Smartphone Special…SIZZLING UP THE SEASON
With the HOT Summer season all set to parade down the sub-continent, it is time to introspect on the best smartphones around, to cool off with. Oh yes, didn’t you know – the smartphones of today can literally do anything!
Okay, before we run wild with our imagination about the actual capabilities of Smartphones of today – let us rein in our horses. Let us think clearly about actual functionalities about Smartphones available in the market today. They can let you check the weather, keep you updated on your friends’ Social Networking activities, guide you via maps in new cities, tell you exchange rates for that city, help you book tickets for events, keep you organised, publish and manage your blog, download multimedia on-the-go, act as your personal assistant, act as your virtual wallet and what-name-you!
Yes, most of these features are embedded via apps – and yes, these apps are made by developers who are not working directly for the phone companies. But hey – who’s complaining? If I had to go out to the market and look at the astounding variety of smartphones, I am certain to be overwhelmed with the choices. There are more specs to think about on any given smartphone, than there are digits for its price tag. So why don’t we make it easier for you? Rather than having you sweat it out in the SUMMER HEAT, just sit back and relax. Take a look at these Summer Sizzlers, we have specially hand-picked for you. Based on their OS, these hot gadgets are set to rule the Indian Summer scene!
THE BEST OF BB’s
BOLD 9790
Recently launched by RIM in India, the Bold 5 (as it is popularly known) is all set to take the good work of BlackBerry forward. The touch-and-type form factor has won a lot of admirers for it in the few weeks that it has been on the market, but more than that it is also its excellent build quality and overall functionality of the newly upgraded BB OS 7. We had reviewed this model a few months ago, and even though we criticized the strategy of RIM to announce a new model of every product line every few months, this particular model has got a lot going for it.
It has possibly the best camera of all the BB’s we’ve seen, plus the OS 7 really gives the BB an edge that it was missing over the years. Apps might not be as rich in content, but they are surely and steadily catching up. You can expect the summer to be full of surprises for the Canadian smartphone maker, whether good or bad. The 9790 also has an excellent multimedia player, which can’t be compared to the Samsung’s of the world, but is still pretty good! What is even more exciting to note is that RIM has the newest OS (called OS 10) lined up for roll-out soon. And you can be faily certain that the Bold 5 will get this upgrade as well, since it has all the hardware for a future-looking smartphone.
KEY FEATURES
2.45” TFT Capacitive Touchscreen
5MP Cam with LED Flash
1 Ghz Processor
BlackBerry OS 7
8 GB internal / microSD card support
Curve 9380
A full touch from RIM’s BlackBerry line-up? Well, we were quite surprised too – but glad that BB users will get some variety to choose from. Even though the initial attempts by BB to step into the full-touch domain were not so successful (remember the Storm?) it must be said that RIM has been courageous with their decision with launching the 1st full-touch Curve smartphone. The thing that works in its favour is the fluid BB OS 7 interacts a whole lot better than the older OS’ from RIM. The BB Boys will find reason to cherish and love this smartphone for everything – right from multimedia to business.
Even though this phone does not have a processor as powerful as the Bold 5, it still has enough to please the end-user and ensure there is no lag even when multiple apps are running in the background. Most BB lovers might miss the keypad, but we frankly were never big fans of it anyway. The camera is again faily good, though the Bold does give you sharper images. With a multitude of connectivity options available, this particular sizzler is certain to heat up your imagination!
KEY FEATURES
3.2” TFT Capacitive Touchscreen
5MP Cam with LED Flash
806Mhz Processor
BlackBerry OS 7
512MB internal/microSD card support
THE BEST OF WINDOWS
SAMSUNG OMNIA I8350
With Samsung’s Super AMOLED display being the clear front-runner as the feature on this wonderful smartphone, it is no surprise that the Omnia phone has already been the talk of the town for a while. The Windows 7 OS still remains the only one that looks and feel different from Android, iOS, BB OS’ and Bada. The fluid Tile Interface is a pleasure to use and the overall multimedia and SNS integration is top notch! Plus, this phone doesn’t cost a bomb either – meaning it will be in the range of a whole lof of folks out there.
