by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Medium Enterprise, SMEs, Technology
By Vivek Singh Chauhan,
New Delhi : As if Chinese players were not enough to eat into Indian smartphone players’ share, leading Vietnam-based smartphone maker Mobiistar has entered the highly-competitive market.
Mobiistar has brought two budget smartphones — “XQ Dual” and “CQ” — to the country.
Priced at Rs 7,999, the “XQ Dual” device comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage that is expandable up to 128GB.
Can “XQ Dual” make a space in the crowded under-Rs 10,000 market? Let’s find out.
On the display front, the 5.5-inch IPS full HD device with an aspect ratio of 16:9 is equipped with 2.5D screen. It comes with a screen resolution of 1920X1080.
The display was bright and readability under direct sunlight was good.
The device has a fingerprint sensor at the back, power button and dual-SIM card slot on the right, volume rocker on the left, a 3.5mm headphone jack on top and USB port at the bottom.
The fingerprint sensor was impressive and unlocked the device quickly. However, the metal finish at the back made the device slippery to use.
In terms of look and design, the device appears outdated with thick bezels.
When it comes to cameras, the “XQ Dual” has a dual camera set-up in the front — 13MP and 8MP selfie camera with flash — and a 13MP rear camera.
The secondary camera on the front has a 120-degree wide-angle lens, and both the sensors feature an aperture of f/2.0.
The users can open the camera app by clicking the power button twice, although you need to set that in the setting options.
The front camera set-up appeared to be a good with satisfactory results in daylight conditions and the rear camera was found to be moderate as it failed to capture detail in the low-light conditions.
We found seven levels of “FaceBeauty” mode that help remove blemishes from the face.
“XQ Dual” runs the Octa-core Snapdragon 430 processor. The device comes with a custom user interface (UI) based on the older Android 7.1.
On the software front, the device surprised us with smooth performance as we found little lag while shuffling from one app to another. The 3,000mAh battery also performed reasonably.
What doesn’t work.
Design and display are pretty old at a time when most smartphones come with the new 18:9 aspect ratio for more viewing space and a better immersive experience.
As mentioned earlier, the device is quite slippery to use. There is also room for improvement in the camera.
Conclusion: At a price point of 7,999, “XQ Dual” competes with Honor 7A (3GB+32GB) priced at Rs 8,999 and Xiaomi devices. Take a look at other options too before making a choice.
(Vivek Singh Chauhan can be contacted at vivek.c@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Medium Enterprise, SMEs, Technology
By Gokul Bhagabati,
New Delhi : Among the Chinese players that have carved out a niche for themselves in the smartphone market in India, Xiaomi is among the top. What has worked in its favour so far is its focus on providing Indian users with reliable devices at relatively lower cost.
The launch of Redmi Y2, successor to the Redmi Y1, at Rs 9,999, is very much in line with this strategy.
In fact, the Redmi Y2 has two variants. The 4GB Ram and 64GB internal storage variant is priced slightly higher, at Rs 12,999, compared to the 3GB RAM + 32GB onboard storage variant which is priced at Rs 9,999 (that we reviewed).
With a 16MP front shooter, dual rear camera and fingerprint and face unlock features, the Redmi Y2 targets the young and the stylish and its USP is the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered camera technology that promises to automate the beautification process in images based on the user’s age and gender.
But how good is it in delivering on the promises that the specifications of the phone make? Let’s have a look.
In terms of look and feel, there could always be scope for improvement and this could well be said of phones of most of the brands. But there is actually not much reason to dislike the design of the Redmi Y2.
It is a big phone, but it fits well in the hands and hardly poses any hurdle in navigation, made easier by the MIUI “intuitive” gesture controls.
This feature is useful for single-hand navigation as it enables you to go back to a previous menu with a swipe of your finger — up, left, or right. You can easily do away with the need of pressing the “back” or “home” buttons.
While the tiny bezels make it even more appealing, the 5.99-inch “Full Screen” display featuring an 18:9 aspect ratio is designed to make media streaming on the device a delightful experience.
The camera technology is definitely a plus for the device, especially when it comes to low-light photography. And this is not only true for the front-shooter.
The 12MP+5MP dual camera system at the back clicks fairly good quality pictures, even in semi-dark conditions.
In terms of performance too, the phone strikes the right chords. Powered by the Octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor, the device houses a 3,080 mAh battery which is good enough to run a whole day on a single charge if the usage level is moderate.
The SIM tray has dual-SIM card slots and supports a Micro-SD card. Storage capacity of both the variants is expandable up to 128GB.
