-megapixel camera on the back does protrude, but Lenovo has even made a virtue of that by placing it in a panel of its own and bordering it with red. The overall appearance is of a phone that looks classy and a great blend of metal and glass.

Terrific hardware Good though it looks, the real strength of the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro is its hardware. That display is a quad HD one with a resolution of 2450 x 1440, backed up by 3GB RAM and with 32GB of storage, which unfortunately is not expandable. Making sure that there are no hitches in performance is a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.5 GHz. There are two cameras â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 16.0-megapixel one at the back with a dual LED flash and optical

46 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Lenovo Vibe z2 Pro Cons A bit bulky No expandable memory Available only from Flipkart

image stabilisation and a 5.0-megapixel front facing selfie camera. And then there is dual SIM connectivity with support for 4G, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. And running on top of this is Android 4.4, with Lenovo working to update it to Lollipop in the coming weeks. Rounding off the entire spec sheet is a 4,000 mAh battery, which is amongst the biggest we have seen in any high-end device and is definitely a huge plus point. Any way you look at it, this device is a spec monster.

Great performer, great price It is one thing to have great hardware, quite another to make the most of them. The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro succeeds in this regard. With a vengeance. We can safely say that at the time of writing, we had not seen this level of performance from an Android device. The display was easily the best we have seen in the current lot of quad HD displays and was staggeringly bright even in broad daylight. The phone handled multiple apps and high-definition content (be it films or games) with ease. The camera was a surprise packet and took some brilliant shots in terms of both colour and details, and thanks to the presence of optical image stabilisation, you can also shoot some very good video on it. Running on top of Android on this phone is Lenovo’s Vibe interface and it comes with some lovely little touches. You can make the screen smaller to make it easier to use with one hand, you can save sensitive information in a different zone altogether and well, if you are the super

geeky types, you can even reboot the device into stock Android mode, just like a Nexus. Frankly, this is the most innovative UI we have seen on Android since MIUI on the Xiaomi Mi 3. And all of this at a price of Rs 32, 999, although at the time of writing, it was a Flipkart exclusive.

Conclusion All said and done, it is very hard to find fault with the Vibe Z2 Pro. The device is one of only four in the country to come with a quad HD display and is easily the most affordable. It packs in a truckload of processing power and a very good camera and also one of the longest lasting batteries we have seen in the high-end segment. Yes, we would have liked to have expandable memory and let’s face it, it is very bulky to use with one hand, but that applies to just about every phablet around. And honestly, we don’t think we have seen a large display phone looking THIS classy for a while. And just how formidable it is can be proved by the fact that we had to struggle to find a viable alternative to it – the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 offers a quad HD display and a Snapdragon 805 processor but at a price of Rs 58,990, while the LG G3 offers a quad HD display with a similar processor and expandable memory besides, but comes with a smaller battery and inferior cameras, and is retailing for Rs 39,990. The stark fact is that at its current price point and with its spec sheet, the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro has no competition. n team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 32,999 verdict perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

90%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 47

burn test Stylish Galaxy Samsung turns on the style with the Galaxy Alpha

ne of the accusations levelled at Samsung has been its tendency to stick to a similar design, one which is dominated by plastic. The company has been attempting to change that perception with small touches on some of its devices (like the faux leather in the Note series), and has now tried to turn on the style in a big way with the Galaxy Alpha. Which raises twin questions: does it succeed, and do those looks come at a cost?

Dazzling looks… There’s no denying it – the Galaxy Alpha looks dazzlingly good and totally unlike anything we have seen from Samsung in recent times. We got the gold model and were surprised at just how compact it was in this age of overlarge handsets. The main reason for this is Samsung’s decision to go with a 4.7-inch display rather than a 5.0-inch or larger one as most companies have of late in the higher price segment. The front is dominated by the display below which

Pros Great design Good display Decent performance

48 MYMOBILE december 2014

is the slightly elongated steel-rimmed oval home button that is the trademark of most Samsung devices, flanked by two touch keys, for Back and Recent (which shows the recent apps). The phone is also incredibly thin – just 6.7 mm, making it thinner even than the iPhone 6 (which is 6.9 mm)- and will easily fit most hands. What however, is most likely to grab attention is the metallic frame running right around the phone, giving it a look of both class and solidity. It is bordered by shiny chamfers (similar to the ones we saw in the iPhone 5 and 5S), and has the volume rocker on the left and the power/display button on the right. The 3.5 mm audio jack is on the top, and the micro USB port on the base of the device. The back (which can be removed) has a fine dotted finish making it easy to grip and comes with a 12-megapixel camera with a flash. The back of the fold model has a subtly shiny gold texture, and the chamfers shine in the sunlight. It is compact, feels good to hold and will turn heads. Yes, this has got to be one

of the best-looking devices we have seen from Samsung for a while.

…but not hardware to match Good though it looks, we expected better hardware in the Galaxy Alpha. The phone is powered by the octa core Exynos 5 processor, which is basically two quad core processors working in tandem, RAM stands at 2GB and the phone comes with 32 GB of storage. Connectivity wise too, we did not have anything to complain – LTE, 3G, Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi and GPS are all present here. And running on the device is Android KitKat, which is the latest OS seen on most phones these days. However, we were disappointed to see that the display, although Super AMOLED only had a resolution of 1280 x 720. Similarly, we expected the device to come with expandable memory, especially when you consider that it is not unibody. Call us picky if you wish, but at this price point, the Galaxy Alpha disappoints in the spec department-

www.mymobile.co.in

Solid performer That said, we could not really fault the Alpha’s performance in most regards. The AMOLED display is a delight to watch videos on and for seeing pictures, although we prefer LCD displays for reading. The phone comes with Samsung’s TouchWiz interface so the S Health and Flipboard apps are built into it, which is very handy indeed. Those familiar with TouchWiz will feel right at home with the device, but newcomers will need just a little more time to come to grips with it, especially the settings menu. We also expected a better performance from the camera (details and colours were not as sharp as competing devices in the same price point) and then there is the battery – if you use the phone a lot, our advice would be to not go too far from power points. That apart, the Galaxy Alpha is a solid performer. It will handle any game or app you throw at it and serves up very decent sound quality, both on

loudspeaker and headphone.

Conclusion It is easily the best looking device we have ever seen from Samsung. Period. But that cannot change the fact that the Galaxy Alpha is almost embarrassingly high-priced. Yes, it does have designer looks and is beautifully designed but at Rs. 37,999, it costs almost as much as Samsung’s own flagship Galaxy S5, which comes with a far better display and markedly superior camera. Lurking around at that price is also the LG G3 which has a quad HD display and better hardware. And well, there is the little matter of the Vibe X2 Pro, which looks very attractive as well, has better hardware, and costs much lesser. All of which makes the Galaxy Alpha pretty much a device for the Samsung follower. It comes with a premium price and looks, but its performance is not quite in the same category. n team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs 37,999

verdict Cons Too expensive A full HD display expected at that price Mediocre camera

perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

82%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 49

burn test Honey, I Got More Desire-able HTC tries to

make the Desire 816 more attractive

Price: Rs 18,990

50 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

he HTC One M8 might have been HTC’s flagship device, but in terms of popularity in the market, it was more than matched by the Desire 816, which delighted many customers with its design, excellent cameras and relatively affordable price tag. Which is why HTC has perhaps attempted to repeat the formula in the Desire 816G, which is a slightly watered down - and even more affordable - version of the 816. But will consumers be attracted to the relatively lower specced device?

Big, yes, but stylish too Even though the Desire 816G is a trimmed down version of Desire 816, with a lower price tag, HTC has resisted the temptation to fiddle with its appearance and gone with exactly the same looks as the original. Which makes the Desire 816G a stylish yet sophisticated looking handset in the sub-Rs. 20,000 segment, where there are not too many devices with such cutting edge looks, (with the exception of perhaps the Lenovo Vibe X2, and the Lumia 730). The stand-out features on this one are the front facing speaker, 5.5-inch display and a colourful back panel. What we did not like about it is the glossy surface on the back panel, which does give the device a shiny appearance, but also makes it highly dirt and smudge prone and slippery as well. The front panel also carries a front facing camera, two speakers and the HTC logo, making the most of the wide bezels unlike most brands. The right hand side panel includes dual SIM slots and a micro SD slot, covered by firm plastic flap while the volume and power button are placed on the other side.

Cutting down on hardware Where HTC has trimmed the Desire 816G is in the hardware department. It comes with a lower amount of RAM (1GB), and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, instead of a Qualcomm Snapdragon one. The amount of internal memory is 8GB and the amount of expandable memory it allows is 32GB (the Desire 816 supports 128GB expandable memory), and all this is topped off with a 2,600mAh non-removable Li-po battery. The 8GB internal memory is not low, but for a device at this price point it is nothing exciting either. The Moto G (2nd Gen) comes at a much lower price and has 16GB internal memory. Also, for a 5.5 –inch display device, its screen resolution of 1280 x 720 seems a bit on the lower side given the fact that the Vibe X2 is delivering a full HD display at a slightly higher price. It supports 3G (no 4G, unlike the original 816), has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connectivity and has a 13.0-megapixel rear camera and a 5.0megapixel front-facing camera. Being a part of the selfie bandwagon, the front-facing

camera has been endowed with more than what devices in this range offer. The phone runs on Android 4.4.2 and features the trademark HTC Blinkfeed equipped Sense UI. It is simple and easy to use with clearly identifiable icons and comes with Facebook, Polaris Office and a Video highlights app, which presents photos into a video like format. No, you cannot distinguish it from the original 816 by just looking at it!

Pros Impressive cameras Smooth performance Good sound quality

Decent device with more than decent cameras The large display of the Desire 816 G makes it very handy for watching movies and playing games, and for long hours of reading - and to its credit, the device handled these tasks very well indeed. The display did not look very sharp and bright but the colour accuracy and smooth operation of the device more than compensate for this. For us, the real rock stars of the device were its twin cameras, and especially the front facing camera. Both can record fine looking full HD videos and handled most conditions well. The 13.0-megapixel main camera can churn out detailed shots with real life-like colours, and even delivers some stunning close-up images. The front facing packs in more megapixels than generally seen in this league and that shows in the clarity it brings to the table. The phone comes with a 2,600mAh battery, which claims upto 10 hours on 3G talktime and lasts a day easily on one charge. And of course, those two front facing speakers deliver excellent sound.

Cons Relatively low resolution display Glossy back Average Internal memory

Conclusion Many might find the Desire 816G a more desirable version (pun intended) of the Desire 816 if you don’t want 4G, which is anyway available in barely half a dozen cities, and do not have any hang ups about using a device with a MediaTek processor rather than a Qualcomm one (we do not!). Its flawless performance and good looks makes it one of the best devices in the sub- Rs. 20,000 segment. However, if you want a device with a superior display try out Lenovo Vibe X2, which has a full HD display, is powered by an octa-core processor, looks more distinct and is available at an attractive price of Rs. 19, 999. If you want to try out some other selfie smartphones in this range, check out the Lumia 730, which is selling at Rs. 16,000. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

80%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 51

burn test Much more than a Honor-able Mention! Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what the Huawei Honor 6 merits

Price: Rs 19,999

52 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

t might not be the most high profile Chinese phone brand, but Huawei has a knack of coming up with premium devices at affordable prices. The Honor 6 is another demonstration of that. It’s a well endowed device, looks good, and comes with excellent hardware. And still costs less than Rs. 20,000. But will it get the company the attention and market segment that many think it deserves?

