Oct 31, 2010
Nokia recently launched two new mobile phones operating on the latest Symbian^3 OS, Nokia N8 and Nokia C7. Both these mobiles are 90% same in their features. The only major difference is the Camera. Well N8 has its USP as the 12MP Camera, However C7 has 8MP Camera. Rest overall the specs and features are same. Nokia N8 is available in India at a Price of Rs.23,000 and C7 at a Price of Rs.20,000. Also N8 has a better internal memory storage, which it will anyways require to support the high resolution images. N8 and C7 both can record videos in 720p HD Quality. These two are only the few phones from Nokia which has Capacitive touchscreen input. Its tough to say which one to buy, as both of them are almost the same. So, if you are yet to buy a Digital Camera for your day to day imaging purposes then you can go for Nokia N8, Else Go for C7 and invest rest of the money to buy a Good Bluetooth device. I guess that makes sense :)
Comparison of Nokia C7 vs Nokia N8:
| Comparison | Nokia C7 | Nokia N8 |
| Manufacturer | Nokia | Nokia |
| Form | Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
| OS | Symbian^3 | Symbian^3 |
| Display | 640 x 360 Pixels | 640 x 360 Pixels |
| Touchscreen | Capacitive | Capacitive |
| Internal Memory | Up to 8GB | Up to 16GB |
| Expandable Memory | Up to 32GB | Up to 32GB |
| Camera | 8MP Camera | 12MP Camera |
| Image Resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Video Camera | 720p HD | 720p HD |
| 3G HSDPA | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| A-GPS | Yes | Yes |
| FM Radio | Yes | Yes |
| Talk Time | Up to 9.5 Hours | Up to 12 Hours |
| Price in India | Rs. 20,000 | Rs. 23,000 |
Oct 31, 2010 0
Oct 30, 2010
Nokia is on a Launching spree in India. Nokia has off late launched in India. In October,2010 Nokia Launched 3 New Mobile Phones in Indian Market. It launched Nokia N8 , C7 and 5250 in India
Nokia N8
It comes with Symbian^3 Operating system and it USP is 12MP Camera.
Price in India: Rs.23,000
Nokia C7
It also comes with Symbian^3 OS, 8MP Camera, Excellent design.
Price in India: Rs.20,000
Nokia 5250
Nokia 5250 is a XpressMusic series phone with 2MP Camera and it is some what similar to the previous music series phones like 5230 and 5233
Price in India: Rs.7,500
Oct 30, 2010 0
After the success of Bling, Micromax has launched a new square sized slider mobile , Micromax Q66 Eclipse. Q66 Eclipse is a Dual SIM Mobile Phone with a Colorful design , QWERTY Keypad , Trackpad, SRS WOW HD Sound. Micromax Q66 Eclipse is now available in India at a Price of Rs.5,300. BUY IT HERE
Features and Specifications of Micromax Q66 Eclipse:
- Dual SIM Mobile Phone
- Colorful Design
- QWERTY Keypad with Trackpad
- Square sized slider phone
- Clamshell Style
- Facebook Ready
- Nimbuzz Multi Instant Messenger
- Pre Loaded Opera Mini Browser
- Snaptu Social Networking Consortium
- 2 MP Camera
- SRS WOW HD Sound
- 6.1 cms TFT Display
- Multi Format Music Player
- Stereo FM Radio
- Video Player and Recorder
- Java Enabled
- EGPRS / WAP / MMS
- Expandable Memory up to 8GB
- 850 mAh Li-Ion Battery
- Talk time up to 4 Hours
- Stand by time up to 8 Days
Price and Availability in India:
Micromax Q66 Eclipse is now available in Indian market at a Price of Rs.5,300. BUY IT HERE
Samsung Wave723 S7233 is now available in India at a Price of Rs.12,600. Wave 723 is a Touchscreen Mobile Phone with features such as 3G HSDPA 7.2 Mbps , 5MP Camera, Samsung Bada OS , W-Fi , Bluetooth, A-GPS. Detailed features and specifications are given in the post below. BUY IT HERE
Features and Specifications of Samsube Wave 723 S7233 in India:
- Samsung Bada Operating System
- 3.2 Inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen Display
