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Nokia Asha 311 vs Samsung Rex 90: Entry Level Mobile Phones Declare War

by Rohit Khurana • May 31, 2013

These days, Nokia is doing well in India with its lineup of handsets, gradually carving a niche in the market. While, the Finnish tech firm seems to be struggling hard to revive its smartphone business, it is clear that it is winning on one side by attracting more and more consumers for the Asha handsets selling at budget price points.

Moreover, the company seems to be adding new and innovative features to the Asha handsets in order to make them penetrate into the market deeper. Coming to the mobile phone market, Nokia has lost its reign to South Korean tech titan Samsung, which launched Rex lineup of handsets with Smart Dual SIM feature. Priced between Rs 3,770 to Rs 5,870, the Rex handsets were launched in order to take over Nokia Asha devices.

Analyzing the specifications and price of Asha 311, it can be said that the Rex 90 could be a stiff competitor to the Nokia offering. For those consumers who like to buy dual SIM handsets with basic specs and features, the Asha 311 and Rex 90 might be great offerings, hence, Intellect Digest has decided to do a spec comparison on both.

Display

When it comes to display, Asha 311 packs a 3-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 240×400 pixels and a pixel density of 155 ppi approximately. On the other hand, Rex 90 features a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 320×480 pixels and 165 ppi pixel density approximately.

Hardware

While Asha 311 is powered by a best in class 1GHz processor, the Rex 90 is equipped with a lean 312MHz processor only.

Camera

Both the handsets come with a 3.15-megapixel rear camera and lack a front camera for video calling.

Storage

Asha 311 has 140MB internal storage and a micro SD card slot supporting up to 32GB additional storage. At the same time, Rex 90 has 10MB internal storage and a micro SD card supporting 32GB expandable memory.

Connectivity

Both Asha 311 and Rex 90 come packed with connectivity features including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and micro USB 2.0. However, Asha 311 scores more with the presence of 3G, which is lacking in Rex 90. Nokia has incorporated the Xpress Browser with 90% datsa compression in Asha 311, whereas, Samsung has loaded the Rex 90 with Opera Mini beowser with 90% compression.

Battery

Asha 311 is loaded with a 1,110 mAh battery offering up to 6 hours standby and 768 hours talk time. On the other hand, Rex 90 is powered by a 1,000 mAh battery of unknown backup.

Price

Asha 311 is priced at Rs 5,819 approximately and Rex 90 is available for purchase at Rs 5,870.

Other Features

Asha 311 comes with 40 free EA games worth Rs 2,700, while the Rex 90 does not include any freebies. Also, the Nokia offering is preloaded with WhatsApp, Nokia Maps and push notifications for Facebook and Twitter. Further, the Asha 311 includes 2GB free micro SD card free, social client with 70% data compression and data counter. Also, Asha 311 supports multiple languages including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Bengali.

Conclusion

Both Asha 311 and Rex 90 are entry-level handsets meant for users to be socially connected and bearing reasonable price tags. Moreover, both the handsets come with basic specifications and hence, the buying decision depends on the consumers. At the end, will be you buy Rex 90 or Asha 311?

Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Specifications Leaked- Uses Qualcomm Chipset

by Ritij Khurana • May 31, 2013

Samsung has been pushing the boundaries of the smartphone screen sizes and the Note series is the living proof of the fact that the big screen devices look decent enough when being used for calling. The company took things to an all new level when they launched the Mega series and now the reports about the upcoming flagship of the Korean company, the Note 3 have started reaching the interweb every now and then.

Note 3

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400, Z500: Touch Optimized Windows 8 Laptops Launched in India, Price Starts Rs 47,990

by Rohit Khurana • May 31, 2013

The Windows 8 touch-optimized devices are getting highly popular in India. It was Asus to first announce the Taichi, an innovative hybrid device and now, it seems like it’s the time for Lenovo, the leading PC vendor also has come devices under its sleeve for the Indian consumers.

Well, in a recent development, Lenovo has announced the launch of Windows 8 based touch-optimized notebooks – IdeaPad Z400 and IdeaPad Z500 in India. Both the devices are powered packed with a 3^rd generation Intel Core processor and with other impressive features.