A lightweight stunner The Honor 6 looks like a carbon copy of the previous iPhone devices, albeit with larger displays. Of course, there are differences - it does not have the iPhone’s home button and the bezels are sleeker. But there’s no denying it, in terms of appearance, this device is a looker. The handset we got was the white one, which with its fine glass finish on the back, looked brilliant. A wide metal strip also runs on the side panel rounding off the edges, lending it solidity. It may not be the slimmest phone as the definition of slim is getting redefined every six months but is definitely very light for its size at 130 grams. The front boasts of a brilliant looking full HD display and has small sized bezels. The sides come with the regular array of controls for the volume and power and also the SIM and memory card slots. On the back (which is non-removable - this is a unibody device), it has the 13 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and a speaker. Yes, it is not an original design, but the Honor 6 is nevertheless one of the contenders for the best looking smartphones in its price segment. That said, the display and the back are very glossy and suscep tible to smudges. The glass on the back does look great but should have been given some coating to protect it from smudges.

Different but powerful And the Honor 6 is no dumb doll. It comes with some very powerful hardware too. It is powered by two quad core processors from Hisilicon Kirinwith: a 1.7GHz Cortex A15 quad-core CPU and a 1.3GHz Cortex A7 quad-core processor. Hisilicon is a subsidiary company of Huawei that manufacturers chips used by Huawei and other brands and has a reputation for producing very powerful chips. Besides the octa-core processor, it has 3GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage and upto 64GB expandable storage. The rear camera is of 13.0 megapixels, while the front one is a 5.0 megapixels camera. There is a Mali T628 graphics card too and then there is the

3,100mAh battery. For connectivity, it has 4G, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, micro USB and NFC. And of course, that 5.0-inch display that dominates the front is a full HD one with screen resolution of 1920x1080p and pixel density of 445 ppi, which is more than a number of devices in this segment.

Pros Stunning looks Impressive performance Great display

Android Kitkat, Huawei skin, great performance The phone runs Android KitKat with Huawei’s interface known as the Emotion UI, laid over it. The UI carries all the apps on the home screen. Like most Chinese players there is no app drawer and the icons are big and colorful and are of the same size and shape. It works smoothly, showed no signs of lag and was quite easy to learn. The lock screen is a lot like the IOS lock screen. You can scroll up on the screen to access music apps like calendar, flashlight, mirror and calculator. The notification and shortcut carries every option in the same screen. You can access any of them without having to scroll up or down. The display responds well too. The Huawei Honor 6 is powered by an octa-core processor and that shows in its sharp response and performance. From ordinary Web browsing to checking mails to heavy games and HD videos, it functioned smoothly without any hiccoughs whatsoever. The camera responds fast and takes good pictures, even in low light conditions. The display is perhaps the strongest point of the phone - it makes all the content on it look stunning. The speaker is good and so is reception. It has a 3,100 mAh battery that barely manages to see of a day and that is understandable given the full HD display - perhaps a better battery manager could have been included.

Cons Glossy back panel picks up smudges Battery life could have been better

Conclusion The Honor 6 has the looks and performance of a high-end phone. So you can imagine how surprised we were to see its price tag of Rs 19,999. which puts it right in the league of the recently released Lenovo Vibe X2 and the Lumia 730, and is more than a match for both, although the Vibe X2 has a few tricks up its sleeve as well (we will review it in the next issue of the magazine). You can also try out the Gionee S5.5, a great looking device (one of the slimmest phones in the world), which comes with an octa-core processor, full HD display and is selling in the vicinity of Rs. 20,000. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

84%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 53

burn test Battery life to another level Philips Xenium W6610 redefines battery expectations

Price: Rs 17,500

n this age of slim and sleek handsets, Philips has decided to take a different path and come out with a phone that is decidedly chunky. But do not be fooled by its looks. The Xenium W6610 has a very important feature that many smartphone users today miss - that of staggering battery life. But will it be enough to sway consumers and remind it of the existence of Philips in the Indian phone market?

Chunky indeed! The Philips Xenium W6610 has a thickness of 11.4mm, making it one of the chunkiest 5.0-inch display devices by todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standards - in fact its thickness is more than two Gionee Elife 5.5 devices taken together. And at 200grams its twice the weight of the lightest smartphone, the Xolo Win Q900s. And the reason for this is not a failing on Philipsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; part to keep up with the times but because of a battery that is unlike any we have seen before - a 5,300mAh affair. The phone is endowed with a solid metallic exterior, smooth matte finish and slightly rounded curves. The front carries a wide 5.0-inch display with three backlit keys underneath, a front facing camera, and a wide in-ear grille. It is a unibody device with a small slot at the back panel covered by a solid metal plate. Inside it lie two standard SIM slots and a micro SD card slot. You get to see this kind of panel in tablets but not often in a smartphone. The micro USB port lies on the lower panel and has a flap cover over it. There is a small switch on the side panel to turn on the default power save flap. The handset appears big and thick and is not going to impress one looking for

54 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Cons Thick and bulky Old Android Low internal memory

Pros Long lasting battery Decent performance Solid build quality

an uber sleek device. But then, as we discovered, the Xenium W6610 is not about looks.

Pure, if old Android With Android L knocking on the door, the concern for many would be to get something which has at least close to it - KitKat or Jelly Bean 4.3. The Xenium is, unfortunately, lagging behind in that department and runs on a relatively old Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system. Philips hasn’t added another skin on the interface as most manufacturers do and has stuck to offering the stock Android experience, which is a good thing. There are not too many pre-loaded apps and most of the apps are by Google, which is a good move as the internal memory isn’t very large and this also allows users to pick and choose apps of their choice instead of being stuck with those offered by the manufacturer.

Decent hardware...and performance The Xenium comes with decent hardware. It boasts of 1.3GHz MediaTek quad-core processor and has 1GB RAM, but has surprisingly limited storage.z At a time when even handsets with price tags in the vicinity of Rs. 8,000 come with 8GB of storage, the Xenium comes with just 4GB. On the plus side, it does support memory cards, so you can crank up its overall storage to 32GB. It also features a

decent 8.0-megapixel rear camera with flash and a front facing VGA camera. The 5.0-inch display has a resolution of 960 x 540, which we feel is a bit less for its size. And of course, the phone does have that 5,300 mAh battery. Even though the screen resolution is pretty low for a 5.0-inch display device, the viewing experience was pretty good as the viewing angles and colour production are very good. It does, however, tend to pick up smudges. In other departments, the Xenium is a cool customer capable of running heavy games if the storage allows, online browsing and playing HD content without any problems. The sound quality is good as is the touch response. But the battery back-up is its biggest selling point. It easily gives about two days of back-up on normal use - which is impressive and rare in large display smartphones. The switch on the side panel serves as the battery management switch. Turning it on dulls the screen a bit but enhances the handset’s battery even further by miles.

Conclusion The Xenium W6610 is made for someone who has a lot of travelling to do and is also handy for people in an area where power supply is erratic and irregular. Yes, the handset has a few shortcomings such as a relatively low resolution display and limited storage, but that

battery life and rock steady performance compensate for a host of vices. The price is, however, a little on the higher side because at Rs. 17,500 one can get some really good handsets like the Asus ZenFone 5, the Blackberry Z3 and now, even the original Moto X. But yes, it is in a league of its own when it comes to its battery, where it is best compared with something like the Gionee M2 which is selling at Rs. 10,274 and has a 4,200 mAh battery or the Lenovo P780, which comes with a 5-inch HD display, a slimmer form factor and has a 4,000 mAh battery at Rs. 16,663. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

72%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 55

burn test The Super Phone That’s what the

iPhone 6 Plus is

he iPhone 6 is a toe-dip by Apple in the world of big display phones. The iPhone 6 Plus is the company diving right into phablet territory with a massive splash. But can the phone that once prided itself on its compact figure take on the heavyweights (pun intended)?

It’s big The iPhone 6 Plus is quite simply one of the bigger phones we have seen of late. Which is a bit of a surprise when you consider that earlier editions of the device prided themselves on being compact and that we have handled devices with larger displays that have had more compact frames. Both the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro (6 inches) and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (5.8 inches) have larger displays than the 5.5 inch one of the iPhone 6 Plus, and yet they are both shorter, as a consequence of smaller bezels above and below the display. The iPhone 6 Plus still has to accommodate that home button cum fingerprint scanner below its display and a speaker grille and front facing camera above it, and this adds to its length. That said, it is incredibly slim at 7.1 mm (the Note 4 is 8.5 mm and the Vibe Z2 Pro 7.7 mm). The design aesthetic is the same followed in the iPhone 6, albeit on a bigger scale – the power/display button moves to the right of the display, and the volume buttons are no longer spherical on the left, and the back has a single colour, with the camera protruding ever so slightly. It is not a bad looking device by any standards, but its large size make it one designed very blatantly for two-handed use. It feels solid (no, our unit did not bend), and is made of good materials but it blends right into the phablet crowd, which is a bit unusual for Apple.

And it’s better than the iPhone 6! Unlike in the iPhone 6, which did not seem to go all the way in terms of hardware even though it was an excellent performer, the 6 Plus sees Apple pulling out all stops in the hardware department. The display is a full HD one (the first on an iPhone) and while the camera has the same megapixel count as on the iPhone 6 (eight), it comes with optical image stabilisation, ensuring that images and vid-

56 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in Pros Excellent display Great performance Great battery life eos will not be blurred. In terms of other hardware â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A8 processor and M8 motion processor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the 6 Plus is very much the clone of the iPhone 6, but with one vital difference: it has a much larger battery. As a consequence, while many might not be able to spot too much of a discernible difference in the performances of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, the latter can sustain it for a much longer period. The iPhone 6 Plus was in fact the first iPhone we have ever used that comfortably lasted beyond a day on a single charge. And for many people, that alone will forgive a multitude of sins. For the fact is, that all said and done, for all its hardware muscle, the iPhone 6 Plus is not perfect. The design of the phone makes it very difficult to handle one-handed. Apple has tried to get around this by providing the option to pull down the upper portion of the display by double tapping the home button, giving people access to buttons and options at the top of the app, but this does not always work smoothly. The iPhone 6 Plus also comes with a double pane view that allows you to run applications next to each other in landscape mode, but as of now, not all apps are supported, so its utility is limited.

The best phablet out there? And yet, for all its flaws, we do think that the iPhone 6 Plus is one of the best phablets in a very competitive market. It handles pretty much every app that one can throw at it, never slowed down even once in our week and a half with it, boasted one of the best cameras we have used in a mobile device. And then there is the matter of battery life. At a time when most large screen devices are making us accustomed to recharging them once a day at the very least, the 6 Plus sailed past a day of heavy use without any attempts to nurse the battery. Round that off with the traditionally smooth and easy to use iOS interface and the plethora of apps that iOS users have at their disposal and the iPhone 6 Plus emerges as a very formidable proposition indeed.

Conclusion The iPhone 6 Plus places the iPhone in the phablet wars and just as it did in phones, it makes its presence felt through its overall user experience. It is not as distinct as it once was, but in terms of performance, this is a device that is in a league of its own. It has a wonderful display, an outstanding camera and very good battery life.Some will wonder whether it is worth investing Rs 62,500 or more in a device with no expandable memory, but what we can say is that in terms of sheer performance, this is perhaps the best phablet around. Those looking for an Android alternative can consider the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 which is retailing for Rs 58,990, and features a quad HD display, a 16.0-megapixel camera and the S-Pen stylus. But in ease of use and apps, the iPhone 6 Plus is the phablet to beat. n team@mymobile.co.in

Cons Bulky Expensive Not as distinct a design as in the past

Price: Rs 62,500 verdict perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

84%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 57

burn test Classy Canvas Micromax puts a spin

on the Canvas 4 Plus

he ability to come up with new devices on short notice is something that all Indian brands have a talent for, but to come up with really good devices with a good design is something that only a few brands like Micromax and Xolo managed to do. Micromaxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new device, the ultra sleek Canvas 4 Plus is a testimony to just that. It showed up right after the new iPhones were launched in India, and looks a lot like them too. But does their performance do justice to their form factor?

