Karbonn A30 : Tech Specs and First Impression

If your liking lies in size, then you don’t need to look east or west, an indigenous product is here to satiate your needs(and greed as well) - KarbonnA30, which happens to be the biggest phablet in the world at the present moment, and will remain the same in the foreseeable future. The phone is as good as it is big. Come let’s examine the visceral specifications of the AndroidICS powered handset.

Unboxing

First and the most important aspect of the handset is its display size, which is 5.9 inches; the screen is a TFT LCD one with 800x480p pixel resolution. The capacitive touch of the handset is state of art and the navigation from one page to another is a joyful ride altogether. A30 is quite able to play full 1080p HD videos.

Moving towards the look and feel segment of the handset, it seems a little heavy for your liking and bezels might also seem a little redundant, but for a device as big as A30, these things go pretty inconspicuously. Size and weight go in tandem.

In the camera segment, the Karbonn A30 has two cameras on offer, an 8MP camera on the posterior, supported by an LED flash and a 1.3MP camera on the front side of the body for video chat and self portrait.  Some specimen images and videos given below will speak for the quality of camera.

Sample photos

Sample video

Moving towards the connectivity section of the handset, it has almost everything that an Indian user might think of, all the way from GPRS, EDGE, HSPA(3G), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB. The interesting thing is Wi-Fi is capable of working as Wi-Fi hot spot and USB as USB modem.

In the storage capacity, the handset has a 2GB of onboard storage, which can be furthered till 32GB via a microSD card. Ample quite ample.

Talking about the CPU and RAM, the Karbonn A30 has a 1GHz Cortex A9 dual core processor, well complimented by a 512MB RAM. So, no need to worry about the performance speed of the machine.

The handset has G-sensor, Proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor. Then, there are a lot of pre-installed apps like Paytm, ET, nexGTV(live TV), Gmail, Gtalk, Yahoo messenger, WhatsApp, YouTube, TOI, Wechat, Saavn music, Kingsoft office etc. . Then there is GPS and Google maps as well.

What say folks! It just the beginning, long way to go Karbonn A30. Bravo, that is the word!  

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Zen Ultraphone U1 Review

The fact is quite well known to all of us that Samsung, Apple, and HTC are the biggest players in the smartphone sphere; but it is also true that in the domestic market the battle is quite fierce for supremacy in the budget smartphone segment, starting from 4K and going till 15K limit. Top domestic players being: Spice, Micromax, Karbonn, and Lava; and now there is another player in the fray – Zen Mobiles- and the product is going to be known as Ultraphone U1. Let’s find out what the product is all about.

Zen Ultraphone U1 

The handset has a 3.5 inch capacitive screen, 1GHz single core processor, 1200 Li-Ion battery that gives a talk time of 5 hours (arguably), 3.2 MP main camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, GPRS/EDGE, 512MB of internal memory that can be furthered till 32GB via SD card, Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Gyro Sensor, and multitude of preloaded apps like Facebook, Twitter, Opera, Whats App, Office Suit, Just Dial, Crickbuzz, Google Maps, Skype, YouTube. And not to forget Android 2.3 Gingerbread Operating System.

Pros

3.5 inch color rich screen

1GHz fast processor

 Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Dual-SIM

Plethora of preloaded apps

3.2 MP strong camera with LED flash

Cons

Lack of 3G support

Very little internal storage capacity

Feeble battery

No GPS

The Verdict

After going through all the specs, pros & cons, and keeping an eye on the price tag we come to a conclusion that this handset is worth INR 4999. I strongly recommend the Ultraphone U1, go for it.  

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Lava Iris N350 vs Micromax Ninja 3.5 A57: A Comparison

If a common middle class man can get himself a smartphone, it is all because of Android. You can get an Android powered handset for as less as 3.5K; and the price range goes as high as 40K. But it is the lower end handset section that makes Android the ultimate choice for the common man, especially in a country like India. And today, I am going to write a comparison between two low end smart phones - Lava Iris N350 and Micromax Ninja 3.5 A57 - powered by Android OS; it will help you in making your mind about which handset is better suited to your need.  

