SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE II

       When Samsung introduced Galaxy Note everyone was very surprised to see that device which lies between a phone and a tablet. Almost all thought that the ‘phablet’ will be a failure in the market. But when it was launched in the market it was a huge success. So now Samsung has unveiled its new modified Galaxy Note II which is better than the original Note in every way. Note II comes with a 1.6GHz Exynos 4 quad core processor and also has 2GB RAM. Its screen is 5.5” which is slightly bigger than the older Note. Display is HD super AMOLED with a resolution of 1280 x 720. Note II is built with the same polycarbonate plastic which was used to build the Samsung Galaxy S III. In looks also Note II feels like the bigger version of Galaxy S III. With the Note II come the all new S pen and many amazing features it can do. Note II will be shipped with the new Android 4.1 Jelly bean so that the consumers won’t have to wait for any updates.

SPECIFICATIONS:

*Android 4.1 Jelly bean OS

*1.6 GHz Exynos 4 quad core processor

*2 GB RAM

*5.5” HD super AMOLED display

*1280 x 720 screen resolution

*Camera: 8MP rear and 1.9MP front

*Comes in 16, 32, 64 GB models and can be expanded upto 64GB

*3100 mAh battery

*Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB, NFC, 4G LTE

       Galaxy Note II which is blisteringly fast will surely be a great competitor to many high end phones. But the size of phablet is a factor to be considered while buying this. If you are having small palms then you will have difficulty in holding the Note II. We also don’t know how nicely the new S pen and its new tricks works. However if you are keen on buying a phablet then there is no device better than the Samsung Galaxy Note II.

PRICE : 39,900 Rs

SONY XPERIA ION - $666 (Rs.36000)

SONY XPERIA ION
[Image Source: www.sonymobile.com]

       At last Sony unveiled its new Xperia phone to compete with the rulers of today’s market HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3.But isn’t it too late? Both One X and S3 have proved that they are the best ones out there and Sony’s answer to them is the Xperia ion which runs on outdated android gingerbread version and having Snapdragon S3 dual core processor. Android lovers will not appreciate this and launching a dual core phone rather than a quad core phone does not seem good. But its processor is clocked at 1.5 GHz and has a 1 GB RAM. Xperia ion has no resemblance to its brothers Xperia P and U. The notification light bar in the base is missing in ion which is a shame. It has a display of 4.55” and has 4 capacitive buttons in the base. To protect the phone from scratches it has a metal coating which does a pretty good job. 1280 x 720 HD display is quite good and provides a decent visibility in sunlight. In the back there is a 12 MP camera with LED flash and 1.3 MP front camera is also present.

SPECIFICATIONS:
*  Android 2.3.7 gingerbread
*  1.5 GHz Snapdragon S3 dual core processor
*  1 GB RAM
*  4.55” display
*  1280 x 720 screen resolution
*  Memory: Internal 16 GB and can be expandable upto 32 GB
*  Camera: 12 MP rear with LED flash and 1.3 MP front
*  1900 mAh battery
*  Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, micro USB, NFC, Bluetooth, GPS

       Sony Xperia Ion comes with PlayStation certification. It has a good build quality and premium looks but does not fit very well in our hand. It is heavier than its rivals weighing 139 grams. The pictures taken with its camera are quite good but not as good as One X’s camera. Ion also boasts of HD video recording but it does not come upto the expectation. There are also performance hiccups when opening some apps which is a shame to such a high end phone. With its 1900 mAh battery you can easily get through a day.

       Android 4.1 jellybean is on its way and yet Sony launched ion with outdated gingerbread and outdated processor. Android ics updates will be available soon but will any users be interested in this when compared to One X and Galaxy S3? They are surely one big leap ahead of this phone. And if you are going for very stylish look and good camera then you can consider Lumia 900. But if you are an android addict then it is not such a good idea to buy Xperia ion.