The snappy 1.4GHz Processor ensures excellent rendition of UI all over and there is no lag while running any number of apps simultaneously. It might take a while to get used to the interface, but once you do – you don’t feel like using any other. With excellent Office Integration into the smartphone, you can expect all your doc,excel and such files to have added functionality that others might not offer, out of the box. The Apps are also catching up in numbers, and we hope Microsoft gives the Indian users the complete Xbox experience in the coming Summer.
KEY FEATURES:
3.7” Super AMOLED Capacitive Touchscreen
5MP Cam with LED Flash
1.4GHz Processor
Windows OS 7.5 – Mango
8GB internal storage/no card slot
NOKIA LUMIA 800
Nokia had almost been a forgotten brand till they launched the Lumia series of phones. The Lumia 800 is expensive, but it still has enough power to push it to the one of the best selling phone on the planet, right now! With the price expected to drop in the coming summer, the Mango OS powered Lumia 800 will undoubedtly make it a clear pick for a whole lot of people looking to spruce up their gadget collection. The excellent build quality only helps to further its stand as one of the better phones to watch out for.
Oh did we mention that the phone has an excellent 8MP cam with dual-LED flash? Plus the hardware is armed with an awesome 1.4GHz Processor with an Adreno 205 GPU, which ensure a seamless and superior multimedia experience. Plus, plenty of additional features like Video+Photo editors, SNS Integration and a lot more – it will give you more than one reason to smile. If there was ever any doubt over Nokia’s capabilities over producing awesome smartphones, then the Lumia 800 has certainly sizzled up the ante.
KEY FEATURES:
3.7” AMOLED Capacitive Touchscreen
8MP Cam with dual-LED flash
1.4GHz Processor
Windows OS 7.5 – Mango
16GB internal/ no card slot
HTC TITAN
With a fabulous 4.7” S-LCD Capacitive touchscreen dominating the presence, look and feel of this Mango powered smartphone from the Taiwanese maker – it is no doubt, that it will catch your attention even when it is kept to the best phones on the market right now. It does have a slightly better processor than the Lumia 800, but the difference is hardly noticeable while browsing through the phone. The major noticeable difference is the impact the huge screen makes, while you are viewing videos/pictures/web – the lot! It is just exceptional – has to be seen to be believed.
The only disadvantage is that the Titan has microSIM card support only, something that has not proved very popular in India so far. Plus, with a much higher price tag compared to the other 2 phones in this category – you can only expect the niche to be able to afford this phone. The Titan also has excellent SNS and Office Integration throughout, which makes it great for pleasure as well as business. Plus, with excellent multimedia capabilities built in to the system, there is no reason to even think of any upgrades till Summer passes on.
KEY FEATURES:
4.7” S-LCD Capacitive Touchscreen
8MP Camera with LED Flash
1.5GHz Processor
Windows OS 7.5 – Mango
16GB storage/no card slot
BEST OF ANDROIDS
SAMSUNG GALAXY NEXUS
Let’s kick things off in the droids with the latest Android OS launched in the market. The 4.65” Galaxy Nexus is loaded with Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) OS from Android, which makes the Nexus the very first smartphone to be released with the OS in-built. The major improvements and face-lift of the OS, coupled with the brilliant display of the phone will surely make the Nexus one of the best phones to watch out for. Talking about the display – the Super AMOLED screen has an awesome resolution of 720×1280, which is almost unheard of amongst all smartphones! Samsung has achieved what few had thought possible, only a few years ago – albeit they may not be the first ones to get there, they certainly do it better than most.