Display

Both the handsets sport a 3.5 inch capacitive HVGA screen. Both the screens have 262K color depth. Both of them have multitouch input method. Lava Iris has a dimension of 115 x 61.5 x 11.9 mm and A57 has a dimension of 116 x 62 x 11.5 mm. Without a shadow of doubt this section ends in a tie.  

CPU and RAM

The Lava handset has a 1GHz processor on a MediaTek chipset, the processor is complimented by a 256MB RAM. On the other hand the A57 too has a 1GHz processor presiding over a Qualcomm chipset, the CPU is also seconded by a 256MB of RAM. A tie once again.

Storage Capacity

In the storage capacity segment the Lava Iris N350 sports a 100MB built-in storage capacity, which can be furthered till 32GB via a microSD card. The handset can store up to 1000 phonebook entries and up to 200 SMS. In reply the Ninja has almost similar storage credentials and has similar expansion capacity. So, one more parley. 

Camera

The Lava handset has a 2MP camera on the back side of the body and a VGA camera on the front side for video chat and self portrait. In the main camera segment the Ninja is a better option as it has a 3MP camera on the posterior of the body but unfortunately there is no front camera, hence maladroit or no video chat.   Advantage Lava Iris N350.

Data Connectivity

In the data connectivity arena, the N350 has GPRS, EDGE, and Wi-Fi for Internet connectivity and USB and Bluetooth 3.0 for faster and convenient data transfer. Ninja on the other hand houses all the aforementioned specs and in addition, it has 3G, which readers know is many folds faster than GPRS and EDGE. Ninja A57 wins hands down.

    

Battery 

The Lava N350 has a Li-Ion 1300 mAh battery, which can give the users a talk time of around 2 hours 40 minutes and a standby time of 10 days. In reply, Ninja houses a Li-Ion 1400 mAh battery, which is capable of giving the users a talk time of around 4 and a half hours and a standby time of 6 days. Ninja.

Operating System

As we talked earlier, both the handsets are Android powered devices. Both of them run Android Gingerbread 2.3. So, both of them at the same pedestal in this section too.

The Verdict

Frankly speaking, if your sole motive is video chat go for the Lava Iris N350, since it houses a front camera. But if your liking is faster Internet better, battery, and superior looks; you will have to go for Micromax Ninja 3.5 A57.

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Top Five Windows Phones : Glimpses and First Impressions

One thing is for sure, the Windows 8 OS has shaken the market with its arrival few weeks back. All the big companies, handset makers are trying their utmost to capture the ground that the newest OS has created for them.  As expected, the Finnish handset maker Nokia came out with the first Windows 8 OS running handset, the Nokia Lumia 920. But the other big players like HTC and Samsung are gearing up for some real action in the foreseeable future.  Today, I will give you a feel of top five Windows 8 phones that, according to me, will rule the smartphone arena for quite some time. 

Nokia Lumia 920

First ever dual core Windows handset is considered by most as Nokia’s last attempt for survival. The handset has a 4.5 inches IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen with 16M colors, Dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm  Krait processor, 4G connectivity, NFC, 32GB built-in storage &1GB RAM, 8MP PureView camera & 1.3MP front camera, and 2000mAh battery.  Virtuoso.

Nokia Lumia 820

The little less powerful version of the 920, the Nokia Lumia 820 sports a 4.3 inch capacitive AMOLED touchscreen, 8GB built-in storage, 8MP Carl Zeiss Tessar  primary camera, VGA secondary camera, a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Krait processor seconded by a 1GB RAM, 1650 mAh battery. Like the 920 it is also a 4G handset. Magnificent.

HTC Windows Phone 8X

HTC is planning to rope in HTC Windows Phone 8X in a few days, which will be having a 4.3 inch S-LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, an 8MP HD primary camera and a 2.1MP secondary camera,  this 3G handset will sport the same 1.5 GHz  Qualcomm Krait processor as the Lumia 920 does. Then there will be 16GB internal storage and 1GB RAM. For those who like fast data transfer there is NFC as well.  Excellent, that is the word.  

