Yes, the prices of the smartphone claiming to run Kitkat Android OS are hitting a new low. This time it is plain 3K (http://www.rage-mobile.com/Rage-Feature-Phones/SmartMagic-Series/Magic-Swift). And it has possibly everything you need.
Showing posts with label affordable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label affordable. Show all posts
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Moto E : specs and compares
Moto E specs are best seen in comparison to Lumia 520, the another affordable premium:
Clearly the Moto E is neck to neck with the features of Lumia 520. The final choice here I think boils down to the choice of the OS (and the ecosystem) and overall user experience. While Lumia 520, no doubt provides a top class user experience with WP 8 (and the upcoming 8.1 brings it closer to Android / iOS experience see the review on The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/14/5611992/windows-phone-8-1-review), apps are still lacking on the platform. Android has the app (and ecosystem) advantage; its not only apps, but it is easy to buy movies, books and music, not so with WP. While my dad is being using Lumia 520 for quite a few months (and I have used Lumia 800 for 2 years), there is absolute no slowdown even when loaded with tonnes of apps. I can't say the same about Android. My previous experiment with a low cost Android phone has been a disaster. And my experience with Nexus 7, after I loaded many apps has been less than stellar. But Moto E is probably different. That is my hope. I am going to use the device for next few days for all sorts of things and put out a report here. Till then enjoy your life :)
|
Feature |
Moto E |
Lumia 520 |
|
CPU |
Snapdragon 1.2 GHz Dual Core
|
Snapdragon 1.0 GHz Dual Core |
|
GPU |
Adreno 302 |
Adreno 305
|
|
RAM |
1 GB
|
512 MB |
|
Internal Storage |
4 GB |
8 GB
|
|
External Storage |
YES upto 32 GB |
YES upto 64 GB
|
|
Screen Size |
4.3”
|
4.0” |
|
Screen Resolution |
540 x 960
|
480 x 800
|
|
Double Tap to wake |
NO |
YES
|
|
Screen Protection |
Corning Gorilla, with anti-smudge
coating
|
Scratch resistant glass |
|
LED notification
|
YES
|
NO |
|
Camera |
5 MP, Fixed focus, No Flash
|
5 MP, Auto focus, No Flash
|
|
Dedicated camera button |
NO
|
YES
|
|
Manual camera settings |
NO
|
YES
|
|
Navigation |
YES (Google Maps)
|
YES (Nokia Maps)
|
|
Offline Maps |
YES (Limited)
|
YES
|
|
Battery capacity |
1980 mAh
|
1430 mAh |
|
Removable battery |
NO
|
YES
|
|
Weight |
142 g
|
124 g
|
|
Thickness |
12.3 mm
|
9.9 mm
|
|
Mobile Network |
2G / 3G
|
2G / 3G
|
|
WiFi |
YES
|
YES
|
|
SIM Type |
Micro-SIM
|
Micro-SIM
|
|
SIM Slots |
2
|
1
|
|
OS |
Android Kitkat 4.4
|
Windows Phone 8
|
|
Upgradable |
Yes (promised to next version)
|
Yes to WP 8.1 (available soon)
|
|
Ecosystem maturity |
HIGH
|
UPCOMING
|
|
Wins |
9 (of 19; 7 are equals)
|
10 (of 19; 7 are equals)
|
Clearly the Moto E is neck to neck with the features of Lumia 520. The final choice here I think boils down to the choice of the OS (and the ecosystem) and overall user experience. While Lumia 520, no doubt provides a top class user experience with WP 8 (and the upcoming 8.1 brings it closer to Android / iOS experience see the review on The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/14/5611992/windows-phone-8-1-review), apps are still lacking on the platform. Android has the app (and ecosystem) advantage; its not only apps, but it is easy to buy movies, books and music, not so with WP. While my dad is being using Lumia 520 for quite a few months (and I have used Lumia 800 for 2 years), there is absolute no slowdown even when loaded with tonnes of apps. I can't say the same about Android. My previous experiment with a low cost Android phone has been a disaster. And my experience with Nexus 7, after I loaded many apps has been less than stellar. But Moto E is probably different. That is my hope. I am going to use the device for next few days for all sorts of things and put out a report here. Till then enjoy your life :)
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Moto E : affordable premium smartphone
There are numerous 'cheap' smartphones available in Indian market, but the quality is amiss. You say there is Nokia X, but the software is amiss. You say Lumia 520, yes I would agree, but Moto E undercuts Lumia 520 in price and offers a whole bunch of better features. It may be true, that the camera on Lumia 520 is superior to that of Moto E, but it is a no slouch, and as an overall device, the Moto E turns out to be a clear winner.
