Are you afraid of living a day without your cellphone? Does your cellphone accompany you from bathroom to bedroom? If yes, then you need to reassess your relationship with it and create a space. Kindly put away your phone and consider a break.
A research revealed cellphone obsessed people get depressed and they suffer from anxiety when they do not receive any message or updates. The research was interesting and true as well. UK researchers conducted a survey and found “People often feel their phone is ringing even when it is not”. People check their phones more often when they are stressed or they do not receive updates for long. I found the research to be very practical when I compared to my situation. You might be surprised to know that I often wake up at midnight to check if my phone is ringing! This is not only my story. I shared my phone-obsession with few of my friends and I found they are also hooked very closely to their cellphones in the same way.
A vast number of people are addicted to their cellphones and they deny the fact that their cellphones are causing restlessness, insomnia, anxiety and even depression. There are so many people who can't sleep without their cellphones next to them. They are so anxious to keep checking their phones for messages or alerts that they end up sleeping very late or losing sleep. A space is needed to maintain a smooth relation. A healthy relation is one which allows both partners to have their own space otherwise the relation would be in a stressed state. It is a fact that stress associated with cellphone usage will grow rapidly if remain unchecked. At times, let your partner-the phone- stay numb.
1.You miss your phone when you are in bathroom (initial level)
2.You tweet, punch message, and call somebody while you are on pot (extreme level).
3.You keep checking update of your phone in midst of a face-to-face conversation with someone.
4.Your heart beats go unusually up when you step out and realize that you have left your phone behind.
5.You remain glued to phone when your spouse, child, friend or parents are at home.
6.You charge your phone more than once in a day even when the battery condition of your phone is good.
7.You get tensed when you are in no network area.
8.You check your phone after every ten-twelve minute for updates.
9.You want your phone on your bed.
10.You don’t want to visit a place where carrying phone is not permissible.
If you find 3 similar habits above mentioned, you are at initial phone-stress level. You can manage your cellphone life easily. If you have 5 habits similar, you are addicted to your phone and need to work to rectify it. Your passiveness to your phone can strain up your life and you may face the consequences. If you find all above mentioned points as a part of your usual lifestyle, you need an anti-cellphone therapy to regain a healthy lifestyle.
Here are some re-hab tips that can let you balance your strained relation-
1.Switch off your phone before sleeping. If possible make a habit of not answering call after 10 in night, unless it is too urgent.
2.Try to avoid picking phone when you are with your family or busy in some urgent tasks.
3.Follow no-phone rule at the dining table and bathroom.
4.Stop your phone browsing habit. If possible take off the mobile data plan.
5.Consider keeping the phone away during weekends.
Friends! I am neither anti phone nor anti-social. I also have a mobile phone, as you all do and I love my phone. But I hate all types of addiction and stressed relation. I want my friends and readers of this article to think and decide… whether you want a successful social and family life with the support of a smart electronic gadget or you want to let the smart electronic gadget to crash your social and family life…
Hence, Spice has introduced its latest warrior in Android lineup, the Spice Mi-280 to further bolster its ranks. And specs wise, we aren't complaining either! The dual-SIM device has a 2.8 inch capacitive touchscreen, runs on Android Gingerbread v2.3.4, 3.2 MP camera and 3G and WiFi etc. So, lets start with complete specification sheet of this baby!
Pros
· Dual-band GSM and single band 3G support
· Dual GSM (2G+3G) network support; Dual standby
· 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support
· 2.8" TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen
· 650MHz ARM 11 processor; Mediatek MT6573 chipset
· Android OS v2.3.4 (Gingerbread)
· 3.2MP camera, front camera
· DVD quality videos@25fps video
· MicroSD slot (up to 32GB)
· Wi-Fi
· GPS with A-GPS
· MicroUSB port (charging)
· Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR
· Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
· FM radio
· SpiceGang and tons of other apps
· Accelerometer and proximity sensor
· Battery 1000 mAh Li-ion
Cons
· No flash for camera
· Plasticky build
Looknfeel
Small enough to fit snugly in your palm, the Mi-280 bears essentially a utilitarian design, focused on people who find navigating through touchscreen uncomfortable. The phone chassis is entirely made of plastic. The front panel of device carries 2.8 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen. Below it are four capacitive buttons for Home, Menu, Back and Search. Other than these, two hard buttons for call and end have also been provided, along with a five way navigation key, to make navigation easier.
