Review: Xiaomi Mi 4

Xiaomi Mi 4

Price: Rs 20,000 (Flipkart.com)

After taking the Indian mobile market by storm by starting a trend of offering mobile phones with premium features at affordable prices, Xiaomi has offered the Mi 4, which is basically upping the ante from the hugely successful Mi 3. This high-end phone features a Snapdragon quad-core CPU with 3 GB RAM, 5” Full HD IPS screen, and 13 MP camera with up to 4K video recording. Xiaomi has been generous enough to send across a review unit, therefore, a review was in order. Do the high-end specs really translate into a pleasant smartphone experience? Read on.

Review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G

Price: Rs 10,000 (Flipkart.com)
Xiaomi has for long had a policy of selling only one handset at a time in India, probably to prevent cannibalisation within its own camp. The company has discontinued the Redmi Note a week ago, but is now selling its replacement – Redmi Note 4G, along with the smaller and previously discontinued Redmi 1S, probably because it seems to have realised that these are two completely different devices at different price points for different demographics and will not hinder the sale of one another. The phablet Redmi Note 4G may look the same as the Redmi Note, but the internals are different. While the older model was a dual SIM handset with a MediaTek octo-core CPU, the newer model has a single SIM but with 4G capability, and features a quad-core Snapdragon CPU. At a price point of Rs 10,000, which is a thousand rupees more than the previous version, let’s find out if the Redmi Note 4G is really worth the extra premium. Please note that this review may appear like a copy-paste of the Redmi Note review, because it is partially true, where the two devices have the same features.

Lenovo A6000 Coming Very Soon To India For Rs 8000 (Photos and Video)

Lenovo has just showcased its A6000 smartphone at CES and it is already slated to be launched in India within a week from now. This is a budget handset with powerful specs, going along the lines of Xiaomi and the recent Yu Yureka. This dual SIM handset sports a 5” display and is just 7.99 mm thick, making it easy to handle or carry in your pocket. It is also quite lightweight for its size at just 128 grams.

Review: Nokia Lumia 930

Nokia Lumia 930
Price: Rs 37,900

The Nokia Lumia 930, which is the current flagship Windows Phone handset from Nokia and the first one with Windows Phone 8.1, has been packed to the gills with features expected of a flagship product. This Windows Phone 8.1 handset features a Snapdragon quad-core CPU, Full HD AMOLED display, 20 mp PureView main camera with Zeiss optics, 32 GB of RAM, and 4G capability (useful when 4G will become available). In this review, I will try to give you a fair idea of my usage experience of this handset.

Review: Xiaomi Redmi Note

Xiaomi Redmi Note

Price: Rs 9000

Xiaomi was probably not contenpt with its successes with the Mi3 and Redmi 1S in recent times. Now it has come up with a phablet – Redmi Note. The Redmi Note looks like a scaled-up version of the Redmi 1S. It sports a 5.5” HD IPS display and is powered by an Octa-Core processor from MediaTek supported by 2 GB RAM. This dual-SIM device promises great performance in an affordable price. Let’s find out if it can really do what it claims.

Review: Xiaomi Redmi 1S - Brace for the second assault

Xiaomi Redmi 1S
Price: Rs 6000 (Available soon Flipkart.com)

 

Xiaomi, now known as China's answer to Apple, has got a new ace up its sleeve for India - the Redmi 1S. After its earlier onslaught via the hugely successful Mi3, the Chinese manufacturer has planned to launch the brand new dual-SIM smartphone in a bid to capture the low-end segment. Yet again, the company promises high-end hardware and performance at an unrivalled pricing. I got to try my hands on the new handset before its launch to find out whether the numbers on paper really translate to good real life performance. Read on for the review.

  

Spice Launches India's First Firefox Smartphone - Fire One

Not everyone is launching Android phones. Spice has launched the Fire One, which is the first smartphone in India based on Firefox OS. The handset provides a good option for those who want to upgrade from feature phones to smartphones without breaking the bank. The press release is as below.

Review: Xiaomi Mi 3 - Finally, Premium Smartphone At Budget Pricing

Xiaomi Mi 3
Price: Rs 14,000 (Flipkart.com)

The smartphone market is probably the most varied today, when it comes to the sheer number of mobile phones and models by various manufacturers, each trying to up the ante in face of competition. In a budget market such as India, price is considered to be the driving force for sales of any product, and the mobile phone is not an exception. The Chinese manufacturer, Xiaomi, which had taken China by storm last year with its Xiaomi Mi 3 Android smartphone with high-end specs, registering record sales, has finally turned its attention to one of the most lucrative markets - India. The phone has been finally launched in India at an attractive price of Rs 14,000. Some of the high-end features of the phone includes a Snapdragon quad-core CPU with 2 GB RAM, 5" Full HD IPS screen, and 13 MP camera with Full HD recording. Xiaomi has been generous enough to send across a review unit, therefore, a review was in order. Do the high-end specs really translate into a pleasant smartphone experience? Read on.