In comparison, the Honor 7C, which is similarly priced, features 13MP+2MP primary dual camera and 8MP front facing camera. In terms of looks and features and with its powerful front-shooter edge, the Redmi Y2 can also give the Honor 7X which comes with 4GB RAM a tough competition as the later is priced on a slightly higher side.
But in terms of visual appeal, the Honor 7X, with its compact metal unibody design, does stand out.
What does not work?
While its AI-powered selfie shooter intends to enhance the picture, it still has scope for improvement. To make the face unlock feature work, you sometimes need to adjust the angle of your screen, or your face.
Moreover, heavy users — those who are into gaming and extensive media streaming — may find the battery life per charge less than adequate.
Conclusion: Bracketing the Redmi Y2 as a selfie phone will be wrong. It is much more than that. Besides the camera technology, which is the highlight of the phone, it scored highly in terms of design, performance and ease of use too, making it a desirable phone in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment.
(Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at gokul.b@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Medium Enterprise, Online Marketing, Sales, SMEs, Technology
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury,
New Delhi : Eyeing a bigger pie of the fiercely-competitive budget smartphone market in India, Lenovo-owned Motorola has added a bigger display and visibly improved the design language of the newly-launched Moto G6.
It is essentially a successor to the hugely-popular Moto G5 and attempts to fill in the gaps left by its predecessor.
Launched at Rs 13,999 for 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage variant, Moto G6 features a Full HD+ “Max Vision” — an edge-to-edge display with a taller 18:9 aspect ratio for immersive viewing experience and integrated Dolby Audio preset modes.
Amid a sea of budget devices, should you consider Moto G6? Here is what we think of it.
Moto G6 comes wrapped in a scratch-resistant, shiny Corning Gorilla Glass front and rear with slightly contoured sides that make it fit effortlessly into the palm. The way it caught light when held up was impressive.
The 5.7-inch FHD+ is a step up from the all-metal Moto G5 and also resulted in better network connectivity.
Thanks to its slightly curved rear, this is perhaps the most comfortable and perfectly-sized smartphone, which is easy to use with one hand.
We particularly liked the placement of the fingerprint sensor on the front which can be pressed to both lock and unlock the device.
The scanner was accurate and pretty snappy.
There was this one-button navigation gesture — in typical Motorola-style — which the company started introducing well before Google had plans to roll out the feature with Android P Operating System (OS).
A significant upgrade from the previous budget devices to the Moto G6 is the USB Type-C port. Housed alongside, on the phone’s bottom edge, is the standard 3.5-mm headphone jack.
The 12MP primary camera with 5MP secondary rear sensor let us take portrait shots with Bokeh effects.
The photos, including the portraits, were good. The images had accurate colours and were fairly detailed when shot in favourable lighting conditions. The selfies taken on the phone also came out good in well-lit conditions.
The device is powered by 3,000mAh battery with the company’s proprietary “TurboPower” charger that fuelled the phone from 0 to 100 per cent in about one-and-a-half hours.
Thanks to Motorola’s hardware optimisation, the budget Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset performed well and handled everyday tasks smoothly.
What did not work?
Photographs shot in low-light conditions from both the primary and front cameras missed out on detail and looked grainy.
We were able to quickly charge the battery but it depleted rather quickly. We managed to squeeze out close to 12-13 hours on a single charge.
Conclusion: Considering the overall performance, design and build quality, we can easily say that this is a great value-for-money buy that ticks the right boxes.
We would recommend the phone to those looking for a neat stock Android experience without willing to shell out a lot on a smartphone.
(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Technology
Huawei P20 Pro
By Nishant Arora,
New Delhi : If you ignore the controversy surrounding Huawei smartphones in the US (which is said to be a fallout of the ongoing trade war between the US and China), it won’t be an exaggeration to say that its premium device, the P20 Pro, is already giving the jitters to premium market leaders Apple and Samsung.
An early innovator in smartphone camera technology, Huawei has brought a Leica-designed, tri-camera system to the device, which is its USP.
Let us see if the Rs 64,999 P20 Pro that is now available in India has the guts to take on the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9+.
Since the whole focus is on the camera, let’s start there. The Huawei P20 Pro claims to have the world’s most advanced camera system with revolutionary Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that makes every single shot unparalleled.
The rear camera system has a primary 40MP RGB sensor, a 20MP monochrome sensor and an 8MP sensor with telephoto lens. All three lenses use the same optical image stablisation (OIS) technology, thus ensuring clearer shots.
The beauty of the camera is the 5x “Hybrid Zoom” for long-range photography, offering wannabes a chance to learn before they move into the professional circuit.