Specifications

Talking of the technical specifications, the laptops come with the following aspects. Have a look at them.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch

14-inch Backlit LED HD display with 1366×768 pixels, 16:9 widescreen
3^rd generation Intel Core i7 processor
Windows 8 Pro
16GB DDR3 memory, 1TB HDD
720p webcam
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, 2-in-1 card reader, HDMI output

Lenovo IdeaPad Z500 Touch

15.6-inch Backlit LED HD display with 1366×768 pixels, 16:9 widescreen
3^rd generation Intel Core i7 processor
Windows 8 Pro
16GB DDR3 memory, 1TB HDD
720p webcam
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, 2-in-1 card reader, HDMI output

Other Features

Both the IdeaPad Z400 and Z500 come with specialized stereo speakers that offer extra bass and Dolby Home Theatre v4 providing clear and crisp sound quality and have a stylish and sleek design that makes them 25% slimmer than the normal notebooks. Also, devices have Intelligent Backlit Accutype Keyboard that will offer enhanced typing experience even in dark environments and they have integrated DVD reader/writer and Blu-ray Disc drive as well.

Further, the OneKey Recovery button feature allows users to backup the data stored in the device easier and come with 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT645M GPU and DirectX 11 technology for superior HD performance. Also, the touch notebooks come with a unique application dubbed as Lenovo Companion, which offers quick access to the Lenovo products, application showcases, tutorials, accessories information and Lenovo cloud. Both the laptops have a decent battery that will offer up to 3 hours of backup.

Price & Availability

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch and Z500 Touch are priced at Rs 47,990 and Rs 53,590 and will also come with appropriate taxes. Consumers can buy these devices from the Lenovo exclusive stores and other large retail stores across the nation.

Smartphone

A110Q Canvas 2 Plus vs A111 Canvas Doodle vs A116 Canvas HD: Quad-Core Micromax Phablets Face Off

by Rohit Khurana • May 30, 2013

India’s leading smartphone vendor Micromax is on an aggressive spree of launching quad-core phablets in the country. Earlier, when Galaxy Note 2 was the only quad-core phablet in the market, not many could get their hands on one as the handset was priced too high.

At this point of time, Micromax came up with the dual-core Canvas 2 A110 and gained some traction in the consumer market. Later, Samsung also came up with Galaxy Grand Duos, to swipe away the fame from Micromax and establish itself even in the budget and mid-range phablet segment as a leading vendor.

But, being a native vendor to outshine global market dominators including Apple and Samsung, Micromax did not take much time to come up with a quad-core phablet – A116 Canvas HD, which was launched just on the eve of the Indian entry of Galaxy Grand Duos. And, since then, Micromax is a king in making quad-core phablets in the country.

Well, of course, Canvas HD priced at Rs 14,499 faced much issues and controversies as far as its retail availability was concerned, but, these have only boasted the company’s efforts in making more competitive devices. As evidence, the homegrown manufacturer came up with another quad-core phablet A111 Canvas Doodle.

Priced at Rs 12,999, the Canvas Doodle comes with a large 5.3-inch display, dual SIM support, stylus and many other impressive features. Lately, the company has also come up with another phablet, which is the successor of Canvas 2 A110 launched in November. The handset dubbed A110Q Canvas 2 Plus also comes with a quad-core processor and incorporates some decent specifications at a reasonable price tag of Rs 12,100.

Seeing the success of Micromax phablets, especially the quad-core ones, many of you might be wondering to buy one. But the big question is which phablet of the trio mentioned here is a better one for your needs. Of course, each of them has their own pros and cons and hence, they will be suitable for different genres of consumers with various set of requirements. Here is a comparison between the Canvas A111 Doodle, Canvas A110Q Canvas 2 Plus and A116 Canvas HD, to make it clear on what is the difference between them.

Display

A110Q Canvas 2 Plus packs a 5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 480×854 pixels and 196ppi pixel density approximately. At the same time, A111 Canvas Doodle houses a 5.3-inch capacitive touchscreen with a similar resolution of 480×854 pixels and hence, it has a pixel density of 185ppi approximately. In comparison, Canvas HD boasts a better 5-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen display with 1280×720 pixel resolution and 294 ppi pixel density.

Hardware

In this segment, A110Q Canvas 2 Plus is equipped with a 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589M processor and A116 Canvas HD is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589 chipset. On the other hand, Canvas Doodle is fitted with a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Software

Both Canvas Doodle and Canvas HD run on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS, but the A110Q Canvas 2 Plus is based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS.

Camera

All the three phablets come with 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash and 2-megapixel front camera for video calling.