HTC Windows Phone 8S

This handset is the smaller version of the 8X. It houses a 4 inch S-LCD capacitive touchscreen, 4GB internal storage, 512MB RAM, 1GHz dual core Qualcomm Krait processor, 5MP main camera with 720p HD video recording, VGA secondary camera, 1700 mAh battery,  and yes there is 3G connectivity for faster Internet. I would call it a good low end Windows 8 phone. Classic.

Samsung Ativ S

At last the handset comes that is my personal favorite, the Samsung Ativ S I8750. I have a very strong feeling that this handset will do better than all the above mentioned handsets in the domestic market. It houses a 4.8 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 3G connectivity, NFC, 16/32GB internal storage avatar, 8MP primary and 1.9MP secondary camera, 1.5GHz dual core processor seconded by a 1GB RAM, and a mammoth 2300 mAh battery. Magnum Opus.  

Wait for a few days folks and choose the handset of your dreams, the all new Windows 8 OS will keep enthralling you all the time. The season belongs to the Windows 8.

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S Huawei Ascend Y100 Review

Indigenous mobile players are in their foray to launch new Android phones that will give users all the functionalities that a renowned player offers; but at a cheaper rate. However, penetrating to the brand conscious customer segment has always been a tough proposition for many native players including Spice. Skepticism on the quality of the materials used in manufacturing the product and the availability and quality of service including repair make such customers reluctant to by the phone from such players, despite their attractive prices.

To grab a major chunk of customers in this segment, the Indian handset maker has now collaborated with international player Huawei and launched a new product Ascend Y100 under a new brand name “S Huawei”. The promises are superior quality product, better service, and better durability. Let’s check how good the product is.

Esthetics

The compact yet stylish look with a small and cute screen makes the handset stand out in the pool. Having dimensions of 106 x 56 x 10.9 mm, the product is considerably light weight and slim. Truly speaking, it is difficult to find such a tiny Android handset in the market these days. Perfectly designed for one hand operation! User friendly illuminated capacitive soft keys with haptic feedback can be used for functions  Back, Settings, and Search. There is a physical Home button. On the left side, there is a volume control key. A 3.5mm audio jack and microUSB port are given on the top.

Screen

The 2.8-inch TFT screen with QVGA resolution displays vivid colors and supports autorotation. Its capacitive touchscreen is highly responsive. The touch UI is the standard Android UI. You can swiftly spin the homescreens by swiping left and right. Like any other Android device , you can customize your homescreens.

Power

The device promises unique power management features. When any normal Android phone takes around 20-30 seconds to boot the device, Y100 can be booted in just 5 seconds! It sports a 1050 mAh battery that gives 300 hours of standby time and 300 min of talktime (both on 2G and 3G). In just 2 hours, you can fully charge the device!

OS and Apps

The device runs on Android Gingerbread OS. You can download unlimited apps to suite your requirement from Google Play Store. A very interesting and unique feature of the device is that it allows users to save all applications in memory card. Other Android phones are not offering such convenience to users to optimize the memory usage.

Processor and Memory

The Qualcomm 800 MHz processor is seconded by a 256MB RAM; ROM is 512MB and expansion capacity is 32GB. The Adreno 200 GPU renders smooth graphics. The device gives smooth video playing & 3D games, faster streaming, rich Internet browsing experience, better 3D rendering capability and faster processing of applications.

Multimedia

It comes with a 3.2MP camera, which gives satisfactory pictures. Refer to some of the sample pics and videos given below. You can also record videos on the go, though the video quality is not very superior. It does not have a flash to light up the object, so photos clicked at indoor/poorly lit areas are not so good. But hey folks, there is compensation on offer in form of light settings like day light, incandescent, florescent, and there are image settings as well. The 3x zoom of the handset is excellent.  I would say that the camera passes the litmus test, though  not with distinction. And for music lovers, there is a music player, a loud stereo speaker, a 3.5 mm audio jack to connect your favorite headset, and FM radio. 

