Byond Q99 - Blackberry-style QWERTY smartphone [Review]

Byond Q99 - 360 degree view
The Q99 body is well built with harder than normal plastic and it still does not feel too heavy, weighing just under 90 grams. The QWERTY keypad incorporates a bevelled key structure to enhance its usability and comfort to some extent. However, the function modifier key (Fn) is faulty and fails to register the user input with 7,8 and 9 number keys while keeping the Fn-key pressed. So, one has to enter the input individually for each of these keys by pressing and releasing the Fn-key after each input. Even though the keypad build quality is quite satisfactory, this technical flaw takes a major hit on the keypad ergonomics by affecting the overall usability and comfort. The optical trackpad is quite sluggish and lacks precision while navigating the menu interface. We found it irritable at times, as it was not registering the input correctly or erred in directions while selecting the intended icons on the screen. The lack of usability and comfort with the trackpad once again takes a hit for the overall ergonomics.

We came across another tricky situation with the SIM two slot. Inserting and removing the SIM two card is a difficult task, as there is no proper latch mechanism for smooth operation. The only way to insert the SIM two card is to bend it a little at a certain angle & slide it inside. Similarly, while removing the SIM two card, we need to follow the same trick; but, slide it out instead.

The menu interface is simple and well-organised. The home screen incorporates six customisable quick launch icons, also known as the toolbar icons: phonebook, SMS, Facebook, FM radio, audio player and camera. The user has the option to enable or disable the toolbar icons on the home screen. In addition, the display properties enable the user to choose either an analog clock or the regular digital clock for the home screen.

Spice Mi-310 - The Mi-300's younger but better Android 2.2 Froyo sibling [Review]

The Mi-310 is solidly built with due credit to its all-metallic body with aluminium finish on the front and back-panels. Owing to its sturdy build, it also grips nicely in your palms. The volume rocker button and camera button are outdented on its left side panel. Meanwhile the power button is etched onto its top surface, which could be easily missed. It also includes a 3.5mm audio jack on the top for the music buffs. The trackball has been replaced with an optical trackpad from its predecessor – Mi-300. The microphone retains the same location below the display, which is quite convenient during voice calls. The four touch sensitive buttons take identical positions on the display, as that of its elder sibling. The battery cover fits snugly into the grooves provided in the battery compartment and there is no loose play. The QWERTY touch-keypad is quite ergonomic and best suited for dual-hand operation in landscape mode. However, the touch-keypad is cramped for space in portrait mode, and might lead to accidental input errors with the hyper-sensitive touch buttons at the bottom of the display. Though the display is quite stylish and portrays expensive looks, its glossy surface makes it vulnerable to smudges.

Features

The noteworthy features on the Mi-310 include the proximity sensor, optical trackpad and the Wi-Fi tethering capability. The proximity sensor is meant to turn off the display and the touchscreen input when the phone is held close to your cheeks during phone calls. Unlike the jerky movements of the trackball, the optical trackpad provides smooth navigation across the menus and also enhances the web browsing experience. The Wi-Fi tethering capability is its main USP, which serves the purpose of creating a USB tethering (connect via USB) or Wi-Fi hotspot on your cellphone and share the access point with laptops & netbooks. This allows you to connect the laptop to the Internet through the mobile data connection. In other words, the cellphone can be setup either as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot or enable the USB tethering to connect a laptop through the USB port. It includes four customisable home screens, where you can shortcuts, widgets, personal folders and wallpapers of your choice.

MTS launches new STD Voice and MBlaze Data packs for Tamil Nadu customers

MTS has launched new STD Voice Special Tariff Voucher (STV) and introduced MBlaze Data packs for their customers in Tamil Nadu. The new Rs.25 Special Tariff Voucher (STV) offers STD calls at 25 paisa per minute with a validity of 30 days. It will be valid for the first 250 minutes of STD calling, post that customers would be charged 50 paisa per minute for STD calls. The data packs start from Rs 96 that offers 1 GB of data to Rs 1499 that offers 15 GB of free data.

