Top android mobile phone under 10000

A couple of years ago, budget smartphone catalogue was only limited to domestic players such as Micromax, Karbonn, and LAVA. Now with biggies such as Nokia and Motorola looking to grab some market share, users are spoilt for the choice. Today, you can get phones from top-tier brands without crossing the Rs 10,000 mark. Now if that’s your budget, here’s the list of handsets you should consider buying.

1. Asus ZenFone 5 - Click To Buy Now

The 8GB variant of Asus ZenFone 5 has been priced at Rs 9,999. The smartphone has a 5-inch screen with 720p resolution, runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) and powered by a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor with HyperThreading technology.

ZenFone 5 has 2GB of RAM, microSD card support up to 64GB and comes with a 2,100mAh battery. It features an 8MP camera with LED flash, & also has a 2MP secondary camera.

2. Moto E - Click To Buy Now

With a 4.3-inch (960x540p) display, Motorola's cheapest smartphone Moto E is exclusively available at Rs 6,999 via Flipkart. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM and comes with 4GB internal storage; it also supports microSD cards up to 32GB. The phone has the latest version of Android Kitkat.

On the back of Moto E is a 5MP camera, sans LED flash; the secondary, front camera is also missing. Connectivity features of the smartphone include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and microUSB 2.0. The phone runs on a 1,980 mAh battery and is available in two colours - black and white.

Micromax Unite 2 -  Buy Now on Flipkart | Buy Now on Amazon

Micromax Unite 2 has a 4.7-inch screen (800x480p resolution) and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor with 1GB RAM. It features 4GB on-board storage, expandable up to 32 GB via microSD cards.

Micromax Unite 2 has a 5MP main camera with LED flash and 2MP front camera. On the connectivity front, the Android 4.4 (KitKat) powered smartphone has 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and microUSB 2.0. It has a 2,000 mAh battery and is available in grey, green, red, and white colours.

The distinguishing feature of the smartphone is support for 21 Indian languages, such as Maithili, Bodo, Dogri, Sanskrit and Sindhi.

Nokia Lumia 630 - Buy Now on Flipkart | Buy Now on Amazon

The smartphone sports a 4.5-inch (480x854p) display and is powered with quad-core 1.2 GHz processor with 512MB of RAM and runs Windows Phone 8.1. It has 8GB internal storage and can support microSD cards of up to 128GB.

The phone has a 5MP camera without LED flash, and does not have secondary camera. You can connect to internet via 2G, 3G, and Wi-Fi, and can transfer data through Bluetooth 4.0, and microUSB 2.0. It is powered by a 1,830mAh battery and is available in 5 colours — bright orange, bright green, bright yellow, white and black.




HTC Desire 210 - Buy Now on Flipkart | Buy Now on Amazon

HTC Desire 210 has a 4-inch (480x800p) display, is powered with 1GHz dual-core processor and has 512MB of RAM. Available in black, white and red colours, the phone is powered by Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) operating system, internal storage of 4GB and can support microSD cards of up to 32 GB.

Desire 210 features a 5MP main camera and a VGA secondary camera. Speaking of connectivity, the phone can connect to internet via 2G, 3G, and Wi-Fi, and can transfer data through Bluetooth 4.0, and microUSB 2.0. The phone has a 1,300mAh battery and can be bought via e-commerce sites.



Nokia Lumia 525 - Buy Now on Flipkart | Buy Now on Amazon
Available online, Nokia Lumia 525 has a 4-inch (480 x 800p) display and runs on Windows Phone 8 OS. This smartphone is powered by dual-core 1GHz processor with 1GB RAM and is available in four colours, namely black, white, yellow and red. It has internal storage of 8GB and can support microSD cards of up to 64GB.

Nokia Lumia 525 also features a 5MP rear camera, but does not have rear LED flash and front camera. On the connectivity front, the phone has features like 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and microUSB 2.0. The phone comes with a 1,430mAh battery.


Xolo Q1011 - Buy Now on Flipkart | Buy Now on Amazon

An Android 4.4 (KitKat)-powered smartphone, Xolo Q1011 is available online, the dual-sim phone has a 5-inch One Glass Solution (OGS) IPS display with 720p resolution and is available in 2 colours — black and white.

Powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, Xolo Q1011 has 1GB of RAM, 4GB built-in storage, a microSD card slot and a 2,250 mAh battery. It also features an 8MP primary camera with dual LED flash and a 2MP secondary camera. The connectivity options of the phone include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB.



Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 - Buy Now on Flipkart | Buy Now on Amazon
Featuring a 4-inch (480x800p) display, Samsung Galaxy Duos 2 is available on e-commerce websites, the smartphone is powered by Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). Powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, it has 768MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and can support microSD cards of up to 32GB.

Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 features a 5MP main camera with LED flash and a VGA secondary camera. It can access internet via 2G, 3G and Wi-Fi, and transfer data via Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. The phone is available in black, white and la fleur colour options and runs on 1,500mAh Li-Ion battery.


Lava Iris X1 - Buy Now on Flipkart | Buy Now on Amazon
Lava Iris X1 has a 4.5-inch (480x854p) display, is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM. Available only in black and white colours, the phone has 4GB internal storage and can support a microSD card of up to 32GB.

The phone has a 5MP main camera with LED flash and a 2MP secondary camera. On the connectivity front, it offers support for 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and microUSB 2.0. It has a 1,800mAh battery and runs the latest version of Android, KitKat.




Intex Aqua Curve Mini -  Buy Now on Amazon | Buy Now on Flipkart

An Android 4.4 (KitKat) smartphone, Aqua Curve Mini is available online for approximately Rs 7,300. This smartphone has a 4.5-inch (480x854p) display and packs a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM under the hood. It comes with 4GB internal storage and can support microSD cards up to 32GB.

Intex Aqua Curve Mini sports an 8MP rear camera with LED flash, and a 2MP secondary camera. Powered by a 1,500mAh battery, the phone offers 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB connectivity options. 

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BlackBerry Passport Review

Key Features: 4.5-inch 1400 x 1400 screen (453 ppi); QWERTY touchpad; Adreno 330 GPU; 3GB RAM; BlackBerry 10.3; Android app support; 13-mgapixel main camera; 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera

Manufacturer: BlackBerry

Click to Buy Now on Amazon

What is the BlackBerry Passport?

The BlackBerry Passport is a square smartphone aimed at what the Canadian company is calling ‘serious business professionals’. That’s the type of person who spends the majority of the time on their phone churning out emails, jumping into conference calls and loudly arranging power lunches. At least that’s our take on it.

Aside from its most obvious design quirk, the Passport has a physical keyboard to appeal to loyal BlackBerry phone fans, a huge battery to keep you working longer and it runs on the new BlackBerry 10.3, which now includes support for Android apps via the Amazon Appstore. But, sadly, the Passport is a phone of almosts. It almost makes working on the move great, but there are serious flaws you'll find it hard to ignore.

BlackBerry Passport: Design

That quirk we mentioned is that this is an (almost) square phone. Rightfully, it sounds ridiculous but BlackBerry believes there’s method to the madness. The Passport has the same profile as an actual passport, although at 9.3mm thick it’s noticeably chunkier.

The extra width is aimed to give you more room to work on spreadsheets or documents without having to zoom in and out of the page. We can’t say we’ve had great difficulty reading emails and doing some work on the Galaxy S5 or a iPhone 6 (even less on the huge iPhone 6 Plus), but there’s some value in BlackBerry adopting this approach. It doesn’t, however, make up for the fact that a wide phone makes for a supremely cumbersome and awkward phone to use, especially in one hand.

Going for a more angular look over something that curves like the Q5 means it’s a real stretch to hold. Weighing in at 190g, it’s not light either and there’s always the fear you could drop it if you don’t grip it in two hands. The square design means putting it in your trouser pocket or inside suit jacket pocket doesn’t leave room for much else.

The combination of the stainless steel frame and soft touch matte plastic gives it a serious, albeit stuffy look. Nothing looks quick like it. It doesn’t match the HTC One M8 or the iPhone 6 for sleekness, but it’s very much in line with previous BlackBerry phones. It’s not flashy, but it is solid and well made.

The quirks, however, do not end with the square body. While the on/off button, headphone jack and volume buttons all seem reasonably positioned, there’s a button in between the volume controls that would make more sense being used as the standby button. Instead it actually controls activating BlackBerry Assistant and muting music.

If you want to find the microSD card and Nano SIM card slot, these can be found behind a securely fastened compartment at the top of the phone. Completing the layout is a micro USB charging port at the bottom of the phone.
 

