www.mymobileindia.

com november 2016 rs 100

tm

for a connected lifestyle

ANDROID 7.0 Tested

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus,

NOUGAT Honor 8, Apple Watch Series

2, Moto Z Play, Moto Z,
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro,
What's new, what's good Gionee S6 Pro and more...
and who will get it?

GooGle Versus
eVenT Lenovo Z2 Plus vs
The Pixel era OnePlus 3
cometh? iPhone 7 Plus vs
Samsung Galaxy
S7 Edge
Chief
Speak
Debjani Ghosh,
Intel phone of the month
lenovo z2 plus

@mymobilemag
 firstcall

M
illions of people use smartphones powered
Editorpage
by Android, the worlds most popular mobile
operating system. Android has changed the
eDIToRIAL
mobile phone market forever, ever since
the first smartphone running Android, the HTC Dream, Pankaj Mohindroo | editor-in-Chief

released on October 22nd, 2008, allowing users to

nimish Dubey | Contributing editor
access apps and high end features that were once the
Anuj bhatia | Chief of bureau
preserve of super expensive handsets. While many give
credit to Google for democratization of the smartphone Priyanka Dua | Sr. Correspondent
market, in collaboration with hundreds of developers and Rohan Pal | Sr. Sub-editor
manufacturers;I still believe without the open nature of
Vanshika malhotra | Junior Reporter
Android it was near impossible to reach out to millions
of users, especially in a country like India, where people Akriti Rana | Junior Reporter

are still getting used to smartphones. Each year Google

releases a new version of Android, and this year Google DeSIGn
has made a number of changes to its mobile operating
Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer
system that are worth talking about. Which is why we have
covered the release of Android 7.0 Nougat extensively in
the current issue in detail.
mARKeTInG
Puja mohindroo | manager - business
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 controversy drew everyones
interest, for all the wrong reasons after several phones Apoorv bhatnagar | Sr. manager marketing
exploded and caught fire. It not only showed the worlds
Sandeep Kumar | manager marketing
largest smartphone maker in poor light but also raised a
number of questions. We have covered the Galaxy Note 7
demise in detail. Meanwhile, an era seemingly came to an oPeRATIonS
end when BlackBerry announced that it will end designing K. Rajagopalan | Advisor-Legal, Accounts &
Administration
its own devices. We have a special story on BlackBerry and
its downfall. Deepak Kohli | manager Accounts

October also saw the launch of Apples new smartphones, Varun Lama | Sr. manager Human Resources
the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, in India. Although both
b. G. mathur | manager- Production
smartphones come at hefty prices and look similar to their
predecessors, but what really makes the iPhone so popular?
CIRCULATIon
Weve reviewed the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in this
Lalit Sharma | Sr. manager Circulation
issue. We also have an exclusive interaction with Debjani
Ghosh, Managing Director, South Asia - Intel Corporation,
one of the most influential persons in tech in Asia. We also ADVISoRY boARD
take a special look at Motorolas new Moto Z, the finest bejon misra
modular smartphone to be available in the market today. Rajan mathews
And then there are reviews of the Honor 8, Lenovo Z2 Plus, S.D. Saxena
Motorola Moto Z Play, Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro and many Subhash Chandra
more smartphones. And of course, there are responses to Sunil Dutt
your queries and letters. Sonu bhasin
Happy reading! n Uvaraj natarajan

edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj mohindroo, Published

from Flat no. 25, First Floor, Shankar market, Connaught Place, new
Delhi 110001. Printed at HT media Ltd. b-2, Sector 63, noida.

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors
and omissions contained in this publication, however caused.
Pankaj mohindroo The opinions and the views contained in this publication are not
necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to
eDIToR-In-CHIeF Follow Us: seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in
Facebook this publication, which is provided for general use and may not
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Twitter
twitter.com/mymobilemag Volume XI, Issue X, noVembeR 2016

04 | NOvEMBEr 2016 MYMOBILE

 content
28 50

58
36
Style Notes 36 CHIEF SPEAK 92 Vinod Pandit and Amit Saxena
share their plans and
Debjani Ghosh, Vice
10 LETTERS President, Sales and strategies to get Lephone
12 NEWS Marketing Group, into the Indian phone
16 MOBILE DOCTOR Managing Director, South Asia, limelight
18 RUMOR MILL Intel, talks about the
113 MY GUIDE companys future plans and
42 PRODUCT FOCUS
strategy for India
Motorola just gave an all-
20 JUST IN
new life to-be-dead concept
We take a closer look at all new
FACE TO FACE of modularity with the
Honor 8 Smart, Xiaomi Mi Max
40 Rakesh Yadav and Fu Zan launch of Motorola Moto Z.
Prime, Asus ZenFone 3 Laser
Cheng of HGD India talks We take a detailed look at
and more
about companys thrust areas the device.
and future plans.
27 CELL SPEAK
What those who matter in the
44 EVENTS
54 Opera CEO Lars Boilesen, talks We look at the key
world of tech are saying.
about the brands vision, new announcement made
vistas and the importance of during Googles first
28 LEAD STORY Indian market hardware event,
We take a closer look at the and yes, the Pixel too.
latest update from Googles
camp, the Android 7.0 Nougat 86 Ubers head of engineering, 48 SNAPSHOT
coupled with some helpful tips Apurva Dalal, on the tech that Lenovo Yoga Book: A closer
and tricks, devices which will drives the company that has look at Lenovos latest
be getting the latest update become synonymous with cab innovation in the laptop
and more. apps. domain

06 | NOVEMBER 2016 MYMOBILE

 contents
50 SPECIAL iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung 98 TIPS &TRICKS
What's Inside
We try answer all the queries Galaxy S7 edge We tell you the proper way of
related to Apples latest flagship using AirDrop on an ioS device
devices--- Apple iPhone 7 and 88 The budget flagship Tussle:
iPhone 7 Plus onePlus 3 and Lenovo Z2 Plus
100 BOREDOM BUSTERS
run for your life in evil Dead:
66 PERSONALITY
57 JARGON BUSTER Ten things you might not know
endless nightmare, Save the
everything you need to know village from evil force in Dan The
about Facebooks Chief
lithium-ion batteries man, witness the perfect blend
operating officer Sheryl
of music and game in beat
Sandberg
Stomper and more
SPOTLIGHT
58 Indias biggest spectrum auction
just got over. We look at the
Burn Tests 106 SMART APPS
67 ITEL IT1520 We take a look at an app that
recently-concluded spectrum
lets you control multiple social
and how it is going to effect the 68 VIDEOCON CUBE 3
networks, get up and close with
telecom industry.
69 INTEX AQUA S7 Google Allo, explore Prismas
70 GIONEE S6 PRO video side and more
62 We look at the interconnection
battles being waged between 72 HONOR 8
reliance Jio and existing mobile 133 ETCETERA
74 VIVO Y55L
operators. onePlus 3 Gold edition,
76 NUBIA Z11 MINI motorola moto Hasselblad mod,
94 Gadgets from abroad: We look at 78 APPLE WATCH SERIES 2 Logitech Create keyboard for
some amazing gadgets you can iPad Pro, Asus Zenbook Flip,
80 LENOVO Z2 PLUS
buy when travelling abroad Xiaomi vr headset, Jabra
82 SAMSUNG GALAXY A9 PRO headphones, rDP Thinbook and
60 IN FOCUS 84 MOTOROLA MOTO Z PLAY much more
blackberry has stopped making
its own phones and will focus on
90 BUYERS GUIDE 146 VANTAGE POINT
software instead.
Points to keep in mind vivek Zhang, Cmo vivo India, on
whenever you are going to buy a how sound is becoming a major
VERSUS
pair of headphones factor in the customers
64 battle of the Sevens: the Apple
purchase decision

113 100 88

Total number of pages = 148

08 | november 2016 MYMOBILE

Inbox letters

www.mymobileindia.com OCTOBER 2016 Rs 100

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games as well because there
is hardly anyone who does
that. I love to try all the
FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE
from Delhi suggested that I abroad section, it gives me a
should subscribe My Mobile list of gadgets I can buy
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RELIANCE JIO
ARRIVES
Will it change the Indian digital games that you guy review subscribed your magazine, travel which are not
landscape?
Versus
Digital Books vs Paper Books
and many a times I wait for not only do I get to know available in India. It saves a
The Fitness Band Face Off

you next edition to see about the newly launched lot of my time as the section
which game you have devices but the My Guide provides me with a list and
IPHONE
Tested
MANIA reviewed now. I try those section of the magazine saves me from all the
The new iPhones are here,
games and some turn out helps me explain the
Asus ZenFone 3, Fitbit
Charge 2, Titan Juxt Pro,
Gionee S6s, Coolpad
Mega 2.5D, Misfit
and so are iOS 10 and a
new Apple Watch. research work.
Shine 2, Intex
FitRist Pulzz, Acer
Predator 15 and
more...
PHONE OF THE MONTH
INTEX AQUA FISH be really good while others, customers which device is Archna Rastogi
@mymobilemag

not so much. But this the best in a specific range.

I love to read about gadgets definitely provides me with a This has helped me with the I am a My Mobile magazine
and smartphones. My new list of games every business and has also subscriber. I downloaded
Mobile is the only magazine month to try. created my goodwill Pokemon Go from a friends
which provides me with Annu Batra amongst my customers. US account because I was
more stuff than I can read. Thank you My Mobile. really excited to try the
The magazine is worth every I have a small mobile retail Kuldeep Sharma game. But as soon as I
penny. I think the content is shop in Punjab. There are downloaded the game I
unbiased and offers people who often come and I have to travel a lot due to figured that it is a little
information on varied ask us about which device work and I get to visit confusing. I couldnt figure
subjects. I have to go for and which device is various countries. I read my out the way around. Then I
recommended the magazine the best in a certain price mobile magazine whenever I read the cover story in My
to many of many of my bracket. Being a retailer get time as it updates me Mobile Magazine in the
friends and family they expect me to know a lot about all the latest gadgets September issue. The guide
members. but because Im in small and applications. The helped me understand the
Sanjay Kapoor town I hardly get to know applications you review game and I have been
I have just finished a about all the new or latest really help me a lot. Some of playing the game like a total
diploma course in mobile devices launched by various them I use them in real time pro. I have captured 8
repairing and technology companies, and now that and others I use to kill Pokemons in just 15 days.
and I want to thank the there are various Chinese boredom. But this is not it. Kudos to the team.
team behind My Mobile company in the market, I The most important reason Ranjeet Poddar
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used to read your difficult every day for me to magazine is because of your
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recommended the same to and their price. A friend
me. I subscribed the
e
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nes an ream
interest in technology then I
u t c ellpho k ey in a d
o
zy ab ew lines? o st
opted for the course and ra c an als n the late e
o u c f a n d o u hav
now I have my own Mobile Are y al to pen a for news our hands u think yo
ti se y o
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Rajesh Shrivastva headl and tell th king for y your name
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i n yo b i l e .co.in ine.
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I am a student and a total mym e mag
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Whats Up newsbits
OnePlus introduces online
storeOnePlusStore.in in
India
Chinese brand OnePlus has
opened its online store
OnePlusStore.in in India.
Similar online stores by the
company are already present in
countries like USA, China and
UK. OnePlus will be only selling
smartphone accessories on its
online platform. The list of
items will include, Tempered
Glass Protector, Protective
Cases, Flip Cover, Otterbox
Case, Dash Type-C Cable, Dash
Power Adapter and Dash Car
Charger for the OnePlus 3 and
OnePlus Icons earphones. The
company is also offering various
limited period offers through
the e-store. The online store has
also listed companys flagship
device- OnePlus 3 listed on the
site but clicking on the link will
redirect the users to Amazon
which is exclusive online selling
platform for the device.
Qualcomm India President
Sunil Lalvani quits
Qualcomm Indias President,
Sunil Lalvani who was
associated with the company
for just over a year now has
stepped down from position.
Lalvani had replaced Avneesh
Agrawal who was working with
the multinational telecom and
semiconductor equipment
company for around 21 years.
No specific reason has yet
surfaced due to which Lalvani
has stepped down but according
to a report by The Hindu
Business Line, Lalvani quit
because of performance
pressure. Lalvani was reporting
to Jim Cathey at Qualcomm
12 | NOVEMBER 2016
who is the Senior Vice President
and President of Asia Pacific
and India of the organisation.
Sunil Lalvani has been
previously associated with
names like Blackberry, Nokia
Corporation, EMC Corporation
amongst various others.
Jio makes world record by
touching 16m users in just 26
days
A telecom venture by Reliance
IndustriesReliance Jio
recently claimed that the
company has created a world
record by crossing over 16
million users in just 26 days of
its operation. Jio- the telecom
project which launched its
services in September came
along with a Welcome offer
which provided its users with
free data and calling services till
December. The company also
claimed that the initiative has
grown faster than any other
start-up or telecom initiative
around the world including
Facebook, WhatsApp and
Skype. Jio has introduced
Aadhaar based paper free SIM
activation process in around
3100 cities and towns which
activates the users SIM within
a few minutes. The initiative
which is already hitting
milestones is expected to grow
even further in coming days.
Spectrum auction 2016 brings
government just Rs. 65,000
crore
The month of October witnessed
Indias largest spectrum auction
process. This years spectrum
auction only managed to bring
Rs. 65,789 which is way lower
than what was expected. Bharti
Airtel and Vodafone emerged as
top buyers followed by Idea
Cellular and Reliance Jio
Infocomm. The highest bid
made by a company during the
process was by Vodafone which
had bids worth over Rs. 20,000
crores during the spectrum
auction. The second largest
bidder after Vodafone was Airtel
with around Rs.14,000 crore.
New in the telecom sector,
Reliance Jio also made an
impressive start by bidding for
the key 4G airwaves for Rs.
13,672 crores while Idea
cellular won the spectrum of
worth 12,798 during the entire
process.
Google wants to provide fast
Wi-Fi to everyone
power a Samsung smartphone
Last year Google came up with
an initiative where the US based
company provided free Wi-Fi at
a number of railway station in
India, now it looks like the
company wants to expand the
project with the plans of
providing Wi-Fi not only to India
but to the world. The software
major during the Second
Google for India event
announced that the company is
planning to take the initiative to
the next level and mentioned
that the project will be expanded
globally. Google aims to bring
free internet connection to
cafes, malls and all the other
places under its newly launched
initiative known as Google
Station. The company plans to
extend the initiative in India by
providing free and affordable
Wi-Fi before starting this
initiative in other countries.
Samsung takes over AI firm Viv,
the core team behind Apples
Siri
South Korean name, Samsung
has recently taken over the
machine-learning virtual
assistant firm, Viv which was
the core team behind Apples
widely popular virtual assistant,
Siri. Viv was started by Dag
Kittlaus and the company will
now be working for Samsung to
create a virtual assistant like Siri
for the South Korean brand
name. Samsung took over the
firm for an unknown amount
and the information was
confirmed by the organisation
through a blogpost. The
company wants to integrate
Vivs artificial intelligence
assistant in its Galaxy
smartphones which will help
the company expand voice
assistant services to home
appliances and wearable
devices. As per Samsungs
official, Viv should be able to
by sometime in next year.
Ola now allows users to book
cab without internet
Popular cab provider, Ola has
introduced what it calls an
offline feature which allows
the users to book a cab on poor
or without any internet
connection. The users can book
an app by sending a location
message to the company, as
soon as the company figures out
that the user is offline, Ola will
send the user details of the
driver, cabs and all the other
necessary information via SMS.
The app would use your
registered number and other
information for billing with no
extra charges. The users can
pay with cash or by using Ola
money. The feature is available
on all types of rides including,
Micro, Mini, Prime and Lux.
TRAI blames pol congestion for
massive call drops
Telecom Regulatory Authority of
MYMOBILE
Whats Up newsbits
India in a statement has
directed existing telecom
operators to meet quality of
service norms and prepare a
compliance report. TRAI in the
statement mentioned that pol
congestion has resulted into
large failures of inter-operator
calls which is affecting the
interest of the consumer. The
organisation issued the
statement to protect the
consumers interest. The
authority previously issued a
showcase notice to the operators
for call drops issues which were
exceeding the norm on
September 27 and also met the
officials of certain operators
regarding the issue including
Bharti Aitel, Vodafone and
Reliance Jio and asked them to
submit a daily call traffic data
report.
Airtel introduces V-Fibre
broadband service with
unlimited voice calling
Bharti Airtel recently announced
its V-Fibre broadband service in
the country. The initiative was
introduced in Chennai and as
per the company claims; the
service will be offering speeds
up to 100MBps. The Super
fast broadband service will be
rolled out in 87 other cities in
India in the coming weeks,
starting from Delhi-NCR and
Bengaluru. Along with the
introduction of V-Fibre
broadband service, Airtel
announced that the unlimited
free voice calling service which
was earlier available for users
14 | NoVeMBeR 2016
with selected plans will be
extending to all the customers.
To avail the service the monthly
users will have to get a new
modem which will be charged
whereas the price of the monthly
rental packs will remain the
same alongside the increased
speed. The company has stated
that both new and existing
customers can book V-Fibre
broadband service through
Airtels dedicated website.
Snapchat introduces glasses
with built-in camera
Snapchat has recently
introduced its very first physical
product Spectacles.
Spectacles are glasses by
Snapchat with in-built camera.
The spectacles come with a
Snapchat integration and can
record a video of ten seconds.
The glasses come with a button
on the side which when pressed
will record short videos which
can be uploaded on Snapchat
as a SnapStory directly. The
glasses are equipped with 115
degrees lens wider than most
phone cameras and will allow
users to capture better videos.
The new Snapchat Spectacles
are priced at $129.99 which is
approximately Rs. 8,647.
Now users can buy products
from Facebook messenger
without leaving chat space
Shopping platform, Shopify has
introduced a new feature that
will allow users to shop directly
through Facebook messenger
chat without actually having to
leave the conversation. Shpoify
had partnered with the social
networking giant last year to
Shop sections on Facebook
Pages. Now the two organisations
are taking the partnership to a
new level where the shopping
platform is offering its
merchants a chance to sell their
products on Facebook
Messenger through chats and
messages. The verified
merchants will have to sign up
with Shopify first. The
Messengers users will get to see
a Shop Now icon on their
screen which will allow the
users to see the entire catalogue
of items available for them to
buy.
Airtel offers iPhone 7 for
Rs.19,990
Bharti Airtel is offering the
newly launched iPhone 7 and
iPhone 7 Plus at the price of Rs.
19,990 and Rs.30,792
respectively. The telecom
company will be providing the
device on a contract basis with
a minimum down payment.
Under the offer, the organisation
will provide the users with a
device under a new postpaid
plan with free local and STD
calls, free roaming, and free
data (5GB, 10GB or 15GB, as
per the chosen plan). As per
Airtels website the offer is
available only for the customers
in Noida and Karnataka. In the
plan, iPhone for life, the
customer will be paying the
down payment whereas the rest
of the amount will be paid by
Bajaj Finance but the customers
will not be allowed to port to
another network while the
contract lasts and the customers
have to remain with the network
for at least one year.
Intex to launch mobile wallet
service with mRuppee
The domestic technology brand,
Intex has recently announced
its partnership with Tata
Teleservices Subsidiary,
mRupee to launch its first
mobile wallet service. Named
as Intex MyWallet, the service
will help users make payments
with integrated payment
functionalities and
conveniences within the
handset. The service will allow
the users to recharge, transfer
money, booking trains, bus or
movie tickets, shopping and
more directly from the Intex
MyWallet. The company will
also introduce a retailers portal
where the Intex retailers will get
opportunities to get higher share
of customers wallet by offering
retail assisted services of
recharges, bill payments,
utilities and money transfer.
Google Play Music Service
launched in India
Google has introduced its Play
Music Store in India. The
service which was available in
other parts of the world has
debuted in the country where
songs and albums are available
to buy. The service which was
rumoured to launch back in July
was introduced at an event
where the company launched
some apps and new features
specifically for Indian users.
Although Google Play Music is
available in India now but the
subscription based service,
Google Play Music All Access is
still not available in the country.
With this initiative Google will
be competing with the names
like Apples iTunes, AItels Wynk
Music amongst others. n
team@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE
Q&A MobileDoctor
I have a budget of Rs
20,000 and I want a phone
that has a good display
and very good battery life.
Which phone should I go
for?
Ravi Taneja, New Delhi
Keeping the budget and
your requirements in mind,
I would suggest you to get
the Lenovo Z2 Plus. Not
only does the smartphone
look appealing, it is
powered by a 5-inch FHD
display, Snapdragon 820
processor, 4GB RAM and
64GB of non-expandable
internal storage. The device
is powered by a 3,500mAh
battery, meaning it should
last a full day on a single
charge. For Rs. 19,999,
Lenovo Z2 Plus is likely
to get the most
bang for your
buck.
I have been
hearing a lot of
new about Samsung
phones exploding.
Does this mean I should
avoid buying Samsung
phones for a while?
Rahul Chopra,
Bengaluru
No, not at all. Samsung is
a renowned smartphone
manufacturer, so dont
yet write off the company.
And in case of the Galaxy
Note 7, something went
terribly wrong, hurting the
companys brand image.
16 | NOvEMBER 2016
Samsung has even publicly
apologised for the Galaxy
Note 7 fiasco.
I want a good smartphone
mainly for the purpose of
browsing the Web, emailing
and social networking. My
budget is Rs 10,000. I
want to go for the new Moto
E3 Power but some people
are suggesting that I should
buy the Redmi Note 3.
Which is the better option?
Priya Dhawan, Mumbai
The budget smartphone
market is full of choices,
so I can imagine your
situation right now. Both
smartphones are decent in
performance, but if I had to
pick one, Id have got the set ups. What is so special
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. The
device comes with some
superior specs as compared
to Motorola Moto E Power
and does have an edge in
terms of design language. If
you are comfortable buying
it then Xiaomi Redmi Note
3 is best-suited for you.
I want the best smartphone
out there in the market,
and cost is not an issue.
Should I go for an Android
or an iPhone and which are
the best options in there?
Amit Mishra
It all boils down to your
preference. Both the
operating systems are
amazing in their own
right. In Android you get
a plethora of apps and
sharing content it easier
on this platform, while in
iOS you get a secure and
encrypted ecosystem plus
you get faster updates
as compared
to Android. If
you love to use
Android then I
would suggest
that you should
go with Samsung
Galaxy S7 Edge
or else if you
want to go for an
iOS device then
Apple iPhone
7 Plus would
be a good
option as it
is equipped with
some hardware
coupled with
dual camera
setup.
I am seeing a number of
devices with dual camera
about them and are they
better than single cameras?
Kiran Mathur
With a dual-camera setup
you have the advantage
of getting a photo with
greater details, sharpness
and clarity than a single
camera. In dual camera,
one camera is generally
used to capture a normal
photo while the camera
capture all the details
and then the software
intelligently merge both
the photos, giving you
much sharper and detailed
photos.
What is stock Android? Why
are people so impressed by
it and why is it important?
Diksha Parashar
Stock Android is the purest
version of Android given
by the Google itself. Most
of the manufacturers adds
their own customisation
to the latest Android
version released by
Google, but in the case
of stock Android, there
is no modification in the
software meaning that you
are getting the version
Google releases for its
own range of devices. In
stock Android, there are
not many bloatware apps,
meaning you are getting
clean interface which does
not much RAM and is
optimised enough to
give a delightful
experience to its users.
Stock Android devices
generally work faster than
others. n
Is your mobile phone
acting strange?
Email your queries at
team@mymobile.co.in
and our mobile doctor
Arshdeep Singh will
suggest remedies for
your ailing device.
Disclaimer: The views
expressed by Arshdeep
Singh are his own and
do not necessarily
coincide with those of
My Mobile.
MYMOBILE
 RumouR mill
Talk
Samsung working on
the Galaxy Note 7e?
Samsung has been facing a tough time
lately, ever since the Galaxy Note 7
fiasco shook the whole tech industry.
The Galaxy Note 7 debacle would cost
the company about $5.3 billion, and
more importantly, Samsungs reputation
has come under the scanner, something
that should worry the worlds largest
smartphone maker. For most people -
the Galaxy Note 7 is dead. And there
is a little chance that Samsung even
bring the Galaxy Note 7 to the market
again. Evidently Samsung is working on
a phone that might be a low-cost variant
of the Note 7, dubbed the Galaxy Note
7e, sources tell My Mobile. Apparently
the alleged Galaxy Note 7e is believed to
be made from leftover Note 7 materials.
Samsung hasnt even said the device
exists, however, My Mobile believes that
the Galaxy Note 7e might get released in
India before the end of the year. Weve
also learned from our trusted sources
18 | NovEMBER 2016
in Tech
Corners
that the Galaxy Note 7e could cost about
Rs. 25,000. We expect to hear a lot
more about Samsung Galaxy Note 7e in
coming days. Any takers?
Lenovo Yoga Book gets
a release date
At IFA 2016, Lenovos Yoga Book was
praised for its innovative approach to
make a tablet device more productive.
Its a little fascinating machine, and is
probably coming to India next month for
Rs. 38,000, sources tell My Mobile. The
lightweight 2-in-1 folds out to reveal
two panels, one with a 10.1-inch FHD
display, and another that Lenovo claims
to be a virtual halo keyboard that
learns of its own, based on the typing.
The Yoga Book comes with a working
stylus thats shaped like a pen. It can
be used in two ways: use a digital stylus
on the tablets touch screen and the
other is an ink nib to create notes on
physical paper, which can be converted
into digital notes on the screen. Lenovo
also includes a magnetic clipboard that
attaches to the Yoga Book for taking
notes and record your creations. The
Yoga Book comes in two variants: one
that runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow,
and one that runs Windows 10.
Intel to launch a
wearable device for
rural India
Intel has always been known for trying
to bridge the digital divide and is com-
mitted to work closely with the govern-
ment to make India digital. Sources
tell My Mobile that Intel is working on
a new wearable that will be aimed at
rural population. Unlike a regular smart-
watch, Intels wearable will help people
to detect the levels of Carbon dioxide
in the air, and is targeted at rural India,
where a lot of women rely on biomass,
such as fuelwood and charcoal for cook-
ing, risking their health. There is no
word on the exact release date. n
team@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE
First Look justin
Xiaomi Mi Max Prime Maxed out specs too
C hinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi has launched another
smartphone in the Mi series- Mi Max Prime which is now
available for sale in India. It is an upgraded version of Mi Max which
was unveiled in June this year.
Speaking of the hardware specifications, the Mi Max Prime
sports a huge 6.44-inch (1920x1080 pixels) display with 342 ppi
of pixel density and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. It is
powered by 1.8GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652
processor coupled with Adreno 510 600MHz. It has a 4 GB RAM
and 128 GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up
to 128 GB via a microSD card.
On the camera front, it has a 16-megapixel rear camera with
two tone LED flash, Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) and a 5P
lens while the front facing camera is of 5-megapixels for selfies
20 | NOVEMBER 2016
and video calling. It comes with camera features like HDR,
Panorama mode, beauty mode with 36 beauty profiles, burst mode
and face recognition. It is juiced by a 4850 mAh battery with 5V/2A
charging and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow along with the
companys MIUI 8 on top. The dual-SIM Mi Max Prime comes with
connectivity options like 4G, Wi-Fi- 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth
4.2, GPS, AGPS and GLONASS. It also comes with a fingerprint
sensor at the back and other sensors like Infrared, Gyroscope,
Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Hall sensor
and Electronic compass. The device measures 173.1x88.3x7.3
mm and weighs 203 grams.
The Mi Max Prime comes in silver and gold colour options and
is priced at Rs.19,999. The smartphone is now available to buy
from the companys official website. n
MYMOBILE
First Look justin
Asus Zenfone 3 Laser The Zen Snapper
T aiwanese brand Asus introduced the Zenfone 3 Laser in
the Zenfone 3 series along with smartphones like
Zenfone 3 Ultra and Zenfone 3 Deluxe in India in the month
of August. Now, the Zenfone 3 Laser is available exclusively
on Flipkart for a month and then will made available on the
other online portals as well as the companys stores.
Speaking of the specifications, the Zenfone 3 Laser
sports a 5.5-inch full HD (1920x1080 pixels) 2.5D
contoured glass display, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass
3. Under the hood, it is powered by a 64-bit octa-core
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor coupled with Adreno
505 GPU. It has a 4 GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage
which can be expanded further up to 128 GB using a
microSD card.
On the camera front, it has a 13-megapixel PixelMaster
22 | NOvEMBER 2016
rear camera with Sony IMX214, dual-LED flash and laser
auto focus while the front facing camera is of 8-megapixels.
It has camera features like Electronic Image Stabilization,
panorama and selfie beautification mode. It is backed by a
3000 mAh battery and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow
with the companys own OS ZenUI 3.0 on top of it. The
dual-SIM smartphone comes stacked with connectivity
options like Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS,
GLONASS, USB and a 3.5 mm audio jack. It comes with
sensors like accelerator, E-compass, gyroscope, proximity
sensor, hall sensor, ambient light sensor, RGB sensor and a
fingerprint sensor.
The metal body Zenfone 3 Laser comes in sand gold
and glacier gold colour variants and has a price tag of
Rs.18,999. n
MYMOBILE
First Look justin
Nokia 216 Yesterday Once More
n okia might have hit rock bottom as far as smartphones are
concerned. However, it continues to deliver feature phones
for the consumers and has launched yet another feature phone
known as the nokia 216 in India. Launched in September,
the nokia 216 is now on sale in the Indian market at a price of
rs. 2,495.
Talking about the hardware specifications, the nokia 216
24 | november 2016
sports a 2.4-inch QvGA (240x320 pixels) display and runs on
nokia Series 30+ operating System. It has a bL-5C 1020 mAh
battery which is expected to last up to 18 hours of talk time and
19 days of standby time (pretty much maintaining the reputation
of legendary nokia battery life). on the camera front, it features a
vGA rear camera as well as a vGA front facing camera for selfies,
both coming with LeD flash which can also act as a built-in
torchlight.
The feature phone can store up to 2000
contacts and the inbuilt storage can be extended
up to 32 Gb using a microSD card. The dual-SIm
nokia 216 is topped with connectivity options like
900/1800 mHz, micro USb, 3.5mm Av
connector, bluetooth 3.0 with SLAm and HSP/
HFP profile. The device is meant for entertainment
and to cater to the need, it is accompanied with
apps like opera mobile Store, and the user can
download one free Gameloft game every month
for a year, and enjoy popular titles like GT racing
and Little big City.
The Internet-enabled feature phone comes
with the support of Fm radio, mP3 player and
video player and is bluetooth enabled as well. The
dimensions of the device are 118.0x50.02x13.5
mm and weighs 83.0g (including battery). The
nokia 216 is made up of polycarbonate and
comes in black, grey and blue colour options. n
MYMOBILE
First Look justin

Honor 8 Smart
The other Honor 8
H uaweis sub-brand, Honor launched the new
Honor 8 Smart at an event in India on October
12, alongisde the companys new flagship, Honor 8
and the Honor Holly 3 (under the Make in India
initiative). The Honor 8 Smart is being seen by many
as a slightly watered down (in spec terms) but far
more affordable version of the Honor flagship, which
won rave reviews for its design and perforemance.
Taking a look at the specs-sheet, the Honor 8
Smart sports a 5.2-inch full HD (1920x1080
pixels) display and is powered by the
companys own octa-core Kirin 650 processor
clocked at 2GHz. It has 2 GB of RAM and 16
GB of onboard storage which can be further
expanded using a microSD card -in both
regards it is second to the Honor 8, which has
more RAM and storage to spare.
On the camera front, it features a 13-
megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX214
sensor (no dual camera here, unlike the Honor
8 and the Huawei P9), 5P lens and F/2.0
aperture and an 8-megapixel front facing
snapper with BSI and a 4P lens for selfies
and video calling. It comes with camera
features like professional mode, beauty
mode, food mode, time-lapse and slow-
motion feature. It is backed by a 3000
mAh battery and runs on Android 6.0
Marshmallow and the companys
EMUI 4.1 on top of it. The Honor 8
Smart is stacked with connectivity
options like Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth,
NFC and 4G LTE. It is also accompanied
by a fingerprint sensor at the back of the device
which claims to unlock the device in 0.5 seconds.
The Honor 8 Smart comes with a price tag of
Rs.19,999 in black, white and gold colour variants.
As we said, it is a more affordable variant of the
Honor 8. n
team@mymobile.co.in

26 | NOvEMBER 2016 MYMOBILE

 cellspeak

Quotes
We are disappointed that the amount of the
recommended penalty that has been imposed is very
large amount for the operators. The TRAI has made
some recommendation to the Department of Telecom
(DoT); the DoT will obviously review this in the context
of the licence conditions and then take a call...
Rajan Matthews,
Director-General, COAI, speaking to CNBC-TV18 after
TRAI had recommended a penalty of Rs 3050 crore on operators in the
Reliance Jio interconnectivity controversy

Theres a slogan in our company that BlackBerry is software and

weretrying to get that mindset so were more of a software company than
a hardware company.
John Chen,
CEO, BlackBerry, on the decision to outsource future
development of its hardware, on The Disruptors.

Since I joined Google, one of the questions I

get asked most often is, Why should we build
hardware? We often joke that building hardware
is, well, hard. People have strong emotional
connections to the products they use every day.
They are an important part of peoples lives ... this
is the right time to be focused on hardware and
software.
Rick Osterloh,
Senior Vice President, hardware, Google, at the
launch of the Pixel

Denial of interconnection to RJIL (Reliance Jio) appears to be with ulterior

motive to stifle competition and is anti-consumer
TRAI in a letter to the Department of Telecommunications about the
Reliance Jio interconnection controversy

www.mymobileindia.com NOVEmBER 2016 | 27

Limelight lead story

28 | november 2016 MYMOBILE

 lead story

Limelight
ANDROID
GOES
NOUGAT
THERE IS A NEW VERSION OF ANDROID IN TECH TOWN.
AND AS USUAL, INTEREST IS HIGH ABOUT JUST WHAT IT
BRINGS TO THE TABLE AND WHETHER IT MARKS A NEW
CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLDS MOST POPULAR
MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM. AND OF COURSE, THERE
IS ALSO THE USUAL DEBATE ABUT JUST WHEN DIFFERENT
DEVICES WILL GET THE NEW OS, IF INDEED SOME EVER WILL.
SO AS ANDROID GETS A NOUGAT FLAVOUR, ANUJ BHATIA
TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEW OS, WHAT IT OFFERS
AND THE DEVICES THAT ARE RUNNING IT.

T
hese three words: data, cloud and
mobility sums up the digital world
where we live in. In the age of digital
transformation, where smartphones
have positioned themselves as a lifeline for billions
of people, communicating in the always-on,
always-connected, cannot be escaped. Perhaps
which is why we are fighting over the future of
Android, the mobile operating system that runs
on the majority of connected devices, ranging
from smartphones to tablets to smartwatches.
Previously we had touched upon Androids
fragmentation problem. In this issue, it is all
about Android 7.0 nougat - Googles latest version
of Android. nougat has been made official, and
is a significant upgrade over marshmallow (better
known as Android 6.0). Google has continued
to refine its mobile oS - and one could notice a
number of small yet significant features in Android
7.0 including the split-screen mode. The other big
changes include the ability to reply to incoming
messages inside the notifications. And there are
a ton of neat features that we are going to bring
you up to speed with.