- TouchWiz UI 3.0
- Accelerometer Sensor
- Multi Touch Zoom
- 5MP Camera with Auto Focus and LED Flash
- 3G HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth Version 3.0
- A-GPS
- 3.5 mm Audio Jack
- Stereo FM radio with RDS
- FM Recording
- 90 MB Internal Memory
- Expandable Memory up to 16GB
- 1200 mAh Li-Ion Battery
- 3d Surround Sound
- Social Networking Feeds on Homescreen (Twitter and Facebook)
Price and Availability in India:
Samsung Wave723 S7233 is now available in India at a Price of Rs.12,600 with 2GB Memory Card in the box. BUY IT HERE
Samsung Wave533 S5330 is now available in India at a Price of Rs.9,000. It was announced way back in June, But it has now been released in Indian market. Samsung Wave S5330 is a Touchscreen Slider mobile phone with features such as Slider QWERTY Keypad , 3MP Camera , Samsung Bada OS , Wi-Fi, GPS and more is followed in the latter part of this post. BUY IT HERE
Features and Specifications of Samsung Wave533 S5330 in India:
- Samsung Bada Operating System
- Slider QWERTY Keypad
- Capacitive Touchscreen
- 3MP Camera
- Touchwiz UI 3.0
- Accelerometer Sensor
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- A-GPS
- 3.5 mm Audio Jack
- 100 MB Internal Memory
- Expandable up to 16GB Memory
- NO 3G
- Micro USB v2.0
- Stereo FM Radio with RDS
- 1200 mAh Battery
- Document Viewer
- Integrated Social Networking Clients
- Wi-Fi Access without SIM Card also
Pros:
- Touchscreen as well as QWERTY Keypad
- Good Memory
- Wi-Fi Without SIM
- Design and Looks
Cons:
- NO 3G
- Low Camera Resolution
Price and Availability in India:
Samsung Wave533 S5330 is now available in India at a Price of Rs.9,000 and it comes with a 2GB Memory Card in the Box. BUY IT HERE
Oct 29, 2010
Low cost mobile handset seller, Lemon Mobiles have launched India's cheapest 3G Mobile phone with Dual Camera and Video Calling, Lemon W100, at a Price of Rs.2,900
Lemon W100 will be available in Indian Market by November 2010. Its features includes 3G Connectivity , Dual Camera, Video Calling , Live Mobile TV. W100 has built in MP3 Player, Video Player which will keep you entertained.
BSNL has already started 3G services in India, This Diwali Tata Docomo is also expected to join the 3G service spectrum. Other Service operators are expected to join soon in next couple of months. This has made 3G the flavor of the season. It has prompted all mobile handset providers specially the smaller players like Lemon to launch 3G Mobiles and that too at Rock bottom prices. Good for consumers, however at the end of the day the quality and value for money matters
Oct 29, 2010 0
Oct 27, 2010
Nokia 5250 Entry level Touchscreen Mobile by Nokia has now arrived in India. In August we told you about the launch of this phone. Now Nokia 5250 is available in India at a Price of Rs.7,600
Nokia 5250 is a Touchscreen Mobile Phone with features such as 2MP Camera, 16GB Memory , 2.8" Inch Touchscreen, 1000 mAh Battery. For detailed features and specifications read my previous post here
Nokia 5250 Price in India: Rs.7,600
Oct 27, 2010 0
Nokia C7 was announced few days back and we told you that it will be soon available in India. This time without much delay, Nokia C7 Smartphone is now available in India at a Price of Rs.19,490. Nokia C7 is a Multimedia smartphone featuring 8 MP Camera , 3.5 Inch AMOLED Display with a Slim Metallic design.
Read the Detailed Features and Specifications in our previous post here
Nokia C7 Price in India: Rs.19,490
However, C7 is not available at all stores now, It is currently available in Mumbai and will be soon available across India
Source: TechKnots
Oct 26, 2010
Motorola Mobiles have launched a new Android 2.1 Mobile, Motorola QUENCH XT3 in India.
