Thursday, December 13, 2012
HTC Launches Butterfly
HTC Launches Butterfly, An iPhone Killer
By SiliconIndia | Wednesday, 12 December 2012, 16:41 IST | 1 Comments
Bangalore: At HTC, a Butterfly a day is keeping Apple away. The new Smartphone from HTC is all set to take on the iPhone.Though it’s pricing has been kept under wraps, its features and looks have already got the tech pundits lauding about it. It stands out in its design which is similar to Apple, yet with a bigger 5 inch screen.And talking about the screen, you can watch and share videos with 1080p full HD display. The screen resolution, as many reviewers agree, is better than iPhone’s.
The Apple iPhone 5 does weigh a little less. Infact, in terms of apps, memory storage and well, because it’s an iPhone, it does offer some tough competition. But then, the operating system and RAM also matter. HTC runs on Google’s reliable Android platform with 1.5 GHz RAM, with Quadcore. Simply put, you can simultaneously run multiple apps at the same time and easily multitask.
Google maps are much more reliable with features such as transport facility shown, while Apple maps lack this feature. Moreover, accuracy is much higher in Google maps.
The Butterfly can flutter even in rain, shine or sand. The makers claim that the phone is waterproof, which is definitely a welcome feature. Cameras are provided both in front and back, including the 88 degree ultra wide angle lens. Let us not forget that Apple’s scan and click feature, as shown in the ad with cutely dressed children, doesn’t work horizontally. This gives HTC an edge.
HTC also has included a built-in amplifier with BeatsAudio. This essentially means you’ll be blown away by the audio quality. But the real icing on this cake is the way it is built on the inside. The makers of the Smartphone have placed the battery first and the components on top on it, making it unique and compact in design.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Five must have photography apps for the iPhone
Five must have photography apps for the iPhone
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Buy SanDisk. Win Everyday!
The iPhone has a long standing reputation of packing in very good camera technology into a cellphone. It may not have the highest pixel count, but it definitely ranks very high in the quality department.
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However, the stock iPhone camera app and built-in features aren’t enough to squeeze out that every last bit of performance your hardware is capable of. Here are 5 iPhone apps that will give you some great results, pushing the camera to the max.
You don’t have to be a photographer to have these apps on your iPhone. Regardless of your proficiency, each one of these apps is extremely easy to use, thanks to their intuitive user-interface. We strongly recommend that you get these apps onto your phone to make the best of it.
Camera+ (Rs. 55)
The first place you’re going to have to start in the process of having a great image to show off, is to well, be able to shoot a good image to start with in the first place. The stock camera app on the iOS devices are fairly good when the lighting is good, but that quickly changes when, for example, your subject is backlit. The stock app will only focus on what it meters for (and vice versa), causing everything to be either severely under-exposed or grossly over-exposed. This is where Camera+ comes in. The key feature of this most popular camera app is that allows the user to set individual focus and metering points, ensuring your images are properly exposed and focused. The app also does offer a host of other features like a timer mode, image stabilization and a host of editing capabilities, but these are all just sweet benefits.
Download Camera+ from here.
Instagram (Free)
Instagram’s fame is unrivaled. It’s an app that should be on your phone as long as it’s available for your device. Shooting with Instagram is an absolute breeze and the assortment of filters available allow the app to add an ethereal feel to your images. Of course, Instagram also has the social angle on it, allowing you to add friends who will see your work as its uploaded and vice versa.
Download Instagram from here.
Snapseed (Rs. 270)
If you’re someone who has a creative vision every time they take a shot, Snapseed is going to be the perfect app for you. While it does access the default camera app, we prefer pairing it with images we have shot using Camera+. We can open the image in Snapseed and edit it using a plethora of filters already built into the app. However, it’s not just filters, but also adjustment options along with the ability choose just how much of each is applied that makes this app the our absolute favorite when it comes to editing images on the go.
Download Snapseed from here.
Photosynth (Free)
Are you a panorama junky? Well, then Photosynth is for you. It’s ironic that a Microsoft app would be in this list, but well, the simplicity coupled up with the powerful results the app delivers has us completely impressed.
Download Photosynth from here.
Pro HDR (Rs. 110)
This one is definitely a tried and tested one. We’ve used the built-in HDR mode on the camera app and it just doesn’t cut it. We’ve used other apps in the App Store as well, but none gave us the kind of functionality that HDR Pro does. You can select your highlight and shadow spots manually along with even adjusting the individual HDR settings (Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, White Balance and Tint).