SONY XPERIA GO - $350 (Rs.18000)

SONY XPERIA GO [Image source: www.sonymobile.com]

        Sony has added one more member to the Xperia series with the introduction of Xperia Go. It is a compact and neatly designed handset which you can easily carry in your pocket. It is made to resist dust and it is also water proof. Xperia Go is IP67 certified meaning it is completely dust proof and can be submerged upto 1m fresh water for 30 minutes without any problem. If you are one of those persons having butter fingers you can definitely rely on Xperia Go. It is designed for rough use so that scratches will not appear easily. It has an average display of 3.5”, but its resolution (320 x 480) will disappoint you. Xperia Go runs on 1 GHz dual core processor and has a RAM of 512 MB. With this hardware you will get an average performance, but don’t expect super fast and powerful performance. Android 4.0 ics is the popular OS lately but still this phone comes with the old android 2.3 Gingerbread. Anyway Xperia Go is surely a real competitor in the rugged phone category which is now ruled by Motorola Defy+ and Defy Mini.

SPECIFICATIONS:

*  Android 2.3 Gingerbread

*  1 GHz dual core processor

*  512 MB RAM

*  3.5” LCD display

*  320 x 480 screen resolution

*  Memory: 8 GB internal and expandable upto 32 GB

*  Camera: 5 MP rear with LED flash and no front camera

*  1305 mAh battery

*  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, GPS

       Sony Xperia Go feels very comfortable in our hands and has nice look too. It also has a great power under the hood, but yet sometimes it shows lags which will irritate you. Apart from this speaker placement is not at all good. You should also be warned about the speaker volume because speaking in the phone in outdoors will not be a good experience for you. However if you are after a phone which can be used roughly without having any fear of damaging it, then Xperia Go is the best option.

BLACKBERRY CURVE 9380 - $250 (Rs.15000)

Blackberry Curve 9380

         Blackberry 9380 is the first phone in the Curve Series which has a touch screen. It looks similar to the Blackberry Torch but is a lot sleeker; it fits comfortably into one's palms. Curve 9380 has a processing speed of 806 MHz and has 512 MB RAM which is enough for multitasking. It has a 3.2” screen and resolution is just 360 x 480 pixels. But it has good viewing angles. The buttons are flat surface keys (not capacitive) and are hard to press sometimes. Volume rocker keys and camera keys are a little hard to press. Anyway the track pad of RIM is best as always. It has a 5 MP camera with LED flash but front camera is absent. It runs on Blackberry OS 7 and there was no considerable lag or any other problems. Audio experience in Curve 9380 is of top quality and it also played 720p videos with very small lag. With 1230 mAh battery you will be able to get through a day but it could have been better. All the cool and attractive Blackberry services are present as always. If you are looking for a ‘mini’ Torch 9680 then this is definitely your buy.

SPECIFICATIONS:
*  Blackberry OS 7
*  806 MHz processor
*  512 MB RAM
*  3.2” display
*  360 x 480 screen resolution
*  Memory: 512 MB internal, expandable upto 32 GB
*  Camera: 5 MP rear with LED flash and no front camera
*  1230 mAh battery
*  Wi-Fi, 3G, NFC, USB, GPS

           Curve 9380 is really a good option for those who like its high end brother Torch 9680 and with lower budget. But if you are planning to do a lot of typing on the device then putting a bit extra and buying Torch 9680 will be good. If you are considering android too then there are some more options you can consider which provide a good experience and hardware for this price tag. If you are a Blackberry fan then it is a good budget phone and else you have a lot of alternatives.

HTC ONE X - $550 (Rs.33000)