QUENCH XT3 is a Touchscreen Mobile phone which operates on Android 2.1 Operating system. The features includes 3.2 Inch Capacitive touchscreen , Trackball , 3MP Camera , 3G and Wi-fi. Motorola QUENCH XT3 is now available in India at a Price of Rs.12,990
Features and Specifications of Motorola QUENCH XT3:
- Android 2.1 Operating System
- Touchscreen Mobile
- 3.2 Inch Capacitive Touchscreen
- 3MP Camera with LED Flash
- 3.5G
- Wi-Fi
- Dimension: 116 x 56.8 x 12.5mm
- Trackball Navigation
- Access to Android Global Market
- Expandable Memory up to 32GB
- GPS
- Accelerometer
- Internal Memory of 512MB
- Social Networking integrated
Price and Availability in India
Motorola QUENCH XT3 is now available in India at a Best Buy Price of Rs.12,990 and You get an Adidas Jacket and 2 Movie Tickets Free with this Mobile
Oct 26, 2010 0
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is finally going live in India starting 1st November,2010. As reported by leading newspaper The Hindu, MNP will be going live partially in India by 1st November. Telecom Minister A.Raja was quoted for this announcement. The MNP Service will first start in Haryana and slowly it will be Pan India.
MNP as most of you know, is a service where you can retain your 10 digit numbers even if you are changing the mobile operator. For example: Today you are using a Airtel connection and tomorrow you want to shift to Vodafone, You can now easily do that without the hassles of changing the mobile number. You just have to apply through a form and a nominal fees. This will give extra liberty to customers and also it will propagate some sense of responsibility in the mobile operators. Mobile Operators will have to be their tows to hold back the customer, be it the tariff or the service (Listening RCOM)
“November 1 onwards MNP would be operational partially... We wanted to inaugurate it in Haryana,” Mr. Raja told reporters in New Delhi.
The License of MNP Implementation services has been given to Syniverse Technologies and MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions which is a joint venture of 74:26 between US based Telcordia and Deepak Talwar Consultants
Oct 25, 2010
Spice Mobiles have launched India's first Mobile phone with 3D Display, Spice M-67 3D
M-67 3D comes with a 3D Auto Stereoscopic Display and it is the only one in India of its kind. This phone allows you to watch 3D Videos over your phone and you don't need special glasses for them. It has a 3D Image viewer as well as a 3D User Interface. M-67 also has a dedicated 3D shortcut key which enables switching between 2D to 3D and vice versa. Spice M-67 3D is a Dual SIM Phone and is now available in India at a Price of Rs.4,299
Features and Specifications of Spice M-67 3D:
- 3D Auto Stereoscopic Display
- Dual SIM Mobile (GSM + GSM)
- 3D Video Player and Image viewer
- 16 GB Expandable Memory
- Dual Stereo Speakers
- 2MP Camera
- FM Radio
- MP3 Player
- Stereo Bluetooth
- Remote Wipe to control your phone remotely
- 1100 mAh Battery
- 4.5 hours Talk Time
- 260 Hours Stand By Time
Price and Availability in India:
Spice M-67 3D is now available in India at a Price of Rs.4,299
Oct 25, 2010 0
Karbonn Mobiles have launched yet another low price Dual SIM Mobile Phone in India, Karbonn K406. K406 is a Dual SIM Mobile phone with features such as FM Radio, MP3 Player,Hi-Fi Sound for music playback as well as FM Radio. The features are quite basic and includes a VGA Camera , 8GB Expandable Memory Slot. Beside these there is a Torch light and Mobile tracker to help you trace your phone if it is lost.
The battery supports 4 hours talk time and 400 hours stand by time. It also features GPRS, MMS, WAP and connectivity through Bluetooth. This phone doesn't offer much but its good for the traditional phone users who use mobile phones just to make phone calls and messages. Karbonn K406 is available now in India at a Price of Rs.2,590
Oct 23, 2010
Garmin Asus has launched their new Smartphone Phone Garmin Asus A10 in India. Garmin is world leader in manufacturing navigation devices. They have now come up with Asustek and launched this smartphone A10 in India. A10 will be now available in India at a Price of Rs.18,999 and its features includes Android 2.1 operating system , Capacitive Touchscreen , 5 MP Camera and 1500 mAh Battery. The detailed features and specifications are given below in this post.