Click to Buy Now on Amazon

BlackBerry Passport: Keyboard

If there was one thing we thought BlackBerry would get right, it would be the keyboard. This is what has made BlackBerry phones in the past a great place to hammer out emails, BBM messages and texts. With the Passport, BlackBerry has made the odd decision to drop the usual four row physical keyboard layout in favour of just the three rows plus a capacitive row just above. It doesn't work.

The on-screen row can adjust depending on what’s on the screen, displaying numbers, grammar and additional characters. Swiping down on the capacitive row can also quickly adjust layout, but it can be fiddly.

BlackBerry claims you'll make fewer mistakes on this keyboard than rival phone keyboards. While that may well be the case, it’s not going to be quicker. Moving away from a full physical keyboard breaks the fluidity of typing and even after more than a week with it, we’ve struggled to up the pace.



Typing position makes it difficult as well. It’s near impossible not to rest your little finger underneath the bottom edge of the phone when typing in two hands and that can quickly become uncomfortable.

It’s such a shame because the keys have that nice, clicky responsive feel and the touch enabled functionality means you can slide your fingers across the keys to effortlessly scroll through web pages.

We would have happily sacrificed some of the screen space to have another row of physical keys and typing on the Passport would have been so much better as a result.

BlackBerry Passport: Screen

The Passport has a unique 1,400 x 1,400, square screen with an impressive 453ppi pixel density. That means it squeezes in more pixels than the iPhone 6 and as a result web pages and documents are clear and easy to read. It's not the brightest display we've seen, but it works well in bright light. Contrast and colours are strong, too, so photos and videos look rich and lifelike.

There’s some basic display adjustments you can make with colour saturation and white balance, too, the latter of which definitely needs to be played with out of the box because whites are not as good as they can be.

Another positive is that the Passport uses Gorilla Glass, the same protective coating you can find on Android phones like the Moto G and the Samsung Galaxy S5. It's another feature than ensures this is a touch phone that's unlikely to suffer from the occasional drop.

This square aspect works well for work, but as soon as you start thinking about using the screen for more fun things like watching YouTube videos, it becomes a problem. A 16:9 ratio video is clearly not a good fit, which means you have to contend with big black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. You do have a screen rotation option, but that hardly fixes matters. If you stick to work as opposed to play, this is a good 

screen, but it has obvious limitations.

BlackBerry Passport:  Software and Apps

BlackBerry 10, which is now 10.3.1, is in a better state than it was when it first launched. It clearly borrows some ideas from Android and iOS, but it adds plenty of its own, too.

There’s multiple homescreens just like there is on Android and when you swipe left, you’ll see all of your apps. Swipe right and you’ll find the BlackBerry Hub, a place where all of your messages, emails, BBM chats, social network interactions live. If you don’t want to have this information unified, there are filters to break it down though. You can swipe down from the homescreen to see an Android-style notification panel and swiping up while in any program takes you back to the homescreen.
 
Our favourite feature is the 'Recent' apps-style homescreen where you can quickly resume using apps -- it makes accessing recent apps quicker than on rival systems. Even the Siri-rival BlackBerry Assistant is very responsive and accurate. BlackBerry 10 doesn't do anything hugely innovative, but the basic operating system is solid. The larger problem is apps and here BlackBerry attempts to piggy-back on Android.




One of the biggest changes in BlackBerry 10.3 is the introduction of Android app support via the Amazon Appstore. It’s no surprise to see that it’s the Amazon Appstore as opposed to Google Play Store. While it doesn’t have as many apps as the Play Store, it’s a more regulated store front and should provide a more secure solution to giving users access to more apps.

Unfortunately, it does require jumping through a few more hoops to get those apps onto your phone. It takes three or four more steps of authorizing and accepting before you can actually use them. The problems don’t end there, either. Many of the apps are not optimized for the Passport and some games simply don’t seem to work properly. It’s a bit of a mess really, which doesn't do much to mask the lack of native third-party apps.

This is a phone for work, of course, and BlackBerry wants the Passport to play nice with all of your other productivity devices like laptops and tablets. To do this, you need to download and install something called BlackBerry Blend. It’s free to download as an app on Android, iOS and Windows devices as well as offering a desktop application for Mac and Windows use. 