Inspired by the iPhone The iPhoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design has been the inspiration for Indian brands from a long time. The Lava Iris X1 was inspired by iPhone 5 and the Canvas 4 Plus looks a lot like the iPhone 6. A closer look reveals a slim metal band running around the side panel and a matte silver metal finish that covers a major part of the back. The top and base of the back panel are made of plastic and carry a 13.0-megapixel camera with a flash and speaker. The front is dominated by the 5.0-inch AMOLED display, below which are three backlit soft keys, and a wide in-ear grille with a front facing camera next to it. The Canvas 4 Plus is sleek with 7mm thickness and is quite light as well. But it is the AMOLED display that makes the device tower over others even though the screen resolution (1280x720p) is lower than the now-relatively low priced Canvas Knight. The display looks vibrant, colours seem accurate, and the wide viewing angles are also good, making it one of the best displays in this range. The lack of full HD might raise a few eyebrows but it was not an issue for us, although we did get concerned about the fact that the display was a bit of a fingerprint magnet magnet, picking up stains and and smudges easily.

58 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Power of eight cores The Canvas 4 Plus is powered by MediaTekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1.7GHz True octa-core processor and boasts of 1GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, out of which about 12GB is available to the user, and the option to expand it using a memory card. It has a 2,000 mAh non-removable battery which is what most of the other competitors in this range have. The camera is a 13.0-megapixel affair and comes with an LED flash, and the front one is not the usual 2-megapixel or VGA but a full 5.0-megapixel one, which should please selfie addicts. For connectivity, it has 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and a micro USB port. What is most impressive about the handset is that it offers an interface that is very similar to stock Android UI with a few interesting and useful variations like the news and social media feeder page, which is very similar to the HTC Blinkfeed. You can draw it out by sliding on the right and see your latest social media updates, news updates from your favourite publications in a simple and customizable format. It refreshes by swiping down and works smoothly. The device runs on Android KitKat 4.4.2 and comes with a number Micromax apps that accompany most Micromax devices. There are also some third party apps, three or four games and the frequently seen Google apps that come pre-loaded on every Android device.

Blazing fast with an impressive camera The battery backup of the Canvas 4 Plus is good and on regular use gives 18 to 20 hours quite easily. The power of eightcores and ample amount of RAM makes it a brisk performer, quite adept at handling anything you throw at it with great ease.

Its signals and network reception is also good. The only issue is that the back panel heats up during gaming. We liked its camera a lot. It is extremely fast and delivers quality output, particularly in an outdoor environment where the colours come out well. The indoor shots are not that great and appear a little grainy and over saturated. The front facing camera takes good quality pictures too. All in all, this is a very good performer indeed.

Pros Great AMOLED display Impressive performance Good camera

Conclusion At Rs. 15,800, the Canvas 4 Plus faces competition from the Lumia 730 and Moto X (1st gen), which are really good phones with great design and have got AMOLED displays too. The Lumia 730 is selling at Rs. 15,999, while the Moto X is selling at Rs. 17,999. Both of them have good cameras, impressive performance, and high quality displays. If you can spend a little more, the Lenovo Vibe X2 is a good option in the below Rs 20,000 category, as it offers an innovative design, more RAM, great camera and a stunning display, although not an AMOLED one. But the very fact that the Canvas 4 Plus can be considered to be in this company tells you how good it is. It does face stiff competition, but it is not overwhelmed by it. n team@mymobile.co.in

Cons Smudge prone display Heats up during games

Micromax Canvas 4 plus tech specs Size | 142 x 71 x 7 mm Weight | 116 grams Memory | 16GB, microSD OS | Android OS 4.4

verdict

Price: Rs 15,800

perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

80% december 2014 MYMOBILE 59

burn test A tablet for calls HPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 7 VoiceTab

is designed for calling

Pros Good price Decent performance Good sound quality

Price: Rs 10,990 60 MYMOBILE december 2014

Cons Average looks Ordinary camera Screen resolution could have been higher

www.mymobile.co.in

hen the tablet wave was at its peak, the market was flooded with high-end to low-end tablets. However, most of the attention was focused on high-end tablets like those of the Galaxy series from Samsung and the iconic iPad range from Apple. Gradually, however, the budget tablet market began to assert itself, and one of the reasons for its rise was the fact that it not only allowed users to get access to large screen devices at relatively low prices but also supported the calling function. Yes, many of us laughed at the notion of people holding huge tablets to their ears and making phone calls, but thanks to products like Asusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Fonepad, making calls from a tablet does not seem as strange as it did a year ago. And it is this group of affordable calling tablets that HP is attempting to join with its 7 VoiceTab tablet. Or is it phone?

Big and bulky We hate to be cruel but the stark fact is that you will not feel very excited on seeing the tablet. In the age of slim, wafer-thin devices, the 7 VoiceTab seems a little thick at 10mm. There is nothing special about its design either. The front has a 7.0-inch display surrounded by wide bezels and there is a lot of space on the sides too, giving the impression of a bigger than a 7.0-inch tablet. Yes, HP is marketing it as a calling tablet, but given its proportions, using it for that (without headphones) will be a little difficult. The unit we got was white in colour with a dark grey strip on the side panels, which makes it stand out from the routine Android tablet crowd. The back panel is made of plastic, but the overall build quality is quite good and the matte finish also makes it free from smudges and finger prints. The camera unit looks a lot like the Oppo N1â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camera, but it does not rotate like it. The slot around the camera holds the memory and micro SIM card slots. The volume and power buttons are placed on the sides. There are two speakers on the device, on the lower and the upper part of the back panel.

display with a screen resolution of 1024 x 600p. Honestly, we would have preferred a display with a slightly higher resolution (720p HD at least). The display also tends to catch fingerprints and smudges very easily so we would recommend keeping a cloth handy. The tablet is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor and comes with 1GB RAM, which equips it to handle most tasks with a degree of ease. It comes with 8GB storage, of which only 4.5GB is available to the user, but this can be expanded using a memory card. It also has a 5.0-megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 megapixel front facing one. For connectivity, it has Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G and calling support. And this is a single SIM device. On the software front, the 7 VoiceTab runs Android 4.4 (KitKat), And we like the fact that HP has opted not to meddle too much with the basic Android interface and kept things relatively plain and uncluttered. That said, the company has added a few apps of its own to the tablet.

Solid hardware

Conclusion

The hardware side of the tablet, however, is more noteworthy than its looks. It comes with a 7-inch multi-touch

It might not stop traffic with its design and appearance, but in terms of performance

at its price point, the HP 7 VoiceTab works very well indeed. Yes, some might complain about the camera being ordinary and the device being a bit too big for calls, but on the flip side, the simple interface makes it easy to operate and then the sound quality on the speakers is brilliant. All of which makes it very good value for money at its price of Rs. 10,990. Those looking for an alternative can check out the Asus Fonepad 7, which has a similar display, but is powered by an Intel Atom processor and comes with dual SIM support. It is retailing for approximately Rs. 10,500. n team@mymobile.co.in

verdict perfoRmance

ease of use

Features

Looks

/10

value for money

overall

78%

december 2014 MYMOBILE 61

versus

The Big Productivity Phone Battle

decade ago, the idea of using a phone for productivity would have been considered laughable. At the most one could check mails and do some very basic document formatting on one’s handset. That perception, however, started changing thanks to the arrival of versatile devices like Nokia’s Communicator series and BlackBerry’s iconic QWERTY devices. And today, most people expect their high-end phones to be able to step in – albeit temporarily – for their notebooks and tablets, if need be, when it comes to productivity. And no devices come with as much productive potential as the latest awesome threesome in the mobile market: the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the iPhone 6 Plus and the BlackBerry Passport. All three claim to be good enough to replace a notebook. All three come with world class hardware and software. And all have stiff price tags. So which is the one for you? Here’s what our comparisons showed:

Looks When it comes to appearance, there was a time when the iPhone would have won this round with ease. However, with the 6 Plus, Apple has ventured into the large display territory, with a more curvey look and the result is not quite as compelling as in the past. The Galaxy Note 4 sticks to the formula of faux

62 MYMOBILE december 2014

leather at the back and a dazzling Super AMOLED display, but shaves the bezels off the side and adds a more metallic touch to its all-plastic look of the past. But the most innovative and eye catching of the three is the BlackBerry Passport which comes with a 4.5 inch touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard, and has an almost square shape to it. While the 6 Plus and Note 4 do look good, they seem relatively routine – it is the Passport that will turn heads. Ratings: 1. BlackBerry Passport, 2. Samsung Galaxy Note 4, 3. Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Hardware Hardware has traditionally been the forte of the Note, and the Note 4 too comes packed with some very serious hardware muscle. It packs in a powerful quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, a 5.7 inch quad HD display, 3GB RAM, a 16.0-megapixel camera, 32GB storage (expandable) and every connectivity option you could want. The iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5 inch full HD display backed up with an A8 processor and an improved 8.0-megapixel camera, while the BlackBerry Passport throws in a 4.5-inch display of a very unusual 1440 x 1440 resolution, 3GB RAM,

32GB storage (expandable) and a 13.0-megapixel camera. In terms of pure hardware, the Note 4 carries the day, followed by the Passport. But then, as we keep discovering, the iPhone is not just about tech specs. Ratings: 1. Samsung Galaxy Note 4. 2. BlackBerry Passport 3. Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Software And after finishing the first two rounds in third place, the iPhone roars to the top with its brilliant, butter smooth and easy to understand iOS, which runs brilliantly on the larger display. iPhone 6 Plus users will also have access to the best applications of the three devices, with even Microsoft releasing a full-features version of MS Office first for iOS users. The Passport comes preloaded with a superb browser, social network apps, a very good e-mail client and of course, BlackBerry’s iconic BBM, while Samsung has once again heavily customised the TouchWiz interface to better work with its S Pen stylus. All said and done,

www.mymobile.co.in

Each is being hailed as a potential laptop replacement and the last word in mobile productivity. But which of the three works best for you? We take a look at

the three weapons of the mobile professional: the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the BlackBerry Passport and the iPhone 6 Plus, and figure out which suits you best.

Nimish Dubey

and 6 Plus, with the former getting an edge thanks to that amazing stylus, even though the iPhone 6 Plus scores in camera performance. Rating: 1. BlackBerry Passport 2. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 3. Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Value for money As we said earlier, none of these devices come cheap – the Apple iPhone 6 Plus starts at Rs 62,500, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is priced at Rs 58,500, while the Passport retails for Rs 49,999. Considering how closely matched they are in terms of performance, we would rate them in increasing order of price in this department.

we would say, the force here is with the iPhone 6 Plus, with the Note 4 coming second. The Passport lags behind because of its scarcity of apps even though the inclusion of the Amazon App Store does help matters.

when it comes to sheer ease of use, the iPhone reigns supreme.