Features and Specifications of Garmin ASUS A10 Smartphone:
- Android 2.1 Operating System
- 3.2 Inch Capacitive Touchscreen with Multi Touch
- Qualcomm 7227 600 Mhz Processor
- 5 MP Camera with Auto Focus
- 512MB RAM and 512MB ROM
- 4 GB Memory
- 1500 mAh Battery
- Garmin ownned Car and Pedestrian Navigation Technology
- Built in Point of Interest (POI) database
- Real Time Information on Weather
- More functionality by using "Click and Go" Services
“We are extremely pleased to launch the A10 which is our first Android powered Navigation smartphone to be launched in India. The A10 is an extremely powerful smartphone that has navigation capabilities equivalent to Garmin’s premium automotive navigation devices. It enables users to interconnect instantly with other users with unique features like “Geotagging” wherein a geotagged photo can be sent to friends who can then initiate navigation to the location by simply clicking on it. Equipped with Connected Services like Ciao, Flight Status, Currency convertor and Weather Updates – the A10 is a unique smartphone offering from Garmin-Asus that users will definitely want to carry with themselves at all time.” Said Mr.John Chen, Mobile Business head of Asus in India
Price and Availability in India:
Garmin Asus A10 Smartphone is available in leading metro cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata at a Price of Rs.18,999
Oct 23, 2010 0
Oct 21, 2010
Micromax is going great guns in India. Micromax have launched a very innovative Smartphone in India, Micromax Modu.
Micromax Modu is not just a mobile phone, it is a Smartphone, A Digital Camera as well as your personal Sports gear. That was not a joke if you are laughing. Its REAL! Modu is the Lightest 3G Mobile Phone ever with a weight of just 62.2 gram. Modu comes with a 5MP Camera with an Extension jacket like you see in Sony Cybershots. It supports 3.6 Mbps HSDPA Mobile coonnectivity, A Sportify Arm Jacket and 2.2" Touchscreen. The detailed features are mentioned in the post below. Micromax Modu is now available in India at a Price of Rs.12,000
Features and Specifications of Micromax Modu:
- Smartphone cum Digital Camera cum Sports Gear
- World's Lightest 3G Mobile Phone at 62.2 gram
- 5MP Camera with an Extension jacket
- Sportify Arm Jacket to take care of your timings during running and excersising
- 3.6 Mbps HSDPA Connectivity
- 2.2" Touchscreen Display
- Stero FM Radio
- BREW Operating System
- Java Enabled
- Bluetooth
- Video Player and Recorder
- Pre Loaded 2GB Memory
- Expandable Memory up to 32GB
- Facebook and other Social networking integrated apps
- 500 mAh Li-ion Battery
- Talk Time up to 3 Hours
- Stand By Time up to 8 Days
- In The Box: Sportify Headset w Remote control , Sportify Arm Band , Camerfy Extension , AC Adapter & USB Cable , Modu T Phone
Price and Availability in India:
Micromax Modu Smartphone is now available in India at a Price of Rs.12,000
Oct 21, 2010 0
Another Brilliant Post by Mayank Sehgal . A Detailed review of best budget Android Mobile Phones in India.
It’s been quite a long time since the last post. In this post I will be discussing some of the budget android phones that are currently available in the Indian market as of September 2010. Let’s get down to business right away with a small picture graph for some insight into growth of Android.
1) Samsung Galaxy 5 i5500
· Operating system: Android V2.1 with TouchWiz 3.0
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, HSDPA 900/2100
· Processor: 600 ĐHz processor
· Internal: 170 MB(256 MB RAM,512MB ROM) + microSD (hot swappable)
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g,DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR(A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 2.8” 240x320 pixels resolution (QVGA),256k colors
· Camera: 2 MPx with LED Flash
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, Accelerometer, FM Radio, SWYPE text input.
