by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Medium Enterprise, Technology
Infinix HOT S3
By Vivek Singh Chauhan,
New Delhi : There have been quite a few smarphones launches in the sub-Rs 10,000 price category in the recent past, playing on one USP or the other.
When it comes to selfie-focused smartphones, Chinese players like Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are already ruling their respective segments.
In this competitive selfie market, Infinix, which is an online smartphone brand from China-based Transsion Holdings, has launched the “HOT S3” device that sports a massive 20MP front camera.
The smartphone is available in two variants — a 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage variant which costs Rs 8,999, and a 4GB RAM and 64GB on-board storage version priced at Rs 10,999.
Let us see what the device has to offer.
The HOT S3 has a 5.65 inch HD+ “Full View” display (18:9 aspect ratio) with a 2.5D curved display glass atop. The 18:9 format offers more viewing space and a better immersive experience while streaming videos and playing games.
It has a fingerprint sensor at the back, power and volume rocker on the right, dual-SIM card slot on the left (storage can be expanded up to 128GB) and a 3.5mm headphone jack on top.
The fingerprint sensor was impressive and unlocked the device quickly.
Infinix “Hot S3” now has the new “Face Unlock” feature which is another USP in the device. The feature worked fine.
The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor, coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. It runs Android Oreo Operating System (OS) and its custom “Hummingbird XOS 3.0 UI” on top.
In the price segment, Smartron’s t.phone and Redmi 4 use similar configurations.
While using the device, there was were no hiccups. The performance was at par with the competitors and the device did not lag even during multi-tasking.
The device sports a 4,000mAh battery and on a general usage that included light gaming, all-day 4G/Wi-fi connectivity, frequent camera usage and video consumption, the battery lasted for more than a day.
The highlight of the device is its 20MP selfie camera that comes with an f/2 aperture with LED flash and 13MP rear camera — also with f/2 aperture — PDAF and dual LED flash on the back.
The 13MP rear camera gave satisfactory results in daylight conditions.
The pictures captured from the selfie shooter were excellent. The images were sharp with the right balance of colour and detail even in low-light conditions.
The camera app has beauty, time-lapse and professional modes along with a few filters that can be applied while clicking pictures.
Once applied, the beauty feature softens the skin texture and removes spots from the face.
What does not work:
The colour reproduction of the display was a put-off. Further updates might smoothen the “Face Unlock” feature as it was difficult to unlock the device in low-light conditions.
Conclusion: The Infinix HOT S3 is a good choice for those who love selfies as well as for those interested in basic photography. The device is a decent alternative to Xiaomi Redmi 4 (3GB RAM+32GB variant) and t.phone in the similar price range.
(Vivek Singh Chauhan can be contacted at vivek.c@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business, Marketing Basics, Markets, Medium Enterprise, Technology
Moto Z2 Force
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury,
New Delhi : Lenovo-owned Motorola’s latest premium offering Moto Z2 Force, with dual rear cameras, is here and the company is selling it as a phone with a shatter-proof display.
Moto Z2 Force essentially replaces the original Moto Z with Moto “ShatterShield” technology as its USP and a bundled Moto “TurboPower mod pack” in India for Rs 34,999.
How does the smartphone fare when it comes to everyday usage? Here is our review.
The smartphone has a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED shatterproof screen that did withstand drops and falls during our review test from approximately 3-4 feet height.
Despite being launched in 2018, the device features 16:9 aspect ratio that is now outdated as other flagships such as Galaxy S9, OnePlus 5T and Honor View10 are now offering a better 18:9 display — and this might be a put-off for those who want more a immersive experience.
Having said that, the good colour reproduction and viewing angles of the display mostly make up for the loss of screen space. It was bright with decent sunlight legibility.
The front of the phone is dominated by thick bezels above and below the screen, which was also present in the original Moto Z. This is because the company had promised that at least three generations of Moto Z phones would be compatible with the original “Moto Mod” — a clip-on accessory that transforms Moto Z Force into a super-zoom camera, a boombox, a projector and more.
There is an earpiece above the AMOLED screen that also houses the loudspeaker.
There is a 5MP selfie camera with a flash which was capable of taking decent self portraits.
Moto Z2 Force is comfortable to hold and for single-handed use but feels slippery when used without a Mod or a protective case.
The device is made of 7000 series aluminium which made the exterior look both tough and appealing. An added advantage of water-repellent nano-coating is there to protect the device from accidental spills or splashes.
The 12MP dual primary camera sensors come with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and 4k video recording. It took good photographs in well-lit conditions with accurate colour saturation levels.
The phone runs Android Oreo Operating System (OS) and offered an enhanced stock Android experience.