New MTS MBlaze Data tariffs for Tamil Nadu customers

Special Tariff Voucher	Existing Bundled Usage	New Bundled Usage	Validity (Days)
Rs 96	0.5GB Unlimited	1 GB Unlimited	1 (24Hrs)
Rs 248	350 MB	1 GB	30
Rs 348	512 MB	2 GB Unlimited	7
Rs 490	New	3 GB	30
Rs 698	New	4 GB	60
Rs 998	3 GB	6 GB	90
Rs 1499	New	15 GB	90

In the Unlimited plans, speed would be throttled from 3.1 Mbps to 144 Kbps after free data usage. The existing customers in Rs 998 STV plan would get 6GB of free data instead of 3GB of data with a validity of 90 days. These plans are available from 18,500 retailers and 83 MTS branded retail outlets across Tamil Nadu.

Nokia 808 PureView Review

Every once in a while a phone is released which showcases the best of technology possible at that time. Back in 2007, it was the Nokia N95 which showcased exactly how to build a mobile computer. The N95 truely was a revolutionary device packing everything but the kitchen sink under its plastic shell ! The very same year Apple announced the iPhone. It single handedly defined how to make a great and easily understood user interface and made Symbian look clunky and redundant overnight. Since then we’ve had various permutations and combinations of the formulae attempted to various degrees of success.

Fast forward to 2012 and we have another revolutionary device. The Nokia 808 PureView is hands down the best camera phone ever released. In fact it might hold its own for a few years given that the phone which comes closest is still only the 808′s two year old predecessor. Dive into the FoneArena Nokia 808 PureView reviewIn Box Contents

The in-box contents of the Nokia 808 are pretty comprehensive and include the following :

Nokia 808 PureView

Nokia AC-50 MicroUSB Charger

Nokia Charging and Data Cable CA-190CD

Nokia stereo Headset WH-209

NFC info card

Nokia Wrist Strap Black

Quick Guide, User Guide and Product information leaflet

Fun2Shoot live mobile video broadcasting app now available for Android

Fun2Shoot live video broadcasting app from Mobile innovator is now available for Android. This app lets you broadcast live videos in near real-time as it is being recorded. You can also share the videos socialnetwork and contacts which can be viewed from the mobile or web browser.  The app is already available for Nokia S60, Symbian ^3 and Windows Phone devices. It also powered Nokia Channel Me.

Features of Fun2Shoot app for Android

•  Shoot and share live streaming video to any number of viewers using the camera of your device
• Watch live and recent videos on 2.5G, 3G or WiFi
• Share the videos to you contacts and facebook friends
• Easy registration from the application
• Call Management
• Zoom option while shooting
• Search feature while broadcasting

Download Fun2Shoot for Android from the Google Play Store for free.

Samsung Galaxy Beam up for pre-order in India for Rs. 29900

Samsung Galaxy Beam is now on pre-order from the Samsung’s Official eStore. Samsung announced the Galaxy Beam, successor of their previous Beam at MWC 2012 in February. It was expected to be available in South West Asia including India in May, but it got delayed. It has a 4.0-inch 480×800 (WVGA)TFT display and is powered by 1 GHz Dual-Core Processor. It has 15 lumens pico projector that allows users to share photos, videos or other digital media instantly and in crisp clarity up to 50-inch wide. It runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and has 5MP Auto focus camera with flash, 1.3MP secondary camera.

Other features include, 786MB RAM, 8GB Internal Memory, MicroSD slot (up to 32GB), Bluetooth 3.0＋HS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, MicroUSB, USB 2.0 and aGPS. It has 2000 mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Beam is now on pre-order from Samsung eStore for Rs. 29,900. There are no details about the availability, but we can expect it in early July.

http://www.fonearena.com/blog/51695/samsung-galaxy-beam-up-for-pre-order-in-india-for-rs-29900.html

Tata Docomo cuts Photon Plus tariffs, introduces Reload Packs

Tata Docomo has reduced the Photon Plus tariffs for the post-paid customers. The Rs. 950 plan offers 6GB of free data and the Rs.1200 plan offers 11 GB of free data. These plan comes with unlimited data that would offer up to 3.1 Mbps data speeds till the free data limit after that speed would be throttled to 153.6Kbps. These new unlimited plans also offer cash back of Rs 100 per month for 12 months from date of purchase. They have also reduced the cost of base plans.