Infographics Shows The Rise Of Windows Phone Platform

When Microsoft first introduced its new mobile phone platform in 2010 - Windows Phone 7, it was met with mixed response. Enthusiasts praised it for its innovative and fresh look and design, while critics criticized it for not bringing enough to the plate and even going so far as to predict its failure. However, it is now 2014 with the new iteration Windows Phone 8.1, and the platform has seen a steady growth, aiming to compete against the big guns Android and iOS. Microsoft's collaboration with Nokia in bringing out great quality Windows Phone products across different price ranges, has played a contributing factor in this success as analysts are expecting the WP OS to cross 100 million devices this year and become the 3rd largest mobile OS worldwide. In fact, Windows Phone has already been outselling the iPhone in 24 markets including India, Malaysia, South Africa, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland.

Tech Predictions Of 2014 - Guest Post By Sanjay Deshmukh, Citrix

The following is a guest post by Sanjay Deshmukh, Area Vice President, India subcontinent, Citrix.

Our workplace is going through a rapid transformation led by change in the way we work. Today "work" is no more a place we go to. It's what we do when ever and where ever business needs to be done. Given the impact of globalisation and also focus on customer majority of workforce prefers a flexible working environment which is not restricted within office premises and devices, and the tech savvy millennial generation is actively driving the evolution of IT consumerization at workplaces in India. In addition, widespread smartphone penetration in India coupled with strong convergence between mobile and internet, provides enterprises a convenient medium for improving access to technology and mobility solutions to their customers, employees and contractors. As a result, mobility has become one of the key drivers for business transformation and growth and a topmost priority on the boardroom agenda. As we progress into the future, there will be a need to redefine the purview of mobility from being restricted to devices and the security to a more overarching vision of enabling employees to work from anywhere and thus mobilizing all the aspects of business viz Data, enterprise and native applications, Collaboration and Support which are required to fulfil this vision’ In this context of the new found imperatives of Indian organisations we anticipate the following top technology trends in 2014.

BlackBerry Offers Q10 QWERTY Smartphone At Rs 38,990 For A Limited Period

Even as the world has moved to full touchscreen phones, BlackBerry still continues to sell smartphones with QWERTY keyboards. BlackBerry loyalists will certify that the famed keyboard made by the Canadian company is incomparable to a touchscreen with its ergonomics and ease of use, and I must agree that it is really true. The company's top-of-the-line Q10 handset sports such a keyboard and runs the latest BB10 OS. BlackBerry is currently offering the Q10 at a limited period offer price of Rs 38,990. This offer will last till India's upcoming Republic Day, 26th January, 2014.

Nokia Refocus: An Innovation That Will Be Imitated

Nokia, one of the oldest surviving players in the mobile phone space, has in recent years changed its tune, and wisely so, by focusing on the mobile software part as much as the hardware. The 808 PureView marked the company's giant leap as far as the camera department was concerned with PureView Technology backed by a never-before-heard-in-a-mobile-phone 41 megapixel image sensor. Taking note of the fact that the weaker Symbian platform held it back, it was only a matter of time before the Finnish manufacturer brought out Windows Phone devices equipped with PureView tech cameras and the latest among them being the Lumia 1020 with a similar 41 megapixel image sensor.

Talking of camera software, there is a plethora of software that Nokia brought to the Lumia series to get the most out of their cameras. The latest one to arrive is Nokia Refocus, which works on the Lumia 920, 925, 928, and 1020 (and also the upcoming Lumia 1520 phablet), all as long as they are running the Amber software update.

How To Get Early GDR3 Update For Your Windows Phone

As you already know, Microsoft has announced the rollout of GDR3 update with enhanced features for Windows Phone 8 devices. That being said, it will actually take up to a few months for most of us to get the update on our handsets because the rollout is done in a phased manner. However, there is still a way to download the GDR3 update to your WP handset, or at least the preview, as long as you have developer credentials.

Apple iPhone 5S Gets BSOD, But There Is A Quick Fix

It looks like the Apple iPhone 5S has, possibly in the first time in history, copied something from Microsoft’s Windows operating system. We’re talking about the dreaded blue screen of death or BSOD that has been passed down through the generations of Windows and lives on to periodically haunt desktop users. However, the BSOD that the iPhone 5S suffers from is similar to a Windows’ BSOD only for the colour blue. Check out the video below to see the BSOD in action on the iPhone 5S, or rather putting the iPhone 5S out of action:

Apple Could Go “Bigger” Screen With iPhone 6 In 2014

We keep on criticizing Samsung for leading the charge in the mobile phone industry as it keeps on blowing up screen sizes that may one day match TVs. It is not really a wonder that many a manufacturers are following suit simply because there really is a demand for large screen phones in India. However, it may come to you as a shocker that as rumour has it, the next iPhone may come with a much larger screen.