Ratings: 1. Apple iPhone 6 Plus, 2. Samsung Galaxy Note 4, 3. BlackBerry Passport

Performance

Ease of use When it comes to ease of use, Apple scores once again with its intuitive iOS interface. The users of the Passport and the Note 4 will however have to go through a bit of a learning curve before they can claim mastery of their devices. The Passport’s QWERTY keyboard is convenient but comes with no shortcut keys or numbers so even dialling a number needs two hands. Similarly, fiddling with the S Pen and using air gestures takes some getting used to, as does the option to use the Passport’s keyboard as a trackpad. We would place Samsung and BlackBerry a joint second here and doff our hats to their willingness to innovate, but

Rating: 1. Apple iPhone 6 Plus 2. BlackBerry Passport and Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The battle for performance is a tight one here, with productive and routine functions intermingling. While there is no doubt that the S Pen is the best stylus perhaps ever used on a touchscreen device, we really think that a lot of executives will flock to the Passport simply because of the familiarity of the QWERTY keyboard and that magnificent display which almost mimics that of a desktop. All three devices feature very good cameras and in a very pleasant change, have excellent battery lives, with each comfortably getting through a day and a half of very heavy usage. We however, think that most conventional executives will prefer the keyboard and messaging and editing ease of the Passport, while those dealing with multimedia might prefer the Note 4

Rating: 1. BlackBerry Passport 2. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 3. Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Conclusion So which one of these three works best for you? As always, it depends on your needs. While the strong performance of the Note 4 is not a surprise, we must confess to being amazed at just how well both the Passport and the iPhone 6 Plus did in this regard – the Passport actually won three of the six categories and the iPhone won two. The Note 4, however, was amazingly consistent, winning the hardware battle and finishing second four times. Our take is that those looking for classic spreadsheet and word processing activities will prefer the Passport, those who love to sketch and scribble will opt for the Note 4, while those who want to do a lot of multimedia editing and viewing on the move will love the iPhone 6 Plus. In all other departments, the three are very closely matched. Go ahead and choose the one that works best for you. n nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

december 2014 MYMOBILE 63

boredom busters Happy New Year: Game Gaming avatar of a Bollywood Blockbuster

ames based on action movies have become routine what has become even more routine is that they all are more or less similar. The latest movie game based on a multi-starrer Bollywood flick Happy New Year suffers from the same lack of uniqueness. Graphics are ordinary and the characters move sideways with opponents dressed as bank guards coming at you one by one. The trick is to wait and let them approach you and whoever attacks first has the upper hand. The game play is very basic and easy to handle. There are 8 missions in all, building up to the final escape. While you move you collect diamonds which is important to unlock the next mission. Sometimes there aren’t enough diamonds in a mission and even if you have played your best you have to come back and play the mission again to collect diamonds once more, which is frustrating and a bit of a trick to keep the user longer in the game. You get to play as multiple characters, like Jag, Mohini, and Tammy, each skilled in something that would be valuable on way to the heist. But yes, this plays and feels like a routine movie game. n

Name: Happy New Year: Game RATING



Name: Angry Birds Transformers RATING



Price: Free Tested on: Apple iPhone 6

Angry Birds Transformers Ready,

aim, transform, shoot!

ngry Birds Transformers is an aberration from the conventional style of gaming that Angry Birds series is known for. If Angry Birds Go was an intro to the racing genre, this one marks the Birds’ debut in shooting. Inspired by the Transformers series, the game’s main characters can transform into cars, shoot at opponents and get across from one end of the island to the other. Sounds very much like any Angry Birds game? Ah, but here you don’t use slingshots to target opponents and destroy their hideout but use pistols and the biggest test lies in dodging the shots they take at you. Yes, it’s a battle zone with bullets flying in all directions, making it a little tough at times. A free download, it lets you play a few missions for free, but after a certain point, you can’t progress further without spending real money and that isn’t just a one-time payment. Graphics is impressive and the game adds a breath of fresh air to the series that has seen too many versions with little difference. n

64 MYMOBILE december 2014

Price: Free Tested on: Micromax Canvas 4 Plus

www.mymobile.co.in Name: Cars: Race Like Lightning Price: Free

Cars: Race like Lightning Into Top Gear!

Tested on: Micromax Canvas 4 Plus

RATING



he Disney movie Cars which showed cars as live creatures has been made into a game called Cars: Race Like Lightning, a racing game with a storyline. It’s rare to see a racing game paying as much attention to behind the scenes details like helping build the tracks, see cars share their thoughts with each other, bringing fun in measured doses in a genre that is more about adrenaline rush. It starts with a cute looking red coloured car, Todd, and his world of cars. Races are simple, and unlike other racing games, easy to master, but what makes racing all the more fun is that the track is built the way you want. You can add a ring of fire, roller coaster or a hill while other cars would cheer from the galley. The graphics are straight out of the Disney Pixar movie. You can unlock new cars and every new car means you have entered another level where the new car takes over from Todd. Free and highly engrossing, Cars is racing cum strategy game that lets you relive the magic of the movie all over again. n

The Maze Runner Temple

Run, You Have Competition!

et another official movie game, the Maze Runner is about a bunch of kids lost in a big ruthless world of high walls, where every step is critical. A running game with gameplay somewhat similar to the Subway Surfer only instead of the cop hounding the runner the path has been filled with game altering surprises. From walls closing on you, to the ground crumbling under you, to sudden ditches and streams, the Maze offers a puzzling and long lasting gameplay, something that you won’t get in other runner games like Temple Run or Subway Surfer. The game spans across several missions where every mission concludes with the runner finding the way out of the maze, leading to a clue, another maze and another run. The Maze Runner is an exciting addition to the running genre and it is free. What more could we ask for? n abhijit@mymobile.co.in Name: The Maze Runner RATING



Price: Free Tested on: Micromax Canvas 4 Plus

december 2014 MYMOBILE 65

Smart apps Opera Mini Compressing

video, saving data

hen it comes to mobile browsers, Opera Mini has a special place in the hearts of all Indian users. The browser has been known for being able to deliver a very good Web browsing experience even on relatively slow mobile Internet connections. And now it has added another feather to its cap by adding video compression to its many virtues. In simple English, it actually compresses a video while keeping it still watchable, allowing you to even browse videos online even on relatively slow connections. Pretty cool, eh? Well, it works very well too, and on most websites as well, although some of the videos that appeared on mobile friendly sites (like YouTube) did not get compressed as they were already mobile friendly. Of course, video compression is just one of the features of the new Opera Mini – the browser remains one of the best options for those wanting a smooth browsing experience, irrespective of the speed of the connection. It remains very much a must-have in our books if you have a mobile device with an Internet connection. The video compression is currently available only on iOS devices but should be making its way to Android soon. n RATING



Name: Opera Mini Price: Free Name: MS Office

Tested on: iPhone 6

Price: Free Tested on: iPhone 6 Plus

RATING



MS Office Finally, a free

usable version of MS Office

or most people, the words ‘office suite’ are synonymous with Microsoft’s immensely popular and successful office suite, MS Office. The suite – comprising mainly MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint – had been a Windows and Windows Phone-only exclusive but recently arrived for Android and iOS users, although you needed an Office 365 to make the most of it. Well, Microsoft has now dropped that restriction too to a large extent. You can now download MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint on your iPhone and iPad (Android is in a preview stage, but is coming soon) and can view and edit MS Office files without having to pay a penny. Yes, you heard that right – you can play around with fonts and formatting and the like, without paying a penny. Of course, those who do opt to shell out for a Office 365 subscription will get a massive 1TB of online storage and a lot of more complex formatting features, but believe us, if all you want is basic word processing and spreadsheeting, this is the app to download. Microsoft has also made the UI more touch friendly, making it a treat for anyone using it on a phablet. n

66 MYMOBILE decEMBER 2014

www.mymobile.co.in

Inbox By Gmail Google reinvents Gmail

mail has emerged as one of the most popular e-mail services in the world, but when it comes to its mobile avatar, it has been sticking to a rather minimalistic interface be it in the app (the Gmail app) or the mobile-friendly version of its site. Well, that has changed with Inbox, which is a thorough rework of the traditional interface, making it more colourful and interactive. The difference hits you from the moment you launch the app, as instead of seeing a list of mails with the senders and the headings, you see the mails and senders but also wherever applicable, tiny previews of the attachments with the mails. So if someone has sent you a picture, you get to see a small version of it right in the inbox stage without even clicking on the message. You can also rearrange and prioritise mails, electing to send replies later using the snooze feature. And in a very interesting spin, Inbox totally classifies your mail (it calls it bundling) under different labels such as travel, purchases, social, forums and promos, and so on. It is a much richer interface than in your normal Gmail app and surprisingly fast as well. The catch is that it is available only by invite at the time of writing. If you do get an invite, our advice is simple: download! n Name: Inbox by Gmail Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5

RATING



Dulux Visualizer Painting walls digitally

magine an app that lets you know what colour of paint would suit your walls, without your having to apply even a touch of paint to the wall? Well, that is what Dulux Visualizer attempts to do. All you have to do is download the app, choose a colour from the palette available and then point the app at the wall of your choice. It is actually as simple as that using Dulux’s augmented reality technology. You can even take a screenshot of your “digitally painted” wall and mail it or share it with your friends to get their opinions. A very neat touch is the fact that the app even ‘colours around’ furniture and other objects in a room. So if you have a staircase or a sofa in front of the wall you are colouring, well, the app will not colour them too and will stick to colouring just the wall. It does take a bit of patience and holding the camera rock steady (it works best on mid and high-segment devices with good cameras), but the results are generally worth it, and well, as long as you are not using a super saturated AMOLED display, the colours are by and large very realistic. A very innovative app, we think. Hope other companies follow suit. n Name: Dulux Visualizer Price: Free Tested on: Google Nexus 5 nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

RATING



decEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 67

in focus

Google has announced a new version of Android, Android L, with L standing for ‘Lollipop.’ What

features does it bring to the world’s most popular smartphone OS? And by when can we expect it on handsets and tablets around the world? We take a closer look. Abhijit Ahaskar

68 MYMOBILE december 2014

very OS update brings with it new features, but a few also change the whole interface and functionality of the OS itself. Which is why Android’s latest L update is creating so much buzz, as it adds more to the OS than just a few new features. It is here and in a matter of months would be rolling out on Motorola, Google Android One and on other Android handsets running on KitKat 4.4, depending upon the enthusiasm of the manufacturer. It was first announced early in July at the Google IO conference and was called the L update, in line with the alphabetical order in which Google names its updates. Knowing well that Google names its updates after popular confectionary, and chocolates, there was some

hope that the update would be named Laddoo after an Indian sweet. However, Android 5.0 was officially announced in October as Android Lollipop and a developer preview for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 was released. Google rarely releases a developer preview and this is the first instance where it has allowed developers to try a new version of Android out before the official launch. As was customary, Android L showed up first on Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet in November.

What’s new in Android L? Deemed as the biggest Android update in some time, Android L brings to the table a major design makeover that will be available

www.mymobile.co.in

across Google devices including Google’s new Android TV. This new design has been called the ‘Material design’ by Google as it looks distinct and more vibrant than previous updates. The screen is apparently more animated with elements like ripple effects and shadows. The apps look more colorful from inside and flatter from the outside - some Google apps have already begun sporting this new look, such as Play Store, Play Newsstand, Play Music. Also, the app drawer is more opaque now. Android L also carries the card based presentations used in the Google Now launcher in the notifications bar and the multi-tasking slab. Users can access these card based notifications on the lock screen, check mails and messages without unlocking the phone and to avoid being bombarded with notifications, can arrange them in an order with the most important ones showing first. The on-screen navigation buttons have also been replaced by simple looking buttons, like the triangle in place of the arrow for navigating back, circle instead of the home shape for home button and a square for multi-tasking. Android L is also expected to bring about a considerable improvement in performance and battery life. To crank up the battery performance, Google has incorporated a battery management feature called Project Volta,

which maintains a record of the battery consumption and helps user identify the apps that drain more battery. In addition, there is a saver mode, which reduces the load on the processor once the battery is low.

The Nexus round-up Android L made its debut on the new Nexus 9 tablet and on the Nexus 6 smartphone in November. The Nexus 6 has been made by Motorola and the Nexus 9 by HTC. Nexus 9 is not only the biggest Nexus tablet till date but is also the most powerful Nexus device ever and is powered by NVIDIA’s 64bit Tegra K1 dual-core processor and 192 core GPU. The tablet comes in two Wi-Fi and one Wi-Fi and 3G variant, with prices starting from Rs. 28,900. The Nexus 9 sports an 8.9-inch QXGA display, 2GB RAM, 8.0-megapixel camera, 4G LTE support and a 6,700mAh battery. The Nexus 6 by Motorola is a departure from the compact Nexus devices of the past, and features a large, 5.96-inch quad HD display and pixel density of 493 ppi. It is powered by a 2.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, has 3GB RAM, 13.0-megapixel camera, 3,220mAh battery and comes in 16GB and 32GB variants. The price of Nexus 6 starts at Rs 44,000, which is again a departure from the affordable Nexus devices of the past.

