Intex Aqua A4: Nougat below 5K

Intex has released Aqua A4, probably India's first Nougat based phone under 5K. The specs seem decent, only a lot of people may find 4" to be too small these days. Especially when Android 7.x support split screen multi tasking.

Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/intex-aqua-4-android-nougat-volte-launched-india-1691327
Detailed Spec: http://www.intex.in/mobile/smartphone/intex-aqua-a4/specifications.html

Micromax Canvas Spark : the new defining of the premium affordable

Micromax today launched the Canvas Spark, to be exclusively available on Snapdeal via flash sales and will be priced at sweet INR 4999/- . If the specs are anything to go by (see: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/micromax-canvas-spark-with-android-50-lollipop-launched-at-rs-4999-683997) , this is the new definition of premium affordable.

There is already a review of the device via GadgetsToUse

What is the best thing I like about phone apart from the specs? It supports Konkani language !!  :) :)

Which premium affordable to buy?

Here are my recommendations:

1) Android : Look no further than Micromax Yureka. Even without trying this phone my self I can recommend this. Costs 8990/-, available via Amazon India.

2) Windows: Lumia 535. This is your best bet if you are looking for a premium but affordable windows phone. Available at 9100/-, but with exchange offers you could get this for around 6K.

3) iOS: iPhone 5c. Yes, I would recommend this anytime over iPhone 4s. 

Which mobile OS is right for me?

The short answer is: the one that works best for you, and the one that you would like to use daily. Here are some of my views:

1. Firefox OS: I really love this OS. The OS is very lightweight as are its apps. The adaptable search is great and makes you feel that you have a new phone each time you do a search.  The truly open source OS is great as a daily driver phone if your only app needs are : email, whatsapp, travel apps and literary every thing that is a web app. However, don't expect to find video editing or document / spread sheet processing or VOIP apps on this platform, at least not yet. Another issue is that the only devices running Firefox OS and available in India (as of this writing) are severely underpowered. Otherwise, this is the best choice as compared to Android and even lower cost Windows phones.

2. Windows Phone:  This was the OS that I used for more than 2 years on a daily driver phone, after I got really frustrated with constant issues with my Android phone. The OS takes a fresh new approach to UI design, with the beautiful live tiles. But then the usability ends there. It frequently comes in the way of what you want to do - poor app collection, even the big name apps which are present are seldom updated, and the most disliked "Resuming ..." screen when switching between apps. If you get past this however, the OS is super smooth, it never lags. Even after using the device regularly for 2 years, with lots of apps and data stored, the device never slowed down - it was as fast as it was on day 1. With many low cost (sub 5K) devices running Windows phone coming to the market, this might be just the right OS for you - if you don't care about the apps i.e.

3. Android: For some strange reason I never liked Android. At first I didn't like it because it adopted Java instead of other more open and 'easy' programming languages like Python. Then I didn't like it because it more or less was controlled by Google, rather than being truly open source. Then I hated it as Samsung never updated the OS on my phone even as it was capable - I had to go the cyanogenmod way to get the latest. In the end I got frustrated enough to dump this as my daily driver OS. The introduction of Android One had rekindled my interest in Android, but after using it for a few weeks - it was clear that the frustrations of using  Android are still there - random slowdowns, random freezes, and if you are not careful spywares. Even so, Android appears to be the de-facto choice for many. Devices running the OS simply give people the best value for money as of now.

4. iOS: If you want to have the best of every OS, then this is the OS for you. If you want to carry a 'true' computer in your pocket - this the OS for you. If you want to have the latest and the greatest apps - this is the OS for you. If you don't want to fiddle much with the device and want it to just work for you - this is the OS for you. I had switched to using an iOS device as my daily driver nearly an year ago for these exact reasons. There is no denying that this is the best mobile OS currently available, albeit with some 'restrictions'.  Also, there are only limited choices of devices you can buy running this OS - only one company makes it : Apple. The best value for money for and iOS device you can get is an iPod touch - but that is not a phone and cannot be actually your daily driver device. The next best is iPhone 5c - this is a better choice than 4s and it has got better and newer hardware - even though some of you may not like a plastic casing device from Apple.

5. Others: And there are others. Blackberry OS - I never used this one my daily driver OS - but people say it a dedicated email machine, not every one uses email these days. Jolla OS - this one is too late to the party - it will have some takers, but I think this is not the future. Ubuntu OS - this one never seems to come - is it year end yet?


 

Random reboots in Android

When I started using Moto E over a month ago as a secondary device, I had a pleasant feeling. It did not lag, moreover the software felt super stable. That was until today when it did a random reboot. This random reboot (frequently occurring) has been one of the prime reasons I switched away from Android as my primary device about 3 years ago. Seems that issue still lingers on. 

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 :)

From left, Lumia 520, Lumia 800, the Moto E and the iPhone 5s. 

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.

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.

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 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)