Even though the cam is 5MP (and not 8MP), it does have 1080p recording available for video capture. That naturally means that Full HD video playback is possible on this droid, another feature that will be fully enjoyed by users all over the globe. The Indian Summer will, no doubt, be getting hotter because of this particular smartphone and the other ICS products lined up for release. Not to mention the dual-core 1.2GHz Processor, which makes things so smooth – that you simply want to keep using the phone over and over! Plus, the GPU lends it an added tooth to its armoury, making this one of the best smartphones to watch out for in the months to come.
KEY FEATURES:
4.65” Super AMOLED Capacitive Touchscreen
5MP cam with LED Flash
1.2GHz Dual-Core Processor
Andoird OS – Ice Cream Sandwich
16GB internal/ no card slot
MOTOROLA ATRIX 2
The impressive Atrix line-up became even more popular, because of the HD docks that were available with the smartphone. These allowed the user to use their smartphone almost like a laptop, or an HD dock – as they wished! Though the accessories were sold seperately, they did become very popular – and the Atrix 2 is here to set things rolling again. It’s hard to say if the Atrix series will revive things for Moto, the same way the Lumia has done for Nokia. But, we hope for the best – as Motorola certainly deserves the praise for this particular line-up.
The Atrix 2 is also powered by a dual-core processor which ensure that things are running as smoothly as you’d expect from a top-notch phone with a premium price tag attached to it. There is no room to complain about in the multimedia department, as HD support as well as excellent audio/video format support means that users can have an excellent experience overall, while using the Atrix 2. The OS may not be ICS, but Gingerbread’s version of Android works just fine and there is little left to want in the App’s department. The excellent 8MP snapper will win over audience and ensure you can capture your moments in the sun with crystal clarity.
KEY FEATURES:
4.3” TFT Capacitive Touchscreen
8MP cam with LED Flash
1GHz Dual-core Processor
Android OS – Gingerbread
8GB internal/ microSD card support
HTC SENSATION XE
The tie-up with Beats Audio has certainly worked in favour of HTC, as the Taiwanese Smartphone maker has gone from strength to strength to stamp its role as a major player in the market. Even though their products were loved and appreciated, when it came to multimedia – it seemed to lag behind the competition a bit. But now things are different, and we couldn’t tell you how much the Beats Audio earphone are a joy to use. You really ought to use it once to feel the difference in experience. The 8MP snapper with dual-LED flash is quite good, though not the best in the category – it will still do a decent job outdoors and in well lit rooms.
Hardware is another strong point of the Xtended Audio Sensation phone – with a dual-core 1.5GHz Scorpio Processor powering on the phone, to newer heights. The in-built Android version was Gingerbread, but HTC has confirmed that it will recieve the ICS upgrade in due time. That should certainly make this summer sizzler even hotter, and should put it in everyone’s purchase list.
KEY FEATURES:
4.3” S-LCD Capacitive Touchscreen
8MP cam with dual-LED flash
1.5GHz dual-core processor
Android OS – Gingerbread
4GB internal/microSD card slot
SONY XPERIA ION
Now that Sony is venturing out in its own, it will be interesting to see the Japanese major’s strategy to release its product with a keen eye on the smartphone market. The Xperia Ion will be released with the Gingerbread OS in-built, but Sony has confirmed the upgrade to ICS will be possible in the near future. We are expecting to see this product launched in India, only by late summer – so let’s hope it creates the right waves. The excellent spec sheet includes an awesome LED-backlit LCD display with a resolution of 720×1280 on a 4.55” screen, lending it a splendid 323 ppi (pixels per inch). This is only slightly lower than the fabulous iPhone 4S.
Oh, did we mention that the ion will feature a 12MP cam with LED flash. More than clarity, it will ensure bigger pictures that you can perhaps take prints from, and frame later. It will also be an LTE enabled device, making it perhaps the very first Sony product to be LTE enabled. Of course, Indians might have to wait a while till 4G rolls out here, but there is no shortage of features on this awesome device. The dual-core 1.5GHz Processor should ensure that there is absolutely no lag while browsing through the phone and it will also have a GPU to assist with graphic rendering.
