My Mobile Mag July 2014

www.mymobile.co.in july 2014  Rs 100
for a connected lifestyle
tm
more bang for
your bucks!
the budget
smartphone
revolution
Tested
Alcatel OneTouch
Idol X+, HTC
Desire 816, Moto E,
Micromax Unite 2,
Nokia XL, LG G Pro 2,
Atom Ultimus, Oppo
Joy and more
Phone of
the month
Gionee
Elife S5.5
FIFA Fever
Apps for the FIFA
World Cup
P 45
P 52
P 66
P 20
@mymobilemag

04 MYMOBILE july 2014 f i r st c a l l
E D I T O R I A L
Pankaj Mohindroo | Editor-in-Chief
Nimish Dubey | Associate Editor
Mukesh Kumar Singh | Assistant Editor
Sahil Mohan Gupta | Correspondent & Web Controller
Heena Gupta | Sub-Editor
Abhijit Ahaskar | Correspondent
Binni Rawat | Reporter
Renu Yadav | Reporter
D E S I G N
Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer
Pooja Papnai | Assistant Graphic Designer
O P E RAT I O N S
Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business
Apoorv Bhatnagar | Sr. Manager – Marketing
Sandeep Kumar | Manager – Marketing
K. Rajagopalan | Advisor-Legal, Accounts & Admin
Pooja Sachdeva | Manager – HR
Deepak Kohli | Manager – Accounts
C I R C U L AT I O N
Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation
A D V I S O R Y B O ARD
Prithipal Singh
S.C. Khanna
S.D. Saxena
Rajan Mathews
T.R. Dua
T.V. Ramachandran
Shiv K. Bakhshi
Sonu Halan Bhasin
Bejon Misra
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.
Distributed by My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd.
Copyright 2005. My Mobile is a registered trademark of My Mobile
Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form– electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without prior permission.
The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors
and omissions contained in this publication, however caused.
The opinions and the views contained in this publication are not
necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to
seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in
this publication, which is provided for general use and may not
be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The
ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.
Volume X, Issue V, JULY 2014
“It is not expensive? Then it must be of poor quality.”
hat is a sentence that we have often heard in the past in
the world of mobile technology. It is not as if we have
not had affordable and relatively lower priced smart-phones
and tablets – we have, but they have always been
perceived as being of inferior quality. After all, the rationale went,
why would any manufacturer offer a relatively high-end device at a
lower price when most flagships were priced exponentially higher?
Well, that mindset seems to be finally changing. Thanks to
the emergence of devices like the Moto E, the Nokia X, the HTC
Desire 210 and the Nokia Lumia 630, consumers today can expect
devices that deliver very good performance even in devices that do
not cost the earth – in fact, today you can get a very good smart-phone
experience without having to spend more than Rs 7,000,
something that could not have been imagined a few years ago. But
is this just a passing phase or has the trend of value for money, low
priced devices come to stay? That is the thrust of our lead story, as
we look at the seeming reinvention of the budget smartphone.
Another trend that has been making waves is the emergence
of multi-core processors. Barely a few years ago, LG had surprised
the world with its first dual core processor phone, the Optimus 2x.
Today, we have octa core and hexa core processor driven devices
from a number of manufacturers, and some of them don’t even
cost the earth (Micromax has a quad core device for as little as Rs
7,000). But are these multi-core devices actually delivering value in
terms of performance to the consumer or have they just become
so much spec sheet fodder? We endeavour to find out by talking to
manufacturers and users alike.
With the FIFA World Cup getting underway in Brazil, football is
well and truly in the air. We bring you the apps that will help you
get your fix of the world’s most popular sport. And if you are con-cerned
about the safety of your phone, do check our piece on the
art of buying mobile phone covers.
This time we have a special treat for all those who like our
gadget reviews. The Burn Test section features a number of high
profile devices, including the Moto E, the Alcatel Idol X+, the
Nokia XL, the HTC Desire 816, the Micromax Unite 2 and the slim-mest
phone in the world, the Gionee Elife 5.5. Round that off with
reviews of gadgets and accessories, including a look at two new
wearables from Sony and Alcatel and you can see why I think gad-get
freaks will treasure this issue of our magazine.
Rounding off these are our regular features, including interac-tions
with leading figures from the industry (Sony, ZTE and Flickr
among them) and of course, the sections that are entirely driven by
you – the letters, consumer forum and mobile doctor. All of which
should give you plenty to read and think about. And of course,
there is always our website – www.mymoble.co.in – for those who
want the latest news as it breaks in the world of tech.
As always, we look forward to your feedback. Nothing inspires
and motivates us more. So keep those letters and e-mails
coming in.
Happy reading.
Pankaj Mohindroo
editor-in-chief
Follow Us:
Facebook
facebook.com/mymobilemag
Twitter
twitter.com/MyMobileMag
T

Power Banks
GET JUICE FOR YOUR
DEVICE & STAY CHARGED!
Wide range of zoook powerbank models for all your needs.
ZP-PB2200 ZP-PB2400 ZP-PB4400 ZP-PB5000 ZP-PB10000
Exclusively distributed in India by Fortune Marketing Pvt Ltd.
ZP-PB7800
Ahmedabad 079-40029827, ahmedabad@fortune-it.com | Bangalore 080-41133626/5626, atul@fortune-it.com | Bhubaneswar 0674-3275999, bhubaneswar@fortune-it.com |
Chandigarh 0172-5001118, achin@fortune-it.com | Cochin 9633873980, sumit.a@fortune-it.com | Chennai 044-28555449, chennai@fortune-it.com | Dehradun 0135-2760114,
dehradun@fortune-it.com | Ghaziabad 9311456064, hitesh@fortune-it.com | Gurgaon 011-30890000, amit.sharma@fortune-it.com | Hyderabad 040-27818648, hyderabad@fortune-it.com |
Indore 0731-4074550, indore@fortune-it.com | Jaipur 0141-4024575, 5108598, jaipur@fortune-it.com | Kolkata 033-30246201,30246200 kolkata@fortune-it.com | Lucknow 0522-3207044,
yogesh.bharti@fortune-it.com| Ludhiana 0161-5095991, achin@fortune-it.com | Mumbai 022-23887244, mumbai@fortune-it.com | Nagpur 9850664442 nagpur@fortune-it.com | New
Delhi 011-30890000, amit.sharma@fortune-it.com | Pune 020-66201498, pune@fortune-it.com | Raipur 0771-4262941, vikassharma@fortune-it.com

sneak peek
just in
43
44
chief speak
Letters 10
News 14
Consumer Forum 31
Mobile Doctor 77
Gear Guide 78
content
Lead
Story 20
cell clues 40
Face to Face
06 MYMOBILE july 2014
They come at
mainstream
prices. And
deliver
exceptional
performance.
We take a
look at new
wave of bud-get
smart-phones
that
are sweeping
the Indian
market.
What is new in Flickr 3.0
and where is the iconic
image sharing service
headed? We talk to
Bernando Hernandez,
head of Flickr, Yahoo Inc.
32
HTC reveals more
design wizardry in
the HTC One (E8)
while Oppo unleash-es
the first phone
with a quad HD
display in India, the
Oppo Find 7.
One has an octa
core processor,
the other a quad
core one. Neither
cost the earth. The
Panasonic P81 and
the Lava Iris X1.
We meet Kenichiro
Hibi, MD, Sony India,
to know more about
the company's plans
for the coming days,
in phones, tablets
and wearables. And
also figure out which
phone he uses.
28
spotlight
36
From dual to octa
core, are multi-core
processors
actually making
a difference or
are they just a
hype?
Looking for
a cover for
your hand-set?
Here are
a few handy
pointers.
Will 4G be available
for mainstream users
at affordable rates?
Ranjan Sharma, direc-tor,
technical and com-mercial,
ZTE Telecom
India, shares his
thoughts. 42

my guide
81
BURN TESTS
Oppo Joy 45
htc desire 816 46
atom ultimus 48
motorola moto e 50
gionee elife s5.5 52
nokia xl 54
micromax unite 2 56
lenovo s660 58
lg g pro 2 60
alcatel one touch idol x+ 62
versus 64
They are the new standard bear-ers
of Android. But which of them
is best-suited for you? The Galaxy
S5 and One (M8) face-off!
Total number of pages=
102 (98 + 4 cover)
etc
apptastic
As the world gets gripped by
World Cup fever, we look at
four apps that deliver a foot-ball
fix on your phone.
Nikon Coolpix AW 120, Plantronics Voyager Edge, Canon
Powershot SX700 HS, NudeAudio M, GoPuck 3X Powershot
vantage point
Annie Matthew, Director-Alliance, BlackBerry India, shares her views
on the mobile app revolution.
72
100
content
66
Smart Apps 68
Get a new spin on news with Reverb,
manage your ING Vysya Bank account
from your phone, check out Windows
Phone's new file explorer and click
foodie pictures with InstaFood.
Boredom
Buster
70
Join the dots forwards and back-wards
with TwoDots, get a dose of
ping pong magic in Table Tennis
Touch, and much more.