1GB plan now costs Rs 250 which was Rs 650 earlier. Likewise Rs 450 pack which earlier cost Rs. 750 will offer 2GB.

They have also introduced new Reload packs such as 1GB at Rs 200 and  2GB at Rs 350 so that customers can continue to enjoy uninterrupted high speed internet post consumption of their data limit.

There are also pre-paid plans that starts from Rs. 700 that offers 2 GB of data with 30 days validity.

Tablet Rivalry: Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire 2 vs Apple iPad Mini

Tablet Rivalry: Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire 2 vs Apple iPad Mini
Anuj Bhatia

The deadly battle between Google Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire 2 and Apple iPad Mini is ready to heat up the tablet market. With the arrival of Nexus 7 all eyes are now set on the next two 'budget' offerings that are set to launch this year

Form 

Google Nexus 7:     7.81x4.72x0.41, 320 grams 

Amazon Kindle Fire 2:   7.5x4.7x0.45, 413 grams

Apple iPAD Mini:  7.7x5.92x0.30, 300 grams 

Google – Asus partnership has worked wonders with Nexus 7. The tablet which was recently showcased at the Google I/O 2012 left everybody craving for more.

Amazon Kindle Fire 2 is rumored to enter the market by the end of next month. With the popularity of Kindle Fire and some amazing rumored specs in line for Fire 2, we won't be surprised to see it setting the tablet market on fire.

Apple’s upcoming star will be showcasing its gorgeous aluminum back ducked with iconic Apple logo on the back. The rumored tablet will showcase everything from simple design to minimalistic attitude and intuitive interface, what Apple lovers have grown to love.

Display 

The Nexus 7 comes with 7-inch IPS (in-plane switching) display. The screen is capable of showing content in true HD (720p) style. Its resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels with pixel density of 216ppi is great for reading e-books and watching high definition movies on go. The capacitive touchscreen supports multi-touch display, proximity sensor among other relevant features. 

Talking about Amazon Kindle Fire 2, it will pack 1024 X 600 pixels at a pixel density of 169ppi on a 7-inch screen. 

Apple will use the same Retina display found on current generation iPad. The much rumored ‘iPad Mini’ will come with 7.85 –inch display. If the screen supports 2048×1536 pixels just like the new iPad, then it will surely give some tough competition to Nexus 7

Winner:  Draw

Processor 

Google’s fabled tablet comes with 1.3GHz quad –core Tegra 3 processor with 1GB of RAM embedded into the device. The makers of Nexus 7 claim that the device will deliver excellent performance (upto 9 hours of battery backup) due to its strong 4325mAh battery.

The current rumors suggest that the next – generation Amazon Kindle Fire 2 will feature a quad –core processor. The exact details about its processing range are the top most discussion at his hour.

Apple would like to use A5X chip for ‘iPad –Mini’ that powers current generation of iPad's. It is a dual–core chip but capable of showing quad –core  level graphics. 

Winner: Nexus 7 

Storage 

The Nexus 7 comes with 8GB and16GB of built in storage. Unfortunately, it won’t support expandable memory via SD memory cards. Apple never supports the idea of incorporating memory expansion on its devices, but they do ship in 16GB, 32GB variants, which will still be a step up over Nexus 7.

Amazon might also skip memory expansion and ship with minimum 8GB memory. 

Apple could follow Amazon’s route by allowing users to use iCloud feature. But it’s fair to assume that Apple will add minimum 8GB of on board memory to support its mini tablet. 

Winner: Draw

Operating System 

Google Nexus 7 is the first tablet that features Jelly Bean (Android v4.1) OS. It’s more fast and intuitive too. 