         HTC has really attracted the customers all over the world with the introduction of One X. It is mind blowing with its quad core processor, HD display and extremely thin and cool design. It has a 4.7” display with super IPS LCD 2 technology and comes out of the box with android 4.0 icecream sandwich. With its amazing performance HTC One X is so fun to work with. It has an 8 MP rear camera which protrudes slightly and which does not look so nice. But anyway One X does not rest on the camera when place, thanks to the designers. It comes with 32 GB internal memory and expansion slot is not available, so users who are hoping to load the phone with many apps and videos and songs will be disappointed. The sim slot is a micro sim slot and those who are upgrading from a normal sim will be a little annoyed. The upgraded music player and Beats audio enhancements makes music experience a pleasant one. The interneting experience on HTC One X is also awesome. The camera on this phone is one of the best in the market with lot of features. But the battery life of the phone is really going to reduce a lot of buyers. Most of the buyers are not ready to compromise in the case of battery life and in this respect HTC One X lags behind almost all smartphones. The absence of expansion slot is also a downside but however you have got 32 GB of internal memory. Anyway HTC has surely inspired all of us with the introduction of One X. Now it’s the time for their rivals to show their talents.

HTC ONE X [Image Source: www.htc.com]

SPECIFICATIONS:                                 
*  Android 4.0 icecream sandwich OS (with HTC sense 4)
*  1.5 GHz quad core processor
*  1 GB RAM
*  Memory: 32 GB internal (no expansion slot)
*  4.7” super LCD 2 display
*  1280 x 720 screen resolution
*  Camera: 8 MP rear with smart LED flash and 1.3 MP front
*  1800 mAh battery
*  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB 2.0, NFC
*  Sensors: Gyro sensor, G-sensor, Digital compass, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor

         With the competition tightening in the market HTC has made a breakthrough with the introduction of One X. If you want a phone with a lot of features and a super cool design with a great hardware under the hood then One X is your phone. It also provides a fast and smooth internet surfing experience. The camera is also one of the top which produces bright and crisp images. The beautiful graphics blended in with the HD screen is just awesome and it surely deserves a nice appreciation. But one should also consider the downsides. The battery life is a great disadvantage which will block many people from buying it. But apart from this HTC One X is an awesome phone which will definitely blow your mind away.

BlackBerry Porsche P'9981: RIM launches Rs 1.39 lakh phone

BlackBerry Porsche P'9981 [Image Source : in.blackberry.com]

         Research In Motion has launched an ultra-premium BlackBerry Porsche P'9981 at a whopping price of Rs1,39,990/-. It is developed in association with Porsche Design. The 155g smartphone features a MSM 8655,1.2 GHz processor and liquid graphics technology, HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, advanced sensor enabling new augmented reality applications (Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Proximity etc), and built-in support for NFC (near field communications). It has an 8 GB internal memory, expandable to up to 40 GB with a microSD card. The integrated GPS and WiFi is among of the key features.The 5Mp front camera arrives with Face detection , Image Stabilisation and Geo-tagging. Porsche P'9981 is having a Capacitive touch screen as well as an Optical trackpad. P'9981 arrives with a number of pre-loaded applications and is also supported by Wikitude(an Augmented Reality browser) which gives an augmented reality app experience.

NOKIA 808 PUREVIEW - $699 (Rs.30995)

Nokia Pureview [Image Source : www.nokia.com]

     The Finnish phone manufacturers have stunned everyone when it introduced the Nokia 808 Pureview, the phone which packs 41 MP camera! It works on Symbian Belle operating system. It also comes with 1.3 GHz processor and has 512 MB RAM. It has a 4” AMOLED capacitive touch screen. Since now high end phones come with a maximum of 12 MP camera but Nokia has made a revolution by introducing 808 pureview. The high megapixel count doesn’t necessarily produce good pictures. But Nokia with its over sampling technology has teamed with Carl Zeiss lens to produce sharp pictures and it looks very good even in low light. Even with all these Nokia also found its way to save the image in compact file size so that sharing becomes easy. But with all these Nokia could have offered a resolution higher than 360 x 640 which now it offers. The camera lens protrudes slightly and thus it is not so slim but feels very comfortable in hands with the rubber finish.