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 29

 lead story
Android 7.0 Nougat:
Limelight
It tastes good
THE LATEST VERSION OF ANDROID IS NOT ONLY FASTER THAN BEFORE
BUT SMARTER AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY USERS MAY HAVE TO
WAIT FOR A WHILE TO GET IT.
A
ndroid 7.0 nougat is the
latest version of Googles
mobile operating system,
used by billions of people
worldwide. It is faster, improves battery
life, brings better notification system,
enables Googles Daydream vr, while
allowing split-screen functionality for
Android devices. nougat, however, does
not bring a visual Android overhaul. It still
looks the same. If you have used a device
running Android marshmallow. Despite
Googles best efforts, Android 7.0 nougats
reach could be limited, with barely a few
30 | november 2016
devices confirmed to get the latest update.
We have been running Android 7.0 nougat
on a Google nexus 6P, and heres our final
verdict.
Improved notifications
notifications on Android were a bit
confusing, sometimes messy but they have
finally been improved over marshmallow.
The notification center has been given
a major visual overhaul, which is a
welcome change. In Android 7.0 nougat,
notifications are flatter and wider, taking
the entire width of a smartphone, instead
of marshmallows card-like approach.
Alerts from the app cluster together,
with colors and icons to distinguish from
between the different notifications. The
biggest change, however, comes in the
form of quick reply functions. The quick
reply feature will allow you to reply to a
message without the need to open
the app. Its quite handy for
text messaging or
popular
MYMOBILE

messaging services like WhatsApp and
Facebook messenger.
Android 7.0 nougat lets you set priority
levels for any apps notification. So, when
you press-and-hold a notification, you can
actually block all future alerts from the app.
This could be particularly useful when you
dont want to get unnecessarily alerts from
your network provider, or any app that
continues to send multiple notifications
in a day.
Multi-window
manufacturers like Samsung and LG
have added multi-window or split-screen
functionality into their skins for quite
sometime, Google has made it a part of
nougat. The biggest reason why Samsungs
note lineup is so popular among the
business community has something to do
with the way users can run two different
apps side-by-side. even Apples ioS now
supports multi-window feature. With
smartphones getting bigger in size, it
is a great idea to run two apps
simultaneously side-by-side
www.mymobileindia.com
on the same screen. In Android 7.0 nougat,
it can be activated simply by pressing-and-
holding the recent apps button. The multi-
window feature is particularly useful on any
large screen-sized smartphone or tablet.
Users can drag the black bar in the middle
to change the size of the split, or remove it
altogether. It works really well (when tested
on a nexus 6P), with most apps supporting
split-screen mode. A few apps didnt work
smoothly in split-screen mode though.
Smarter quick settings
In Android 7.0 nougat, quick settings
have become more customizable. Above
notifications, when you swipe down with
finger, you will see a row of icons for toggling
features such as Wi-Fi, flashlight, screen
rotation, cellular data and battery. Its great
to see a set of fast options, without
expanding to access the
full set of quick
lead story
Limelight
toggles. It reduces the number of swipes
required to turn off Wi-Fi, for instance.
Whats more, you can even customise
this area. Swipe down with two fingers and
touch the edit button. Then, youll be able
to drag and drop the tiles whenever you feel
like it.
Battery enhancements
In 2015, Google introduced Doze within
Android 6.0 marshmallow, a feature that
helped save the battery when the phone was
not moving or in idle condition. In Android
7.0 nougat, Doze has been pumped up,
with the battery optimizations even when
the phone is moving around in a pocket.
So basically, when the screen is turned off,
nougat has more control over the phones
battery, which enhances the battery life by
at least 15 per cent in case of ours when
tested on a Google nexus 6P.
Conclusion
Googles Android 7.0 nougat is a great
software update. It brings some significant
changes like the quick-reply feature,and
the ability to control notifications. Android
nougat does support Googles ambitious
mobile vr platform, Daydream vr;
however, only a few new handsets will be
compatible including Googles Pixel lineup.
If youre using a nexus 6P or nexus 5X,
then you should definitely care about
Googles Android 7.0 nougat. You can
taste nougat, on the Pixel and Pixel XL,
as both the smartphones run Android 7.1
out-of-the-box. Its really a pity that Google
has not been able to address the issue
of Android fragmentation. nougat tastes
sweet - but not many people will be able
to experience it on their smartphones. We
will keep you informed on just who will be
able to get it on their phones inthe coming
days. n
november 2016 | 31
 lead story

Android 7.0 Nougat:

Limelight

7 features worth checking out

ANDROID 7.0 NOUGAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPGRADES GOOGLE HAS
MADE TO THEIR MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM. IF YOU HAVE A NEXUS 6P
OR NEXUS 5X, YOU CAN UPDATE IT FOR FREE TO ANDROID 7.0. NOUGAT
COMES WITH A NUMBER OF NEW FEATURES - BIG OR SMALL OVER
MARSHMALLOW, THE LAST VERSION OF ANDROID. HERE ARE THE TOP
NEW FEATURES IN THE LATEST MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM.

Split Screen
o ne of the major highlights of Android 7.0 nougat is that now you can
open use more than one app in a single screen. Its very useful, in case,
you want to use two apps simultaneously. To activate split screen (or multi-
window feature), long-press on the recent apps button, open the app you
want to use on the top of the screen, then select the second app you want
Data Saver to use from the list. You can then drag the divider to resize the app. not all
apps support multi-window feature, but we found that most apps do. n

I f youare fed up of paying for data

charges, we think this new feature
will come handy. So basically, now
you can enable Data Saver to restrict
certain apps from consuming the
Revamped
data in the background. Simply settings
head to Settings, open Data usage
and then turn Data saver on. You
can then go through a list of apps
T he settings menu
has been revamped
of sorts in Android 7.0
installed on the device, and enable
nougat. When you swipe
Unrestricted data usage for each
from the screen, you will
app. n

32 | november 2016 MYMOBILE

 lead story
Change the

Limelight
DPI and Silence
font size Notifications

I f you think that the text

and icons on screen are
too small, now you can
A ndroid 7.0 lets you silence
notifications. For instance, you have
received a notification from Amazon.in,
adjust the DPI and font size. regarding some new offers/deals. And you
Just head to the display size dont want to get reminded of the deals
settings and then make the every other day. To do this, just swipe the
items on your screen smaller notification a little to the right or left, tap it
or larger. Similarly, you can and you will be able to make notifications
tweak the font size settings silent or block them. n
to make the text on screen
smaller or larger. n

Clear all
recent apps
I n Android 7.0 nougat, you can clear all
the recently used apps by tapping on a
hidden Clear all button at the top of the
screen. When youve closed all your recent
apps, a new icon is displayed letting you
know there are no recent items to view.
Surely the feature is not revolutionary but
again its easy to clear used apps from the
recent apps list. n

Reply from the

home screen
Y es! You heard it right. You can now reply to
messages from popular apps like Facebook
messenger or Hangouts directly from the
notification. So basically theres no need to open
see a row of quick setting the messaging app to reply to a message, you
shortcuts just above any can reply from the notification itself. A handy
impending notifications. feature, we must say. n
Tap on an icon to enable
or disable features.
Whats more? You can also
reorder shortcuts, so its
Note: Weve tested Android 7.0 nougat on a nexus 6P. our sincere thanks to the folks at
easier to see information
overcart.com for lending us the nexus 6P. If youre not aware, overcart.com is Indias first
at a glance. n
marketplace for refurbished, unboxed and preowned smartphones, tablets and accessories.

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 33

Limelight lead story

ANDROID NOUGAT:
5 SMARTPHONES GETTING
THE NEW MOBILE OS
Huawei
ANDROID
NOUGAT COMES
T he nexus lineup may be dead and
it wont get revived in the future -
Nexus 6P but the nexus 6P still remains the one
WITH TONS OF of the best high-end smartphones in
the market. The Huawei-made nexus
IMPROVEMENTS 6P has a full metal body and although
AND NEW it doesnt come close to the Galaxy
S7 edge or the iPhone 6s Plus, the
FEATURES. smartphone gets thumbs-up for its

HOWEVER, A long-lasting battery. Its a premium

smartphone and theres plenty of
HANDFUL OF power, a 5.5-inch QHD display, a
responsive fingerprint scanner, a
SMARTPHONES
Snapdragon 810 CPU, 3Gb of rAm,
HAVE BEEN either 32Gb or 64Gb of internal
storage and a capable camera with
UPDATED TO THE 4K video recording. Whats more, the
LATEST MOBILE nexus 6P runs Android 7.0 nougat
and is destined to get Android 7.1
OS. WHILE OTHER nougat in December. A power-packed
HANDSETS smartphone at rs. 38,999 for the
64Gb model. mind-blowing! n
WILL HAVE
TO WAIT FOR
THE UPGRADE, LG V20
HERE ARE FIVE
SMARTPHONES
W ith the flagship G5 not making the expected impact, LG has been
pushing the v20. The v20 does look similar to the G5 in terms of
design sans the modular nature of the latter handset. Hardware-wise, the

THAT COME 5.7-inch QHD LG v20 has a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4Gb of rAm, a
3,200mAh battery, a 16-megapixel rear camera with a 75-degree field of
POWERED WITH view and a secondary 8-megapixel camera. The front camera is rated at
5-megapixels. The eye-catching feature of the v20 remains the always-on
THE LATEST
second screen, a small area above the main screen that can display apps and
ANDROID notifications. The LG v20 promises to have great audio with LG is calling a
32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, for crisp audio. The v20 is first smartphone from
(NOUGAT) Googles partners to come with Android 7.0 nougat on-board. LG is rumoured
UPDATE. to launch the v20 in India before the end of the year. n

34 | november 2016 MYMOBILE

 lead story

Limelight
Google Pixel
T he Pixel, one of the two smartphones, built by Google inside and out,
is an alternative to the Apples iPhone 7 and Samsungs Galaxy S7. The
5-inch FHD phone is made with an aerospace aluminum-grade body and
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 screen. Like the nexus 6P, the fingerprint scanner
is on the back to unlock the phone but also to access and scroll through
notifications. The Pixel has a 12.3-megapixel camera, featuring an f/2.0
aperture and big 1.55 micron pixels to capture lots of light. As per Google,
the Pixels camera has been given a score of 89 by Dxomark - the industry
standard for camera and lense image quality - making it the highest-rated
camera phone in the market today. The Pixel comes with Google Assistant
built in, unlimited cloud storage for photos and DayDream virtual reality.
The Pixel will cost rs. 57,000 ( 32Gb) and rs. 66,000 (128Gb). n

LG Nexus 5X either 32Gb or 64Gb of native Google

storage, a 12-megapixel
Pixel XL
T he nexus 5X, is more
affordable at rs.
25,999. It may not be a
rear and a 5-megapixel front
camera, and a 2,700mAH
battery. Theres an fingerprint
high specced smartphone,
scanner on the back as well
but should be perfect for
as the latest USb Type-C on
anyone looking for a mid-
the bottom. Yes, this phone,
end device with stock
like the nexus 6P, runs the
Android. Although it
latest Android 7.0 nougat
lacks the premium build
update. The nexus 5X will
the nexus 6P offers, it
be upgraded to Android
offers great performance
7.1 (nougat). Certainly not
otherwise. It features a
the latest smartphone by
5.2-inch FHD display,
todays standards, but a good
a Snapdragon 808
performer. And delightfully
processor, 2Gb of rAm,
compact as well. n

T he true iPhone 7 Plus competitor

is here, at least what Google had
been saying since the day it debuted the Pixel lineup. The Pixel XL, the
5.5-inch QHD smartphone from Google, comes in two colors named
quite black and very silver. Apart from the size, the two models
look fairly similar. both the Pixel and the Pixel XL have the same set
of hardware internals: a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, 4Gb of
rAm, either 32Gb or 128Gb with unlimited cloud photo storage, and
a 12-megapixel primary and an 8-megapixel front shooter. The Pixel
lineup also comes with Google Assistant, runs Android 7.1 (nougat)
and apps such as Google Allo and Duo come as default. Googles first
smartphones also get the new app launcher, which has some really cool
features. The Pixel XL is priced at rs. 67,000 for 32Gb and rs. 76,000
for the 128Gb model. Google has indeed gone premium. n
anuj@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 35

In Conversation chiefspeak
If Technology doesnt impact
livelihood, it is meaningless
IT IS ONE OF THE NAMES THAT IS SYNONYMOUS WITH CUTTING
EDGE TECHNOLOGY AND A BRAND THAT SITS INSIDE MOST OF OUR
COMPUTERS. AND IT IS ALSO AT THE FOREFRONT OF A NUMBER OF
DIGITAL INITIATIVES TO CHANGE INDIA. JUST HOW IS INTEL DOING
THIS AND WHERE DOES THE COMPANY STAND TODAY?
NIMISH DUBEY AND AKRITI RANA TALKED TO DEBJANI GHOSH,
VICE-PRESIDENT, SALES AND MARKETING GROUP, MANAGING
DIRECTOR, SOUTH ASIA, INTEL, TO FIND OUT MORE.
When we think of Intel, two things come to mind: the tech behemoth
which is known for its processors and the company that is behind
initiatives like Digital India. How has 2016 been for them?
First of all, I think the two are very well connected. They are two
sides of a coin. We see Intel as a technology company today, not so
much as a processor company; it is really a technology company.
And the work that we are doing is to enable the users, the end users,
to get more out of technology in their day-to-day lives. So, when you
look at applying that within countries, within segments, I feel very
privileged because I think India presents us with the opportunity
to get the best out of our technology.
The challenges in India are so huge and most of these
challenges cannot be solved but with the use of technology. It
requires a tremendous level of innovation and understanding of
the eco-systems, the users, their values and needs in order to do
that, to solve the problems with technology, and I think Intel is in
a position where we are able to stitch all these different elements
together to create end user value.
And not just in a position, but we have the commitment to do
it. And that makes a big difference .Top down. Not just me or not
just on the country level. In fact, our president was in India last
week and the one thing Dr. Murthys feedback to me was, this an
opportunity which we dont have anywhere else, this magnitude of
an opportunity. We just have to do our best. So, for me it all sort
of plays very well together and not just plays well together but is
interconnected.
And I think 2016 has been the year when it really has started
coming together. The different pieces of the puzzle that we are
working in. We have a connected strategy running across from data
centers up to the citizens devices and all of that is beautifully
36 | NoveMBer 2016
coming together. The work that we are doing in building up the data
centers, capabilities, analytics in India and worldwide and the work
we are doing on this side of the spectrum, the consumer devices,
client devices, the usage, especially in rural India, it is all coming
together. And in between the work we are doing with all the makers
to create the customers solutions. So, I know there are still a lot of
cynics out there but we spend a lot of our time in smaller villages
and towns actually seeing things happen and I strongly believe
Digital India is a reality. You may not see it sitting here in Delhi or
Mumbai because things have not changed that much for us but
when you go down to a small village and you see how technology is
changing lives, its huge.
Rural India clearly has a special place for Intel. Your voice changes
when you talk about it... Because thats where you see the real
difference technology can make. I mean, you and I can get excited
about the latest phones, PCs, and you know we get excited, we
talk a bit but when I go and talk to people in a small village or in a
small town they are telling me how technology has enabled them
bring in a thousand rupees more which has made such a huge
difference to the family, it is a completely different ball game. And
I think, to us thats what is important. The end of it, everything we
do, the innovation that is going into it, the thinking that is going
into it, the strategy that is going into it - all of it - has to impact
livelihood. Thats the single most important metric for India. And
it has to happen, if it doesnt impact livelihood, it is not going to
move the needle.
Where does India stand on Intels roadmap today? As I said, Intel sees
India as a country with tremendous potential. Now, we have been
MYMOBILE
chief speak

In Conversation

NoveMBer 2016 | 37
In Conversation chief speak
a country with tremendous potential with a very long time. So far,
we have not really acted on that potential. And its true not just for
Intel, its true for everyone. We have never realized the true power of,
promise of that potential. At Intel there is a very very strong belief
that we are now in that phase of transformation where finally that
leap is going to happen and if doesnt happen now, it will never
happen. Thats how we see it because right now everything is falling
in place. You have a Government that believes in technology, you
have a Government that really has laid out a very bold vision. Some
bother too much about how will this vision be met. I would rather
have a Government that believes in aggressive goals and fails in
meeting them than one which sets very conservative targets which
really dont move the needle. And I am very clear on this and I
think we have the eco-system coming together like never before.
everyone, whether it is the big guys like us, Cisco, Microsoft -
everyone is committed to Digital India. We have a maker eco-
74 | oCToBer 2016
system and a start-up eco-system which is so exciting the way it
is building out and I think now it is going to go in the next phase
where its going to get into serious development and I cant wait to
see what that phase looks like. And we have users who are finally
realizing that this is not just entertainment, there is much more
to it. So, it is all sort of coming together. Fingers crossed. We have
the networks getting built slowly but surely, so if it doesnt happen
now, it is never going to happen.
If there is one thing you could do to make things happen faster, what
would it be? I just want everything to go as it is going. I dont want
to change anything. I really want it to go as it is going. And I just
think this is the right time where everyone just needs to get behind
it and do whatever they can. especially from a media perspective,
do whatever they can to spread the word, make it happen. This is
not the time to critique. Critique by all means after two years or
three years or whenever but this not the time to critique. This is
the time to just, you know, when you are trying to push something
uphill, everyone used to go behind and give it one hard push so
that it goes. I think, the time for that is now where we really have
to come together.
There is a feeling that Intel has taken a step back from
developing processors for mobile phones. What is your take
on that? I think we are redefining the way we are defining
our strategy. I mean, on one hand you have the data center
and the cloud build up, on the other hand, you have 50
billion devices, of which phones are just 8 billion. We are
excited in that big 50 billion number. It doesnt mean we
are not interested in phones. Think of it as a circle. You have
the data centers and you have the connected devices, the 50
billion connected devices and what is connecting the dots is the
connectivity piece. We want to play in all three. Data centers,
we are strong leaders and we will continue to build that
leadership there. We want to play in the connectivity
piece which really connects it, so it is like the life
blood which is fueling the whole virtual cycle
of growth. So, we are definitely playing very
strongly there and we are taking a leadership
MYMOBILE

position in developing the worldwide road map to 5G. And at the
last piece, the connected devices pieces, for us, we are looking at
the 50 billion potential of the devices out there.
I mean, data is the new currency. So when you look at the
devices that are going to generate the mammoth data, its the
automated cars, the automated factories and thats the future. So
thats what we are gearing up for. We are gearing up for the future.
We are gearing up to ensure that we have a leadership role, not
just leadership role in catering to future needs but we are under
our Ceo and President, I strongly believe that we are playing a
strong role in creating that future and defining what that future
looks like. And while we do all this, of course we will continue
to work on the SoCs for phones and all that. But there is just so
much more out there.
When we had met last year, wearables had been the rage. That
particularly frenzy seems to have passed. What is your take on
wearables? It will evolve, it is too early. See, any category gets
developed. May be first there is a hyped stage, but the sustainable
growth one where you have identified the needs is what is needed.
And that is the work we are doing in the wearables, to understand
where is the wearable really needed? Technology in India, if it
doesnt impact livelihood, it is meaningless. Similarly in the
wearables case - and this globally - we have to identify the role
wearables can play. The way we look at it, there are a few pretty
obvious areas where wearables can play a huge role whether it is
health or security. There is another area where we believe they can
play a huge role. The things you do daily - if you are a runner, you
are working in a factory, can the wearable actually allow you to do
what you are doing better, smarter, faster? once you identify it, you
build. And those are the ones that will find sustainable markets
and growth. The wearable segment is just evolving and people are
starting to build out strategies that have more staying power.
Generally people think the wearable is a watch and is tied
to fitness. But the work that our wearable team is doing, it is in
day-to-day life in the urban context, in the rural context, where
something like this, the technology, can help you. once we have
identified the real need, thats where we will be going. What shape
it comes in, it can be anything from a bracelet to a helmet in a
factory, to a pair of spectacles.
A lot of people associate Intel with cutting edge innovation generally
associated with high-end products, but you also have worked on
products that are surprisingly affordable. How do you manage this?
Intel has always had a good, better, best road map. And even when
you look at performance and innovation, performance doesnt just
come with price. We deliver performance in value, mainstream
and at the highest possible level. But it is performance that is
needed in each segment so that it can fit in the cost structure.
We have always had this. It is just that now the local oeM system
in India is maturing. So, you are getting to see local players like
www.mymobileindia.com
chief speak
In Conversation
iBall leverage the technology that exists to create products that
are customized for India.
You mentioned iBall. Intel has also been notable for its work with a
number of Indian brands, notwithstanding the assumption that many
people make that real quality only comes from MNC brands... If you
want disruption, you need people who can innovate fast. And
I think India needs disruption more than anything else today.
Positive disruption, thats what is going to shake up the market,
thats what is going to bring change. So this is where you need
quick movers and a quick mover can be a local brand, could be
an MNC brand. You need people who can take decisions quickly
and really think and the one thing that I have seen in players like
Micromax , iBall, etc., is they have their finger on the pulse of an
Indian consumer. They really know what Indian consumers need.
And it is not just the oeMs but even someone like Flipkart or
Snapdeal - they really know what gets consumers ticking, what is
need. They are very quick in their ability to go address that need.
Whether it is product innovation or process innovation and thats
what causes the disruptions in the market. I am all for working
with any partner who is willing to disrupt. Innovate to disrupt.
Because without disruption you are not going to be able to swing
the needle in the other direction, the way you need to.
Finally, whats next for Intel in India? I think the time now is to
just do what we are doing and go into depth. It is really about
getting into the next level of depth. I mean in India we pretty
much mirror the Intel global strategy because digital India lends
itself so beautifully to the entire virtual cycle of growth that I talk
about. The data centers, the cloud infrastructure which is the
backbone that is required. It is a must for the success for Digital
India and as you build these out you need to ensure they are safe,
they are smart, they are secure, and analytics is thought through
and built into the system. So there is this huge play for the back
bone or the backend of Digital India, the infrastructure. And then
you have the entire connected device piece which I think is going
to get into the next phase, where its not just about, yes, I have
a phone but it is about the technology is helping me earn more
money or do this or do that and better. So that it get us into the
next level of phase. I think that is what excites us because once
citizens are at that level, once they see the relationship between
technology and livelihood, thats when you can do so much more.
So, that piece is very exciting. And for that piece, a large part of
focus will be rural India for us which is something that we started
doing. So how do we do more of that or how do we go deeper into
that and in between is the connectivity piece where we focus on
building a strong network infrastructure for India - all three areas
are the areas where Intel plays exceedingly well. Now we just have
to customize our playbooks so that we can go more into depth and
make sure it happens in India. n
nimish@mymobile.co.in
NoveMBer 2016 | 39
In Conversation face to face

The Grey Market Poses a Great

Challenge
A RELATIVELY NEW PLAYER IN THE INDIAN MOBILE ACCESSORIES MARKET,
HGD INDIA IS HOPING TO MAKE ITS PRESENCE FELT THROUGH VALUE FOR
MONEY PRODUCTS. ROHAN PAL MET RAKESH YADAV, DIRECTOR OF
HGD INDIA AND FU ZAN CHENG, GM TO FINDOUT MORE ABOUT THE
COMPANY, ITS PRODUCTS AND ITS PLANS FOR THE INDIAN MARKET.
Tell us a bit more about HGD India Pvt. Ltd? our plant in record period of 2 months in
HGD India is a joint venture of china and Noida sector 64, with the help of technical
India. china HGD is in top 5 mobile charger help from china HGD. Sales started soon
manufacturer in Shenzhen, china in Mobile after start up in December 2015 and we
hub of china. have crossed sales of 2 million over the past
HGD India started in India due to five months, from May 2016 and hope to
efforts of our PM Mr. Narendra Modi and reach 4 million in next 6 to 12 months.
his initiatives of make in India vision in As so many new mobile manufacturers are
which he envisioned making a new system coming, they must purchase from India.
of manufacturing mobile and mobile
accessories in India, thereby creating What makes your product stand out in
millions of jobs. comparison with the competition? Which in
your opinion is your most successful product?
How has the experience of selling mobile our chargers are of reliable quality having
accessories in India been like? our bIS certification and come with warranty
experience was overwhelming. We started of standard time. A successful product
is one which provides reliable life and a
competitive price to the user.

One of the biggest challenge is faced by any

mobile accessories manufacturer in India
is the existence of the grey market. How
are you dealing with this? Yes, grey market
poses a great challenge to the mobile
manufacturer but now big players are
coming andthe scene is changing slowly.
We are a dedicated unit with only 100 per
cent supply to oeM customers.
After sales and services are almost unheard
of when it comes to mobile accessories in
India. What are your plans in this regard? We
provide 1 year warrenty period and provide
replacement of all chargers that are faulty
in market.
What are your plans for the coming
days? Any new product in the pipeline
that we should know about it? We are
coming with new range of chargers as
per updated requirements of our oeM
customers. We are also coming with
in-earphones to complete our target
of becoming a mobile accessories
manufacturer in India.
We aspire to be a leading quality
manufacturer of mobile chargers and
earphone suppliers in India. n
rohan@mymobile.co.in

92 | october 2016 MYMOBILE

In focus product focus

The Mod Moto

Cometh
THE MOTO Z HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT PHONES
IN RECENT TIMES. AND NOT JUST BECAUSE OF ITS DESIGN AND
HARDWARE BUT BECAUSE OF ITS MODULARITY. YES, IN A WORLD IN
WHICH PHONES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY PREDICTABLE,
MOTOROLA HAS BRAVELY TRIED TO BE DIFFERENT WITH THE
MOTO Z. BUT HAS IT SUCCEEDED?

M
ention a smartphone
these days and it is a
fair chance that the first
things that come to most
peoples minds are hardware specifications
- things like processors, display resolution,
RAM, camera megapixels and the like.
Well, not if you are talking of the new Moto
Z from Motorola. Yes, there is no doubt
that the phone boasts a very eye-grabbing
design - it is a wafer-like 5.19 mm thin
and has a metal body that stands out in a
crowd - and that it comes with a formidable
spec sheet (a 5.5 inch AMOLED quad
HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
processor, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, a
13.0-megapixel rear camera and stock
Android to boot). But what makes the Moto
Z special is actually what can be added to
it. Literally.
The Mod Angle
We have been hearing of modular phones
for quite a while now. Almost a decade
ago, a company called Modu had tried to
promote the concept of a phone to which
you could add more features like a better
camera, better speakers and so on, by
placing a core phone unit into jackets always around, they were always more in
which contained other features. We have
also been
seeing camera cases
which add battery life to the phones they
cover and well, we have seen our share of
add on camera lenses (remember Sonys
Lens Style Cameras) and even some cases
that add speakers to phones (JBL had
planned one for the Lenovo Vibe X2). In
fact, earlier this year, LG positioned its G5
flagship as a modular device to which you
could attach components.
By and large, however, the idea of a
modular phone often came a cropper on
the altar of utility. The modules, no matter
how useful, were often a pain to use - you
had to pair them with the main device using
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi which meant fiddling
with passwords and codes, or attach them
physically which again could be quite a
tedious task - in the LG G5, for instance,
attaching a module meant removing the
battery cover and then restarting the
phone. And this fiddling around often
detracts from the biggest feature of a
phone - its accessibility and convenience.
So, yes, while modules for phones were
itself and do not require any special apps.
the concept stage and mainly for the geek
squad seeking
something different.
Mods, Moto Style
What makes the Moto Z devices very
different is the fact that while they are
essentially modular in nature, they
also enable you to attach accessories
(Moto Mods) to them almost
seamlessly. Doing the magic is a magnetic
connector at the back of the phone - all you
have to do is attach your Moto Mod to the
phone and you are ready to go. The phone
notifies you that a mod has been attached
within seconds of your attaching it and
well, thats it. There are no passwords to
play around with, no pairing requests. All
you need to do is just slap the mod on the
back of the phone.
And the Moto Mods are not just easy
to attach, but easy to use as well. Unlike
some mods (like the Sony camera mods
for instance), the Moto Mods work
through the default apps on the phone
So the Hasselblad True Zoom (which

42 | nOVEMBER 2016 MYMOBILE


adds a 10x optical zoom camera to the
device) can be used by the default
camera app or even through Instagram
and Facebook and other apps. It is not as
if you are tied down to a particular set of
apps if you want to use a mod. And the
Mods themselves are very versatile: we
have used the Hasselblad True Zoom, the
JBL SoundBoost speaker and the Moto
Share Projector and all added a significant
dimension to the phone.
www.mymobileindia.com
product focus
In focus
The future: yes!
The present? while theres no denying the ease of use of
All in all, the Moto Z is perhaps the best
the mods, the fact that they work only
modular phone ever made and is very
with the Moto Z series restricts their
well specced in its own right too. But
utility for some users - you will have to
at Rs 39,990, it does not come cheap
buy a Moto Z phone to use them. That
and the mods are not exactly
said, if you are interested in a modular
inexpensive either - the Hasselblad
phone, then this is easily the best option
True Zoom comes for a princely Rs
around. n
19,990 as does the projector mod. And nimish@mymobile.co.in
nOVEMBER 2016 | 43
Spotlight in focus
Googles hardware gamble:
Can it win?
THE ERA OF THE NEXUS BRAND SEEMS TO BE WELL AND TRULY OVER
WITH GOOGLE DECIDING TO COME OUT WITH A TOTALLY NEW PHONE
BRANDED AS THE PIXEL. THE DEVICE ALSO MARKS A NEW CHAPTER IN
THE SEARCH GIANTS HISTORY - ONE IN WHICH HARDWARE PLAYS A BIG
ROLE. BUT WILL THE GAMBLE PAY OFF? ANUJ BHATIA TAKES A CLOSER
LOOK AT THE PIXEL PHONE AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS.
F
or Google, the mobile
handset market isnt new.
Android, the worlds most
popular mobile operating
system, is developed by Google after
all. So, Google is as experienced as
Apple in the smartphone market,
right? Google is not, technically, a
handset player, even though it has an
experience of partnering with handset
makers like Huawei, HTC and LG to
develop Nexus devices that represent
the true Android platform. By and
large, Google is a software company
and its OEMs such as Samsung and
44 | NOvEMBEr 2016
Micromax develop smartphones
running Android mobile operating
system. With the release of Pixel and
Pixel XL, Google has done something
unexpected - perhaps for the first
time in its history, it has designed
and manufactured smartphones on
its own - representing a major shift
from partnering with major Android
OEMs. The question is whether or
not the Pixel lineup will be enough
for Google to establish itself as a
legendary handset maker, or if it will
share the same fate as Microsoft and
BlackBerry?
MYMOBILE

Google has always been seen in
the background when its comes to
the smartphone market. Today, most
smartphones from the likes of Samsung,
Lenovo, Motorola, Huawei and Xiaomi
are powered by Android, the worlds most
popular mobile operating system. Until
now, Google mostly relied on its Android
OEMs to sell smartphones, but no one has
managed to come close to Apple, barring
the South Korean company Samsung.
The worlds largest smartphone maker
is purely fighting Apple on its hardware
muscle - and has been showing less
dependency on Google to win the race.
Samsungs Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge even
though are powered by Googles Android
mobile OS, but the company uses its
TouchWiz UI layer on top. The result:
the user interface (UI) does looks totally
different from what you see on a Nexus
smartphone.
Samsungs increasing focus on its Tizen
OS, which currently powers the companys
television sets and smartwatches should
be seen as an indication that the South
Korean doesnt have to depend on Google
to sell its devices.
Betting on Pixel
But with its new Pixel lineup Google will
be seen selling the smartphones directly
to consumers it created from design to
manufacturing to software. Experts claim
that Googles latest push in the mobile
handset market is not only aimed at Apple
but it would badly affect Samsung, which
has had rough few months of late, with the
whole Galaxy Note 7 fiasco.
If we look at the premium market, both
Apple and Samsung are the two preferred
competitors. Samsung has always had
some competition from Google in the form
of its Nexus lineup, be it smartphones or
tablets. But, this time around Google has
a bigger role to play to make the Pixel and
Pixel XL a big success, not only against
the iPhone 7 but also beating Samsungs
highly popular Galaxy S7 range.
Google wants to provide a complete
www.mymobileindia.com
event
In focus
solution to consumers with its Pixel lineup,
The premium factor
just like Apple.
Googles new smartphones dont come
But its not as easy as it seems. If we
cheap. The success of the Pixel and Pixel
recall, Google has had issues to crack
XL will depend a lot on Googles reach
the smartphone market with the Nexus
in an emerging market like India, where
program. Despite the popularity of Google,
the organised retail sector remains quite
Nexus-branded phones have not been a
scattered. Google will also face tough
huge success. And although the Huawei-
competition from players such as Apple
made Nexus 6P was critically acclaimed,
and Samsung, both of whom have a solid
the device loses to the iPhone 6s and
brand recall value.
Galaxy S6 in terms of sales.
Google may be the brain behind the
Similarly, Google tried really hard to
worlds most popular mobile operating
push its Android One program in India,
for which, CEO Sundar Pichai had shown
lot of interest. While Google refrained
from revealing the reason for the failure
of Android One program in India, sluggish
handset sales and the lack of interest from
its hardware partners, could lead to its
demise.
The hardware challenge
To commercially sell the Pixel and Pixel
XL smartphone in a market like India,
Google has to manage
inventory, provide
24x7 customer
service and sign
deals with network
providers for
data bundling.
Thats just like
scratching the
surface.
A smart-
phone like
Pixel, for instance,
requires a large retail space to showcase
the device. Although Google has tied up
with a number of offline and online retail
partners, the company in the near future
system, but being a hardware manufacturer
might need to setup it own stores on the
aint that easy and a completely different
lines of Samsung Cafe to better position
game altogether.
its products.
Whats more, unlike in the past, where
Google also needs to understand that
Nexus devices had a price edge over other
the majority of Android smartphones are
flagships, the Pixel has to go toe to tor
being sold out in the tier-2 and 3 cities
against the competition. Its a jungle out
and for that a more local approach has to
there.
be followed in their regard rather than the
Welcome Google! n
conventional one.
NOvEMBEr 2016 | 45
 event
More than the Pixel:
In focus
The latest from Google
THE PIXEL PHONES HOGGED ALL THE LIMELIGHT
AT THE GOOGLE EVENT BUT THERE WAS MORE
ON DISPLAY THAN JUST THE PHONES, FROM
CONCEPTS TO DEVICES TO NEW SOFTWARE.
ANUJ BHATIA GOES BEYOND THE HYPE OF
THE PIXEL TO TELL YOU WHAT ELSE GOOGLE
SHOWED ITS FOLLOWERS IN ITS EVENT IN
OCTOBER.
T
he Pixel and Pixel XL might
have grabbed all the headlines
for being the first Google
smartphones designed in-
house -- and thats just the beginning.
The launch of Daydream vr headset and
Google Home, further introduction of
Google Wifi, and a new Chromecast could
perpetuate Google more closer to an all-in-
46 | NOvEMBEr 2016
one solution provider. Is Google trying to
adopt an Apple-like hardware approach?
Lets find out where Google is up to these
days.
Google Assistant
Using artificial intelligent (AI), Google
Assistant not only gets smarter but more
personal than ever. Its an upgrade over
Google Now, you can say. While it was first
included in Googles new Allo messaging
app, released in September, it will be
integrated deeply into smartphones,
smartwatches, intelligent speaker
system, and even Cars, for that matter.
Google Assistant is designed for two-
way conversation, meaning you can ask a
question and followed by several follow-up
questions. Google Assistant understands
natural language, like Siri, so you can
speak in the same tone as you generally
converse with someone.
MYMOBILE

Google Home
Home is primarily Googles take on Amazon
Echo, a new smart home speaker system
that has been baked with Google Assistant,
the companys new digital assistant. The
intelligent speaker stays in your home, and
can be used to ask questions, play music,
access information from Google Search or
Google apps and services, and even control
your smart home. Its a small, little device
and comes in white but users can change
the base with a variety of different color
options in fabric and metal. On the top,
Home offers a touch capacitive control
mechanism, allowing you to manually
control the Assistant. Home is priced at
$130 (or approx rs. 8,676) and can be
purchased in November in the U.S.
Google Chromecast Ultra
Alongside with the launch of the Pixel and
Pixel XL, Google also formally announced
the third-generation Chromecast, the
Chromecast Ultra. The last-generation
Chromecast was more of a secondary
update over the original Chromecast.
With the Chromecast Ultra, Google has
added features such as 4K with HDr
(High Dynamic range) support. The
Chromecast Ultra looks identical to the
previous generation model, but without the
Chrome branding. It also gets an ethernet
port connectivity, and is believed to be
www.mymobileindia.com
faster. Unfortunately Google isnt
saying much about the Chromecast
Ultra beyond its capability to decode and
displaying 4K content. Google Chromecast
Ultra will go on sale in November for $69
( or approx rs. 4678). Thats double the
price of the Chromecast 2.
Google has tasted success with the
Chromecast, given its attractive price tag.
For those whove got a 4K-enabled T.v, the
Chromecast Ultra is still affordable, even
at rs. 4678.
Daydream View
Googles first endeavour into the mobile
virtual reality was seen with the release of
Cardboard, a small yet practical approach
to popularise vr. Now, with the release
of Daydream view, its getting clear that
Googles ambitions are sky high and not
just mere fillers.
After it revealed its Daydream mobile vr
platform at I/O 2016, Googles actual
headset - Daydream vr view - will go on sale
next month for $79 (or approximately rs.
5288). The vr headset will fully harness
Googles newly developed Daydream
platform for high-quality mobile vr. Its
a Google Daydream-ready vr headset -
and requires a high-end smartphone to
take advantage that can run the platform,
obviously.
At the time of writing, Googles Pixel
event
In focus
and Pixel XL
smartphones will
be able to work with the
Daydream view. Talking about the
headset itself, it is crafted with fabric and
soft microfibre, and is designed to fit over
eyeglasses. The vr headset also includes
a controller. Google has been working
with a number of content partners such
as Netflix, Hulu, CNN, and many more.
Googles own services like YouTube, Play
Store, Play Movies, Street view and Google
Photos will have dedicated vr apps.
Google Wi-Fi
A smart Wi-Fi router, really? Well yes,
quite evident if Google comes up with a
smart, modular Wifi router. Google already
offers an intelligent Wifi router, dubbed the
OnHub. However, Google Wi-Fi is designed
to be modular, and is designed in-house,
like its new Pixel lineup. Instead of relying
on a single router that you can place in a
room, Google Wi-Fi can be purchased in
a pack of three (say, if you live in a large
house) for the best possible signal. There
is also an app to manage your Wif-Fi to
control over the network. Google Wi-Fi
will be available later in the year. A single
unit is priced at $130 (or approximately
rs. 8631), or a three-pack for $300 (or
approximately rs. 20,074). n
anuj@mymobile.co.in
NOvEMBEr 2016 | 47
In focus snap shot
Lenovo Yoga Book:
a Different Tablet, altogether
1 4
At first glance, Lenovo Yoga Book
looks like a regular book, but it folds
out into a full-fledged computer using
the companys signature 360-degree
watchband hinge. Its a smart choice,
at least, design-wise.
2 5
T h e Yo g a B o o k i s e x t r e m e l y
lightweight at 690 grams, and its
only 0.38 inches thick. The device
is actually made up of two tablets
joined together, one with the 10.1-
inch Full-HD display and the other
with a touch-sensitive surface.
3 6
The second half of the Yoga Book is
also a tablet, and meant to be used by
graphics designers, similar to those by
Wacom. But unlike the regular Wacom
tablet, the other half, which Lenovo
calls the Creative Pad, can be used
for both typing and scribbling.
48 | november 2016
The Lenovo Yoga Book has no
physical keys. Instead, the second
touch-sensitive surface can become
a virtual keyboard, dubbed the Halo
keyboard. Each key provides haptic
feedback while you type on it. Sounds
cool, right?
When not typing, simply tap a button
and turn it into a drawing pad. Make a
sketch, or scribble on it just like you
would do on a Wacom tablet. Lenovo
also includes a magnetic clipboard that
attaches to the Yoga Book for taking
notes and record your creations.
The Yoga Book also comes with a
custom Real Pen stylus. It can be
used in two ways: use a digital stylus
on the tablets touch screen and the
other is an ink nib to create notes on
physical paper, which can be converted
into digital notes on the screen.
MYMOBILE
 snap shot

In focus
APPLE REINVENTED THE TABLET MARKET WITH THE IPAD, AND IT CHANGED
THE STATUS OF THE MARKET FOREVER. LENOVO, HOWEVER, IS TAKING
ONE STEP FORWARD WITH THE YOGA BOOK. THE DEVICE, A 2-IN-1
TABLET COMES WITH AN INNOVATIVE TOUCH-SENSITIVE KEYBOARD THAT
DOUBLES AS A MINI LAPTOP, NOTEPAD, AND A DRAWING CANVAS. WE
TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT LENOVO YOGA BOOK. By Anuj Bhatia

7
The Yoga Book will
be available in both
8
The tablet also gets
a microSD card slot,
9
L e n o v o Yo g a B o o k
appears to be a unique
10
Lenovo has not launched
the Yoga Book in India
Windows 10 and a micro-HDMI port 2-in-1 tablet, different at the time of writing.
Android Marshmallow and, a headphone from the hybrid H o w e v e r, C h i n e s e
6.0.1 versions, with jack. Unfortunately, machines from the company has plans to
identical designs. Lenovo has not used traditional PC makers. launch the Yoga Book
Hardware-wise, the more versatile USB For some people - the in India before the end
tablet is powered by an Type-C port which is Yoga Book sounds too of the year at around
Intel Atom x5 processor, common nowadays. futuristic. But we like Rs. 38,000, although
4GB of RAM, 64GB of the concept of a touch the speculated price
storage and up to 15- keyboard and stylus and may change during the
hours of battery life. thet cool form factor. release.

anuj@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 00

In focus Special

50 | november 2016 MYMOBILE

 Special

In focus
Here Come The
Sevens!
THE NEW IPHONES HAVE ARRIVED IN INDIA, BOTH OF THEM. AND
NEEDLESS TO SAY, INTEREST IN THEM IS VERY HIGH INDEED. SO
WHAT EXACTLY IS NEW ABOUT THEM, ARE THEY REVOLUTIONARY OR
EVOLUTIONARY, AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, ARE THEY WORTH
INVESTING IN? WE TRY TO ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS IN THIS
DETAILED IPHONE FAQ.