The original Kindle Fire adopted Google’s Android OS to power its first tablet. The company also used its own browser called Silk for ultra –fast browsing experience. With Nexus 7 maintaining exclusivity over the Android Jelly Bean 4.1 for the next four months, Fire 2 may ship with a Android ICS which is upgradable to Android 4.1

Apple will most likely use iOS 6 to power its upcoming mini tablet. The much talked about operating system is called the 'most powerful' by Apple.

Winner:  Tie between Nexus 7 and iPad Mini 

Camera 

The Nexus supports 1.2 –megapixel camera on the front of the tablet. Google has skipped the secondary camera altogether.

Amazon Kindle Fire 2 tablet is rumored to feature dual cameras while the Apple’s mini tablet is also expected to sport two cameras. A front facing camera for Face Time chat and a 5- megapixel snapper that can record video in 720p on the back.

Winner: iPad Mini  

Price/Release Date 

Device                          Price                                   Launch Date 

Google Nexus 7            $199(8GB), $249(16GB)      Mid –July 

Amazon Kindle Fire 2   $149(8GB)*                        Unavailable 

Apple iPAD Mini          $250(8GB)*                         Unavailable 

Winner: As of now it is Nexus 7. Since the price of others are rumored 

Verdict 

With Google Nexus 7 raising the bar so high, the work is cut out for Amazon Kindle Fire 2 and Apple iPad Mini.

Micromax A50 Superfone Ninja Review

Budget Android phones are coming in by the dozen and this latest one by Micromax comes with a dedicated voice recognition feature onboard. Dubbed Aisha, which stands for Artificial Intelligence Speech Handset Assistant, this feature is taking on the likes of Siri. The A50 ‘Superfone Ninja’’ as Micromax has named it, comes in at a super price tag, but we’ve seen it numerous times in the past – a significant reduction in the price tag has resulted in a significant reduction in the usability factor of the phone. Let’s find out if this Ninja can hack away at that notion.

29 Jun, 2012, 9:26 am IST |  |  Smartphones

Design and Build Quality 

The Superfone Ninja has a plastic body that gives a feeling that the parts will fall apart pretty soon. The A50 scores almost nil marks in terms of build and design, but keeping the price factor in mind, this comes as no surprise. The phone comes dressed in white with a silver border along the edges, but is uninspiring at best. It’s incredibly glossy and fingerprints pose a big problem to the screen. Let’s take a quick tour of the device.

The A50 comes with a 3.1-inch display with a lowly resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. Below the screen there are three physical backlit buttons. Along the left we have the microUSB port and the volume rocker. The top consists of a difficult to find power button, along with a poorly designed 3.5mm slot that forces you to literally push in your 3.5mm headphone jack, causing you to worry that either the slot or the jack will break. This could be a problem with only our handset, but that's some major design flaw. Under the hood, you have dual-SIM support and a microSD card slot along with a 1200 mAh battery. 

From the sides

At a width of 13mm, the Superfone isn’t the thinnest of phones around, but with the tiny form factor, it fits in well in the palm of your hand. However, the build quality isn’t something to write home about. 

Features and Performance

Interface

The Ninja is powered by a 650 MHz processor and has 256 MB of RAM and 512 MB of internal memory, but all of it is not user accessible. It comes with Gingerbread 2.3.6 onboard and the interface is surprisingly quick for a phone that runs on a processor, which most may consider obsolete for an Android device. While that is impressive, the limited internal memory means you’ll soon run out of space, if you intend to download a few apps. The interface tends to turn laggy after prolonged usage and that doesn’t come as a surprise, as we’ve seen that on most 

budget Androids now. 

Nokia 808 Pureview to be launched today in India

Though no confirmed information on its price is available right now, many retailers are accepting pre-orders of the Nokia 808 Pureview for Rs 32,000.