SPECIFICATIONS:
* Symbian Belle OS
* 1.3 GHz Arm 11 processor
* 512 MB RAM
* 4” AMOLED display
* 360 x 640 screen resolution
* 16 GB internal memory and expandable upto 32 GB
* Front camera: 41 MP with Xenon flash (38 MP effective, 7152 x 5368 effective)
* Secondary camera: 0.3 MP
* Camera features: Red-eye reduction, Touch Focus, Continuous Auto Focus, Auto Exposure, Auto focus,Self-timer, Geotagging, Xenon flash, Face Detection
* 1400 mAh battery
* Bluetooth 3.0, NFC, GPS, 3G, micro HDMI, micro USB, Wi-Fi
     

         Nokia 808 also has a good performance with its 1.3 GHz processor and doesn’t show any considerable lag. But as we all know Belle OS doesn’t provide customization as we get in android OS and number of apps is also less. You will feel irritating once you try to customize the menu and all. However you can easily say that this phone has got the best camera in any phone in the market. The camera is definitely mind blowing and shoots pictures like in a digital camera. Overall it is not very good as an entry level SLR camera but it is far ahead of any other camera phone. Dolby sound system in 808 pureview is also not as good as the beats audio in HTC One X which is in the same price range. Considering its price, this phone is just not worth buying for its camera alone. You will get many other good digital cameras lower than this price if you want same camera quality. All in all 808 pureview is the most modern innovative phone in the mobile camera category.

LAVA XOLO X900 – “BLINK AND ITS DONE” with INTEL inside - $400 (Rs 22000)

             Xolo X900 is the first Smartphone to hit the market packing Intel chips. It is manufactured by relatively unknown Indian manufacturer Lava. Xolo X900 has a good polished classy design which feels nice in hand and somewhat resembles iphone 4. Anyway the most attractive thing about this Smartphone is the logo Intel inside. The big daddy of ICs has at last decided to join the competition. Xolo X900 comes with Intel Atom processor which has 1.6GHz processing speed and graphics engine of 400 MHz. It has 1 GB DDR2 RAM and the entire platform is codenamed medfield. It boasts of 8 MP rear camera with burst shot mode which helps you to take 10 photos in one second! That is amazing considering the fact that many SLRs lack that. But the image quality is not upto expectations. In the case of multitasking Intel has shown is remarkable capability. With 2 games running in the background Xolo X900 was able to play HD videos very smoothly. Actually this can be considered second in the performance rating just behind HTC One X which is way too much costlier. Xolo with its Intel processor scores more than Samsung galaxy S2 and HTC sensation which are the major rivals and is very close to Sony Xperia S. You must bear in mind that these 3 phones are very expensive considering Xolo’s price. The major disadvantage is that it comes with android 2.3 but android 4 ics updated is expected soon.

SPECIFICATIONS:
*  Android 2.3 gingerbread (android 4.0 ics update expected soon)
*  1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor with Hyper Threading
*  Graphics core clock speed: 400 MHz
*  1 GB DDR2 RAM
*  16 GB internal memory
*  4.03” display
*  1024 x 600 screen resolution
*  Camera: 8 MP rear camera with LED flash and burst mode, 1.3 MP front camera
*  USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, NFC
*  1460 mAh battery

              
              Xolo X900 is definitely a good buy at the given price range. Some of the disadvantages you should keep in mind are battery life is not good as the others; some apps are not compatible with Intel mobile platform. But Intel is working on this and hopefully all apps will be available in the future. Another downside is the speakers which do not have the right volume and it will be difficult to see videos without headphones. Video quality is also not so good considering other phones in this range. All in all Xolo scores way better than many phones which are pretty expensive with some small demerits. Definitely Intel has a solid start with the introduction of its first Smartphone and considering the Intel revolution in computers hopefully there will be a revolution among Smartphones too.

NOKIA LUMIA 610 - $210 (Rs 11000)

Nokia Lumia 610  [Image source : www.nokia.com]

         Nokia introduces lumia 610 with Microsoft OS Windows Mobile 7.5 (Mango). The phone comes with Xbox live access and also has Nokia maps. Currently this is the cheapest Windows mobile available in the market. It comes with a 3.7” TFT capacitive touch screen and has a 5 MP camera with LED flash.However it does not have a front camera. It has 8 GB internal memory but it cannot be expanded.Another problem with the lumia 610 is its RAM which is only 256 MB. So many apps are not compatible in this phone. The user interface is similar o all Windows phones but sometimes small lagging occurs which may be due to the low RAM. It has a great build quality and looks very stylish indeed. Another favoring factor is the 1300mAh battery which helps us to use the phone whole day with solid 3G connection or whatever. Social networking experience is awesome like all other Windows phones. The main disadvantage is the incompatibility of many great apps due to its low RAM. Anyway lumia 610 is a great Windows phone and a cheap one which attracts low budget customers.