Dear friends,
It is amazing
how much the
telecom sec-tor
in India
has grown.
After I went
through My
Mobile maga-zine,
I realized
the wealth of
developments
SUPERHEROES
SUPERPHONES
WE GIVE PHONES SUPERHERO STATUS
Mobile TV
The idiot box
in your hand
that has happened in this sector. The prod-uct
reviews in your magazine proved to
be very useful. I was able to decide which
mobile handset should be good enough
for me.
-Sudhir Kumar, Baroda
Hi,
The article on TV On mobile was highly
readable. But I find it hard to understand
that new TV technology is taking so long
in being launched in India. Your article
on TV On mobile should have shed some
light on TV apps available in India as well.
-Malti, Patna
I was surprised to see that in the
‘Consumer Forum’ section none of the
companies have bothered to attend to the
issues mentioned, not even one company!.
And this is a disturbing trend, isn’t it?. I
think you need to address this issue for the
cause of your esteemed readers.
-Vineeta
Hi, I am big fan of the Burn Tests that you
publish. As soon as I get hold of the lat-est
copy of My Mobile, I sit down to go
through the reviews of different mobile
handsets. The thing is that I am a big
techno buff. Even if I am not buying a par-ticular
mobile handset, I wish to know all
about it. I also like the My Guide section.
This time I used the My Guide section to
help my friend reach a decision about the
handset that he would like to own.
-Vishal Khanna
I am a regular reader of your magazine
and almost addicted to it since its very
first issue. Your magazine has undergone
a lot of changes and I feel has become
a bit soft. Being a technology oriented
magazine, I wish if you would publish the
magazine more like the other technology
magazines in the market.
-Rishi Mohan
Hi My Mobile Team, I am Jigme Namgyal,
From Bhutan and I am a regular reader
of My Mobile and a lover of technol-ogy.
Please make some efforts to tap the
Bhutan market too as there are a huge
number of tech savvy youth who would
love to read your magazine.
-Jigme Namgyal, Bhutan
You are doing a great job by bringing
a magazine dedicated to the
telecommunications sector in this
country. Every day we are hearing about
some innovation or other or a booming
number of telecom subscribers, but I
must say that beneath all this glitz is a
reality we must not forget. We must
scrutinise these statistics as much as pos-sible
to ascertain the true face of mobile
revolution in the country.
-V. Gopal
I enjoy reading the app reviews section in
your magazine. However, I would like to
SMART APPS WWW.MYMOBILE.CO.IN
SMART APPS WWW.MYMOBILE.CO.IN
tick away the steps neatly enough and later based on your activity will
even allot you an animal avatar (we got an owl thanks to our penchant
for taking night strolls) after a while. And unlike other apps that we have
used, it did not get fooled by distance travelled alone – we found it regis-tering
use and very effective indeed. The only catch is that it works only with
the iPhone 5s as it uses the M7 processor. If you have an iPhone 5s, this
is one app that you really need to download. Even if you are not a fitness
nut! 
 RATING
FRONTBACK The dual camera app
With the increasing popularity of dual camera phones, there have
emerged a number of apps that allow you to use both cameras
on a device. And one of the most notable of these is FrontBack,
which is not just an app but also a community of users who like to use both
cameras to capture a picture on their phones. The operation of the app is
simple – it first takes a picture using the rear camera of your device and then
after a pause takes one using the front facing camera. The idea is simple –
capture an object and your reaction to it. The net result is two shots blended
into one. You can make the pictures interchange positions with a swipe of
your finger. You can add a caption and share your picture on other social
networks and also the one on FrontBack itself – yes, the app has a number
of dedicated users who regularly update, like and comment upon
images posted on the network. There will be those who will demand
more editing options as well as the ability to add images from one’s
gallery to the shots (right now, both shots have to be taken in quick
succession), but speaking for ourselves, we like the simplicity and
ease of execution of the app. It is a great way to combine the two
cameras on a device and is pretty much a must-download for iOS
and Android users in our book. 
Name: FrontBack
Price: Free
Tested on: Apple iPhone 5s
BREEZE An elegant step
counter
There is no shortage of fitness apps on the App Store,
but what makes Breeze stand out from the crowd of
some worthy apps including the likes of Endomondo
Sports Tracker and Nike+ Run is the fact that it relies on the
M7 motion processor that is found on the iPhone 5s. The
result is that it runs quietly in the background not consuming
much battery and counting every step you take without hav-ing
to rely on your having to turn it on or GPS data. And that
is not all. The app sets targets for you and keeps sending mes-sages
encouraging you to meet it, telling you how far behind
you are at a particular time. You do not have to do anything –
no entering height or weight, counting calories, nothing. You
only have to keep your iPhone on your person and the app will
barely a few steps during long car rides. It looks good, is simple to
Name: Breeze
Price: Free
Tested on: iPhone 5s
PPSSPP: PSP EMULATOR
Play PSP games on your Android
The games of Sony’s popular hand-held gaming console,
Play Station portable, are now available on an Android
smartphone. Making this possible is a free PSP emula-tor
app called PPSSPP, which lets you play any PSP game with
ease on a handset. Yes, you will miss the fun of using physical
buttons like the analog stick or the D-pad, but if you are used
to playing games on touchscreen phones, you will adjust soon.
Unlike emulators for Windows PCs, this one blends well with the
smartphone’s UI and runs smoothly even on a dual-core device.
Just copy the title’s ISO file anywhere on the phone and the game
can be accessed via the app. And in a very neat touch, you can
even play games on resolutions larger than that of the rather basic
480 x 320 one on the PSP. You can upscale the screen resolution
and improve the image quality by a fair margin, something that is
not possible in a PSP. If any game is having issues or is running
slow, you can go to frame control in the settings and increase the
frame skipping count. It worked every time and games played out
superbly. A free solution, PSP Emulator is an excellent option for
smartphone gamers who miss the PSP or are disappointed with
the limited number of quality games on Android. 
abhijit@mymobile.co.in
Name: Office Lens
Price: Free
Tested on: Nokia Lumia 1520
Name: PPSSPP
Price: Free
Tested on: Lava Iris 504Q+
OFFICE LENS Adding scanner
abilities to your Windows Phone
Document scanning apps are a dime a dozen in the app
world, but most of them come from third parties and per-form
erratically at best. Which is why perhaps Microsoft
decided to pick up the camera-as-scanner gauntlet itself and
came out with the Office Lens app for Windows Phone. The app
works with all Windows Phone devices and has three modes –
Whiteboard mode, Document mode and Photo mode. Using the
app is easy – you just have to run the app, select the mode you
want and take a picture and then sit back as the app converts
your picture to a digital copy of a document or whiteboard,
enhancing text, removing glares and shadows. Every picture that
you take from the app gets enhanced and saved to your OneNote
account online and also to your camera roll. You also have the
option to share your scans using mail and even pin a document
to your launch screen if you wish. What we liked most about
the app was the level of detail and clarity it captured. We found
it worked particularly well with printed pages and whiteboards,
although glossy pages did not quite render as well. Still, we think
it is an awesome addition to all those who have Windows Phone
apps, because of its simplicity and effectiveness. 
nimish@mymobile.co.in
70 MYMOBILE JUNE 2014 JUNE 2014 MYMOBILE 71
suggest that instead of describing the app
in full, you should write more about the
underlying concept and how it connects
to the fancies of the people. Your team is
doing an excellent job. All the best for the
future.
-Partho Pushp
The My Mobile website is very helpful for
anyone who wants to know more about
mobiles and the mobile industry. I espe-cially
liked the My Guide section, which, I
guess, is most detailed version of its kind
available in India.
-Gyan Singh
I would like to say thanks for bringing out
such a good magazine. It has given me so
much of knowledge about mobiles and
other gadgets that I am considered some
sort of geek in my group of friends. I also
like the ETC section.
-Ritesh Beniwal
I am a 15-year-old boy and I am an avid
reader of My Mobile magazine since the
last two years. I have now acquired a
lot of knowledge about mobiles through
your magazine. My friends call me a
“Mobile guru” and I give them a lot of
suggestions. You are doing a great job.
Please keep it up.
-Vinod Shehrawat
I’m a regular reader of your magazine and
am currently pursuing an engineering
course in electronics and communication.
I especially read your burn tests keenly
but find it a bit odd that you don’t mention
the benchmark of the handset either in
the burn test or in my guide section. Last
month’s cover story was also written well.
-Vibhor
I have been reading My Mobile for two
years now and thought it was time to
acknowledge the good work done by the
My Mobile team. Thank you for bringing
out such an excellent magazine on mobile
phones.
-Manish Kumar
Are you crazy about cellphones and have the
potential to pen a few lines?
Do you have a nose for news and can also key in a dream
headline? Do you crave to lay your hands on the latest
gizmos and tell the world about them? If you think you have it
in you, we are looking for you. Rush your CV to
team@mymobile.co.in to see your name in My Mobile, India’s
best mobile magazine.
www.mymobile.co.in JUNE 2014  Rs 100
FOR A CONNECTED LIFESTYLE
TM
Tested
Samsung
Galaxy S5,
Sony Xperia
Z2, Xolo
Q1010i,
Alcatel One
Touch Idol
X, HTC One
(M8), Lava Iris
504 Q+, Dell
Venue 8 Pro
and more
Phone of
the month
Nokia
Lumia 630
P 4 2
P 6 4
P 4 8
P 20
70 MYMOBILE JUNE 2014 JUNE 2014 MYMOBILE 71
10 MYMOBILE july 2014 l e t t e r s

14 MYMOBILE july 2014 news b i ts Sunil Dutt joins Reliance Jio as
President, Devices
Former Blackberry India Managing Director
Sunil Dutt has joined Reliance Jio as President
for devices. Mr. Dutt was the Managing
Director of BlackBerry India, from December
2011 to March 2013. He has over twenty years
of experience in the telecom industry. Prior
to joining BlackBerry, he was the President of
the Personal Systems Group at HP India Sales
and was also the Country Head of Samsung
India for two years, between December 2007
and November 2009. He played an active role
in establishing Nokia’s distribution network in
India during his five-year stint with the com-pany
as the Marketing and Sales Director.
Apple acquires Beats Audio for $3
billion
Apple has acquired popular music streaming
service, Beats Music, and owners of a popular
line of headsets and speaker, Beats Electronics,
for an enormous amount of USD 3 billion,
making it the biggest acquisition in Apple’s
history. USD 2.6 billion of the total amount
will be paid upfront while the remaining USD
400 million will be paid in stocks. Beats Audio
owns the critically acclaimed line of products
including its music streaming service and a
number of speakers, headsets and software.
Beats Audio co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr.
Dre will be joining Apple as part of the deal.
ZTE to launch six smartphones in
India this year
ZTE is planning to launch six 4G and 3G
smartphones in India later this year. These
handsets will be available in the price range
of Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. ZTE is also in talks
with five distributors to make these devices
available across the country. The company is
working on making customised content avail-able
on all ZTE devices in India. For this the
company will enhance its RD team so it can
provide more India-centric content. It will also
bring colourful designs keeping in mind the
high popularity of colourful handsets in the
Indian market.
Aircel expands retail footprint
Telecom Operator Aircel has extended its
retail footprint in India by setting up 200
Xpress Stores. These stores are basically
franchisee owned franchisee operated stores
which exclusively provide Aircel products and
services to new and existing Aircel custom-ers.
These products and sevrives include new
connections, recharges and top-ups, resolution
of customer queries, assistance and customer
support. The operator intends to set up about
500 Xpress stores in the country by the first
half of 2015. Aircel feels these stores are
extremely convenient touch points offering a
variety of services to customers.
Micromax appoints Vineet Taneja
as company CEO
Samsung India’s Country Head of IT
Mobile Businesses Vineet Taneja has left his
high-profile job to join Micromax. He has
joined Micromax as the company’s new CEO.
Speaking about his move, Mr. Tanjea said, “It is
a great opportunity for me to lead Micromax
into its next phase of growth by consolidat-ing
and further strengthening its position in
India, and looking at global markets to com-plete
its transition of becoming a global force
to reckon with.” Mr Taneja has more than 25
years experience in the industry with brands
like Hindustan Lever, Nokia, Bharti Airtel and
Samsung.
Ex-Airtel CEO joins Micromax as
Chairman of Board
Former CEO of Bharti Airtel, Sanjay Kapoor
has joined the Micromax promoter group
as chairman of the Micromax Board, bring-ing
with him a vast repertoire of experience
in telecom sector with bodies like COAI,
GSMA, CII, NASSCOM and with Airtel. He
was instrumental in building the Airtel brand
in India. As Airtel CEO he headed the telco’s
India and South Asia operations. Commenting
on his appointment, he said, “I am excited
as an entrepreneur to be a part of the pro-moter
group and as a professional to lead
the Micromax board and management. I am
looking forward to adding value to all stake-holders
leveraging my strengths in building
scale, developing brands and understanding
consumers.”
Microsoft Xbox One expected in
September, price starts at Rs 39,990
Microsoft’s all-in-one entertainment system
and gaming console, the Xbox One will be
available in India from September 23, 2014 for
Rs 39,990 without the upgraded Kinect motion
sensor and for Rs 45, 990 with the sensor. The
price brings it at par with Sony’s latest gaming
console, the PS4, which is also retailing at Rs
39,990. The Rs 39,990 unit will include a wire-less
controller, 500GB hard-drive, Blu-Ray play-er,
built-in Wi-Fi support, and a 14-day trial of
XBox Live Gold for new members. The games
that will debut on the console will include the
likes of Forza Horizon 2 and Halo 5.
Indian mobile companies to launch
low-cost Firefox handsets in June
Indian mobile brands Spice Retail and Intex
are soon going to launch smartphones based
on the Firefox operating system. Spice Retail
is in talks with Mozilla to launch Firefox-based
smartphones in the coming days. Their
handsets will be available at very low prices,
will support HTML5, will have dual SIM slots
and will have the Firefox Marketplace with
applications like Pinterest, LINE, Facebook
and Twitter. Intex’s Firefox handset, which has
been named Cloud FX, will be priced in the
sub Rs 2,000 category and will be launched in
the first week of August. Cloud FX is a dual
SIM phone with 3.5-inch touchscreen, 1 GHz
processor and a 2.0-megapixel camera.
Oppo launches Find 7 at Rs 37,990
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo Mobiles
is launching its new flagship smartphone,
the Oppo Find 7 in India. Priced at Rs 37,990,
the handset follows in the footsteps of the
company’s high-profile Oppo N1, which had
debuted earlier this year and was notable for
its rotating camera and powerful hardware.
Compatible with 4G technology, Find 7 comes
with a 5.5-inch quad HD Gorilla Glass 3 ready
display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and
pixel density of 538ppi. Its powered by a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and
comes with 3GB RAM, a 13.0-megapixel cam-