Is your device getting the L update? Which brings us to the question that inevitably accompany each release of Android: which devices are likely to get the update and by when? Well, as always the Nexus range of devices (5, 7 and 4 are supported) are expected to get the update soon. The timing and availability for others would depend entirely on the manufacturer. Someone using a Motorola handset is likely to get the update right after the Nexus devices, given the close association that Motorola had with Google, which recently ended with Lenovo’s acquisition of Motorola. Handsets released under the Android One initiative might get the update this year and so will the Play Edition devices. As we go to print, we hear that the second generation of Moto G and Moto X are set to get Android L soon, LG is going to provide updates to G3 by the end of this year, while Sony is going to release it on every handset in the flagship Z series from early next year onwards. HTC has also said it would bring android L to its flagship devices within 90 days of the launch. Android L has arrived, and it looks good. And now, the waiting for updates begins… n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

december 2014 MYMOBILE 69

consumer forum Complaint-1 I bought Karbonn Titanium S1 handset on 26 June 2014. I took my handset for repair at Aryan Communications, Patna. The representative at the repair center took my handset for repair. Later on, when I went to collect it back they told me that my handset has been sent to the company and was not returned yet. Will I ever receive my handset or not? Or should I file a case in the Consumer Court? -Prabhat Kumar

chase. When I took it to the service center, the representative informed me that there is a software problem, which will be rectified in the same day. I waited in the service

Karbonn’s Response: Karbonn team has spoken to the consumer and his handset was delivered to him on 17 October.

than 10 times. After a month, now the service centre representative says that my mobile has a motherboard issue and it has to be sent to the company, and will be back after 2 months. Why was the representative so casual that he told me about the problem after such a long delay. I am a student and I worked hard to save money and buy this handset, moreover, the service centre people have been lying to me and making me run to and fro to their centre. I want to lodge a complaint with the consumer forum and expect a wise revert. -Atul Nishad Micromax response: Awaited

Complaint-2

Complaint-5

I have been following up the HTC Repair Order Status – 14INA330016495 – for the last two months and visited the HTC Centre at Ameerpet in Hyderabad many times but I did not get any positive revert from their customer support team. Every time I went to the service centre, they informed me that the device is not available and will be available by the next week. I am sick of visiting the centre and calling them again and again. This is an unprofessional attitude which was never expected from HTC. The warranty of the above device will be over by 22 October and till now I do not have any clue regarding its replacement. Please give me some relevant feedback when the motherboard replacement of the unit is possible. -Karishma Jain

I asked for the deactivation of international roaming from my number on 9 April, 2014 as it wasn’t worth it. I have been paying the rental for the last two years but the number doesn’t work. Every time I start it, it asks me to visit the nearest Vodafone centre. Where can I find a Vodafone office outside India? Finally, when I came back to India, I went to Vodafone’s office and asked them to deactivate the international roaming and change the plan. They asked me to call the customer care and request for the changes. I called up and asked them to do so. After two days, I called them again and I was told that the plan was changed and international roaming deactivated. But when my bill arrived, it shows I have been charged for international roaming as well as data. What kind of poor service is this? If I go to Vodafone, they will again give a foolish excuse or ask me to visit their office again. -Dheeraj

HTC’s Response: Awaited

Complaint-3 I bought the Micromax Canvas Gold A300 handset on 23-06-14. On the 8-09-2014 the device started having the software problem. On the very next day (9th Sep) I took my device to the service centre. They sent the handset to the company on 16th September. Since then, whenever I use to go to the service center, the attend delays and suggest me to come in the next week. My Job Sheet No. is W031722091412047200. I bought Micromax device because I thought that it is an Indian manufacturing company and is working good. I think I was wrong. -Rajkumar Katariya Micromax Response: Awaited

Complaint-4 I bought a Micromax Unite 2 (8GB), which stopped working after 8 days from the pur-

MYMOBILE december 2014

Vodafone’s response: Awaited

center for around 2 hours and then asked for the status. The attendant reverted that due to the electricity cut, there is no access to the internet, so I should come tomorrow. When I went there the next day, I was told the same thing again and was asked to come on the next day. Then they started delaying my problem for 2-3 days. From last 1 month, I have been running to the service centre for more

Are you being harassed by a Telco that doesn’t hear your plea? Email your issues to consumer-forum@my mobile.co.in and we will take up your cause with the concerned company. Kindly mention your contact number at the end of the Email so that we can get in touch with you. Whenever possible, also provide us complete details of the correspondence with the Telco.

Mobiles

Introducing

ORION AR52

FEATURES t 4DSFFO 4J[F DN w '87(" t .FNPSZ .# 3". t (# *OUFSOBM .FNPSZ t 4*. %VBM 4*. 8$%." (4.

t 1SPDFTTPS (I[ %VBM $PSF t 3FTPMVUJPO * 1JYFMT t 7JEFP 3FDPSEJOH )% t .VTJD 1MBZFS '. 3FDPSEJOH t $POOFDUJWJUZ #MVFUPPUI 8J รถ 64#

Facebook

2000 mAh Lith. Battery

3G Support

Google Map

20:36 75%

4.2.2 Jelly 5 MP Rear/ Bean Android 1.3 MP Front

20:36

11-01-2014

Dual SIM with HD Recording Corp. office: 309, 3rd Floor, Narain Manzil, 23, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110045 TOLL FREE: 1800 419 3322, Email: corporate@ariseindialtd.com, Website: www.ariseindialtd.com, www.arisemobile.in

Gear guide Disclaimer: The prices have been obtained from companies respective showrooms

Nokia Fast Micro-USB Charger | AC-10E

Save energy and save the environment. Based on a common energy-rating system for chargers, it has a 5-star rating for energy saving. Rs 900

Wireless Charging Plate

Keep your Nokia Lumia on this sleek plate and watch your battery charge up. It comes with minimalistic design and vibrant colours to match your device. Rs 3,999

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-111

Choose the colour that suits you in a design that’s as comfortable as it is stylish - up to five colours available. It is lightweight and offers long time usage. Rs 2,100

Nokia Monster Earphone | WH920 The in-ear design of the set isolates external noise to ensure enriched music experience. The earphones have volume controller built in its cord. Rs 5,000

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-218

It puts you in control of your hands free calls and keeps you connected all day long. Rs 1,999

Nokia Universal Portable USB Charger | DC-16

You can charge your smartphone anytime, anywhere with this power bank. It is compatible with most of the devices and has a battery capacity of 2,200 mAh. Rs 1,600

Nokia Play | 360°

Enjoy clear 360-degree audio for your music with Nokia Play 360° (MD-50W). The curved design case brings a modern look and feel. Rs 9,000

Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset | BH-505

Nokia Mono Bluetooth Headset | BH-109

With Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-109, you can handle calls hands-free, even when you are using two mobile devices at the same time. Rs 1,600

Bluetooth Headset BH-505 keeps you active and entertained. The headset features a lightweight neckband for all day comfort. Rs 3,500

72 MYMOBILE december 2014

www.mymobile.co.in in Delhi but may vary on account of dealer discretion/company schemes.

Wireless Charging Shell for Lumia 820 With wireless charging shell make your Nokia Lumia 820 compatible across any Qi wireless charger. Rs 1,999

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-112

Keep it simple - pick up and end calls at the touch of a button. It works with multiple handsets at the same time ideal if you have phones for work and play. Rs 1,450

Wireless Charging Pillow by Fatboy

Now simply place your Lumia on the Fatboy pillow to start charging without even plugging in your Lumia. Rs 5,499

Nokia Monster Headset | WH 930

This Nokia headset boasts of some high end features that are not to be seen in any other headsets available in the market. Rs 10,500

Nokia Stereo Headset | WH-701

It helps to control your calls and music in a world of sound. It features three sets of comfortable ear pads and an integrated remote for controlling volume, calls, and music. Rs 1,100

Nokia Mini Speaker | MD-11

Play your music and listen to the radio out loud with this compact, yet powerful mini speaker. You can also connect them for quality stereo surround sound. Rs 1,100

Nokia Extra Power | DC-11K

Charge two devices at the same time. It is extra compact and lightweight and offers a quick boost of power. Rs 2,400

Nokia Bluetooth Headset | BH-104

With Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-104 you can stay on top of your calls and enable convenient wireless communication throughout the day. Rs 1,000

Nokia Car Charger | DC-4

Simple and compact, this mobile phone charger offers rapid phone charging from a car cigarette lighter socket. Rs 220

december 2014 MYMOBILE 73

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best mobile magazine

Diwali

Offer 35%

Subscribe This Month Off Get

YEAR

YEARS

Subscription

Offer

YEARS Subscription

Offer

Subscription

Offer

SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Term No of (year) issue

Coverprice (Rs.)

3,600

2,400

1,200

Option

You pay (Rs)

Cash Benefit/Gift

3,600

Cata Brew Baron/Timex Gents Watch worth Rs. 2,700

2,340

Save Rs. 1,260 i.e 35% discount on cover price

2,400

Arise Electric Kettle/Timex Ladies watch worth Rs. 1,800

1,560

Save Rs. 840 i.e 35% discount on cover price

1,200

Polo Club T-Shirt/Allen Solly Tie worth Rs. 999

780

Save Rs. 420 i.e 35% discount on cover price

Yes, I would like to subscribe to My Mobile magazine for______ years with option_____ Name_____________________________________________________________ Age________________ Sex____________________ Job Title___________________________________________________________ Company Name______________________________ Address Office/Residence_______________________________________________________________________________________ Mobile__________________________Phone_____________________________ e-mail_____________________________________ Cheque No.________________________________________________________ for Rs.____________________________________

PAYMENT METHOD By Cheque/Cash No:___________________Amount:__________________________________Bank:_________________Branch:________________ PLEASE *Draw the DD/Cheque in favour of My Mobile Infomedia Pvt Ltd. *Write your name and address on the reverse of the DD/Cheque.

Add. - My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd., # 25, 1st Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi - 110001. Phone: 011-46206161, 41081012/13, Fax: 011-41520637 Terms and Conditions: The offer is valid in India only. Gift will be deliverd within a month after clearing of the cheque.Please allow 4 - 6 weeks for processing your subscription. Any request for cancellation of subscription will not be entertained. Copies will be sent by ordinary post. The actual model of Subscription gift may vary from the model shown above. This subscription offer is valid till stocks lasts. All disputes subject to competent courts of Delhi only.

MY GUIDE

While My Mobile tries to ensure accuracy in the pricing and features any discrepancies that may emerge are beyond our control. Please check with the retailer about features of the phone before buying. The ratings that have been included are from the burn tests of the phones that we have reviewed. Feel free to update us.