Once you’ve installed it, logged in with your BlackBerry ID and paired over Wi-Fi or using the supplied charging cable, you’ll be presented with a Hub where you can view the same information as you can in the BlackBerry Hub on your phone. It also makes it easier to drag and drop files between the phone and laptop, which is useful when you need to grab something to tinker with on the way home. It’s not revolutionary, but it works well and the Passport is better off for it.

BlackBerry Passport: Performance

Powering the Passport are some very impressive specs. There’s a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor with a hefty 3GB of RAM. To put that into perspective, the Galaxy S5 runs on a Snapdragon 801 processor clocked slightly higher but with 2GB RAM.

There’s no signs of struggle for basic navigation and launching applications, although it did take a substantial amount of time before we could get into the initial setup. This aside, the extra RAM clearly helps manage multiple tasks and you’ll have no problem jumping from one app to the next.

For gaming, there’s an Adreno 330 GPU, although it doesn’t deliver entirely lag-free gaming. Android games show more signs of a struggle, likely because they're being emulated rather than running natively.

We couldn’t run the benchmark tests as the ones available on the Amazon App Store were not compatible. What we can say is that it’s well equipped for typical work tasks, but this is not something you want to be gaming on.

BlackBerry Passport: Camera

On paper the camera specs for the Passport sound pretty decent. There’s a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization to aid low-light shooting, an LED flash and a 5-element f2.0 lens. You can also shoot a maximum 1080p HD video. Up front there’s a 2-megapixel camera sensor that supports 720p HD video recording.
 
In practice, you can take some good pictures but there are elements, like the slow autofocus and a disappointing HDR mode, that leave it falling short. Having to press and hold on the camera shortcut to launch means you can’t quickly jump into camera mode as quick as we’d like as well.
 
Shooting photos is set up in a 4:3 ratio although you can change to shoot in 16:9 or 1:1 in the camera app. It’s a pretty simple app to use, except you can’t comfortably use it in one hand. It’s simply too much of a stretch to reach over to the settings where you can adjust flash, turn on HDR mode and set-up a timer. There’s also additional time shift, burst and panorama shooting modes plus the ability to add face detection, display grid lines, add video stabilization and continuous video focus.



Close up shots really struggle and that’s down to the sluggish autofocus and shutter speeds. We rarely managed to capture any really good examples. It took us several attempts before getting something as sharp as the image below as we often found the subject was soft and out of focus.



Move further back and with bright enough conditions, things get better. There’s a good amount of detail and sharpness in the image below, and there's not a great deal of noise to contend with here.

BlackBerry Passport: Battery Life

The Passport has a 3,450mAh non-removable battery, which is actually bigger than the one inside the Note 4 and if you don’t crank up the brightness and have numerous tasks you can get close to the 30 hours BlackBerry claims.
 
The problem is that there’s no adaptive display modes or power management apps that you can find on the S5 or the Xperia Z3 to better monitor the most power-sapping features. In more general use, taking no precautions, you will get a day’s use, but you are going to be hard pushed to get more than that. Using it in more general terms, and leaving it uncharged overnight, you are going to be down to around 10%.
 
In more intense testing, once we managed to transfer over a 720p HD video and run on loop with 50% brightness, you can get 7-8 hours of battery life.  That’s in the same ballpark as top-end Android smartphones including the Note 3, which packs a slightly smaller 3,200mAh.

BlackBerry Passport: Call and Sound Quality

One of the features BlackBerry is championing with the Passport is call quality. It’s a feature that’s often neglected so to address this, BlackBerry has included four microphones to adapt audio volume levels depending on environments and how close the phone is to your ear. While we couldn’t really detect whether the Passport excels here, we did fine calls were clear and and very little exterior noise crept in from the background.

As for speaker quality, BlackBerry claims the Passport’s stereo speakers placed at the bottom edge of the phone are louder than the ones on the One M8 and the Galaxy S5. While that might be true, they are more suitable for speakerphone use than listening to music, where they struggle to match the warmth and richness of HTC’s Boomsound speakers.

Should I buy the BlackBerry Passport?

No. There are far too many problems to recommend the Passport. While we can see the appeal of a wider screen, a work phone needs to be comfortable and this definitely isn’t. Using it one hand is impossible and that’s a pretty major problem.

That’s before you factor in the mess of a keyboard that BlackBerry has come up with for the Passport. Sticking to a full physical keyboard would have made much more sense, but in trying to please loyal BlackBerry users and embracing the gesture-based operating system, it satisfies no one.