Zync Cloud Z5
Zync Cloud Z5
Summary
The Zync Cloud Z5 is a promising device as a budget 5-inch device. For Rs. 9,000, you are getting a smartphone-tablet hybrid that has decent performance as a phone and a multimedia device. If you want an IPS display, you can take a look at the iBall Andi 5c. But as of now there are only a few options available in the budget phablet category. If you are desperate to pick one up, you can go for either, depending on your budget. But we'd suggest that you hang on to your cash for a bit longer until this category gets populated with a few more options.
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- Zync launches dual-SIM 5-inch 'Cloud Z5' phablet for Rs. 9,490
- Samsung Galaxy Note II launched in India at Rs. 39,990; Galaxy Camera unveiled
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The phablet as a device has found the sweet spot between a traditional smartphone and a 7-inch tablet. This space wasn’t always successful though. The Dell Streak was the pioneer in this category and the device really didn't take off.
In 2011, Samsung took a bold step and reignited the category with the launch of the Galaxy Note. The device did well enough not only to get Samsung to launch the Note II in 2012, but also paved the way for a phablet market.
In 2011, Samsung took a bold step and reignited the category with the launch of the Galaxy Note. The device did well enough not only to get Samsung to launch the Note II in 2012, but also paved the way for a phablet market.
We have seen a few phablets try and take on the Note II. Some of the competition includes the LG Optimus Vu and the HTC Droid DNA (J Butterfly). The fact still remains that all of these devices are premium priced.
But that didn't remain the case for long. Recently, many manufacturers have introduced low-costphablet devices. We some hands on time with the iBall Andi 5c (read our review) and as a budget smartphone-tablet hybrid, the device performed reasonably. Today we have with us the Zync Cloud Z5, another entry in the budget phablet market. Is this device worth a glance, or are you better off going in for a premium phablet?
Build and Design
It’s well said that to be the best, you need to first copy the best and this fact is very well visible with the Zync Cloud Z5. One look at the device and you would be forgiven for thinking that it is a Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 (the first generation Galaxy Note).
It’s well said that to be the best, you need to first copy the best and this fact is very well visible with the Zync Cloud Z5. One look at the device and you would be forgiven for thinking that it is a Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 (the first generation Galaxy Note).
On the face the Cloud Z5 has a 5-inch display that is quite big. It’s clear that Zync doesn't want you to mistake this device as the Galaxy Note as there is “Zync” clearly written below the earpiece. Below the display is the physical home button that also doubles up as the multitasking button. To the left of this button is the capacitive menu button and to the right rests a capacitive back button. Very Samsung Galaxy Note-like!
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The rear of the Cloud Z5 has the same matte textured black finish that is found on the Note and that isn’t a bad thing since the Note was a very well-built device. The rear panel too has the Zync branding imprinted on it. The bottom of the rear panel houses the mono loud speaker. To the left of the device we have the on/off/sleep/wake button where as to the right we have the volume rocker. The bottom houses the microUSB port that is used for charging as well as data transfer. The top of the device has the headphones jack.
The Zync Cloud Z5 isn’t too heavy (for its size) at 165gms and feels surprisingly well built for a sub-Rs. 9,000 device. It has taken design cues from an already successful device so there isn’t much we can crib about there. Its only flaw is a generic one to the category, that it is too big to conveniently carry in one’s jeans pocket.
Features and Specifications
To start with the specifications, the Zync Cloud Z5 has a 5-inch TFT LCD apacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It is powered by a 1GHz single-core CPU, 512MB of RAM and runs on Android 4.0 ICS straight out of the box. The best part is that the OS is a vanilla experience. There is no skin overlaying it. The phablet has 4GB built-in storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via a microSD card (4GB included in the box).
To start with the specifications, the Zync Cloud Z5 has a 5-inch TFT LCD apacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It is powered by a 1GHz single-core CPU, 512MB of RAM and runs on Android 4.0 ICS straight out of the box. The best part is that the OS is a vanilla experience. There is no skin overlaying it. The phablet has 4GB built-in storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via a microSD card (4GB included in the box).
The rear of the Zync Cloud Z5 has an 8MP camera with an LED flash and the front has a 0.3MP camera for video calling. The specifications under the hood are quite average when compared to other budget smartphones. With a 5-inch display and a resolution of 480x800, the ppi of the device is a mere 186.