(Last updated on Oct 10, 2014) Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into four categories baswed on price and colour-coded as: Disclaimer : The prices quoted in My Guide are the Best Buy prices quoted by the respective companies, ex-Delhi. The prices may vary on account of promotional schemes or dealer discretion. M.O.P. mentiond in My Guide are not applicable in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Nokia Sub-entry level (up to Rs 2,499) Entry-level (Rs 2,500 - Rs 5,999) Mid-level

(Rs 6,000 - Rs 11,999)

High-level

(Rs 12,000 upwards)

CDMA Tablet Lifestyle

NR stands for not reviewed M.O.P. stands for Market Operating Price

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 75

myguide NOKIA

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 105

107

130

108

114

220 Dual SIM

Asha 230 Dual SIM

Dimension (mm)

107 x 44.8 x 14.3

112.9 x 47.5 x 14.9

106 x 45.5 x 13.9

110.4 x 47 x 13.5

110 x 46 x 14.8

116.4 x 50.3 x 13.2

99.5 x 58.6 x 13.2

Weight (grams)

75.8

67.9

69.9

83.4

89.3

Model

12/840

12.7/576

13/624

13.8/600

10.5/637

24/576

12/504

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.45

65,536/1.8

262,144/2.4

262,144/2.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8MB/No

4MB/16GB

NA/32GB

4MB/32GB

16MB/32GB

-/32GB

64MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

500

1000

500

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Series 30

Series 40

Nokia OS

Asha software 1.1

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,150

1,550

1,500

1,800

2,400

2,500

3,400

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS 225

206

Asha 501

Asha 210

502

301

Dimension (mm)

124 x 55.5 x 10.4

116 x 49 x 12.4

99.2 x 58 x 12.1

111.5 x 60 x 11.8

99.6 x 59.5 x 11.1

114 x 50 x 12.5

115.5 x 63 x 10.4

Weight (grams)

100.6

97.3

100

102

128.7

21/648

20/680

17/624

12/1104

13.7/576

20/504

13.3/408

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours) Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.8

65,536/2.4

262,144/3.0

65,536/2.4

262,144/3.0

262,144/2.4

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/32GB

64MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/No

1.3MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

2,000

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Asha software 1.1

Series 40

Asha software 1.3

Series 40

Asha software 1.5

Series 40

Nokia X software platform

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

3,299

3,700

3,500

4,500

4,700

5,300

6,000

76 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

myguide NOKIA

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Lumia 530

X+

Lumia 520

515 Dual SIM

Lumia 630

Lumia 525

Dimension (mm)

119.7 x 62.3 x 11.7

115.5 x 63 x 10.4

121.7 x 68.3 x 11.1

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

114 x 48 x 11

129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

Weight (grams)

129

128.7

150

124

102

134

124

Talktime/Standby (hours)

13.4/528

13.3/408

10/552

14/360

10.4/432

16.4/648

17/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/4.3

16million/4.0

262,144/2.4

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/128GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

256MB/32GB

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Windows Phone 8.1

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Nokia X software platform Nokia X software platform

Windows Phone 8

Series 40

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

7,199

8,000

8,100

5,700

9,000

9,200

9,999

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

NOKIA

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

Lumia 630

Lumia 625

Lumia 730

Lumia 1320

Lumia 925

Lumia 830

Dimension (mm)

141.4 x 77.7 x 10.9

129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2

133.2 x 72.2 x 9.2

134.7 x 68.5 x 8.7

164.2 x 85.9 x 9.8

129 x 70.6 x 8.5

139.4x70.7x8.5

Weight (grams)

190

134

159

130

220

139

150

16/720

16.4/648

23.9/768

22/600

25/672

18.3/432

12.9/528

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16.7million/4.7

16million/6.0

16.7million/4.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

16GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

6.7MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.7MP/Yes/Yes

10.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Nokia X software platform

Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,999

8,299

16,000

15,299

19,990

24,999

27,000

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 77

myguide SUB-ENTRY LEVEL (UP TO Rs 2,499)

MODELS

NOKIA

PARAMETERS Model

ADCOM

MAXX

SAMSUNG

Lumia 1520

Lumia 1020

X14

X28

MX153

MX555

E1207Y

Dimension (mm)

162.8 x 85.4 8.7

130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4

126 x 55 x 15

127 x 56x 12

112.5 x 45.5 x 14

122.8 x 51 x 9.8

108.0 x 45.5 x 13.5

Weight (grams)

209

158

96.5

65.1

Talktime/Standby (hours)

27.4/768

19.1/384

30/120

-/350

NA/350

8/430

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/6.0

16.7million/4.5

262,144/2.4

256K/2.8

65,536/1.8

NA/2.6

65,536/1.52

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

Yes/Yes

32MB/8GB

NA/NA

NA/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

32GB/No

Yes/No

No/No

Camera/Flash/Video

20.0MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/NO/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

1.3 MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

150

300

1,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/No/N0

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/Yes

No/No/No

Windows Phone 8

Proprietary

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

37,000

38,000

1,249

1,299

1,030

2,376

1,370

ENTRY LEVEL (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(UP TO R s 2,499)

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

ADCOM

ALCATEL

Guru Music 2

Metro 312

400

440Plus

A50

OT 2005D

OT 4007D PIXI

Dimension (mm)

112.7 x 46.4 x 13.1

126 x 66 x 13

136.36 X 66.36 x 8.8

145 x 70 x 9

120 x 50 x 9.95

115 x 62.3 x 12.2

Weight (grams)

74.98

73.7

152

135

162

118

Talktime/Standby (hours)

11/800

12/NA

11/72

14/425

13/500

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/2.0

16million/4.0

16million/4 inch

16million/5.0

262,155/2.4

262,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/16GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

128 MB/8GB

512MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/No

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

3MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Qual BandGSM+GSM Qual BandGSM+GSM Qual BandGSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/NO

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes /NO

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Operating System

Proprietary

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v2.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,850

2,480

2,599

3,499

3,999

2,750

4,933

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

78 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

CELKON

PARAMETERS Model

LAVA

A 9 Dual

A 15

A64

A 20

A 40

356 3G

Dimension (mm)

120.5 x 63.9 x 10.6

119 x 63 x 9.9

124 x 65 x 10.5

125.5 x 64.5 x 11.4

126.2 x 64 x 10.8

116.9 x 62.5 x 12.6

124 x 64.5 x 10.3

Weight (grams)

116

125.6

122

126.5

112

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Iris 406Q

NEW

3/200

6/150

5/150

4/200

5/200

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/3.5

16illion/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2 MP/Yes/Yes

5MP/No/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/Yes

Dual band/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.2

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Qual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

3,399

3,499

3,999

4,599

5,999

3,900

5,500

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

PARAMETERS Model

MAXX

T375

T585

MT401

MSD7

AXD21

Dimension (mm)

103 x 59 x 10.7

103.09 x 59.9 x 10.8

102.6 x 61.1 x 11.9

102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9

125.5 X 67 X 12.5

115 x 61 x 11.5

125.30 x 63.83 x 10.10

Weight (grams)

103

125

110

140

114

109.3

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Optimus L3 II Single Optimus L3II Dual

12.8/601

9/560

8/480

16/730

NA/300

2.5/300

4/150

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

NA/4.0

262,144/3.5

256,144/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

48MB/16GB

50MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

Shared

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Proprietary

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2.2

Android OS v4.4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,100

4,200

5,700

5,900

2,838

4,000

3,999

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual SIM/GSM+GSM

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 79

myguide (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MAXX

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

SPICE

AX409 DUO

AX356

AXD 11

Champ Neo Duos C3262

Galaxy Star Pro

Mi 356

Mi 426

Dimension (mm)

123.5 x 63.5 x 11

116.3 x 61.1 x 10.4

122.3 x 62.3 x 10.4

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

121.2 x 62.7 x 10.6

119.9 x 63 x 11.5

119.9 x 58 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

115.6

107.6

71.10

121

112

122

Talktime/Standby (hours)

5/200

3.5/100

4/150

14/550

15/370

7.5/120

6/250

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.0

262,144/3.5

262,144/4.0

262,144/2.4

16million/4.0

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

20MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0 MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Android OS v4.2.2

Android OS v4.2

Proprietary

Android OS v4.1

Android OS, v4.2

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,300

4,392

5,184

3,000

5,200

3,300

4,000

MID LEVEL

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-11,999)

SPICE

PARAMETERS Model

GIONEE

HTC

OT 8000D

OT 6012D IDOL MINI

Curve 9320

Desire 210

125 x 56 x 10.5

125 x 65.8 x 11.5

143 x 78.4 X 9.8

127.1 x 62 x 7.9

109 x 60 x 12.7

129.3 x 68 x 11.1

125.7 x 65 x 10.5

Weight (grams)

100

163

103

130

NEW

Steller 436

BLACKBERRY

Dimension (mm)

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Steller 445

ALCATEL NEW

4.5/170

16/15

9/540

7/432

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.0

16million/4.0

262,144/NA

16million/4.3

65,536/2.44

16million/4.3

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

-/32GB

4GB/32 GB

8GB/None

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

BlackBerry OS 7.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

4,200

4,870

9,999

7,999

9,900

6,500

6,930

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

80 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-11,999)

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

IDEA

KARBONN

Desire XDS

Desire 310 Plus

Aurus III

Aurus IV

S99 Titanium

Sparkle V

S5+ Titanium

Dimension (mm)

118.5 X 62.3 X 9.3

132.4 x 68 x 11.3

133 x 66 x 9.7

113x66x10.4

Weight (grams)

114

140

130

138

Talktime/Standby (hours)

NA/NA

11/852

7/350

7.5/400

5/168

8/160

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

1.4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

11,000

10,600

7,790

8,999

5,990

5,900

7,397

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

LAVA

PARAMETERS Model

Iris 455

Irish X5

Optimus L5 II E450

Optimus L5 II Dual

143 x 73 x 8.9

137.1x68.5x9.92

134 x 66 x 8.9

143.5 x 71.5 x 7.7

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

132x67x9.15

Weight (grams)

120

138

134

103

136

NEW

Iris X1

MICROMAX

Dimension (mm)

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Irish 506Q

LG NEW

5.3/230

8/-

9.7/-

6/200

10/642

6/160

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

4Gb/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,800

6,800

7,100

8,650

8,800

9,000

6,499

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 81

myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)

(R s 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG Galaxy S duos 3

Unite 2

Canvas Doodle 3

Galaxy Star 2Plus

Galaxy Ace NXT

Dimension (mm)

138.9 x 71.9 x 9.4

129.7 x 65.9 x 9.4

121.4 x 62.9 x 10.7

121.4 x 62.9 x 10.8

133.3 x 70.7 x 9.7

121.5 x 63.1 x 10.6

Weight (grams)

158

123

124

143.9

118

Model

NEW

Galaxy Win

NEW

Galaxy S duos 2

8/190

9/260

-/-

7/-

11/210

8/280

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.7

16million/6.0

65,536/4.3

16million/4.0

16million/4.7

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.5MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/No

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

SharedQuad

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android v4.2

Android v4.4

Android OS v4.4

Android v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Bar

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Bar

Bar/Yes/No

6,999

8,200

6,790

6,000

7,300

8,000

8,790

(Rs 6000-11,999)

(R s 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG

SONY

SPICE

Model

Galaxy Core 2

E1 Dual

Xperia M

Dream UNO Mi

Steller 509

Dimension (mm)

130.3 x 68 x 9.8

118 x 62.4 x 12

137.1 x 69.4 x 8.5

124 x 62 x 9.3

132x67x9.15

145x79 x9.5

Weight (grams)

138

120

143

115

138

120

Talktime/Standby (hours)

-/-

8.2/498

12.2/70

10.16/498

17/160

4/192

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

11,790

6,600

7,000

11,500

10,490

6,299

6,500

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

82 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

Xperia E3

NEW

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

myguide (Rs 6000-11,999)

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-11,999)

SPICE

PARAMETERS

XOLO

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 495

Stellar Virtuoso Mi 530

Coolpad MI-515

Stellar Virtuoso Pro Mi 496 NEW

A600

Q1000 Opus

Q900

Dimension (mm)

140 x 73 x 9.9

152 x 79 x 10.3

136 x 67 x 9

143.3 x 72.9 x 9

137 x 70 x 9.9

Weight (grams)

161

196.3

138

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

4.1/696

22/650

18/700

13/384

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.3

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Tri Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Android OS v4.1

Android v4.0

Android OS v4.0

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDP+

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,800

6,500

10,499

13,999

5,800

7,500

8,370

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HIGH LEVEL

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

PARAMETERS Model

XOLO

ALCATEL

APPLE

Q1000

OT 6030

Idol X+

OT 6033X

Iphone 5C

Iphone 5S

Dimension (mm)

143.5 x 70.8 x 8.8

133 x 67.5 x 7.9

140.4 x 69.1 x 7.9

134.4 x 68.5 x 6.4

124.4 x 59.2 8.97

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

138.1 x 67 x 6.9

Weight (grams)