We wont keep this for the end. How much
do the new iPhones cost?
not surprisingly, the answer is: a fair
penny. The iPhone 7 starts at rs 60,000
for the 32 Gb edition, while the iPhone
7 Plus costs rs 72,000 for the 32 Gb
edition. Interestingly, however, the 16
Gb models have been phased out and
users now have 32 Gb, 128 Gb and 256
Gb models to choose. The price break up
of different models goes thus:
iPhone 7 32 Gb: rs 60,000; 128
Gb: rs 70,000; 256 Gb: rs 80,000
iPhone 7 Plus 32 Gb: rs 72,000;
128 Gb: rs 82,000; 256 Gb: rs
92,000.
both phones are available in silver,
gold and rose gold and now also in jet
black and black yes, black is back on
the iPhone after a sabbatical (it was last
seen on the iPhone 4S).
Lets start off simply: has the much talked
about iPhone design change happened in
the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus?
Well, if you discount the return of the
black and jet black models, we would
have to concede that no, the iPhone 7
does not represent the militant design
overhaul that many were expecting it
to be, given Apples penchant to alter
design radically after two years. Yes, there
are claims about better materials being
used in the construction, but in terms of
sheer shape and size, the new iPhones
seem to be cut out of the same fabric that
made their predecessors. In fact, both
the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are exactly the
same proportions as the iPhone 6s and
6s Plus. They are slightly lighter, though
the iPhone 7 Plus is 188 grammes to
the 192 grammes of the 6s Plus, while
the iPhone 7 is 138 grammes to the 143
grammes of the iPhone 6s. There are a
few other changes the antenna bands
are no longer as visible on the back as
they were on previous editions, and the
iPhone 7 Plus now has a dual camera
set up that protrudes from its back. but
placed inside a case, as many will be, it is
very difficult to tell the new iPhones apart
from their predecessors.
Does the return of black make a huge
difference to the appearance of the
phones?
Well, yes, it does. In fact, we would go
so far as to say that if you are buying an
iPhone for flaunt value, then perhaps the
black and jet black versions should be
the best options. Unlike their iPhone 4
and 4S predecessors which had a black
back panel but had steel coloured sides,
the jet black and black editions of the
new iPhones are totally black, giving
them a very unique appearance. Yes,
some might find the jet black a trifle too
glossy for comfort, especially given its
tendency to pick up smudges and stains
we found ourselves wiping it clean
almost every time we touched it but we
have not seen iPhones look this good for
quite a while now.
So barring the colours, the look and
design seem largely the same. What has
then changed?
Well, actually a fair bit. First off, the
displays, while being of the same size
and resolution as their predecessors,

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 51

In focus Special
claim to handle colour better than their
predecessors. Then there is the little
matter of the processor - as with every
new edition of the iPhone, Apple has
included a better improved processor with
the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, what it terms the
A10 Fusion processor. The cameras have
been improved too, and now both the
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus cameras come with
optical image stabilization. The iPhone 7
Plus also has dual cameras on the back.
both phones also come with water and
dust resistance and rather significantly
now come with stereo speakers as well.
And of course, storage has been doubled
across the board. These are phones with
massively improved innards.
but there is something missing too,
isnt there? The 3.5 mm audio jack!
Yes, thats absolutely right and there
has been a right royal ruckus over Apples
decision to do away with that trusty bit of
hardware. Apple claims that the removal
of the audio jack will give them more space
within the phone for better component
placement. And in terms of sheer quality,
we must concede that the sound in the
bundled ear Pods sounds better when
connected to the Lightning Connector
as compared to the 3.5 mm audio jack.
Apple has also bundled an adapter that
allows you to use 3.5 mm headphones
with the new iPhones - it is not an elegant
solution but it works just fine. but yes,
you wont be able to recharge your phone
while using the earphones.
There has been a lot of talk about the
dual cameras on the back of the iPhone 7
Plus. Do they really make that much of a
difference?
Well, there are two 12.0-megapixel
cameras on the back of the iPhone 7
Plus - one is a wide angle lens and the
other a telephoto lens. The latter is the
interesting one as it lets you optically
zoom into subjects up to 2x. That does
not sound like much but does make a
difference in phones. Apple also claims
52 | november 2016
that digital zoom has been significantly
improved, allowing you to get reasonably
clear shots even at 10x digital zoom.
While things have definitely improved in
this regard, although we would suggest
stopping at 6x. Another area where we
have observed a significant improvement
is in depth of field and bokeh, where
backgrounds are getting blurred very
effectively, if not as spectacularly as on
devices like the Honor 8.
Cameras are an important part of the iPhone
experience. How good are the ones on the
new iPhones?
The answer is: very good indeed. Yes, the
dual camera set up makes a difference to
the iPhone 7 Plus camera performance,
but for us, the real change in camera
performance on both devices is in low
light performance. once considered the
Achilles Heel of the iPhones, low light
performance is actually a strength of the
new ones. Glare is handled brilliantly
and colour and detail are also tackled
sensibly, so you do not get the impression
that a photograph has been brightened
up artificially. We think these are the
best cameras we have seen on a phone,
winning back the iPhone the title of best
camera phone. Whats more, there is a
new portrait mode that is being brought in
with a new software update in the coming
days, which should make the shooting
experience even better.
In terms of general performance, where do
the new iPhones stand?
We are going to be blunt: we never had
any problems in terms of performance
with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, so while
there is no doubt that the iPhone 7 and 7
Plus are great performers, users might not
notice that great a difference in terms of
general performance. both phones handle
high definition content brilliantly, the
fingerprint readers remain benchmarks
for the rest of the market in terms of
accuracy and consistency and with the
addition of stereo speakers, a new
dimension has been added in
terms of loudspeaker sound
quality. most significantly, the battery
lives of both devices have improved - we
actually were able to get through a day
of use on the iPhone 7 with a little care,
and the 7 Plus easily saw through a day
and a half of use. And yes, the water and
dust resistance seems to work just fine
- we gave each of them a light dunk in
the water and they survived to tell the
tale. Added to the camera muscle, we
would say that these are perhaps the best
multimedia phones out there. Top it with
the app treasury that they have at their
disposal, and these are both contenders
for being the best smartphones out there.
Period.
So tell me then: should I buy the new iPhone
7 or iPhone 7 Plus? Especially if I already
have an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus.
We So wish there was an easy answer to
this one. It really depends on what your
needs are. If you are looking for a high
performing phone with an exceptional
camera, then the iPhone 7 Plus becomes
an easy phone to recommend, with only
its large size being a deterrent. In terms
of sheer performance, this is perhaps one
of the best phones in the world out there.
Things however get a bit more iffy in the
case of the sleeker and more compact
iPhone 7. For while there is no doubting
that in terms of sheer appearance and
ease of use, the iPhone 7 is the better of
the new iPhone duo, it is markedly inferior
in terms of camera performance, with
no dual camera set up or optical zoom
to perk it up. So if you have an iPhone
6s, the move to the 7 might not seem a
compelling one, but if you are considering
investing in a 7 Plus, we would go right
ahead and recommend it whole heartedly,
as we would go out on a limb and call it
perhaps the best phone out there. n
nimish@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE
 Special

In focus

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 53

In Conversation face to face

EvEry citizEn of india

should bE ablE to gEt
onlinE
IT HAS BEEN A BUSY TIME FOR OPERA. IDENTIFIED WITH ONE OF THE MOST
POPULAR THIRD PARTY BROWSERS IN THE WORLD, THE COMPANY HAS
BEEN IN TALKS WITH A CHINESE CONSORTIUM, EVEN AS IT CONTINUES
TO WORK ON A HOST OF NEW PRODUCTS. WHERE EXACTLY DOES OPERA
STAND TODAY? LARS BOILESEN. CEO, OPERA SPOKE TO NIMISH DUBEY
ABOUT THE COMPANY AND ITS PROSPECTS IN THE DAYS TO COME.
It has been a busy 2016 for Opera with talk Moving on to more recent matters: you recently cards.
of the company being sold to a Chinese released a version of Opera Mini that you said The next generation of internet users will
consortium, and then the company reportedly was especially redesigned for India. What come from non-metro cities and they are
selling its browser business. Just to clarify was so special about it? The latest version of likely to be most comfortable in engaging
matters: where does Opera stand today? the Opera Mini browser was designed with with the web in their regional languages.
We have been in talks with a Chinese the requirements of Indian users in mind. It Hence, we integrated 13 Indian languages
consortium to acquire parts of Operas includes a plethora of features to enhance in the Opera Mini UI earlier this year. The
business, led by security firm Qihoo and the overall browsing experience. news section in Opera Mini is also available
Kunlun, backed by Golden Brick Silk Road Opera conducted extensive focus in Hindi and we will consider adding more
and Yonglian investment firms. group research in India and found out languages based on user demand.
The following business units of Opera that Bollywood and sports are the most
will be included in the transaction: popular content categories that users like You have been one of the most popular third
n Mobile browser, including operator co- to read from the browser. This insight was party browsers in India - how have you seen
brand solutions applied to the latest version, making India the market evolve? When Opera Mini was
n Desktop browser the only country where Opera Mini works first released 11 years ago, the market was
n Performance and privacy apps with local content partners. Through these dominated by basic Java and Symbian
n Operas technology licensing business partnerships, Opera Mini users can access phones. In those days, there was a big
outside of Opera TV content from Bollywood Hungama and difference between the web you could
n Operas 29.09% ownership in the sports updates by Sportskeeda from the view from your desktop computer and the
Chinese joint venture, Horizon start page of the browser. mobile web. Only WAP websites could offer
The Consumer Business will be Our Indian users love watching videos a decent experience to users on their small-
reorganized into a separate company on their smartphones. With large-screen screen mobile phones. With Opera Minis
structure. For clarity, the following phones available in the country at affordable technology, we were able to narrow this
businesses are not included in the prices, the trend of video consumption will gap and give users a real-web experience
Consumer Business or the transaction: only grow further. Therefore, the new Opera on basic mobile phones.
n Opera Mediaworks Mini features a built-in media player with Today, users have migrated to
n Opera Apps & Games (including the ability to download videos from popular smartphones and have access to faster
Bemobi) social networking and news sites directly networks, but there is still a long way to
n Opera TV onto users smartphones or memory go to bring the majority of Indians online.

54 | nOVeMBeR 2016 MYMOBILE

 face to face

In Conversation
The infrastructure in India will additional language support and
continue to improve during the next localized content, and one of the
5-10 years as telecom companies best download managers available.
continue to invest. However, their Our compression technology has
efforts will have to match the growing also improved to include video
population of India and millions optimization and to reduce buffering
coming online. when streaming. With increasing
The Internet itself is growing usage of internet and apps, there is
bigger as we speak. Since 2012, the also a need to manage apps so that
average webpage has doubled in size they dont strip the smartphone of
due to larger images, more tracking precious resources such as battery,
tools, more ads, more complex code RAM and mobile data. Opera Max
and embedded code, and services is one such solution that combines
such as social-media plug-ins. That the secure connection of what a VPn
means increased load times, and provides and data saving compression
more data being transported through technology to give users a secure way
the cell towers. of managing apps and data
The use of streaming video is usage in a simple
expanding the amount of data manner.
flowing through the infrastructure of We will continue
the web and is forecast to grow at a to innovate with
faster rate than mobile connectivity. new apps and
To bring a billion Indians online, features that will
we need to fix the internets most make our Indian
common challenges. Today, Operas users online
compression technology is more experience
relevant than ever. It is essential better.
in making sure the internet is
accessible for everyone by reducing Opera is best
the data traffic needed to experience known for
the web faster and in an affordable its browsers,
manner. but in recent
times we have
How important is the Indian market seen the company
to Opera today? Any numbers you come out with other
would like to share about the number apps too, such as
of users, and the number of staff you Opera Max and the
have in the country? India has always VPN app. Is this
been an important market for Opera. part of a strategy to
It is home to the largest number of move away from
our mobile device users. In the last 6 browsers? Web
years, we have increased the number browsers have
of Opera users from 1 million in been our core
2010 to 50 million today. product from
A majority of our users today the beginning.
come from smartphones. Over the With the
years, we have updated the Opera growing
web browser with resourceful m a r k e t
features such as an easy to use UI, and evolving

www.mymobileindia.com nOVeMBeR 2016 | 55

In Conversation face to face
consumer needs, we have adapted
ourselves to develop performance and
privacy apps such as Opera Max and Opera
VPn. With both of these apps, the focus is
to enhance the overall online experience
for users, which has always been a goal at
Opera. This diversification is a conscious
strategy to establish Opera as an Internet
company that has a wider range of apps
and a strong mobile advertising business.
What is the status of Opera TV in India? Opera
TVs presence in India is thorough over the
top (OTT) video streaming service deployed
on selected end user devices such as Sony
Smart TVs & blu-ray players, Samsung blu-
ray players and other consumer brands.
The OTT service called Opera TV features
over 1000 applications ranging from local
and international video on-demand, news,
music, fashion, sports and kids content
from a variety of broadcasters and content
owners such as TeD, Sony LIV, Vouge,
Wired, Red Bull TV, Washington Post, Al-
Jazeera to mention a few.
We have seen Opera showing a lot of interest
in gaming of late. Where do you plan to go
with this in general, and do you have any
56 | nOVeMBeR 2016
Indian plans in particular? The gaming
announcements, Idea Games Club, for
example, that you have heard recently are
solutions powered by the Opera Apps Club,
a netflix-style subscription service for
premium Android apps. It provides users
with an all you can download subscription
offer, payable through operators billing
systems. Its app portfolio ranges across
productivity, entertainment, gaming,
messaging and so on. We have partnered
with more than 15 operators across the
globe to offer this service.
Idea Games Club is a subset of the Opera
Apps Club. It allows users to download and
enjoy unlimited,
full-version
premium gaming
apps on their
smartphones,
without worrying
about in-app
purchases and
advertisements.
The flat sub-
scription-fee
model will save
consumers a lot
of money and
effort compared
to buying apps
one by one from
the traditional app
store. We have
also launched Tata
Docomo Apps Club
in India and we have more announcements
in the pipeline.
We have seen Operas browsers on a number
of devices in India. Any more tie-ups in the
pipeline, not just for browsers but for other
apps, too? We have partnership agreements
to preinstall Opera Mini on all Android
handsets and tablets of Indian OeMs
such as Micromax, Intex, Karbonn, Lava,
Videocon, Celkon, Spice, Zen Mobiles,
Panasonic etc. This covers almost 80% of
the Indian OeM
The Opera browser for Android powers
the YUniverse browser in smartphones
by Yu Televentures and Comet browser in
Xolo smartphones. Samsungs Ultra Data
Savings mode, featured in the brands
recently launched J series smartphones, is
powered by Opera Max, as is the S Secure
mode in Samsungs J 7 Prime. In addition,
we have partnered with OeMs to preinstall
Opera Max on Android smartphones by
Micromax and Intex.
What is the way ahead for Opera in general
and in India, in particular? Any particular
product we should be looking out for? every
citizen of the 1.3 billion population of India
should be able to get online, in spite of the
low-end smartphones they are able to afford
and the sluggish mobile networks they
might come across from time to time. We
believe that Opera has a very important role
to play here, specially with our compression
technology. For India in particular, we are
planning to invest aggressively for growing
users in tier two and three cities. Being able
to access the web can be life-changing.
The next wave of internet users are more
comfortable interacting in the local
language, and we place a special emphasis
on both localization and delivering content
based on geolocation.
We are also looking at delivering a
better news experience to our users. We
are already improving on the existing news
section in Opera browsers and testing the
feasibility of a standalone app for the same.
You will hear more about these innovations
in the months to come. Our roadmap for
the overall company is promising. If the
acquisition goes through, this will mean
more people will be able to use Operas
products. Together with our new potential
partners, we would have a user base of
some 800 million users. The consortium
is big in China, and we are big in emerging
markets. Together, we can cross-promote
our products to more users and grow
stronger financial muscles to develop new
products.n
nimish@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE

Lithium-ion Batteries
F rom your iPod to your smartphone to your cars battery,
Lithium-ion batteries are nowadays used in almost in
every gadget you see in the market. Lithium-ion batteries
are considered one of the most powerful batteries but
are also prone to burst into flame. You might have heard
the Samsung Galaxy note 7 fiasco, where the companys
smartphone was bursting into flames. This was primarily
due to the faulty high-density lithium-ion battery used in
it. but what exactly is a Lithium-ion battery? How does
it work? Well, to start with, Lithium-ion batteries are
basically a rechargeable battery which houses a precious
metal known as Lithium. The metal is considered to
be the lightest metal with the highest electrochemical
potential. In order to know these types of batteries, let
us first look at how a battery works. A battery is made
of compartments known as cells and each cell has three
components: positive electrode, a negative electrode and
an electrolyte. When you charge the battery, the ions flow
from positive to negative electrode and while discharging it
www.mymobileindia.com
Jargon Buster
TechBytes
flows from negative electrode to positive electrode. In case
of Lithium-ion batteries, the positive electrode is made of
a compound known as lithium-cobalt oxide (LiCoo2) or, in
newer batteries, from lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4).
Lithium-ion batteries are lighter than the other types of
rechargeable batteries making them highly useful for
portable devices. As Lithium is a reactive metal, this also
means that it can store more energy as compared to other
batteries. The batteries can hold its charge for a longer
period of time as compared to other batteries and they
have no memory effect meaning, that you dont need to
wait it to get completely discharged before charging it
again. but there are some flaws as well. These types of
batteries do not have a long shelf life. These are highly
sensitive towards high temperatures and degrade faster at
higher temperature. And yes as they are highly sensitive,
chances of catching fire in the battery is always higher
than any other batteries types. As we all - and Samsung
- now know. n rohan@mymobile.co.in
november 2016 | 57
 spot light

Spectrum Auction:
In Focus

Damp Squib?
THE MUCH-HYPED AND AWAITED SPECTRUM AUCTION CONCLUDED
IN JUST FIVE DAYS OF ITS COMMENCEMENT AS ALREADY DEBT RIDDEN
TELECOM OPERATORS AVOIDED AGGRESSIVE BIDDING PRIYANKA DUA
TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE AUCTION.

T
here is no doubt that spectrum
plays important role in telecom
industry or say a lifeline for
the operators. More spectrum
means more consumer satisfaction and in
simple terms the more the merrier. Which
is why many people were disappointed with
the results of the latest round of spectrum
auctions in the country. It ended in only five
days, with the centre receiving bids worth
rs 65,789 crore, about 11 per cent of the
expected rs 5.66 lakh crore and only 40
per cent of the total airwaves on the block
being sold.
the operators are already in debt of
close to rs 3 lakh crore and the reserve
prices were very high, experts said.
this time the total amount of spectrum
was put on the block by Government is
2,354.55 MHz, but the Government has
only managed to sell 965MHz from seven
different frequency bands i.e.700MHZ
800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100
MHz, 2,300 MHz and 2,500 MHz.
Looking back to the last year auction in
2015, the Government sold of about 89 per
cent of the total 418.05MHz spectrum put
up for the sale and the auction concluded
in 19 days. the centre raised rs 1.09 lakh
crore which was 36 per cent higher than
expected and even in the 2014 auctions,
the centre had raised rs 61162.22
crore from the sale
of 399.2 MHz of
spectrum from the
sale of two bands: 900 MHz and 1800
MHz.
According to industry experts, the
auction was a failure due to high pricing of
bands. Sources close to the development
also told My Mobile that, there were no
takers for the 700 MHz and 900 MHz due
to high reserve price and now trAI has to
re-look at the pricing.
Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, telecoms
at cMr research says, I think this auction
has shown the judicious approach adopted
by the operators and in a way they have
shown that telecom is

96 | october 2016 MYMOBILE

 spotlight

In Focus
This is the highest ever amount
garnered in the last five years.
This is a cause of happiness. Its a
big achievement that we could sell
965MHz, which is more than the
cumulative amount sold since 2012,
- Manoj Sinha, telecom Minister

beyond buying of spectrum.
tarun Pathak, Senior Analyst,
counterpoint research, was more
optimistic, saying, I think it was a good
auction overall if we exclude 700 MHz and
900 MHz where little to no response was
widely anticipated due to high price. Infact
4/5th of the spectrum was valued for these
two bands. Hence it will be unfair to look
into the actual sale of spectrum with the
total value put into table. For other bands
like 2300 MHz and 1800 Mhz it was
almost a complete sell out which synced
with strategic interest of the telcos too.
Meanwhile, telecom Minister Manoj
Sinha seems happy with the response
and taking this is as a big achievement.
this is the highest ever amount garnered
in the last five years. this is a cause of
happiness. Its a big achievement that
we could sell 965MHz, which is more
than the cumulative amount sold since
2012, the Minister
said. However he blamed the lack of eco-
system behind no bids in the 700MHz
band.
Bidding in Auction
vodafone emerged as the highest bidder
with bids worth over rs 20,000 crore,
followed by bharti Airtel at rs 14,244 crore,
new entrant reliance Jio won airwaves at
rs 13,672 crore and Idea won spectrum
worth rs 12,798 crore. reliance Jio has
renewed its expiring spectrum in 800
MHz band in Gujarat circle and purchased
additional spectrum in the 800 MHz,
1800 MHz and 2300 MHz bands. other
telecom operators like tata teleservices
won airwaves in the key markets of Delhi
and Mumbai at rs. 4,400 crore. reliance
communication bought spectrum in only
one circle for rs 65 crore, and its new
partner Aircel won at rs 1,100 crore.
Flop show of
premium bands
right from the day one
of auction there was no
activity in 700MHz
due to its high base
price of rs 11,485 crore per MHz. Small
wonder the debt ridden telecom industry
maintained distance from the premium
airwaves.
In fact there were no takers in 900 Mhz
band.
the response for premium bands was
expected and yes we think Government
should reconsider the pricing as it is too
high by any metrics currently, Pathak
said.
on selling unsold premium band at
reduced price, Pathak added, We dont
think it will be any time soon. Lte services
has just picked up momentum in country
and telcos are yet to get returns on their
earlier capex . In such a scenario we think
that one should look at the scale of internet
penetration especially Lte services for a
year and then decide accordingly.
Faisal said, I would say rather than
reducing prices, they could go for phased
systematic auctioning in consultation with
the industry, adding that I see it should be
auctioned need based, even if that means
in multiple auctions. n
priyanka@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com noveMber 2016 | 59

 in focus

Welcome to
Spotlight

BlackBerry 2.0!
FOR MANY YEARS,BLACKBERRY SMARTPHONES WERE A STATUS
SYMBOL FOR PROFESSIONALS AND CONSUMERS. THEY WERE
THE FIRST CHOICE OF PEOPLE LIKE US PRESIDENT BARACK
OBAMA AND KIM KARDASHIAN. BUT NOW BLACKBERRY
RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD STOP DESIGNING ITS
OWN SMARTPHONES. ANUJ BHATIA LOOKS BACK AT THE
END OF AN ERA.

B
lackBerry announced it is
exiting the space for more
profitable and growing software
business. Once a poster boy of
Canadas booming tech industry with a
market value of $80 billion, BlackBerrys
market value today is about $4.6 billion.
At its peak, the company was synonymous
with smartphones. Today, its share of the
market stands at less than a percentage
point. So what went wrong?
Many believe that BlackBerry was a
victim of its success. It quickly conquered
the market in no time - with its innovative
phones touting physical QWERTY-keypad.
At that stage., BlackBerry had everything
- enough cash, support from the Canadian
government, R&D muscle, relationships
with network providers, expertise in making
software and hardware in its own , and a
loyal following of business and enterprise
users. BlackBerry even created a messaging
service (BBM) for its phones, which
further drew the interest of consumers.
Even though the Canadian company was
nowhere close to Nokia, then the worlds
largest smartphone maker, BlackBerry exclusive to Verizon in the U.S and also its
mostly dominated the high-end smartphone first touchscreen smartphone to counter the
market, especially in the U.S. iPhone, shook the brand BlackBerry from
Everything was smooth until Apple within. It had a touchscreen but the phone
launched the iPhone in 2007, followed was poorly received. The problem with the
by Google unveiling the first Android BlackBerry Storm was the missing link
smartphone in the year that followed. Both between hardware and software. In 2008,
Apple and Google were new into the mobile Apple announced support for third-party
handset business back then, being looked apps on the iPhone. BlackBerry, again,
as newcomers in front of BlackBerry. had nothing new to offer. To counter Apple,
Soon enough, Apple started to scale up its
operations with the newly found success
of the iPhone. On the other hand, Google
was getting attention for designing a mobile
operating system tailor made for touch
screen devices such as smartphones and
tablets. The mobile phone market, which
BlackBerry understood well, started to look
different altogether. BlackBerry missed on
the opportunity to counter the competition
and seek to move beyond its comfort zone.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the fall of
BlackBerry could be linked to its late entry
into the touch-enabled mobile phone
market.
The failure of the Storm in 2008, an

60 | NOVEMBER 2016 MYMOBILE


however, in 2009, BlackBerry announced
its own app store, with a much smaller
selection of apps than the competition.
It was only in 2010 that BlackBerry
finally seemed to take on Apple and Google
- the BlackBerry Torch was introduced; a
hybrid smartphone with both a touchscreen
and a physical keyboard. It offered better
experience than the companys previous
smartphones. But BlackBerrys proprietary
OS was aging and the company needed
to overhaul its software approach. So, in
2010, BlackBerry acquired QNX software
solutions. On paper, the idea was to
provide a compelling
www.mymobileindia.com
software experience integrated well
into BlackBerry hardware. However, the
implementation took too long. In 2011,
BlackBerry debuted the PlayBook, a
tablet device running the new software.
The tablet proved a major disappointment
- it needed to be paired with a BlackBerry
phone for full functionality! It was soon
heavily discounted, leaving the company
had to bear heavy losses. The next year, in
2012, the company had no major products
to showcase and the new BlackBerry 10
OS didnt arrive. The smartphone maker
also announced to cut 5,000 jobs to trim
costs.
Finally, in 2013, the BlackBerry Z10
was announced, based on the new mobile
operating system. The hardware
in focus
Spotlight
was good, but the software experience was
sketchy and the lack of apps led to the
failure of the Z10. Throughout the year,
BlackBerry went on to launch a number
of smartphones running BlackBerry 10
OS, but its market share kept falling. The
situation was getting worse day-by-day
and on September 23, 2013, BlackBerry
announced that it agreed to a $4.7 billion
buyout by a consortium of investors led by
Fairfax Financial. CEO Thorsten Heins was
shown the door and the struggling maker
appointed John Chen to lead BlackBerry.
CEO Chen has been trying to get
BlackBerry to its past glory since joining
in 2013. When Chen took over three years
ago, he outsourced manufacturing to
Foxconn. But he sees BlackBerrys strength
in mobile and security software. Chen did
try to save the hardware business with the
launch of BlackBerry Passport in 2014, a
phone aimed to take on the likes of Apples
iPhone 6 Plus and Samsungs Galaxy Note
4. The company even adopted Android OS,
in an attempt to return to profitability - the
BlackBerry Priv was the BlackBerry phone
to come running Android. But once again,
Chens efforts were in vain. The companys
latest smartphone, the DTEK50, has
been completely outsourced. BlackBerry
recently announced a joint venture with an
Indonesian telecom company as part of
its strategy to end all device manufacturing
and focus on software development. The
Canadian company said the partnership
will specifically help Blackberry develop
and license its software, including security
solutions and applications, through its
Mobility Solutions unit.
BlackBerry has responded to the market
that it is better at making secure software
and applications, rather than designing
its own smartphones. For CrackBerries,
its difficult to digest that BlackBerry has
stopped making its own devices after a long
14 years in the business.
An era has well and truly ended. n
anuj@mymobile.co.in
NOVEMBER 2016 | 61
 spot light

The Jio Interconnectivity

In Focus

Scramble!
CONTROVERSIES ARE NOT NEW TO RELIANCE JIO AND NOW
ANOTHER ISSUE HAS COME UP AS ITS USERS ARE FACING CALL DROPS
DUE TO LACK OF POINTS OF INTERCONNECTION (POIS). PRIYANKA
DUA TRIES TO EXPLAIN THE WHOLE ISSUE AND THE ROLES OF THE
DIFFERENT PLAYERS INVOLVED.
O
TH
ER

S
RK
N

O
ET

ETW
W

N
O

R
HE
RK

T
S

62 | november 2016 MYMOBILE


ust when you thought that
reliance Jio had spent enough
time in the limelight, the issue
of interconnectivity popped
up. Interconnection is the linking of
telecommunications networks so that
customers of one network can communicate
with customers of another network. To
make a call from one network to another,
an interconnect fee is to be paid to the
incoming network operator. This is a way
of paying for the resources used of the
operator of the terminating network while
the originating operator network makes
revenues from the call charges.
Growing Spat
It all started when reliance Jio wrote to
Telecom regulatory Authority of India
(TrAI), Chairman rS Sharma that the
industry body Cellular operators Association
of India (CoAI) had rejected its
request to provide
additional points of interconnects (PoIs).
CoAI responded that incumbents operators
are providing sufficient points to supports
15- 20 million users and reliance Jio has
only 2- 3 million users.
The members of CoAI would like to
clarify that they have already provided
www.mymobileindia.com
reliance Jio with enough interconnect
capacity to meet the usual demand of 15
to 20 million customers. We understand
reliance Jio presently has approximately 2
to 3 million customers using their network.
Hence, we are unable to substantiate
reliance Jios claim for additional capacity,
rajan S. mathews, Director General, CoAI
Later, Jio accused the operators of breach
of licence agreement and also requested
TrAI to intervene or to take action against
the telcos. The TrAI issued a consultation
paper on 5 August in which the regulator
sought the reduction of interconnection
charges which provoked CoAI to write a
letter Department of Telecom in which the
industry body mentioned that Jio is providing
full-fledged services and subscriptions to
up to more than 1.5 million users on its
network, claiming to test/trial users. The
letter also mentioned that reliance Jio was
generating data volumes which were 25-30
times the Indian average and bypassing
government regulations with predatory
pricing and unfair competition. The letter
also requested the telecom department
and to TrAI to intervene in the matter and
tell Jio to stop giving full fledged services
masquerading as tests.
The war of words got escalated when
CoAI wrote to the Prime minster office
and expressed its deep concern
over the recent consultation
papers floated by the TrAI
accused the regulator for
adopting discriminatory
practices against existing
operators. meanwhile
Jio added a link on its
website with call drop
details the operator
has faced during a 24-
hour duration. Jio in its link put out data for
September 22 saying over 12 crore out of
15 crore call attempts by its users failed.
The deliberate move to not provide
sufficient interconnection capacity, as is
apparent from the above numbers, is clearly
aimed at hindering rJILs entry into the sector
and is depriving Indian customers from
spotlight
In Focus
enjoying superior HD voice services being
offered by rJIL, rJIL said in a statement.
Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, Telecoms
at Cmr research says, I believe whatever
is happening can only help the incumbents
to affect Jios performance in short term.
Ultimately, this is the era of co-creation and
they all will have to live together. There have
to be efforts to look at more of collaboration
rather than tussle.
Agreeing to the same, Tarun Pathak
Senior Analyst, Counterpoint research said,
I think the matter is only short terms and
will eventually die down as key stakeholder
sit and resolve the issue. extending the
same will not be in interest of consumers
or any player in the ecosystem.
TRAI intervention
After all that war or words and letters, the
regulator has decided to intervene in the
battle and issued show cause notices to all
operators. The regulator had given them 10
days to explain the reason and why action
should not be initiated against them for
not meeting norms. meanwhile, the three
leading operators had already submitted
their responses on the same in which they
have mentioned that free voice calls offered
by reliance Jio as the reason for heavy
network congestion.
In their submission to the regulator telcos
said that, Free voice calls by reliance Jio
is prompting people to use more minutes,
thus leading to an increased traffic at the
interconnection points, according to
sources. The operators have also asked
TrAI to examine the alleged violation of
the telecom tariff order by reliance Jio,
sources added.
TrAI, Chairman rS Sharma also
confirmed to my mobile that the regulator
has received the responses and now they
are examining it. We will take action
according to law, he replied when asked
about any action the regulator is planning
to take against telecom operators.
Clearly the last word has not been said
on this controversy. Stay tuned for more. n
priyanka@mymobile.co.in
november 2016 | 63
 versus
Battle of the
Face-Off
Sevens
O
ne is the flagship
from Cupertino, the
other is the apple
(pun intended) of
the Korean eye. And they both
deliver a terrific dollop in terms of
performance - so much so that each
can lay legitimate claim to the title of
Best Smartphone in the World. But
what if you had to choose between
the iPhone 7 Plus and the Samsung
Galaxy S7 Edge? Well, lets help you
make up your mind.
Design and appearance
If you had told us a few years ago
that a Samsung phone would look
better than an iPhone, we would
have laughed at the very notion. The
stark fact, however, is that with the
S6 and the S7 Edge, Samsung came
back to the phone design wars with a
vengeance, blending glass and metal
brilliantly. But while the Galaxy S6
was a clear winner over the iPhone
6s, the battle between then S7 Edge
and the iPhone 7 Plus turns out to
be a close one, if you take the black
variant of the latter, which is in our
opinion, simply stunning. We are
still giving this to the S7 Edge for
managing to squeeze in a 5.5 inch
display into a much more compact
frame, but this is a tight call.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Hardware
One department where Samsung has
always held sway over the iPhones
has been in pure hardware. But the
64 | nOvEMBER 2016
battle gets much tighter in the case of
the S7 Edge and the iPhone 7 Plus.
We are not going into the processor
and RAM comparisons because both
devices run on different platforms
with different requirements. But
while the iPhone 7 Plus scores over
the S7 Edge with its dual camera
arrangement and optical zoom as
well as dual speakers, the S7 Edge
still comes with expandable memory
and a higher resolution quad HD
display. We are calling this one a tie,
something that has not happened
before, really.
Winner: Tie.
Software
Software has been the core strength
of the iPhones and this does not
change with the iPhone 7 Plus. iOS
10 might be a bit on the buggy side
but it still comes across as simpler
and more intuitive to use than the
Touch Wiz layered Android on the
Galaxy S7 Edge. Whats more,
Apples iOS app edge over Android
remains in place, as does the fact
that most iPhone users get access
to updates much faster than Android
users do. This round to the iPhone 7
Plus and very comfortably at that.
Winner: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Camera
This is a formidable battle indeed.
While the S7 Edge sports a 12.0-
megapixel camera with f/1.7
aperture, the iPhone 7 Plus brings
two dual 12.0-megapixel cameras

MENTION HIGH-END SMARTPHONES AND IT IS A FAIR CHANCE
THAT THE FIRST TWO THAT WILL SPRING TO MOST PEOPLES MINDS
WILL BE THE IPHONE 7 PLUS AND THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S7
EDGE. BUT WHICH OF THESE TWO IS ACTUALLY THE ONE FOR
YOU? WE PIT THEM IN A CONTEST AGAINST EACH OTHER TO
FIND OUT.
with f/1.8 apertures to the party.
And well, they both deliver terrific
results. Some might prefer the
brighter colours of the S7 Edge but
photography purists are more likely
to be swayed by the more realistic
shades of the iPhone 7s shots. What
tilts the scales in favour of the iPhone
7 Plus is the availability of 2x optical
zoom and its highly improved low
light performance. This is a tight call
again, but once again, the iPhone 7
Plus wins.
Winner: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Gaming and multimedia Value for money
The iPhone 7 Plus pretty much runs
away with this section. The addition
of stereo speakers makes games and
videos a much richer multimedia
experience on it, as compared to the
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. We are
not saying that the S7 Edge is bad
in this department but just that the
iPhone 7 Plus superiority is striking.
We had genuinely thought that the
magnificent display of the S7 Edge
would even the odds but with not
too many apps designed to make
the most of it, this is another win for
the iPhone 7 Plus.
Winner: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
General performance
With the sort of hardware and
software that they have up their
sleeves, both the Galaxy S7 Edge
and the iPhone 7 Plus turn in very
good performances indeed. One
area in which both phones have
versus
Face-Off
shown considerable improvement is
battery life- you can comfortably get
through a day on a single charge.
The S7 Edge showed slight signs
of heating up but never reached
alarming levels. The iPhone 7 Plus
held a slight edge in sound quality
because of its dual speakers, though,
and its fingerprint scanner seems
more consistent. With both devices
being water and dust resistant, we
are scoring this another narrow win
for the iPhone 7 Plus.
Winner: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
The S7 Edge it is all the way here,
coming at Rs 50,900 as compared
to the much more pricey iPhone 7
Plus, which starts at Rs 72,000.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Conclusion
So which is the one for you? Well,
based on broad parameters, we must
confess that at the time of writing,
the iPhone 7 Plus does seem to have
the edge on the Galaxy S7 Edge (pun
intended). It has a better camera
with an optical zoom advantage and
in terms of sheer speed, it seemed
better. That said, we can see people
gravitating to the Edge for its brilliant
design and features like expandable
memory, and of course, its lower
price tag at the time of writing.
neither should disappoint, really.
Having to choose between the two is
a good problem to have. n
nimish@mymobile.co.in
nOvEMBER 2016 | 65
 personality

Ten Facts
Profile
1
Shreyl Sandberg is the first women ever to become
a member of Facebooks board of directors. She
became the first woman to get elected as a board

You May Not member in 2012.