era and a 3,000mAh battery.
Microsoft launches Nokia 225 dual
SIM at Rs 3,329
Microsoft has come
up with an afford-able
feature phone,
the Nokia 225 dual
SIM at Rs 3,329.
Available in red,
black, yellow, and
white, the handset
also has a single
SIM variant. The
handset features a
2.8-inch TFT dis-play,
a 1,200mAh
battery that claims
21 hours of talktime
and runs on the
Nokia OS Series 30+
platform. It supports
external memory
cards up to 32GB,
includes a 2.0-megapixel camera along with
connectivity options like GPRS, Bluetooth,
micro-USB and apps like Xpress browser,
Facebook, Slam and FM radio.
Reliance Communications’ 3G ser-vices
now available in 18 circles
Reliance Communications has rolled out 3G
services in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Kerala and UP East. The opera-tor
is offering services in 13 circles and with
the addition of these five circles, its over-all
tally has grown to 18, making Reliance
Communications the biggest 3G service pro-vider
in the country. The operator has, report-edly,
entered into a 3G intra-circle roaming
agreement with Aircel. The 13 circles where
Reliance 3G is available are Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Punjab, MP , Rajasthan, West Bengal,
Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, North East
and Jammu and Kashmir.
Apple announces iOS 8 at WWDC
Apple has showcased the next version of its
mobile OS, iOS 8, at its annual developer
conference, WWDC. The new OS boasts of
a more interactive notification centre, which
allows users to reply to messages by swiping
down the notification centre. The notifica-tion
screen also supports third party widgets
which can be manually added. It also boasts
of a new QuickType keyboard with support
for auto suggestions. While existing features
like Group Messaging, Spotlight search, iCloud
drive have been improved, Apple has added
a new functionality which allows users to
access SMSes across devices including OS X
hardware.
Dell to shut down Mohali facility
US-based computing giant Dell Corporation
has announced the closure of its Mohali facil-ity,
leaving about 1,000 employees in a precari-ous
situation. Although the company claims
to have offered them the option to shift to the
company’s Bangalore or Hyderabad facility,
employees say they have been asked to move
to other facilities or quit. They even held
demonstrations against the decision. Started
in 2005, the Mohali facility provided customer
care support to the US market. The operations
of the Mohali facility will be handled by facili-ties
in Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Bangalore.
World Cup 2014 is now available
on mobile phone through Sony LIV
Sports
Football fans can watch live matches of
the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil on
their mobile devices by logging on to www.
LIVSports.in or by installing the LIV Sports
app from their respective app stores. Multi
Media Screen surprised many when it bagged
the TV broadcast and digital rights for the
World Cup in India. While TV broadcast will
be offered on Sony’s official sports channel
Sony Six, digital telecast will be available on
the website and the app. Users can register for
free and access live streams, highlights, match
statistics and player interviews.
Is Google planning to buy Twitch?
Goggle is reportedly planning to buy Twitch.
com, a popular video streaming solution
where gamers can watch top gamers play. The
acquisition of Twitch can help Google build
up stronger content for YouTube. Though
Google’s video streaming service is offering
live streaming services for games along with
movies, sports and news, it is not as popular
as Twitch. Started in 2011, Twitch enjoys a cult
status among gamers in US with more than 45
million visitors every month. According to the
online video delivery and caching solutions
provider Qwilt, Twitch is currently number
one in live online video rankings with 43.6 per
cent of the market share. It is supposedly only
behind Netflix and YouTube when it comes to
overall video streaming.
Providing Wi-Fi in public places
added on DoT’s action plan
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has
included providing Wi-Fi services in public
places in urban areas and commercial centres
to its action plan. In an official statement,
the department said that there is no regula-tory
impediment to making Wi-Fi facilities
available from licensed service providers and
other players. This came after the depart-ment
received instructions from the Cabinet
Secretariat regarding the action plan prepared
by the department for the recently formed
Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
Line Messenger offers free talktime
on sending Line stickers
Line Messenger has come up with a free
talktime offer which allows users to earn free
points and convert them into free talktime.
Users can earn one free point by sending a
sticker every day to a friend using the Line
Messenger and earn talktime up to Rs 111 after
25 days. The offer is available for both prepaid
and postpaid users on their iOS and Android
devices. The offer starts from June 1st and will
be available throughout the month for Line
users in India.
LG launches LG G3 with quad HD
display
LG’s most powerful smartphone till date,
the LG G3 has been launched in the South
Korean market. Korean Press reports
claim that the device has been well-received
and is selling 25, 000-30,000 units
of G3 every day. The handset comes with a
5.5-inch quad HD display with a
resolution of 2550 x 1440 and pixel density
of 538ppi. The only other handset with a
quad HD display is Oppo’s recently launched
Find 7. The G3 is powered by Qualcomm’s
Snapdragon 801 CPU, and comes with 2GB
RAM besides featuring 16 GB internal stor-age,
4G support, Android 4.4, a 13.0-megapixel
camera and a 3,000mAh battery. It is expected
to be available in India in July.
Flipkart acquires Myntra.com for Rs
2,000 crore
India’s leading online store Flipkart has
acquired online fashion retail store Myntra.
com for an estimated amount of Rs 2,000
crore. The details on how the amount will be
paid have not been disclosed yet. Myntra will
continue to operate under the same name
but the acquisition is likely to strengthen
Flipkart’s presence in the apparel portfolio,
and provide greater competition to the likes
of Amazon. Flipkart recently raised USD
210million (Rs 1,200 crore) as fresh funds from
Russian firm DST Global, which also provided
funds to Facebook. n
16 MYMOBILE july 2014 news b i ts team@mymobile.co.in

Amazingly
Smart
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
1 GHz Dual-core Processor
Customer care No. 1860 2334444 / for Trade Enquiries : 80 80109333

lead story
The budget

www.mymobile.co.in
Smartphone
Revolution
In the past, most people
used to associate
“affordable” with “poor
quality.” If you wanted
a smartphone that
could deliver a good
performance, well, you
would have to fork out a
good sum for it. But the
arrival of devices like
the Moto E and the Nokia
Lumia 520 has seen this
equation being turned
on its head. Today, you
do not need to spend a
fortune to get a phone
that performs well.
Welcome to the second
wave of the smartphone
revolution! Nimish Dubey
Abhijit Ahaskar
july 2014 MYMOBILE 21

Surabhi, a research scholar in
Delhi’s Jawahar Lal University,
was planning to buy an Android
handset but did not want to
spend more than 10k. She was not very
comfortable with local brands either. The
Moto E could not have arrived at a bet-ter
time. She says, “I was in search of a
budget smartphone that combined the
goodness of high-end phones without
their high prices. Affordability, smooth
user interface, trendy design and good
reviews from fellow users of Moto E are
my reasons for buying this fairly new
smart phone.”
There is a saying that great quality
comes at a price. So while there had
always been smartphones that were
affordable, they generally came with per-formance
compromises - slower proces-sors,
older versions of operating systems
and more often than not, less than sleek
designs. There was the odd excepetion,
like the Lumia 520 last year, which deliv-ered
near-premium performance and
design at a relatively low cost, but such
products were considered aberrations.
By and large, established wisdom went, if
you wanted high-quality, you would have
to pay for it.
Well, the past few months have seen
that belief being turned on its head,
thanks to the release of a number of
devices from different manufacturers.
Today, it is possible for a person to walk
into a mobile phone store and ask for a
device with a 4.5 inch display, quad core
processor, 1 GB RAM and the latest ver-sion
of an OS - without getting into five
figure territory. And unlike in the past,
where most budget smartphones used to
come from local or lesser-known brands,
one can now choose from the likes of
HTC, Sony and Nokia.
In many ways, this is a bit of a reversal
of the situation at the beginning of the
year, when the likes of Micromax and
Karbonn entered the premium phone
market, taking on established players.
Now it seems that it is the turn of the
better-known brands to make their pres-ence
felt in the budget category. Either
way, we do not see the consumer com-plaining,
not in a nation, where price
plays a major role in a phone purchase
decision and a vast majority of user still
use feature phones.
The budget smartphone revolution has
well and truly begun. And if it continues
on these lines, the number of smartphone
lead story
Nokia
Lumia 520-
Rs 7,500
It might not have got the credit it
deserved for starting the budget
smartphone trend, but the very fact
that the Lumia 520 is around and kick-ing
more than a year after its launch
tells you how good it is. Its design
remains eye catching and funky and
it runs the latest version of Windows
Phone, and is also in line to get the
next update to Windows Phone 8.1.
Most importantly, it is a rock solid per-former,
with buttery smooth naviga-tion,
decent multimedia and very good
maps and navigation. Small wonder
that it was the highest selling phone in
its price segment last year. And contin-ues
to do well.