110

130

110

132

112

129

14/350

7.2/415

12/240

16/700

10/250

14/250

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/5.0

16million/NA

16million/5.0

16million/NA

16million/4.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

16,32/No

16,32,64/No

16,64,128/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Iphone 6

NEW

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HPSA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

iOS8

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

10,299

13,500

14,999

17,900

41,900/53,500

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

53,500/62,500/73,500 53,500/62,500/71,500

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 83

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS

APPLE

ATOM

BLACKBERRY

Supremus

Ultimus

Maximus

9720

Dimension (mm)

158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1

157 X 78 X 9.2

167 X 88 X 9.2

120 x 66 x 10.8

114 x 66 x 12

140 x 72.8 x 9.3

Weight (grams)

172

125

225

120

164

Model

Iphone 6 Plus

NEW

24/384

18/460

12/336

7/432

15.5/384

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16.7million/5.0

16.7/6.5

16million/3.1

262,144/2.8

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,64,128/No

16GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band

Quad Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

iOS8

Android OS v4.2

Android v4.2

BlackBerry OS 10

BlackBerry OS 7.1

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

BlackBerry OS 10.2

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

62,500/71,500/80,500

10,999

12,999

18,400

13,990

11,990

14,900

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS Model

CELKON

GIONEE

Curve 9360

Q10

Z10

Z30

Passport

CTRL V5

Dimension (mm)

112 x 62 x 14.2

119.6 x 66.8 x 10.4

130 x 65.6 x 9

140.7 x 72 x 9.4

128 x 90.3 x 9.3

17.8 x 9.8 x 6.5

134.5 x 67.7 x 8.1

Weight (grams)

130

139

136

170

196

135

103.5

5/336

10/NA

10/312

25/384

18/432

8/200

14.5/324

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/2.44

16million/3.1

16million/4.2

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

256MB/32GB

16GB/64GB

32GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/Yes

Yes/Yes/GSM+GSM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

BlackBerry OS 7.0

BlackBerry OS 10

BlackBerry OS 10.2

BlackBerry OS 10.3

Android 4.2

Android OS, v4.2

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

16,990

21,390

18,300

28,990

49,990

14,499

10,999

84 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

GIONEE

PARAMETERS Model

HTC

Elife E3

Elife E5

Elife E7 Mini

Elife S5.5

Elife E6

Elife E7

Desire 516

Dimension (mm)

137 X 68 X 7.9

137 X 69 X 6.85

139.8 x 66.2 x 8.6

145.1 x 70.2 x 5.6

142.5 x 69.4 x 7.9

150.6 x 75 x 9.5

140 x 72 x 9.7

Weight (grams)

133.9

142.9

120

150

160

Talktime/Standby (hours)

14/312

18/200

NA/NA

9/220

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16Millon/4.7

16millon/4.8

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16.7million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

16GB/NA

16BG/No

16GB/No

32GB/No

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/NA

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

11,990

15,700

17,000

20,500

19,700

21,999

12,000

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS Model

Desire 616

Desire 700

Desire 816G

Desire 601

Desire 816

One (E8)

One DS

Dimension (mm)

142 x 71.9 x 9.2

145.5 x 72 x 10.3

156.6 x78.74 x 7.99

134.5 x 66.7 x 9.88

156.6 x 78.7 x 8

146.4 x 70.7 x 9.9

137.4 x 68.2 x 10.4

Weight (grams)

150

158

130

165

145

143

14/700

8/338

10/460

12.8/440

21/737

26.7/504

27/500

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/4.5

16million/5.5

16milliom/5.0

16.7million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

14,300

17,650

18,990

17,990

24,000

32,000

36,000

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 85

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS

IDEA

KARBONN

LAVA

One M8

One Max

Whiz

Ultra

S7 Titanium

S9 Titanium

Irish Pro 30

Dimension (mm)

146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4

164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29

143.5 x 72 x 9.3

138 x 66.7 x 7.5

Weight (grams)

160

217

176.5

114

Model

14/271

25/585

8.5/NA

16/700

4/200

4.5/400

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.9

262,144/4.0

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16.7million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/128GB

16GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/No/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.3

Android v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

41,200

43,000

7,800

12,500

15,500

14,400

12,500

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

LENOVO

PARAMETERS A850

S660

Vibe X S960

Vibe z

Dimension (mm)

79.3 x 9.45 x 153.5

137 x 68.8 x 10

144 x 74 x 6.9 mm

149 x 77 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

184

151

121

147

28.6/490

36/840

16/288

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity Frequency/Dual SIM

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Vibe z2 Pro

Optimus L7II Dual

L70 D310

156 x 81.3 x 7.7

122.2 x 66.6 x 9.7

127.2 x 66.8 x 9.5

179

115.5

126.6

33/648

45/948

12/800

4.6/490

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/6.0

16 million/4.3

16million/4.5

16GB/No

32GB/No

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Tri Band/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

NEW

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,500

12,700

20,999

23, 000

32,999

11,995

15,000

86 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS L90 D410

G Pro Lite Dual D686

G3 Beat

Optimus G Pro

Nexus 5 16GB/32GB

G2 16GB/32GB

G Pro 2

Dimension (mm)

131.6 x 66 x 9.7

150.2 x 76.9 x 9.48

137.7 x 69.6 x 10.3

150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4

137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6

138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9

157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3

Weight (grams)

161

134

170

130

143

172

Model

14.5/845

-/-

31/598

17/300

NA/NA

8/270

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.7

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/4.95

16million/5.2

16million/5.9

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/No

16GB/64GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Sahred

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

Qual Band/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

16,000

15,680

18,350

32,000

25,990/34,000

31,000/33,000

35,500

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

MICROMAX

G3 16GB

G3 32GB

G Flex

Canvas Doodle 2

Canvas Nitro

Canvas XL A119

Dimension (mm)

146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9

160.5 x 81.6 x 7.9

147x77x9.9

141 x 72 x 9

165 x 84.2 x 10.4

142 x 71 x 7

Weight (grams)

149

177

152

180

116

19/565

15/720

6/220

10/320

9.4/209

7/205

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16million/6.0

16million/5.3

16million/5.0

16million/6.0

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/128GB

32GB/No

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Canvas 4Plus

NEW

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

38,000

39,990

40,500

13,200

12,999

14,600

15,800

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 87

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG

Model

Canvas Knight

Canvas Gold

Galaxy Quattro

Galaxy Grand Neo

Galaxy Grand Prime

Dimension (mm)

144 x 70 x 7.3

133.30 x 70.70 x 9.65

143.7 x 77.1 x 9.6

144.8 x 72.1 x 8.6

Weight (grams)

Galaxy S4 mini

Galaxy Grand 2

124.60 x 61.30 x 8.94 146.80 x 75.30 x 8.95

143.9

163

156

108

163

7.5/175

8/210

11/210

11/430

17/-

12/NA

17/370

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/4.7

16million/5.01

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

16million/5.25

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32GB/No

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

17,700

17,500

12,000

13,700

14,750

17,500

16,999

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG Galaxy SIII Neo

Galaxy S5 mini

Galaxy S4

Galaxy S5

Galaxy Alpha

Dimension (mm)

136.6 x 70.75 x 8.6

131.1 x 64.8 x 9.1

151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4

148.4 x 77.4 x 8.6

136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9

142 x 72.5 x 8.1

132.4 x 65.5 x 6.7

Weight (grams)

132

120

183

162.5

130

145

115

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Galaxy Note II N7100 Galaxy Note 3 Neo

14/NA

10/NA

35/980

18/540

17/370

21/390

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.8

16million/4.5

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

16million/5.1

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

NA/64GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

12MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.3

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.2

Android OS, v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

22,500

25,000

32,000

27,000

30,000

35,000

37,999

88 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

SONY

Galaxy Note 3

Galaxy Note 4

Xperia M Dual

151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3

153.5 X 78.6 X 8.5

124 x 62 x 9.3

Xperia E3 Dual

NEW

137.1 x 69.4 x 8.5

Xperia C

Xperia M2

M2 Dual

141.5 x 74.15 x 8.88

139.7 x 71.1 x 8.6

168

176

115

143

153

148

20/490

82/-

10.16/498

12.2/70

14.1/588

13.5/588

11.2/580

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.7

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32GB/64GB

32GB/128GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/GSM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS, v4.3

Android OS v4.3

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

18,600

17,999

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

38,500

58,500

12,100

12,400

15,710

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model

Xpiria C3

Xperia T2 Ultra

Xperia Z

Xperia Z 1 Compact

Xperia Z 1

Xperia Z Ultra

Dimension (mm)

156.2 x 78.7 x 7.6

165.2 x 83.8 x 7.7

150.7 x 77 x 7

139 x 71 x 7.9

127 x 64.9 x 9.5

144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5

179 x 92 x 6.5

Weight (grams)

149.7

171.8

148

146

137

169

212

Talktime/Standby (hours)

11/1040

16/1120

12.7/639

11/550

10/670

14/880

11/550

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16milion/5.5

16million/6.0

16million/5.3

16million/5.0

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16million/5.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1MP/Yes/Yes

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.4

Android OS, v4.3

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.1

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSPA+ Android OS v4.3

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

23,000

22,100

26,700

26,000

32,000

38,000

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 89

myguide Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

XOLO

Xperia Z 2

Xperia Z3 Copact

Xperia Z3

Hive 8X

X1000

Q1000s

Q3000

146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2

127.3x64.9x8.6

146 x 72 x 7.3

140 x 70 x 7.9

147 x 72.1 x 7

164.8 x 81.6 x 8.9

163

129

152

158

15/690

12/880

14/890

11/352

9.5/336

22/327

33/667

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.2

16million/4.3

16million/5.2

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/5.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16BG/128GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.2

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

44,000

42,990

49,990

12,999

13,800

14,000

18,500

CDMA PHONE

MODELS

CDMA PHONE

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung B229

MTS Striker C121

MTS Striker C131

MTS Striker C132

Micromax GC222

Lava ARC8c

MTS Mtag 281

Dimension (mm)

108 x 44.38 x 14.20

106.8×44.7×13.15

108.5 × 46.7 × 12.15

115.5 × 47 × 13.5

110 x 45 x 10

104 x 57 x 13.3

Weight (grams)

65.5

68.2

Talktime/Standby (hours)

6.5/720

33/360

16/240

17.9/360

4.5/170

May-90

10/220

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.44

65,536/1.77

262,144/1.8

65,536/2.2

262,144/2.8

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

450KB/No

1.29MB/No

59KB/4GB

NA/8GB

170MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/No

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGS/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

500

300

100

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

CDMA/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0

Operating System

BREW

Brew 3.1.5

Brew 3.1

BREW

Android OS v2.3

Music Player/FM Radio

No/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,100

1,500

1,550

1,650

2,289

2,699

3,199

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

90 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

myguide CDMA PHONE

CDMA PHONE

MODELS

CDMA PHONE

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

MTS Duet

MTS Duet II

Blackberry 8530

Moto G

BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350

HTC Desire XC

HTC Desire 700 C

116.36 x 61.7 x 12.7

109 x 60 x 13.9

129.9 x 65.9 x 11.6

109 x 60 x 11

119.5x 62.3 x 9.4

145.5 x 72 x 10.3

105

143

107

150

NA/NA

10/NA

4.5/252

24/NA

NA/NA

8/338

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

242,144/3.5

262,14/4.0

65,536/NA

16million/4.5

NA/2.44

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

120MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

8GB/No

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Sahred

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

CDMA/No

CDMA/N0

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/1xEV-DO

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v2.3

BlackBerry OS

Android OS v4.4

BlackBerry OS7

Android OS v4.1

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,199

5,648

12,500

13,490

17,250

18,190

18,300

TABLET

MODELS

CDMA PHONE

CDMA

PARAMETERS

APPLE iPad Mini W-Fii+3G

iPad Mini Wi-Fi+3G with retina display

Desire 816

HTC Desire 600 C

HTC One Dual SIM

iPad Mini Wi-Fi

iPad Mini Wi-Fi with retina display

Dimension (mm)