No extra control buttons have been provided on side spines, save a volume rocker on left side, as majority of the functions can be accessed from the hard keys given on the front panel itself. A microUSB port and 3.5mm audio jack have been placed on top for ease of access.
Turn the phone around and you have a 3.2MP camera without flash on the upper half on the device, expecting one on an Android phone this cheap would be a wishful thinking anyway!
The TFT LCD display works like a charm and the colour in the images appear quite lively. Using the device outdoors is not a problem as screen legibility in sunlight is good too. A 1000 mAh Li-ion battery could be found under the battery cover. SIM and microSD card slots are not hot-swappable as you'll have to remove the battery to access the slots.
OSandUIandApps
Mi-280 runs on Android Gingerbreadv2.3.4, which is a rarity when it comes to entry level smartphones. The UI has been revamped to suit the small screen. The UI animations are extremely smooth, mainly due to the power-packed Mediatek MT6573 chipset, which bundles a 650MHz processor to handle the device operations. The home screen features stock Android launcher, with three virtual buttons for accessing dialler, menu and Internet browser. You can add further widgets and application shortcuts by long pressing the homescreen.
No need for powertool widget too as shortcuts for WiFi, Bluetooth, Data connection and Airplane mode can be accessed from notification menu itself. As the handset supports dual GSM networks, you can manually set default SIM for calling, messaging and data access manually from the settings menu. There is a unified SMS inbox and call list but the calls and messages are colour-coded, to help you segregate them according to numbers with ease.
Display settings like wallpapers and widgets can be accessed from long pressing the homescreen, that’s Android default by the way. Live wallpapers are supported; a few stock types come preinstalled. We tried to run some heavy stuff by downloading some live wallpapers from Android Market and even those ran with élan.
Rest of the UI is also largely Android default with little customisation, which I guess is to keep off the unnecessary load on the device. Tapping on the menu key on the homescreen takes you to the menu. You can browse through the menu by swiping vertically across the screen.
Coming to applications, the Mi-280 comes with usual Spice App suite preloaded, which includes Yahoo messenger, BSE/NSE stock news, Facebook, Ibibo farms, ibibo and Opera browser, Rail Yatra, Spice Gang, JustDial etc. For your SNS needs, Facebook and Ebuddy also come preinstalled. Further applications can be downloaded from Android Market. You can also install third party apps from your SD card by enabling it from app settings menu.
To access Google app suite and Android Market, you must have a Google account ID with you. In case you don't have one, you can make it during the signup process itself.
Utility apps include calendar, calculator, stopwatch, timer, Alarm and voice recorder.
Spice Mi-280 is a dual SIM standby phone and can support two GSM (one 2G and one 3G) networks. To make calls, you need to press the dialler button at the bottom of the homescreen to open the call menu. The dialpad opens by default, with contact list in the background. You can go back to homescreen anytime during a call by pressing the back key. The active call menu can be retrieved again from the notifications bar. Proximity sensor is also there to turn off the screen during call to save battery charge.
Coming to messaging, SMS and MMS are listed as threads in the menu. To send a new SMS, you just need to tap the compose message button provided on the top of SMS menu. Adding Multimedia content like pictures, videos or sound clips automatically turns SMS into an MMS.
The handset is 3G enabled with HSDPA/HSUPA speeds of up to 7.2Mbps/ 5.76Mbits, making internet browsing a very engaging experience. You can also hook on to a WiFi network as WiFi connectivity is also supported. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth microUSB port for charging/USB tethering.
Multimedia
Spice Mi-280 comes armed with a 3.2MP auto focus camera with maximum image resolution of 2048x1536 pixels and 8X zoom. Here are some sample shots we took during our review.