Motorola has added features such as “one-button” navigation, “double chop” gesture to turn the flashlight on or off, twist the phone to launch the camera and take screenshot by placing three fingers on the screen, among others.
Coming to its performance, the Moto Z2 Force is powered by a Snapdragon 835 chipset which is the same as in OnePlus 5T device.
The phone offered snappy performance most of the time and the fingerprint sensor below the display interested us the most.
The phone can be put to sleep with a long-press and the same button can unlock the device.
What does not work?
The absence of weather-proofing could be a major put-off for most users.
We also noticed that the display was extremely prone to scratches even as it doesn’t shatter or crack easily.
Conclusion: This is undoubtedly a well-built device with Motorola’s promise of timely updates. If you are looking for a sturdy device with stock Android experience, go for it.
(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in )
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Investing, Markets, SMEs, Technology
By Sourabh Kulesh,
New Delhi : With audio equipment makers now fighting for the “true” wireless Bluetooth earbuds space, Bose, with its “SoundSport Free” earbud, has raised the bar when it comes to delivering a cord-free music experience.
Taking on Apple AirPods (Rs 13,749) and Samsung Gear “IconX” (Rs 13,490) that laid the foundation for true wireless bluetooth earphones, Bose has launched SoundSport Free for Rs 18,990 in India.
Denmark-based Jabra has also launched “Elite Sports” earbuds for Rs 16,490 in the country.
Let’s see how SoundSport Free fares against the competition.
The tiny devices are designed to fit easily in the ear cavity with elliptical silicon tips that come in three different sizes. The black and lemon-coloured buds lock themselves with the help of a soft curved wing.
The device comes with an on-the-go charger case which delivers extra battery for the buds.
For longer use, it is advised that users first charge the buds from the portable charger and then charge the portable case again.
In one full charge, the earbuds ran for just over three hours. The case gave two extra charges, giving the total output time of nearly 11 hours, which was impressive.
There is a volume rocker on the right earbud while the play/pause button is on the left piece.
To make the device work, users need to first download the “Bose Connect” app and set up the connection between the earbuds and the smartphone.
As soon as you pull the buds out from the case, they enter the bluetooth connectivity mode and are ready to pair with the smartphone.
Interestingly, unlike other such apps, “Bose Connect” has a very easy user interface. It detects the buds by itself, essentially eliminating the hassle of configuring the connection manually.
The link is made within seconds. The voice command can help make the set-up even more easy.
Users can also enable the “Find My Buds” feature to locate the earbuds if they forgot where they kept them last. The app even tells you the “Last Seen” status of the earbuds.
The sweat- and water-resistant earbuds house a strong antennae system to maintain reliable connection with the paired smartphone.
We hardly experienced any audio dropouts while listening to music. The structure and fit of the earbuds created a “seal”, cutting out other sounds in a less noisy environment.
The Bose digital signal processing and volume optimised “EQ” combine well with a good music player. Listening to music with the app’s equaliser will help bring music to life like some tropical music by Kygo.
The bass, drops, treble and vocals in “High For This” track could be easily distinguished. (It was, in fact, hard to get the same clarity with any other device currently available in the market.)
When we switched to a different genre and listened to guitar solos, we noticed the dynamic range offered by the devices.
Listening to the Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” song was amazing on these earbuds sans any cracks, pops or hisses.
What doesn’t work?
Although the design is impressive, the size of the buds is a bit on the larger side.
In noisy environments, the buds fail to deliver a perfect output. We could hear outside noise.
Conclusion: Bose products deliver top-notch listening experience and are expensive. SoundSport Free is no exception. With a price tag of Rs 18,990, the device will have a niche market but, yes, if you can shell out that much money, these earbuds are made for you.
(Sourabh Kulesh can be contacted at sourabh.k@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Large Enterprise, Markets, Technology
By Vivek Singh Chauhan,
New Delhi : Taking on Chinese smartphone players who have captured the budget market in India, Hyderabad-based Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Smartron has launched an affordable “tphone P” for Rs 7,999.
Housing a big 5,000mAh battery and offering basic Android experience (with minimal bloatware), the device gives tough competition to the Rs 8,999 Xiaomi Redmi 4 (3GB RAM+32GB variant) that comes with 4,100mAh battery.
Let us see what works for the device that offers 1,000 GB free “tcloud” storage.
The unibody device with metallic body and plastic sides comes with 5.2-inch HD display that has 1,280×720 screen ratio, making it perfect for reading and watching videos.
It has fingerprint sensor at the back, power and volume toggles on the right, a hybrid dual-SIM card slot on the left and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top.