Nokia's most anticipated smartphone - Nokia 808 which will have a 41 megapixel camera, will make its debut in India today. Though no confirmed information on its price is available right now, many retailers are accepting pre-orders of the Nokia 808 Pureview for Rs 32,000.
The Nokia PureView 808 smartphone will feature a single-core 1.3 GHz mobile processor with 512 MB RAM. The 41 megapixel camera in Nokia 808 incorporates a new technology called Pureview which is jointly developed by Nokia and Carl Zeiss. Bearing the f/2.8 aperture, the 41 megapixel camera will come with Xenon flash and promises 7728x5354 resolution images in 16:9 formats.

With the new PureView Pro imaging technology, the company has managed to use a technique of over-sampling for crystal-clear and noise-less 5 megapixel images. The imaging capability of Nokia 808 is further aided by the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) which uses a special algorithm which combines seven different pixels in to a one better pixel.
The camera of Nokia 808 Pureview also supports up to 4x digital zoom without compromising on the quality. It also allows capturing full 1080p HD videos at 30 frames per second with up to 3x zoom while for the 720p HD resolution one can go up to 6x zoom.
Nokia 808 will come with Symbian Belle feature pack 1 operating system and will also feature Dolby Mobile Plus for 5.1 channel surround sound playback. Nokia has packed a 1400 mAh battery which promises 11 hours of battery life on EDGE and 6.5 hours of battery life on 3G networks.

Aircel, Olive to launch three Android ICS smartphones in August

The three Android ICS smartphones will be priced between Rs 4,000 to Rs 12,000.

Olive Telecom, an India-based convergence device developer, in association with Aircel, will launch three smartphones running on Android Ice Cream sandwich (ICS) in the first week of August.
Avijit Dutt, president, marketing, Olive Telecom, said to The Mobile Indian, "Olive Telecom will launch three ICS based smartphones, in association with a leading service provider, for Indian consumers by July end or August first week, in the price bracket of Rs 4,000 to Rs 12,000."
He, however, didn't reveal the name of the operator, but our sources confirmed that Olive will be launching the smartphones in association with Aircel and that the operator has already placed the order. All three smartphones will come with attractive voice and data plans, which will be revealed during the launch.



Avijit further said, the entry level Android ICS smartphone will cost Rs 4,000 and will have a 3.2 inch screen, whereas the top end smartphone will have a 4.2 inch screen and will cost Rs 12,000."
As far as the processor goes he said that the entry and mid-level smartphone, which is expected to be priced around Rs 8,000, will have an 800 MHz processor, and the top end smartphone will have a 1.2 GHz chip.
This is not the first time that Olive Telecom will be partnering with Aircel. They had previously partnered for launching the first Indian HSPA+">HSPA+ smartphone-the OliveSmart V-S300 phone that was powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon MSM8255 processor and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS. In addition, it featured a 5 megapixel camera with flash and auto-focus, front camera, accelerometer, proximity sensor, Bluetooth v2.1, a 32 GB expandable memory and 1400 mAh battery backup

YouTube for Android gets redesigned user interface

Google has revamped the YouTube user interface for the Android 3.2 or higher update running devices with slew of new features.

Google has redesigned the YouTube app for the devices running Android 3.2 and above version. The new YouTube app features revamped user interface and makes it more intuitive for the users to subscribe to new channels and stay updated with the subscribed ones.

The new YouTube App is available for all Android devices but the new UI will be available only for the Android 3.2 Honeycomb running tablets and Android 4.0 ICS running smartphones.

On the left side in the app rests the subscribed Channel list with instant access through a swipe gesture. The app also turns phone into remote and lets you play YouTube Video on connected devices.

With the new update, YouTube App now preloads the videos in your subscribed Channel list when the device is using Wi-Fi network and even when it is being charged. That saves up the buffer time but obviously adds to the user cache.