Memory

In terms of memory storage, all the three Canvas phablets pack 4GB inbuilt storage, which can be expanded to up to 32GB via a micro SD card. The difference is that A110Q Canvas 2 Plus and A116 Canvas HD have 1GB RAM, while A111 Canvas Doodle comes with only 512MB RAM.

Internet

When it comes to internet connectivity, all the three phablets come with features including Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, GPS and micro USB.

Battery

A110Q Canvas 2 Plus is powered by a 2,000 mAh battery delivering 6 hours talk time and 280 hours standby, whereas, A116 Canvas HD is also equipped with a 2,000 mAh battery offering only 5 hours talk time and 174 hours standby. In comparison, A111 Canvas Doodle is marginally better with a 2,100 mAh battery capable of offering up to 6.5 hours talk time and 220 hours standby.

The End…

Of course, A116 Canvas HD comes with a better display with HD resolution, but Canvas Doodle and Canvas 2 Plus are relatively lesser in terms of price. On the software side, the A110Q Canvas 2 Plus comes with Android 4.2, hence it will have features including Photo Sphere, Gesture Typing, Miracast, improved Google Now and more. So, which quad-core phablet have you decided to buy? A111 Canvas Doodle? A110Q Canvas 2 Plus? A116 Canvas HD?

Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Coming on June 20: Specs Leak Revealing 1.5GB RAM, 8MP Camera and More

by Rohit Khurana • May 30, 2013

Rumors are rife regarding the Galaxy S4 Mini and Active – two devices that are believed to be announced soon. Now, there seems to be more information on the Galaxy S4 Mini, which is speculated to be a miniature of the current flagship smartphone of the South Korean tech firm.

According to the information from a AllAboutSamsung, a German website has come up with some interesting information on the specifications of the smartphone.

Rumored to run on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS, the Galaxy S4 Mini with a model number GT-I9195 is suggested to come powered by a dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, while earlier rumors suggest the incorporation of Snapdragon S4 processor. Further, the smartphone is speculated to equip 1.5GB RAM, Adreno 305 GPU, 8-megapixel rear camera, 2.1-megapixel front camera and a qHD display with a resolution of 960×540 pixels and 240ppi pixel density, which is presumably 4.3-inch diagonally. Interestingly, it appears that the Galaxy S4 Mini might have a removable back panel and also a micro SD card slot for expandable memory support.

Earlier reports claim that there could be four variants of Galaxy S4 Mini including I9195 with LTE, I9150 with Exynos 5 chipset incorporating a 1.6GHz dual-core Cortex A15 processor, I9192 with dual SIM support and I9198 for the Chinese market.

Moreover, since the debut of this week, the tech world has been claiming that the Galaxy S4 Mini along with new Ativ devices will be unveiled on June 20.

Though these are only rumors and they ought to be taken as a dose of skepticism, it has to be borne in mind that the Galaxy S4 Mini exists as it surfaced on the UK Content & Services website a few days back. However, there is no sign on when the handset will be revealed and on the official specifications.

While the appearance of the device on the company website puts an end to the lingering doubts, it is evident that it will come with all the software features as the Galaxy S4 though the design aesthetics will be small as the Galaxy S3 Mini.

For more information on the Galaxy S4 Mini, keep in touch with Intellect Digest.

Smartphone

Galaxy Mega 5.8 vs Galaxy Grand Quattro vs Galaxy Grand Duos: Dual SIM Samsung Phablets Battle in India

by Rohit Khurana • May 29, 2013

Of course, Samsung is a well established name in the smartphone industry. The South Korean tech giant has banged the first position in terms of volume of sales with its popular Galaxy lineup of handsets. Even now, Samsung Galaxy smartphones have reached a milestone in terms of the Q1 sales outshining the iPhone.

Speaking of the phablet craze amongst the consumers, it was Samsung to start the trend with the launch of Galaxy Note in 2011 and later, every vendor jumped to the bandwagon. Moreover, the budget tech manufacturers in India started selling dual SIM phablets with impressive aspects at very low price points. Hence, Samsung also took a plunge into that segment with the launch of Galaxy Grand Duos at Rs 21,500 making it sell like hot cake in the nation.

But, the fight got fiercer as the India based vendors started coming up with quad-core phablets at such low price points and hence, even Samsung recently announced a device called Galaxy Grand Quattro at Rs 16,900. While these phablets were making rounds in India with great success, early this week, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 phablets in India at Rs 25,100 and Rs 31,490 respectively, of which the 5.8-inch handset is a dual SIM phablet like the Galaxy Grand lineup.