As mentioned earlier, the Android 4.0 ICS experience on the device is vanilla and the fact that it doesn't come preloaded with a skin adds to the smoothness of the device. The Zync Cloud Z5 comes preloaded with a bunch of apps that includes Astro, Big Fliz, Bollywood Hungama, ibibo games, ThinkFree Office and a few more. The addition of these apps isn’t anything great as they are all free and can be easily downloaded via the Google Play store.
Performance
For a Rs. 9,000 phablet, the Zync Cloud Z5 could have been all show and no juice, but we were proven quite wrong. The colours on the display are quite well represented but it does feel a bit underwhelming to look at. As any other device, the display is susceptible to glare and using it in direct sunlight can be uncomfortable.
For a Rs. 9,000 phablet, the Zync Cloud Z5 could have been all show and no juice, but we were proven quite wrong. The colours on the display are quite well represented but it does feel a bit underwhelming to look at. As any other device, the display is susceptible to glare and using it in direct sunlight can be uncomfortable.
Video playback is quite good. We played a few SD .avi videos and they ran without any hiccups. The Z5 however, refused to play 720p or 1080p mp4, mov or mkv files. We didn't expect the device to play them, but if it did, it would have been a pleasant surprise.
The audio output though isn’t the best for media. We played a few songs and videos and the speaker on the device at full volume is quite screechy. For apps however, the speaker was loud but lacked clarity at full volume.
In terms of the raw performance, it competes wel with the other budget phablet, the iBall Andi 5c. You can take a look at the benchmark scores below.
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From the above benchmark scores it is clear that both the devices are almost at par when it comes to the raw power under the hood. So, if raw performance is your primary purchase decision, you can consider picking up either device.
The thing that made the Note a great device was that it was very comfortable to watch videos, browse the web, use art/note-taking/productivity apps and basically have a great work and play device in your pocket. Calling the Zynk Cloud Z5 the poor mans Galaxy Note isn’t entirely wrong as it does all of the above quite well, but not as well as the Note.
Browsing the internet on the Zync Cloud Z5 is a reasonably good experience and zooming into text and the scaling of websites is smooth too. The keyboard however is definitely a two-thumb job as it is very difficult to type on the Z5 with one hand.
Now come the two most important questions – battery life and call performance. A 2500mAh battery powers the Cloud Z5, which is a beast. In the continuous video playback, the device lasted in the vicinity of 5 hours and that is awesome. In real world usage, we charged the device to 100% in the morning, made a few calls throughout the day, did a lot of texting, Whatsapp IM’ing and Facebook networking, along with checking mails, watching the occasional YouTube video and playing Angry Birds. By nightfall the battery was 40%. All this time, the device was connected to Wi-Fi or HSDPA. It’s safe to say that our usage was above average and the device stood by us quite well.
The Zync Cloud Z5 is a dual-SIM device – giving you the power of two phones in one. The call quality on the device is crisp and clear at both ends, though we did face the occasional vanishing voice when the signal fell.
VerdictThe Zync Cloud Z5 is a promising device as a budget 5-inch device. For Rs. 9,000, you are getting a smartphone-tablet hybrid that has decent performance as a phone and a multimedia device. If you want an IPS display, you can take a look at the iBall Andi 5c. But as of now there are only a few options available in the budget phablet category. If you are desperate to pick one up, you can go for either, depending on your budget. But we’d suggest that you hang on to your cash for a bit longer until this category gets populated with a few more options.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Huawei planning to launch a range of Windows Phone devices later this year
Huawei planning to launch a range of Windows Phone devices later this year
Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's sixth biggest maker of mobile phones, is looking to its smartphones to outpace global growth rates and drive a consumer gadgets business that will rival its flagship telecoms gear in revenue.The Shenzhen based company founded 25 years ago by former People's Liberation Army soldier Ren Zhengfei is currently number-two globally in communication networks, a business that last year brought in close to three-quarters of total revenue.
That will change as Huawei plans to carve out a global brand in smartphones, taking the fight to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc, particularly in China, expected this year to become the world's biggest smartphone market.
In the fiercely contested smartphone arena, Huawei expects to ramp up its Android focused product range with Microsoft Windows 8 phones and tablet PCs, and possibly also so called phablets phone/tablets. It is also considering developing its own smartphone operating system to distance itself from Android, which has been the focus of legal disputes between Apple and other major handset makers.