Videos are recorded in high quality DVD resolution (720x480 pixels) at 25fps. The samples shot during the review came out to be very nice, though slight pixilation was found while recording at maximum zoom.
The 3.5mm audio jack is also there, so you can use your own headsets with the device. FM radio can only be started after plugging in the headphone as its wire acts as antenna. The reception is good and Mi-280 managed to scan nine FM stations with good audio clarity.
Verdict
How many dual SIM entry level Android handsets are out there in the market? The answer is very few. Barring iBall ANDi 6000 and a few earlier models of Spice, the handset we believe, should not face any competition from anybody. None of the MNC's are also coming up with dual SIM Android running devices anytime soon. So, till then, the Spice Mi-280, with its sleek design and snappy performance is but an obvious choice.
Nokia Touch and Type X3-02 is a simple and practical device with 2.4 inch display. It has 5MP camera with LED flash. It is a 3G phone with Wi-Fi connectivity. With Symbian 40, Flash Lite 3.0 support, and Java MIDP 2.1, and 680 MHz processor, it is quite excellent in performance. It has 50MB internal memory and 16GB expandable memory. 860 mAh battery pulls its leg in the mobility despite very good features at a reasonable price. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/nokia-touch-and-type-x3-02-1001210
Nokia Touch and Type X3-02.5
Its features are very much similar to Nokia Touch and Type X3-02 with only difference in memory expansion and processor speed. It has 32GB expandable memory against 16GB expansion in X3-02 and it has 1 GHz processor speed and X3-02 has 680 MHz processing speed. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/nokia-touch-and-type-x3-02.5-1002288
It is a slider phone with physical T9 keypad and 2.6 inch touchscreen display for smooth navigation. It has 2MP camera, music player, video recorder & player, and Bluetooth. With multiple IM and SNS clients, it lets users stay connected online. The phone offers support to Flash player for crisper contents. It has 32GB memory expansion. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/nokia-touch-and-type-c2-02-1001717
Nokia Touch and Type C2-03
Nokia Touch and Type C2-03 is also a slider phone. It comprises similar features as Nokia Touch and Type C2-02. Nokia Touch and Type C2-03 is dual-SIM phone while, C2-02 is single SIM phone. There is minor difference in physical attributes. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/nokia-touch-and-type-c2-03-1001718
It is a dual-SIM touch screen phone with QWERTY keypad. The unique thing about the phone is – it has dedicated numeric keys on the top. Key features of the phone are 3MP camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Social networking apps, IMs, 32GB memory expansion, music player, and FM radio. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/motorola-brea-ex119-1001723
Motorola Fire XT311
It is an Android Gingerbread based touch and type phone with QWERTY keypad. It has 2.8 inch touchscreen display. Other features to highlight are: 3MP camera, IM, SNS, A-GPS, e-compass, 600 MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 32 GB memory capacity (externally), music player, and FM radio. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/motorola-fire-xt311-1002097
LG Optimus Pro C660
LG Optimus Pro C660 runs on Android Gingerbread OS. It has 2.8 inch touch display and QWERTY keypad. It has 3MP camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth, 800 MHz processor, 256MB RAM, A-GPS, IM, and SNS along with completer multi-media features. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/lg
Alcatel OT-806D
It is a dual-SIM touch and type phone. It has QWERTY keypad and 2.8 inch touch display. Other features worth mentioning are 2MP camera, Palringo (for IM), support for email, Opera Mini browser, Java support, directory synchronization, and 8GB expandable memory. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/alcatel-ot-806d-1001727
Spice Transformer M-5500
Spice Transformer M-5500 can be transformed to only touch phone or touch and type phone to suit styles of different consumers. It has 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth connectivity, MP3 player, radio, IM, Spice Gang, Facebook, Snaptu, mobile tracker, and 4GB memory expansion. You can go through detailed specification of the phone http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/spice-transformer-m-5500-1001687
Innovation is the key if any company intends to stay in rapidly evolving mobile handset market. And, if this innovation is mixed with a certain amount of creativity, the results are bound to grab eyeballs. Spice S9090 is one such product. The candybar shaped GSM device is definitely a showstopper if one factors in its clean, smooth looks, engaging user interface and a translucent display screen! Yes. You are right! The charm of this baby is its semi-transparent display screen, bound into two glass panels from front and behind. You can see right through the screen but once the display is lit up, it is capable of displaying imagery in crisp colors.