www.mymobile.co.in
Moto E-Rs
6,990
users in the country could finally outnum-ber
those using feature phones.
In the beginning...
As we mentioned earlier, it is not as if rela-tively
low-priced smartphones are a new
phenomenon. Even in the past, one could
get a device from established brands at
an affordable price. If - and this was quite
an ‘if ’ - one was ready to compromise on
performance and specs. A couple of years
ago you could get a BlackBerry
8520 for less than Rs 10,000, but
it featured a relatively old OS,
had an ordinary and a very low resolu-tion
display. Occasions when established
brands launched new devices at budget
prices with acceptable hardware and soft-ware,
such as the LG Optimus One and
the Lumia 510 and 520, were few and far
between.
Which had left the budget smartphone
category very much in the hands of local
players like Micromax, Lava and Karbon,
and operators like Idea, who introduced
devices in the sub-Rs 10,000 category, but
with clear compromises on price. You
would not get displays with the greatest
resolution, and often had to make-do with
older versions of Android and limited
RAM. And yet, these phones, for all their
compromises, did have a market.
The unique nature of Indian telecom
market played a significant role in mak-ing
budget smartphones popular. Unlike
western markets, where handsets were
subsidized through operator tie-ups, even
flagship handsets could be bought at sub-stantially
reduced prices, those looking for
a smartphone on a tight budget in India
had no choice but to head to the local
brands or compromise and go for an older
device from an established brand whose
price had dropped.
The change-drivers
Signs that scenario was changing emerged
when Nokia released the Lumia 520 in 2013
at a price of Rs 10,499, without making
significant design and performance com-promises.
The device came with a dual
core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a
decent 5.0-megapixel camera with auto-focus
and the latest version of Windows
Phone, Windows Phone 8. The phone was
an overnight success, making it the highest
selling Windows Phone device ever.
But the real filip to the budget smart-phone
segment was given by the launch of For many people, the Moto E is the
catalyst of the budget smartphone
revolution in India. Athough there
had been relatively low priced smart-phones
in the past, none offered what
the Moto E did - a dual core processor,
a good display, and most importantly
the latest version of Android (KitKat,
4.4) with 1GB RAM - at a price that was
as low as Rs 6, 999. The phone was
available only online from Flipkart but
such was its demand that it was being
sold in grey markets within days of its
launch, and kept going out of stock
online. Rarely has a budget phone
generated as much interest.

the Moto E barely a month ago. The com-pany
had been given a warm reception
on is return to the Indian market with the
Moto G and Moto X, but with the Moto
E, it literally pulled a rabbit out of its hat
with the Moto E. It features a decent dis-play,
colourful back plates, 1 GB of RAM
and surprise, surprise, the latest version
of Android, KitKat (4.4), all at a price of
Rs 6,999. Yes, they were some quibbles
about the quality of the fixed focus cam-era,
but by and large, people lined up to
purchase the device - exclusive retailer
Flipkart has been out of stock more often
than not since the device was launched.
Within weeks, other leading brands
like HTC and Nokia had released compet-ing
devices. And while Indian brands too
came out with alternatives, it was clear
that the battle for the budget phone seg-ment
for the first time would be between
established brands and Indian ones.
Indian brands face a
tough challenge
“With the multinational brands enter-ing
the sub-Rs 10,000 smartphone seg-ment
aggressively, it will be a difficult
lead story
Sony Xperia
E1- Rs 7,990
Sony claims that it is the best
smartphone in its class. And the
Xperia E1 surely delivers a lot for
a relatively low price. The device
comes with a 4.0-inch touchscreen,
a dual core Qualcomm processor,
and has the touch of design class
that marks out all Sony products.
Some may carp about its 3.0-
megapixel camera and the fact
that it runs a slightly older version
of Android, but the Xperia E more
than compensates with its excel-lent
sound quality and the quality
of its display. And of course, being
a Sony, it has very high aspiration
value.

task for the local brands. A
typical Indian customer would go for a
smartphone from a multinational brand
over the local one even if they have to
spend a thousand or two extra. This was
a trend that was seen in the feature phone
segment in the past and now plays a key
role in customer’s smartphone buying
decision,” says Sudhin Mathur, Director,
Smartphones at Lenovo India.
What is also new about the budget
phone battle now is that the battle lines
have changed. In the past, it was assumed
that a low price meant a relatively poor
performance. Thanks to the likes of the
Moto E, that is no longer true. Suddenly
a good experience has become a param-eter
for budget devices. Viral Oza,
Marketing Director of Nokia India says,
“We strongly believe that it is not just
the specs or the OS that consumers
are looking for- consumers are looking
for devices that offer them a complete
experience.”
Indian brands certainly have to
rethink their tactics, even though their
grip over the market gives them an
edge over multinational brands. Their
focus on grass-root level buyers, easy
availability at the smallest of stores, and
distribution network had made them
the darlings of consumers in semi-urban
and rural areas. It is because of
these strong points that three of the
leading smartphone sellers in the
country are local vendors, such as
Micormax, Karbonn and Lava with
17 percent, 11 percent and 4.7 per-cent
of the market share respec-tively,
as per an IDC report.
However, they now face
competition like never before.
A competition that may not
have the kind of local reach
that Indian brands do but
compensates with its per-ception
of high quality.
Pankaj Rana, Business
Head, Smart Phones and
Tablets at Panasonic
India says, “Changing
market dynamics have
forced the Indian com-panies
to tweak the way
they do business. Indian
companies have to focus more
on providing cutting-edge technology
at cheaper prices. Their advantage in the
smartphone segment is that they can make
cheaper products keeping the preferences
and needs of the local consumer. In such a
competitive environment, continuous inno-vation
and aggressive branding is the key
to success and survival.”
Hari Om Rai, Chairman Managing
Director, LAVA International, however,
feels that Indian brands are more than
ready for the challenge. “Indian brands
have already clocked large volumes in sub
Rs.10, 000 category through their deep-rooted
distribution network and better
understanding of consumer needs in tier II
and tier III cities,” he points out.
www.mymobile.co.in
Micromax
Unite 2-
Rs 6,990
Micromax has been known for the
speed of its reaction to competition
and the Moto E has been no exception.
The Unite 2 offers what the Moto E
has - the latest version of Android and
1 GB RAM, and also betters it in the
camera and processor department.
Unlike the Moto E which comes with
a fixed focus camera, the Unite 2 has
one with autofocus. Micromax’s budget
offering also comes with a quad core
processor that ran up much higher
scores than the Moto E on benchmark
tests. The big challenge for it, howev-er,
will be to challenge the perception
that Motorola is a superior brand.

Pushing big brands to
innovate?
This new crop of smartphones boast of
superior specifications and the latest OS
versions, something that took years to
show up in low-priced devices. Research
shows that 21 percent of Android smart-phones
are still running on Android 2.3.
With more than 70 percent users in India
still using feature phones, the smartphone
market is likely to grow at an astonishing
pace. Given the options a user now has,
they are more likely to opt for an entry
level smartphone instead of a mid-range or
high-end smartphone.
Some people feel that this is likely to
influence the business of high-end smart-phones
because some of these new age
budget smartphones can accomplish a
lot at astoundingly low prices, imploring
people to rethink the wisdom of buying an
expensive smartphone, when a lot of its
functionality is available at an exponentially
lower price. Nokia’s Oza disagrees. “While
all the action seems to be on the affordable
smartphone category, it would be wrong to
say that this will affect the high end smart-phones.
High end will drive the innovation
for the overall smartphone category,” he
feels.
Lenovo’s Mathur, however, feels that
established brands need to innovate
to retain their hold on the market. “If
the premium segment brands do not
lead story
Nokia X-Rs
6900
Although launched initially at a price of
Rs 8490, Nokia’s first Android phone is
now available in stores at a price in the
vicinity of Rs 7,000. Yes, the Android
purists might scoff at the idea of a
device that runs a different version of
Android and does not come with the
Google Play app store, but the stark
fact is that the Nokia X is a smooth per-former
with respectable specs, and a lot
of bundled goodies including free music,
maps and navigation. And while it does
not have Google Play, it compensates
with its own Nokia store. And of course,
it comes with the traditional solid Nokia
build and the colourful backs that have
become the signature of the Nokia
Lumia and Asha series of devices. This is
a budget phone most people would not
find flaunting.

www.mymobile.co.in
HTC Desire
210-Rs 8,400
Not too many companies design
phones as well as HTC. And now
users can sample the brilliant HTC
design ethos at as little as Rs 8,400.
The Desire 210 will not break speed
records with its dual core processor
and some may claim that it is run-ning
an old version of Android (4.2),
but the handset comes with a very
good display, excellent sound and
the sort of design that you expect
to see in devices with much higher
price tags. And before you ask, yes,
it does feature the Sense interface
that is so famous in HTC devices. All
of which makes purchasing it a very
Sense-ible decision for those on a
tight budget. n
innovate, they will lose out in the market. Consumers
pay a price for innovation and hence it’s imperative for
the big brands to be thought-through, innovative and
step up the game consistently,” he says.
Sony India’s MD Kenichiro Hibi, feels that different
price segments will continue to exist in the market
as each targets a different audience. “Smartphone is a
very competitive category. In my opinion, there will
always be a price range starting from entry level, to
the premium segment, each catering to a different seg-ment
of customers. They might not have got as much
attention as the Xperia Z2, but Sony has also released
devices like the Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia E1,
which are targeted at different price segments,” he
points out.
A new age budget
smartphones
So are we entering a new era of smartphones, where
you no longer have to pay a premium price for good
performance? Nokia’s Oza feels that the trend of
affordable smartphones will continue. “We are all
aware of the exponential growth witnessed by the
Indian smartphone market. According to IDC, India’s
smartphone market grew more than two and a half
times to 44 million devices in 2013 and people will
continue to shift to smartphones in 2014 at similar
rates. Within the smartphone segment, it is the afford-able
smartphone category that is seeing an exponen-tial
growth – driven by increasing aspirations, ability
of companies like us to introduce new features at
lower price points and the replacement trend,” he says.
Those looking for a budget smartphone have sel-dom
had it so good. Manufacturers are offering free-bies
and special data plans even on low-cost devices,
something that was unheard of a while ago. India has
the youngest population in the world and this young
population has a number of aspirations, if limited
budgets. And smartphones that deliver excellent per-formance
at affordable prices are just what it needs.
The budget smartphone revolution has well and truly
arrived in India. And manufacturers can afford to
ignore it only at their peril.