It’s a disappointing because there are some positives here, but the Passport feels stuck between BlackBerry in the past and BlackBerry trying to play catch up. Ultimately, what you are left with is an awkward phone that poses more problems than solutions. 

Verdict

The BlackBerry Passport tries to be different but doesn’t quite get it right. As a result this is not the smartphone serious business professionals should consider.


Click to Buy Now on Amazon

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iBall Windows Slide WQ32 review: Workable Windows 8.1 tablet option

The new iBall tablets features Windows 8.1 OS, quad-core processor, 5MP camera and 3G connectivity. 

iBall is the latest brand to join Windows bandwagon. The company has introduced its first Windows 8.1-based tablet -  iBall Slide WQ32, Aimed at professionals, the new iBall tablet is priced at Rs. 14,600. 

The iBall Slide WQ32 has an 8-inch IPS display with 1200 x 800 pixels resolution. The tablet is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735D processor and 2GB of RAM. The Slide WQ32 has a 5MP of autofocus rear camera with flash and 2MP front facing camera.

The tablet has 16GB of internal storage, and supports microSD for additional storage up to 64GB. Connectivity options include HDMI out, 3G via SIM, Wi-Fi and USB. It is powered by a 14 Wh battery.

iBall is also offering full Office on the new tablet along with 1TB of OneDrive storage (1-year subscription) for free.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sandeep Parasrampuria, Director iBall said, "iBall is excited to present the Intel based Windows Tablet PC. The latest association with the IT stalwarts Intel and Microsoft further reinforces our position as one of the leading brands in Tablet PCs. We are proud to work with Intel and Microsoft who have been trend setters in technology."

iBall is also planning to launch its first 2-in-1 tablet in the Indian market.

Click To Buy Now on Amazon @ RS. 14,600

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Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus prices start at Rs 53,500; pre-booking starts

The iPhone 6, at left, and iPhone 6 plus are shown next to each other during a new product release in Cupertino, Calif.

Apple iPhone  6 and iPhone 6 Plus will start selling in India from Friday, October 17 with the cheapest of the phones priced at Rs 53,500. Pre-orders for the two phones will begin today, October 7.

The Apple iPhone 6 16GB is priced Rs 53,500, the 64Gb at Rs 62,500 and 128GB at Rs 71,500. The Apple iPhone 6 Plus  will be priced Rs 62,500, 64GB at Rs 71,500 and 128GB at Rs 80,500.

This will make the new iPhones the costliest mobile phones available in the Indian market.

Apple partner Ingram Micro has announced that it will offer iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at leading modern trade stores and retail outlets across India beginning from 12:01am on October 17. Customers can pre-order both models beginning 12:01am on Tuesday, October 7 at the major retail outlets of the partners.

Quick Specs

• 4.7-inch (diagonal) Retina HD display with 1334-by-750 resolution
• A8 chip with M8 motion coprocessor
• 8-megapixel iSight camera with Focus Pixels and True Tone flash
• 1080p HD video recording at 60 fps and slo-mo video recording at 240 fps
• FaceTime HD camera
• Touch ID fingerprint sensor
• LTE1 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi

• iOS 8 and iCloud
• Available in silver, gold, or space gray

Click to Prebook on Flipkart

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Intex Aqua Y2 Pro Android KitKat phone at Rs 4,200

Intex Aqua Y2 Pro runs on a MediaTek (MT6572) dual-core processor clocked at 1 GHz with 512 MB of RAM.

Specs: 

• 4.5-inch FWVGA, 480 x 854 pixels display 
• Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS 
• MediaTek (MT6572) 1 GHz dual-core processor 
• 512 MB RAM 
• 4 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB 
• 5MP with flash and VGA front camera

Intex has launched another pocket-friendly Android smartphone in its Aqua series, called the Aqua Y2 PRO. Running on Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system at Rs. 4,200, the 3G smartphone runs on a MediaTek (MT6572) dual-core processor clocked at 1 GHz with 512 MB of RAM.

The Aqua Y2 Pro features a 4.5-inch FWVGA display with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels and mounts a 5 MP rear camera with flash along with a VGA front camera. It comes with 4 GB of internal memory which is expandable up to 32 GB via microSD card slot and is powered by a 1600 mAh battery. The device is available in Black and Navy Blue colour options.