Spice Illusion S-9090 hands on
Let’s have a quick run-down of Spice S9090's tech-specs:
Pros
ñTranslucent OLED Screen
ñElegant Looks
ñLive Wallpapers
ñ2MP Camera
ñAudio and Video Player
ñStereo Bluetooth
ñWAP/GPRS/JAVA
ñExpandable Memory
ñSocial Networking- Facebook
Cons:
ñNo flash with camera
ñPoor legibility in outdoor settings
ñLacks 3.5mm audio jack
Looks and feel
Spice S9090 is a unique handset, with a sensational and fashionable look. It is actually beautiful, if handsets could be beautiful to say so. At 124 grams, and with overall dimensions of 120.5×48.5×13.1 mm, the device fits snugly into your palm. The spines bear curved look, with a miniUSB cum charging slot given on the right and volume keys on the left. Top and bottom panels are bare. The 2.4 inch translucent OLED display does its job well. You can see right through the screen, even while operating the handset. You can also figure out what's going on the screen from the back of the handset from certain angles. You may have a privacy issue to handle here.But the option to cover the backside completely with the trendy opaque back cover solves this problem. The legibility of screen is good enough indoors, but the moment we moved out in open to test the handset, the screen became totally transparent and you cannot figure out anything whats going on the screen. But the people developing the handset had sensed this beforehand and designed a back cover, which covers the upper half of the phone when deployed, making the situation manageable to much extent. Below the screen is an alphanumeric keypad, complete with a five way D-pad and four control keys. The keypad is quite comfortable to use. Coming to the back side, The upper half is all glass, just like the front. A silver strip, dividing the handset in two halves, houses a 2MP camera and loudspeaker grill. The lower half has the battery cover, removing which reveals a 650 mAh Li-ion battery. Overall, the built quality is good and the phone is designed to last.
OS and apps
The Spice S9090 comes loaded with proprietary Spice OS. The device supports live wallpapers too. Three live wallpapers come preloaded on the device, which can be accessed from the homescreen itself. The live wallpapers also respond to the changes in the orientation of the device through accelerometer sensor. Pressing the D-pad center button opens the menu, which has been broadly divided into nine sub menus. Every menu has an animated doodle running on the upper half of the screen. The OS runs smoothly and the animated doodles add a dynamism to the device.
On the apps front, the device comes loaded with a few apps. There is a stock WAP browser, which is quite easy to configure and gives you basic Internet access. You can also install Opera browser on the device as the phone supports JAVA apps. Utility apps include calender, alarm, calculator, weather app, answering machine, sound recorder etc. Facebook app also comes preloaded on the S9090 to take care of your SNS needs.
Multimedia
The device boasts of a 2MP fixed focus camera, FM radio with recording and audio/video player to satiate your entertainment needs. The performance of camera is good, as you can see in our sample pictures. You can further tweak the image quality by going through the camera settings.
Long shot
Long shot
Indoor close shot
Color reproduction
Outdoor close shot
The device lacks internal FM antenna, so you need to plug in you headset to start it. Up to 20 FM stations can be saved in the phone memory. The quality of reception is good and the phone managed to search 9 FM stations in indoors conditions. You can also record your favourite radio programs through schedule recording feature. Recordings are done in AMR, AWB and WAV formats.
Coming to the music player, lack of a 3.5 mm audio jack is a big letdown, as it limits you to use proprietary headsets only. The music player interface is pretty basic, but it can play almost all popular audio formats with ease. The audio quality of the handset is good on both the headphones as well on loudspeakers.
Our take
The Spice S9090 is a very innovative phone which can corner some sales for Spice too. The device is high on features and performance is also good. The device is available for purchase @ www.saholic.com http://www.saholic.com/mobile-phones/spice-s-9090-1002251