156.6 x 78.7 x 7.9

134.8 x 67 x 9.26

137.4 x 68.2 x 10.4

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

200 x 134.7 x 7.5

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

200 x 134.7 x 7.5

Weight (grams)

165

130

143

308

331

312

331

Model

21/737

11.4/539

27/500

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16million/4.5

16.7million/4.7

16 million/7.9

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

32GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

16,32,64/128GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

16,32,64/128GB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Quad Band/CDMA+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.1

NA/No

Quad Band/No

NA/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

No/No/No

iOS 7

Yes/Yes

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

24,000

36,000

21,900/27,900/33,900

28,900/35,900/42,900/49,900

29,900/35,900/41,900

37,900/44,900/51,900/58,900

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 91

myguide TABLET

TABLET

MODELS

TABLET

APPLE

PARAMETERS

KARBONN

LAVA

iPad Air Wi-Fi

iPad Air W-Fii+3G

A34 TA-FONE HD

A39 TA-FONE HD

A37 TA-FONE HD

Smart Cosmic

Ivory Tab 702

Dimension (mm)

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

197 x 124 x 12.3

194 X 120.5 X 10.8

Weight (grams)

652

662

335

360

Model

NA/NA

8/240

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16 million/9.7

16million/7.0

262,144/7.0

16 million/9.7

16milliom/7.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16,32,64GB/No

4GB/32GB

1.5GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0 MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Tri Band/GSM+GSM

Tri Band/NA

Tri Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/Yes

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

No/No/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

iOS 7

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

No/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

7,200

8,500

8,900

9,000

8,700

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

31,900/37,900/43,900 39,900/45,900/51,900

TABLET

MODELS

TABLET

LENOVO

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

A1000

Yoga 8

Galaxy Tab 3 Neo

Galaxy Tab 4 231

Galaxy Tab 4 331

Galaxy Tab 4 531

Galaxy Tab S 705

Dimension (mm)

199 x 121 x 10.7

213.3 x 114.78 x 7.62

193.4 x 116.4 x 9.7

186.9 x 107.9 x 9

210 x 124 x 7.9

243.4 x 176.4 x 7.9

212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6

Weight (grams)

340

401

322

276

320

487

345.7

8/336

18/NA

20/NA

10/-

-/-

-/432

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/7.0

16million/8.0

16million/7.0

16milliom/8.0

16million/10.1

16million/8.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

NA/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

VGA/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

3.15/MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+/LTE

Android OS, v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

8,400

19,500

11,300

17,900

23,500

30,498

37,800

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

92 MYMOBILE DECEMBER 2014

LIFESTYLE

MODELS

TABLET

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

SONY

TAG HEUER Meridiist GMT Stainless Racer Sport Classic Steel/Black PVD

Galaxy Tab S 805

Galaxy Note Pro

Xperia Tablet Z

Racing Carbon

Link

Dimension (mm)

247.3 x 177.3 x 6.6

204 x 295.6 x 7.95

266 x 172 x 6.9

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

112 x 46 x 15.5

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

118 x 67 x 16.6

Weight (grams)

753

495

160

155

160

200

Talktime/Standby (hours)

-/432

54/NA

10/890

3/220

7/392

3/220

6.5/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/10.0

16million/12.2

16million/10.1

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

32GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

256MB/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.1/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

NA/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

No/No/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v2.3

Android v2.3

Android OS v2.2

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

44,500

57,600

40,000

Starting 2,06,000+

Starting 2,85,000+

3,15,000

Starting 3,40,000+

LIFESTYLE

MODELS

LIFESTYLE

TAG HEUER

PARAMETERS Model

VERTU

Racer Prestige Gold Meridiist Steel & Gold

Ascent

Constellation Ayxta

Ascent Ti

Constellation Quest

Signature

Dimension (mm)

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

112 x 46 x 15.5

117 x 46 x 19

100 x 48 x 18

115.5 x 49 x 13.1

116 x 60.8 x 12.7

130 x 42 x 13

Weight (grams)

160

155

148

174

160

165 to 185

166

3/220

7/392

4.8/300

6/300

5/300

7.5/349

3.5/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/2.0

16million/2.4

16million/2.0

16million/2.46

16million/2.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

100MB/8GB

4GB/No

8GB/32GB

4GB/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

1,500

Shared

2,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/R99

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/R99

Operating System

Android OS v2.3

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Clamshell/No/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

4,55,000

Starting 5,45,000+

Starting 2,89,000+

Starting 3,47,000+

Starting 3,75,000+

Starting 3,90,000+

Starting 7,28,000+

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

DECEMBER 2014 MYMOBILE 93

etcetera al

st Sennheiser PX95 Cry

Price: Rs. 5,490

clear sound world

ennheiser’s new headset, the PX95 is another example of their brilliant sound quality and design. The best part is that unlike other headphones where the headband is too thick and clunky, this one has a slim yet strong band made of steel. The ear cups are soft and comfortable, but too small to cover the entire ear. It connects via 3.5mm jacks and can be used with notebooks, desktops and mobile devices. The headset boasts of being compatible with Apple devices like the iPod and iPad. Sound quality is brilliant and crisp but only works for music and video playback and won’t work with calling. A lower price tag would have made it more tempting. n

Airtel Smart SIM One card to fit

them all

e live in an era of changing SIM card sizes. Once a relatively simple case of one-size-fits -all, SIM card sizes have been changing dramatic ally of late. Today you can get devices which might support a SIM card of any of three sizes: Mini (the normal SIM ), Micro or Nano. One can ‘convert’ a larger SIM card to smaller one by cutting but this can damage SIMS. Service providers provide SIM cards of different sizes, but getting them activated can be a bit of a task. Which is why Airtel has come out with the concept of the Smart SIM, a Nano SIM card sold along with two SIM ‘jackets’ that lets you use the SIM with phones that support mini and mic ro SIM cards as well. The jackets are of good quality and sup erior to those seen in dubious third party ‘SIM adaptors .” It is available for Rs. 300 from Airtel. And frankly we thin k it is a terrific idea which all operators need to implem ent. n

94 MYMOBILE december 2014

Price: Rs. 300

etcetera

Canon PowerShot SX400 IS

Affordable super zoomers

he new SX400IS is an impressive entry level point and shoot camera with 30x optical zoom but has the ability to crank upto 60x zoom, thanks to Canonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zoom Plus feature, without showing any significant drop in quality. Targeted at ama teurs, the camera is simple to operate and comes with multiple modes. The faux leather grip helps keep it stea dy, and it takes some very good shots and videos. The Digi c 4 enables almost instant zooming and quick boot ups . An impressive camera for long distance shots, the PowerSh ot SX400IS is perhaps the best option in the affordable segm ent for those photographers wanting to do a little more than just point and shoot without spending a bomb. n

Price: Rs. 12,995

usic

Groovez SMC650 M

on the go

roovez is a good looking portable speaker with a compact cylindrical shape and shiny white surface. It is stylish and easy to carry around and use. The rubber at the base improves its grip and makes it stable on all surfaces. The power button is also placed on the base. Surprisingly, there is no control panel, but the connectivity ports like micro USB and 3.5mm and are placed on the side panel and power button inside the speaker base. But the best connectivity mode is Bluetooth as that lets it connect wirelessly with all smartphones and tablets, pairing easily and within seconds. This good looking speaker offers decent quality sound even though it cracks a little on a high pitch. It also boasts of FM radio, and can be used for conference calling. It is good but we think it is a bit on the expensive side, given its specs and performance. n

Price: Rs. 2,199 96 MYMOBILE december 2014

team@mymobile.co.in

Telecom Equipment Manufacturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association of India

WTA

va n ta g e p o i n t

How to choose your next USB 3.0 Drive O

k, so what’s the big deal about USB 3.0? We all know it’s faster, but what else? Well, a lot of things actually: like more bandwidth, better power management and better bus utilization than a USB 2.0. But let’s just look at the speed. Exactly how fast are we talking here? Well, let’s just say the USB 3.0 is not just fast it’s F-A-S-T in big capital letters! Up to 60 times faster in some cases than a USB 2.01. That’s like flying from Hong Kong to

98 MYMOBILE december 2014

London in 12 minutes instead of 12 hours. Just imagine: you open your favorite beverage, take a few sips, lean back in your seat and bang, you’re there! That kind of fast. In fact, a USB like the 128GB SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.0 is so fast you can download an entire movie in about 8-seconds. Compare a USB 2.0 download bar alongside a USB 3.0 bar and the difference is embarrassing. It’s a sports car racing a bicycle. But, sadly that’s not the entire story. As Einstein once said, speed is relative and when it comes to USB 3.0s they are not all created equal. And they’re not all equally fast. Uh, oh! Let’s take a look at a few reasons why that is so. First, the most basic one. What if you don’t have a USB 3.0 port on your computer? What happens then? Well, most new laptops and PCs do, but even if yours doesn’t, the USB 3.0 will still be faster than the USB 2.0. How come? Well, think of the port like a tunnel or a water pipe. The USB 3.0 sends the data down the tunnel at such a huge rate it maxes out the tunnel’s capacity so the end result may be a faster download than a USB 2.0. But with a USB 3.0 port you get a much bigger ‘pipe’ so the data travels even faster still. But let’s put that aside for the moment. Let’s say you do have a USB 3.0 port what then? If USB 3.0 drives are not all equal, how do you pick the best one? Well, this is where it gets tricky. Although a lot of USB drives may call themselves USB 3.0, they may not actually be delivering the kind of speed you want at all. In fact they may not actually be much better than a USB 2.0. It’s a bit like breaking the speed limit in your car. Let’s say the limit on your road is 50kmph and you do 51kmph. The traffic cop pulls you over and says you’re breaking the speed limit. OK, he’s right, you just crept into USB 3.0 territory by a whisker. But as the cop is writing you out a ticket, a sports car roars by doing 280 kmph! Whoosh! Well he’s breaking the speed limit too – he’s also in USB 3.0 territory just like you, but he’s so much faster. And that’s the problem. When you go down to the computer mall to get your fancy new USB 3.0, how do you know if you’re buying a 51kmph vehicle that just scrapes

into USB 3.0 territory or a sports car? Well, there are three ways you can tell. One is price. If the price is really low, then let’s face it, you can be pretty sure it’s not a sports car. The second way, is the logo on the side. And the third way is the spec. Only the really confident brands will tell you on the spec sheet exactly how much data they can shift and at what speed. So, now you want to know. Which USB delivers the speed you want? And what logo should you look for? And the answer is…ta, ra. The SanDisk Extreme PRO. You want your movie in 8 seconds? Then this will deliver it. You want 1,000 photos downloaded in less than 35 seconds it can do that too. This is the USB that scores off the charts. 128GB of storage and up to 60 times faster than a standard USB 2.0. Plus all the bells and whistles. SanDisk SecureAccess software – password protection, you name it, the SanDisk Extreme PRO has it all. It even has a cool aluminum case to match its rocket-power speeds. You could put your entire life on this and you’d still have room to spare. OK, so it costs a few bucks more. But don’t worry there are other options. A step down from the SanDisk Extreme PRO, is the SanDisk Extreme, from 16GB to 64GB. OK, about another second or two to download that movie. Then there’s the SanDisk Ultra with read speeds of up to 100 MB per second – so your movie will take maybe 40 seconds to download, but that’s still 10 times faster than a standard USB 2.0 drive. And finally there’s the SanDisk UltraFit – a really cool USB with similar performance to the SanDisk Ultra , but so tiny you could leave it in your USB port all the time. So, there you have it. Now you know all about how to choose your next USB 3.0 and why it should say SanDisk on the side. Now all you have to do is decide is which movie you want to download. Ready, set… you’ve got 8 seconds! (Speed of downloads may vary and refers to specific models and conditions). n -Rajesh Gupta, Country Manager India, SanDisk Corporation, (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the stance of the magazine)

RNI REG NO./DELENG/2005/15033 DL (ND) - 11/6100/2012-13-14 (Posting Date 19-20 of every month)