"Whatever consumers like, we'll develop," Wan Biao, CEO of Huawei Device, said in an interview on Monday at the company's headquarters. "We're also devoting resources into coming up with a phone operating system based on our current platform in case other companies won't let us use their system one day."
Huawei has grown its consumer devices business which sells mobiles, tablet PCs and dongles aggressively. Its mobiles have picked up market share, though at the expense of profitability prompting the company to shift towards higher end products such as its Vision and Ascend models.
"We're still investing actively for the next 1-2 years, so it will be a big challenge to achieve high profitability," Wan said. In July, Huawei posted a 22 percent drop in first half operating profit, citing the "significant challenge" of a weak global economy and tighter spending by telecoms operators.
Huawei expects consumer device revenue to grow steadily at around 30 percent next year, though sales from smartphones will grow faster, at around 40 percent. The company has said it expects the business to grow revenue by around a third this year to $9 billion, and could reach $30 billion in five years, matching the telecoms equipment business as a revenue driver.
Branding challenge
Analysts maintain that smartphone branding is a major challenge for Huawei, which for years produced so called white boxes for telecom carriers to sell as theirs. "The phones really look cool, feature wise. From the end-users' perspective, it's still a branding thing," said Ajay Sunder, an analyst at Frost and Sullivan.
"Traditionally, Huawei and (local rival) ZTE Corp have been selling to the lower-end of the market. It was a price game for them. So moving up the value chain to command a premium for the phones and the brand that definitely seems to be a challenge."
"The best way for them will be to have a separate branding for their mobile phones than to use the Huawei brand," Sunder added.
Huawei also plans to launch smartphones using the Windows 8 operating system later this year or early next year, though it gave no specific timeframe for its Win 8 tablets and phablets.
Sunder reckons it will be tough for companies to compete in an operating system market dominated by Apple, Google and Microsoft, as software developers will be less keen to write applications for a small user base. "It's a chicken and egg situation," he said.
Huawei has said previously it aims to ship more than 100 million mobile phones this year, including 60 million smartphones. It's sticking to that forecast even though sales this year are below target prompting broker Jefferies in July to predict smartphone sales of 35-40 million.
"It will be very challenging, but that target remains intact," said Wan, who joined Huawei 16 years ago.
But Huawei's growth will still outpace the industry. UK research firm Ovum on Monday forecast global smartphone shipments of 1.7 billion in 2017, up from 450 million last year, implying an average annual growth of more than 20 percent.
In a recent media interview, Huawei's deputy chairman Hu Houkun said the company aimed to be the global No.3 smartphone vendor, with 15 percent market share by 2015, up from around 5 percent currently.
While Huawei has made strides with its consumer products, its telecoms equipment business has hit roadblocks in the United States and, more recently, in Australia, over security issues political obstacles the company has decried as unsubstantiated "allegations based on allegations.
Europe, however, looks to be a brighter spot, and Huawei this month outlined plans to invest $2 billion to expand its operations in Britain, creating about 700 new jobs over five years.
Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012
That will change as Huawei plans to carve out a global brand in smartphones, taking the fight to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc, particularly in China, expected this year to become the world's biggest smartphone market.
In the fiercely contested smartphone arena, Huawei expects to ramp up its Android focused product range with Microsoft Windows 8 phones and tablet PCs, and possibly also so called phablets phone/tablets. It is also considering developing its own smartphone operating system to distance itself from Android, which has been the focus of legal disputes between Apple and other major handset makers.
"Whatever consumers like, we'll develop," Wan Biao, CEO of Huawei Device, said in an interview on Monday at the company's headquarters. "We're also devoting resources into coming up with a phone operating system based on our current platform in case other companies won't let us use their system one day."
Huawei has grown its consumer devices business which sells mobiles, tablet PCs and dongles aggressively. Its mobiles have picked up market share, though at the expense of profitability prompting the company to shift towards higher end products such as its Vision and Ascend models.
"We're still investing actively for the next 1-2 years, so it will be a big challenge to achieve high profitability," Wan said. In July, Huawei posted a 22 percent drop in first half operating profit, citing the "significant challenge" of a weak global economy and tighter spending by telecoms operators.
Huawei expects consumer device revenue to grow steadily at around 30 percent next year, though sales from smartphones will grow faster, at around 40 percent. The company has said it expects the business to grow revenue by around a third this year to $9 billion, and could reach $30 billion in five years, matching the telecoms equipment business as a revenue driver.