Know About 2
Sandberg who was born in the capital of the country
was raised Jewish. She even has a Bar Mitzvah and
still believes in her Jewish roots.

Sheryl Sandberg,
3
Sheryl got a GPA of 4.646 in High school but didnt
get the valedictorian post as she got ninth position in
COO of Facebook her graduating class.

Sandberg didnt top her high school score board

4 but that didnt stop her from getting into Harvard.

While she was an undergraduate student at Harvard,
Sandberg taught aerobics classes.

5
After taking her graduate degree, Sandberg opted
for MBA. She had her MBA in hand in 1995 and
graduated with highest distinction.

6
If you think Sandberg is only the board member at
Facebook, you are mistaken. She has been on the board
of the directors panel of Walt Disney Company since
2010 and is often considered as a future CEO.

Sheryl Sandberg has been married twice but her first

7 marriage didnt last long. She then married Dave

Goldberg who was the CEO of MonkeySurvey. She
unfortunately lost him in an accident in 2015.

8
When she was employed at Google and became
pregnant, she lobbied for and got Google to
create parking spots specifically for pregnant women.

9 Sandberg is a feminist and has written a book which

made her a bestselling author called Lean In.

She started the Ban Bossy

10
Campaign in 2014 which is a
movement to stop people from
using the word bossy while
describing young girls. Sandberg
has names like Victoria Beckham,
Beyonce and Jennifer Garner
amongst others on board for this
campaign.

*Disclaimer : The information has

been collected from the public
domain and not from an interview
with Sheryl Sandberg.

itel it1520
An eye-catching effort
i
tel can be considered
a new entrant into the
Indian smartphone
market. The company
made its debut with the launch
of it5311 and now they have
come up with their flagship
device, the it1520, which is
touted as worlds cheapest
smartphone to sports an iris
scanner.
Compact design and
good display
The itel it1520 also known
as SelfiePro smartphone,
does come with a good design
language. Although the device
is made of plastic, but it does
not look cheap. We liked the
diagonal pattern which gives a
premium look to the device. It
is lightweight and comfortable
to hold, thanks to the slight
curve at the back. At the front,
you will find a front-facing
camera flanked between a
front-facing flash and the
usual array of sensors, while
the earpiece sits right above it
and at the base you will find
the navigation buttons. At
the right there are volume
rocker and power on/off
button while the left is bare. At
the top there is an audio jack
while at the base there
is a microUSB port. At the
back you will find a primary
camera coupled with dual
LED flash and underneath are
dual-SIM slots, one microSD
card slot and removable
battery. Overall, the device
does look good.
www.mymobileindia.com
burntest
Tried & Tested
On the display, the device
sports a 5-inch HD IPS display
with a screen resolution of
1280x720 pixels. The display
does produces some sharp and
vibrant colours. The display
also comes with some good
viewing angles, and streaming
music videos and trailers was a
delightful experience.
Good hardware and
performance
The phone is powered by a
quad-core MediaTek processor
coupled with 2GB of RAM
and 16GB of internal storage
which can be further expanded
via microSD card. The phone
has connectivity options like lighting situations, the device
verdict
4G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. performed averagely and we
Looks
saw noise and graininess Smart-looking device
08 /10
Moving to performance, the
with textured rear
itel it1520 has its hits and kicking in. The front-facing panel finish
misses. The device handled camera also does a good job
Features 08 /10
daily tasks like browsing, in taking selfies and the flash Good display but no
is helpful during low light. fingerprint sensor
listening to music, using social
media apps, playing basic The device runs on the latest Performance 08 /10
Middling specs
games, with no sign of lagging Android 6.0 Marshmallow and above average
and the company has kept performance
or slowing down and handles
casual games like Temple Run the user interface to stock. Ease of Use 08 /10
User interface is
2, Can Knockdown effectively The interface is easy to stock-like
but when we tested it with navigate and use. And yes
Value For Money 08 /10
high-graphical games like the iris scanner works almost Can be considered to
accurately. be a good smartphone
Warhammer 40K: Freeblade,
we noticed some frame and
OVERALL 80%
lags. Although it is a not meant
Conclusion
With a price tag of Rs 8,490,
for heavy games but still does
the smartphone is a good
well in normal use.
option, but it faces stiff PROS COnS
On the camera front, the
competition from the likes of Good Middling
device has a 13-megapixel
Lenovo K5, Coolpad Note 3 display, specs,
rear and front cameras. The
rear camera takes some good
lite and more, which offers good mediocre
more impressive performance camera battery life
photos in broad daylight,
at a similar price point. n
although the photos were a bit (For detailed specifications,
team@mymobile.co.in please refer to My Guide)
oversaturated. Under the low
NOvEMBER 2016 | 67
Tried & Tested burntest

Videocon cube 3
Another budget warrior

V
ideocon recently
revamped its
mobile business
strategy and
has launched its next-gen
budget warrior, the Cube 3
smartphone in India. But does
it have all the ingredients to
become a success?
Glossy design and
average display
The Videocon Cube 3 does
give a premium look with a
glossy finish and the plastic
used in the smartphone is
of good quality. The golden
ring along the edges coupled
with checkbox pattern at the
rear glossy panel does makes
it look sturdy, although the
back is prone to smudges.
On the front, you will see a
front shooter coupled with
earpiece and front flash, while
at the base there are three
navigations buttons. On the
right you will find a power
button and volume rocker
while the left is blank. At
the back you see a primary
camera coupled dual LED
flash and once you remove
the back panel, you will see
a removable battery coupled
with dual SIM slot and a
microSD card slot. On the top
there is an audio jack while at
the base there is a microUSB
port. Overall, the device has
a light form factor and is
compact enough, making it
comfortable to hold and use.
On the display front, the
device features a 5-Inch HD
IPS Screen with DragontrailX
2.5D curved glass. The
display delivers good viewing
angles and gives decent
colour output. Watching
movies was good but we saw
a bit of yellow hue on the
display.
Good performer
The Videocon Cube 3 is
powered by a quad-core
MediaTek MT6735 processor
clocked at 1.3GHz. The phone
is backed by a 3GB of RAM
and 32GB of internal storage
which can be expanded up
to 64GB via microSD card.
The smartphone support all
connectivity options like 4G,
VoLTE, GPS/A-GPS, Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth. The performance
of the device is satisfactory
as it handles most of the
multi-tasking and regular
apps smoothly. Whether be it
using WhatsApp, Facebook,
YouTube and more, the device
was consistent. We also found
that it handled most casual
games like Temple Run
without too much difficulty.
On the camera front, the
The smartphone is powered by
a 3000mAh battery which can
last up to a day of normal use.
Conclusion
With a price tag of Rs. 8,490,
the smartphone offers some
modest specs coupled with
some good performance for
a buget-centric smartphone.
But still it faces a stiff
competition from the likes
of Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime,
Lenovo K5 Plus, and Coolpad
Note 3 Lite, which which
offers better specs and
performance at similar price
point. n
team@mymobile.co.in
Verdict
Looks 08 /10
Glossy check box
finish looks good
Features 08 /10
Average display but a
lightweight device
Performance 07 /10
Middling specs and
average performance

Cube 3 sports a 13-megapixel Ease of Use 08 /10

UI is smooth enough
rear camera coupled a
to use it
dual LED flash. There is a
Value For Money 08 /10
5-megapixel front-facing Overall, good
camera for selfies and video performer but still
faces stiff competition
calling. Although it took
some good photos in broad OVERALL 78%
daylight, the camera lacks
in sharpness. It took some
good close up shots but its
perfomance was average PROS COnS
in low light conditions. The Good Last-year
front shooter also performed display, specs,
good mediocre
averagely in our testing.
battery life camera
The phone runs on Android
6.0 Marshmallow which is (For detailed specifications,
smooth and easy to navigate. please refer to My Guide)

68 | NOVEMBER 2016 MYMOBILE


intex AquA S7
Value for money
t
he home-grown
brand, Intex is
best known for
launching some
really affordable smartphones
and it has added yet another
budget smartphone to its
Aqua series- the Aqua S7. But
can it go neck-to-neck with
some formidable competition
in the affordable phone
segment?
Decent-looking
device
The Aqua S7 sports a decent
design with a screen size
of 5-inches. The device
measures 142.5x72.5x8.5
mm and weighs 150 grams. It
features curved edges and on
the lower part we can find the
three obvious touch buttons,
with the speaker grilles and
the charging port at the
bottom. Going up there is the
front facing camera and a 3.5
mm audio jack. Coming to the
back of the device, on the top
we find the rear camera panel,
a fingerprint sensor below that
and on the lower portion there
is the Intex branding. On the
left side of the device is the
volume rocker as well as the
power on/off button.
Decent
specifications
The Aqua S7 sports a 5-inch
IPS (1280x720 pixels) 2.5D
curved glass display with
a pixel density of 294 ppi.
www.mymobileindia.com
burntest
Tried & Tested
Under the hood, there is a
64-bit quad-core processor
MediaTek MTK6735
processor. It has 3GB RAM
and 16 GB of internal
storage which can be further
expanded up to 64 GB using
a microSD card. On the
camera front, it features a 13-
megapixel rear camera while
the front facing camera is of
5-megapixels with a single
LED flash. It supports camera
features like PIP mode,
panorama mode, slow motion
video, gesture shot and
smile detection. It is juiced
by a 3200 mAh Lithium- lasts for up to two days (one
Verdict
polymer battery and runs on advice: dont charge it with any
Looks 08 /10
Android 6.0 Marshmallow. other charger, it will take too Decent looks and
Connectivity options include long). The device is a multi- comfortable to
handle
dual-SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi tasker, doesnt hang. All the
802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, applications run pretty well
Features 07 /10
Average
GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, FM while the audio quality too is specifications
radio, USB 2.0 and a 3.5 above average. However, the Performance 08 /10
Decent performance,
mm audio jack. It also comes camera is just average. Overall, a multi-tasker
with a fingerprint sensor at the performance is decent.
Ease of Use 08 /10
the back. The smartphone is Doesnt hang
also accompanied with the Conclusion Value For Money 08 /10
SOS feature which sends the Given the above average Decent
specifications, and a
users location to five pre- specifications and the decent great price
registered contacts in case performance by the device, for
OVERALL 78%
of an emergency. The Aqua Rs.9,499, the device can be a
S7 comes in rose gold, dark good option to buy. However,
blue and champagne colour the Intex Aqua S7 is likely to
options. face a tough competition
from the likes of Xiaomi PROS COnS
Another Decent for Redmi 3s Prime which comes Good battery Slightly
performance with 3 GB RAM, 4100 mAh
life, expensive,
Decent 720p HD
And it performed pretty battery and is powered by a
performer display
decently. The device is Qualcomm Snapdragon 430
comfortable to hold and processor. n (For detailed specifications,
please refer to My Guide)
battery life is very good - it team@mymobile.co.in
NOVEMBER 2016 | 69
Tried & Tested burntest
Gionee S6 Pro
Trying to turn on the style
G
ionee has
recently added
another member
to its S series
with the launch of S6 Pro.
And with this the company
is optimistic that it will once
again become a contender
in the Indian smartphone
market. But does this stylish
phone have what it takes?
Solid design and
good display
For Gionee, the design part
of the smartphone is of
uttermost importance. We
have seen many good looking
phones from Gionee and this
one is not an exception. We
got the gold version for the
review and it was indeed a
smart looking device. The
70 | nOvEMBER 2016
metal unibody coupled with
double chamfered edges
adds charm to the device, but
it does don a similar look to
the recently launched Gionee
S6s. At the front you will
find the a secondary camera
coupled with an earpiece and
the usual array of sensors
at the top while at the base
there is the home button
which also acts a fingerprint
sensor coupled with recent
menu and back buttons. The
left houses a volume rocker
and the power on/off button
while at the right you will find
the dual-SIM slot. At the top
rest the audio jack, while at
the base there is the USB
Type C port flanked between
two speaker grilles.
At the back you will find
the primary camera coupled
with dual-LED flash with
companys logo sitting right
beneath it (some might
mistake it for fingerprint
sensor due to the dimple like
design). Overall, the device
does give a premium look
but still at this price point
we have many others like
Xiaomi Mi 5, Lenovo Z2 Plus,
OnePlus 3 sporting a better
design language.
Moving on, the device
comes with a 5.5-inch
Full HD display with a
screen resolution of 1080x
1920 pixels. The display
comes with some good
viewing angles and colour
reproduction. We watched
the trailer of Battlefield 1 and
Power Rangers and it was
indeed a good experience.
Hardware and
performance
The Gionee S6 Pro is
powered by an octa-core
MediaTek MTK6755
processor, also known as
Helio P10. The smartphone
is backed by a massive 4GB
of RAM and 64GB of internal
storage. The smartphone
supports all the connectivity
options like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,
4G and more. At a time
when companies like Lenovo
are giving you the latest
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
processor coupled with some
good specs at Rs.17,999,
Gionee is still stuck with
the MediaTek processors.
Although, the Helio P10
MYMOBILE
 burntest

Tried & Tested

gives you a good performance,
but you can still get the
processor under
Rs 15,000 in smartphones
like Micromax Canvas 6 Pro.
But that said, the performance
of the device is satisfactory.
Whether be it browsing,
listening to music (the bundled
headphones do give some
impressive output), social
media or multi-tasking, the
device will not let you down.
And yes it also handles gaming
in a very effective way, be it
casual gaming like Subway
Surfers, Temple Run 2 or some
high-end games like Asphalt
8: Airborne, Mortal Kombat X.
We were impressed with the
device performance.
verdict
Looks
08 /10
Solid but familiar
looking design
Features
Good display with
09 /10
good viewing angle
Performance
Middling specs
and average 07 /10
camera
Ease of Use
User interface is
very smooth to use 08 /10
Value For Money
A bit overpriced,
competitors are
offering superior 07 /10
specs
OVERALL 78%
On the camera front, the
device comes with a
13-megapixel rear camera with
dual-LED flash coupled with
an 8-megapixel front-facing
camera. Frankly speaking we
were a bit disappointed with
the camera performance.
Although, the camera did a
good job while taking macro
shots, but overall we saw
colours being a bit washed out
and it lacked detailing as well.
Under low-lighting situations,
the device took some below-
average shots as it was not
able to handle glares and the
photos came out grainy and than there many other which superior specs and
full of noise. But the front offers way better performance. better performance at this
camera does click some good Take the Lenovo Z2 Plus, price point. But still, if you are
selfies. the device is powered by a not a specs guy and want to
On the software front, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 buy a smartphone with good
the Gionee S6 Pro runs on processor coupled with 4GB of looks and a massive storage
Android 6.0 Marshmallow with RAM all this priced at 19,999. option, then the Gionee S6
companys latest UI Amigo And then there are the likes Pro can be considered as good
3.2 on top of it. Gionee has of OnePlus 3, LeEco Le Max option. n
added a new gesture feature 2, Xiaomi Mi 5 which offer team@mymobile.co.in
on the home button through
which you swipe right or left
on the home button to quickly
access the apps. Overall, the
UI is smooth to use and easy
to navigate. The device comes
with a 3130mAh battery
which in our testing lasted
comfortably a day with normal
usage and when stretched it
almost gave an output of half
a day. Other than this, call
connectivity was good and so
was speaker performance.

PROS COnS
Sleek Mediocre
Conclusion
design, camera, Overall, with a price tag of Rs
Good average 23,999, the smartphone does
display, battery life look as a good bargain at first.
smooth UI
It does comes with some good
design language coupled with
(For detailed specifications, massive storage and RAM. But
please refer to My Guide)
if you consider other aspects

www.mymobileindia.com OCTOBER 2016 | 85

Tried & Tested burntest

Honor 8
Dual Camera Phenomenon

Y
our smartphone
still isnt close to a
professional grade
DSLR. But the
Honor 8 has a very good camera,
offering much better results
than rival smartphones in a
compact form factor. The Honor
8 is not a cheap phone at Rs.
29,999, and it wont replace
a DSLR - but its capable of
producing some great shots
thanks to a dual-camera setup.

Subtle design, glass

back
While major smartphone
manufacturers take pride in
metal-bodied designs, the
Honor 8 instead adorns a glass
back and front and metal
around its sides. Samsung did
the same with the Galaxy S7
Edge and the recently released
iPhone 7 Plus in jet black
further authenticates the use
of glass back in the premium
smartphones. So, it would not

72 | novEmBER 2016 MYMOBILE


verdict
Looks 09 /10
Attractive design
and premium
build; the glass
back looks great
Features 09 /10
Impressive dual-
sensor camera
Performance 08 /10
Its quite powerful,
hardware-wise.
Ease of Use 08 /10 on both sides. on the rim youll
EUmI interface is
visually familiar.
find volume and power buttons
on the side, and a USB Type-C
Value For Money 08 /10
The Honor 8 is port on the bottom.Despite
undoubtedly made
for photography. the Honor 8s incredibly slim
And we can vouch profile (7.5mm, 153 grams),
for it.
the phone comes with the
OVERALL 84% microSD support and a single
SIm slot. one feature we really
appreciate on the Honor 8 is
the IR blaster, which can be
used to control the T.v and
other media devices. The
PROS COnS
Incredibly Display trademark of the Honor 8 is
good looking, could a dual-camera setup. And
Long battery have been while theres still a bump for
life, better, the 12-megapixel camera on
Fantastic dual- overpriced
camera sensor the Galaxy S7 Edge; the dual-
cameras on the Honor 8 does
(For detailed specifications, not protrude like the iPhone 7
please refer to My Guide)
Plus. overall, the Honor 8 feels
nice in the hand. And looks
be wrong to say that the Honor terrific.
8s build quality is close to a
Samsung flagship but at half Generous display
the price. size, good performer
The glass back construction The 5.2-inch (1920x1080)
actually looks solid and screen on the Honor 8 is
attractive, but is also more bright. While watching movies,
comfortable to hold. We got you will still get true blacks
the Honor 8 in blue colour and and vivid colours. The Honor
even a non-Huawei fan will fall 8 is also perhaps one of the
in love. The glass back catches fastest phones we have used
light and shows different this year. It is powered by the
patterns depending upon the HiSilicon Kirin 950 processor
angle. on the downside, if the coupled with 4GB of RAm,
device fell on the ground it will 32GB of onboard storage and
probably result in a shattered microSD support. Everything
panel. our piece of the advice from browsing to playing
is to get a case soon if you buy games to checking Facebook
the Honor 8. felt snappier. over a week of
The handsets metal rim is continues usage, we never felt
more rounded, with chamfers lags while opening apps.
www.mymobileindia.com
The Honor
8 managed to
deliver a decent battery life
as well. We used the device
as our primary device for a
week; and roughly got between
13-14 hours of battery life
on the Honor 8. The Honor
8 runs Huaweis homebaked
Emotion UI (EmUI) 4.1 on top
of Android 6.0 marshmallow.
The experience is more or less
the same, if you have used a
Huawei-made smartphone
previously. As usual, there
is no app drawer, which
means all the apps are placed
on the homescreen like
Apples ioS.
on the back youll find
a fingerprint sensor and it
doubles as a clickable button.
Huawei calls this the Smart
Key, which has programmable
actions for press, double
press, and press and hold.
You can open the camera app
with a double click, or open the
gallery with a single click.
Stellar cameras
now we have come to the
crucial part of the review and
perhaps the most anticipated
one. So, how good are the
cameras on the Honor 8? There
are two 12-megapixel cameras
(one camera is colour and the
other for monochrome) on the
back, next to a laser autofocus
system and a dual LED Flash.
We found that the performance
burntest
Tried & Tested
is similar to the
Huawei P9 (the
smartphone marketed with the
Leica branding); however, the
Honor 8 fumbles in low-light.
In most ideal conditions you
will get high-quality shots that
can be even printed; focusing
is fast and there is no shutter
lag. Pro mode comes really
handy and there are a handful
of other modes, including slow
motion, panorama and video
etc. There are only a handful of
smartphones that can be used
to create the bokeh effect
effectively and the Honor 8 is
one of them. We would like to
give the Honor 8 10/10 the
way the cameras simulate
a shallow depth of field by
artificially blurring out the
background.The 8.0-megapixel
front camera is good enough for
shooting selfies.
Conclusion
The Honor 8 is gorgeous,
comes with good cameras
on-board, and it operates
smoothly in day-to-day life.
But if you dont care about
cameras much, you can get the
flagship experience from the
onePlus 3, which retails for
Rs. 27,999. or else, we have a
device like the Lenovo Z2 Plus
(also our phone of the month),
which is a great value for Rs.
19,999. But if cameras count
most for you, this has got to be
a contender. n
team@mymobile.co.in
novEmBER 2016 | 73
Tried & Tested burntest

ViVo Y55L
Good design on a budget

V
ivo has been always
known for rolling out
smartphones which
come with some
interesting features like Hi-Fi audio,
fast processors and more. And the
company has been one of those
few brands that focus on offline
retail rather than opting for the
trendy online medium. So with
the latest edition in the Y series,
the Y55L, will the company be able
attract more consumers through a
mix of offline retail and interesting
features?
Good design and display
The metal body has now become

Verdict
Looks 08 /10
Smart-looking
device with
metal body
Features 08 /10
Good display
but no
fingerprint
sensor
Performance 08 /10 PROS
middling
specs, Average Good display, sleek
performance
design, smooth UI
Ease of Use 08 /10
User interface
is comfortable
to use COnS
Value For
Money 08 /10 Average camera,
Can be
considered as
mediocre battery life
an option
(For detailed specifications,
OVERALL 80% please refer to My Guide)

74 | november 2016 MYMOBILE


an accepted norm in the
tech town when it comes to
smartphones. We are now
seeing that manufacturers are
stressing on metal body design
and vivo is no different. With
the Y55L, the company has
opted for a unibody design
that has a gentle curve at the
rear making it easier to hold.
The body is made of a mix
of polycarbonate and metal,
which gives a sturdy look
although it look familiar
similar to what we have seen
in the vivo v3, but with some
noticeable tweaks. We got the
gold version for review and
the device does feel sleek
and lightweight being 7.5mm
thick and weighing only 142
grams. The front gives a v3-
like look, and you will find the
secondary camera, coupled
with a plethora of sensors and
earpiece, while at the base
there are three navigation
buttons. At the right you will
see the power on/off button
and volume rockers, while at
the left there is a dual-SIm
slot. At the base you will find
the speaker grille coupled
with micro USb port, while at
the top there is an audio jack
and microSD card slot. At the
www.mymobileindia.com
back you will find the primary
camera coupled with LeD flash
and company logo sitting right
at the center. overall, the vivo
Y55L scores good points in
terms of design language.
on the display front, the
device comes with a 5.2-inch
HD display with a screen
resolution of 7201280
pixels. The display comes
with some some good
viewing angles and the
colour reproduction is fairly
acceptable. The company
has also added up an eye
protection mode that protects
your eyes from the harmful
blue light. However, the
brightness was not up to the
and the screen was difficult to
view in direct sunlight and yes,
the resolution does seem to
be a bit on the low side in this
day age.
Hardware and
performance
on the hardware front, the vivo
Y55L is powered by an octa-
core Qualcomm Snapdragon
430 processor coupled with
2Gb of rAm and 16Gb of
internal storage, which can
be further expanded up to
128Gb. on the connectivity
front, the device supports 4G
and voLTe support, Wi-Fi,
bluetooth. Looking at the
specs, the device
seems to be a bit
overpriced
as the same can be found on
the Xiaomi redmi 3s which is
priced at an almost half price
of rs 6,999 and its Prime
version which boasts 3Gb of
rAm and 32Gb of internal
storage comes with a price
tag of rs 8,999. That said,
the performance of the device
is satisfactory as it is able to
handle most of the daily tasks
like browsing, social media,
streaming and more quite
comfortably. And the same is
the case with multi-tasking.
We tried playing casual games
like Temple run 2, Subway
Surfers, etc., and they ran
smoothly, while same cannot
be said with the high-end
games. Although it ran heavy
games like Asphalt 8: Airbone,
mortal Kombat X, but during
our testing period we saw some
frame drops and lagging.
on the camera front,
the vivo Y55L sports an
8-megapixel rear camera and a
5-megapixel front camera with
a smart screen flash, which
will help you take good selfies
under low-light conditions.
Although the smartphone
performed well during our
daylight testing with photos
coming out to be good in terms
of colour output, but
it typically lacked
detailing and
a even
slight
burntest
Tried & Tested
zooming in showed noise. And
under low-lighting conditions,
the device does a mixed job, as
it was able to handle glare and
took average photos, but still
there was too much noise and
graininess.
moving on, the device runs
on Android 6.0 marshmallow
with the companys Funtouch
oS 2.6 running on top of it.
vivos Funtouch UI is fast and
comes with some interesting
features. Swiping from top will
you notifications, while swiping
from the base, will get you the
control centre like menu which
has different features like
speed up, s-capture, global eye
protection and more shortcuts.
We were impressed with
the battery performance of the
device. Although, it is juiced
by a 2650mAh battery but it is
well optimized and balanced.
The battery lasted a whole day
with normal usage and when
we stretched it, the device
gave a decent performance as
well.
Conclusion
vivo has tried to give the
Y55L a premium look and has
certainly succeeded to some
extent. but still if you consider
a price tag of rs 11,980, it
still misses some important
features like a full HD display,
better camera sensor and a
fingerprint sensor. And yes it
surely has a tough competition
to beat as phones like Xiaomi
redmi note 3, Leeco Le 2 and
Lenovo K5 note offer as much
and in some cases even more,
at comparable prices. n
team@mymobile.co.in
november 2016 | 75
Tried & Tested burntest
Nubia Z11 miNi Betting on camera magic
N
ubia, earlier
known as a
sub-brand of
ZTE, has now
re-launched itself as a solo
brand. And the company is
all set to once hit the Indian
market with a new strategy and
an all new range of products.
And to start with, the company
has come up with a new
smartphone, Z11 mini, which
has lots to offer at a price tag
of Rs 12,999.
It looks sturdy
Nubia has bet on the glass
body, and to some extent the
company has earned some
brownie points, making a
phone which sports a glass
front and back design,
making it stand out from the
conventional design everyone
is following these days. We got
the white model for the review,
and the device looks exquisite
with an all-white look, but the
back was prone to smudges,
so using a case is inevitable.
The device is lightweight (138
grammes) and is certainly
sleek (8mm thick). And
what is eye-catching is the
red-coloured ring around the
camera and backlit buttons
at the front, making it more
attractive.
The front sports a 5-inch
screen with 2.5D Arc Glass
and at the top you will find a
secondary camera coupled
with LED flash and an
earpiece, while at the base
there are physical backlit
navigation buttons. The right
76 | NOVEMBER 2016
features power on/off button
and volume rocker, while the
left houses a hybrid SIM slot.
The base sports a microUSB
port flanked in between two
speaker grilles, while the top
houses an audio jack. At the
back, you will see a primary
camera coupled with LED
flash and a fingerprint sensor
and at the base, you will see
the companys logo. Overall,
the device is certainly a well-
built one and does give a
premium look, but on the flip
side, is a bit slippery (hold it
with caution).
On the display front, the
device comes with a 5-inch
Full HD display with a screen
resolution of 1080x1920
pixels. The display does do
a good job as it gives good
display output, although it is
not the brightest one.
packs some
interesting
innards
Talking about the hardware,
the Nubia Z11 mini is powered
by an octa-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon processor coupled
with an with Adreno 405 GPU.
The phone is backed by 3GB
of RAM and 32GB of internal
storage which can be further
expanded up to 256GB.
The smartphone comes with
a 2800mAh battery and
support connectivity options
like Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi,
4G LTE, dual-SIM and more.
Although, the processor
used is a bit old, but the
smartphone does handle most
of the tasks you throw at it marks. But the company has
quite comfortably. Whether added a lot of new features
be it web surfing, uploading in its custom UI. To start
pics on Instagram, watching with, when you long press the
videos on YouTube or simply fingerprint sensor, you open
switching between different the screenshot menu where
apps, the smartphone does are variety of options from
handle all this with so much long screenshot, free
ease. And yes it handles screenshot to screen
gaming very well too, even recording. Also, when you side
heavy duty games like Mortal scroll from both the edges you
Kombat X were running get to switch between apps,
smoothly and we did not suffer open an app of your choice
any instance of lag. and you can even optimise
The Nubia Z11 mini runs your phone by scrolling up
on Nubia UI v3.9 based on and down few times on the
Android 5.0 Lollipop. Yes, edges. These small things
it is running on a OS which adds a lot to the final output,
has started to show its aging although we do hope the
company will update the
verdict device to Android 6.0 at least
Looks 09 /10 soon, if not Nougat itself.
Sleek design and
lightweight device
Features 09 /10 and comes with
Amazing camera
and good display
some best camera
One of the major highlights
Performance 09 /10
Impressive of the phone is surely the
and consistent
performance
camera. The Nubia Z11
Ease of Use
mini sports a Sony IMX298
08 /10
UI comes with Sensor 16-megapixel rear
some interesting
features camera with CMOS image
Value For Money sensor, phase detection
08 /10
Can be considered autofocus, sapphire glass
as a good option
lens protection, six-element
OVERALL 86% lens, /2.2 aperture and
NeoVision 5.8 which the
company boasts is a DSLR-
level photography system. At
PROS COnS the front, the device comes
Sleek Mediocre with an 8-megapixel sensor,
design, battery life, a with a back illuminated image
good bit slippery,
sensor, five-element lens,
camera, runs a dated
smooth Android /2.2 aperture. The camera
performance version performance is pleasantly
surprising. The device does
(For detailed specifications,
take some interesting shots
please refer to My Guide)
MYMOBILE
 burntest

Tried & Tested

in the broad daylight, with which helps you take selfies in still it faces a stiff competition
photos coming out to be crisp low-lighting conditions. of from the likes of Lenovo Zuk
and well colour-balanced one. Z1, LeEco Le 2, Xiaomi Redmi
Under low-lighting situation,
modes. Multi-exposure, light
Conclusion Note 3, which all have some
painting, electronic aperture,
the device also does a good job With a price tag of Rs 12,999 good camera performance and
slow shutter, star track,
as it is able to take some good the Nubia Z11 mini scores well packs some updated innards.
trajectory etc which are fun to
amount of lights, although it across different parameters. We would still call this one of
use. The front-facing camera
takes some time to process the The device comes with some the best cameraphones below
also does a good job and is
image. The camera UI does sturdy look, good camera, and Rs 15,000. n
equipped with a front-flash
comes with some interesting lastly with a smooth UI. But it team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com NOVEMBER 2016 | 77

Tried & Tested burntest
Apple WAtch
SerIeS 2 Ironing out the
rough spots
I
t might not have triggered
off the sort of wearables
revolution that some
pundits had predicted, but
the first Apple Watch remains the
benchmark for most wearables in
the market today (Android Wear
seems to be nowhere in sight
in comparison). And now Apple
has released its second edition,
with a new name tag (Apple
Watch Series 2) as well. Just how
much has it improved over its
predecessor?
Lookswell, similar!
Those expecting a radical
design makeover for the second
Apple Watch are likely to be
disappointed with the Apple
Watch Series 2. No, it is not
that it looks bad. Its just that it
is almost like its predecessor in
most regards. Apple has resisted
the temptation to fiddle with the
design and those expecting a
more regular watch like round
dial will have to put up with a
78 | NovemBer 2016
square one for some more time
now. The crown for scrolling
and zooming in remains on
the right, along with a single
button for switching the device
on and off. We received the
42 mm edition of the Apple
Watch Series 2 and it was only
by glancing at the detailed
specs that we realized that it
was actually slightly larger than
the original Apple Watch. It is
also significantly heavier at 70
grammes as compared to the 50
grammes of the original Apple
Watch, but we did not feel any
significant increase in weight on
our wrists when we first wore it.
The watch still sports a premium
look and remains easily the most
distinct smartwatch out there by
a mile - you cannot mix the Apple
Watch with another watch.
But with boosted
innards
Beneath all that familiar paint
however is a fair deal of updated
MYMOBILE
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Tried & Tested

hardware muscle. Perhaps Apple claims that it is one of Stellar performer unchanged - we would have
the most glaring difference the brightest displays seen on The original Apple Watch preferred it being more than a
between the Apple Watch an Apple device, and well, it had impressed us with its day and half but at even that,
Series 2 and its predecessor certainly is brilliant and very performance, being the it is not so bad by smartwatch
is the display - at 1000 nits, visible even in the harshest most consistent of the smart standards.
sunlight. And while we had no watches that we had used,
verdIct issues with the performance and that does not change with Conclusion
of the original Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Series 2. It might look the same but
Looks 08 /10
Still like a jewel, the addition of a dual core The watch remains one of the it comes with a number of
but no major processor certainly makes easiest to pair and use and new bells and whistles. The
change
the Apple Watch Series 2 a while the installation process big question is whether these
Features 08 /10
GPS is a worthy noticeable snappy performer in remains on the longer side, newbies justify the rs 32,000
addition
comparison - apps just seemed what cannot be denied is that price tag that the Apple Watch
Performance
to load and refresh a whole the whole process is smooth, Series 2 carries. our answer
Faster and now 09 /10
dust and water lot faster than in the original. with the Watch automatically is that if you are the kind for
resisant
And watching pictures was a picking the apps that have whom fitness is a major reason
Ease of Use
The UI remains 08 /10 whole lot more pleasing on the watch version. Watch oS 3 for donning a wearable, then
one of the best new Apple Watch. Then there seems sleeker and faster than the Apple Watch 2 with its
Value For Money are the two biggest changes its predecessor and while GPS and water resistance
expensive but the
best smartwatch 08 /10 in hardware terms - the water we are still waiting for the is definitely a must-have.
around
resistance and the inclusion first real killer app for the However if you are into
OVERALL 82% of GPS. The water resistance platform, the fact remains wearables for the
means that the watch can that tasks like reading mails apps and notifications and
now survive under upto 50 and even browsing news and already have the original Apple
feet of water, unlike the first following Instagram on the Watch, perhaps an upgrade
Apple Watch which was merely watch are easy. And thanks to does not make quite as much
PROS COnS splash proof. The presence a considerable speed boost sense. of course, if it is a
Dust and Similar of GPS means that you can given to Siri, interacting wearable that you seek and
water design to actually take the watch out for with the phone is a whole lot want the best one in tech town,
resistant, original, your strolls and runs and even easier. We had concerns that then the Apple Watch Series
GPS Apps still
leave your phone behind and the inclusion of GPS would 2 remains the best option. By
included, phone-
Faster centric, still get details of the route you adversely affect battery, but miles.n
processor expensive took, your speed and so on. battery life seemed to be team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com NovemBer 2016 | 79