I own both these devices, both bought from Flipkart for the same price. The Lumia 520 is being used by my dad, while the Moto E arrived just yesterday. So I will be comparing these here. But before we compare let us meet the Moto E.
(As compared to other tech sites out there, I won't be writing 'review', per say, but rather my experience in using the device. As a result, a product 'review' or experience will be spreading out into multiple posts rather than one post)
The premium-ness of a device is defined, according to me in these terms: The Looks (#1), The Specs (#2), The Performace (#3) and The Overall Experience (#4). We will first have a look at the looks :)
Moto E, the looks
Moto E may be an affordable device, but it looks great, is build great.I have a black version of the device, but I have a feeling that the white version looks better than the black one :)
The front of Moto E is made of scratch resistant glass with oleo-phobic coating, which is quite similar to the iPhone. Moto E does not sport any buttons on the front, not even capacitive buttons. In fact, it has only two button on the right side of the device: one for sleep/power and other for volume control.
The front also houses the earpiece at the top, and a mono speaker at the bottom. The speaker slot probably also has a mic.
Moto E is not slim. At 12.3 mm (6.2 mm at the edges) this is the thickest of the smartphones I currently have (not that I am using all of these thought). It is also not light weight: at 142 grams it is heavier than even Lumia 800 .. and I thought that would be the heaviest phone I would ever be buying. The weight and thickness is however a personal preference. I travel a lot in public transport, and to me a slightest increase in weight in my jeans pockets is noticeable and causes inconvenience. This is also especially noticeable when I go on long walks.
The back of the Moto E is made up of rubberized plastic, that feels great when holding the device as well as provides a solid grip.
Moto E, in the box
The Moto E is currently only available via Flipkart in India: Buy Moto E (Black) from Flipkart.com or Buy Moto E (White) from Flipkart.com. Even though, the Moto E may be out of stock on Flipkart, I would recommend against heading on to eBay to get one. It is better to wait a bit than pay up more on eBay.
The Moto E sales package comes with bare minimum: a charger, a headset and printed manuals along with warranty information. Unfortunately there is no data cable, and no complimentary sd card either.
Moto E, the charger and the headset
The Moto E comes with a micro usb charger that fits properly in Indian power outlets. In fact, the charger units has the words "Made in India" printed on it, that made me a bit happy :) The charger cable is fairly long at about 1.5 m, which is good. The charger takes almost 3 hours to fully charge the Moto E, but then probably you may not need to charge it every day.
Moto E also comes with a descent headset with integrated mic and a call receive/end button.
The only gripe I have is that all the accessories are full which when the phone is full black. I should have either ordered a black one or Motorola should provide matching color accessories with the device ;)
(Up next: Moto E specs, compare with similar priced phones)
I own both these devices, both bought from Flipkart for the same price. The Lumia 520 is being used by my dad, while the Moto E arrived just yesterday. So I will be comparing these here. But before we compare let us meet the Moto E.
(As compared to other tech sites out there, I won't be writing 'review', per say, but rather my experience in using the device. As a result, a product 'review' or experience will be spreading out into multiple posts rather than one post)
The premium-ness of a device is defined, according to me in these terms: The Looks (#1), The Specs (#2), The Performace (#3) and The Overall Experience (#4). We will first have a look at the looks :)
Moto E, the looks
Moto E may be an affordable device, but it looks great, is build great.I have a black version of the device, but I have a feeling that the white version looks better than the black one :)
 |
| From left, Lumia 520, Lumia 800, the Moto E and the iPhone 5s. |
 |
| Moto E from the sides. Right of the device is where all the buttons are, the top has a mic and a 3.5 mm headset jack, nothing on the left of the device, while the bottom has the standard micro usb data / charging outlet. |
Moto E is not slim. At 12.3 mm (6.2 mm at the edges) this is the thickest of the smartphones I currently have (not that I am using all of these thought). It is also not light weight: at 142 grams it is heavier than even Lumia 800 .. and I thought that would be the heaviest phone I would ever be buying. The weight and thickness is however a personal preference. I travel a lot in public transport, and to me a slightest increase in weight in my jeans pockets is noticeable and causes inconvenience. This is also especially noticeable when I go on long walks.