Micromax Teases New Canvas Turbo A250 Flagship Handset

Micromax seems to be preparing to launch a new flagship smartphone - Canvas Turbo A250. According to a tweet by its deemed official insider MMXNewxcaster, the A250 will be the company's first smartphone with a Full HD screen. It is also mentioned that this will feature a quad-core CPU, which is obvious by its flagship status. The tweet doesn't even show any photo of the phone itself, but rather just the stylised name itself.

align="center" Micromax Canvas Turbo A250 to be the First Full HD (1080p) phone from Micromax. To sport Quad Core processor. #News pic.twitter.com/eNrcKmNJtG
— @MMXNewscaster (@MMXNewscaster) October 6, 2013

Guide: How To Backup And Restore A Windows Phone 8 Handset

Windows Phone 8 is still the newest kid on the block as far as mobile OSes are concerned. There are some things that many users who have taken the leap of faith to this new platform, do not know about this OS. One such feature is the ability to backup and restore the phone settings. In this guide, we will take a look at just how this can be done.

Backing Up Your Windows Phone
In case you are wondering, there is no special software that will really let you back up your Windows Phone 8 data to your computer unlike Zune could for Windows Phone 7.x devices. Everything happens in the cloud, which may not be to everyone's taste. However, something is better than nothing, and we really hope that Microsoft will allow for a way to back up your phone data to your hard drive in the near future. Until then, we will have to go in the following way.

Backup is an automatic feature on a Windows Phone handset. To enable backup, you must go to Settings > backup. Here you will get to see that you can back up your apps list and settings, text messages, and even your photos and videos. The latter can upload to the cloud in the best quality only over Wi-Fi, although it is possible to upload photos in "Good" quality over mobile internet. It is best to disable backup of photos and videos and simply copy them to your hard drive as this will save a lot of your time while restoring. Once done, your phone gets backed up periodically whenever a data connection is available.

Restoring Your Windows Phone

You may opt to restore your Windows Phone in two scenarios:

1) if you have factory reset your phone for some reason,

2) if you have bought a new Windows Phone. In either case, the procedure is the same.

When you start up a new or reset Windows Phone, you will be presented with a screen asking you to sign into a Microsoft account, create a new one, or sign in later. In order to restore your backup, you are required to sign into the Microsoft account associated with your previous backup at this point. It is also necessary that you must have some sort of a mobile data plan as Wi-Fi cannot be used at this point.

Clicking on next after entering your credentials will take you to the next screen where you will be presented with the available sets of backups that can be used to restore the Windows Phone handset. You can choose one and click Next. The backup data starts downloading. This can take a long time depending on the amount of data being restored.

Image Credit: Nokia Conversations

You can now enter your credentials for various accounts from the original Windows Phone handset such as Hotmail, Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, etc and click Next. Your apps will start downloading once the phone reaches the Start screen. At this point, it is wiser to quickly connect to Wi-Fi and then switch off mobile data to save data charges.

Is This Really A "Backup"?

While some of the data does get backed up, this is not really a total backup of the phone data. This is more so with third party apps as only the unique number associated with these apps is stored online and passed on to the handset. Also, any additional settings associated with such apps such as the progress of a game are lost.

Another major problem is that the restore functionality totally depends on the mobile data connection, so you need to have a SIM card inserted into the phone during this process and the SIM must have a data connection (preferably 3G). If you miss this step and go to the Start screen, then the only way to restore the data is by resetting the phone and doing the procedure all over again.

If you thought you could manipulate the backup from the cloud in some way, you are gravely mistaken. The data that is present in the cloud is not available to the user and there is a total lack of transparency not only about what exactly is being sent up and when, but also about the visibility of the content to the authorised user. Thus, if you want to take a look at a particular SMS sent on a particular day, you will not be able to view that because such a facility simply doesn't exist.

Contacts are not backed up in Windows Phone 8 as they are simply stored on the users Gmail or Hotmail accounts present in the phone. So your contacts become available once you log into those accounts in the restored handset.

It is also strange that simple settings such as the placement of Live Tiles, ringtone, theme, etc are not backed up to restore. You are therefore better off taking screenshots beforehand to save the trouble.

This issue can be easily resolved via a software approach like Zune does for Windows Phone 7.x devices. While it is no secret that Windows Phone 8 is a remarkably different and fresh mobile operating system with oodles of capabilities as compared to other veteran mobile OSes, there are a few simple things that need to be addressed to allow it to stake a claim as a stronger third alternative.