Tried & Tested burntest
Lenovo Z2 PLus
Staggering value for money
T
he Z2 Plus
offers staggering
specs and very
good design at a
surprisingly low price. But how
will it cope against some very
formidable competition?
Spartan yet
handsome!
We have shown the Lenovo
Z2 Plus to quite a few people
and the first impression that
most have had is that it comes
from the fruity company in
Cupertino. And there is no
denying that there is a lot in
the design of the Z2 Plus that
is reminiscent of the iPhone,
particularly the slightly boxy
sides and the glass front
and back. At approximately
141 mm in length, the Z2
Plus is relatively compact
for this day and age, and
rather surprisingly goes with
a 5.0-inch display instead
of a 5.5-inch one as seems
to be the rage these days. At
8.45 mm it is relatively slim
and its 149 gramme weight
is on the lighter side. This
is perhaps one of the more
compact high-end devices
out there in the market. And
80 | noveMBeR 2016
it feels very premium. Lenovo
has gone with a fiber glass
frame for the phone which it
claims is stronger than metal
and it certainly feels very
sturdy. The shiny glassy back
(very reminiscent of the Jet
Black iPhone 7) will however
attract fingerprints, which is
why perhaps the company
has bundled a cover along
with the device. The most
notable thing about the front
is the total absence of any
touch buttons beneath the
5.0-inch display - there is only
a fingerprint scanner below
it. The USB-Type C port is at
the base of the phone, flanked
by a 3.5 mm audio jack,
while the rest of the phone is
relatively plain, save for the
SIM card slots, volume and
power/display buttons on the
right. This is a spare, Spartan
design and will not scream for
attention but is nevertheless
handsome.
Great specs
But handsome though it is,
there is no doubt what is the
greatest selling point of the Z2
Pus - it is unabashedly its spec
sheet. The phones display
verdicT
Looks 09 /10
very handsome
and compact
Features
is a full HD one and because everything you 09 /10
would want in a
of its relatively smaller size, flagship
ends up having a higher pixel Performance
density. The phone is powered Smooth performer, 09 /10
great battery
by a Qualcomm Snapdragon
Ease of Use
820 processor and comes Innovative UI once
with 3 GB/ 4 GB RAM options,
you get the hang 08 /10
of it
with storages at 32 GB and Value For Money
64 GB, respectively (not The best value for
money high-end 09 /10
expandable alas). The camera phone around
at the rear is a 13.0-megapixel OVERALL 88%
one while the front, the selfie
business is handled by a
8.0-megapixel shooter. The
connectivity options include
PROS COnS
4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS,
eye Mediocre
and it comes packed with six catching design,
sensors. And a very interesting design, Prone to
touch is the sole button just Terrific smudges,
hardware, UI has a
beneath the display - it is
Great learning curve
not just a home button, but battery life
also a fingerprint scanner,
(For detailed specifications,
and wait theres more, it can
please refer to My Guide)
also function as a navigation
key, letting you swipe back
and forth between recently match
used apps. Making sure all We have seen our fair
this keeps running for a while share of devices that boasted
is a 3500 mAh battery. And great design and specs
running above it is Android but came a cropper on the
6.0.1 (an update to Android 7 altar of performance. Well,
is expected by March) with a fortunately, the Lenovo Z2
very minimalistic, near-stock Plus is not one of them. The
interface. phone turned in a sterling
And with a performance to performance when it came
MYMOBILE
 burntest

Tried & Tested

to multi-tasking and running miss the more colourful and the Leeco LeMax 2 had also consistent performance, we
high-definition games like feature-rich vibe UI seen on received a price cut, putting have no hesitation in calling
the Asphalt series. The phone many other Lenovo devices. it in the same vicinity. But all the Lenovo Z2 Plus as perhaps
does show a slight tendency things taken into consideration the best high-end device for
to heat up during extended Conclusion - the compact design, the anyone on a tight budget. n
gaming and photography So should you be investing in innovative interface and the team@mymobile.co.in
sessions but nothing to get too the Lenovo Z2 Plus? Honestly,
worried about. The camera is we cannot think of a reason
perhaps the Achilles Heel of why you should not. At Rs
the device - it is good in good 19,999 for the 4GB RAM and
light conditions but tends to 64 GB edition, it is entirely
fade out as night falls. Some in a league of its own when it
might also find the home- comes to devices with high
button-as-touchpad interface a end specs, although at
trifle confusing initially but we the time of writing,
got addicted to it soon enough
- so much so that we were
trying swipes on our iPhone
7s home button. Battery life is
a massive plus for the device
- it easily saw off a day and a
half of heavy use and careful
usage should see you get
through a week with just three
or four recharges. Lenovos
decision to go with a close to
stock Android interface pays
off for those who prefer their
interfaces on the minimalistic
side, although some might

www.mymobileindia.com noveMBeR 2016 | 81

Tried & Tested burntest
SamSung
I
t is evident that we
genuinely do care
galaxy a9 Pro about the battery life
on our smartphones;its
The Biggie Galaxy! so quintessential. And it
obviously hurts when your
phone battery dies in the
middle of an important
conversation, right? So,
whats the solution? Evidently
Samsung claims to have a
phone with a 5,000mAh
battery built-in. Oh wait, it
still looks like a phone, a real
phone. With the Galaxy A9
Pro, Samsung has put the
massive into the Galaxy range
as far as size goes - big display
and a biog battery. But does it
pull off this big gamble?
Its big, huge
The first thing you will notice
82 | nOvEMBEr 2016
about the Galaxy A9 Pro is
its similarity to the Galaxy A7
(2016). And you can tell this
wasnt a bad move, because
both smartphones belong to
the same family. From the
curved edges around the
display to the glass back, there
arent too many changes. The
capacitive home button on
the front features a fingerprint
sensor that works fast as per
our tests. Its flanked by two
touch buttons: one brings
a list of open apps and one
takes you back a step.
The chamfered metal sides
houses physical buttons on
both sides. The microSD card
slot is situated on the top of
the device, while you will find
the dual-SIM card tray on the
right. The left houses a volume
MYMOBILE

rocker. The 3.5mm audio
jack, as well as the microUSB
charging port and the speaker
grille are all located at the
bottom.
Despite looking thick
(7.9mm) and heavy (210
grams), the phone is still
gorgeous. The screen features
virtually no side bezels and
the buttons have a nice tactile
feel.We like the all-glass
back and front, as well as its
metal edging. Like any other
smartphone with a glass back,
the Galaxy A9 Pro is prone
to fingerprints and smudges
(obviously!), so a case is
mandatory.
If theres one design choice
that could worry some, it is
the size of the Galaxy A9 Pro.
Look, the phone is humongous
with a 6-inches display, bigger
than the Google nexus 6P
(5.7-inch). Some might like
the device, owing to
a large screen size.
Others will not like
it, simply because
its too big. Again,
its far from ugly but
wed like to clarify that
the Galaxy A9 Pro does
limit its audience. Sorry,
ladies!
Gorgeous display,
good-battery life
The Galaxy A9 Pros 6-inch
Full HD display (1920x1080)
uses a Super AMOLED panel.
The differences are noticeable
right away, as the Galaxy A9
Pro shows deep blacks and
vibrant colours.viewing angles
are fantastic, as is outdoor
visibility. Everything looks
great on the 6-inch FHD panel,
especially games. If you are one
www.mymobileindia.com
of those who likes to watch lot The Galaxy A9 Pro is
of Web series on the go while targeted at those who are
commuting, the Galaxy A9 Pro constantly on the move, a
is a perfect smartphone in our medical sales representative,
opinion. for instance. For them, the
Performance is satisfactory smartphones battery life is
too. The Galaxy A9 Pro is critical and should typically
powered by a Snapdragon 625 last a day or beyond. The
processor paired with 4GB of 5,000mAh battery fused
rAM, 32GB of native storage inside the Galaxy A9 Pro is
and microSD support. Its not going to last roughly 60 hours
as fast as the OnePlus 3, the (approximately 2 days)
flagship smartphone with a based on our general usage. For
Snapdragon 820 CPU and 6GB a device with a high-resolution
rAM, but its speedy still. The Full HD display, the battery life
true standout feature of the is more than good. And yes,
Galaxy A9 Pro is that it never it does support fast charging
gets heated up, even after a feature.
long session of Asphalt 8. The Samsung has been trying to
processor seems equipped to revamp its TouchWiz UI for quite
handle daily tasks with aplomb. sometime. And it is evident
from its recent efforts that the
verdIct change is on the right tracks.
Looks 08 /10 Its Galaxy A9 Pro is running its
Elegant looking, TouchWiz UI, based on Googles
but too big in size
Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The
Features 08 /10
Zippy performance; interface still looks a bit too
solid battery life
colorful, but TouchWiz runs
Performance 08 /10
The single speaker
smoothly on the Galaxy A9 Pro.
is a bit of a mixed It has been toned-down a
bag.
bit; and everything looks and
Ease of Use 08 /10 feels great. The big relief of us,
TouchWiz UI runs
smoothly. though, is the lack of bloatware
Value For Money 08 /10 apps. The device still has a few
Battery life puts
the Galaxy A9 Pro apps onboard like Samsung
in the forefront, but
it doesnt destroy
apps, S-voice, Opera Max and
its competitors. Microsoft apps, among others.
OVERALL 80% By and large, though, major
pointless apps have been taken
off from the user interface. One
more thing we are excited to
share is the support of multi-
PROS COnS window (aka split screen) on
Gorgeous Speaker
the Galaxy A9 Pro. We wish
6-inch FHD quality is
display, weak, the Galaxy A9 Pro had come
Good Expensive with an S-Pen stylus, a feature
performer, that could have created more
overall
impact, given the size and
(For detailed specifications, processing power the device is
please refer to My Guide) capable of.
burntest
Tried & Tested
Call quality on the Galaxy
A9 Pro is more or less
satisfactory. The single speaker
isnt great though. We would
suggest plugging in a pair of
headphones.
Decent cameras
The 16-megapixel rear camera
is capable of taking good
shots in a normal day. But
yes, dont expect much from
the camera. The rear shooter
is very ordinary otherwise. We
were able to get above decent
shots while shooting some
sections of Delhis Connaught
Place. The camera captured
great details in the buildings
and the sky. However, when
compared to the pictures taken
with the nubia Z11 Mini, a
less expensive smartphone,
the Galaxy A9 Pro pales.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy A9
Pro didnt fare well in low-light.
The pictures shot using the
device had the graininess.
The 8-megapixel front-facing
shooter, again seemed to
be work okay in good light
conditions but fell below the
mark at the night.
Conclusion
At rs. 39,490, the Galaxy A9
Pro ticks quite a few boxes - the
6-inch screen is gorgeous and
the battery life is long lasting.
If you are a fan of big screen
phones and looking to spend
not more than rs. 20,000, we
would suggest you to grab the
Xiaomi Mi Max Prime instead.
And if you are a Samsung
fan and willing to spend up
to rs.45,000, get the Galaxy
note 5 or the Galaxy note
Edge. n
team@mymobile.co.in
nOvEMBEr 2016 | 83
Tried & Tested burntest

MoTo Z
Play The
Budget Modular
Moto

T
he Moto Z might
have hogged
most of the
limelight with
its sleek design and powerful
specs, but for those looking
for the modular magic of
the Z at a lower price, the
Moto Z Play is an excellent
option. But will consumers
bite?
It aint about the
looks
If the Moto Z cut a striking
figure with its sliver thin
figure, the Moto Z Play is
cut from a more regular
design fabric. The phone
does remind us a lot of other
devices from the front which
is dominated by the 5.5 inch
full HD display, with the
square-shaped fingerprint
scanner just below it. The
sides are metal coloured
and have the power/display
button and volume rocker
as well as the SIM card slots
and the USB Type-C port.
And unlike the Moto Z, the Z
Play comes with a 3.5 mm
audio jack as well. Unlike
that worthy, it also makes
no pretensions about being
super slim, even though
at 6.99 mm at its thinnest
point, it qualifies for being in
the slimness stakes. The feel
of the device however is not
as premium as the OnePlus
3 or the Mi5, and some
might find it slightly on the
larger side, but the textured
back and protruding camera

84 | nOveMBer 2016 MYMOBILE


enclosure (spherical) will gain
attention. It is not a traffic-
stopper, however.
or the specs
The hardware is also not
exactly the Moto X Plays
strongest suite either. It is not
as if it is poorly specced - it
is just that in terms of sheer
spec sheet
value, it does not compare well
with the likes of the Lenovo Z2
Plus, the Leeco Le Max 2 and
the slightly more expensive
OnePlus 3. The 5.5 inch
display is a full HD AMOLeD
one and powering the phone
is a Qualcomm Snapdragon
625 processor with 3 GB rAM
and 32 GB storage, which is
expandable using a memory
card. The camera on the back
is a 16.0-megapixel one with
www.mymobileindia.com
laser autofocus while the one
in front is a 5.0-megapixel
shooter. The connectivity
options include 4G, GPS,
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and nFC. And
as this is a Moto device,it runs
on a version of Android that is
very close to the stock version
(currently Marshmallow but set
to get updated to nougat soon).
Its about the mods (and
battery)
So it is steady rather
than spectacular in both
the spec sheet and
looks departments.
Why then should
one consider the
Moto Z Play ahead
of devices that are
seemingly better on
both fronts? The
answer is in a simple
word: Moto Mods.
These are modular
attachments that
can be attached
to the phone
using magnetic
connectors at its
back. You can add
a better camera,
a projector, better
speakers or a battery
pack to the device,
without bulking it up
inordinately, and whats more
(read our piece on the Moto Z),
these mods work seamlessly
with the phone, requiring
no additional software to be
installed on the device.
In simple words, you can
pull the performance of the
Z Play to another level with
the mods, which while not
inexpensive, can be purchased
separately. And it is this that
makes the Moto Z Play a pretty
burntest
Tried & Tested
verdicT secret sauce into it that sees it
get through two days of normal
Looks 08 /10
Looks relatively usage very easily. now, thats
routine
something. Whatever mod you
Features 09 /10 need with the Moto Z Play, the
The mods give it
a new dimension battery extender wont be one
Performance 09 /10 of them.
Steady performer,
great battery
Ease of Use 08 /10 Conclusion
The joy of near At rs 24,999, the Moto Z Play
stock Android
might strike some as being
Value For Money 08 /10
9 if you go for expensive for the spec sheet it
the mods. Decent
otherwise. offers. After all, there are the
likes of the Lenovo Z2 Plus,
OVERALL 84%
the Leeco Le Max 2 and the
Xiaomi Mi 5 that come with
much better hardware on paper
at comparative and even lower
PROS COnS prices - all of them pack in
Fantastic Mediocre Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
battery camera, processors, more rAM and
life, expensive for
much better cameras.
Support the specs,
for mods, routine What none of those worthies
Solid design however can boast of is the X
performer Plays modularity, which makes
(For detailed specifications, it compatible with a number of
please refer to My Guide) modules. You simply can add
a camera, a projector, an extra
unique proposition. That apart, battery back or even a different
the phone itself is a very steady looking back panel on to it with
performer - the display is great minimum fuss.
for viewing content, and sound All of which makes the Moto
and call quality are decent. And Z Play a very good option for
the processor handles most anyone who wants a phone that
tasks well enough, although goes beyond the run of mill
the odd lag does creep in spec sheet. Stock Android as
when in HD gaming territory. well as an assured update to
Interestingly, we did not see a Android 7.0 further sweeten
major change in performance the deal. no, it is not the
as compared with the Moto Z perfect phone for the run of the
when we used the Moto Z Play mill smartphone user, but we
with the Moto Mods, although know many in the geek brigade
we do think the Z handled the who would find it irresistible.
projector mod better. One area Our only advice to anyone
where the Z Play does stand going for the Moto Z Play is:
out is in battery life - the 3510 do not buy it if you are not
mAh battery might not be the interested in investing in the
biggest we have seen on a Moto Mods! n
phone, but Moto has put some team@mymobile.co.in
nOveMBer 2016 | 85
In Conversation face to face
Technology is
integral to the way
we do business
IT HAS NOT BEEN THE SMOOTHEST OF RIDES
FOR IT, BUT RECENT TIMES HAVE SEEN UBER
MAKING ITSELF ALMOST SYNONYMOUS WITH
CAB APPS, NOTWITHSTANDING SOME STIFF
LOCAL COMPETITION. ANUJ BHATIA MET
APURVA DALAL, HEAD OF ENGINEERING,
UBER INDIA TO FIND OUT ABOUT MORE
ABOUT THE COMPNAY, ITS PLANS AND
THE TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS MADE IT THE
PHENOMENON IT IS TODAY, EVEN IN A
COUNTRY LIKE INDIA.
92 | october 2016
For most people, Uber is simply a cab hailing
app. But not too many know of the underlying
tech that makes all this happen. Could you
tell us a bit more about that? behind every
successful Uber ride is a technology many
of us take for granted, and our efforts are
focused on making that ride experience as
seamless as possible. We are committed
to provide reliable, convenient and safe
transportation, everywhere, for everyone. to
make that possible, weve built a technology
platform that uses complex algorithms to
connect riders with driver partners.
technology is not just key to our growth
strategy but also integral to the way we
do business. Whether it is ensuring faster
etAs, maintaining demand and supply
equilibrium, or ensuring safety before,
during and after the ride, technology makes
it all possible for us. We work in many
areas, such as rider growth, driver growth,
digital payments, mapping, telematics, and
the Uber core experience. While the first
two areas address how riders and drivers
sign up on our platform, other aspects help
improve overall Uber experience for riders
and drivers.
One of the major challenges for any service
that depends extensively on GPS and maps is
the erratic marking of locations in India. How
is Uber dealing with this? We are investing in
a ton of research and resources on building
out a digital mapping technology including
maps/directions localization for countries
like India which are unique. Mobile maps
and GPS allow us to match you with the
closest available driver, navigate the fastest
path to your destination, and give you an
accurate etA. Accurate maps are at the
heart of our service and the backbone of
our business.
existing maps are a good starting point,
but some information isnt that relevant
to Uber, like ocean topography. there are
other things we need to know a lot more
about, like traffic patterns and precise
pickup and dropoff locations, location of
doors, etc. Moreover, we need to be able to
provide a seamless experience in parts of
MYMOBILE

the world where there arent detailed maps
-- or street signs.
the ongoing need for maps tailored
to the Uber experience is why globally
were doubling down on our investment in
mapping. this will allow the us to build
up tailor-made maps that would provide
greater level of detail. For example, last
year we put mapping cars on the road in
the United States. now our mapping cars
have hit the road in Mexico and canada as
well. the street imagery captured by our
mapping cars will help us improve core
elements of the Uber experience, like ideal
pick-up and drop-off points and the best
routes for riders and drivers.
Additionally, we have ton of existing
routes data that we use to feed into our
machine learning systems that then
supplement existing maps with key
insights and predictions of locations.
We are also investing heavily in vehicle
telematics signals ingestion and analytics
that further helps us keep track of our
vehicles including guiding them better on
directions.
currently, our engineers around the
world, including the ones in India are
working closely on this global project.
Does your software have any features for
ensuring the safety of the passenger, given
some of the incidents that have occurred
of late? We believe that technologies like
Uber provide an incredible opportunity to
improve safety of rider and drivers in new
and innovative waysbefore, during and
after every ride.
For riders, we have incorporated several
innovative safety features in the app to
ensure a safe, reliable and convenient travel
from point A to point b. these include the
call masking feature, the ability to see your
drivers details in advance, GPS tracking,
share my journey and the HeLP button
which connects you directly to the police
control room and an internal response
team as well to ensure passenger safety.
there is also a round-the-clock customer
support through our dedicated centre of
www.mymobileindia.com
excellence in Hyderabad, designed to
further improve product and operations,
with a core focus to provide specialised
support for critical incidents that require
immediate attention.
You decided to enter India in 2013, when a car-
hailing business was just started to blossom.
Three years later, Uber is far the largest
cab-booking company in India, as per some
rough estimates. Tell us about your journey
in India. India is a global market priority for
us, and is growing at an incredible pace.
our journey in India started three years ago
with bengaluru, the growth since then has
been phenomenal. We started with three
employees in bengaluru, we are now a 600
person strong team currently operating in
28 Indian cities with over 400,000 driver
partners on our platform.
Weve invested and ramped up Ubers
only engineering centre in Asia out of
bangalore to tap into the deep tech talent
pool in India. this centers charter is to
innovate on transportation technology
for India, many of which are then rolled
out in other markets around the globe.
Additionally, we have also set up our center
of excellence in Hyderabad.
our focus remains on creating safe,
reliable and affordable transportation
and making it as reliable as running
water everywhere for everyone. We have
introduced a lot of firsts in India like cash
payments which has now been extended
to other markets in the world. UberDoSt,
a driver referral program which was
developed in San Francisco with operations
team in bengaluru has been picked up in
some other cities as well. More recently, we
launched dial an uber that allows riders to
book a ride even if they dont have the app
downloaded on their device. We are also
investing aggressively in India especially
in the areas of research and expansion.
We are confident that ridesharing is going
to be the future of urban mobility and are
going to focus our efforts a lot more in
helping build awareness of this mode of
transportation.
face to face
In Conversation
There is a perception among section that
Uber is a regular cab-booking company
but not many know that you are a high-
tech company. Does that even bother you?
Uber is a technology platform that
connects riders with drivers and there is
increased awareness about how Uber is
fundamentally different from traditional
taxi business. From a time when one
had to make a booking days or hours in
advance, Ubers technology has made
it possible for people to push a button
and get a ride. Millions of people across
different geographies are today using Uber
to get around the cities in a seamless and
efficient way. our ever-increasing rider
base is a testament to how quickly people
have embraced this transformation in the
urban mobility space fuelled by the power
of technology.
How is Uber different from its key competitors?
At Uber, we believe that competition is
healthy, as it helps one to move forward.
We know that our technology is better
than that of any local competitor across
the world. Given we are in 450+ cities,
our systems are able to learn and predict/
deliver customizations a lot better because
rider/driver marketplaces around the world
have similarities. our mission is to build
the best transportation system for the world
- a system that eliminates congestion and
pollution and so in some ways we do not
think of competition as our bar at all. our
primary competition is with private car
ownership. our objective is to make sure
that you dont need a car. For most people,
a car is the second-most expensive thing
they buy, after a house and they utilise it
less than 5%. You are spending a lot of
money on a depreciating asset that you use
for less than 5%. Were targeting personal
car ownership so that people dont buy
their second car and gradually not even the
first car.
Tell us about your revenue model, if possible
We cant comment n
anuj@mymobile.co.in
noveMber 2016 | 87
 versus
The Budget
Face-Off
Flagship Battle
A
few years ago, the thought
of getting a high-end device
for below Rs 30,000 would
have been considered a pipe
dream. Today, any device that goes above
that price point has a lot to prove, as there
are a number of brands that are offering
devices with high-end specs at well below
those price points. And for those looking for
a high-end phone at a tight budget, there
are perhaps no better alternatives than the
Lenovo Z2 Plus (4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage
edition) and the OnePlus 3 ( 6 GB RAM, 64
GB storage edition). But which of the two is
actually best suited for your requirements?
Lets try and get an answer.
Design and Appearance
Its a clash between glass and metal here.
While the Z2 Plus comes with a fibre glass
frame sandwiched between two layers of
glass, the OnePlus 3 harks back to the HTC
88 | nOvEMBER 2016
school of design with a metal back and a glass
front. Both devices are impressively slim but
the Z2 Plus is more compact thanks to its
relatively smaller display. At the end of the
day, it is really going to boil down on what
you prefer - some might find the Z2 Plus
appearance more attractive, but the glass
back picks up fingerprints. The OnePlus 3
looks more solid in comparison but does not
really stand out in a crowd. We are going with
the Z2 Plus for its compactness on this one.
Winner: Lenovo Z2 Plus
Hardware
This is a tight tussle with both devices
sporting full HD displays, 64GB
RAM, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
processors and front facing fingerprint
sensors (Lenovos also doubles up
as a navigation touchpad in a neat
touch). However the OnePlus 3
also brings an AMOLED display
to the mix and has more RAM (6
GB) and a camera with a higher megapixel
count (16.0-megapixel), which hand it victory
in this round.
Winner: OnePlus 3
Software
Both phones come with Android 6.0 running
out of the box, but each has its own flavour.
While Lenovo has tried to keep things as
close as possible to stock Android, OnePlus
has gone with its own Oxygen OS for the
OnePlus 3. Both are relatively unobtrusive
interfaces which work well with the given
hardware, and Lenovo has even added
some sport-centric features to the Z2 Plus.
In terms of sheer potential, however, we
would hand this round to the OnePlus 3, as
MYMOBILE
 versus
THEY BOTH COME WITH THE SORT OF HARDWARE SPECS THAT WOULD

Face-Off
DO JUSTICE TO MOST FLAGSHIPS OUT THERE. AND THEY BOTH OFFER
THEM AT PRICES THAT SEEM TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. BUT WHICH OF THE
LENOVO Z2 PLUS AND THE ONEPLUS 3 IS THE PHONE FOR YOU?
By Nimish Dubey

Oxygen OS gets updates and new features

more frequently than Lenovos own skins
and UIs. Both phones are expected to be
updated to Android 7 soon, incidentally.
Winner: OnePlus 3

Multimedia and gaming

It is a tight battle here but the OnePlus 3s
hardware superiority does seem to make a bit
of a difference here. While the 13.0- megapixel
shooter on the Z2 Plus is mostly a good light
friend, the OnePlus 3s 16.0-megapixel camera
is on par with some of the best in the business.
Similarly, the extra RAM does seem to make a
difference when one is running a few HD games
at the same time (not a routine occurrence, we
confess, but one which can be tried
the Lenovo Z2 Plus then.
out on the OnePlus 3). That said, the
Winner: Lenovo Z2 Plus
smaller frame of the Z2 Plus makes it
easier for playing games one-handed and
we also felt that its sound quality was a
Value for money
At the time of writing, the Lenovo Z2 Pluss 4GB
notch above that of the OnePlus 3. Still, all
RAM and 64 GB storage was being sold for Rs
said and done, we are awarding this one to
19,999, while the OnePlus 3s 6 GB RAM and
the OnePlus 3.
64 GB edition was available for Rs 27,999.
Winner: OnePlus 3
There is only one clear winner here.

General performance Winner: Lenovo Z2 Plus

So we get to the matter of using the phone in

relatively routine, every day conditions. And
Conclusion
So which should it be then, the Lenovo Z2 Plus
here we think that the Z2 Plus clearly scores
or the OnePlus 3? It all really boils down to that
over the OnePlus 3. Its more compact form
same old point - individual tastes, needs and
factor makes a telling difference and we felt
preferences. Those wanting a compact device
that its fingerprint scanner (which also works
with flagship specs and great battery life will
as a touchpad) worked better than the one on
love the Z2 Plus, but on the other hand, those
the OnePlus 3. Call handling was smoother on
putting greater store on a camera and larger
the Z2 Plus and when it came to battery life,
display will hark to the OnePlus 3. Both phones
the Z2 Plus stile a march over the OnePlus 3,
offer astonishing value for the money they charge
giving us close to two days of normal usage on
and neither is likely to disappoint you. n
a single charge as compared to the day-and-
slightly-more of the OnePlus 3. This round to nimish@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com nOvEMBER 2016 | 89

 buyingguide

Buyers Guide:
In Focus

Choosing the right

headphones
LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM, BUT
YOU SIMPLY CANNOT IGNORE THE
FACT THAT HEADPHONES HAVE
BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART
OF OUR LIFE. FROM SAVING
US FROM BORING TRIPS
TO CONCENTRATING ON
WORK, HEADPHONES DO
IT LIKE MAGIC EVERY TIME.
BUT HOW TO CHOOSE
THE BEST FROM THE
REST? ROHAN PAL
WALKS US THROUGH
THE POINTS TO BE KEPT
IN MIND WHILE BUYING
A GOOD PAIR OF
HEADPHONES.

96 | october 2016 MYMOBILE


O
nce upon a time, before the
age of Walkman, headphones
were only limited to the people
in the military or to telephone
and radio operators. these were big, clumsy
looking devices with people using it only on
special occasions. but with the arrival of
the Walkman and the introduction of the
3.5mm audio jack, we saw headphones
transforming into an integral part of our life.
Whether be it for pumping up your workout,
going on a trip, or just relaxing at home
while listening to your favourite classic or
jazz music, headphones have redefined the
music experience for us.
In todays scenario, where there are
a plethora of headphones with different
features and sizes, choosing the right one
for you might get a little messy affair. It
is a well-known fact that headphones are
a reflection of your lifestyle and hence
choosing the right one for you is of uttermost
importance. So to clear the mist, we present
you a guide that will help you to choose the
right headphone. but before that, lets gets
the basics right.
What are the types
of headphones?
Headphones can be broadly classified into
three different categories: In-ear, on-ear
and over-ear. the In-ear headphones are
the ones which can be easily fit into your
ear canal. the tip is made in such fashion
that it can easily fit inside the ear canal,
resulting in brilliant noise isolation and
giving you a superior sound quality. these
types of headphones are generally used in
sports or during exercise, as they stay put
while you are exercising.
the on-ear headphones are those which
come with large cushions that sit comfortably
on the outer ear. these types of headphones
generally give a decent sound quality but are
not effective in noise cancellation, meaning
that you still can hear sounds from outside.
And lastly, come over-the-ear headphones.
these are full-size headphones which have
cushioned earcups to cover your ear fully.
Usually, these are considered to be the best
www.mymobileindia.com
guidebuying
In Focus
in terms of sound quality and do a good job
in noise reduction.
Headphones are also distinguished in
terms of wired and wireless. through wired
headphones, you can connect your phone or
any other music device using a wire. Usually,
these have a 3.5mm audio cable, which is
widely present in most of the audio devices.
Wired headphones have the advantage of
providing a superior sound quality than
the wireless one. Whereas, the wireless
headphones give you high portability factor,
as you dont need any wire to connect to your
smartphone or any other audio device. most
experience in the sound department starting
of the wireless headphones are connected
from high-pitch to deep bass.
via bluetooth through which you can just
pair your bluetooth-enabled device like
smartphones, laptops or tablets and can
Durability
Well, we dont buy headphones on a frequent
easily roam around over a short distance
basis. Unlike other electronics, headphones
without losing your connection to sound.
dont get obsolete within a short period of
Choose the right size time. And if you purchase a good-quality of
headphones, then chances are there that it
choosing the right size is of great
will stick for a longer period of time. So while
importance. As we told earlier, headphones
looking for a good pair of headphones, you
come in different sizes, and in the end it
should also keep an eye on the build quality.
all boils down to your preference. If you
there are many headphones which come
want some lightweight headphone which
can easily fold and tucked in your pocket,
with braided cables and can withstand
then the in-ear headphones like Sennheiser
water, heat, and dust.
momentum In-ear or Sony mDr-Xb50AP
are the right ones for you. If you want to sit
Features
Last but not the least, whenever you
back and chill at home, then over-the-ear or
looking for headphones always see what
on-ear headphones like Skullcandy Grind
type of features they are offering. noise
Wireless are meant for you.
cancellation is an important aspect when
Sound Quality you buy a headphone. noise cancellation
helps to you reduce or eliminate the ambient
What is the use of a headphone when it
noise, making your listening experience a
cannot deliver a good quality of sound?
delightful one. Some headphones come
Like speakers, headphones also have a
with active noise cancellation which is
frequency range. And just like speakers,
engineered in a way that they send a similar
headphones also have a speaker known
anti-wave which cancels out the noise
as a driver, which produces the sound.
coming from outside. then there is noise
there are different types of drivers used in
isolation which is a more design-oriented as
headphones. So for example in over-the-ear
it completely covers your ears. other than
headphones used the large-sized driver that
that is bluetooth, surround sound, volume
offer better low-range bass frequencies,
control, mics and more, which you should
while the small-sized one gives better
always check when you are opting for a good
high-range frequencies. Ideally, choose a
pair of headphones. n
headphone that offers a broader frequency
response which in turn will give you a rich rohan@mymobile.co.in
november 2016 | 91
 face to face

Lephone pioneered the

democratization of technology

92 | october 2016 MYMOBILE


IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE AND IS NOW MAKING ITS PRESENCE FELT
WITH PRODUCTS THAT ARE GETTING NOTICED AND APPRECIATED. ROHAN
PAL MET VINOD PANDIT, GM, SALES AND AMIT SAXENA VP MARKETING,
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LEPHONE TECHNOLOGY INDIA PVT. LTD.
Lephone is relatively a new name in the Indian
mobile phone industry. Can you tell us more
about the company? vinod Pandit : Lephone
is not a new name in Indian mobile Industry
as we have been present in Indian mobile
market for more than six years through
various channel of distribution, hence most
of the channel partners are aware of the
brand Lephone
Lephone is a multinational mobile
companyestablished from china in Year
2005 by mr. Huang mingQuan (mr. victor).
over the past decade, it has established
itself as one of the leading mobile phone
company in china. Lephone has pioneered
the democratization of technology in china
by offerings affordable innovations through
their product offerings and removing
barriers for large scale adoptions of advance
technologies. Lephone is currently among
top 10 smartphone brands in china. Its
a brand which is close to the heart of the
youth. And celebrates the vibrancies of life
and empowerment.
How do you see the Indian markets and what
are your targets in this regard? vinod Pandit
: India is one of the largest markets in the
world with lot of potential and opportunities;
as compare to new brands, Lephone has
advantage in channel acceptance that
will make our journey easier in achieving
our short term and long term targets such
as achieving a retail network of 25000
retail partners and 300 Direct Distribution
Partners by 31st march 2017 with a
market share of 2 per cent and in long run
we would like to be present among top ten
mobile Handset brands in India.
In the present scenario where many brands
are offering impressive specification that too
at a relatively lower price, why do you think
that a consumer will opt for a Lephone device
www.mymobileindia.com
vinod Pandit: the channel is already aware
about brand Lephone which gives us an
edge over market reach, which will help us
in placing quality products in short span of
time. though we will not be the cheapest
but will offer a competitive price with
(n+1 Factor) in present market scenario
with respect to the similar offerings from
competitions. With the type of product we
have launched we are sure that will create a
pool of happy and satisfied customers.
Are there any specific models that you wish to
highlight as regards the Indian market? Amit
Saxena:In todays market scenario 2 things
are very important to a customer which we
are targeting. one is selfie second is big
battery. Keeping in mind these two points,
we intend to develop our product portfolio
for the Indian market. In fact, we have
already introduced one device with both
these features which is going to be a big
game changer in feature phone category in
Indian market. In Smart Phones, we will
be available in 4.5, 5 and 5.5-inch screen
devices with major focus on memory,
camera and 4G capacity.
A major challenge for many phone
manufacturers in India is after sales and
service. How are you planning to deal with
this? Amit Saxena:You are absolutely
right, After Sales is one of the Key Factor
for success of any brand in India. We are
also very much concerned about this. but
instead of playing any aftersales related
marketing gimmick we would like to
increase our service center reach across
the country. We have already opened 123
service centers in last 3 months which we
are planning to go up to 500+ by end of this
financial year.
Are you going to follow the online channel or
face to face
In Conversation
will stick to the traditional offline medium in
terms of selling your devices? Amit Saxena:
currently we are increasing our presence
in traditional channel, as this is the biggest
channel in India. Later on we will also adopt
o2o (offline to online) strategy which will
support our traditional channel also.
It is a well-known fact that people in India
are more conscious about the price tag and
want a good value for money device. How
are you planning to encash this opportunity?
vinod Pandit : As already mentioned by
Amit, we will not be the cheapest but at a
competitive price with (n+1) factor to the
customer. to gain the added advantage
we would like to concentrate more on
reach as per our research, maximum new
brands are only focusing on tier 1 category
town rather than tier 2 or 3; but with the
help of our strong direct distribution we
would like to focus more on tier 2 and 3
category towns as these places have got a
huge opportunity which we want to focus
and encash .
What is your opinion on the Make in India
initiative? Amit Saxena: We are very
much impressed with the make in India
campaign. All our product offerings are
under the umbrella of make in India. As
a believer and participant in the make in
India policy, the company has commenced
business in India from this year.
What are your expansion plans and future
brand strategy? Amit Saxena: by the end
of this financial year we would like to
have distribution presence in all districts
of India. In starting, we will focus more
in shop level activities and other retail
activation programs down the line which
will be supported by the AtL also. n
rohan@mymobile.co.in
november 2016 | 93
 spotlight
Gadgets from abroad
In focus
Shopping List
Bowers & Wilkins
P9 Signature
T he iPhone 7 is here - and we
think you also be looking for a
pair of premium over-ear headphones.
Like bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature
headphones for the ultimate sound
quality and luxury design. Coming from
the high-end british audio company,
the P9 Signature are designed to
sound good. The headband and ear
cups are covered with Saffiano leather
that have been given a special cross-
hatch finish even the carrying case
is made out of Alcantara and 100%
made in Italy. Wired headphones,
however, they also come a lightning
cable for iPhone 7 users from early
2017. The P9 Signature will cost
699.99 (or approx rs. 57,056). n
94 | november 2016
Xiaomi Mi 5s
X iaomis mi 5 was a promising smartphone but was overshadowed by the
mighty onePlus 3. Xiaomi recently launched the mi 5s, the successor
to the mi 5 in China. Theres one major addition - a ultrasonic fingerprint
scanner built under the glass at the bottom of the phone. The mi 5s looks
sophisticated, with full HD 5.15 inch display, Snapdragon 821 processor
coupled with 4Gb rAm, 64Gb/128Gb of internal memory, and a 3,200mAH
battery. Sonys new ImX378 12-megapixel camera sensor is on the rear,
with a 4-megapixel camera on the front. A top-notch Android smartphone
starting at $300 (or approx rs. 20,119). Unbelievably, good! n
PlayStation VR
S onys PlayStation vr has finally hit the market, making it the most
affordable high-end vr headset on the market today. PlayStation vr
will alone cost $399 (or approx rs.26,221), but the device requires a
PlayStation 4 and a PlayStation Camera. Sony also sells a $500 (or approx
rs. 33,360) bundle that comes with the headset, a PlayStation Camera, two
move controllers, and the PlayStation vr five-game bundle. All PlayStation
vr units come with a demo disk. PlayStation vr has been launched with a
lineup of 30 games at launch. Sony says that by the end of the year there
will be 50 games available for
PS vr. Taking its entry-level
price and a great lineup of
launch titles into consideration,
things are looking bright for
PlayStation vr. n
MYMOBILE
 spotlight

Infocus
GOING ABROAD OR HAVE A FRIEND OR RELATIVE OVERSEAS
WHO IS COMING VISITING? GIVEN THE FACT THAT THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF DEVICES OUT THERE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED
IN THE COUNTRY, WE SUGGEST YOU HAND THEM THIS UBER GEEK
SHOPPING LIST. ANUJ BHATIA

GoPro ZAGG Slim Book Pro

Hero 5 T he 9.7-inch iPad Pro is perhaps the most popular
2-in-1, created to bridge the gap between a
Black tablet and PC. but to be truly productive, it needs
to be paired with a good keyboard. ZAGG, a popular
accessories brand, offers a keyboard case that can
improve the typing experience while protecting the

T
iPad Pro from scratches. Dubbed the Slim book
he flagship
Pro, it can be used in four different modes. The
action camera
case opens as a clamshell, exposing the illuminated
from GoPro - the
keyboard and also activating the display. The keys
Hero 5 black has
are well spaced, offering a good typing experience.
been launched after
At $149 (or approx rs. 9941), the Slim book Pro is
months of rumours.
a great alternative to Apples Smart Keyboard. n
Like its predecessor, GoPro Hero 5 black is small and easy to
mount. It has a small touch screen on the back for navigation
purpose. The action camera has a built-in waterproof casing,
which can withstand water pressures up to 10 meters without
the need for a separate housing. The Hero 5 black can take
12-megapixel stills, and also captures wide-angle photos
and videos. And yes, the action camera will be able to shoot
in rAW. Interestingly, footage from the camera can be easily
uploaded to GoPros new cloud service, dubbed GoPro Plus.
The GoPro Hero 5 black, a 4K camera with built-in GPS,
video stabilization and three integrated microphones sells
for $399 (or approx rs. 26,221). n

Amazon Echo Dot W ho says there are no takers for smart speakers? Well,
Amazon proved the market wrong with the success of the
echo, and now it has added a new member with a cheaper version,
the echo Dot. So basically, the echo Dot is a smaller-sized version
of the echo, a voice-activated home speaker with bluetooth and
Wi-Fi capability. Priced at just $49 (or approx rs. 3626), the echo
Dot features a digital assistant called Alexa, which is like Siri,
Google now and Cortana. Alexa responds to her name - and will
recognise your video to help you listen to music playback, setting
alarms, providing real-time information on traffic and weather. A
great add-on, if youre ready to give space to Alexa. n

anuj@mymobile.co.in

november 2016 | 95
In focus Special

The Galaxy Note 7:

Putting Samsung in the dock?
IN 2007, NOKIA GOT INTO A CONTROVERSY WHEN IT ANNOUNCED
THE RECALL OF 46 MILLION BATTERIES BECAUSE OF FEAR THAT THEY
COULD OVERHEAT AND CAUSE SHORT CIRCUIT IN PHONES. TODAY,
SAMSUNG HAS BEEN MAKING HEADLINES RECENTLY FOR ITS
DISCONTINUATION OF THE GALAXY NOTE 7, FOLLOWING A MULTIPLE
REPORTED INCIDENTS OF THE DEVICES EXPLODING AND CATCHING FIRE.
SAMSUNG PULLED THE PLUG ON THE DEVICE, BUT WILL IT BE ABLE TO
RECOVER FROM THE EMBARRASSMENT.