Branding challenge
Analysts maintain that smartphone branding is a major challenge for Huawei, which for years produced so called white boxes for telecom carriers to sell as theirs. "The phones really look cool, feature wise. From the end-users' perspective, it's still a branding thing," said Ajay Sunder, an analyst at Frost and Sullivan.
"Traditionally, Huawei and (local rival) ZTE Corp have been selling to the lower-end of the market. It was a price game for them. So moving up the value chain to command a premium for the phones and the brand that definitely seems to be a challenge."
"The best way for them will be to have a separate branding for their mobile phones than to use the Huawei brand," Sunder added.
Huawei also plans to launch smartphones using the Windows 8 operating system later this year or early next year, though it gave no specific timeframe for its Win 8 tablets and phablets.
Sunder reckons it will be tough for companies to compete in an operating system market dominated by Apple, Google and Microsoft, as software developers will be less keen to write applications for a small user base. "It's a chicken and egg situation," he said.
Huawei has said previously it aims to ship more than 100 million mobile phones this year, including 60 million smartphones. It's sticking to that forecast even though sales this year are below target prompting broker Jefferies in July to predict smartphone sales of 35-40 million.
"It will be very challenging, but that target remains intact," said Wan, who joined Huawei 16 years ago.
But Huawei's growth will still outpace the industry. UK research firm Ovum on Monday forecast global smartphone shipments of 1.7 billion in 2017, up from 450 million last year, implying an average annual growth of more than 20 percent.
In a recent media interview, Huawei's deputy chairman Hu Houkun said the company aimed to be the global No.3 smartphone vendor, with 15 percent market share by 2015, up from around 5 percent currently.
While Huawei has made strides with its consumer products, its telecoms equipment business has hit roadblocks in the United States and, more recently, in Australia, over security issues political obstacles the company has decried as unsubstantiated "allegations based on allegations.
Europe, however, looks to be a brighter spot, and Huawei this month outlined plans to invest $2 billion to expand its operations in Britain, creating about 700 new jobs over five years.
Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012
Battle of the bulge - Micromax A100 vs Spice Mi-500 vs iBall Andi 5c
Battle of the bulge - Micromax A100 vs Spice Mi-500 vs iBall Andi 5c
A world where mobile phones are getting bigger and tablets are getting smaller has seen the rise of a new category of devices. At first considered Frankensteins of the mobile computing world, phablets became cool with Samsung Galaxy Note's success.
Recently, we've seen a bunch of new devices trying to make a mark by appealing to those looking for large screen devices, minus the stylus. We look at three such devices that attempt to woo the budget-conscious - the iBall Andi 5c, Micromax Superfone Canvas A100 and Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500.
Build/ Design
The Micromax A100 is a clear winner in this department. The curves of the A100 fit well in hand, thanks, no doubt, to the slightly smaller profile compared to the other two devices. While none of the three devices scream "cheap plastic" (the Spice comes the closest), the overall finish of the Micromax ensures it stands out from the rest.
The Micromax A 100, like the iBall Andi, has the power button on the right, which makes it rather convenient to use for a large handset. We didn't find the top placement of the power button on the Spice particularly handy, given the length of the device. The Spice handset has the volume rocker on the right, another odd choice, compared to the Micromax and the iBall Andi, which have it on the left. All three devices come with a Micro-USB port - the Micromax has it at the bottom, while the other two at the top, next to the audio jack.
The iBall Andi is the only device that comes with a physical home button, flanked on either side by capacitive touch Menu and Back buttons. The Spice goes all capacitive touch with same button options, whereas the Micromax A100 goes the all-virtual route, with Back, Home and Recent Apps button appearing at the bottom of the screen at all times (except when you play full-screen video). Picking any one of the three based on style of buttons is down to personal preference.
At 168 grams the Micromax A100 is no featherweight, but comfortably lighter than its two competitors. Overall, it's our pick in this section.
Winner: Micromax A100
Hardware/ Performance
The Spice Mi-500 packs a dual-core 1GHz processor that gives it a clear advantage over the other two phones that are powered by single-core processors. The benchmarks as well as day-to-day usage observations were in line with this fact.
While none of the phones suffer from any lag during typical operations, the Spice does a great job of handling everything thrown at it. Though all three phones ship with 512MB RAM, the Spice Mi-500 required fewer reloads of the page when going back to a tab while having multiple tabs open. The Spice is also faster at loading heavy web pages. The touch performance of all three phones is at par.