The company claims that tphone P’s battery lasts for more than two days on a single charge and also gives the option to charge other devices such as smartphones, smartbands and speakers via OTG support.
On a rigourous usage that included gaming, all-day 4G connectivity, frequent camera usage and video consumption, the battery lasted for more than a day for us.
The “Reverse Charge Technology” worked well but one needs to either have a connector to use the feature or a cable that has USB 2.0 ports (or Type-C) on both ends.
“tphone P” is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 Octa Core Chipset processor coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage that is expandable by up to 128GB.
This is the same configuration that Xiaomi uses in its Redmi 4 device. However, the difference comes in the bloatware.
While tphone P runs the basic Android 7.1 Nougat operating system (OS) with a handful of its own custom software, Redmi 4 has MIUI 9 atop Android N that offers more features and customisations but draws more charge — giving an advantage to the Smartron device.
Not only that, with Internet of Things (IoT) “tronX” platform integration, users can also take advantage of Smartron’s connected ecosystem that currently has a few laptops and other smartphones.
On the camera front, the device offers a 13MP rear camera with autofocus and 5MP front camera with low light flash and beautification modes. The “Multi-Exposure” lets users take photos by overlapping one frame over another.
The photos clicked in day-light and well-lit conditions came out well from the rear camera. Photos with flash had a yellowish tone to them.
What doesn’t work.
Expecting too much detail and clarity from both the shooters will disappoint you. The low-light photography was average.
The device is a bit bulky, heavy and the design of the device is too common.
Conclusion: tphone P is for users who look for a massive battery in a smartphone that comes at a pocket-friendly price and this device is Rs 1,000 less than Xiaomi Redmi 4 with almost similar hardware.
(Vivek Singh Chauhan can be contacted at vivek.c@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business, Large Enterprise, Markets, Technology
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury,
New Delhi : Paying heed to the global buzz around Artificial Intelligence (AI), Chinese smartphone major Huawei has brought to India a mid-premium flagship device, Honor View 10, that includes a Neural-Network Processing Unit (NPU) tasked with handling AI functions.
Housing the latest homegrown “Kirin 970” chipset that is powered by an eight-core CPU and a new generation 12-core GPU, the device can perform AI computing tasks faster, using far less power.
At Rs 29,999, the smartphone is a successor to Honor 8 Pro and essentially competes with the likes of OnePlus 5T and Xiaomi Mi Mix 2.
The company markets it as “your first AI phone”. Does the smartphone live up to the hype? Here is what we think of it.
The phone sports a metal body with a matte finish and the review unit was Honor’s trademark navy blue colour that looked stunning.
The rear had concealed antenna bands running at the top and bottom, with a slight gleam.
Unlike other edge-to-edge display smartphones, the fingerprint sensor is placed under the screen, leaving the back of the device untouched aside from a pair of protruding camera sensors and the Honor branding.
In fact, the smartphone looks quite like the Honor 7X, albeit for a bigger frame and no fingerprint scanner at the back.
The front had thin bezels to accommodate a 5.99-inch, “Full View FHD+” display with a resolution of 1080p x 2160p. The IPS LCD display was bright and vivid and we did not have trouble in viewing text and images under direct sunlight.
However, we missed the punch that AMOLED displays offer. Users who wish to add a little “pop” to the display can switch to “Vivid” mode.
It is good to see the device run the latest Android 8.0 Oreo Operating System (OS) topped with Honor’s custom EMUI 8.0 out of the box.
The primary camera with 20MP + 16MP lenses and f/1.8 aperture uses NPU to understand and recognise subjects such as human faces, food and changes the settings accordingly to click the perfect picture in any condition.
Images shot in daylight conditions were sharp but slightly over-saturated while macro shots turned out to be impressive.
The camera is especially good at locking focus. The 13MP front shooter captured neat selfies with good colour reproduction.
We were impressed by the smooth performance of the phone, courtesy 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage.
Honor View 10 is powered by a 3,750mAh battery with “Super Charge” technology. We found it lasted over day with normal usage, including surfing videos on YouTube and using WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter.
What does not work?
It is disappointing to see the face unlock feature work only for showing notifications on the lock screen.
The primary shooter has a significant and uncomfortable protrusion that is a put-off. Honor has protected the lenses with metal surrounds but that also make them rough to touch.
We also found lack of extra detail in photographs taken in HDR mode.
At times, the primary camera was aggressive in dealing with low-lighting conditions and noise reduction that resulted in loss of detail.
The placement of the fingerprint sensor is rather awkward as the device has a big form factor.
Conclusion: Banking on AI capabilities, decent battery and a good camera, the View 10 is a dependable contender with some great hardware in the mid-premium flagship segment.
(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in)
—IANS
