Marshmallow Handset below 5K

It has been quite a while since Android 6.0 aka Marshmallow has been released, but it is very difficult to find any affordable handsets that come with Android 6.0, or even promise an upgrade to this version. With Lava P7, at least the later assumption changes. Lava claims that the P7  priced below 5K on Flipkart and other sites will be upgraded to 6.0

Quick Review of Yu Yuphoria

A friend of mine ordered this for his father. And boy, this is a great phone. Not only that it is proudly "Made in India" :)

The packaging is superb. Well done packing made up of recyclable cardboard with minimal ink used on the exterior. My only wish: they find a replacement for those plastic covers, which totally goes on the face of the recyclable cardboard. 

The phone itself is nicely build, with the "Made In India" printed on the phone exterior and the interior. The battery however is "Made In China". Sigh. Well you still have a long way to go, but a good step forward. 

The build quality, screen and the "premium feel" is just right for this phone. The frame is actually made of steel that is unheard of in this price segment. Performance is buttery smooth, and Cyanogenmod (it is not the usual Android), is really great and insanely customizable on this phone. And did I mention the most important feature of this phone? It has a boot loader that is unlocked. That seals the deals for those who want absolute control of their hardware. Another plus point? It gets regular updates to latest Cyanogenmod, whenever that is available. A feature that most Android phones simply do not have.

The camera, although 8MP, is not stunning, but takes reasonable good shots. Front camera is also nice and takes pretty good selfies.

End of the day, recommended phone if you are looking for a good Android experience. And you want to flout fashion and of course be proud of "Made in India" phone.


Get this phone here: http://www.amazon.in/YU-Yuphoria-YU5010-Buffed-Steel/dp/B00XTWAR7W/

Quick review of ZTE Blade Buzz

Frankly I needed a very cheap Android phone for testing Apps that I write. That is the only reason I got this phone. At 2300/- it is a real cheap smartphone and a hell lot better than the Firefox phones that you would get at this price point. 

The ZTE blade buzz is actually a very well built device even at this low price point. It has an IPS display (yes, the viewing angles are surprisingly good). Comes packed with a data cable, charger and headphone (take that Asus!). The capacitive buttons at the bottom can be configured for the the functionality they offer, but are not backlit.

I don't use this device as my daily driver so frankly won't be able to tell a lot about performance. But without any apps installed (the phone comes with pretty much stock Android version 4.4, which I think will never see an update) the phone is quite usable.

There is a surprising lack of bloat ware, and whatever pre-installed apps were there, could be easily un-installed (not hidden - read that!). Of course the only apps you cant remove are the ones from Google.  

The Blade Buzz comes with a not so great but OK 3MP camera which is fixed focus. And sorry there is no flash. Don't expect a lot here, it is only good for casual photos.

At the end of the day, I can easily recommend this as your smartphone if you use only Google services, and may be Whatsapp. I have a hunch that this phone will has performance issues with other social networking apps. This is so because of the RAM being only 512MB and internal free space being only 2GB.


Get the ZTE Blade Buzz here: http://fkrt.it/stsSLpNN

Lumia 430: quick review of the most affordable Lumia

If the only differentiating factor of a smartphone is that it is cheapest, it won't probably sell. But if it says it is the cheapest Lumia, heads turn. This is Lumia 430, and this is my quick review of the phone.

The Phone is superbly build. It is great to hold it in hand, though it feels slightly heavy for the form factor. I have been using this phone as a secondary backup device for over a month now, and have dropped it a couple of times, surprisingly there are no dents. The back cover of this phone also doesn't come of during the fall, as is with most other phones.

 
The display, however is below average. At a slightly higher price point (but below 5K) you can get an HD IPS display from Android vendors, see for instance Yu Yunique (http://www.snapdeal.com/flash-sale/yu/yunique). It is usable though. That is pretty much I can say about it. I have had Lumia 800, and it had a stunning display. With this kind of low display however, I feel that the premium of the Lumia brand has been quite diluted. It just doesn’t feel good.

One of the main selling points of the Lumia phones was the camera, and in this compartment too it fails quite miserably here. Again at this price point, you can get a 8MP autofocus camera with flash (http://www.snapdeal.com/flash-sale/yu/yunique), where as this Lumia provides only a paltry 2MP fixed focus camera. The quality of photos however is decent for quick sharing on social networks.

At the end of the day, it is a well build phone. A good secondary smartphone, that is reliable and easy to use. A good phone for first time buyers. But very hard to recommend wholeheartedly when you can get phones at much higher specs on the Android side at the same price point. If you speak Windows however, and you are tight on budget, or just want a Windows phone to try out: this is a no barrier. And yes, it will run Windows 10 for mobile devices, whenever that gets released. The same cannot be said any Android devices you buy in this segment today, there is simply no software (aka OS) update guarantee.