c h i e f speak

www.mymobile.co.in
“Wearable tech is
the next frontier of
growth for technology”
It has been a busy time for Sony India. The company has been
launching a plethora of devices ranging from smartpones
to televisions to cameras. And the man at the centre of all the
action is its amiable Managing Director, Kenichiro Hibi. A man
known for his ability to get the best out of a team and for having an
uncanny sense of what will work in a market, Hibi has been at the
helm at Sony India and has seen the company getting back into the
smartphone limelight and even start to carve a place for itself in the
new wearables market. We caught up with him to find out about
Sony’s latest devices and what to expect next from the company.
Nimish Dubey
Let us start with the latest flagship - the
Xperia Z2. What has been the response of the
market to it, in India? The Xperia Z2 is the
flagship smartphone device from Sony for this
year and successor of the critically acclaimed
Xperia Z1. The device was first unveiled at the
prestigious Mobile World Congress 2014 and gar-nered
accolades globally. Xperia Z2 was launched
in India in May, 2014 and received an encourag-ing
response in the market. The device has been
highly appreciated for its unique features and
design. Further, bundling with SmartBand has
helped Xperia Z2 create a distinct position in the
market. Within a short span of time, the flagship
device has sold a remarkable number of units and
sales continue to soar. We are confident that the
device will surpass the success of its predecessor,
Xperia Z1.
If you had to single out a single feature that you
really liked in the Xperia Z2, which would it be?
The Sony Xperia Z2 is a feature-rich phone and
offers best of Sony in design, quality and features.
I have personally been using the device for a while
now and have found all the features unique and
highly beneficial. That said, I find the 4K video
recording exceptionally useful as it helps me cap-ture
stunning videos.
They might not have got as much attention as
the Z2, but Sony has also released devices like
the Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia E1, which
are targeted at different price segments. Do you
intend to continue on a similar line with differ-ent
products for different price segments? This
year we are going to extend the Xperia lineup with
thirty new models. Our smartphone range will
include a few models that will be priced sub-Rs.
10,000, going right up to the premium category.
The strategy will help us cover a wider spectrum
of the booming market. That said, we would con-tinue
to maintain our premium positioning in the
market. Even in the sub-Rs. 10,000 segment, Sony
will continue to offer a premium proposition and
will retain its proposition of offering the best in
design, quality and features.
Your decision to bundle the SmartBand with
the Z2 has surprised many people. What was
the rationale for it? Also, do you think that this
is the best way ahead - to bundle wearable tech
with devices that work with them? Wearable
tech is the next frontier of growth for technology
and the category has witnessed immense activity
in the recent past. While in India the market for
wearable tech is at a nascent stage, globally the
category is growing with leaps and bounds. One

c h i e f speak
of the reasons why the technology has not
had wider adoption in India is the cost factor
and lack of awareness. That said, owing to its
unique proposition and utility, the category
has a great potential.
The idea behind bundling the SmartBand
with Xperia Z2 as part of a limited period
offer was to create a critical mass for the
technology and cultivate the emerging mar-ket.
The offer has been well-received by
our customers and has helped Sony create
a distinct positioning in a cluttered market.
Beginning June 2014, we have also started
selling the SmartBand separately to help
other Android users benefit from this unique
smart device.
Staying with wearables, Sony has now
got three wearables in the market - two
that are SmartWatches and one which
is a SmartBand. Don’t you think this
approach might confuse the consumer?
Xperia SmartWear wearable technology
lets you stay on top of things that matter.
It interacts with your smartphone or tablet
and lets you see your life as you live it. Both
our SmartWatches and the SmartBand are
innovative and unique in their own way. Sony
SmartWatch, the Android compatible watch
keeps you discreetly updated and your hands
free. Like a mini version of your smartphone,
SmartWatch reflects what is happening in
your world and updates you on your calls,
messages and even social media updates.
The SmartBand on the other hand is an
innovative life logging wrist band that lets
you keep track of everything you do – your
movements, your communications, your
entertainment. One can log special moments
Calling
Kenichiro Hibo
and watch their life played back to them on
their Android smartphone or tablet. As men-tioned
above, both these devices are built on
advanced technology and provide differenti-ated
user experience.
Back to the Z series, one of its notable fea-tures
has been the fact that it is dust and
water resistant. What is the reason for this
stress on ruggedness? How have consum-ers
responded to it? India is known for its
diverse and often unpredictable weather.
Taking India’s weather conditions into
consideration, the Xperia Z series’ water-resistance
is of great value. Further, for those
who lead an active lifestyle and are prone to
pollution and dust, the phones in the Xperia
Z series come with a dust resistant body.
Having addressed these two distinct lifestyle
needs, we have received an encouraging
response to the Xperia Z series from our
customers.
Staying with the dust and water resistance,
you have managed to incorporate these
two qualities in the Z series without seem-ing
to compromise on appearance - rug-ged
devices were supposed to look ‘ugly.’
How do you address the challenge of being
tough while being beautiful? It is Sony’s
continuous endeavor to create products that
have cutting edge technology yet are stun-ningly
beautiful. Sony Xperia range comes
with the critically acclaimed OmniBalance
design. This principle of OmniBalance is
embodied in the design execution of our
smartphones – a minimalistic form where
only the essentials remain, with balance and
symmetry throughout. It is essentially a plate
of glass that has the edges and corners soft-ened
and strengthened in an encasing frame.
The handsets with water and dust-proof
abilities can be immersed in water and take
a pounding in a dust-filled environment and
they still maintain beautiful design and body.
We have not heard much from Sony on
the tablet market of late. Any reason for
this, or have we missed out something? We
are constantly looking to include innovative
technologies and upgrade our products to
offer the best user experience. Last year, we
launched Xperia Tablet Z and we will soon
have a successor of the tablet in the market.
Any plans to come out with a Windows
Phone in the coming days, or are you stick-ing
to Android in the smartphone segment?
For now, our focus is on Android phones.
There is a feeling that thanks to devices
like the Moto G, the Moto E and Sony’s
own Xperia E, smartphone prices are due
to come down in general. Do you think this
is likely to happen? Smartphone is a very
competitive category. In my opinion, there
will always be a price range starting from
entry level, to the premium segment, each
catering to a different segment of customers.
Finally, what can we expect from Sony in
the coming days, in India? For this year, we
have an interesting mix of products lined-up
for the India market. We are aggressively
focusing on the smartphone category and
planning to launch over 30 handsets this
year, which will offer the best in design, qual-ity
and features. We have introduced several
innovations in smartphones starting with the
launch of Sony Xperia Z last year, and you
can expect that trend to continue. n
First phone:
Sony Ericsson W800
Currently using:
Sony’s recently
launched Xperia Z2
and the Smartband
Favourite food:
South Indian (Dosas)
Loves watching:
Bollywood films (and
he can sing too!)

consumer forum
Complaint 1
I asked for the deactivation of international
roaming from my number on 9 April, 2014
as it wasn’t worth it. I have been paying the
rental for the last two years but the number
doesn’t work. Every time I start it, it asks me
to visit the nearest Vodafone centre. Where
can I find a Vodafone office outside India?
Finally, when I came back to India, I went to
Vodafone’s office and asked them to deacti-vate
the international roaming and change
the plan. They asked me to call
the customer care and request
for the changes. I called up and
asked them to do so. After two
days, I called them again and
I was told that the plan was
changed and international roam-ing
deactivated. But when my
bill arrived, it shows I have been
charged for international roam-ing
as well as data. What kind
of poor service is this? If I go to
Vodafone, they will again give a
foolish excuse or ask me to visit
their office again.
-Dheeraj
Vodafone’s response: Awaited
Complaint 2
I bought a HTC Desire V in
December 2012 from Raipur,
Chhattisgarh. The handset
restarts automatically on a
daily basis and hangs when
restarted. I contacted cus-tomer
care and they told
me to take the device to
a service centre. When
I went to the service
centre I was told it was a
minor problem. The prob-lem
started again in December
2013 and I gave the mobile
phone to the HTC service
centre again. They corrected it
and returned it but within ten
days the problem came back. I
was told to deposit it again so
it could be sent to Mumbai for
repair. I was given a repair quo-tation
of around Rs 10,000 and was told that
the phone’s mother board and screen were
dead. If the issue isn’t resolved soon, I will be
forced to take some legal action. Please help
me in this matter.
-Ananya Jain
HTC’s response: Unable to locate phone
details, please provide serial number, IMEI
number and a scan copy of the invoice bill.
Ananya’s response: Details have been pro-vided.
HTC’s response: Warranty is valid from the
date of purchase till twelve months. The war-ranty
policy imposes the repair
charges and hence charges will
be applicable for the phone
which is out of warranty.
Complaint 3
I asked my Airtel 4G number to be discon-nected
as I was not getting proper connec-tivity
at my residence, even though I was
assured that this problem will be resolved
by December 2013. I also asked to be moved
to a lower tariff plan but it hasn’t been done.
I was also told that in a non-4G area like
Bihar/ Jharkhand/ North East, I would get 3G
connectivity, but in reality I am getting 2G
connectivity. I told them to disconnect the
service or I won’t pay the bills. The customer
care registered the complaint. In spite of stat-ing
things clearly, I am still getting bills for it.
-Shaunak Basu
Airtel’s response: Awaited
Complaint 4
I bought a Nokia Lumia 720 but it soon start-ed
having problems. I gave it to Kamakhaya
Communication in Guwahati for repair but
had to follow up with them over 15 times to
get it back. I was told that the handset was
sent to the Gurgaon Nokia care. After I got
it back, the problem returned in 2-3 days.
The last time it arrived, its condition was too
pathetic to be used. So I left it at the Nokia
Care centre for further repair. I am a Nokia
user for more than seven years, but I was
never treated like this before. The phone is in
such a bad state that I can’t even sell it. I am
fed up with Nokia’s service and want them to
return my handset in working condition as it
was when I first submitted it to them.
-Biswajeet Lahon
Nokia’s response: Awaited
Complaint 5
I purchased Spice MI422 in Aug 2013 from
Home Shop 18. It was getting discharged with-in
an hour of full charge. I went to the service
centre and they asked me to collect a new
battery after 15 days. When I called them
after 15 days they asked me to wait for two
more days. When I scolded them they
gave me some other phone’s battery
for the time being and promised me
a new battery soon. Now they are
saying that no battery is coming for
that model and asked me to take the
matter to some other official but
the official is not picking up
the phone.
-Ankit Kumar Raj
Spice’s Response: Awaited.
Are you being harassed by a Telco that doesn’t
hear your plea? Email your issues to
consumer-forum@my
mobile.co.in and we will take up your cause
with the concerned company. Kindly mention
your contact number at the end of the Email so
that we can get in touch with you. Whenever
possible, also provide us complete details of the
correspondence with the Telco.