For the devices that run the version lower than Android 3.2 Honeycomb will get the option to sign-in with Google account, HD Playback on capable devices and several bug fixes under the hood.

http://www.themobileindian.com/news/7279_YouTube-for-Android-gets-redesigned-user-interface

Google maps get smart with offline navigation

The latest update of the Google maps brings along the most awaited offline navigation feature for Android users

Google, the internet search engine giant and the maker of Android operating system, has announced the launch of the much awaited offline maps feature for Google Maps which is now available in the settings menu of Google Maps app on Android.

With the use of feature users can save mapping data of a specific area or even a big city which can be accessed later on as well without the need of having an active internet connection.

Although users would only be able to save data for up to 540 MB ( in six block of around 90 MB) worth of mapping at a time but even that is great initiative from Google, who has been offering free and world class navigation system to the global users.

The offline maps feature will be available only for devices running Android 2.2 Froyo and higher. Along with that Google has put an end to the offline labs feature that was available to most Google maps users globally.

The Google Maps for Android utilises a feature called pre-catch map area that allows downloading maps of a specific area to be selected manually. With the complete offline maps support, we hope that users will soon get to select the area on the maps to be downloaded for offline viewing.

Several other map apps for different platforms offer offline map support but one has to download huge amount of data ranging between 100 MB to 300 MB or higher for that. Nokia's offline maps support is the best among and it is available through Nokia drive.

http://www.themobileindian.com/new-launches/1749_Google-maps-get-smart-with-offline-navigation

Google Nexus 7 running on Android 4.1 launched for Rs 11,000

The tablet can be ordered starting today on Google Play in US, UK, Canada and Australia.

As reported earlier, Google on Wednesday launched its Nexus 7 tablet, at its Google I/O conference in San Francisco for $199 (Rs 11,000) that will run on the Android 4.1(Jelly Bean).
Nexus 7 tablet is made by the Taiwanese company Asus rather than the firm's own Motorola hardware unit.


The tablet can be ordered starting today on Google Play in US, UK, Canada and Australia. Also, along with the order consumers will a $25 credit to spend in Google Play for free movies and magazines. It will start shipping mid-July Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile and digital content posted in Google's official Blog.
Nexus 7 comes with powerful specifications including a 1.3 GHz quad core Tegra 3 processor, a GeForce 12 core graphics processor, and 1 GB of RAM, 1280 x 800 pixel IPS displays, Near Field communication (NFC) chip and up to nine hours of video playback.
It also features Google's Chrome browser at its default option, the first Android device to do so.The operating system of Nexus 7, Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) includes an intelligent keyboard that predicts words as you type them, support for offline voice typing, 18 new input languages, and accessibility improvements.

Sony to launch SmartWatch in India for Rs 6,299

The SmartWatch works like a wrist watch but allows users to control their Android smartphones remotely.

Sony will launch its SmartWatch, a mobile accessory that displays information like incoming call, massages and can also be used to control music, will be launched by this month. The device, which comes in a wrist watch form factor, will be priced at Rs 6,299, according to Sony India's Facebook page.

The Sony SmartWatch has a 1.3 inch OLED display that is used by the watch to notify users about the updates and events with the use of vibration and screen alert.

You can get alerts about key events like an incoming call, text, messages and social feeds.

Along with that the SmartWatch also allows users to read texts and emails as well as receive Facebook and Twitter updates all while the smartphone lies in the pocket.

The Sony SmartWatch connects Android smartphones using Bluetooth giving users the ability to control key functions of the device without removing their smartphones from pocket or bag. With just a tap, touch, and swipe, SmartWatch turns from a watch displaying the time to a remote information center for and Android smartphone.

The Sony Smartwatch has had its share of troubles with recent updates that rendered it useless. However, according to Sony that problem has been solved.

The big question is that is it rightly priced? Well that's a question we would like to ask you.

News Source : http://www.themobileindian.com/news/6999_Sony-to-launch-SmartWatch-in-India-for-Rs-6299

Handset review: Nokia 603

Display and Touch

The display on the Nokia 603 is a 3.5 inch TFT LCD display with a 360 x 640 pixel resolution but as compared to Nokia's other smartphones in this range, the display of this handset has a higher brightness and contrast level, that makes visuals look better. The Clear Black technology which is employed in this smartphone offers superior contrast and better brightness levels, making the display a unique asset of the Nokia 603.