Connectivity

The device supports 3G/HSDPA 7.2Mbps and Wi-Fi b/g/n for Internet connectivity. A special 3G data offer is coming with the pack. Users can avail either 1GB data for 3 months from Aircel or 500MB data for 1 month from Airtel. Local file transfer is made possible through Bluetooth v2.1 and MicroUSB 2.0 (HiSpeed). WiFi and USB tethering is possible, which means you can enjoy Internet connectivity on your laptops by connecting it to your Y100. For navigation assistance, it is coming with GPS/AGPS /Compass.

The Verdict

S Huawei brand has not compromised on the quality of this tiny device. The  new international branding strategy is going to win the hearts of many, who are hesitant to go for a product from a native player. 

Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500 vs Micromax Superfone Canvas A100 : Domestic Phablets in Comparison

When Samsung launched Galaxy Note, critics were a little skeptic about the reception that the phablet would get in the market worldwide. But the phablet, as soon as it was launched, silenced all the criticism and skepticism that was created around it. Gradually the public interest rose and the demand for the new genre of mobile phones called phablet increased. But price, which is the biggest area of concern in the domestic market, comes in the way of most of the folks interested in phablets.

To explore the possibilities, the domestic companies like Micromax, Spice, and others come with phablets, which are not just good but cost effective as well. But then, the vital question is, which one should the buyers take among the plethora of phablets in the markets. And to provide the readers with a solution I am going to do a comparison between the best phablets available in the domestic market, namely: Spice Stellar HorizonMi-500 and Micromax Superfone Canvas A100. So let’s get started, without delay.

Esthetics

Both the devices are equipped with a 5 inch display; both the displays have WVGA (800x480) resolution. Both the handsets are well equipped with sensors like Accelerometer, proximity, G-sensor. In the weight and dimension segment the Micromax handset is a little ahead of the Spice Mi-500 but as far as the looks is concerned Spice turns the table on Micromax. I would call it a tie.

CPU and RAM

In this segment the Spice handset seems to be donning  the victor’s crown as it has got a 1GHz dual core processor, whereas the A100 has got a 1GHz single core processor, the difference is quite conspicuous. Both processors are seconded by a 512MB RAM.

Storage

In the storage segment the Spice Mi-500 and Micromax A100 both offer the users a built-in memory of 4GB and both of them possess an expansion capacity of 32GB. Both are equals here as well.

Camera

The 5MP primary camera of the Mi-500 is supported by a dual LED flash, in reply the Micromax A100 also dons a 5MP camera but has support of a single LED flash. As far as the front camera is concerned, both the handsets has 0.3MP camera on the front side of the body. With a little bit of up and down I would call it a tie.

Battery

For a mobile as big as Mi-500 or A100, the battery spec becomes as pivotal as anything. The Mi-500 houses a mammoth 2400 mAh battery, the Micromax A100 comes in with a 2000 mAh battery. Both the phones have a strong battery capacity but Mi has a conspicuous edge over the A100.

Operating System

Both the handsets are Android IceCream Sandwich powered devices. And there is no need to say that the ICS is the best user friendly Android till date.

The Verdict

After going through all the tech specs of either of the handsets, one feels that there is not much to differentiate between the two of the handsets. But with better battery and faster processor, the Spice Mi-500 becomes the better handset between the two good mobile phones. Go for the Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500. 

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Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500 : Phablet in Review

Are you guys thinking that the Samsung Galaxy Note is too expensive to grasp in your hand and flaunt in front of your buddies? No need to worry. Spice is coming up with a gigantic handset to please you all – Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500- which will hit the market by 1^st week of October. This post, dear readers, would not just give you a full view of the phablet but also tell you that it is not necessary to spend a 30K for a 5 inch phone. So, why wait, let’s divulge into a review.

First and the most eye catching thing about the handset is its intimidating size, the sheer 5inch size of the device takes it in a league where there are only couple of other handsets to give company(read competition). The big 5 inch screen is full of vivacious colors and the touch is superb, for crisp images an 800x480p resolution has been incorporated to the screen . And the sensors like proximity sensor and accelerometer sensor 3(D) add glitter to glory.

Moving on, the phone has a 5MP camera on the rear side of the body and a VGA one on the front side for video chat and self portrait. The main camera is supported by a dual LED flash. And there is no need to say that the camera has no dearth of additional features, such as auto focus, portrait, landscape & other modes, and various effects. I am, here affixing some of the pics taken from the phone camera itself.