fac e to fac e
“Flickr is an ecosystem”
Most photography enthusiasts swear
by Flickr, the social network that lets
you share images without compromising on quality.
Yahoo recently launched Flickr 3.0, adding new
features. Bernardo Hernandez, the Head of Flickr,
Yahoo Inc, shares what makes the new app - and
indeed Flickr as a service - special for consumers
around the world. Nimish Dubey
Tell us a bit about the new version of Flickr.
What’s new in it? Taking photos is one of our
users’ most engaging daily habits, especially
with so many powerful cameras we are sur-rounded
with, one being our own mobile
phone. We are constantly listening to what our
users want and some of the features that we
introduced in the Flickr 3.0 version are a result
of that.
Flickr’s redesigned version for iPhone, iPod
touch and Android apps makes it faster and
easier to capture, share, and discover beauti-ful
photos and videos. We have added a new
mobile video option that allows you to record
up to 30 seconds of stunning HD video using
the same live filters available with photos. You
can also customize your video by adding dif-ferent
segments of footage and if you record
a segment that you don’t like, you can simply
remove it with one tap. But if you want to
upload video from your camera roll, you can
upload up to three minutes of video.
The new version now comes with a more
intelligent search engine, as well as improved
auto-tagging, so you can quickly find what
you’re looking for, no matter how many photos
32 MYMOBILE July 2014
you have. The speed at which you can browse
through photographs has increased exponen-tially.
Sharing photos on Flickr is also easier
than ever. Using batch organization and our
enhanced sharing features, you can share any
of your photos from Flickr directly to Tumblr,
Twitter and Facebook. We’re also helping you
discover more about the photo itself with an
enhanced information screen. Find out where
the photo was taken and which camera and
lens were used to create each shot. You’ll
uncover the story behind the photo and gain
valuable insights to elevate your own skills!
Which is your own favourite feature? My
own favorite feature in the new Flickr is the
auto-upload.
There are so many image sharing services
and applications in the world. Why should
someone use Flickr then? The Flickr mobile
app puts the photo and quality of image first
and allows you to share, organize, search and
manage your photos from wherever you are to
keeping them safe forever. Here are just a few
of the reasons users around the world come to
Flickr everyday -
n Flickr is designed to put photos at the cen-ter
of your experience with enough space to
interact with and enjoy a lifetime of memo-ries.
With one terabyte of free space for
everyone, Flickr gives you a lifelong home
for your photos in high resolution.
n Flickr maintains the original photo quality
so every photo you edit and share looks
as crisp and clear as the original picture,
whether you zoom in on the smallest details
or zoom out to see the whole image.
n It is designed to display images beautifully
and on any screen.
n The back side of every photo includes
details like camera-type, lighting, and
location.
Flickr is an ecosystem that includes so much
-- a Web experience, 2 million groups for
every daily habit --whether it’s taking photos
of your cupcakes or looking for places to go in
Barcelona.
One thing that we have noticed is that a per-son
now needs a Yahoo account to be able to
access Flickr, and can no longer log in from
Facebook. Why has this happened? Yahoo
is continually working on improving the user
experience, which includes our sign-in process
for Flickr. This new process, which now asks
users to sign in with a Yahoo username, will
allow us to offer the best personalized experi-ence
to everyone.
Many consider that Nokia’s Lumia range of
phones have the best cameras. However, the
Flickr app for Windows Phone has not been
updated for a while. When can we expect
a new Flickr app for Windows devices? At
Yahoo we are concentrating on the platforms
with user growth. Those platforms are iOS
and Android for now.
Finally, what next can we expect from
Flickr? We are continuously focused on mak-ing
Flickr better. You’ll certainly see even more
enhanced user-experience, an easier interface
and more powerful features to upload, manage
and share your pictures. n
Calling Bernardo Hernandez
Phone currently using: I use both iOS
and Android phones.
First phone: It was a Motorola
Current ringtone: No ring tone :)
Favourite game: Prince of Persia, Retro
Favourite app (other than Flickr): Yahoo
News Digest

(
Nufront is a global leading IC designer
We provide turn-key solutions:
‡Application Processor (NS115)
‡GSM / WCDMA Dual-mode Baseband Processor (TL7619)
‡Wi-Fi baseband, RF and MCU 3in1 SoC (NL6621)
‡AP + BP SoC (TL7689)
www.nufront.com

(4.8$%.#BTFCBOE$IJQ
5FMJOL
)JHI1FSGPSNBODFBOE-PX$PTU2VBEDPSF1

#14P$
(
5FMJOL
‡Support GSM/WCDMA dual mode
‡Support HSPA, Downlink 14.4Mbps and Uplink 5.76Mbps
‡Low power consumption, long standby time
‡The best cost effective solution based on the most advanced architecture
‡Application：
3G module Data Card MIFI Router
‡Quad Core AP+BP SoC solution
‡GSM/WCDMA Dual-mode, support HSPA+ 21 Mbps/5.76Mbps
‡Dual-Camera support up to 12MP
‡1080p Full HD display and Hardware decoding
‡Application：
MID Smartphone

Telecom Equipment Manufacturers’ Association of India

spot l i g h t
Core Issues:
Multi-Core Processors
They used to
be seen mainly
in computers,
but are now
becoming an
integral part of
smartphones,
and indeed a
crucial parameter
of purchase
for many. But
are multi-core
processors making
as much of a
difference to the
user experience as
some claim? Or are
they just marketing
hype? We take a
closer look.
Abhijit Ahskar
A new specification has been added to
the smartphone spec sheet in recent
times, joining the likes of display
resolution, megapixels, storage, RAM, and
connectivity options - the number of cores
in the processor in a smartphone. Yes,
we had heard of multi-core processors in
PCs, but over the past two years, they have
become part and parcel of smartphone-speak.
Whether a phone has a dual core
or a quad-core processor is increasingly
becoming the reason for accepting or
rejecting it, and manufacturers are upping
the ante by talking of hecta and octa core
processors.
Which might seem progressive on
paper, but begs the question: can we really
tell the difference between a quad-core
processor and a dual-core processor? A lot
of people that we have come across tend
to believe that a handset with a quad-core
processor will work faster than a handset
with a dual-core processor. This might
seem logical - after all, more cores should
mean more efficient operation - but does
not actually happen all the time. Even as
the competition was talking of octa core
processors, Nokia’s powerful Lumia 1020
device with a 41.0-megapixel camera sensor
worked very well with a dual core proces-sor.
Similarly, Lenovo’s K900 was powered
by an Intel dual core processor and yet
the phone worked a lot faster than many
quad core devices. Then there is the mat-ter
of the likes of the iPhone, which is still
powered by a dual core processor, but is
considered by many to be the best phone in
the world. So do cores in processors mat-ter?
We decided to get into the core of the
matter. Pun intended.
The need for multiple cores
The processor is one of the most important
components of a smartphone’s hardware.
It is responsible for almost everything that
your phone does and today that includes
everything that at one time could be done
only by a PC. Modern day phones have
so many tasks to perform (Web browsing,
video chatting, gaming, multimedia play-back,
video recording) and to handle them
better manufacturers decided to make their
processors more efficient and powerful
by adding more cores to them. The logic
was simple: more cores our smartphones
could finish tasks in lesser time compared
to single core devices. Having more cores
means your job would be finished faster as
the onus to carry it out is not on a single
core but is divided among several but that
alone can never guarantee a great user
experience.
Nishant Goyal, head of sales, consumer
and mobile, NVIDIA South Asia agrees
with this. “Smartphones and tablets are no
longer used just for phone calls, messag-ing.
Mobile applications for PC-class use
cases such as photo editing, word process-ing,
multi-tabbed web browsing, modern
graphics-rich gaming and multi-tasking
are now available for them and are push-ing
the performance requirements of these
devices. Which is why modern day mobile
SoCs (system-on-chip) include several key
enhancements that deliver higher perfor-mance
for the next generation of mobile
applications.”
Just a matter of hype?
But there are many who feel that the talk
of multiple cores is more about hype than

www.mymobile.co.in

spot l i g h t
actual consumer benefit. Stephen Elop of
Microsoft once said that the so-called dual
core and quad cores can only waste batter-ies,
and are not always useful for consumers.
Indeed, Nokia was one of the few companies
that did not get into the multi-core proces-sor
wars and showed how single and dual
core device could handle most consumer
tasks with ease. Its two flagship devices, the
Lumia 920 and Lumia 1020 were both dual
core affairs and won rave reviews for their
performance.
Michelle Leyden-Li, Senior Director,
Marketing, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies
does not believe in the notion of counting
CPU cores. She says, “True heterogeneous
computing goes well beyond the CPU, utiliz-ing
the full spectrum of diverse and special-ized
processors within the modern mobile
SoC, including connectivity, GPU, low
power and multimedia cores. The unique
capabilities of each of these engines can be
used together to ensure that the right task
is assigned to the most efficient processor
for the job, maximizing the performance
and power efficiency beyond what could be
accomplished on a general computing CPU
core alone.”
Dr. Finbarr Moynihan, General Manager,
Sales and Marketing, MediaTek, also points
out that user experience is more important
than just adding cores. He says, “What we
have tried to do is just not about the cores.
With the new platform, we have tried to
focus on giving users better graphics, cam-era,
higher resolution displays, new multi-media
video features, so when a consumer
picks up the phone, the overall user experi-ence
will be much better. It is not about the
cores all the time. For some apps it is and for
some it isn’t.”
More cores = Better experi-ence?
Not always
Indeed, number of cores in a processor can
make a difference in a phone’s performance,
but there are other factors that comes into
play too, such as internal memory, amount
of RAM, Cortex version For example, if the
amount of RAM is low, the device will not be
able to handle multiple tasks well. Similarly
if the internal memory is not enough the
device will eventually slow down once the
internal memory will fill. Harmony between
the software and hardware is also essential
to make sure the handset’s multiple cores
are used efficiently. If the software does not
support multi-threading, even an eight core
processor will not make much difference
to its performance. Multithreading means
assigning each core a task. So if your hand-set
has a dedicated core for battery it will
nit handle it unless your software supports
multi-threading. GPU (graphics processing
unit) is equally important as it can greatly
enhance your handset’s performance. GPU
works as an additional processor to the CPU
and can be more effective than the latter
when it comes to handling heavy graphics.
Gaming on mobile phones is becoming as
popular as gaming on other platforms and
we can see some of the leading gaming titles
being launched on mobile phones. Some of
these games are highly graphic intensive and
without a dedicated GPU, even an octa-core
processor will be of little use.
It has been seen that dual-core and
quad-core phones can handle most routine
consumer tasks quite well - e-mail, social
networks, Web browsing, casual gaming
and so on. More cores may make a phone
more powerful but it is quite possible that a
user may not even be using that additional
power as there are not enough apps or tasks
that would make full use of the many cores
in a device.
Mobile manufacturers concede that
number of cores alone is not enough to