All three phones are dual-SIM standby, which of course means while you are making a call on one number, the other will appear unreachable.
Winner: Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500
Display
The Spice and the iBall handsets feature identical 12.7-cms displays with WVGA resolution (480x800). Micromax chose to cram in a few more vertical pixels, going with a FWVGA 480x854 12.5-cm display, a resolution seen in some of the recent Xperia smartphones, amongst others.
The extra pixels ensure that the A100 can boast of a 16:9 display (great for watching videos), compared to 4:3 resolutions that the other two offer. Further, since the A100 comes with virtual buttons, the extra vertical pixels ensure that the effective available pixels (480x782) aren't reduced considerably.
As far as display quality and colour reproduction are concerned, the Micromax A100 fares the best. Images appear sharp and crisp (but not artificially so), and the viewing angles are pretty good. The iBall Andi display is next in line by doing an average job on all fronts. The Spice Mi-500 is let down badly by a poor display - the colours appear washed-up and viewing angles are extremely limited.
Winner: Micromax A100
Software
All three handsets come with pretty much stock Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, though Spice has applied a few tweaks of its own. Each handset comes with a few bundled apps as well, but nothing's that likely to influence your buying decision one-way or the other.
Camera
All three phones come with identical 5-megapixel rear shooters with autofocus and LED flash but the performance is visibly different. While the Spice and the Micromax cameras do a pretty decent job, the iBall Andi camera is a disappointment.
The Spice beats the Micromax in colour reproduction and image quality outdoors, while the Micromax just about edges the Spice under low-light conditions (both with, and without flash).
However, there's a flaw with the Micromax A100 camera. All images clicked with the phone in landscape mode appear upside down. Of course that's easily fixable by rotating the images, but it's a big annoyance no doubt - not everyone's familiar with batch-editing tools for photographs, and we can imagine poor souls having to rotate each image manually. Thankfully, the bug is limited to images only, since videos appeared upright, no matter how the phone is held.
Strangely, Micromax refused to acknowledge the problem- even though there are multiple reports of this problem out there - and tried to pass it off as a "bug with ICS"!
Winner: Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500
Battery
Big screen need big batteries, and all three phones deliver, with the smallest battery in the lot being the Micromax, that has a 2,000mAh one. However, it does a good job of keeping up with the Spice that has a 2,400mAh battery, and both the phones had pretty similar battery usage patterns in day-to-day tasks. The iBall Andi guzzled up its 2,300mAh battery faster than the other two.
Tie: Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500 and Micromax A100
Verdict
If you've made it this far, it would be pretty clear that it's between the Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500 and the Micromax A100 for the overall winner. While the Spice performs better and has a slightly better camera, the Micromax is better looking; a more natural fit in the hand and has a better display. There's nothing to choose between the two as far as the software and the battery life are concerned.
Let's throw the prices into the mix. The Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500 retails for Rs. 12,499 while the Micromax A100 is available for Rs. 9,799. So is it worth spending 2700 rupees extra to get a phone that offers a better multi-tasking experience but an average display? If you can afford it and find that the Spice handset snuggles into your hand, go for it.
If you prefer something that's lighter on the pocket, as well as your hand, has a better display and don't mind a little bit of a performance hit, pick up the Micromax A100. If you do, also get IrfanView for Windows or an Automator action on Mac to flip those inverted camera photographs in a batch - until Micromax wakes up and fixes the problem.
For more pics click here
Recently, we've seen a bunch of new devices trying to make a mark by appealing to those looking for large screen devices, minus the stylus. We look at three such devices that attempt to woo the budget-conscious - the iBall Andi 5c, Micromax Superfone Canvas A100 and Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500.
Build/ Design
The Micromax A100 is a clear winner in this department. The curves of the A100 fit well in hand, thanks, no doubt, to the slightly smaller profile compared to the other two devices. While none of the three devices scream "cheap plastic" (the Spice comes the closest), the overall finish of the Micromax ensures it stands out from the rest.
The Micromax A 100, like the iBall Andi, has the power button on the right, which makes it rather convenient to use for a large handset. We didn't find the top placement of the power button on the Spice particularly handy, given the length of the device. The Spice handset has the volume rocker on the right, another odd choice, compared to the Micromax and the iBall Andi, which have it on the left. All three devices come with a Micro-USB port - the Micromax has it at the bottom, while the other two at the top, next to the audio jack.