T
he Galaxy note 7 fiasco
will probably go as one of
the biggest catastrophes in
modern tech history. And at
the time of writing, it had also become the
most expensive product recall in the tech
industry ever. Samsung recently stated
that the discontinuation of the Galaxy note
7 would cost the company about $3 billion
during the current and next quarters,
bringing the total cost of the recall to at
least $5.3 billion. no doubt, Samsung
has enough cash reserves to absorb the
shock from the Galaxy note 7 recall, the
damage done is not just financial but also
in terms of public perception, courtesy all
the negative publicity - for weeks, memes
mocking the note 7 ruled the Internet
and there was even a GTA 5 mod that had
people throwing note 7 devices instead of
explosives at the enemy. And how can we
ignore those announcements of not using
the note 7 at airports?
over the past few years, Samsung
has been rather cautious about its public
image. The company spent a huge sum
of money on marketing to better connect
with consumers. And the South Korean
company was having a great time until the
Galaxy note 7 crisis botched up its image
worldwide. With sales of its Galaxy S7 and
J series going smoothly, the arrival of the
Galaxy note 7 was already seen as a sure
shot success when it first debuted in the
first week of August. The note 7 received
positive reviews from the mainstream
media and was already hailed as the true
competitor to then soon-to-be-announced
iPhone 7.
but within a few weeks of its launch,
reports of the device catching fire and
exploding surfaced, in some cases burning
down cars. The phone was supposed to
hit the Indian market on September 2;
however, the retail availability had to be
postponed immediately after the news
of the global recall started to spread like
wildfire. Soon afterwards, the Indian
aviation regulator too banned the use of the
Galaxy note 7 on board flights amid growing
concerns of the safety of passengers. Sales
were halted, and roughly 2.5 million units
were recalled immediately.
Samsung announced that it was
halting the sales of the Galaxy note 7
and starting an exchange programme and
sales resumed. but that was not the end
of the matter. multiple reports of replaced
units catching fire started to come in,
embarrassing Samsung further to the
core. Finally, Samsung issued a statement
saying that the production of the Galaxy
note 7 had been permanently stopped.
The massive recall exercise of the
Galaxy note 7 is an embarrassing setback
for Samsung. more importantly, the
Galaxy note 7 recall case raises some
serious questions. At first, Samsung
acknowledged that a minor manufacturing
error in the batteries for the Galaxy note 7
was causing the device to overheat. The
recall of a product, especially one that is
a flagship like the Galaxy note 7 couldnt
be easy. Samsung had an option to pull
out the devices from the market and end
the production. In retrospect, it would have
made more sense. The company instead
wasted no time to announce an exchange

96 | november 2016 MYMOBILE

 productfocuS

In focus
program in a bid to entice consumers from
not buying Apples new iPhones.
For the replacement, Samsung shifted
to another battery supplier chinas Amperex
Technology Ltd (ATL). Unfortunately, this
time the replacement units also began
exploding. Samsung didnt gave any concrete
explanation, but continued to sell the note
7, urging people to pick up the replacement
units marked as safe. many believe that
Samsungs proprietary fast-charging feature
might have led to the note 7 defect. Its
still unclear exactly why the Galaxy note 7
batteries blew up, and Samsung isnt ready
to reveal much.
one of the reasons for the whole fiasco could
well lie in the companys competitiveness to
retain its market leadership position. Knowing
very well that Apple would announce the new
iPhones in the month of September, Samsung
rushed to the market with the Galaxy note 7,
eyeing a lead over the cupertino-based tech
giant. In order to launch the device first in
the market, Samsung might have ignored
the type of quality checks that were required
to pass the Galaxy note 7 safe to use. Its
hard to digest that the company as big as
Samsung - perhaps the most experienced
electronics manufacturer could have made
such essential safety error.
The failure to openly communicate with
its consumers once accidents began to occur
further raises questions over the management
style at the highest level. The Galaxy note
7 recall isnt a small one. It is a big blow
to Samsung - a brand with an expertise in
making hardware products with decades of
experience. The stars are not with Samsung
right now but it would be naive to suggest that
the company lacks the wherewithal to bounce
back. Just how and when is not known. but
the sooner it regains the consumers faith,
the better it would be for the Korean giant.
Almost a decade ago, nokia bounced back
stronger than ever from the battery crisis. It
is now Samsungs turn to rise from the ashes
of the note 7. n
anuj@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com ocTober 2016 | 61

 Tips & Tricks
AirDrop
In focus
A pple has been often criticized by many for not
allowing sharing to other platforms, whether be it
photos, videos or any other content for that matter. but the
company has made the sharing process a lot much simpler
and convenient when it comes to doing so in its closed
ecosystem. Through AirDrop, Apple gave sharing a new
definition. AirDrop isnt about sharing photos or videos; it
is much bigger than that. Through this you can virtually
share anything with another iPhones or iPads. You like a
website, you AirDrop it. You want to share a worksheet
with your friends, you AirDrop it. From notes, to location
from Apple maps, you can share anything on AirDrop and
that too within seconds. but how does it work?AirDrop
98 | november 2016
uses a combination of bluetooth and Wi-Fi network in
order to create a secure network for file transferring. The
bluetooth is used to locate your nearby ioS devices and
then peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network is used to transfer data.
The process is simple, secure and fast. And transferring
files through a Wi-Fi connection also means that you easily
share while sitting in the next room. AirDrop supports ioS
7 or later, and on mac is supports oS X Yosemite or later.
As for ioS devices AirDrop works with iPhone 5 or newer,
a fourth-generation iPad or newer, an iPad mini, or a fifth-
generation iPod touch. And using it is typically easy. You
just need to follow these steps:
n Swipe up from the bottom to open Control Center and
make sure both bluetooth and Wi-Fi are active.
n now Tap on AirDrop and you will see options coming
which states Contacts only or everyone. Through
Contacts only, your contacts can see your device, while
in everyone, all the nearby ioS devices can see your
device.
How to AirDrop from your iOS device:
n You can virtually share anything from your iPhone,
be it apps, docs, website link, photos or videos. For
AirDrop-ping you need to first choose the file you
want to share.
n Tap the Share button on the bottom of your screen
and then Tap the person or device you want to
share.
n The other user will receive an alert with a preview
of the content you want to share, and can either
accept or decline.
The beauty of AirDrop is that the files
which have been shared will appear
in their respectable apps. So if you
have shared photos it will appear in
Photo app, links will appear in Safari
etc. Smooth, eh? n
rohan@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE
 mobilesensex

bazaar bargain

Great Deals
Samsung Galaxy
S6 Edge
For a long time, Samsung was stuck between the
right hardware and design. The Galaxy S5 was a
great smartphone, hardware-wise, but less convincing
from the design point of view. In 2015, the South
Korean company launched the Galaxy S6 and it not
only helped the brand to compete with its peers more
strongly than ever but, it made Samsung the king
of premium Android smartphones. With the launch
of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the last-generation
Galaxy S6 edge may look old but still has enough
oomph left. right now you can grab the previous
generation model for rs.34,900, down from rs.
58,900. The original Galaxy S6 edge received a ton
of praise owing to a dual curved display, the design
later continued with the Galaxy S7 edge. The Galaxy
S6 edge is a great smartphone, although some may
not like the lack of micro SD support. n

Launched at: rs 22,999

Current Price: rs 17,999
Price fall: 21.74 per cent

Asus ZenFone 2
(ZE551ML)
Those looking to score a great deal on ZenFone 2
will be delighted to know that the smartphone can
be purchased for just rs. 17,999, down from its
original price of rs. 22,999. The ZenFone 2 might
not be a new device anymore, but its one of the
best Android smartphones out there in the market
and was after all the first to come with 4 Gb rAm.
The ZenFone 2 (Ze551mL) comes with a 5.5-inch
FHD display, a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3850
processor, 4Gb rAm, 64Gb of expandable internal
storage, a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel
front shooter, and a 3,000mAh battery. Keeping
this in mind, we think that the ZenFone 2 for rs.
17,999 is a stellar deal. n team@mymobile.co.in
Launched at: rs 58,900
Current Price: rs 34,900
(Note: Prices are those available at prominent dealers, online
Price fall: 40.7 per cent and/or offline. They may not reflect official price reductions)

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 99

Game On BoredomBuster
Beat Stomper:
Cant stop, wont stop!
W
e all know how closely music and games are
related. Without good music,a game feels banal.
And without a good game, you cannot enjoy the
music in it. So what if we tell you that there is a game which is
based on music? no, we are not talking about normal games
based music, but a beautiful mix of both. Known as beat
Stomper, the game is one of those few games that will drive
you crazy in both gaming and music experience. To start
with, the gameplay is based on a vertical chaser. In the game
you play as little neon happy square. All you have to do is go
jumping from one platform to another in the endless climbing
game. The controls are typically simple, you have touch to
make your little neon friend fly and another tap will land on
another platform. easier said than done, time is everything
here. Your one wrong move means boom, game over! but
you get used to controls after playing it a few times. What
makes the game so special is the immersive visual and music
experience one get playing the game. The developers have
100 | november 2016
combined the
perfect visuals
with breath-taking
techno music, which brings you to play again and again.
And the music allied with the gameplay is good enough to
deliver an adrenaline rush. And once you are into the game,
there is no coming back - with each passage of platform,
your speed increases gradually and the platforms tend to
get shorter, which can give a mini heart attack to the most
hardcore gamers. Although, at the starting only one song is
available, but as you progress further and complete various
goals you unlock different songs. And each song has its own
visual theme making it so that you never get bored with it.
overall, the visuals are mesmerizing, music is wonderful and
the gameplay is addictive. And its available for free, which
makes it a game you should carry on your smartphone.
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play Store
Price: Free n
MYMOBILE
 BoredomBuster

Game On
Batman the telltale SerieS
Interactive Storytelling at its best

S
uperhero games generally tend to follow a high action-
oriented template - you get the chance of stepping into
the shoes (digital ones, of course) of someone to save the
world from evil. And this normally involves a fair bit of leaping,
running, flying and beating up the opposition, with the story
merely acting as a prop for all the adrenaline action. And this
treatment has been meted out to the caped crusader series as
well in the Arkham series that we have been seeing over the
past couple of years on mobile platforms.
Telltale games however have taken a different approach.
The Telltale Series does have its share of bat-fist action and
there are plenty of stunts too, but the Telltale Series is like a
massive comic book canvas through which you navigate using
the choices you make. In some ways, it is reminiscent of the
classic rPGs of a decade ago when the story move depending
on your choices in the game. Here too, as batman, you dont
just have to wade into battle (which is generally a brief, button
mashing affair) but you also have to take calls on how to react
to specific queries that keep coming up during the game. And
yes, the game play keeps changing depending on the decisions
you take. Graphics are excellent and sound effects are very
good too (we recommend playing the game with a pair
of headphones).
The big question of course, is whether all this is
worth the rather stiff rs 300 price tag that the game
commands. We have our doubts. For the game itself is a
hefty download (about 1 Gb), as are the episodes
and while we can see some loving the whole
interactive story telling element, the action
junkies might simply yearn
for some rather more
old fashioned stunts
and fisticuffs. We are
recommending this
for those looking for a
highly interactive story
rather than for action
lovers.
Available from: iTunes
App Store
Price: rs. 300 n

www.mymobileindia.com ocTober 2016 | 101

Game On BoredomBuster
one more paSS: Nonstop football passing!
i
t is a well-known fact that football is the most
celebrated game around the world. Whether you be
in Alaska or the czech republic, you will we aware
of the game which is considered to be a religion in some
countries. And banking on this tradition, SuperSike, has
come up with a game which makes a perfect blend of 8-bit
addiction with football madness. Known as one more Pass:
nonstop Football, the game is all about passing the ball to
your teammate.Yes, its that simple: you have to pass the
ball from player to another in a vertical way without letting
the opposing team player block your pass. The controls are
fairly simple, just swipe right and left to move and swipe up
to pass. You can also double tap the screen to give a lofted
pass. And after a few passes, you reach the goal, where you
have just swipe up and shoot. That said, during the initial
stages it might look easy but as you go further, you have to
be quick in
passing or
102 | november 2016
else, your ball will be blocked. The game is like any endless
scorer type and it all about breaking your own record. As
you progress, it becomes a difficult task to keep up with the
game, as the bar of difficulty increases with each goal. And
your opponents become more active and will try to tackle
you and snatch the ball from you. What makes the game
so delightful is the gradual change of environmentyou
start playing in a stadium and might end up on a beach.
And there are coins as well, which makes it easier for you
to select the outfit for your team and also play with star
players. These players are special ones with a very unique
set of skills that will help you to reach new high scores.
overall, with some mesmerizing gameplay, coupled with
cute-looking players, and old fashioned graphics, one
more Pass: nonstop Football is a must-have if you just to
want to swipe for goal.
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play Store
Price: Free n
MYMOBILE

head BaSketBall Slam Dunk!
W
hat if you are angry, while playing basketball?
Well, you convert your rage into a deadly
weapon and score a basket. no we are not
talking about another Shaolin Soccer type movie, but a
game which is becoming a rage these days. Dubbed as
Head basketball, the game is all about scoring maximum
points like we do in a normal basketball game, but with a
twist. Here you have particular skills and power that you
can use while scoring a basket and make your enemy burn
into ashes (literally!). In the game, you play as Taemin, a
Korean basketballer, and as you advance further, you get
to unlock different characters. The game has different
modes starting from Arcade, in which you play against
different characters. In campaign mode, you have a
proper story line, while in tournament mode you can play
different levels of tournament. Then there is survival and
multiplayer mode. The controls are simple.
There are right and left on button on
www.mymobileindia.com
BoredomBuster
Game On
the lower left side through which you can control your
characters movement and on the right there is a swing
and jump button through which you can attack your enemy
and jump to put the ball in the opponents basket. There
is a special bar, which when full, will give you the ability
through which you can perform your special moves. The
beauty of this game are the small characters (mostly their
heads are visible hence the name) and whenever your
opponent scores, your character gets angry, which is kind
of cool and cute. The gameplay is simple, joyful and once
started you will end up playing for hours and hours. You
can also upgrade your skills and can also give a new look
to your avatar but for that you will require more coins (that
is where in-app purchases kicks in). but overall, the game
can be considered as a perfect mix of sports and action.
And a game you should play at least once.
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play Store
Price: Free n
november 2016 | 103
 BoredomBuster
dan the man: Sheer retro magic
Game On
i
magine you are in a world where the goons and bad
guys have taken over the village and people are now
terrified, petrified and scared to death. What you
will do in this case? Well, it is simple. You become the
man, and save the innocent villagers from this mayhem.
Dont worry, we are not trying to sell you a movie plot, but
talking about a new game from Halfbrick. The game is all
about punching, kicking, killing the enemies and avoiding
getting shot, all the while protecting villagers from the
goons. To start with, you play as Dan who is on a journey to
defeat the enemy and make the world a better place. And
during this, he has to go through many levels of pain and
difficulties. There are enemies, more enemies
and then more enemies and you have to catch
them off guard (some are taking selfies in
their free time) on the way. And then there are
boss modes, and seriously they are big! The
best part about the game is the retro looking
graphics the developers have given, which
102 | november 2016
kind of take you back in time (long live contra!). Like any
retro game, the levels are lengthy but you never get bored
with them and want to play more and more. And thankfully
there are plenty of checkpoints to save your progress. This
is not all - you also get some shops through which you
can restore your health and restock your weapons. All you
have to do is collect coins which can be used to buy new
weapons and even upgrade your skills. Later on, you can
also play as Josie, and the Halfbrick famous character
barry. The controls are rather simplethere are on-screen
navigation buttons on the left and two buttons on the
right for punching and jumping. There is a special button
for weapon attacks and then there is a button for special
attacks. The game can be considered as one of the best
retro-style arcade game we have seen so far and is surely
the game you should be already downloading and playing
if you are fond of the classics.
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play Store
Price: Free n
MYMOBILE

evil dead: Endless Nightmare; the
return of a classic horror title
i
t is a well-known fact that when it comes to horror
movies, then the evil Dead series is one of the scariest
and greatest horror movies of all time. Since its first
theatrical launch in the late 1980s, the movie has become
a cult. And now boomdash Digital Limited has just turned
the classic horror movie into an endless game of horror.
Known as evil Dead: nightmare, the game is all about
running for your life and avoiding the dead zombies known
as Deadite, all while covering the maximum distance. You
start with the films iconic cabin and all you have to do is
tap on the gate and you are ready to face the wrath of the
Deadites. The game does have a gameplay similar to Into
The Dead, where you have dodge the zombies, kill them,
and shoot them till you are captured. but what makes it
different are iconic weapons, from chainsaw to shotgun,
and the background music at the starting, which is kind
of spooky. coming to the gameplay, you have to dodge the
www.mymobileindia.com
BoredomBuster
Game On
Deadites and complete three sets of missions to move on
to the next chapter. And once you complete a chapter, you
are awarded with weapons, powerups and the stamina to
withstand the attacks from the zombies. As you progress
further, the levels become tougher. During your run, you
also have to collect droplets and five small pieces. The
droplets are used to upgrade your weapons and there are
also in-app coins through which you can access weapons
earlier. but once you collect all the small pieces, you are
teleported to a different place where you need to kill the
giant Witch in order to continue the game. The controls
are simple. overall, with some good graphics, coupled
with some insane gameplay and music, evil Dead: endless
nightmare does justice to the film it is named after.
Available from: iTunes App Store
Price: Free n
rohan@mymobile.co.in
november 2016 | 105
Software SMARTAPP S
Wallpapers
Jazzing up your phone
O
nce considered to be one
of the most downloaded
apps for a phone - they
were prominent offerings at most WAP
portals - wallpapers have been relegated to
the backstage of the app world. most people
now try to pick one of their own pictures to use
or choose from vast libraries of images available
on other apps or even online. So what makes
Googles new wallpaper app any different from
the hundreds out there? And why on earth would
anyone opt for it instead of simply dipping into
their existing image library? Well, the answer is
not easy to give. For the Wallpaper app, which
is an Android exclusive, actually comes with
trademark Google simplicity - it is simply a
collection of wallpapers. However, it is when
you take a closer look at them that you start
seeing whats special, and that is the sheer
quality of visual content that Google has
packed into the app. Yes, there are
wallpapers in several apps, but
we doubt if they are of the
kind of quality that you
Rating
106 | november 2016
see in Googles own app- there are
some beautiful textures, architectural
shots, landscapes and so on, and in a neat
touch, Google also allows you to access the
wallpapers that come with your device as
well as your images. our own favorites were
the Google earth images which were honestly
out of the world. You also get the standard Live
Wallpapers that accompany stock Android, and in
a very neat touch, can also explore details about
different pictures by using the explore option
that accompanies them. You can also opt to tell
the app to change the wallpaper for you every day
automatically, thus ensuring that your phone has
a new look every day. That might not sound like
a lot for many people when you consider the
alternatives but ah, the difference is that this
app comes from Google, with traditional
simplicity and ease of use as well as assured
image quality. Got an Android phone?
Give it a makeover with this app.
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google
Play Store
Price: Free. n
MYMOBILE

MelOdIst Pictures with music
I
magine someone taking your images and developing
music to go with them?melodist does that. It is an
app which picks photos from your gallery or the
pictures that you click and develops music to go with it
in simple terms.
once you download the app, you just have to allow
the application to access your photos and camera and
voila! the application is good to go. The best part about
the application is that you dont need to sign in or log
in anywhere to use it: you can just install the app, give
the permission to use your pictures and the app will do
the rest.
The application doesnt create melodies to go with your
pictures out of the blue. It analyses the hues, contrast
and the colours of the images and uses the colour scheme
to develop music. There are three animations effects
from which you can choose the one you like to see on your
screen (out of the three, one is locked). There are five
different tones to choose from which decides the sound
www.mymobileindia.com
SMARTAPP S
Software
put in the background (one is locked again) . You can
adjust the speed of the melody and can also share it if
you want. once you melodise, the image will vanish and
the animation will take its place. Having said that, we
think there is not much to the application. We wish there
were different melodies that could be customised into
one for a particular photo or if we could select a number
of pictures and queue them together to make a photo
story kind of a product with music in the background.
Unfortunately, the app doesnt provide you with all that
but hopefully with coming updates; the developers will
bring in various other engaging updates. We certainly
hope they do, for in its current state, melodist is really
all sound and not much substance. Worth a try for those
who want something simple
Available from: iTunes App Store
Price: Free. n
Rating
november 2016 | 107
Software SMARTAPP S
Buffer Social
media scheduler
s
ocial media is an integral part of our lives and it has
made the world virtually a smaller place, making
it easy for us to communicate, share and voice our
opinion and ideas. but with a new social media platform
popping up every other day, it becomes a little difficult to
manage all these. What if we tell you, there is an application
which can manage it all for you. Well, buffer is one such
app.
The application which is available on both Google Play
Store and Apples App Store is not a very heavy application.
The first thing you see when you open the platform is a
choice between, new to buffer and Already have an a little is the fact that there are only a selected platforms
account. If you are a newbie, you have to sign-in in order to
use the application. buffer will give you a brief but boring
introduction to application and what it does. The app will
then provide you with five social media options including
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and email. You
can sign into each one of these or selected ones as per
your liking. once logged in, the application will ask your
permission to use your page and app of the social media
108 | november 2016
platform selected. The app will manage your page and
will ask you how many times a day would you like to post
something on the social site. The application also uses
your email id to keep you in the loop if anything suspicious
happens from your account.
once you are through with all the permissions, buffer will
help you post and share a post on multiple platforms from
one place and also provides you with the activities taking
place around your post. not only this, it also schedules
yours post for you and buzzes you when it is time to post
a new one. but the one thing which poked us in the eye,
the app manages and doesnt allow one to manage other
apps. All in all, buffer is a must have application for all
those who want to stay active on the social media and save
time at the same time.
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play Store
Price: Free. n
Rating
MYMOBILE
 SMARTAPP S
HIgHly Copy and

Software
share easily

W
e know the struggle of reading something
brilliant online and then being unable to
share it without going through the copy-
pasting, opening another app and sharing process.
This problem has finally been rectified by an app called
Highly. Highly is an application which allows you to
highlight words, lines, paragraphs from a particular
article and share it over a number of other platforms with
your friends. The application hardly takes anytime to
install as its size is just over 35 mb. While downloading,
there arent any Terms and Conditions that one has
to agree to. once installed the application is pretty
much ready to use. At first the user interface of the
application may appear to be a little confusing because
the application directly opens a noted web portal, but
a small icon of the top right hand side of the screen
which explains how the app works to beginners.
While using the application, users can use their
finger as a highlighter and can swipe from left to right
to highlight certain lines or paragraphs in the article
and can swipe right to left to share the highlighted
portion with their friends. Users can simply tap on the
screen to jump from one article to another. You can
also save your collected highlights at one place which
can be searched for whenever required. Highly allows
you to share content on Facebook, Twitter, email and
imessage. We would have liked a few more platforms
in the list but it is something.
The app is basically based around major publications
of USA, so dont get confused of suddenly a post from
The Los Angeles Times pops up on your screen. There
is an option to sign up in the application, but we didnt
see it adding value. Another annoying thing about the
application is the ads which cover your screen and can
be specifically irritating while you are reading.
The app is good for those who want to stay up to date
about popular things happening around the world but
it is a very confusing, take our word for it.
Available from: iTunes App Store
Price: Free. n

Rating

november 2016 | 109

Software SMARTAPP S
gOOgle allO
Adding muscle to messaging
I
ts previous efforts in this field
might not have exactly set the
tech world on fire, but that has
not stopped Google from trying to make its
presence felt in the world of messaging. And
its latest effort is Google Allo, which it calls a
smarter messaging app. on the surface, it might
seem the same as your standard messaging app,
with the routine dialogue buttons and the contact
list to whom you can send stickers, text messages
and the like, but scratch below that surface and you
see what makes the app very different from the run
of the mill messaging app. There is for instance,
the Smart reply option where the app suggests
replies automatically based on the message you
have received - so it might suggest awww
when someone sends a picture of kittens, for
instance. It gets better with your usage as
it tracks your patterns. but the real star
of the show is the Google Assistant,
which is as its name suggests, a
virtual assistant, but which
is more versatile
110 | november 2016
than anything we have seen
before. You can ask it about
the weather, solve equations
and about the nearest place to
have coffee. Whats more, you can
even place it in a group chat and use
it to fix up a place to meet or a film to
see and so on. once again, it gets better
with usage as it studies your patterns
and your tastes and preferences. There is
also an incognito mode for those worried
about being spied on and a truckload
of photos, emojis and stickers with the
option to scribble on them if need be
(shades of Snapchat, we wonder?). And
it all works smoothly enough too. Pretty
much one of those apps you must try out
if you are a messaging freak, even if it is
just to talk to the Assistant.
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google
Play Store
Price: Free. n
Rating
MYMOBILE
 SMARTAPP S

Software
prIsMa (vIdeO) Now moving
pictures get arty

p
risma was one of the most talked about apps of 2016. The app made
headlines with its ability to add artistic effects to images, making them
appear more like watercolour works than photographs. making all this
happen was a complex algorithm that rather than just smudge colours and
change saturation levels (as some other photo to art apps did), actually tried
to understand the image and blend it with the artist whose effect was being
requested by the user. This made the entire process of converting the image to a
picture slightly long drawn but in most cases, the results more than justified the
time invested in the process. The app, as is well known, became a cult hit and
although the initial rage about it seems to have tailed off, remains one of the most
popular ones out there. And well, it has now added another string to its bow of
filters - the ability to add those art like effects to videos as well. As the app has
been designed mainly for Instagram, the format is still designed for that social
network. You can shoot videos that span fifteen seconds and then go right ahead
and add the very filters that you used for your photographs to create some very
artistic moving pictures. no, it is not as smooth as the still image process and it
takes some time to work out which filter works best with which sort of video but
at the end of the day, once you get the hang of it, you will end up with videos that
look like artistic masterpieces. There is a rather long waiting period involved as
you wait for the app to convert the video into its more artistic variant, but just
as in the case of the still images, we can assure you that the wait is well worth it
(if not, then we would suggest shooting videos of much shorter duration as you
get used to different filters and the contexts in which they can be used). An ioS
only feature as of now, but still a must-use one!
Available from: iTunes App Store Rating
Price: Free n nimish@mymobile.co.in

november 2016 | 111

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 MY GUIDE
While My Mobile tries to ensure accuracy in the pricing and
features any discrepancies that may emerge are beyond our
control. Please check with the retailer about features of the
phone before buying. Feel free to update us.
(Last updated on October 20, 2016)

Disclaimer :
The prices quoted in My Guide are the Best
Buy prices quoted by the respective companies,
ex-Delhi. The prices may vary on account of
promotional schemes or dealer discretion.

Devices featured in the My Guide

have been segregated into different
categories based on price and
colour-coded as:

Microsoft

Up to Rs. 2,499

Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999

Rs. 6,000 Rs. 9,999

Rs.10,000 Rs. 14,999

Rs.15,000 Rs. 19,999

Rs. 20,000 Rs. 29,999

RS. 30,000 and above.