· Battery: removable Li-Ion 1200 mAh
First on our list is the Samsung Galaxy 5, which is an affordable budget phone. If you are on a tight budget and are looking for a smart phone stop here, just go ahead and buy this small droid. It has a capacitive screen, which ensures good touch sensitivity. It has got all the features that the higher end phones have except for the small screen with a low QVGA resolution. Samsung Galaxy 5 i5500 sells for around Rs 9000/-
2) Spice Mi-300
· Operating system: Android V1.6/2.1
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, HSDPA 900/1900/2100
· Processor: Qulacomm MSM7225 528 MHz
· Internal: 156 MB+ microSD
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR(A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 3.2” 480x320 pixels resolution (HVGA),16M colors
· Camera: 5 MPx with LED Flash
· Other features: G-Sensor, Proximity Sensor
· Battery: removable Li-Ion 1230 mAh
And for the first time we see an Indian Phone manufacturer coming up with an Android device. This phone has a very descent spec, especially a 3.2” screen with a HVGA resolution. It is also based on the Qualcomm platform, which ensures a good processing power. Initially when the phone was launched it came up with Android V1.6 but later the devices are coming up with Android V2.1. The Spice Mi-300 sells for around Rs 10,000/-
3) Videocon V7500 Zeus
· Operating system: Android V1.6 upgradeable to V 2.1
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, UMTS 2100, HSDPA 7.2MBPS/HSUPA 2MBPS
· Internal: 512 MB + microSD
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP,GAP,HFP,HSP), microUSB (USB 2.0), 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 3.2” 480x320 pixels resolution (HVGA),262K colors.
· Camera: 5 MPx with Auto Focus
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, digital compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor.
· Battery: removable 1230 mAh(two batteries provided)
After Spice jumped up into the Android arena, another Indian phone manufacturer, Videocon have come with their device called Zeus. Like the Spice MI-300, Zeus is also a very descent mobile with good spec sheet. It comes with Android V1.6 but Videocon has promised an update to V2.1 in the end of October. Videocon has provided two batteries with the pack,one as a back up battery. The expected price for Videocon V7500 Zeus is around Rs 10,000/-.
4) LG Optimus GT-540
· Operating system: Android V1.6/V2.1 with Custom UI
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, HSDPA 900/2100, HSDPA 850/2100
· Processor: Qulacomm MSM7227 600 ĐHz processor
· Internal: 130 MB(256 MB RAM & ROM) + microSD
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - Resistive , 3.2” 320x480 pixels resolution (HVGA) 256k colors
· Camera: 3.2 MPx with autofocus
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, Accelerometer, FM Radio,Divx Certified Device
· Battery: removable Li-Ion 1500 mAh
Optimus GT-540 is the second Droid from LG after the LG – Gw620. The earlier model did not make a cut in the Indian market despite having similar features and a slide out keyboard. This phone has a major set back with its Resistive screen which I think doesn’t do justice to androids, especially when phones which cost lower than this such as Samsung Galaxy 5 have a capacitive screens. But other than the resistive screen the Optimus has a very good spec sheet. It has got a HVGA resolution screen and a DivX certification which means there is no need for you to convert all those .avi(Divx/Xvid rips) and .divx files. Just copy them to your card and voila the phone plays it for you without any hitch. The phone in the US shipped with Android 1.6(remember you will not be able to send files via Bluetooth in this version) but LG announced that it would ship with Android V 2.1 in India. The LG Optimus GT-540 sells for around Rs 11,500/-
· Operating system: Android V1.6 upgradeable to V 2.1
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, UMTS 2100, HSDPA 7.2MBPS/HSUPA 2MBPS
· Internal: 512 MB + microSD
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP,GAP,HFP,HSP), microUSB (USB 2.0), 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 3.2” 480x320 pixels resolution (HVGA),262K colors.
· Camera: 5 MPx with Auto Focus
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, digital compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor.
