In one of my older posts I
compared two budget Android handsets for you: Galaxy Y and Galaxy Pocket. Today, I am going to compare two budget Android handsets again, this time it is
Samsung Galaxy Y versus Samsung Galaxy Y Duos. Both of them are well below the
five digit mark and both of them are doing quite well in the market. But as
they say a thing is as good as your need and liking in it lies. So let us
divulge into a head to head comparison.
The
Price Tag
As said earlier, both the
handsets are well below the 10K mark; the Galaxy Y comes for 7.5K INR and the Y
Duos costs the users 8.5K. The Galaxy Y comes for thousand rupees less but we
will find out in the later half of the article is it worth spending the
additional 1000 bucks for the Samsung Y Duos or not.
Hardware
Head to Head
The Galaxy Y and the Y Duos, both the handsets sport a 830 MHz processor, which is well complimented by a
290MB RAM. So, there is nothing much to choose as far as the CPU and RAM are
concerned. Moving to the storage capacity of the handsets, the Y has an
internal storage capacity of 180MB whereas the other handset in the comparison,
the Y Duos has a 160MB capacity. Both of them have the same expansion capacity
– 32GB. Y holds a slight edge here.
In the camera segment the
Galaxy Y has a 2MP camera on the back side of the body in reply, the Y Duos
sports a 3MP cam on the posterior. None of the handsets have a secondary camera on
the front side of the body. You might think (you have all the valid reasons to
think that way) that the Duos has an advantage in this segment, but I would like
to tell you, folks, that both of the cameras are not strong enough and both of
them take somewhat similar pics.
In the battery segment the Y
has a Li-Ion 1200 mAh battery, the Duos comes packed with Li-Ion 1300 mAh
battery; but again the end result, which, in this case is the talk time and the
standby time and music & video functioning time is somewhat similar. Due to
smaller size and single SIM Y stands a little taller here.
The display of the Y is just 3
inches and in reply the Y Duos come with a 3.14 inch screen. Both the handsets
have the similar pixel resolution of 320x 240. Duos, with a bigger screen size,
wins this section hands down.
As far as the connectivity is
concerned both of the handsets have GPRS, EDGE, 3G, Bluetooth, USB, and Wi-Fi
connectivity.
Software
Segment
In the operating system segment
both of the handsets are Android Gingerbread driven devices. Hence, they have
the full version of Google Play to visit and download software and apps.
Friends, the two of the
handsets possess Google Talk, YouTube, Email, Push Mail, IM, WAP support, Java,
image viewer/editor, and Document viewer/editor.
The
Verdict
10-12 hundred rupees are not
that big a deal but no one does-and should not- throw away his hard earned
money. Unless and until you have an utmost need of two numbers you should go
for the Samsung Galaxy Y. Plus it is better looking than the Duos. I give my
full and final recommendation to the Galaxy Y. I own it myself!
There is no exaggeration in saying that Android phones are dominant in phone market today. With its software blessing, Android has achieved success in defending iOS, BlackBerry OS, Symbian and other operating systems. It may surprise you that Indian mobile segment is ruled by Android. A market researched company has revealed that Android phones will capture 80% of India market by the end of 2015.
The adaptability of the software even in the low-cost hardware can be credited for its success in India. The flexibility and openness of the OS are also winning factors. The software can run smoothly even on a slow processor of 600MHz. The highly adaptable temperament of Android has made it king in diverse territory of India.
Indeed, Apple revolutionized the telecommunication industry with its ground breaking technology by introducing iPhone and iPad. However, it doesn’t mean that Apple is an angel. Apple’s comment on Google’s Android for being fragmented reveals the sense of terror in giant for fading away of its autocracy in the smartphone world. This is not the first time Apple has embroiled in the war of words. Apple sued Samsung, Motorola, and HTC many a times for patent infringement of designs. It also sued Amazon.com and Microsoft over the use of the term ‘App Store’ to describe its new Android digital app portal. Apple’s desire of establishing monopoly in the market for its smartphones and the related terms has kept in the lawsuit limelight.
Apple use patent as an armor for establishing complete autocracy in the mobility ground. It keeps on decimating competitors through a design patent suit. Its business model seeks monopoly and is feared of those offering openness. Therefore, it says Google’s Android is fragmented as Google allows different manufacturers to use its operating system on their phones and tablets. People love style. With Google’s openness they can get the blessing of superior software packed in a device they want. Apple is looser when it comes to style. Its look is similar whether it is an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4S. Therefore, Google’s Android is capturing the market exponentially and on the other hand Apple has to see downfall in its market share.
Increasing popularity of Google’s Android is both threatening and annoying Apple. Its frustration is fairly reflected in its language – fragmented Android. Gone are the days of autocracy, people are lover of democracy. When Apple is creating a small habitat, within which users are restricted to fly, Android gives its users a broad ecosystem, where they can explore a wide range of possibilities. The availability of small budget phones with Android OS has helped Google acquire significant share of the market. Along with price, giving a choice of hardware, screen size, brand etc, would definitely help Google to expand its ecosystem worldwide. Google’s strategy based on openness and coexistence is definitely aa threat to Apple.