KEY FEATURES:
4.55” LED-backlit LCD Capacitive Touchscreen
12MP cam with LED flash
1.5GHz dual-core Processor
Android OS – Gingerbread
16GB internal/micro SD card slot
MICROMAX A85
How about an affordable dual-core Android smartphone? Oh yes, by reducing the price of the A85 down to about 15K, Micromax has thrown the gauntlet to other smartphone makers to reduce the prices of their products. But, it’s not just that. The Tegra 2 powered smartphone has amazing fluidity, which lets you zip-zap throughout the Froyo UI without any lag whatsoever. The chipset is also assisted with a 512MB RAM and plenty of connectivity options that will perhaps outdo any pricier competition you can think of.
The other great thing about this droid is the excellent multimedia capability. But if you leave too many apps running, plus keep surfing the web over Wi-Fi, the battery does tend to drain quickly. The 5MP snapper does not have flash either, but for overall usability – it is quite good. The Document Editor will keep the business folks happy and overall SNS integration, along-with the trusty Google Apps integration will keep the entertain lovers hooked on.
KEY FEATURES:
3.8” TFT capacitive touchscreen
5MP camera without flash
1GHz dual-core Processor
Android OS – Froyo
8GB internal/micro SD card slot
SAMSUNG GALAXY ACE 2
The original Galaxy Ace proved to be quite a hit amongst the young and restless in India, so we can expect only better things from the sequel. It has already released in the UK and the Indian release is to follow in late summer, so we are hoping that the Gingerbread powered Ace 2 can prove to be another winner in Samsung’s reportoire. The sequel is set to get a better display with a PLS TFT capacitive touchscreen, with a better resolution to boot – 480×800. With an upgraded internal memory of 4GB to boot, there is much to cheer about.
The 5MP snapper might be the same, but video recording will now be at 720p @ 30fps. To support all the upgrade in specs, Samsung has gone ahead and powered the phone with a dual-core 800 Mhz Processor – which sounds like a first, as all previous dual-cores are 1GHz and above. Connectivity options have never been an issue with Samsung’s line-up of smartphones, and you can expect a comfortable web and app experience on this feature-rich phone. Plus, an expected update to multimedia will ensure that all popular video formats (till 720p) are playable, which will make this phone all the more enjoyable.
KEY FEATURES:
3.8” PLS TFT capacitive touchscreen
5MP camera with LED flash
800 Mhz dual-core Processor
Android OS – Gingerbread
4GB internal/microSD card slot
Huawei Ascend P1S
How can we forget the Chinese smartphone maker, who had recently showcased their quad-core line-up of phones, which will be out later this year? Well, the Ascend P1S is a dual-core smartphone with specs and looks to match the very best of smartphones out there. The Super AMOLED touchscreen display coupled with a nice resolution of 540×960 pixels makes it one of the hottest phones to watch out for in the Summer. We’re hoping there is no delay from the Chinese to release this awesome ICS powered Android phone, which also has a good 8MP snapper and plenty of connectivity options.
It will be interesting to see how much interest this phone can muster when pitted against the likes of Samsung and Nokia, but Huawei has shown that it can stand the heat and fight back nicely! We’ve also noticed that the P1S will have a 4GB ROM to go with the 1GB RAM it has, making this a supremely powerful smartphone. To think that it has a TI OMAP 4460 Chipset along-with a PoverVR SGX540 GPU only adds fuel to our imagination, while dreaming about the actual speed of this lethal weapon! We hope it delivers as promised, and multimedia as well as SNS integration will be seamless and enjoyable.
KEY FEATURES:
4.3” Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
8MP cam with dual-LED flash
Android OS – Ice Cream Sandwich
1.5GHz dual-core processor
microSD card slot