www.mymobile.co.in
guarantee a smooth performance but it is
certainly important as it can bring about a
sizeable difference to a user’s experience.
Ashish Aggarwal, Director of Karbonn
Mobiles, an Indian mobile brand which owns
a number of multi-core devices, says, “The
performance of a device depends on every-thing
from its base chipset and battery to its
operating system and processor architecture.
But as use cases evolve in complexity, it gets
increasingly harder for a dual-core device to
deal with a tidal wave of heavy multitasking
conditions, high-definition games and multi-faceted
website content. Multi-core devices
offer an evidently faster performance by
using parallel computing approaches to deal
with the variety of tasks and applications
running on a smartphone.”
Forget the cores, consider
the experience
The smartphone industry might have gone a
bit overboard with the multiple core proces-sor
phenomenon. Many feel that simply add-ing
cores and ignoring the user experience
could prove counter productive in the long
run for many manufacturers. Indeed, at the
time of writing, there were manufacturers
offering quad core processor devices at pric-es
as low as Rs 7,000. “It is true that we have
gone from single to dual, dual to quad and
now quad to octacores in only two years. But
we are going to see different things happen-ing.
We will see the use of more Big Little
type architecture. The other thing is going
to be the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit
technology. We will see more of 64-bits and
Big Little becoming the drivers, rather than
cores going up.” says MediaTek’s Dr. Finnbarr
Moynihan.
So the next time you step into a store to
buy a handset, do remember to look beyond
the cores in its processor. A smartphone
is made of a combination of elements and
how well a phone can handle tasks depends
on the harmony between these elements.
The focus should be more on the overall
user experience instead of just the specs. A
phone that has powerful hardware is of little
use if it does not work well. n
The ARM architecture Angle
ARM is the leading provider of microprocessor technology in smartphones. It devel-ops
ARM instructions and architecture for its products. One of them is the System on
Chip or SoC architecture that is used in most modern day smartphones, except those
running on Intel processors. ARM provides licenses to this architecture to chip manu-facturing
companies such as NVIDIA, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and many more partners.
ARM owns a wide range of processor architectures known as Cortex , under Cortex
A, Cortex R and Cortex M series. The Cortex A is a 32-bit architecture and is used in
smartphones, e-book readers and tablets. The Cortex A7 and Cotex A5 in the A series
are known for their high efficiency and are generally found in low-cost smartphones.
The Cortex A8 and Cortex A9 are known as high performance solutions and are shipped
in millions of handsets every year. The Cortex A12 is a mid-range product known for
its high performance, while the Cortex A15 is the most efficient mid-range product and
is being used in most high-end flagships. ARM’s 32-bit SoC is supposed to be the most
used architecture in mobile devices. Last year the company also added a 64-bit SoC to
its portfolio and launched it first with Apple iPhone 5s. So, when you are going to buy
your next phone, do pay attention to the type of Cortex architecture it has as well.
A 64-bit processor can process large amount of data more efficiently than a 32-bit
processor, making the same features run better and faster. Other brands have showed
interest in it too. But brands based on Android could find it a challenge as that would
require Google to tweak Android to make the most of 64-bit architecture. It has not
done so far, which is the reason why at the time of writing, no one except Apple has
managed to launch devices with 64-bit SoC.

c e l l c lues
Buying Guide:
Mobile Phone Covers
Once considered a
luxury and needed
only for expensive
handsets, mobile
phone covers
have become
a necessary
accessory
today. With the
proliferation of
touchscreens
and emergence
of designer
options, these
are considered
important not just
for protection but
are also emerging
as fashion
statements. But
how do you choose
a cover for your
phone? Here’s our
simple guide for
you. Binni Rawat

www.mymobile.co.in
They were always around (remember how Nokia
bundled one with the early editions of the N95?),
but phone covers went mainstream with a ven-geance
as soon the smartphone world went all touchy,
thanks to the touchscreen revolution. Suddenly protect-ing
those large displays was important, especially as
phones also began to get more fragile, and glass began
to be used as a key component. What’s more, with the
smartphone revolution, the cover also became a bit of
a fashion statement and people who could not afford to
change phones, tries to compensate by changing cov-ers,
thus disguising its appearance.
Types of phone covers
The market today is flooded with several kinds of
mobile phone covers. Choosing a phone cover is as dif-ficult
as choosing a phone, and too many options just
add on to the confusion. Here are some of the more
popular types of covers in the market:
Flip or wallet covers: These covers are perfect
for someone who wants to team up style with
protection. There is a range of flip or wal-let
covers available, the most common
being the front leather flap cover and
plastic back panel. The flap cover
is smooth and prevents your
screen from scratches and
cracks, while the back panel
is fitted to the phone
protecting it. We also
have foldable flip cov-ers
nowadays where
the flap turns into a
stand.
Sleeves or
pouches: Sleeves
and pouches
are more com-mon
with big
screen devices
like tablets,
notebooks or
laptops but
some people
prefer sleeves
or pouches for
their mobile
phones as
well. These
are made up of
soft leather or
soft and thick
fabric that fits to
the device and are
a sort of envelop
into which the phone
can be placed. Some
people might find them
a bit inconvenient as one
has to pull the device out
all the time, but they cover
the complete phone, unlike
some others which leave some of
the ports exposed. Also, they can be
slightly more expensive than other regu-lar
cases and covers owing to their fabric
and leather components.
Fitted cases and skins: These are the most popu-lar
types of covers used these days. Fitted cases grip
around the device on all four corners cushioning it on
both sides. On the other hand, there are skins that add
on to the visual appeal of a device and may not provide
any extra protection except to its back panel. We have
soft and padded skins in the market along with water-proof
ones for keeping your device safe. There are also
covers available in the market that not only shield your
phone but also add on to its looks and also have those
mini stands in them.
Phone charging covers: These can be a blessing in
disguise to many of us. Smartphones run out of juice
very often and these charging covers play the role of
portable chargers, charging your device without your
having to connect them to a separate portable charger.
There is no wire dangling and charging the phone
becomes so much easier. One can easily walk around
with their devices while it is being charged and even
use them as usual. And of course, being a cover, it also
protects the mobile phone.
Smart covers: These are relative newcomers in the
cover category, and actually attempt to add some func-tionality
to your phones. The most popular are those
that switch the display on and off when they cover and
uncover the phone. But a number of firms are going
beyond that as well. Imagine monitoring your heart
rate, measuring diabetes levels and an ECG test, all
via a smart cover? Azoi launched a smart cover, Wello,
which lets you do just that.
Things to keep in mind before
buying a cover
There are a few things that users must keep
in mind before they opt for a particular phone
cover:
1. The material with which it is made. Manufacturers
use different sorts of materials for different cases,
like the silicone cover, polycarbonate cover, metal
cover, leather case, plastic cover, carbon fiber case
and others. Pick the one that you think will protect
your phone the best.
2. A cover should not be very bulky as it tends to
make the device heavier and the purpose of buying
a sleek phone gets defeated. This is a tricky task as
the heavier covers do tend to provide better protec-tion
while the sleek ones tend to be less tough. Your
task is to find the golden mean.
3. Buy a cover that blends with the appearance of your
device and does not detract from it.
4. As in the case with everything else, it makes sense
to pay a bit extra and go for a cover from an estab-lished
company that comes with a warranty instead
of a cheaper one. Phone protection does not come
cheap.
For all their popularity, however, there are some
who insist that phone covers are unnecessary.
They believe that putting a cover on your phone
makes it look bulky and is of little help in the case
of really tough falls. Nokia went to the extent of
actually dropping one of their phones on stage to show
how tough they were. Both sides to the argument have
their merits, but in most cases, we would advocate
spending on a good cover. After all, phones are so
essential to our lives these days. Surely they deserve a
bit of protection? n
binni@mymobile.co.in
Suddenly
protecting
those large
displays was
important,
especially
as phones
also began
to get more
fragile,
and glass
began to be
used as a key
component.
What’s more,
with the
smartphone
revolution,
the cover
also became
a bit of a
fashion
statement
and people
who could
not afford
to change
phones,
tries to
compensate
by changing
covers, thus
disguising its
appearance.