So
you own an Android
handset and harp the level of customisation you can achieve with the
device among your iPhone owning friends. But, there is a catch.
Neither you are comfortable rooting your device or installing custom
ROMs, nor have the required expertise. No need to feel disappointed
though as there are tons of apps available on Android market, which
let you customise almost everything in your device. Custom diallers,
SMS clients, homescreen launchers, lock menu, you just name it and
it’s there in the market. Installation is pretty easy too. You just
need to download the app and customise it after automatic
installation and that’s it! However, today we are going to talk
about four best homescreen replacements you can get for your phone.
Here is our list of the best.
1.
GO Launcher EX
Price:
Free
Requirement:
Android v2.0 minimum
Developer:
GO Dev Team
GO
Launcher EX is a recently developed launcher by Go dev team and if
you go by the sheer number of customisation options available, it’s
the best we have seen so far. The GO dev team is already famous for
their Go dialler, Go keyboard and Go SMS client and addition of a
homescreen replacement actually completes the customisation scene.
The Go launcher nearly levels on extremes of customisation so
much that you can actually spend hours over it to get right mix of
everything according to your taste without getting bored. There are
so many preference selections available ranging from Display, Screen,
Dock, App Drawer, Operation, Advanced, Theme settings etc that the
developers have scored one fan in us already!
Download
Task
killer has been provided inbuilt with the launcher, available in some
5 sizes, you can use according to your screen real estate. Hence, no
need to drain your battery by keeping a taskmanager running all the
time when GO taskmanager can do the same with just one tap, any time.
2.
SPB Shell 3D
Price:
Rs. 768.47
Requirement:
Android v2.1 minimum
Developer:
SPB software
Download
If
you are a 3D FX fan, then you can also check out SPB Shell 3D
homescreen replacement. Touted as next gen UI, the application shell
relies on a 3D homescreen engine to generate amazing effects, along
with smart folders, 3D widgets and plethora of other customisation options.
The 3D engine runs like a charm and live screen animation
creates a truly wowing experience. However, this customization option
will set you back by Rs. 768 as this app is available in paid version
only.
3.
LauncherPro
Price:
Free (Rs. 179.39 for Plus version)
Requires:
Android v2.0 minimum
Developer:Federico
Carnales
With
more than 5 million downloads, this app easily counts among the most
downloaded from the Android Market. Boasting of a slick interface and
tons of features, the app is available in both paid as well as
slightly stripped down lite version.
Download
Launcher
Pro comes armed with features like screen panel management,
scrollable widgets with third party app support, transition effects
and so on. Scrolling between screens is a breeze, even with lots of
apps on screen panels. The app is tried and tested by millions of users now, who swore by its stability and ease of use. Still, as a
precaution, you can also backup all your settings to SD card if
something does awry.
The
LauncherPro is a free app but you'll have to shell out Rs. 179 if you
want to go for the Plus version.
4.
ADWLauncher
Price:
Free (Rs 149.80 for EX version)
Requires:
Android v2.0 minimum
Developer:
AnderWeb
If
LauncherPro doesn't excite you enough, you may check out ADW
launcher, which has established itself as a worthy alternative. ADW
launcher heavily stresses on the wow factor to attract the users who
are more into enjoying the aesthetics of UI.
Download
Hence,
if you want some UI which does your bidding with snap of a button,
then ADW launcher isn't for you. ADW comes across as somewhat more
customisable than LauncherPro but the biggest advantage of ADW
launcher is the huge amount of themes available for it. It's more
configurable than LauncherPro -- but having said that, most of the
preferences make no sense at all unless you first read the guide. ADW
also has gestures; as in you can swipe up or down on the home screen
to launch apps or make calls. You can't swipe icons like LauncherPro,
though.
The
ADW Launcher is available for free from Android Market for free.
There is an EX version available too, which goes for Rs 149.80 and
adds more transition effects and more app drawer styles.
Even as Android devices are getting cheaper day by day, with the cheapest ones you can get for around Rs. 4,000, consumers are having a field day. Spice Mobiles has also tried to follow the suit by launching a couple of affordable Android running devices like Mi-280 and Mi-350n in the market. To stir up the market, saholic.com has now slashed the price of Spice's premier entry level Android device, the Mi-270 by almost half to just Rs. 3,399, which is the cheapest for any Android device at the moment. Here is a quick round up of its features.
Looks:
The device has rugged build for durability. Measuring 104 x 55 x 12.6 mm and weighting just 98 gms, the device is quite petite. Rubberised front and back panel finish is conducive for enhanced grip and makes Mi-270 very comfortable to hold.