 
Get the Lumia 430 here: http://fkrt.it/sycRUGNN

Quick review of Asus Zenfone 2 Laser

Phones are not only getting cheap, they are getting powerful. The Asus Zenfone 2 Laser is one such device. It will conveniently replace a lot of things for you: a tablet, a music player, a computer and a point and shoot. Well well, it cant still make sandwiches for you, but getting there ;-)

This is the Zenfone 2 Laser. And a short review of mine.

The packaging is minimal. But I found it hard to take the phone out, so I would consider this packing to be not elegant. Inside the box you get pretty much what all Asus phones offer, a charger with data cable, and the missing headset (yup, I have no clue why they don't at least offer a basic one). The battery is inserted into the handset, although the battery is removable.

The most stand out feature of this phone is its camera and the laser based autofocus system (that is actually available in point and shoot cameras). The  camera is a 13MP camera with a dual tone flash. The photos are reasonably good in well lit as well as in low light conditions. The dual tone flash is a plus.

If you are wondering what the long metal looking bar is, no worries, it is the button to control volume! Yes Asus though that it is a better place to keep the volume control as it is a huge phone: 5.5" screen i.e.

The screen is pretty crisp, HD display and has good viewing angles. Of course it means operating with one hand wont take a cut. But you would love the fact that you can see a whole lot of things clear. When I placed my current phone (iPhone 5s), next to it, I felt like mine was for kids!

The performance is pretty reasonable. Has a Qualcomm Quad Core processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage that is expandable. Has a 3000mAH battery that should good for a day long stint before charging would be required.


Get it on Flipkart (exclusive): http://fkrt.it/sRK8O9NN

Micromax does design

Micomax has announced Canvas Sliver 5 (http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/mobile-tabs/in-slim-micromax-canvas-sliver-5s-fat-price-could-be-a-silver-lining/), claimed to be "lightest and slimmest smartphone". Pretty interesting, although pure spec to price may be slightly skewed towards the later.

4G phone @ 5K INR

ZTE is launching Blade Qlux, a 4G phone, exclusively on Amazon. The price is 4999 INR. Another product with perfect price. See link (http://www.amazon.in/b/ref=amb_link_190090507_2?ie=UTF8&node=6800294031&pf_rd_m=A1VBAL9TL5WCBF&pf_rd_s=right-3&pf_rd_r=0C0MT6ZKPYW9MDP5MB7V&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=638537047&pf_rd_i=1320006031).

Over the past few months, there have been a number of products released at < 5K range. The Lumia 430, iBall Windows tablet, and how ZTE Qlux. I think it is exiting time for gadget lovers on budget in India.

iBall Slide i701: the cheapest Windows tablet in India

The prices of Windows tables have been regularly falling in India. Now iBall has released Slide i701 at a basically killer price of Rs 4999. At this price you are getting literally a full PC access, which I think amazing. The Slide i701 is yet to be available for purchase online. I will post the updates as soon as I have information on the same. One more thing, this thing is going to be upgraded to Windows 10!

(see this news: http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/iball-launches-slide-i701-tablet-with-7-inch-display-windows-8-1-at-rs-4999-267785.html)

And it is on sale on Flipkart ( see link )

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 !!  :) :)

Infocus M2: the best price to specs phone in India

The Infocus M2 is probably the best price to specs phone available in India at the moment. It is exclusively available from Snapdeal (www.snapdeal.com/offers/infocus-m2phone), but requires registration and uses a flash sale method just like Xiomi. The price of the phone is only 5K INR, and at that price you get a 8 MP front and back camera with flash on both sides, 4.2" HD display, 1.3 GHz quad core processor, with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. That is a lot of specs at this price, you cant beat it that easy.

Now a quad core for about 3K

Prices are simply going southwards while the spec sheet seem to always go north. The Fly brand has released a new set of smartphones, and the most interesting of these is the Fly Snap (available here: http://www.snapdeal.com/product/fly-snap/624859304552). It has a quad core CPU, 4GB of internal storage, 512 MB of RAM (ya that is a catch here), 5MP primary and 2MP secondary camera (surprise, surprise!) , a 3G phone, expandable storage up to 16GB and running Android Kitkat.

Now that is a lot of specs for a ~3K INR phone. No wonder Android is the no 1 OS as far as numbers go. Quality and experience is a different matter though.

( Note to Fly guys, if they are reading this - would be happy to review the device, if they send me one review device ;-) )

Lumia 535: a super quick look

I had a quick access to Lumia 535, and here is a quick look at the device. 