fac e to fac e
“LTE will drive adoption of 3G”
In a country where 3G penetration
is still very low, talking about 4G
may seem unrealistic but the proponents
of the technology feel otherwise. Ranjan
Sharma, Director Technical and Commercial,
ZTE Telecom India has been working closely
with Indian operators to drive the adoption
of 4G. He feels LTE will not only boost
Internet penetration but will also lead to
growth in GDP. Abhijit Ahaskar
What role has ZTE played in the
deployment of LTE in India? ZTE has
been actively engaged with all the opera-tors
in the LTE segment. India was lagging
in 2G and is still trying to catch up with
3G. In the case of LTE, India is seeing it at
the same time it is being launched in other
countries. Our situation was similar. When
2G was there, we had the solution but we
didn’t see so many deployments. In 3G, we
are catching up but in 4G we are taking a
lead. In India, we were the first infrastruc-ture
provider to give LTE solutions. Now,
we are working aggressively with all
operators in India, not just in TDD LTE but
in FDD LTE also.
3G penetration is low as a lot of users are
still using 2G. Don’t you think that we are
not ready for 4G? Actually LTE will work
as catalyst and drive adoption of 3G. When
people will start using LTE, others who
can’t afford LTE will buy 3G and like this
the penetration of 3G will improve. 3G has
a good ecosystem even if the pace is a little
slow, but when people will start getting
used to it, the pickup will be very fast. If
you remember the 2G GSM race, call rates
used to be as high as Rs 21 and users had
42 MYMOBILE July 2014
to pay for incoming call too. At that time,
nobody thought that we would achieve 74
per cent penetration so soon. The last six
months and one year have been very good
for 3G and in times to come 3G penetration
is going to increase further.
Should a user worry about jargon like
TDD, LTE or the amount of spectrum
before going for 4G? From a technology
perspective, TDD LTE is already there.
TDD LTE has 20MHz of spectrum which
is good enough and in case of FDD, opera-tors
have 5+5MHz of spectrum, with five
for uploading and the other five for down-loading.
So for providing hotspot capacity
wherever TDD LTE is available, the net-work
will reselect to the Hotspot technol-ogy,
i.e., TDD technology, so that they can
get better redirects. If the hotspot
technology is not available, the network
will fall back to FDD. The end user will
not even know whether it is TDD or FDD.
All of this will be smoothly taken care of
so that the end user will get a seamless
experience.
What are the challenges facing success-ful
deployment of 4G in India? Firstly, it
is the device ecosystem, affordability and
the price plans that operators can offer.
Secondly, there is volume of spectrum
and the cost of spectrum. If the price of
spectrum is high, the business case will fall
apart. Thirdly, having a good backbone is
important. You may do a lot on the access
side but if you don’t have a strong backhaul
you can’t run the services. These are some
of the challenges that we faced and prob-ably
will continue to face in the future.
In a market like India people are very
conscious about prices. How long will it
take for 4G to become affordable? It is
difficult to predict how long it will take
for 4G to become affordable. But,
considering that users are more aware of
what they can do with a phone, we think,
once people start getting used to it, 4G
will pick up very fast and the ecosystem
will also improve. In China deployments
are already happening as we speak on a
much bigger scale. Once China picks up
more customers, the overall ecosystem
will improve in both TDD and FDD. India
and China, being the biggest markets, will
drive the whole ecosystem. n

HTC One (E8) The mini
One (M8)
The mini version of HTC One (M8) has been officially
announced. Dubbed as One (E8), and also called Plastic due
to its plastic body, the smartphone will be available in
select markets including China at $448. It is likely to come to India
by the mid of July and will cost somewhere in the vicinity of Rs 35,
000. It is being seen as spin-off version of the more high-profile
One (M8) but given its hardware it is no less than a flagship in its
own right. It features a polycarbonate unibody design and comes
in four colour variants-polar white, electric crimson, Maldives
blue and misty grey. It carries many of the features seen in the
One (M8), like the Motion Launch, HTC BoomSound, HTC Sense
6 UI, and Android KitKat 4.4.2 OS. It comes with a 5-inch display
with full HD screen resolution and a pixel density of 441ppi and is
powered by Qualcomm’s Quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor. It
features a 13.0-megapixel rear camera, a 2.0-megapixel front cam-era
and includes 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory expandable to
up to 128GB, and a 2,600mAh battery. It is a dual SIM phone with
a number of connectivity options like 4G LTE, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0
and GPS. n
Oppo Find 7 The first quad HD
phone in India
Unveiled in India in June, Oppo’s latest flagship is the only smartphone to come with a quad
HD display smartphone after LG G3. The Oppo Find 7, will be available by early July in the
Indian market. Priced at Rs 37,990, which is a price that surprised many people, the Find 7 is
the second high-profile device that has been released by the Chinese manufacturer in India. Its big-gest
attraction is going to be its 5.5-inch Gorilla Glass 3 coated display which has an astonishingly
high screen resolution of 2560x1440 p and pixel density of 538 ppi. It is powered by Qualcomm’s
2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and Adreno 330GPU, and packs in some very serious
hardware: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, a 3,200mAh battery and support for 4G connectivity.
The 13.0-megapixel camera comes
with Sony’s embedded sensor and
supports 4K video recording. All
this in a frame that is made of tita-nium
aluminum alloy, which is
heavier than the magnesium
alloy generally used in smart-phones
with metal body, as it
provides a better grip. n
team@mymobile.co.in
s n e a k peek

j u st i n
The Iris X1 was released soon after the Moto E showed up. It has
been priced in the same range and comes with what seem to be
very impressive specifications on paper. And well, it will turn
heads as well, as it bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone.
However, the similarity is limited to appearance. The Iris X1 has a bigger
screen of 4.5 inches with a much lower screen resolution of 800 x 480.
Most of its features like the 4GB internal memory, microSD card sup-port
of up to 32GB, dual SIM slots, Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radio, 1,800mAh
battery are quite common in this range. What makes it stand out
from the rest of the league are features like the the latest Android
version KitKat 4.4, 1GB RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, 1.2 GHz quad-core
processor from Broadcom, a 1,800mAh battery, 3G support and
dual cameras of 8.0 and 2.0-megapixels on the rear and front
side respectively. All of which make it a serious contender in
the budget smartphone category. Priced at Rs 7,999, the hand-set
comes in black, white, silver, and blue colour variants. n
The Panasonic P81 sees Panasonic get into the big
display octa core processor category. It comes
with a 5.5-inch IPS display with a screen resolu-tion
of 1280x720, which might strike some as being a
bit on the low side in this full HD era, but is actually
very good for most tasks. It runs on what MediaTek
calls a True octa-core processor, which has been seen
in a number of octa-core devices from local vendors.
The processor clock speed is 1.7GHz, while the amount
of RAM is 1GB. Internal memory is 8GB and can be
expanded by 32 GB. A dual SIM device, P81 boasts of a
front-facing camera and a 13 megapixel rear camera. It
has a 2,500mAh battery which is going to be one of its
strong points. It comes with a case over phone flip
cover adding extra protection to it. The handset sup-ports
Wi-Fi, 3G with HSPA+, 2G, GPS, dual SIM and
Bluetooth 3.0. Its an Android handset running on
Android 4.2. It has a faux leather panel quite similar to
that of the Galaxy Note 3, and is available only in black.
The phone is available in the market at Rs 18,990. n
Lava Iris X1 Taking on
the Moto E
Panasonic P81
Panasonic’s Octa Core Play
team@mymobile.co.in

63mm
verdict
124 mm
burntest
Smartphones are coming in all shapes
and sizes, and generally seem to be
getting bigger. And yet the popularity
of small screen phones continues unabated,
as it seems there still are users who are more
comfortable using a compact device, one that
is easy to hold and still get the best out of a
smartphone. Witness the iPhone and Moto
G. The Oppo Joy attempts to follow in the
footprints of these legends. But will it
succeed?
Compact and well built
The Oppo Joy is a good-looking, well-built and
compact smartphone weighing 124 grams, a
little more than the iPhone’s latest edition. Its
compact size makes it handy and the matte
finish and nicely rounded design make it easy
to grip. The front panel includes a 4.0-inch
display with touch keys underneath it which
have been marked in silver. The buttons are
on the side panel where they can be easily
accessed. The display has a thin metallic bezel
around it, which gives it a premium feel. It
has a VGA front camera and a 3.0-megapixel
rear camera. The back panel is removable and
includes a micro SIM slot, a standard SIM slot,
a micro SD slot and a 1,700 mAh battery.
Pros
 Decent looking
display
 Compact and handy
Decent display
The Joy boasts of a 4.0-inch display with
screen resolution of 800 x 480, which is quite
common at this price point but it comes
with very good viewing angles. It also
handled colors very well for a budget
smartphone. It runs on Android 4.2 and has
its own interface called Colour OS. The
interface looks simple but has a lot to
offer. It is light and comes with simple
icons. The interface has been clubbed into
different categories – for instance in settings,
you have sound, general, display placed
separately to make your search easier. Features
like double tapping on the home button to
see all the apps that are running in the back-ground,
and closing them all at one time
instead of doing so one by one are definitely
useful.
Ordinary performer
The handset’s speaker is strong and clear,
which is enough for music playback. However,
the phone has its limitations – it did not
handle games well and had some problems
with a few video files formats. It does handle
most apps well, however, and the battery
back-up is quite respectable – it saw off a day
of use quite comfortably. Though the camera
is just 3.0-megapixels, it comes with flash and
modes like Panorama, beautify, etc., and you
can record videos in 720p too. Picture quality
is decent too.
Conclusion
At this price point the Oppo Joy faces stiff
competition from the likes of Moto E and
Micromax Unite 2. The Oppo Joy scores over
both in appearance and has a decent camera
too. So if you want a good-looking device and
a relatively uncluttered Android experience, it
is not a bad option. But the likes of Micromax
Unite 2 and Moto E surely have an edge over
it in terms of software, display, and processing
muscle power. n
team@mymobile.co.in
Small screen Joy That’s what
the Oppo Joy delivers
Oppo Joy
tech specs
Size | 124 x 63 x 9.9 mm
Weight | 125 grams
Memory | 4GB, MicroSD
OS | Android OS v4.2 Jelly Bean
Screen Size | 4.0-inch, Capacitive
Battery | Li-Ion 1,700 mAh
Talktime/Standby | -/-
GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes
Camera | 3.0-Megapixel
Others | OS interface, Battery man-agement
app
Price: Rs 7,999
Cons
 Lags at times
 Old Android version
Looks 8
Features 7
ease of use 8
perfoRmance 8
value for money 7
76% overall

b u r n t e st
Big and Beautiful HTC ups the phablet
design ante with the Desire 816
Can a phone with a large display look
classy? HTC proves that it can with the
brilliantly designed Desire 816. But will
the consumers bite?
Looks surprisingly good
Mention the word ‘large screen phone’ and the
first image that comes to mind is that of some-thing
larger and unwieldy. For while manu-facturers
have jumped on to the large phone
(also known as phablet) bandwagon, not too
many people have mastered the art of making
these devices look smart. Most end up looking
simply too large for comfort. Even HTC’s first
experiment in this regard, the HTC One Max,
went awry on the design front. However, the
company seems to have learnt its lessons well
for its first relatively lower priced phablet, the
HTC Desire 816. The device will turn heads,
not just for its size, but also for its sleek design.
HTC has managed to keep the thickness of the
Pros
 Good price, decent hardware
 Excellent sound
 Very good design
Cons
 Some may wish for a full HD
display
 Glossy back might attract
smudges
 Battery life remains iffy
HTC Desire 816
tech specs
Size | 156.6 x 78.7 x 8 mm
Weight | 165 grams
Memory | 8GB, microSD
OS | Android OS v4.4
Screen Size | 5.5-inch, Capacitive
Battery | Li-Po 2,600 mAh
Talktime/Standby | Up to 21 hours/
Up to 737 hours
GPRS/3G/BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes
Camera | 13.0-megapixel
Others | Blink feed, HTC sence, Boom
Sound, HTC Zoe
Price: Rs 23,000

My Mobile Mag July 2014

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (6)

Similar to My Mobile Mag July 2014

Similar to My Mobile Mag July 2014 (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

My Mobile Mag July 2014