The iBall Andi is the only device that comes with a physical home button, flanked on either side by capacitive touch Menu and Back buttons. The Spice goes all capacitive touch with same button options, whereas the Micromax A100 goes the all-virtual route, with Back, Home and Recent Apps button appearing at the bottom of the screen at all times (except when you play full-screen video). Picking any one of the three based on style of buttons is down to personal preference.At 168 grams the Micromax A100 is no featherweight, but comfortably lighter than its two competitors. Overall, it's our pick in this section.
Winner: Micromax A100
Hardware/ Performance
The Spice Mi-500 packs a dual-core 1GHz processor that gives it a clear advantage over the other two phones that are powered by single-core processors. The benchmarks as well as day-to-day usage observations were in line with this fact.
While none of the phones suffer from any lag during typical operations, the Spice does a great job of handling everything thrown at it. Though all three phones ship with 512MB RAM, the Spice Mi-500 required fewer reloads of the page when going back to a tab while having multiple tabs open. The Spice is also faster at loading heavy web pages. The touch performance of all three phones is at par.
All three phones are dual-SIM standby, which of course means while you are making a call on one number, the other will appear unreachable.
Winner: Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500
Display
The Spice and the iBall handsets feature identical 12.7-cms displays with WVGA resolution (480x800). Micromax chose to cram in a few more vertical pixels, going with a FWVGA 480x854 12.5-cm display, a resolution seen in some of the recent Xperia smartphones, amongst others.
The extra pixels ensure that the A100 can boast of a 16:9 display (great for watching videos), compared to 4:3 resolutions that the other two offer. Further, since the A100 comes with virtual buttons, the extra vertical pixels ensure that the effective available pixels (480x782) aren't reduced considerably.
As far as display quality and colour reproduction are concerned, the Micromax A100 fares the best. Images appear sharp and crisp (but not artificially so), and the viewing angles are pretty good. The iBall Andi display is next in line by doing an average job on all fronts. The Spice Mi-500 is let down badly by a poor display - the colours appear washed-up and viewing angles are extremely limited.
Winner: Micromax A100
Software
All three handsets come with pretty much stock Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, though Spice has applied a few tweaks of its own. Each handset comes with a few bundled apps as well, but nothing's that likely to influence your buying decision one-way or the other.
CameraAll three phones come with identical 5-megapixel rear shooters with autofocus and LED flash but the performance is visibly different. While the Spice and the Micromax cameras do a pretty decent job, the iBall Andi camera is a disappointment.
The Spice beats the Micromax in colour reproduction and image quality outdoors, while the Micromax just about edges the Spice under low-light conditions (both with, and without flash).
However, there's a flaw with the Micromax A100 camera. All images clicked with the phone in landscape mode appear upside down. Of course that's easily fixable by rotating the images, but it's a big annoyance no doubt - not everyone's familiar with batch-editing tools for photographs, and we can imagine poor souls having to rotate each image manually. Thankfully, the bug is limited to images only, since videos appeared upright, no matter how the phone is held.
Strangely, Micromax refused to acknowledge the problem- even though there are multiple reports of this problem out there - and tried to pass it off as a "bug with ICS"!
Winner: Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500
Battery
Big screen need big batteries, and all three phones deliver, with the smallest battery in the lot being the Micromax, that has a 2,000mAh one. However, it does a good job of keeping up with the Spice that has a 2,400mAh battery, and both the phones had pretty similar battery usage patterns in day-to-day tasks. The iBall Andi guzzled up its 2,300mAh battery faster than the other two.
Tie: Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500 and Micromax A100
Verdict
If you've made it this far, it would be pretty clear that it's between the Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500 and the Micromax A100 for the overall winner. While the Spice performs better and has a slightly better camera, the Micromax is better looking; a more natural fit in the hand and has a better display. There's nothing to choose between the two as far as the software and the battery life are concerned.
Let's throw the prices into the mix. The Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500 retails for Rs. 12,499 while the Micromax A100 is available for Rs. 9,799. So is it worth spending 2700 rupees extra to get a phone that offers a better multi-tasking experience but an average display? If you can afford it and find that the Spice handset snuggles into your hand, go for it.
If you prefer something that's lighter on the pocket, as well as your hand, has a better display and don't mind a little bit of a performance hit, pick up the Micromax A100. If you do, also get IrfanView for Windows or an Automator action on Mac to flip those inverted camera photographs in a batch - until Micromax wakes up and fixes the problem.
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