· Battery: removable 1230 mAh(two batteries provided)
After Spice jumped up into the Android arena, another Indian phone manufacturer, Videocon have come with their device called Zeus. Like the Spice MI-300, Zeus is also a very descent mobile with good spec sheet. It comes with Android V1.6 but Videocon has promised an update to V2.1 in the end of October. Videocon has provided two batteries with the pack,one as a back up battery. The expected price for Videocon V7500 Zeus is around Rs 10,000/-.
4) LG Optimus GT-540
· Operating system: Android V1.6/V2.1 with Custom UI
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, HSDPA 900/2100, HSDPA 850/2100
· Processor: Qulacomm MSM7227 600 ĐHz processor
· Internal: 130 MB(256 MB RAM & ROM) + microSD
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - Resistive , 3.2” 320x480 pixels resolution (HVGA) 256k colors
· Camera: 3.2 MPx with autofocus
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, Accelerometer, FM Radio,Divx Certified Device
· Battery: removable Li-Ion 1500 mAh
Optimus GT-540 is the second Droid from LG after the LG – Gw620. The earlier model did not make a cut in the Indian market despite having similar features and a slide out keyboard. This phone has a major set back with its Resistive screen which I think doesn’t do justice to androids, especially when phones which cost lower than this such as Samsung Galaxy 5 have a capacitive screens. But other than the resistive screen the Optimus has a very good spec sheet. It has got a HVGA resolution screen and a DivX certification which means there is no need for you to convert all those .avi(Divx/Xvid rips) and .divx files. Just copy them to your card and voila the phone plays it for you without any hitch. The phone in the US shipped with Android 1.6(remember you will not be able to send files via Bluetooth in this version) but LG announced that it would ship with Android V 2.1 in India. The LG Optimus GT-540 sells for around Rs 11,500/-
5) Samsung Galaxy 3 i5800/i5803
· Operating system: Android V2.1 with TouchWiz 3.0
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, HSDPA 900/2100
· Processor: 667 MHz processor
· Internal: 256 MB RAM,512MB ROM + microSD (hot swappable)
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g/n,DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0+EDR(A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 3.2” 240x400 pixels resolution (WQVGA),16M colors
· Camera: 3.2 MPx autofocus
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, Accelerometer, FM Radio,Proximity Sensor,Multi touch input,DNSe,DivX certified,Document Editor
· Battery: removable Li-Ion 1500 mAh
With the success of Spica, Samsung have introduced its replacement, the Samsung Galaxy 3 i5800. But hold on! There’s one set back here too. Inspite of a HVGA screen, Samsung has gone ahead with an odd WQVGA resolution screen and a 667Mhz processor replacing the 800 MHz processing power of SPICA. However Samsung has thrown in a very good set of features which is better than SPICA like more internal memory of 512 MB ROM and a 256 MB RAM, Bluetooth 3.0(only phone in the lower budget to have this new standard), proximity sensor, multi touch, DLNA capable and FM radio. Like his elder brother, Galaxy 3 is also a DivX certified device. It has got a rich application in it along with DLNA which means you can share your multimedia files among all your DLNA certified devices. Except for the screen resolution, Galaxy 3 packs a good set of features which is worth having a look at it. The Samsung Galaxy 3 i5800/i5803 sells for around Rs 12,000/
· Operating system: Android V2.1 with TouchWiz 3.0
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, HSDPA 900/2100
· Processor: 667 MHz processor
· Internal: 256 MB RAM,512MB ROM + microSD (hot swappable)
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g/n,DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0+EDR(A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 3.2” 240x400 pixels resolution (WQVGA),16M colors
· Camera: 3.2 MPx autofocus
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, Accelerometer, FM Radio,Proximity Sensor,Multi touch input,DNSe,DivX certified,Document Editor
· Battery: removable Li-Ion 1500 mAh
With the success of Spica, Samsung have introduced its replacement, the Samsung Galaxy 3 i5800. But hold on! There’s one set back here too. Inspite of a HVGA screen, Samsung has gone ahead with an odd WQVGA resolution screen and a 667Mhz processor replacing the 800 MHz processing power of SPICA. However Samsung has thrown in a very good set of features which is better than SPICA like more internal memory of 512 MB ROM and a 256 MB RAM, Bluetooth 3.0(only phone in the lower budget to have this new standard), proximity sensor, multi touch, DLNA capable and FM radio. Like his elder brother, Galaxy 3 is also a DivX certified device. It has got a rich application in it along with DLNA which means you can share your multimedia files among all your DLNA certified devices. Except for the screen resolution, Galaxy 3 packs a good set of features which is worth having a look at it. The Samsung Galaxy 3 i5800/i5803 sells for around Rs 12,000/
6)HTC Wild Fire
· Operating system: Android V2.1 with HTC Sense UI.