The back of the Moto E is made up of rubberized plastic, that feels great when holding the device as well as provides a solid grip.
 |
| Moto E with the back cover removed. The battery is non-removable. There is a 5MP camera, but not flash on the back side (top - center). |
Moto E, in the box
The Moto E is currently only available via Flipkart in India: Buy Moto E (Black) from Flipkart.com or Buy Moto E (White) from Flipkart.com. Even though, the Moto E may be out of stock on Flipkart, I would recommend against heading on to eBay to get one. It is better to wait a bit than pay up more on eBay.
The Moto E sales package comes with bare minimum: a charger, a headset and printed manuals along with warranty information. Unfortunately there is no data cable, and no complimentary sd card either.
 |
| Moto E sales box: 1 phone (battery is non-removable, in-built), 1 charger, 1 headset (with mic), printed manuals and warranty information booklet. |
Moto E, the charger and the headset
The Moto E comes with a micro usb charger that fits properly in Indian power outlets. In fact, the charger units has the words "Made in India" printed on it, that made me a bit happy :) The charger cable is fairly long at about 1.5 m, which is good. The charger takes almost 3 hours to fully charge the Moto E, but then probably you may not need to charge it every day.
 |
| Moto E charger, the Indian edition is made in India. |
Moto E also comes with a descent headset with integrated mic and a call receive/end button.
The only gripe I have is that all the accessories are full which when the phone is full black. I should have either ordered a black one or Motorola should provide matching color accessories with the device ;)
(Up next: Moto E specs, compare with similar priced phones)
About this blog
Hello Internet!
I am V. Ganesh, and I generally write at (http://tovganesh.blogspot.in/). I have an immense interest in science and technology, and my work and past education has all in some way attuned my mind towards advances in these fields. I believe, I am lucky to live in a world that has moved from PC to mobile devices at an exceedingly fast pace, and now soon towards wearable computing. I have had extreme fun, writing weird mobile apps such as the one called mobihf (https://sites.google.com/site/tovganesh/s60), that does a full Quantum Chemical calculation on a pretty old smartphone. Yes, I do weird things. But then at the same time I also have been lucky to get my hands on these devices when I needed them. I am one of those, who has never used a "feature phone".
I bought my first phone, because I wanted to program it, and that was the number 1 feature I was looking for when I bought Nokia 6600 in 2006. Things have changed a lot since then. The power of today's phones are more that 100 times than the phone which I had used to write mobihf. But there is one pain point which I always consider to be hindrance in mass adoption and innovation: it is the price.
Sure today, I can afford an iPhone as a daily device. But the point is that one should be able to get quality that is at par with an iPhone, without going bankrupt. And price is a very important factor in the part of the world I live in. There are a lot of low cost devices available here. But hardly any one provides a premium device or a service at an affordable price.
That brings me to the next question. What does affordable exactly mean? I have a very simple definition of this: one should be able to buy a device / service by saving his/her 1 months salary. So when I was at grad school, it was anything below 10K INR, as that was the fellowship I used to get. (Since, I mostly live in India, my focus point will be from Indian perspective, but I hope the rest of you can connect the dots). Now I think that one has to actually cut down on this. If 10K is your salary then you cannot exactly survive one whole month without spending on food, transportation and possibly house rent. I didn't have to bother about the later three back in the grad school, but practically a truly affordable device should be around 5K INR. We are not yet there, but things are close. And there is one particular device that fueled my thoughts on starting this blog: the Moto E. That one device, for me defines what a affordable premium must be, much like what Tata is doing with their latest additions of the Nano car.