Tablets

SpreadtrumST

Intel AtomIA

Qualcomm
SnapdragonQS
MediaTekMT

MediaTek
HelioMTH

MYMOBILE
 MYGUIDE
MODELS MICROSOFT MICROSOFT MICROSOFT

PARAMETERS MICROSOFT
Model 215 Asha 225 Nokia 230 Lumia 535 Lumia 550 Lumia 540 Lumia 640

Display (inches/res) 2.4/240 x 320 2.8/ 320 x 240 2.0/ 320 x 240 5.0/ 960 x 540 4.7/ 720 x 1280 5.0/ 720 x 1280 5.0/ 720 x 1280

Dimension (mm) 116 x 50 x x12.9 124 x 55.5 x 10.4 124.6 x 53.4 x 10.9 140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8 136.1 x 67.8 x 9.9 144 x 73.7 x 8.6 141.3 x 72.2 x 8.8

Weight (grams) 79 101 92 145.3g 142 152 145

Processor/RAM NA/8MB Single Core/8MB NA/16 MB QS 200/1GB QS 210/1GB QS 200/1GB QS 400/1GB

Operating system Series 30+ Series 30+ Series 30+ Windows Phone 8.1 Windows 10 Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1

Storage/Expandable NA/32GB NA/32GB NA/ 32GB 8GB/128GB 8GB/200GB 8GB/128GB 8GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera 0.3MP/NA 2.0MP/NA 2.0MP/2.0MP 5MP/5MP/Yes 5MP/2MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/0.1MP

Battery (mAh) 1,100 1,200 1,200 1,905 2,100 2,200 2,500

2G/3G/4G NA Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch January, 2015 April, 2014 February, 2016 January, 2015 October, 2015 April, 2015 March, 2015

Price Rs. 2,199 3,200 3,900 6,285 6,750 7,500 8,999

MICROSOFT UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499

MODELS

PARAMETERS MICROSOFT ADCOM

Model Lumia 650 Lumia 950 Dual SIM Lumia 950 XL X5 X9 (Nonu) X20 (Power) X21(Elegance )

Display (inches/res) 5.0/ 720 x 1280 5.2/ 2560 x 1440 5.7/ 2560 x 1440 1.8/128 x 160 1.8 /128 x 160 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320

Dimension (mm) 142 x 70.9 x 6.9 145 x 73.2 x 8.2 151.9 x 78.4 x 8.1 120.2 x 40.65 x 20.6 120.2 x 40.65 x 20.6 140.6 x 50.4 x 25 140.6 x 50.4 x 25

Weight (grams) 122 150 165 120 120 220 210

Processor/RAM QS 212/1 GB QS 808/3GB QS 810/3GB NA/ 32MB NA/ 32MB NA/ 32MB NA/ 32MB

Operating system Windows 10 Windows 10 Windows 10 NA NA NA NA

Storage/Expandable 16GB/200GB 32GB/200GB 32GB/200GB 64MB/8GB 64MB/8GB 32MB/8GB 32MB/8GB

Rear/Front Camera 8MP/5MP 20MP/5MP 20MP/5MP 1.3MP/ 0 MP 1.3MP/ 0 MP 1.3MP/ 0MP 1.3MP/ 0MP

Battery (mAh) 2,000 3,000 3,340 800 750 1,800 1,200

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch April, 2016 October, 2015 October, 2015 NA NA NA NA

Price Rs. 14,500 29,998 34,998 999 999 1,400 1,500

114 I NOVEMBER 2016 MYMOBILE

 MYGUIDE
UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499
MODELS

PARAMETERS ADCOM CELKON HITECH I-SMART

Model C1 CDMA T-35 (PDA) A352E Yuva Y1 Yuva Y2 IS-102 IS-100L Selfie

Display (inches/res) 1.8/128 x 160 3.5/ 320 x 480 3.5/320 x 480 1.8/- 1.8/- 1.8/128 x 160 1.8/128 x 160

Dimension (mm) 1134713.8 125 x 67.2 x 10 - 111.4 x 46.8 x 11.5 122.6 x 50.7 x 14.3 112 x 48.5 x 13 112 x 46.5 x 13.5

Weight (grams) 82 108 - 65 86 70 70

Processor/RAM NA/ 32MB NA/ 64MB RDA 8810M/256MB ST 6531DA/NA ST 6531DA/NA NA/No NA/No

Operating system NA NA Android 4.2.2 Nucleus Nucleus NA NA

Storage/Expandable 64MB/8GB 64MB/16GB 512 MB/32GB 32+32MB/- 32+32MB/- NA/8GB NA/8GB

Rear/Front Camera 1.3MP/ 0 MP 1.3MP/ 0MP 2MP/No 0.3 MP/NA 1.3 MP/NA Digital camera/No

Battery (mAh) 1,050 1,250 1,400 1,500 1,500 850 1,000

2G/3G/4G Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch NA NA 2,014 - - Oct, 2016 July, 2016

Price Rs. 1,500 1,700 2,209 699 799 1,099 1,299

UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499

MODELS

PARAMETERS I-SMART ITEL

Model IS-209 IS-207 Klick IS-210 Smart Selfie it2180 Smart Power it5600 Shine it5020 Smart Selfie it5231

Display (inches/res) 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320 1.77/ 240 x 320 1.77/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320

Dimension (mm) 118 x 51.7 x 9.9 122.5 x 52 x 15.6 127.5 x 53 x 14.2 114.5 x 49.3 x 14.2 116.6 x 50 x 15.8 118 x 51.7 x 14.2 124.5 x 54 x 11.4

Weight (grams) 70 100 110 - - - -

Processor/RAM NA/No NA/No NA/No 260MHz/32Mb 260MHz/32Mb 312MHz/32Mb 360MHz/64Mb

Operating system NA NA NA - - - -

Storage/Expandable NA/16GB NA/16GB NA/16GB 32Mb/32GB 32MB/32GB 32MB/32GB 64MB/32GB

Digital Camera/
Rear/Front Camera Digital camera/No Digital Camera 1.3 MP/No 0.08MP/0.08MP 0.08MP 0.08MP 0.08MP/0.3MP

Battery (mAh) 1,000 1,800 3,000 1,000 2500 1000 1900

2G/3G/4G Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch Sept, 2016 Sept, 2016 Aug, 2016 April, 2016 April, 2016 May, 2016 May, 2016

Price Rs. 1,599 1,399 1,799 839 973 1,011 1,296

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MODELS UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499

PARAMETERS M-TECH ZIOX

Model V7 L9 M15 Pro Star ++ G10 Z 214i Z 13

Display (inches/res) 2.4/240 x 320 2.4/240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/240 x 320 2.8/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320

Dimension (mm) 122.7 x 52 x 14 124.7 x 53 x 11 123 x 52.5 x 13.15 114.7 x 50 x 13.9 126 x 52.5 x 12.6 124.2*53*11.3 124*52*12

Weight (grams) 72 85 100 93 100 89 79

Processor/RAM Single-Core/ No Single-Core/ No Single-Core/ No Single-Core/ No Single-Core/ No 312Mhz/32MB 312Mhz/32MB

Operating system NA NA NA NA NA MOCOR MOCOR

Storage/Expandable 32MB/16GB 32MB/16GB 32MB/16GB 32MB/16GB 32MB/16GB NA/16GB NA/16GB

Rear/Front Camera Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Digital camera/No Digital camera/No

Battery (mAh) 1,000 1,000 1,700 1,600 1,700 1,400 1,000

2G/3G/4G Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes-WFM Yes/Yes-WFM

Launch NA NA NA NA NA June, 2016 May, 2016

Price Rs. 1,099 1,199 1,349 1,249 1,299 1,343 1,593

UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499 UP TO RS. 2,499

MODELS

PARAMETERS ZIOX
Model Z X304 Z 33 Z 314 Z 23 Z 304 mini Z 38 Z 39

Display (inches/res) 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320 1.8/128 x 160 1.8/128 x 160 2.4/ 240 x 320 2.4/ 240 x 320

Dimension (mm) 125 x 53 x 14.4 125 x 52.5 x 13.6 121 x 52 x 13.45 113 x 49.6 x 14.95 111.2 x 46.5 x 14.2 125 x 53 x 13.6 125 x 53 x 13.6

Weight (grams) 98 98 89 86 73 89 99

Processor/RAM 312Mhz/32MB 312Mhz/32MB 312Mhz/32MB 312Mhz/32MB 312Mhz/32MB 312Mhz/32MB 312Mhz/32MB

Operating system MOCOR MOCOR MOCOR MOCOR MOCOR MOCOR MOCOR

Storage/Expandable NA/16GB NA/16GB NA/16GB NA/16GB NA/16GB NA/16GB NA/16GB

Rear/Front Camera Digital camera/No Digital camera/No Digital camera/No Digital camera/No Digital camera/No Digital camera/No Digital camera/No

Battery (mAh) 1,750 1,800 1,700 1,800 1,000 1,750 1,750

2G/3G/4G Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No Yes/No/No

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes-WFM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes-WFM Yes/Yes-WFM Yes/Yes-WFM Yes/Yes-WFM

Launch April, 2016 May, 2016 July, 2016 Aug, 2016 Aug, 2016 Aug, 2016 July, 2016

Price Rs. 1,690 1,733 1,443 1,093 1,233 1,553 1,503

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Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS ASUS HONOR HITECH IN-FOCUS INTEX

Model Zenfone Go Honor Bee Amaze S9 Air A8 Bingo 10 (M415) Bingo 21 (M 430) Aqua Fish

Display (inches/res) 5.0/720 x 1280 4.5/ 854 x 480 4.5 /- 5.0/ 540 x 960 4.5/ 480 x 854 4.5/ 854 x 480 5/720x1280

Dimension (mm) 144.5 x 71 x 10 134.3 x 66.7 X 10 140 x 66.88 x 9.65 140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8 135.65 x 67.38 x 10.43 136.8 x 67 x 10.95 142.4x72x9.6

Weight (grams) 135 170 150 152 140 152 150

Processor/RAM MT6580/2GB ST SC 7732/1GB ST 7731/512MB ST 7731/1GB MT 6580A/1GB ST Shark/2GB Quad core/2GB

Operating system Android OS, v5.1 Android OS, v4.4 5.1 Lollipop 5.2 Lollipop Android OS, 6.0 Android 5.1 Sailfish 2.0

Storage/Expandable 8,16GB/64GB 8GB/32GB 4GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 8MP/2MP 8MP/2MP 5MP/2MP 8MP/2MP 5MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/2MP

Battery (mAh) 2,070 1,730 1,400 2,000 2,000 2,300 2500

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No Yes/Yes

Launch August, 2015 May, 2015 - - April, 2016 March, 2016 February,2016

Price Rs. 5,299 3,999 2,999 4,999 4,399 5,499 5,499

Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS ITEL LYF MICROMAX

Model Wish it1407 Power Pro it1410 Wish it1507 Flame 1 Canvas Juice 3 Q393 Canvas Spark 3 Canvas Bolt Selfie

Display (inches/res) 4/ 800 x 480 4/ 800 x 480 5/854 x 480 "4.5/854 x 480" 5.0/720 x 1280 5.5/720x1280 4.5/854x480

Dimension (mm) 125x64.3x10.9 124x64.7x12.2 144.4 x 73 x 8.5 132.6 x 66.2 x 9.3 NA - -

Weight (grams) - - - 138 NA - -

Quad core, 1.2 Dual core, 1.3 Quad core, 1.2
Processor/RAM GHz/512MB GHz/512MB
QS 210/1GB MT6580/2GB quad-core/1GB MTK6735/1GB
GHz/512MB

Operating system Android 5.1 Android4.4 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/128GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 2.0MP/0.3MP 2.0MP/0.3MP 5.0MP/2.0MP 5MP/5MP 8MP/2MP 8MP/5MP 5MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 1,500 2,800 2,400 2,000 4,000 2,500 1,750

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch April, 2016 May, 2016 April, 2016 February, 2015 NA March, 2016 May, 2016

Price Rs. 2,989 3,339 5,063 5,499 4,171 4,999 5,499

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MODELS Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 5,999

PARAMETERS M-TECH VIDEOCON

Model Turbo L7 Turbo L9 Challenger V40HD Graphite V45DB Challenger V40CF Graphite V45DD Krypton V50DA

Display (inches/res) 5.0/ 854 x 480 5.0/ 854 x 480 4.0,WVGA 4.5, FWVGA 4.0, WVGA 4.5, FWVGA 5.0, FWVGA

Dimension (mm) 143 x 70.6 x 8.8 145 x 72.25 x 8.5 62 x 118.25 x 10.6 136 X 70.8 X 11.0 124 x 64.5 x 9.0 136 X 70.8 X 11.0 10.2 X74.5 X 146

Weight (grams) 142 150 - - - - -

Processor/RAM Quad Core /512MB Quad Core/1GB Single Core/256MB Quad Core/512MB 1.2 Quad Core/1GB 1.2 Quad Core/1GB 1.3 Quad Core/1GB

Operating system Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 4.4 Android 4.4 Android 5.0 Android 5.0 Android 5.0

Storage/Expandable 4GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 512MB/32GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 3.2MP/1.3MP 3.2MP/1.3MP 3.2MP/VGA 5MP/VGA 5MP/2MP 5MP/2MP 5MP/2MP

Battery (mAh) 2,000 2,000 1,400 1,600 1,500 1,600 3,000

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch NA NA February, 2016 March,2016 March,2016 March,2016 April,2016

Price Rs. 3,499 4,299 2,605 3,638 3,692 4,237 4,922

RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS ASUS COOLPAD HONOR

Zenfone 2 Laser
Model ZE550KL Zenfone Max Zenfone C ZC451CG NEW Note 3 Lite Mega 2.5D Note 3 Plus Honor Holly 3 NEW

Display (inches/res) 5.5/720 x 1280 5.5/ 720 x 1280 4.5/480 x 854 5.0/720 x 1280 5.5/720x1280 5.5/1080x1920 5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm) 152.5 x 77.2 x 3.9 156 x 77.5 x 10.55 136.5 x 67 x 10.9 140.8 x 70.4 x 8.9 153x77x8 151.9 x 77 x 9.3 NA

Weight (grams) 170 202 150 141 141 168 NA

Processor/RAM QS 410/2GB QS 615/ 2GB, 3GB IA Z2520/ 1GB MT6735/3GB Quad core/3GB MT6753/3GB Kirin 620/2GB

Operating system Android 5.0 Android 6.0 Android 4.4 Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable 16GB/128GB 16GB/32GB, 64GB 8GB/64GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/64GB 16GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 5MP/0.3MP 13MP/5MP 8MP/8MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP

Battery (mAh) 3,000 5,000 2,100 2,500 2,500 3,000 3,100

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes NA

Music Player/FM Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/- NA

Launch August, 2015 May, 2016 January, 2015 January, 2016 August, 2016 May, 2016 October, 2016

Price Rs. 8,999 9,999/ 12,999 6,299 6,999 6,999 8,999 9,999

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RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS HUAWEI HITECH IBALL IN-FOCUS

Model Honor Holly 2 Plus Honor 4X Air A9 mSLR Cobalt 4 M 350 (16GB) M680 M810

Display (inches/res) 4.8/720 x 1280 5.5/720 x 1280 5.0-inch, 720 x 1280 5.0/540 x 960 5.0/720 x 1280 5.5/720x1280 5.5/1080x1920

Dimension (mm) 143.1 x 71.8 x 9.7 152.9 x 77.2 x 8.65 140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8 - 151 x 71.5 x 10.6 156 x 76.8 x 7.25 153.70 x 76.20 x 6.99

Weight (grams) 160 170 152 - 146 158 155

Processor/RAM MT6735P /2GB Quad Core/2GB MT 3735M/2GB octa-core/1GB MT6732/2GB MT 6753/2GB QS 801/ 2GB

Operating system Android 5.1.1 Android 4.4 Android 5.1 Android 4.4 Android 4.4.2 Android 5.1 Android 5.0

Storage/Expandable 16GB/128GB 8GB/32GB 16GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 16GB/64GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/64GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 8MP/3.2MP 8MP/8MP 13MP/13MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 4,000 3,000 3,500 2,000 2,500 2,600 2,600

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Music Player/FM Yes/- Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch February, 2016 October, 2014 - June, 2015 June, 2015 December, 2015 July, 2015

Price Rs. 8,499 9,999 6,999 6,299 6,999 8,999 9,999

RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS INTEX I-SMART ITEL

Model Aqua S7 Aqua Secure Aqua View IS-57i IS-56i HD Mercury V6 Wish it1512 Power Pro it1553

Display (inches/res) 5/720x1280 4.5/ 480 x 854 5/ 720 x 1280 5.0-inch/480 x 854 5.0-inch/720 x 1280 5/FWVGA/TN 5.5)

Dimension (mm) 142.5x72.5x8.7 133.5 x 66.5 x 9.4 124 x 64 x 10.3 146.72 x 72.85 x 8.73 143.54 x 71.55 x 8.52 143x72x8.65 138.5x69.5x9.8

Weight (grams) 150 130 146 155 170 - -

Processor/RAM Quad core/3GB MTK6735M/ 1GB MTK6735P/ 1GB Quad Core/1 GB Quad Core/1 GB Quad core/1GB Quad core/1GB

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 4.4.2 Android 4.4.2 Android 6.0 Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable 16GB/64GB 8GB/ 32GB 16GB/ 32GB 8GB/64GB 8GB/64GB 8GB/32GB 16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 5MP/ 2MP 8MP/5MP 8.0MP/3.2MP 8.0MP/3.2MP 5.0MP/2.0MP 8.0MP/2.0MP

Battery (mAh) 3,200 1,900 2,200 2,100 2,500 2,500 5,050

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/ Yes/ Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch September, 2016 May, 2016 June, 2016 September, 2016 September, 2015 June, 2016 June, 2016

Price Rs. 9,499 6,499 8,999 6,499 6,999 6,000 7,290

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MODELS RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999

PARAMETERS ITEL LAVA LENOVO

Model Selfie Pro it1511 Pixel V2 X10 K5 Vibe P1m K5 Plus K3 Note

Display (inches/res) 5.0/1280 x 720 5.0/ 720 x 1280 5.0/ 720 x 1280 5/ 720 x 1280 5.0/720 x 1280 5.0/1080 x 1920 5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm) 138.5x69.5x9.8 141.6 x 70.8 x 7.6 142 x 70.8 x 7.9 142 x 71 x 7.99 141 x 71.8 x 9.3 142 x 71 x 8.2 152.6 x 76.2 x 8

Weight (grams) - 128 133 142 148 142 150

Processor/RAM Quad core/1GB Quad Core/ 2GB Quad core /3GB QS 415/ 2GB MT6735P /2GB QS616/2GB MT6752 /2GB

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.0

Storage/Expandable 8GB/32GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/ Yes 16GB/32GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 8.0MP/2.0MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/ 5MP 8MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 2,500 2,500 2,900 2,750 4,000 2750 2,900

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/ Yes/ Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No

Launch April, 2016 September, 2015 November, 2015 June, 2016 September, 2015 April, 2016 March, 2015

Price Rs. 6,999 8,499 9,999 6,999 7,499 8,499 9,999

RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS LYF LG MEIZU MICROMAX

Model Wind 5 K7 M2 Note M3 Note Canvas Unite 4 Canvas Amaze 2 Canvas XP 4G

Display (inches/res) 5/ 720 x 1280 5/ 480 x 854 5.5/1080 x 1920 5.5/1080 x 1920 5.0/ 1280 x 720 5/ 720 x 1280 5.0/720 x 1280

Dimension (mm) 144.6 x 72.8 x 8.45 143.6 x 72.5 x 8.95 150.9 x 75.2 x 8.7 153.6 x 75.5 x 8.2 NA NA NA

Weight (grams) 137 149 163 NA NA NA

1.1GHz Quad
Processor/RAM MT6735P/ 1GB MT6753 /2GB Helio P10/3GB MTK 6735P/1GB QS415/ 2GB MT6735P/3GB
Core/ 1.5GB
Operating system Android 5.1 Android 5.0 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.0.2 Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable 8GB/ 32GB 8GB/32GB 16GB/128GB 32GB/128GB 8GB/64GB 8GB/ 32GB 16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 8MP/ 5MP 5MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 13MP/ 5MP 8MP/2MP

Battery (mAh) 2,000 2,125 3,100 4,100 2,500 2,500 2,000

2G/3G/4G Yes/ Yes/ Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/ Yes/ Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/- Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/-

Launch June, 2016 January, 2016 June, 2015 May, 2016 June, 2016 June, 2016 May, 2016

Price Rs. 6,599 8,690 9,999 9,999 6,999 7,499 7,499

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RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS MICROMAX MOTOROLA OPPO PHICOMM

Canvas Unite 4
Model Canvas 5 Pro NEW Canvas Sliver 5 Moto G4 Play Moto E3 Power NEW Neo 7 Passion 660

Display (inches/res) 5.2/1080 x 1920 5.0/ 1280 x 720 4.8/720 x 1280 5/720x1280 5/1280x720 5.0/540 x 960 5.0/1080x1920

Dimension (mm) NA NA 5.1mm thick 144.4x72x9.9 148.3x71.6x9.55 142.7 x 71.7 x 7.55 139.50 x 69.00 x 7.40

Weight (grams) NA NA 97 137 153 141 110

Processor/RAM MT6753/3GB Quad core/ 2GB QS 410 /2GB QS 410/2GB MTK6735P/2GB QS 410/1GB QS 615/2GB

Operating system Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.0.2 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 4.4.4

Storage/Expandable 16GB/64GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/No 16GB/128GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/32GB 16GB/64GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 2,900 3,900 2,000 2,800 3,500 2,420 2,300

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No

Launch November, 2015 June, 2016 2,015 September, 2016 September, 2016 October, 2015 June, 2015

Price Rs. 9,999 7,499 8,387 8,999 7,999 9,999 8,999

RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS SAMSUNG TCL VIDEOCON

Model Galaxy On5 Galaxy On 5 Pro Galaxy J2 (2016) Galaxy J2 Pro (2016) TCL 560 TCL 562 Krypton V50FG

Display (inches/res) 5.0/720 x 1280 5.0/ 1280 x 720 5.0/ 1280 x 720 5/720x1280 5.5/ 1280x720 5.5/1920x1080 5.0/ 1280 x 720

Dimension (mm) 142.3 x 72.1 x 8.5 142.3 x 72.1 x 8.5 142.4 x 71.1 x 8.0 142.4x71.1x8 NA 152x77x8 144.6 x 71.8 x 8.6

Weight (grams) 149 149 138 138 156 150 -

Quad 1.3GHz Quad
Processor/RAM Quad-core/1.5GB Quad core/ 2GB Quad core/ 1.5GB QS 210/2GB MT6755M/3GB
core,1.5GHz/2GB Core/2GB
Operating system Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable 8GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 8GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/32GB 32GB/64GB 16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 2,600 2,600 2,600 2,600 2,500 2,960 2,200

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No

Launch October, 2015 July, 2016 July, 2016 July,2016 July, 2016 July,2016 April, 2016

Price Rs. 8,190 9,190 9,750 9,490 6,999 9,999 8,559

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PARAMETERS XIAOMI YU
Model Redmi 2 Prime Redmi 3S/ 3s Prime Redmi Note Prime Redmi Note 3 Redmi 3s Plus NEW Yunique Yuphoria

Display (inches/res) 4.7/720 x 1280 5/ 1280X720 5.5/720 x 1280 5.5/1080 x 1920 5/1280x720 4.7/720x1280 5.0/720x1280

Dimension (mm) 134.00 x 67.20 x 9.4 139.4 X 69.7 X 8.5 154 x 78.7 x 9.45 150 x 76 x 8.65 139.3x69.6x8.5 134.5 x 67.5 x 8.3 142.4 x 73 x 8.2-9.35

Weight (grams) 133 144 185 164 144 128 143

Processor/RAM QS410/2GB QS 430/ 2GB, 3GB QS 410/2GB QS650/2GB,3GB QS 430/2GB QS410 / 1GB Quad core / 2GB

Operating system Android 4.4 Android 6.0 Android 4.4 Android 5.0.2 Android 6.0 Android 5.1. Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable 16GB/32GB 16GB, 32GB/128GB 16GB/32GB 16GB,32GB/32GB 32GB/128GB 8GB/32GB 16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 8MP/2MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 16MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 8MP/2MP 8MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 2,200 4,100 3,100 4,000 4000/4100 2,000 2,230

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/- Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch August, 2015 August, 2016 December, 2015 March, 2016 October,2016 September, 2015 May, 2015

Price Rs. 6,999 6,999/ 8,999 7,999 9,999/ 11,999 9,499 6,300 6,499

RS. 6,000 RS. 9,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS ZEN ZOPO ZTE ASUS COOLPAD GIONEE

Model Cinemax 3 ZP331 Blade V6 Zenfone 2 (2GB RAM) Zenfone Selfie Coolpad Note 5 NEW F 103 Pro

Display (inches/res) 5.5/720x1280 4.5/ 854 x 480 5/ 1280 x 720 5.5/ 1080 x 1920 5.5/1080 x 1920 5.5/1920x1080 5.0/ 1280 x 720

Dimension (mm) NA 133 x 65.7 x 8.5 142X69.5X6.8 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 156.5 x 77.2 x 10.8 NA 145.3 x 70.5 x 8.5

Weight (grams) NA 113 122 170 170 NA 142

Quad
Processor/RAM Quad core/1GB MTK 6735/2GB IA Z3560 /2GB QS615 /2GB,3GB QS 617/4GB Quad core/ 3GB
core,1.3GHz/2GB
Operating system Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.0 Android 5.0 Android 6.0 Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable 16GB/32GB 8 GB/64 GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 16GB,32GB/128GB 32GB/64GB 16GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera 5MP/3.2MP 5 MP/2 MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/13MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 2,900 1,700 2,500 3,000 3,000 4,010 2,400

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/- Yes/- Yes/Yes Yes/No

Launch August, 2016 - July, 2016 March, 2015 August, 2015 October, 2016 July, 2016

Price Rs. 6,999 7,500 9,999 13,999 14,999/ 16,999 10,999 11,999

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RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS GIONEE HTC HONOR LAVA LEECO

Model Marathon M5 Lite Desire 630 Desire 626 G+ Honor 5C Honor 5X V5 Le 1S

Display (inches/res) 5.0/720 x 1280 5.0/ 1280 x 720 5.0/720x1280 5.2/ 1920 x 1080 5.5/ 1080 x 1920 5.5/720x1280 5.5/1080x1920

Dimension (mm) 143 x 69.9 x 8.5 146.9 x 70.9 x 8.3 146.9 x 70.9 x 8.1 147.1 x 73.8 x 8.3 151.3 x 76.3 x 8.15 151.9 x 94.7 x 8.3 151.9 x 74.2 x 7.6

Weight (grams) 182 140 138 156 158 153 169

Processor/RAM Quad Core/3GB QS 400/2GB Octa-core/1GB Kirin 650/ 2GB QS 616 /2GB Quad core/3GB "MT H X10/3GB"

Operating system Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.1.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable 32GB/128GB 16GB/2TB 8GB/32GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/32GB 32GB/No

Rear/Front Camera 8MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 4,000 2,200 2,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes/Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/- Yes Yes/No

Launch December, 2015 February, 2016 April, 2015 June, 2016 January, 2016 January, 2016 January, 2016

Price Rs. 13,000 14,990 10,800 10,999 12,999 11,299 10,999

RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS LEECO LENOVO LYF LG

Model Le 2 Vibe K4 Note Vibe S1 Phab Plus Water 7 X Screen K 10

Display (inches/res) 5.5/ 1920 x 1080 5.5/1080x1920 5.0/1080x1920 6.8/1080 x 1920 5.5/ 1080 x 1920 4.93/ 1280x720 5.3/ 1280 x 720

Dimension (mm) 151.1 x 74.2 x 7.7 153.67 X 76.45 X 9.14 143.3 x 70.8 x 7.8 186.6 x 96.6 x 7.6 155.3 x 77.2 x 8.55 142.6 x 71.8 x 7.1 146.6x74.8x8.8

Weight (grams) 153 158 132 229 160 120 140

Processor/RAM QS 652/ 3GB MT 6753/3GB MT6752/3GB QS 615 /2GB QS 615/ 2GB QS 410/2GB QS 410/2GB

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 5.1. Android 5.0 Android 5.0 Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.0

Storage/Expandable 32GB/No 16GB/128GB 32GB/128GB 32GB/64GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 16MP/8MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/8 MP + 2 MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 3,000 3,300 2,420 3,500 3,000 2,300 2,300

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes/Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/No Yes Yes/Yes Yes/- Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch June, 2016 January, 2016 November, 2015 October, 2015 June, 2016 July, 2016 January, 2016

Price Rs. 11,999 11,999 12,999 14,999 12,999 12,990 12,999

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MODELS RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999

PARAMETERS LG MICROMAX MOTOROLA

Moto G Turbo
Model G4 Stylus Canvas 6 Canvas 6 Pro Moto G4 Moto G4 Plus Moto X (2nd Gen)
Edition
Display (inches/res) 5.7/ 720 x 1280 5.5/1920 x 1080 5.5/1920 x 1080 5.0/720 x 1280 5.5/ 1920 x 1080 5.5/ 1920X1080 5.2/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm) 154.4 x 79.2 x 9.4 - - 142.1 x 72.4 x 11.6 153 x 76.6 x 7.9 153X76.6X9.8 140.8 x 72.4 x 9.9

Weight (grams) 163 - - 155 155 155 144

Processor/RAM QS 400 /1GB MT6753/3GB Helio x10/4GB QS 615 /2GB QS 617/2GB QS 617/2GB,3GB QS801 /2GB

Operating system Android 5.0 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1.1 Android 6.0.1 Android 6.1 Android 4.4.4

Storage/Expandable 16GB/32GB 32GB/128GB Yes/Yes 16GB/32GB 16GB/128GB 16GB, 32GB/128GB 16GB, 32GB/64GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 16MP/5MP 13MP/2MP

Battery (mAh) 3,000 3,000 3,000 2,470 3,000 3,000 2,300

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Music Player/FM Yes/- Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No Yes Yes/No

Launch May, 2015 May, 2016 May, 2016 2,015 May, 2016 May,2016 2,015

Price Rs. 13,869 13,999 13,999 12,499 12,499 13,499/ 14,999 16,999/ 17,999

RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS PANASONIC SAMSUNG

Model Eluga Arc Eluga Note Galaxy On7 Galaxy On7 Pro Galaxy J5 Galaxy J Max Galaxy J5 (2016)

Display (inches/res) 4.7/720x1280 5.5/ 1920 x 1080 5.5/1280 x 720 5.5/1280 x 720 5.0/1280 x 720 7.0/ 1280 x 800 5.2/1280x720

Dimension (mm) 139 x 67 x 8.10 146.00 x 74.50 x 8.10 77.5x151.8x8.2 151.8 x 77.5 x 8.2 142.1 x 71.8 x 7.9 186.9 x 108.8 x 8.7 145.7 x 72.3 x 8.1

Weight (grams) 130 142 171 171 146 NA 158

Processor/RAM QS 410/2GB Octa Core/3GB Quad-core/1.5GB Quad core/ 2GB Quad-core/1.5GB Quad core/1.5GB QS 410/2GB

Operating system Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable 16GB/32GB 32GB/32GB 8GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 8GB/128GB 8GB/200GB 16GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera 8MP/5MP 16MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 8MP/2MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 1,800 3,000 3,000 3,000 2,600 4,000 3,100

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes

Launch April,2016 July, 2016 October, 2015 July, 2016 June, 2015 July, 2016 May, 2016

Price Rs. 12,490 13,290 10,990 11,190 11,390 13,400 13,990

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RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS SAMSUNG VIVO XIAOMI YU

Yureka Plus
Model Galaxy J7 J5 Prime NEW Y51L Y55L NEW Mi 4i Mi Max
(YU5510A,YU5510 )
Display (inches/res) 5.5/720 x 1280 5/1080x720 5.0/ 540x960 5.2/1280x720 5.0/1080 x 1920 6.44/1920x1080 5.5/1080x1920

Dimension (mm) 152.2 x 78.6 x 7.5 142.8x69.5x8.1 143.80 x 71.70 x 7.52 147.9x72.9x7.5 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8 173.1x88.3x7.5 155 x 78 x 9

Weight (grams) 171 143 157 142 130 203 154

Processor/RAM Octa Core/1.5GB quad-core/2GB QS 410/2GB QS 430/2GB QS 615/2GB QS 650,652/3GB,4GB QS 615/2GB

Operating system Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.0.2 Android 6.0 Android 5.0 Android 6.0 Android 4.4.4

Storage/Expandable 16GB/128GB 16GB/256GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 16GB,32GB/No 32GB,128GB/128GB 16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 8MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 16MP/5MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 3,000 2,400 2,350 2,650 3,120 4,850 2,500

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch 2,015 September,2016 January, 2016 October,2016 April, 2015 June,2016 July, 2015

Price Rs. 14,250 14,790 10,700 11,980 11,999/ 14,999 14,999 8,999

RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 10,000 RS. 14,999 RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS YU ZOPO ZUK ASUS

Zenfone 2
Model Yunicorn Yureka Note E ZP350 ZP370 Hero 1 Z1 Laser ZE601KL
Display (inches/res) 5.5/(1080X1920) 6.0/1080 x 1920 5.0 / 1280 x 720 5.5/ 1280 x 720 5.0/1280 x 720 5.5/1920 x 1080 6.0/ 1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm) 153.3X75.4X8.5 - 145.9 x 71.4 x 8.5 153.8 x 77.1 x 9 146.1 x 70.6 x 8.65 155.7 x 77.3 x 8.9 164.6 x 84 x 10.6

Weight (grams) 172 - 137 167 136 175 190

Processor/RAM MT Helio P10/4GB MTK6753T/3GB Quad-core/1GB Ouad-core/1GB Quad-core/2GB QS 801/3GB QS 616/3GB

Operating system Androis 5.1.1 Android 5.1.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1.1 Android 5.0

Storage/Expandable 32GB/128GB 16GB/Yes 8GB/64GB 8GB/64GB 16 GB/64 GB 64GB/No 32GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 8.0MP/2.0MP 8.0MP/2.0MP 13.2 MP/5.0MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 4,000 4,000 2,100 3,000 2,500 4,100 3,000

2G/3G/4G yes/yes/yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/- Yes/No

Launch May,2016 April, 2016 NA NA NA May, 2016 December, 2015

Price Rs. 12,999 13,499 10,000 11,000 14,500 13,499 16,499

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MODELS RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999 RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999 RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999

PARAMETERS ASUS CREO GIONEE HONOR HTC

ZENFONE 2 (4GB
Model RAM) Mark 1 Marathon M5 S6 S6s Honor 8 Smart NEW Desire 728 LTE

Display (inches/res) 5.5/ 1080 x 1920 5.5/ 1440x2560 5.5/ 720 x 1280 5.5/ 720 x 1280 5.5/1920x1080 5.2/1920x1080 5.5/ 720 x 1280

Dimension (mm) 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 155.4 x 76.1 x 8.7 152 x 76 x 8.6 151.9 x 74.6 x 6.9 154.5x75.6x8.15 NA 157.9 x 77.8 x 7.8

Weight (grams) 170 190 211 147 166 NA 153

1.3GHZ OCTA
Processor/RAM IA Z3580/4GB Helio X10 /3GB MT6735/3GB MT6753T /3GB Kirin 650/2GB MT6753/2GB
CORE/3GB
Operating system Android 5.0 Android 5.1.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1.1 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable 32GB/128GB 32GB/- 32GB/128GB 32GB/128GB 32gb/128gb 16GB/128GB 16GB/200GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 21MP/8MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 3,000 3,100 6,020 3,150 3,159 3000 2,800

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes NA Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes NA Yes/Yes

Launch June, 2015 April,2016 November,2015 November, 2015 August,2016 October,2016 November, 2015

Price Rs. 18,999 19,999 17,500 19,999 17, 999 19,999 15,500

RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999 RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999 RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS HTC LENOVO

Model Desire 828 Desire 825 HTC 10 Lifestyle NEW Vibe P1 Vibe Shot Vibe X3 Z2 Plus NEW

Display (inches/res) 5.5/720 x 1280 5.5/ 1280 x 720 5.5/1920x1080 5.5/1080x1920 5.0/1080 x 1920 5.5/1080x1920 5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm) 157.9 x 77.8 x 7.89 156.9 x 76.9 x 7.4 156.9x76.9x7.7 152.9 x 75.6 x 9.9 142.7 x 70 x 7.6 154 x 76.5 x 9.3 140.2x60x6.2

Weight (grams) 148 155 155 187 145 175 150

Processor/RAM MT6753/1.5GB QS 400/2GB QS 400/3GB QS615 /2GB QS 615/3GB QS 808 /3GB QS 820/3GB,4GB

Operating system Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable 16GB/2TB 16GB/2TB 32GB/2TB 32GB/128GB 32GB/128GB 32GB/128GB 32GB,64GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 16MP/8MP 21MP/8MP 13MP/8MP

Battery (mAh) 2,800 2,700 2,700 5,000 3,000 3,500 3,500

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/- Yes/Yes

Launch November, 2015 February, 2016 September,2016 October, 2015 June, 2015 December, 2015 September,2016

Price Rs. 18,700 14,490 15,990 15,499 18,500 19,999 19,999

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RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999 RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999 RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS LYF MOTOROLA NEXTBIT NUBIA OPPO SAMSUNG

Model Earth 1 Moto X Play Robin Z11 Mini NEW F1 S Galaxy J7 (2016) Galaxy A5

Display (inches/res) 5.5/1080x1920 5.5/1080 x 1920 5.2/ 1080 x 1920 5/1920x1080 5.5/1280x720 5.5/1280x720 5.5/720 x 1280

Dimension (mm) 154 x 76.6 x 7.25 148 x 75 x 10.9 149 x 72 x 7 141.4x70x8 154 x 76 x 7.38 76 x 151 x 7.8 139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7

Weight (grams) 162.5. 169 NA 138 160 169 123

Processor/RAM QS 615/3GB QS615 /2GB QS 808/3GB QS/3GB MTK 6750/3GB Exynos 7870/2GB Quad Core/2GB

Operating system Android 5.1.1 Android 5.1.1 Android 6.0 Android5.1 Android 5.1.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.1
32GB/ 100GB
Storage/Expandable 32GB/32GB 16GB,32GB/128GB 32GB/200GB 32GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/64GB
(ONLINE)
Rear/Front Camera 13MP + 2MP/5MP 21MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 16MP/8MP 13MP/16MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 3,500 3,630 2,680 2800 3,075 3,300 2,300

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes No No yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes

Launch January, 2016 Sept, 2015 May, 2016 October,2016 August, 2016 May, 2016 December, 2014

Price Rs. 19,499 16,999/ 17,999 19,999 15,990 17,990 15,990 16,500

RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999 RS. 15,000 RS. 19,999 RS. 20,000 RS. 29,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS SAMSUNG VIVO ZOPO APPLE ASUS

Model Galaxy On8 NEW J7 Prime NEW V3 SPEED 7 SPEED 7 PLUS iPhone 5S Zenfone 3

Display (inches/res) 5.5/1920x1080 5.5/1920x1080 5.0/1280720 5.0/1920 x 1080 5.5/ 1920 x 1080 4.0/640 x 1136 5.2,5.5/(1920x1080)

Dimension (mm) 151.7x76x7.8 151.7x75x8 143.6 x 71 x 7.5 153.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 153.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 146.87 x 73.98 x 7.69

Weight (grams) 169 167 138 164 164 112 144

Processor/RAM octa-core/3GB octa-core/3GB QS 616/3GB Octa-core/3GB Octa-core /3GB Dual-core/1GB QS 625/3GB,4GB

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 iOS 9.2.1 Android 6.0
16GB,32GB,
Storage/Expandable 16GB/128GB 16MP/256GB 32GB/128GB 16 GB/64 GB 16 GB/64 GB 32GB,64GB/2TB
64GB/NO
Rear/Front Camera 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/8MP 13 MP/5.0MP 13 MP/5.0MP 8MP/1.2MP 16MP/8MP

Battery (mAh) 3,300 3,300 2,550 2,500 3,000 1,560 1

2G/3G/4G Yes/yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/yes Yes/Yes Yes/- Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes

Launch September,2016 September,2016 May, 2016 NA NA September, 2013 August,2016

Price Rs. 15,900 18,790 17,980 15,500 17,500 23,000 onwards 21,999/ 27,999

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PARAMETERS ASUS COOLPAD GIONEE HONOR HTC

Model Zenfone 3 Ultra NEW Max M5 Plus Gionee S6 Pro NEW Honor 8 NEW Honor 7 X9

Display (inches/res) 6.8/(1920x1080) 5.5/1920x1080 6.0/1920 x 1080 5.5/1920x1080 5.2/1920x1080 5.2/1080 x 1920 5.5/ 1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm) 186.4 x 93.9 x 6.8 152x75.5x7.6 - 153x75.3x7.6 145.5x71x7.45 143.2 x 71.9 x 8.5 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.99

Weight (grams) 233 170 210.8g 170 153 157 170

Processor/RAM QS 652/4GB QS 617/4GB Octa Core/3GB octa-core/4GB Kirin 950/4GB HS Kirin 935/3GB MT H X10/ 3GB

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.0 Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable 64GB/128GB 64GB/128GB 64GB/128GB 64GB/256GB 32GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 32GB/2TB

Rear/Front Camera 23MP/8MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/8MP 12MP,12MP/8MP 20MP/8MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 4,600 2,800 5,020 3,130 2,900 3,100 3,000

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes yes/yes/yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No

Launch August, 2016 May, 2016 May, 2016 October,2016 October, 2016 July, 2015 May, 2016