“The Aqua Y2 PRO as the name suggests is handcrafted for the gen-Y crowd and is our latest addition to the Aqua collection. With a unique pricing, the all new Y2 PRO runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat and is the most reasonably priced 3G smartphone in 4.5 inch screen,” said Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Mobile Business Head, Intex Technologies.

Click to Buy now at amazon @ RS.4,200

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Xiaomi Redmi 1S is a value for money smartphone

Click To Register/Buy it on Flipkart @ Rs. 5999

Daring to compete against the Motorola Moto E, the Xiaomi Redmi 1S is one value for money smartphone. The Xiaomi Mi3 packed in the specifications of a Rs 30,000 smartphone yet was priced under Rs 15,000. Xiaomi is now eyeing the under Rs 10,000 smartphone space by launching the Redmi 1S, which once again packs in smart specs and has a decent design.

Box packing: Similar to the Xiaomi Mi3, the Redmi 1S is packed in a plain cardboard box. The phone is on the top, along with the documentation, battery, USB adapter and a charging cable. Our box packed unit didn't have any headphone, a standard in all smartphones.

Build quality: The Redmi 1S does not feel as premium as the Mi3 as it has a plastic body. It feels like a rectangular slab. It has a 4.7-inch touch display. Three capacitive touch keys are placed below the display that are not backlit. There isn't any branding at the front. The only Mi branding has been placed neatly at the bottom of the back panel. A 3.5 mm jack is placed on the top with power key and volume controls on the right edge. Charging port is at the bottom. Unlike the Mi3, where one has to use the pin to access the SIM tray, the SIM slots are hidden below the back panel. One has to remove the back panel to access to two SIM slots and the memory card slot. Irrespective of its plastic body, it feels sturdy and durable.

Software: Although the Redmi 1S runs Android 4.3, the UI has been heavily customised. The MIUI places everything on the home page and there isn't any app tray. This has been inspired by the iPhone UI and one can create folders to arrange the apps. Users will regularly get updates of the MIUI too. Xiaomi plans to release Android KitKat update for this smartphone later this year.

Light mode: Considering a lot of Redmi 1S will be first time smartphone users or the elderly, Xiaomi has added a light mode to this phone. This changes the UI completely, making it look simple and easy to use. When entered into the light mode from settings, the phone reboots and shows the big tiles on the home page that are customisable. It also allows users to pin some of the favourite contacts. One can still continue to access this phone as a smartphone.

Hardware and performance: The Redmi 1S is powered by a 1.6 GHz quad core processor on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400 chipset. It is coupled with 1 GB RAM. But one should not go by the number of cores as it performs, similar to the Motorola Moto E with a dual core processor. The phone managed to do the basics with ease. However, we did notice some lag while launching heavy apps or switching between multiple apps. The browsing experience was good. We were able to play some basic games, such as Temple Run 2. However, the phone started to heat after a few minutes of gaming. Also, don't expect it to handle heavy graphic apps.

Camera: Xiaomi has packed in an 8 MP camera to the Redmi 1S. It is the best when compared to other smartphones in this price category. The camera app is similar to the one on the Mi3. It offers various settings, including filters, image quality - standard, high and low, ability to scan QR code, etc. Other modes include panorama, HDR, close handheld twilight and audio. The images captured appeared to be crisp and offered natural colours. However, the camera app did slow down at times while focusing on the object.

Storage: The company claims that the phone comes with an 8 GB of internal storage.

Others: The call clarity of the smartphone was good. This is a dual SIM smartphone. It packs in a 2000 mAh battery, which lasted me over a day and a half on excessive usage. There are different modes too where one can choose economy mode for the battery to last a bit longer.

Availability: Xiaomi will be selling the Redmi 1S only on Flipkart through its flash sales that will go live on every Tuesday. So, one will have to register for the smartphone in advance and hit the 'add to cart' as the sales goes live. 

Click To Register/Buy it on Flipkart @ Rs. 5999

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ASUS ZENFONE 5 : Worth Considering

Considering its price, the ZenFone is a performer as there isn't any lag. The phone could be used for daily operations and casual gaming too.

ASUS ZENFONE 5
Price: Rs 9,999
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs: 5-inch display, 8 MP camera, 1.6 GHz Intel Atom dual core processor, 2 GB RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, 2000 mAh battery

A popular name in the computing space, Asus once used to sell Windows smartphones in India too. It is now back in action with its Zen-Fone smartphones. The one we are putting to test is the ZenFone 5.