The display is definitely better as far as visual reproduction is concerned. The improvement on the processor part has a role to play for the graphics and the display improvements on the device now.

The device is a full touchscreen based input one with a multi touch type input system. The multitouch is accurate to the tee and works with the slightest of touches as well. The touchscreen has been protected by a scratch resistant surface which is also quite effective and useful. The touch is good most of the time but it tends to go for a toss during gaming and web browsing, requiring harder touches and sometimes it tend to make false inputs.

Handset review: Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos

Samsung's entry level touch and type Android phone has a lot of features like dual SIM, but how is it to use? We find out.

Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos is an entry level Android offering from Samsung with full Qwerty keypad and dual SIM function at Rs 8,900. While the combination of these features makes it an interesting proposition it is important that performance is equally promising.

We used the phone for two weeks and here is our take on its performance.

http://www.themobileindian.com/reviews/431_Handset-review:-Samsung-Galaxy-Y-Pro-Duos

Handset review: Nokia 603

Looks and Build Quality

The Nokia 603 comes in two colours - black and white. The one we received was in black colour and to be honest, it is surely a looker. The device features a flush front with minimal space being consumed by the call connect/disconnect keys supplemented by the menu/action key. This further unfolds in to a glossy colour finish that surrounds the whole of the device. The device although not slim is sleek and good looking for sure.

The back panel of the device is a one piece that covers both the battery as well as includes the hardware keys. The build quality of the device is top notch and the body is sturdy enough to handle most rigorous and careless users as well.

At the top of the device lies the screen lock/standby button along with the USB /charging port and the 3.5 m audio connectivity port as well. On the right hand side of the device, you will find three neat keys that offer functionality while not affecting the design of the device at all. The keys are made up of hard rubber and are extremely comfortable to use. Nokia has quite cleverly made the keys a part of the back panel/battery cover to conserve space and enhance looks. The right hand side however is free for any keys or buttons.

http://www.themobileindian.com/reviews/435_Handset-review:-Nokia-603_2

Handset review: Nokia 603

It is the most affordable and feature rich smartphone with a 1 GHz processor and Nokia Belle operating system.

With the adoption of Windows as operating system for its future smartphones, Nokia till a great extent has sealed the fate for Symbian and its related products, no matter what the management keeps on saying about the future releases and upgrades. A true Nokia fan would never be able to forget this for long.

Nonetheless, Nokia had announced a new line of Symbian powered smartphones last year featuring faster hardware and the newer version of Symbian operating system. Out of those we have got the Nokia 603 smartphone with us in our test labs.

The Nokia 603 is based on Symbian Belle Feature Pack 1 and along with that it comes with a 1GHzArm 11 based single core processor. Although there is no future of Symbian OS, this smartphone comes fully loaded so that even after the support for the OS has stopped this phone will continue to be of use.

http://www.themobileindian.com/reviews/435_Handset-review:-Nokia-603

Review: Micromax A50 Ninja

Micromax's entry level Android phone boasts a SIRI competitor with AISHA, and also has all the necessary features that you expect from an Android phone. But how is it to use?

Android phones are getting cheaper by day, but a phone launched with a price of tag Rs 5,000 with a feature that directly competes with venerable iPhone's SIRI is unheard of.

But then Micromax's tagline 'Nothing like Anything' is not for nothing.

The phone is undoubtedly an entry level Android phone and therefore had some features missing from the list like the proximity sensor (that switches of the display when you place it near your ear), which is somewhat a standard affaire on Android phones. However, Micromax has included other basic features like 3G, Bluetooth, WiFi, A-GPS and even a larger 3.1 inch display with capacitive touch technology unlike most entry level phones which have 2.8 inch screen.

Some other most wanted features that are missing from this handset includes proximity sensor, front camera, and an LED flash.

http://www.themobileindian.com/reviews/437_Review:-Micromax-A50-Ninja