Price Rs. 29,999 24,999 27,000 21,130 29,000 22,999 25,990

RS. 20,000 RS. 29,999 RS. 20,000 RS. 29,999 RS. 20,000 RS. 29,999
MODELS

PARAMETERS LEECO LG MOTOROLA ONEPLUS

Model Max 2 Stylus 2 Stylus 2 Plus Nexus 5X Moto X Style Moto Z Play NEW 2

Display (inches/res) 5.7/(2560X1440) 5.7/1280X720 5.7/ 1920 x 1080 5.2/ 1080 x 1920 5.7/ 1440 x 2560 5.5/1920x1080 5.5/1080p

Dimension (mm) 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.99 155 x 79.6 x 7.4 155 X 79.6 X 7.4 147 x 72.6 x 7.9 153.9 x 76.2 x 11.06 156.4x76.4x6.99 151.8x74.9x9.85

Weight (grams) 185 145 146 136 179 165 175

Processor/RAM QS 820/4GB, 6GB Quad Core /2GB Octa Core/3GB QS 808/2GB QS 808/3GB QS 625/3GB QS 810/3GB&4GB

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable 32GB, 64GB 16GB/2TB 32GB/2TB 16GB,32GB/No 16GB,32GB/128GB 32GB/2TB 64GB

Rear/Front Camera 21MP/8MP 13MP/8MP 16MP/8MP 12.3MP/5MP 21MP/5MP 16MP/5MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 3,100 3,000 3,000 2,700 3,000 3,510 3,300

2G/3G/4G yes/yes/yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes

Music Player/FM yes Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No

Launch June,2016 May,2016 July, 2016 October, 2015 September, 2015 October,2016 July, 2015

Price Rs. 22,999/ 29,999 20,500 24,450 24,490/30,645 26999/ 28,999 24,999 22,999

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MODELS

PARAMETERS ONEPLUS SAMSUNG SMARTRON SONY

Model 3 Galaxy A7 Galaxy A5 (2016) Galaxy A7 (2016) t phone Xperia XA Xperia Z3+

Display (inches/res) 5.5/1920x1080 5.5/1080 x 1920 5.2/1080 x 1920 5.5/ 1080 x 1920 5.5/1920x1080 5.0/1280 x 720 5.2/ 1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm) 152.7X74.7X7.35 151 x 76.2 x 6.3 144.8 x 71 x 7.3 151.5 x 74.1 x 7.3 158.2x78.2x6.98 143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9 146.3 x 71.9 x 6.9

Weight (grams) 158 141 153 169 149 137 144

Processor/RAM QS 820/6GB Octa Core/2GB Octa Core/2GB Octa Core/3GB QS 810/4GB MTK H P10/2GB QS 810 /3GB

Operating system Android 6.1 Android 5.0.2 Android 5.1.1 Android 5.1.1 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.0

Storage/Expandable 64GB 16GB/64GB 16GB/128GB 16GB/128GB 64GB/128GB 16GB/200GB 32GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera 16MP/8MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 13MP/4MP 13MP/5MP 20.7MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 3,000 2,600 2,900 3,300 3,000 2,300 2,930

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/yYes Yes/No Yes/No

Launch June, 2016 February, 2015 April, 2016 December, 2015 July,2016 May, 2016 June, 2015

Price Rs. 27,999 22,900 24,900 29,900 22,999 20,990 26,990

RS. 20,000 RS. 29,999 RS. 20,000 RS. 29,999 RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE
MODELS

PARAMETERS SONY XIAOMI VIVO APPLE

Model Xperia C5 Ultra Dual Xperia M5 Dual Xperia XA Ultra Mi 5 X5 Pro V3 Max iPhone 6

Display (inches/res) 6.0/1080 x 1920 5/ 1080 x 1920 6/1920x1080 5.15/1080 x 1920 5.2/ 1080 x 1920 5.5/1080 x 1920 4.7/750 x 1334

Dimension (mm) 164.2 x 79.6 x 8.2 145 x 72 x 7.6 164x79x8.4 144.5 x 69.2 x 7.25 147.9 x 73.5 x 6.4 153.9x77.1x7.58 138.1 x 67 x 6.9

Weight (grams) 187 143 202 129 151 168 129

Processor/RAM MTK6752/2GB MT H X10/3GB MT6755/3GB QS 820/3GB QS 615/2GB QS 652/4GB A8,M8/1GB

Operating system Android 5.1 Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.0 Android 5.1 iOS 9

Storage/Expandable 16GB/200GB 16GB/200GB 16GB/200GB 32GB/No 16GB/128GB 32GB/128GB 16GB,64GB/No

Rear/Front Camera 13MP/13MP 21.5MP/13MP 21.5MP/16MP 16MP/4MP 13MP/8MP 13MP/8MP 8MP/1.2MP

Battery (mAh) 2,930 2,600 2,700 3,000 2,450 3,000 1,810

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No

Launch August, 2015 September, 2015 July,2016 April, 2016 June, 2015 April, 2016 September,2014

Price Rs. 27,799 27,990 29,990 24,999 21,400 23,980 38,000/46,000

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 MYGUIDE
MODELS RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

PARAMETERS APPLE ASUS

Model iPhone 6Plus iPhone SE iPhone 6S iPhone 6S Plus iPhone 7 NEW iPhone 7 Plus NEW Zenfone Zoom

Display (inches/res) 5.5/1080 x 1920 4.0/640 x 1136 4.7/750 x 1334 5.5/1080 x 1920 4.7/1334x750 5.5/1920x1080 5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm) 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 138.3x67.1x7.1 158.2x77.9x7.3 158.9 x 78.8 x 11.95

Weight (grams) 172 113 143 192 138 188 185

Processor/RAM A8,M8/1GB A9,M9/2GB A9,M9/2GB A9,M9/2GB A10 Fusion, M10/2GB A10Fusion, M10/3GB IA Z3590/4GB

Operating system iOS 9 iOS 9.3 iOS 9 iOS 9 iOS 10 iOS 10 Android 5.0
16GB,64GB,128GB/ 16GB,64GB,128GB/
Storage/Expandable 16GB,64GB/No 16GB,64GB/No No
32GB/128GB/256GB 32GB/128GB/256GB 128GB/ 128GB
No
Rear/Front Camera 8MP/1.2MP 12MP/1.2MP 12MP/5MP 12MP/5MP 12MP/7MP 12MP,12MP/7MP 13MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 2,915 1,614 1,715 2,750 1,960 2,900 3,000

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM No No No No No No Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

Launch September,2014 March, 2016 September,2015 September,2015 October,2016 0ctober,2016 January, 2016

Price Rs. 49,500/57,000 38,000/48,000 48,000/ 58,000/ 67,000 55,000/68,000/77,00 60,000/70,000/80,00 72,000/82,000/92,00 37,999

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE
MODELS

PARAMETERS ASUS BLACKBERRY GOOGLE HTC HUAWEI

Model Zenfone 3 Deluxe Priv Pixel NEW Pixel XL NEW One A9 10 Nexus 6P

Display (inches/res) 5.7/(1920x1080) 5.4/1440 x 2560 5/1920x1080 5.5/2560x1440 5.0/1080 x 1920 5.2/ 2560X1440 5.7/1440 x 2560

Dimension (mm) 156.4x74.4x7.5 147 x 77.2 x 9.4 143.8x69.5x8.5 154.7x75.7x8.5 145.75 x 70.8 x 7.26 145.9 x 71.9x 9.0 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3

Weight (grams) 172 192 143 161 178

Processor/RAM QS 820,821/6GB QS 808/3GB QS 821/4GB QS 821/4GB QS 617/3GB QS 820/4GB QS810 /3GB

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 7.1 Android 7.1 Android 6.0 android 6.0 Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable 256GB/128GB 32GB/2TB 32GB,128GB/ No 32GB,128GB/ No 32GB/2TB 32GB/2TB 32GB,64GB/No

Rear/Front Camera 23MP/8MP 18MP/2MP 12.3MP/8MP 12.3MP/8MP 13MP/4MP 12MP/5MP 12.3MP/8MP

Battery (mAh) 3,000 3,410 2,770 3,450 2,150 3,000 3,450

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM Yes No No No No No No

Music Player/FM Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/Yes

Launch September,2016 October, 2015 October,2016 October,2016 December, 2015 May,2016 October, 2015

Price Rs. 49,999 40,000 57,000/66,000 67,000/76,000 31,990 52,460 34,999/ 39,999

130 I NOVEMBER 2016 MYMOBILE

 MYGUIDE
RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE
MODELS

PARAMETERS HUAWEI LEECO LG MOTOROLA SAMSUNG

Model P9 Le Max G4 Dual SIM G5 Moto X Force Moto Z NEW Galaxy S6

Display (inches/res) 5.2/1920x1080 6.33/2560 x 1440 5.5/1440 x 2560 5.3/ 2560x1440 5.4/1440 x 2560 5.5/2560x1440 5.1/ 1440 x 2560

Dimension (mm) 145x70.9x6.95 83.5x167.1x8.95 148.9 x 76.1 x 8.9 149.4x73.9x7.3 149.8 x 78 x 9.2 153.3x75.3x5.19 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8

Weight (grams) 144 204 155 159 169 136 138

Processor/RAM Kirin 955/3GB,4GB QS 810 /4GB QS 808 /3GB QS 820/4GB QS 810 /3GB QS 820/4GB Octa core /3GB

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.1.1 Android 6.0 Android 5.0.2

Storage/Expandable 32GB,64GB,/128GB 64GB,128GB/No 32GB/2TB 32GB/100GB 32GB,64GB/2TB 64GB/2TB 32GB,/No

Rear/Front Camera 12MP,12MP/8MP 21MP/4UP 16MP/8MP 16MP/8MP 21MP/5MP 13MP/5MP 16MP/5MP

Battery (mAh) 3,000 3,400 3,000 2,800 3,760 2,600 2,550

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No

Launch August,2016 January, 2016 May, 2015 April,2016 November, 2015 October,2016 March, 2015

Price Rs. 39,999 32,999/ 36,999 34,800 52,990 34,999/ 37,999 39,999 33,900

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE
MODELS

PARAMETERS SAMSUNG SONY

Samsung Galaxy
Model Galaxy S6 Edge Galaxy A9 Pro NEW Note 5 Galaxy S7 Galaxy S7 Edge Xperia Z5 Dual Xperia X

Display (inches/res) 5.1/ 1440 x 2560 6/1920x1080 5.7/1440 x 2560 5.1/2560 X 1440 5.5/2560 X 1440 5.2/1080 x 1920 5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm) 142.1 x 70.1 x 7 161.7x80.9x7.9 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 69.6x142.4x7.9 72.6 x 150.9 x 7.7 146 x 72 x 7.3 143 x 69 x 7.7

Weight (grams) 132 210 171 152 157 156.5g 152

Processor/RAM Octa core /3GB octa-core/4GB Quad core /4GB Exynos 8890/4GB Exynos 8890/4GB QS 810/3GB QS 650/ 3GB

Operating system Android 5.0.2 Android 6.0 Android 5.1.1 Android 6.0 Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable 32GB/No 32GB/256GB 32GB/No 32GB/200GB 32GB/200GB 32GB/200GB 64GB/ 200GB

Rear/Front Camera 16MP/5MP 16MP/8MP 16MP/5MP 12MP/5MP 12MP/5MP 23MP/5MP 23MP/13MP

Battery (mAh) 2,600 5,000 3,000 3,000 3,600 2,900 2,620

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music Player/FM Yes/No Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/- Yes/- Yes/- Yes/-

Launch April, 2015 September,2016 August, 2015 March, 2016 March, 2016 November, 2015 July, 2016

Price Rs. 40,900 32,490 42,900/49,900 48,900 56,900 37,000 38,990

www.mymobileindia.com NOVEMBER 2016 I 131

 MYGUIDE
MODELS RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE TABLETS TABLETS

PARAMETERS SONY APPLE

iPad Pro 9.7-inch iPad Pro 12.9-inch
Model Xperia Z5 Premium Xperia XZ NEW iPad Mini 2 iPad Mini 4 iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi WiFi/ Wi-Fi + Cellular WiFi/ WiFi + Cellular

Display (inches/res) 5.5/ 2160 x 3840 5.2/1920x1080 7.9/1536 x 2048 7.9/1536 x 2048 9.7/2048x1536 9.7/1536 x 2048 12.9/2732 x 2048

Dimension (mm) 154.4 x 76 x 7.8 146x72x8.1 200 x 134.7 x 7.5 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9

Weight (grams) 181 161 331 298.8/304 437 437g/444g 713/ 723

Processor/RAM QS 810/3GB QS 820/3GB A7,M7/1GB A8,M8/2GB A8X,M8/1GB A9X,M9/2GB "A9X,M9 /4GB"

Operating system Android 6.0 Android 6.0 iOS 8 iOS 9 iOS 9 iOS 9.3 iOS 9

Storage/Expandable 32GB/200GB 64GB/256GB 16,32GB/No 16GB,64GB,128GB/No 16GB, 64GB/No 32GB,128GB,256GB/No 32GB/No

Rear/Front Camera 23MP/5MP 23MP/13MP 5MP/1.2MP 8MP/1.2MP 8MP/1.2MP 12MP/5MP 8MP/1.2MP

Battery (mAh) 3,430 2,900 23.8w 19.1W 27.3W 27.9 W 38.5W

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes - Yes/Yes/Yes -

Dual SIM Yes Yes No No No No No

Music Player/FM Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

Launch November, 2015 October,2016 November, 2015 Spetember, 2015 October, 2014 March, 2016 November, 2015

Price Rs. 47,990 49,990 17,949 onwards 28,500 38,000 49,000 onwards 67000 onwards

TABLETS TABLETS TABLETS

MODELS

PARAMETERS ASUS IBALL MICROMAX SAMSUNG

Model ZenPad 8 Slide Brillante 3G Canvas P666 LapTab Galaxy Tab A Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 Galaxy Tab E

Display (inches/res) 8.0/1280 x 800 7.0/- 8 inch/1280 x 800 10.1/1280X800 8.0/ 768 x 1024 9.7/ 1536 x 2048 9.6/800 x 1280

Dimension (mm) 209 x 123 x 8.5 - - 259.2 x 175.4 x 9.2 208.4 x 137.9 x 7.5 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 241.9 x 149.5 x 8.5

Weight (grams) 350 - - 1.1kg 320 392 495

Processor/RAM QS MSM8929/2GB IA x3-C3130/1GB Intel Atom /1GB Intel 4 Gen/2GB Quad-core/2GB Octa core/3GB Quad Core/1.5GB

Operating system Android 5.0 Android 4.4 Android 4.4.2 Windows 10 Android 5.0 Android 5.0.2 Android OS

Storage/Expandable 16GB/- 8GB/32GB 8GB/32GB 32GB/64GB 16GB/128GB 32GB/128GB 8GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera 8MP/2MP 2MP/2MP 5MP/2MP 2MP/2MP 5MP/2MP 8MP/2.1MP 5MP/2MP

Battery (mAh) 4,000 3,000 4,400 7,700 4,200 5,870 5,000

2G/3G/4G Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/No Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/Yes Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM No No No No No No No

Music Player/FM Yes/No Yes/No Yes/- Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

Launch July, 2015 September, 2015 January, 2015 2,015 May, 2015 September, 2015 June,2015

Price Rs. 12,496 5,799 8,895 10,999 17,900 38,500 16,900

132 I NOVEMBER 2016 MYMOBILE


Asus ZenBook Flip (UX360CA) Premium looks
at a decent price
A premium notebook doesnt have to cost a whole lot
of money, and the Asus Zenbook Flip shows why. The
Zenbook Flip is Asus latest efforts to make a notebook,
slightly edgy, design-wise. It weighs just 1.3kg and
measures in at 13.9mm, which means the notebook is
light and fits in easily in your regular backpack. Sounds
perfect for working professionals, right? The Zenbook Flip
is fairly handsome, crafted out of all-aluminium chassis.
And not to forget, the companys concentric metal circle
pattern is also present. our review unit came in soft gold,
a colour that may not be distinctive anymore, but yes,
is extremely pleasing to eyes. The Zenbook Flip has all
the standard connectivity options including a USb 3.1
Type-C port. A pair of sturdy hinges allows the screen
to bend a full 360 degrees so that you can bend the
notebook into multiple modes; we liked the tablet mode
in particular. The Zenbook Flip sets the example of adding
www.mymobileindia.com
ETCETERA
Price: Rs. 46,990
Gadget Corner
a spacious keyboard in a thin-and-light design, resulting
in reasonable key travel. Its not backlit, unfortunately.
The trackpad is not only spacious and accurate, it
immediately responded to Windows 10 gestures. Lifting
the lid reveals the 13.3-inch tilting touchscreen, having
a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The panel is sharp
and bright. The speakers, unfortunately, dont produce
rich sound we originally hoped for. We got the base model
of the Zenbook Flip, and its powered with Intels Core
m3 (6Y30) processor, 4Gb LPDDr3 SDrAm, 512Gb
SSD storage and integrated Intel HD graphics 515. The
processor of choice, in this case, Intels Core m3, is not
meant to run graphics intensive games. on the other hand,
the Zenbook Flip had very good battery life - it lasted 7
hours and 39 minutes. At rs. 46,990, Asus Zenbook
Flip is a nice choice, for anyone seeking to get a stylish
notebook. n
november 2016 | 133
Gadget Corner ETCETERA
RDP ThinBook The price is the highlight!
I t is a well-known fact that few years ago buying a laptop
was a costly affair. but fast forward to today and now you
have a variety of options even if you dont want to spend
more than rs. 15,000 on a laptop. And now Hyderabad-
based company known as rDP has recently launched its
first laptop, called the Thinbook, which has lot to offer
and comes with a 14.1-inch display. The laptop does
gives a decent look as it quite sleek and is comparatively
lightweight as well weighing only 1.4kgs. The Thinbook
does gives an Ultrabook like feeling and the all the plastic
body doesnt look cheap at any angle. The laptop sports a
14.1-inch display with a screen resolution of 1366x768
pixels which gives a decent colour reproduction, although
it is a bit reflective. In terms of hardware, the device is
powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8300 processor coupled
with 2Gb of rAm and 32Gb of flash storage, which can be
134 | november 2016
further expanded up to 128Gb via microSD card. In terms
of connectivity, it supports USb 3.0, USb 2.0, mini-HDmI,
a headphones jack, and a charger socket.
The performance of the device is a bit on the inconsistent
side. Although you can easily do most of the daily tasks
like surfing and watching videos, it does shows some
sign of lag at times. The keyboard is well-spaced but the
trackpad would bother you big time as it does not support
palm rejection consistently - sometimes our whole texts
got accidently deleted. The battery output is good enough
and you can easily see it getting it through 5 to 6 hours of
comfortable use, but the charging is pretty slow. overall,
with a price tag of rs 9,999 the rDP Thinbook is a nice
attempt by the company as it comes with some sturdy looks
and a big display for the price. Performance, however,
remains iffy. n
Price:
Rs. 9,999
MYMOBILE
 ETCETERA

Gadget Corner
Skullcandy Grind Wireless: The best
budget Bluetooth headset?

W hen it comes to headphones in the budget

segment, Skullcandy is a name we all hear. The
company has a wide range of products available in the
market that offer good sound quality with some funky
looks and do not burn a hole in your pocket. And it has
added a new member to its wireless headphone series
with Grind Wireless. being the successor of the Grind
headphone, the device has much to offer in terms of
design, features and performance. Starting with the
design part, Skullcandy has a reputation of making
some funky and colourful headphones and this one
is no exception. The device comes in six different
colour options, which each having a unique colour
and pattern combination. The on-ear design of
the wireless headsets comes with an ample
amount of padding, making it comfortable to
wear and behind the cushions, you will see a
40nm driver. The band is made of metal and
has a leather finish with breathable cushion
padding which is comfortable as well. The left
cup is bare, while on the right cup you will find
three buttons for volume controls, playback
and calls.
Long pressing the volume button, you Price:
can jump to next or previous track, while Rs. 6,499
through main button, you can play or pause
and long pressing it will help you to connect
the headset with your smartphone. Then
there are microUSb port and audio cable
coupled with a pinhole mic. In terms
of design, the Grind Wireless is indeed
one of the best looking headphones in
the market and at the same time is
comfortable to wear. In terms of
performance, the headsets deliver
some impressive audio output.
The battery backup is also
impressive and you get almost
10 hours of music playback with
a single charge. With a price tag
of rs 6,499, Skullcandy Grind
Wireless can be considered as one
of the best wireless headphones
available in the market right now. n

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 135

Gadget Corner ETCETERA
Logitech Create
Backlit Keyboard
Case The
keyboard your
iPad Pro needs
T he jury might still be out on the future of tablets and
whether they can indeed ever replace notebooks,
but what cannot be denied is that Apples release of
the iPad Pro breathed new life into the tablet genre,
with its 12.9 inch display that many thought was
closer to the size of a notebook than a conventional
tablet. Apple also came out with a keyboard case for
the iPad Pro, highlighting its productivity angle, but
that particular piece of hardware took a fair deal of flak
for being overpriced and not being backlit. Some also
found the fabric-covered keys in it did not have the sort
of travel that they expected from other keyboards.
Well, they wont have that sort of complaint with the
Logitech Create, a keyboard cover for the 12.9 inch
136 | november 2016
iPad Pro. The keyboard is a slightly bulky affair and at
725 grammes, adds a fair deal of weight to the 12.9
inch iPad Pro, which itself is lighter at 713 grammes.
The keyboard also has a case element which attaches to
the back of the iPad Pro to protect it against bumps and
drops - no, it is not the sleekest fit we have seen but it
does the job pretty well and is made of what seems to be
very tough plastic. The real star of the show however, is
the keyboard itself. The keys are much better spaced out
than on Apples own keyboard and have a lot of decent
travel as well as a pleasant clickability to them, and
there is plenty of palm rest space too. There is also a row
of shortcut keys, something that was totally absent in
Apples own keyboard. The backlighting is excellent and
as the keyboard connects to the iPad Pro through
the Smart Connector, it does not need bluetooth
pairing and does not have to be charged either.
no, it is not super affordable and is not the
sleekest keyboard case we have seen either,
but in terms of sheer functionality, this has
got to be one of the best keyboards we
have used for the iPad Pro. n
Price: Rs. 9,600.
MYMOBILE

Xiaomi Mi VR Play
VR, the Mi Way!
I magine yourself in the middle of an Arabian sea on a
luxury yacht? Hows the view? Can you spot dolphins?
maybe its just a fantasy. maybe not. With the virtual reality
(vr) - it is now possible to be on the mars, the White House,
or enjoy the company of hundreds of cricket fans at the
famous Lords cricket ground in London- the possibilities
are endless. This year, potentially, every major smartphone
maker released a mobile vr headset. And Xiaomi is the
latest handset manufacturer to release a virtual reality
headset of its own, dubbed the mi vr Play. The Xiaomi-
made headset doesnt come close to the Samsung Gear
vr, which has been powered by oculus technology; but
the mi vr Play works. Its absolutely lightweight, adorns
two-way zipper design, and has a nice finish to it. The
headset feels comfortable to wear, even if someone has
been advised to wear prescribed glasses, like in case of
this reviewer. Inserting your smartphone into the headset
isnt difficult. You can slot in any 4.7-inch to 5.5-inch
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ETCETERA
Gadget Corner
Price: TBA
smartphone (including iPhones) by unzipping the front and
slid the device into the two pads. It has a full adjustable
head strap to keep it in place, although the absence of a
foam padding for comfort may bother some. Also, there is
no trackpad like the Gear vr headset but you can always
use a bluetooth controller to the phone to play compatible
games. There is no control interface, like the one seen on
the Gear vr.
In China, Xiaomi has launched its own vr platform ,
and even partnered with a few notable content partners.
However, living in India and importing the mi vr Play
from China, well it has its own drawbacks. The biggest
glitch was the unfamiliarity of the Chinese language, so
we had to settle for the content available using Google
Cardboard apps, which can be experienced on virtually
any vr headset modeled on Google Cardboard. For those
looking to experience a simple vr experience, the mi vr
Play is a solid pick. n
november 2016 | 137
Gadget Corner ETCETERA

9
19,99
.
ce: Rs
Pri

Motorola Verve
Ones+: A whole
lotta Wireless Verve

I t is safe to say that the year 2016 is the year of

headphones going completely wireless. We have
seen the big shots like Samsung and Apple introducing
the wireless in-ear headsets, and joining this bandwagon is motorola.
The company has recently come up with new headphones known as
verve ones+. This is not the same company run by Lenovo, its binatone,
a company that has the license of sell most of motorolas audio. The
headphones do save you from the tangledness of wired headphones
and come with a carry case and all you need to do is pop each bud
out and put it in your ears. It has the sensors which recoginses when
you wear both the headphone in your ear and then automatically pairs
with each other.
You can then connect it with your smartphone via bluetooth and
voila! you are ready to enjoy the music experience. Although the ear-
buds looks a bit larger than the average looking headphones, but they
are really comfortable to wear. Talking about the design part, the
ones+ edition comes with a colour combination of black and orange
which doesnt add much charm to the device. The carry case (also
acts as a charging dock) comes with a rotating mechanism and has a
microUSb port through which you can charge the case. There is also
an app through which you can keep a track of headphones charge,
location, set equalizer according to your need and more. but coming
to the performance, the device stutters a bit. Although it does gives
some good audio output with good lows and mids performance, but it
shimmers in highs. Also, the connection is not consistent at times, and
sometimes only one bud is working while the other goes silent. battery
life is a bit disappointing - the headphones gave a battery backup
of almost 2 hours of continuous playback. overall, the headphones
have its hits and misses. With a price tag of rs 19,999, the device
is an option to consider if you want to try a complete wireless music
experience. n

138 | november 2016 MYMOBILE


Jabra Halo Smart Great sound,
great price
W ith a number of phone companies
doing away with a traditional 3.5 mm
audio jack, there has been renewed interest in
wireless headsets that connect to phones over
bluetooth. And while most of the spotlight
has been garnered by the likes of Samsungs
Gear IconX and Apples AirPods, there are
other, more affordable options out there
in the market. And one of these comes
from Jabra, the Jabra Halo Smart. The
Halo Smart is a pair of wireless stereo
airbuds that are attached to each
other via a band that can rest on
the back of your collar, with wires
dangling from the sides. It might
not appear as snazzy or stylish a
solution as the totally wireless
earbuds that are becoming the
rage these days, but take our
word for it, it is far easier to
handle, as you are not worried
about misplacing individual
buds. There are also no fancy
cradles/boxes to fiddle
Price: Rs. 3,399
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ETCETERA
Gadget Corner
around with for charging - the buds
charge off a normal micro USb port. build
quality is solid enough and while the blue
colour wires did show a slight tendency to
grow dusty, they could be easily cleaned.
best of all, the earbuds settle comfortably
into your ears and thanks to the wire,
there is very little fear of them slipping
or falling off. Audio quality is very
good for calls and even for brief music
sessions and taking and receiving
calls is easy and smooth. best of all
is the battery life - a single charge
can easily see off more than a
dozen hours, which is fantastic
in this day and age. one of the
best options for those who take
and receive a lot of calls all day
long. Yes, they will dangle near
your neck, but the battery life
and call quality more than
compensate. And at this
price, we think they are a
terrific deal. n
november 2016 | 139
Gadget Corner ETCETERA

OnePlus 3 (Soft Gold) A

gentle touch of gold

B y any parameter, the onePlus3 has been one of the most

popular phones of 2016. After seemingly having stumbled
with the buggy onePlus 2, Chinese manufacturer onePlus staged
a stunning comeback with the onePlus 3, getting back to its root
strengths of great specs and a good experience at a surprisingly
low price tag. So much so that today the onePlus 3 is inevitably
the first phone with which just about any flagship is compared.
And now onePlus has come out with a new variant of the onePlus
3, the Soft Gold edition. You really need to take a close look at it
to see the gold, though, because unlike some of its super bling-y
counterparts, the Soft Gold version of the onePlus 3, in keeping
with its name, has a subtle hue of the golden shade. The result?
one gets neither dazed nor dazzled by it, but yes, it definitely
gives the phone a very distinct look, far more than the graphite
shade in which it was originally launched and which had made
many draw comparisons between it and HTCs devices. It also has
a very distinct white front unlike the black one that we saw in the
graphite edition of the original onePlus 3, and we suspect that it
is this white colour that made some people think that the Soft Gold
edition was slightly thicker than the original (black is supposed to
be slimming, remember?). It actually has the same proportions
as the original and more importantly for the geek brigade has the
same hardware at, yes, the same price. So you are still getting
a 5.5 inch full HD AmoLeD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon
820 processor with 6 Gb rAm and 64 Gb storage with a superb
16.0-megapixel rear camera and 4G connectivity at a surprisingly
affordable rs 27,999. Those are the kind of specs that many
devices that cost almost twice as much cannot boast of at the time
of writing. And it is they that make the onePlus 3 the irresistible
proposition it is. The Soft Gold is a classy addition to the shades
the phone has, but the subtle style it adds does not detract from
the substance of its innards. n

Price: Rs. 27,999

140 | november 2016 MYMOBILE

 ETCETERA

Gadget Corner
Mi Air Purifier 2 Not a Mi Too Product
M ention the word Xiaomi to anyone in India and it is a fair chance that
most people will think that you are talking of the Chinese manufacturer
that has taken the phone and wearables market by storm. However, there is more
to Xiaomi than just phones, tablets and wearables, as the release of the mi Air
Purifier 2 in India shows. And just as in the case of phones, Xiaomi seems to be Price: Rs. 9,999
relying on the great performance and specs at a surprisingly low price equation
to strike gold. At rs 9,999, the mi Air Purifier 2 is in a zone of its own in terms
of performance. And it is very easy to set up - you just plug it in and sit back, as
it automatically adjusts to pollution levels. There is a companion app on your
phone that lets you know the status of the level of pollution in the air and how
effectively the purifier is cleaning it. The purifier sends gusts of wind throughout
a room and claims to be able to clean the air in an normal-sized room in about
ten minutes. It not only purifies air, but also removes bad odors, and even notifies
you about when you need to replace the filter - replacing the filter itself is easy:
you just roll it out, and place a new one in. All this in a compact design that will
not look out of place in a living room and consumes as much power as an energy
efficient electricity bulb. Pretty much a must-have for those worried about what
they are breathing in. n

www.mymobileindia.com november 2016 | 141

Gadget Corner ETCETERA
Hasselblad True Zoom Adding Camera
Muscle to Moto
W hen motorola announced the moto Z series of
devices, there was as much interest in the phones
as in their attachments, or the moto mods as they were
referred to. These could be slapped on to the back of the
moto Z and the moto Z Play using the magnetic connectors
and would in turn add different functionalities to the
two devices, ranging from projectors to battery packs to
cameras. And perhaps the most high profile of the mods
was the Hasselblad True Zoom, which came from the
iconic Hasselblad brand, and added a 12.0-megapixel
camera to the device, its own shutter and zoom buttons,
twin microphones and more important a 10x optical zoom.
In terms of ease of use, the Hasselblad True Zoom worked
almost seamlessly. It attached smoothly to the back of
the phone and from that moment onwards was the default
camera for the phone - there was a slight 45 second
delay before it was detected, but once detected, it just
was effortless to use - we could use the two stage shutter
142 | november 2016
99
Price: Rs. 19,9
button that came with the mod itself or the onscreen
button of the camera app or even the volume buttons to
take a shot, if need be. The mod works with the normal
software in the phone and could even be accessed from
within apps like Facebook and Instagram. It added a few
special shooting modes to the usual but for us, its real
killer feature was the 10x optical zoom which allowed us
to get close to subjects even from a distance. no, it was
not perfect - we found the low light performance of the
mod to be a little disappointing and we expected much
more than full HD video - but at the end of the day, there
can be no denying that this is one of the best camera
attachments that we have used with a phone in terms of
sheer ease of use. At rs 19,999, it does not come cheap
- it is only slightly less expensive than the moto Z Play
itself - and it works only with the moto Z series of devices.
but in terms of ease of use and zoom effectiveness, this
is a mod phone shutterbugs will love. n
MYMOBILE
Gadget Corner ETCETERA
HP Spectre 13 Redefining Premiumness
W hen it comes to innovation in design, things seem
to have sort of stabilized in the world of notebooks,
with form factors and design becoming more or less
standard, and differences becoming merely a matter
of proportion and size. It is almost as if the ultrabook
revolution a few years ago was the last major innovation
in terms of notebook design. Well, HP has designed to put
a new spin on matters with its Spectre 13.The first thing
that it is going to remind many people of is its near-clutch
bag like appearance - it is incredibly slim (thinner and
lighter than the macbook Air at a mere 10.4 mm and 1.1
kg) and compact and is a mix of aluminum and carbon
fibre with gold accents that makes it stand out from the
crowd of ultra books out there. The notebook opens up on
two golden hinges which further accentuates the clutch-
like appearance - we reckon this is a notebook that will
have more followers among the fairer sex. In fact, it is
so slim that many people actually got surprised when we
144 | november 2016
opened it to reveal the keyboard. And this is no dumb
blonde either - within that super sleek frame is some
formidable hardware. The 13.3 inch display comes with
full HD resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection and
has excellent viewing angles, and powering the device is
an Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processor, with 8 Gb of rAm,
and 512 Gb of storage. There are also a number of ports,
including three USb Type-C ports - there are adapters too
within the box, for those who want to use the notebook with
conventional USb ports.The keyboard has well-spaced keys
although the direction arrow keys are slightly cramped. We
would also have liked a bit more travel on the keys and
the glass touchpad also occasionally was a bit hard to use,
and well, the bang & olufsen speakers output seems a tad
on the lower side, but all in all, if you are looking for an
ultra light, ultra thin notebook that makes heads turn, the
Spectre 13 is one of the best options around. n
team@mymobile.co.in
Price: Rs 1,39,990
MYMOBILE
 Vantage Point
Sound A Major Influencer in
Exclusive
Customer Purchase Decision
A
s the world becomes increasingly interconnected,
economically and socially, technology adoption
remains one of the defining factors in human progress.
Considering this, there has been a noticeable rise over the past
two years in the percentage of people in the developing nations
who use the Internet and own a smartphone. The smartphone
has indeed become a very important part of our daily lives and it
is next to impossible imagining life without it. Earlier, there was a
clear segmentation between feature phones and smartphones, but
currently feature phones are considered to be a thing of the past.
However, this is relevant only for the urban market as data shows
that feature phones are still popular in rural areas.
If one takes a recap of the years bygone, sound was never
considered to be an important factor influencing the customer
purchase decision. Everyone was dependent on their Walkman,
iPod or CD player whenever they wanted to listen to music. Now,
146 | NOvEMbEr 2016
with the world moving at an extremely fast pace, people are caught
up in the rigmarole of their daily lives and look for a one stop
solution rather than depending on various devices for music, a
good camera, etc. Fortunately, with the convergence of technology
and new innovations each day, this has finally become a reality.
The current global market thrives on smartphones as they
enable a user to do various things on a single device. With the
integration of various apps and features, it is possible to do almost
everything on your smartphone. Sound is one such feature, which
is a major influencer while a customer considers purchasing a
smartphone. A device with good storage capacity, audio output
and headphone quality is often a preferred choice amongst users
globally. Music is considered to be a stress buster for some, others
resort to it for leisure and its a must have for fitness enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, sound is one such domain that has not seen
many innovations since a long time even though it is such an
important factor. Every other aspect in smartphones has undergone
tremendous changes, be it the display, camera, processor or design,
but little have we seen when it comes to music. However, Hi Fi
music is one such offering which has been recently introduced to
consumers. It delivers a promise of offering a phenomenal audio
experience with powerful, crystal-clear audio and a completely
immersive feel. This sound quality is created by a professional
hi-fi chip and the dual chip audio decoding programme gives an
experience that has never been experienced before.
After almost a decade, various smartphone companies are now
looking at dropping the 3.5 mm headphone jack, as it doesnt
do much besides carry an audio signal. It needs a separate
power amplifier and digital audio converter that can be built into
headphones.So, removing the jack makes room for other things,
such as a second speaker. The Lightning port is also superior to a
3.5 mm jack due to how it carries audio signals.
These days, we use our mobile devices to listen everything
under the sun, from our favorite songs and podcasts, to high
quality surround sound on streaming HD videos. Once the
headphones come off, the mobile sound experience can leave
users with an unsatisfied experience. Majority of the headphones
are enabled with high quality audio technology to enhance the
music experience. It is indeed difficult to predict what can we
witness in the future, but some innovation will surely be something
interesting to look forward. n
Vivek Zhang,
CMO, Vivo India.
(Opinions in this article are those of the author and do not
reflect the stance of the magazine)
MYMOBILE
 Innovative Tri-Cluster, Deca-Core CPU
Highest performance Cortex-A72
running up to 2.5 Ghz
Save up to 30% power compared to
biggest LITTLE dual cluster

Premium Camera for Differentiation World-Mode Modem for all Markets

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30 fps Dual Camera
Built-in 3D depth HW engine,
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New de-noise/demosaic HW for
better quality
LTE Cat-6 2X20 Carrier Aggregation,
C2K with SRLTE
Support Co-TSX & 32K-less
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Support both HEVC/VP9 HW decoding
RNI REG NO./DELENG/2005/15033
DL (ND) - 11/6100/2015-16-17
(Posting Date 26-27 of every month)
Publishing Date- 22-10-16