The design of the ZenFone 5 isn't praiseworthy but we can't complain as it is priced aggressively at Rs 9,999.

The phone packs in a 5-inch display at the front and has got a white plastic rear panel. The power control along the volume is on the right edge. ASUS ZenFone and Intel Inside branding is prominently placed at the back.

Unlike other smartphones that run on the latest version of the operating system and is either on Media Tek chipset or Qualcomm, this one has none. It runs on Android 4.3 and has got 1.6 GHz Intel dual core Z2560 processor. It is couple with 2 GB of RAM. It also has a custom UI which simple to use.

Considering its price, the ZenFone is a performer as there isn't any lag. The phone could be used for daily operations and casual gaming too.

There is a PixelMaster camera onboard that claims to combine 4 pixels into one to improve light sensitivity. The 8 MP rear camera performs outdoors and even in low light environment. The 2000 mAh battery onboard is a let down as it struggles to last a day on heavy usage.

The ASUS ZenFone 5 justifies its price tag.

Click to Buy Now on Flipkart

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Why Panasonic P81 is a good buy at Rs 12,400

Panasonic P81 is a smartphone Powered by Octa-Core processor, Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and 13 MP Auto Focus Camera.

Buy Now @ Price: Rs 12,900 on Flipkart

Buy Now @ Price : Rs 12,400 on Amazon

Key Features of Panasonic P81

• Android v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) OS with Play Life UI
• Multi Play - Dual Windows and Work on Two Apps
• Play More
• Pop-i Player
• Gesture Play
• Smart Ringer
• Smart App Switch
• 13 MP Primary Camera
• 2 MP Secondary Camera
• Drive Bug Free
• Music Cafe
• 1.7 GHz True Octa Core Processor

A new colour everyday

Display and Configuration

 

The Panasonic P81 has comes with a 5.5-inch IPS multi touch display with a pixel density of 267ppi and a resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels. It runs Android v4.2 Jelly Bean OS. An octa-core processor sprinting at 1.7GHz powers the smartphone in combination with a 1GB RAM.

 

Camera and Storage

 

A 13MP shooter on the rear panel makes the Panasonic P81 attractive for shutterbugs. The autofocus camera is capable of recording 1080p videos @ 30fps. The smartphone also supports video calling via a 2MP front camera. It is loaded with an inbuilt memory of 8GB which is expandable up to 32GB.

 

Battery and Connectivity

 

Connectivity options included in the Panasonic P81 are 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11, b/g, GPS with AGPS, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth, USB port and GPRS with EDGE. The 2,500mAh Li-ion battery, as claimed by the company, can run the phone for a maximum of 13 hours in talk time mode and up to 650 hours in standby mode over 2G.

Verdict

With the P81, Panasonic has ventured into the world of smartphones in style. The wide range of swappable back covers enables you to dress it every day with something new. It's quite sound in terms of configuration as well as looks, and is decently priced as well.

Buy Now @ Price: Rs 12,900 on Flipkart

Buy Now @ Price : Rs 12,400 on Amazon

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Motorola launches Moto 360 smartwatch at Rs 17,999

Moto 360 smartwatch at Rs 17,999 (Flipkart.com)

Handset manufacturer Motorola 's smartwatch Moto 360, priced at Rs 17,999, went on sale from Friday in India exclusively on e-commerce portal Flipkart.

With a round design that maximises the display area, the smartwatch has voice control that makes it easy to get things done and can helps to send texts, set a reminder, check the weather and even ask for directions.

It also has built-in pedometer to track steps and heart-rate monitor.

The smartwatch runs of operating system Android Wear with a battery life of 320 mAH. It has internal storage of 4 GB and 512 MB RAM.

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Alcatel onetouch idol x+ review

Price: Rs 16,999 (Buy Now from Flipkart)

Specs: 5-inch display; 13 MP camera; Android 4.2; 2 GHz octa core processor; 2 GB RAM; 2500 mAh battery

The Alcatel One Touch has now launched the Idol X+. This phone is the successor to the Idol X that was launched last year.

The Idol X+ has got a premium finish. The front is dominated by the display with no branding and looks neat. The back is done in glossy black with Alcatel One Touch branding below the camera. The corner edges and the sides are slightly curved. Even though, it has a 5-inch display, it is more convenient to hold than 5-inch phablets. It is sleek, at 8.1 mm thickness, and weighs 130 grams. When kept on the table, many confused it to be a Samsung smartphone.