SPECIFICATIONS:
*  Windows Mobile 7.5 (Mango) OS
*  800 MHz single core processor
*  256 MB RAM
*  3.7” display
*  480 x 800 screen resolution
*  8 GB internal memory (No micro SD slot)
*  1300 mAh battery
*  5 MP rear camera with LED flash, No front camera
*  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, 3G, micro USB
*  Sensors: Accelerometer, compass
*  Colours: White, Cyan, Magenta, Black

         Lumia 610 is a great addition to the Windows Mobile series. It has good value for money we spend. The main attraction is its price tag which is great for a Windows Mobile. It also looks very nice and is solidly built. Battery is also capable of doing a great job. The social networking integration is awesome like all other Windows Mobiles. However Nokia has compromised many things to reduce this mobile’s price. 256 MB RAM is the main problem. Many great apps like Skype cannot run in lumia 610 and it can be sluggish sometimes too. The absence of SD card slot also hurts users as well. Once you download maps for navigation purposes you will realize the space eaten up by it and thus many apps cannot be maintained in the mobile. Overall this is good deal and no alternatives can be found for this phone at similar price. However it has made several sacrifices to reduce its price. So if you can stretch your budget to a small extent then you will get better. Anyway as a low budget phone this comes recommended.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S3, “DESIGNED FOR HUMANS, INSPIRED BY NATURE” ($600) (Rs38000)

               Samsung galaxy s3 with quad core 1.4GHz processor, super AMOLED 4.8” HD screen and android 4.0 icecream sandwich OS has been launched recently. It will certainly be one of the big sellers of the year. It claims nearly 10 million preorders even before its launch. This phone which is said to be inspired by nature comes in 2 colours, marble white and pebble blue. It feels very lightweight in our hands due its plastic built body. However it doesn’t feels like cheap phones. It is 3grams heavier than HTC One X. All buttons are placed in a very convenient manner. It has 64 GB internal memory and can be still upgraded to another 64 GB using micro SD! Those who are fond of HD movies and apps will surely love this. It also comes with Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC technology. Samsung galaxy s3 also boasts of S Voice which is similar to Siri in iphone. The home screen also comes with all new features of customization. It is really inspired by nature. Samsung has also come with a new eye tracking idea called Smart Stay. It tracks your eyes and dims the light of the screen when you are not looking in the screen. It’s definitely a good way to save battery. Overall Samsung has really made winner.

SPECIFICATIONS:

*  Android 4.0 icecream sandwich OS
*  Quad core 1.4 GHz Cortex A9 processor
*  1 GB RAM
*  4.8” display
*  720 x 1280 super AMOLED screen
*  Corning Gorilla glass 2, TouchWiz UI 4.0
*  64 GB internal memory, expandable upto 64 GB
*  2100 mAh battery
*  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, micro USB 2.0, 3G, 4G LTE, GPS
*  Camera: 8 MP rear with LED flash and 1.9 MP front
*  Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, RGB sensor, proximity, compass, barometer
*  S Voice, S Beam, Smart Stay technologies

          Samsung galaxy s3 is a very nice phone with a lot of features stuffed in. But the decision between iphone and s3 must be made by you itself according to your priorities. Each phone has its own advantages and disadvantages. S Voice in s3 is not so optimized. It has a superb screen and its quad core processor’s performance is awesome. All these together with the latest android 4.0 bring a feast to the user. If you are interested in a light weight phone with a big screen and superb performance (and also if you can afford it) then you can definitely go for Samsung galaxy S3.