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, UMTS/HSDPA 900/2100
· Processor: Qualcomm MSM7225-1, 528 ĐHz processor
· Internal: 384 MB(512 MB ROM) + microSD (hot swappable)
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0) for charging and sync, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 3.2” 240x320 pixels resolution (QVGA)
· Camera: 5 MPx with Auto Focus and Flash
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, proximity sensor, digital compass,multitouch input method, Turn-to-mute and lift-to-dim-out a call.
· Battery: removable Li-Ion 1300 mAh
Like the way Samsung placed a replacement for their mid range phone, the Taiwanese manufacturer has given us a perfect replacement for the Tattoo in the form of HTC WildFire. HTC is known for its good build quality and have done that here too. It looks much like the HTC Nexus One/HTC desire. But again this phone comes with a paltry QVGA resolution display, which doesn’t do justice to android at all. Other than the display the wildfire has got good hardware and their Sense UI in itself is a crowd puller, which makes this device deserve a look. Turn to mute and dim out a call are some unique features available on this device.The HTC Wild Fire sells for around Rs 15,000.
7) Sony Ericcson Xperia X10 Mini/MiniPro
· Operating system: Android V1.6 with TimeScape UI.
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, UMTS/HSDPA 900/2100, HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
· Processor: Qualcomm MSM7227 600MHz
· Internal: 128 MB(256MB RAM & ROM) + microSD (hot swappable)
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0) for charging, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 2.55” 240x320 pixels resolution (QVGA) with 16M colors(65k effective)
· Camera: 5 MPx with Auto Focus and LED Flash
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, Accelerometer, slideout keyboard(Mini Pro)
· Battery: removable Li-Po 950 mAh.
Sony Ericcson landed with a bang with their flag ship device Xperia X10 in the android world. Now that they grabbed the attention, they have released the mini version of the X10 as Sony Ericcson Xperia X10 Mini and the same device with a slide out keyboard called the Sony Ericcson Xperia X10 Mini Pro. Mini/Mini Pro has a small display of 2.55” capacitive screen and as expected a QVGA resolution for the small screen. These two devices have completely different purposes compared to the list that we have seen. These devices run on Android V 1.6(Bluetooth file transfer??? Nope!!) which is outdated but Sony Ericcson have promised an update for these devices at the end of this year. One important thing to watch out is that with Sony Ericcson Mini, you cannot change the battery similar to the iphones where the battery is inbuilt and irreplaceable but that’s not the case with Sony Ericcson Mini Pro which also has a slide out keyboard. These phones comes with Sony Ericcsons very own TimeScape UI or the phone corner UI where a shortcut for four different applications can be placed at the four corners of the home screen. The Sony Ericcson Xperia X10 Mini sells for around Rs13,000 and the MiniPro for Rs 13500 more than the Mini.
8) Motorola BackFlip MB300
· Operating system: Android V1.5 with Moto Blur UI.
· Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 21003, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 2100
· Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 MHz processor
· Internal: 256 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM + microSD (hot swappable)
· Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0) for charging, 3.5 mm headphones jack
· Screen: TFT LCD - capacitive , 3.1” 320x480 pixels resolution (HVGA),256K colors(65K effective)
· Camera: 5 MPx with Auto Focus and LED Flash
· Other features: GPS , A-GPS, proximity sensor, digital compass, accelerometer, reverse flip with QWERTY keyboard,BACKTRACK touch panel
· Battery: removable Li-Ion 1400 mAh
Motorola came back to the smart phone race with their Motorola milestone/Droid. And they have slowly introducing their products in India too after their poor performance in Indian market. This device has a very good spec sheet that is a very good deal for a descent smartphone esply the display resolution. But the irony is it’s a little pricey plus it comes with Android V1.5 with no upgrade in near future. Another note able feature is that Motorola has promised a software update(not to V2.1) which contains some performance tweaks and free MapMyIndia GPS solutions.This Android device with an unusual physical key board sells for around Rs. 17,000/-.