For the speed lovers the handset offers a Dual processor, which has a clock speed of 1GHz. The superfast processor is backed by a 512MB RAM, the combination is lethal, pretty lethal.

In the connectivity segment there is Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot, USB connectivity, GPRS, and HSPA. With the 3G(HSPA) capability the phone is at the same pedestal with handsets like the Samsung Galaxy Note.  In addition the handset has a dual SIM support as well.

If one wants to peep into the battery capabilities of the handset, it has a Li-Ion 2400 mAh battery, which without doubt is one of the high points of the handset.

Moving towards the Operating System of the handset, it has got the best in the business – Android IceCream Sandwich 4.0 (ICS). As far as apps are concerned, we are all familiar with the fact that how big the Play Store range is in this regard. You can just download and use apps or games of your choice. In addition, there are GPS and Google maps to help you in unfamiliar territories.  

No, we are not finished yet; I know that most of you like your handsets to be stylish in looks, so I am not expected to end the review without describing how the handset looks. Its rectangular accent makes it much similar to Note or Samsung Galaxy SII, or with an iPhone, if you can imagine a stretched version of it. That itself suffices the looks. This look and feel video would tighten the remaining loose screws, if there are any.

Plus, you get the preloaded NetQin app to make your Android experience safe form unwanted malware, absolutely free. Plus you get pre-loaded apps like WhatsApp, Dhingana, and Facebook to make your experience even sweeter.   

So, what do you think of the handset, is it worth your while or not, kindly let me know through your comments, no need to say how much we treasure your remarks here at india-mobilewatch.blogspot.in.        
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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 N7100 – Five New Features

We got an opportunity to touch and feel the best phablet in the world - Samsung Galaxy Note 2 – in an event hosted by Samsung at Radisson Blu, New Delhi. Besides having elite attributes like 5.5 inch HD super AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad core processor with 2GB RAM, and Android 4.1 Gelly Bean OS, the device boasts some cool features, which make it extraordinary for people who feel to pen down everything in their day to day life! Some of the features that make the device stand out in the smartphone segment are given 
below.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 First Look

S Note

The S Note is the app exclusively designed for Galaxy Note. Converting your own handwriting into text and free hand drawing into perfect polygonal shapes were never been so easy. Interestingly, you can even write a complicated mathematical formula on the screen using the S Pen; it will recognize and reproduce digitally.

Quick Command

I would say, this app is similar to Google Voice Search. The difference is instead of voice, the commands need to be penned down using S Pen. You can open the command pad by swiping upward on the screen with the S Pen button pressed. On the command pad, you can write certain shortcut, which will automatically open the desired app on the device. You can also create custom commands for your convenience. For example if you simply write “ # Rahul”, it will take you to the particular contact. If you write “?Nikon L120” it will open the Google search page for Nikon L120. Isn’t it cool?

Best Faces

Samsung has bestowed something really interesting in the camera segment. Best Faces feature is specially designed for clicking group photos. When you click a group photo with a normal camera, you should be lucky enough to get a photo with all faces looking best. With the Best Faces feature, Note 2 shoots multiple shots and allows you to choose the best face for each person in the group and stitches them together to give a best group photo.

AirView

The new AirView UI recognizes the S Pen when it is just a few millimeter away from the display screen. How is it going to make a difference in the user interaction with the phone? Well, it gives absolute control and precision of the mouse pointer making the commands easier. You don’t need to actually click to do many actions; you can open the content of a new email as a popup, by just keeping the S Pen slightly above the notification on the screen. You can also see the preview of the content of a folder by doing the same. Also you can see the live preview of the video while hovering over the video timeline, without touching the screen.

AirView feature

Popup Play

Samsung introduced this feature in Samsung Galaxy S III. Samsung calls it as a productivity feature because with this feature you can watch a video and simultaneously use other applications. The video will be played on the screen as a small popup, which can be dragged and placed anywhere on the screen. The rest of the screen area can be used for other applications such as email etc.

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