The Idol X+ runs on Android 4.2, which is a letdown considering most smartphones run Android KitKat. Alcatel One Touch has added a customised user interface to this phone which isn't that heavy. But for an even better performance, Nova Launcher works well on this phone.

The phone comes packed with plenty of pre-installed apps, such as productivity tools, clean master, BoomBand, etc. The device comes with 16 GB onboard storage out of which only 12.3 GB is user accessible. It doesn't have a memory card slot. The camera does a good job outdoors as well as indoors

Bag it or junk it: A value for money smartphone

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The iOS 8 Review

As another year goes by we see a new iPhone and a new version of iOS to accompany it. We also got a preview of the Apple Watch which will be going on sale next year. Our reviews of both new iPhones will be coming soon, with a look at new iOS features specific to those devices like ApplePay. But with iOS 8 rolling out today to millions of existing iOS users across the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, it's worth taking a look at what Apple is bringing to the users that are already in the iOS ecosystem. 

This year brings the eighth iteration of Apple's mobile operating system, and with it comes features that users and developers have desired on iOS for many years. On the surface, iOS 8 seems like a minor update compared to the massive visual overhaul that iOS 7 brought. Indeed, there's no new design language, and no enormous changes to existing apps. But under the hood, with its features for application extensibility and continuity across the devices in Apple's ecosystem, it's a massive update that will be revealed over time as developers begin to take advantage of Apple's new features and APIs. If iOS 7 was the biggest update for users since the original launch of iOS and the iPhone 7 years ago, then iOS 8 is the biggest update for developers since the launch of iOS (at the time called iPhone OS) 2.0 and the App Store.

What's unique about iOS is the developer beta process that Apple runs in the time between announcement and release. While Google has taken a step into this area with the Android L developer preview, and Microsoft provides betas for Windows Phone 8.1, no mobile operating system operates on the 2 week beta schedule that iOS does. This cycle is interesting because it gives insight into Apple's development process on a smaller scale than looking at the changes from one major version of iOS to another. With iOS 7, developers became even more involved with this process as Apple began to really listen to the feedback given by people beta testing their software.

For example, the font weighting that we currently have is much heavier than what was originally demoed at WWDC back in 2013. It took many betas for Apple to eventually settle on what was a good balance between appearance and legibility. Likewise with iOS 8, I have observed many changes as Apple has gone through the different beta versions. The design of contact circles in the app switcher went through three or four different versions before Apple eventually settled on their current appearance. The buttons in Notification Center had a similar number of changes. Unfortunately, even when using iOS 8 betas on a daily basis it's difficult to keep track of all the changes made over time. What's most important to consumers is the end product though, and so with the exception of some features like SMS Relay, this review takes a look at the changes when making the jump from iOS 7.1.2 to iOS 8.0.

With that all said, lets dive into iOS 8, starting with the app that users use most.

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An app that hides your phone number

A Singapore-based technology firm is in talks with major Indian telecom companies to introduce a new safety application which ensures privacy by shielding mobile phone numbers, especially protecting women from abuse. 

"We are in advanced level of talks with major Indian telcos and expect to introduce the new application by the first quarter of next year," said Gurtaj Singh Padda, CEO and founder of Booleantech.net, which has produced the technology-based application. 

'StitMe' is being marketed as business to consumer and its bigger, sister app 'ShieldMe' is for business to business basis, he said adding, both applications offer mobile phone privacy. 

"As online dating platforms continue to increase in popularity, it is important, now more than ever, that women take precautions to protect themselves and their privacy." 

"Personal privacy is a fundamental right of every individual and StitMe ensures privacy by shielding the phone number," he said. 

He underlined the recent safety measures introduced to protect women in India and the growing importance of mobile phones across the country. 

'StitMe', a free anonymous and safe communication, SMS, calling and messaging app, is already alive and available in the US through the technology company's headquarters Boolean Tech Ireland Limited in Dublin. 

"India would become our second major market after the US though we are also in talks with the European telcos," Padda told PTI. 

He sees the Indian telcos facilitating the unique number protecting feature of the services applications to Indians from next year. 

"The world just is not safe anymore. Anyone who has your mobile number can call you or text you any time they want, as often as they want to," he said.

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