Leads
We have seen 8 devices each with its own pros and cons. Selecting a particular device may depend on so many factors like one may wish to have a physical keyboard, or for a good build quality, multimedia performance and more. So in my leads I will be looking at the overall picture.
Android’s main aim is to provide a flexible upgradeable system. So it will be wise to decide on a good hardware with descent spec sheet, which can fit the upcoming different versions of Android and good application support. So you buy a good phone and then you get to enjoy different features whenever a free update comes from Google Android(based on availability).
With more manufacturers coming up with Android, the features like wifi, GPS, 3G etc. can be found in every android device. But here are certain things that can be deemed a good spec sheet for future updates.
1) Good Screen size and Resolution 2) Processor 3) Inbuilt memory
That being said, on a touchscreen phone, the screen resolution matters the most because all the application (most of them) trust on this parameter. So if we can get a phone with the right resolution it can support many applications. So which is the right resolution? Unfortunaterly we can not tie up to a particular resolution but on the availability of applications and the picture clarity, HVGA resolution is a descent one. It has got good number of applications supporting it and viewing pictures and videos are very good. And as far as screen size goes, as an Android user, I think any thing more than 3.0 inch should do the trick.
Secondly the processor and the internal memory matters. Android V2.1 runs smooth on 500MHz and plus, and as per the rumors the next version to the now latest FROYO Android V2.2 has a minimum requirement of 1GHz and 512MB of RAM. Getting a 1 GHz processor on a budget should be a dream but its not a distant reach. But for now Android 2.1 is a stable system and Android v2.2 is a more tweaked system utilizing the H/W efficiently. So as much processing present more good be for your update. Same goes for the internal memory. Android V2.1 runs very smooth on 128MB RAM and 256 MB should be smoother ride on Android V2.2. But 512 MB would be a perfect choice.
And finally, the manufacturers should be willing to give their device the updates and the device should have a good community support if incase you have plans to root the device.
In my opinion Android V2.1 is the stable and feature rich version however if a device is capable of at least Android V2.2 FROYO it would be too good as it has a feature to install your applications on to your SD-cards rather than onto your inbuilt memory.
So from the processing ability and screen resolution, Spice Mi-300, Videocon Zeus and Motorola backflip makes the cut. Motorola so far have not announced an update to Android V2.1 and not sure if they will do. So, we are left with two devices which are stuck still with android V1.6. Though they have announced an update to V2.1 , am not sure how good the device works and we don’t know if there will be any further updates to 2.2. If you are confident about the performance of these devices, then look no further, they have got good spec and if they can deliver, they are the devices for you.
Well if we can do a bit of sacrifice on screen resolution we have many options. Considering the features and upgrades Samsung Galaxy 3 i5800 and HTC wild fire makes the cut from the group because both have promised an upgrade to Android V 2.2 FROYO whereas Sony Ericcson have yet to give an update to Android V2.1. Now further if we investigate, the Samsung Galaxy 3 i5800 has a little better resolution (an odd WQVGA though) than the QVGA of HTC Wild Fire plus a host of other features for a lot lesser price. Galaxy 3 comes with Bluetooth 3.0,DivX certification, DNSe sound engine and DLNA for content sharing, all of which comes for around Rs 12,000 only compared to HTC wildfire for around Rs 15,000.
So the Leads here is to Samsung galaxy 3 i5800 for its host of features for a good price package. LG Optimus definitely is a good device had it been with a capacitive screen rather than a resistive screen. Resistive screens simply don’t do justice for android for which it doesn’t make it into my list. There are so many unofficial ROMS available such as Cyanogens mod, Leshaks etc that give you the power of root. Both HTC and Samsung have good community support but the former does have an upper hand.
Post by Mayank Sehgal
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