So, this blog will be trying to bring to your attention the devices, news, technology, research and other information that are all geared towards bringing affordable, but premium technologies to the masses. So that everybody is equally empowered and innovation thrives, not because you have money, but because you have genuine desire, need and genius to do so. This blog will be about the Moto E, not the iPhone; it may talk about the Tata Nano, not the BMW; and a Raspberry Pi but not the Thinkpad. Occasionally, I may compare a Moto E to iPhone; not to show what you are missing, but to show how close are you to the premium. All of this with a hope that I can one day have a team that will build a sub 5K device for every one that I envision here: (http://tovganesh.blogspot.in/2012/01/kosh-building-mobile-user-experience.html). As India sees a clear mandate for the next governance, there is hope, and there is this will that every one is doing what they are doing, because they want to see a developed India. Affordable premiums, is one angle of the whole story, it is one dot, in the bunch of dots we have to connect.
(coming up soon, Moto E, initial review ...)
(Note: This blog, unlike my other blogs will carry advertisements primarily to support myself to obtain the devices that I will be reviewing here)
I am V. Ganesh, and I generally write at (http://tovganesh.blogspot.in/). I have an immense interest in science and technology, and my work and past education has all in some way attuned my mind towards advances in these fields. I believe, I am lucky to live in a world that has moved from PC to mobile devices at an exceedingly fast pace, and now soon towards wearable computing. I have had extreme fun, writing weird mobile apps such as the one called mobihf (https://sites.google.com/site/tovganesh/s60), that does a full Quantum Chemical calculation on a pretty old smartphone. Yes, I do weird things. But then at the same time I also have been lucky to get my hands on these devices when I needed them. I am one of those, who has never used a "feature phone".
I bought my first phone, because I wanted to program it, and that was the number 1 feature I was looking for when I bought Nokia 6600 in 2006. Things have changed a lot since then. The power of today's phones are more that 100 times than the phone which I had used to write mobihf. But there is one pain point which I always consider to be hindrance in mass adoption and innovation: it is the price.
Sure today, I can afford an iPhone as a daily device. But the point is that one should be able to get quality that is at par with an iPhone, without going bankrupt. And price is a very important factor in the part of the world I live in. There are a lot of low cost devices available here. But hardly any one provides a premium device or a service at an affordable price.
That brings me to the next question. What does affordable exactly mean? I have a very simple definition of this: one should be able to buy a device / service by saving his/her 1 months salary. So when I was at grad school, it was anything below 10K INR, as that was the fellowship I used to get. (Since, I mostly live in India, my focus point will be from Indian perspective, but I hope the rest of you can connect the dots). Now I think that one has to actually cut down on this. If 10K is your salary then you cannot exactly survive one whole month without spending on food, transportation and possibly house rent. I didn't have to bother about the later three back in the grad school, but practically a truly affordable device should be around 5K INR. We are not yet there, but things are close. And there is one particular device that fueled my thoughts on starting this blog: the Moto E. That one device, for me defines what a affordable premium must be, much like what Tata is doing with their latest additions of the Nano car.
So, this blog will be trying to bring to your attention the devices, news, technology, research and other information that are all geared towards bringing affordable, but premium technologies to the masses. So that everybody is equally empowered and innovation thrives, not because you have money, but because you have genuine desire, need and genius to do so. This blog will be about the Moto E, not the iPhone; it may talk about the Tata Nano, not the BMW; and a Raspberry Pi but not the Thinkpad. Occasionally, I may compare a Moto E to iPhone; not to show what you are missing, but to show how close are you to the premium. All of this with a hope that I can one day have a team that will build a sub 5K device for every one that I envision here: (http://tovganesh.blogspot.in/2012/01/kosh-building-mobile-user-experience.html). As India sees a clear mandate for the next governance, there is hope, and there is this will that every one is doing what they are doing, because they want to see a developed India. Affordable premiums, is one angle of the whole story, it is one dot, in the bunch of dots we have to connect.
(coming up soon, Moto E, initial review ...)
(Note: This blog, unlike my other blogs will carry advertisements primarily to support myself to obtain the devices that I will be reviewing here)
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