Specs wise this is a good phone. A quad core snapdragon 200, 5" qVGA screen with Corning gorilla glass protection, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage expandable to 128GB, Windows Phone 8.1 with latest update. 

Pricewise, you get this phone from stores for about 8700/-, where as online prices could be a bit lower. 

I found the device to be really smooth, as with all the devices running windows phone. The main camera quality is ok (in comparison to Lumia 520, this one can't record a HD video, but has better lowlight performance due to presence of flash and slightly better camera sensor). The selfi camera too good, I have a feeling that it takes better shots than even my iPhone in some conditions. But then again the main camera is a hit and a miss (doesn't perform consistently as opposed to iPhone), is slow to load ( I have no idea if it will ever be fixed - hope there is with Windows 10).

Battery life seems to be fine, lasting over a day with quite heavy usage. 

Other software features like Cortana work, but I think currently it is more of a novelty than actually getting things done. It is in Alpha release in India, so things are bound to improve.

I found that this device to terrific for sub 10k devices. The only gripe that I have with this device is that the rear camera is not upto mark. Other devices in this price category gave better specs, but run Android. And I can't recommend Android over Windows Phone to first time users, simply because the experience with Windows Phone is far superior and consistent. If you really want Android phone, the android one devices are a good bet, but the current phones in the market have almost homogenous specs which are best described as "OK" for an Android phone.

Nokia 215, the least expensive internet connected phone from Microsoft available in India

The Nokia 215 is finally available more than a month after it was initially announced. You can get it from the Microsoft store hosted at Indiatimes shopping site (http://www.nokia.indiatimes.com/nokia/value-phones/nokia-215-dual-sim-black-/10023/p_B22866).

What is interesting however is that the Firefox smart phones launched in India are a bit cheaper than Nokia 215 (see for instance: http://fkrt.it/urZ9FXNN). It is possible however that the experience of Nokia 215 may be just better than using the Firefox OS with quite low end specs.

Micromax Joy: about the cheapest phone in India?

Micromax just launched Joy X1800 and X1850, two phones below 800 INR, that could well be the cheapest phones in India (see http://www.financialexpress.com/article/industry/tech/in-a-first-micromax-unveils-pouch-packaging-launches-joy-priced-at-rs-699/39759/).

Of these X1800 is the cheaper at 699 INR. The most interesting aspect is probably not the price, it is the packaging: you get the phones in a pouch! This is probably the first time a phone is available in a pouch.

The X1800 is a standard phone that has all the basic features including dual GSM SIM, SD card support, FM radio, a flash and even a very low quality 320px (below VGA!) camera. The X1800 comes with a a 700 mAh battery.

Lumia 435 gets a ridiculous price of 5999/- in India

Yes, this is a total bummer. Lumia 435 gets priced at 5999/- INR in India (see here: http://mmdshop.indiatimes.com/nokia/lumia-phones/microsoft-lumia-435-dual-sim-white-/10020/p_B22675). At this price, you did better buy one of the Android One phones, of if you just don't like Android, wait for the Lumia 435 to prices to drop around 4K INR.

Zen 105 could be cheapest Firefox phone in India

Zen 105 could be currently the cheapest Firefox phone available in India (see eBay: http://www.ebay.in/itm/like/271741920554)

Samsung and Metal

Alright, Samsung is starting to churn out beautiful metal finish phones that are hitting the affordable range. The first one to be acceptable price point (but not really a good one) is the Galaxy A3 (http://www.samsung.com/in/consumer/mobile-phone/mobile-phone/smartphone/SM-A300HZKDINU?subsubtype=android-mobiles). Interesting times. The Galaxy A3 would be a hit if it would be priced at around 15K INR rather than 20K at present. 

"Cheapest 4G phone" : Lenovo A6000

Lenovo is releasing A6000, dubbed the cheapest 4G phone in India next week (Feb 4), exclusively on Flipkart (see here).

The phone seems pretty well speced, although is not running Android 5.0 and probably does not have a gorilla glass as well. There are other interesting things though: it has got a stereo digital Dolby speaker (not even many flagships have this), 4G dual sim and is light weight at 128 grams. 128 grams is quite light for a 5" display phone.

Microsoft releases new affordable Lumia

Microsoft just announced Lumia 435 (http://www.microsoft.com/en-in/mobile/phone/lumia435-dual-sim/specifications/) and Lumia 532 (http://www.microsoft.com/en-in/mobile/phone/lumia532-dual-sim/specifications/), both affordable and premium. Lumia 435 will probably be the the first Lumia to cost below 5K INR at the release.

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.