Now Buy The BlackBerry Z10 For Just Rs 29,990

BlackBerry has announced a major price drop for its flagship Z10 model. The highly anticipated handset that was being touted to be able to save the company was launched at a rather steep Rs 42,000 earlier this year. However, now it is being offered for Rs 29,990. You will have to hurry though, because this is a limited period offer valid for this festive season. When contacted BlackBerry about the exact duration of this offer, I was told that it will last for the festive season including Diwali. While it is still not clear till when this offer will last, one thing is for sure that the offer is already underway.

Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director India for BlackBerry said,

"We continue to leverage festive season with relevant product and services promotions. BlackBerry 10 platform offers a new and unique mobile communication experience and at Rs.29990/- the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is uniquely positioned to change the way in which our customers view mobile technology".

This is a major opportunity for anyone who would want to lay their hands on the smartphone from the brand most trusted by the enterprise segment. If you ask me, the handset running the latest BlackBerry 10 OS is pretty good and is backed by powerful hardware. The Z10 comes with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU with 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot supporting up to 32 GB. The 4.2" touchscreen is pretty responsive as well. With pixel dimensions of 1280x768 at 356 ppi, the images appear crisp. The 8 MP rear camera supports 1080p Full HD video recording. What's more, it is neither too heavy, nor too large, and has got a decent talk time of up to 11 hours on paper at least. NFC is also supported for quick and convenient mobile payments where supported.

Buy Apple iPhone 5S And 5C In India Exclusively On eBay.in

While you may have to wait for Apple to officially launch the new iPhone models in India, eBay.in has already listed the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S for immediate sale. Of course, it must be noted that these handsets are imported and factory unlocked as claimed by the sellers so that they can work on any GSM mobile network in India. Available from two different sellers, these handsets are brand new sealed packs and run the latest iOS 7. For those of you who can't hold on till the official launch happens here, read ahead.

The white iPhone 5C is available for Rs 47,500 in 16 GB and the seller claims it to be factory unlocked. It comes with 6-month seller warranty. Although the seller has not explicitly specified a Return Policy as per eBay rules, its replacement and refund are covered through eBay.in Guarantee so that should put your doubts to rest. The shipping will be done within 5 - 6 business days after receiving the payment to anywhere in India so it means that the seller actually has the handsets ready to dispatch. Shipping is free to anywhere in India and payment can be made using PaisaPay. Additionally, you can opt for 3 or 6 months EMI if that suits your budget.

The 16 GB iPhone 5S in SpaceGray colour is available for an understandably whopping Rs 69,990. Unlike the iPhone 5C, the iPhone 5S will not come with any warranty so you must decide hard whether you would want to put so much of your hard-earned cash into this purchase. Naturally, a Refund Policy is not specified either. However, the replacement and refund is still covered through eBay.in Guarantee, about which you can read over here. Shipping of this item is free all over India and the seller mentions that he/she will start shipping from 1st of October, 2013. In case you still want to take a leap of faith, you can pay through PaisaPay and opt for 3 or 6 months EMI to make that hole in your pocket seem less unpleasant.

9 Million iPhones Sold In 3 Days, Says Apple

Apple has claimed that it has sold over 9 million iPhones over the first weekend since the launch. This is a lot higher than the 5 million units sold by the iPhone 5 during the same period last year and the 4 million for the iPhone 4S a year before that. The Cupertino-based company had launched a comparatively cheaper iPhone 5C along with the flagship iPhone 5S last week. However, it has declined to confirm individual numbers for these two models. Nevertheless, sources have stated that the iPhone 5C has not been well-received, so it is safe to assume that the bulk of this number belongs to the iPhone 5S.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook said,

"The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5s, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly".

Both the devices run the new iOS7. The iPhone 5S 16 GB is priced at $199 (approx Rs 12,800), while the 32 GB variant costs $299 (approx Rs 19,200). The 64 GB version will set you back by $399 (Rs 25,500). The iPhone 5C, on the other hand is available for $99 (approx Rs 6400) for the 16 GB and $199 (approx Rs 12,800) for the 32 GB. Of course, these prices are for the US market with 2-year contracts, so retail prices will be much higher. The iPhone 5C, which has been touted to be for the mid-range, will therefore end up in the high-end price bracket with a retail price of $549 (approx Rs 36,500) and $649 (approx Rs 43,000), thus shattering the dreams of cheap iPhone aspirants.

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were released in US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and UK, but there is still no official word about India availability. However, insider sources have stated that the launch could happen in the first week of November although it is not clear if the company would bring one or both the models simultaneously. I'll keep you posted as more information becomes available.