Another aspect is light-sensitive technology in the camera that helps capture low-light photos with up to ISO 102400 (rating for sharp, grainless images with less noise, especially achieved with DSLR cameras).
The impact was outstanding as the device produced excellent shots in low-light environments.
The smartphone supports six-axis stabilisation and 960 frames per second (fps) super-slow motion, which is 4x higher than the 240fps for capturing details that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
The rear camera uses a “Master AI” system that has features like AI stabilisation and AI-assisted composition.
Even on the front, the 24MP selfie camera equipped with “Ultra Snapshot” mode captured stunning images in a jiffy.
We will give full marks to the camera, enough to send rivals into a huddle with their camera R&D teams to invent something better.
The device features 6.1-inch OLED screen with ultra-thin bezels and impressive screen-to-body ratio. The 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM device houses the latest Kirin 970 processor and EMUI 8.1 based on Android 8.1 for a smooth experience.
When it comes to battery, the device is embedded with a 4,000mAh high-density and large-capacity battery.
The device lasted for more than a day-and-a-half after one full charge and refused to go into either the power-saving mode or ultra power-saving mode — a massive feat when compared to rival premium devices.
The long-lasting battery is a definite plus at a time when most smartphones die by the end of a busy working day with emails, WhatsApp, Facebook, calls, SMSes and what not.
Like most premium devices, Huawei P20 Pro has also ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The fingerprint sensor is right on the front so you don’t need to pick the device up to unlock it. The face unlocking feature also worked well even under low-light conditions.
So what doesn’t work?
The charging time can stretch up to two hours and more, so better put the P20 Pro on charge the moment you wake up in the morning. Once charged fully, it is a monster that refuses to die.
There is no wireless charging option.
Conclusion: There is no denying the fact that Huawei has done some amazing R&D on both the software and hardware front for the P20 Pro. If you are looking for an entirely different experience in the premium segment, P20 Pro fits the bill for you.
(Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Technology
By Vivek Singh Chauhan,
New Delhi : With the camera once again becoming a centre of innovation in the mid-price smartphone segment, TECNO Mobile — a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Transsion Holdings — has launched “Camon iCLICK” under its “Camon” series in India that aims to take the photography experience to a new level.
Priced at Rs 13,999, the device focuses high on camera with 16MP rear shooter and a 20MP selfie shooter.
Let’s see what “Camon iCLICK” has to offer.
On the display front, the AI-powered camera smartphone sports a 6-inch HD display with 2.5D contoured glass. The device has metallic body with slim bezel.
With a screen-to-body ratio 82.9 per cent, the smartphone has a resolution of 720X1440 pixels.
The slim body makes the device look handy. Also, the display is vivid with good amount of saturation, with deep blacks and sun-light legibility.
It comes in two colours — “Midnight black” and “Champagne gold”.
The 3.5mm headphone socket and Micro-USB port is positioned on the bottom. Power and volume toggles, a hybrid dual-SIM card slot on the right and the fingerprint sensor on the back.
The fingerprint sensor was impressive and unlocked the device quickly as promised. The device also had a “Face Unlock” feature that also worked well.
Coming to the major highlight, the device sports 16MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and a 20MP selfie shooter with f/2 aperture and LED Dual flash.
The camera stood out as promised and both the front and rear shooters delivered good output in both day and low-light conditions with enough details.
The images were sharp with the right balance of colour and detail even in low-light conditions.
The camera app also houses professional modes such as “AI Beauty”, “AI ASD” (auto scene detection), “Bokeh”, “Panorama Mode” and “video chat” with adjustable flash light along with few filters that can be applied while clicking pictures.
The rear camera has a “Super Pixel” feature, which, like “Bokeh,” focuses on the subject and blurs the background.
Powered by 2.0GHz 64-Bit Octa-core processor MTK6763 coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage that can be expanded upto 128GB via Micro SD card, the device houses 3,750mAh battery.
On average usage, the battery lasted for more than a day.
The device runs its custom “HiOS” based on Android 8.1 Oreo. “Camon iCLICK” also comes pre-loaded with Google’s suite of apps.
We did not find excess bloatware as such, except for the apps like WhatsApp and Facebook pre-installed.
What doesn’t work.
For a camera-centric smartphone, 3,750mAh battery appears to be a bit less. It also took time to charge the device fully.
The design of the device is a bit outdated.
Conclusion: The camera-centric device “Camon iCLICK” can give a good competition to smartphones like Xiaomi “Mi A1” and Gionee “A1 Lite”. If you are a wannabe photographer and low on budget, this is the device for you.
(Vivek Singh Chauhan can be contacted at vivek.c@ians.in)
—IANS