Display:
Spice M-270 features a 2.8 inch TFT resistive touchscreen having resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and pixel density of 143 ppi. The screen supports Multi-touch input method. Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotation of screen also comes inbuilt with the device. A stylus also comes bundled for ease of use.
Processor, OS and Apps
Mi-270 is powered by a 416MHz processor and runs Android Froyo v2.2 smoothly. It also comes with lots of apps preloaded, some of which include Facebook, Justdial, FreeSMS, ibibo, Yahoo Messenger, SpiceGang and YouTube etc in addition to the usual Google app suite.
Music:
Its music player supports multiple music formats. You can enjoy music also through FM Radio by connecting the phone with headphone. A 3.5mm audio jack is given to have a wider choice of headset to suite your needs.
Storage Capacity:
The handset comes with 221MB of memory inbuilt, which is expandable to up to 16GB through microSD card. The slot has been placed under the battery so hot-swapping the memory module is not possible though.
Camera:
Mi-270's 2MP camera packs enough punch to capture your daily photos with ease. The camera has a maximum resolution of 1600x1200 pixels. You can also record videos with the device. Other features include geotagging, 8X digital zoom, self timer, image mode etc.
Connectivity:
The device features all round connectivity suites to keep you hooked to the network anytime. For starters, it’s a dual SIM handset and supports two GSM SIMs. You have GPRS and EDGE for Internet browsing and WiFi for faster downloads. You can also use the phone as a modem as USB tethering is also supported. Other options include Bluetooth and miniUSB slot for charging/tethering.
GPS:
The phone comes with GPS with AGPS support inbuilt along with Google Maps to keep you on track. Additionally, you can also perform functions like location tracking or look for turn by turn directions.
Battery:
The device comes bundled with a standard 1000mAh Li-ion battery, which gives you a solid talk time and a good 13 days of standby time.
The Verdict:
Those who want to have a touchscreen and Android experience for the first time; but don’t want to spend much for it, can definitely go for Spice Mi-270. Very less chance to get an alternative Android phone at this price in the near future!
No matter whether you are a leisure traveller or a daily commuter, just one wrong turn can make your day go awry, especially if you are on a really tight schedule. Carrying a GPS device for navigation is not always possible and in fact quite old-fashioned too when you have a latest Android device in your hands. Most of the smartphones come with GPS reciever inbuilt nowadays, so using one for navigation is a natural extension of one's functionality anyway. Though there are detractors too, who still view smartphone navigation apps with suspicion, still trusting their good old GPS device over smartphones. Searching Android market for navigational apps throws dozens of options at you. So, we tried to analyse some of the best navigation apps available for Android devices out there.
Google Maps Navigation (Free)
Google Maps is among the top free navigation apps available for Android today. Backed by terabytes of data Google maps have been generating for quite a few years now, Google navigation app is naturally become incredibly accurate. 3D navigation, the new buzzword among navigation apps which enables you to navigate though the maze of roads by generating a 3D map of the route was first implemented by Google Maps only. The application comes preinstalled on most of the Android devices as part of Google App suite. Top features include live traffic data, location bookmarks, satellite view, search along route and Google's killer Street View.
Navfree (Free)
Navfree is another free navigation app available on Android Market offering turn-by-turn directions, spoken and on-screen instructions, offline map use and address search and live search via Google and Microsoft Bing, among many other features.
Maps can be downloaded for free from Navfree storea and the data is stored in your device itself, making the app useful in areas with limited data connectivity. The app has a huge fanbase already with more than 4,00,000 downloads. Other features of Navfee include live map display, user friendly interface, fast routing engine and destination and PoI search.
Waze (Free)
Waze is a unique navigation app which gels social networking with navigation, making it a fun filled experience. The app lets you post the roadside events giving other Waze users heads up about waht to expect on the route real-time, saving you precious time and burns less fuel, with latter more important nowadays given rising fuel cost and rising global warming!
Waze is as interactive as you want it to be - by simply driving with the app open on your phone, you passively contribute traffic and other road data. For example, the app can calculate the vehicle speed and automatically detects traffic jams if the vehicle is moving very slowly for prolonged periods. You can also post your comment on Facebook and Twitter directly from the app interface.
Sygic: GPS navigation (paid)
Sygic is a premium navigation app available on Android Market to download for free (With 7 day trial). The app is around 6 MB download and after installing it, users must download the maps, which are stored on SD card for offline usage. The app comes with strong navigation features like 3D view, real-time traffic updates, dynamic lane guidance, speed limit display and audio warningand lets you save routes frequently used by you.
NDrive (paid)
NDrive is another paid navigation app for Android. The USP of NDrive is its lightning fast route calculation times and clean UI, which for slower phones. The app is powered by latest maps from NAVTEQ and NDrive, professionally enhanced routing algorithms makes route calculation and navigation a breeze. Other features include real time traffic, Facebook sharing and Foursquare check-in, streaming weather, and more.
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.
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.