Apparently, it can be said that the Samsung Galaxy phablets mentioned above are going to create a twist and turn in the Indian market, especially when it comes to the dual SIM phablet segment. For those who are planning to buy one of them, Intellect Digest has come up with the difference between the trio. Have a look at it.

Display

Galaxy Mega 5.8 flaunts a 5.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 960×540 pixels, whereas, Galaxy Grand Duos comes with a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 480×800 pixel resolution. On the other hand, the Galaxy Grand Quattro boasts a 4.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 480×800 pixel resolution, hence, the Grand Quattro is claimed to have a better display with increased pixel density as compared to the rest.

Processor

In terms of hardware, Galaxy Grand Duos is equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core processor. Again, the Galaxy Grand Quattro scores more as it is fitted with a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A5 processor under its hood. Hence, the Galaxy Grand Quattro will perform better in terms of multi-tasking, application handling, power management and more.
Software

On the software front, Galaxy Grand Quattro and Galaxy Grand Duos run on Android 4.1. Jelly Bean OS, but the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which comes with features such as Photo Sphere, Gesture Typing, Miracast, DayDream and more.

Camera

Galaxy Grand Quattro packs a 5-megapixel rear camera and VGA front camera, whereas, Galaxy Grand Duos houses an 8-megapixel main shooter and 2-megapixel secondary camera. When it comes to Galaxy Mega 5.8, the phablet has an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front camera.

Storage

In this segment, Galaxy Grand Duos and Galaxy Grand Quattro come with 8GB internal storage and 1GB RAM. However, Galaxy Grand Quattro supports only up to 32GB additional storage, while the Grand Duos supports micro SD card up to 64GB. In comparison, Galaxy Mega 5.8 fares well with 1.5GB RAM, up to 64GB expandable storage and 8GB internal storage.

Internet

All the three phablets pack connectivity features including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and 3G.

Battery

In terms of power management, all are mediocre performers as Galaxy Mega 5.8 is fitted with a 2,600 mAh batter, Galaxy Grand Duos and Galaxy Grand Quattro are loaded with 2,000 mAh and 2,100 mAh batteries respectively.

The End…

On the whole, all the Galaxy phablets mentioned here are mid-range offerings with dual SIM support. These are meant mainly for those consumers who cannot spend too much on the purchase of phablets, but still prefer to have a decent offering. So, which one is your choice? Do let us know through the comments section below.

Smartphone

Spice Unleashes Stellar Jazz Mi-353 with dual SIM Online at Rs 4,589: Will you buy it?

by Rohit Khurana • May 29, 2013

As the number of dual SIM budget smartphones made by the Indian based vendors is increasing steeply, almost everyday, the manufacturers are coming up with new offerings that are better than the previous models in some way or the other.

Today, Spice Mobiles has unwrapped a brand new smattphone dubbed as Stellar Jazz Mi-353. Spotted online on Saholic, the handset is priced at Rs 4,589, making it highly reasonable in the budget oriented Indian market.

Spice Stellar Jazz Mi-353 Specs

Talking of specifications, Stellar Jazz Mi-353 packs a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, dual SIM support, 3-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera for video calling, 256MB RAM, 512MB internal storage, micro SD card up to 16GB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G and 1,500 mAh battery.

Spice Stellar Jazz Mi-353 Features

Other features available on the Stellar Jazz Mi-353 include Dual Philips speakers that offer a SRS surround sound, which will attract a lot of music lovers, one Touch Browsing, App Manager, Copy Paste Functionality, Enhanced Audio, Whatsapp, Facebook, SpiceGang, Vault & IM clients.

Spice Stellar Jazz Mi-353 Price & Availability

As mentioned above, the new Spice smartphone is priced at Rs 4.589 and will be made available through all the leading retail and online stores across India.

Now, analyzing the specifications, software aspects and the price of the Stellar Jazz smartphone, for such a low price tag, the Spice smartphone comes with 3G, front camera and social networking features, hence, it could be a good buy for many. But, while the budget smartphone market is transitioning to a new level with Android Jelly Bean OS and multi-core processor based handsets, the single core chip and Gingerbread OS, which is outdated are the downsides of Stellar Jazz Mi-353.

What is your opinion? Is the Spice Stellar Jazz Mi-353 a good smartphone to buy?