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Top 5 Android phones under Rs 20,000 for Nov-Dec

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Top 5 Android phones under Rs 20,000 for Nov-Dec

There was a time when there were many choices at just below Rs 20,000, but now the best devices are either more expensive or way cheaper. However, here are the five devices in this range that make for a good buy:

LG Optimus Black (Rs 19,500)

This is the best phone in the Rs 20,000 bracket, and we said so last month as well.

LG Optimus Black has a thin, elegant and clean design, and comes with a 5 megapixel camera, 4 inch in-plane switching display, and the capability to record 720 pixels video as well.

It has a gyroscope key for motion control, and WiFi direct to enable different devices to talk to each other without having to connect to WiFi hotspots.

LG Optimus Black comes with a 1 GHz OMAP 3630 processor and has a minimal design, which explains why it weighs only 109 grams.

The phone is extremely sophisticated. Its light and proximity aren’t loud and the only thing visible easily is the front facing camera.

This phone can handle just about anything except heavy-duty gaming. The speaker phone volume and clarity are good and sound quality is good overall. There’s as well. The only drawback of the phone is that its battery life is good, not excellent.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray (Rs 18,500)

This is one of the latest Android devices from Sony Ericsson. It has a sleek and stylish design, the latest Android 2.3 and a 1 GHz Scorpion processor.

The other attractive part is its 8.1 megapixel primary camera with Sony’s Exmor imaging technology, which ensures that it is one of the best cameras in the business. It also records high definition videos and comes with a Flash. The phone has a secondary camera for video calls.

The 3.3 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, though small against the current crop of smartphones with huge screens, is attractive with Sony’s Bravia engine display technology.

The music capability is good as is expected from a phone coming from Sony. Overall this phone is a good mix of tested technologies from one of the best in the industry. However, some might find the price too steep at Rs 18,500.

Samsung Galaxy S I9003 (Rs17,500)

Just a few months back this device was priced at Rs 20,000, but with newer updates from Samsung Galaxy S I9003 has lost its price significantly and remains a good buy. It has a 4.0 inch Super Clear display. The only thing you might not like is Android 2.2, but that can be upgraded to Android 2.3.

The phone is powered by a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 with PowerVR SGX530 GPU which is one of the best in this price bracket. The Samsung I9003 has a 5 megapixel camera with and supports video recording (720p) and video playback.

Galaxy I9003 retains the same contoured chassis as the original Galaxy S I9000, with similar context menu button and touch sensitive menu and back button.

The Android smartphone is powered by a 1650 battery which is big and offers good back up. Additionally, it comes with 4 of internal storage which can be upgraded upto 32 GB via a microSD card. WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, are all present in the Galaxy I9003.

HTC Wildfire S (Rs 13,500)

This phone follows the previously launched HTC Wildfire. However, with Wildfire S, HTC has plugged the loopholes of its predecessor and the new device has enhanced screen and a better processor. The Wildfire S is a full touch mobile phone that comes with the latest version of Android operating system, Gingerbread (Android 2.3).

For the lower price comes the lower 600 Qualcomm Scorpion processor but it has 512 of onboard which ensures a smoother performance. The screen is also small at 3.2 inches. It is a TFT screen with resolution of 480 x 320 pixels but is a step ahead from the measly 240 x 320 pixel resolution of the Wildfire.

Like other HTC devices, the Wildfire S is also adorned with the Sense UI that brings in new features like improved settings in the notification bar and drawer updates according to items downloaded. Also, the Friend Stream feature in the UI brings all the updates of your friends on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Flickr together in one screen.

A 5 megapixel camera is loaded into the Wildfire S alongwith auto focus and flash capabilities. Other features are pretty much standard across all Android device and include 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS etc.

Wildfire S is certainly a good buy for this price.

Motorola Fire XT (Rs 12,465)

Another low priced choice but a good choice nonetheless. Fire XT is one of the latest from Motorola and comes with Android v2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system which sits on an 800 MHz processor coupled with a healthy 512 MB RAM.

The phone has a 3.5 inch screen with resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, and a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, and LED flash. It also has a secondary VGA camera for video calling.

Fire XT has of 150 MB, which is expandable up to 32 GB using microSD, microSDHC cards. It gets a decent 1540 mAh battery as well. The phone has pretty decent social networking integration that works across camera, contacts and location.

Handset Review: Karbonn K1616

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The way this phone looks you can confuse it for a smartphone – a 3.5 inch capacitive touch screen, just one physical button, even the unlock gesture looks exactly like Android. But does this also perform like one? Let’s find out.

Specs

A look at the features tells you that it only looks like a smartphone but is a feature phone only, as there is no WiFi, 3G, push mail or GPS. However it does boast a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen which is very responsive, and several inbuilt apps that are useful too. The battery (1150 unit) is the most notable feature of this phone; it gave full three days of backup with low usage and there was still some life left in it.

The specs have not been shared but it is sufficient for the phone as it never gave any trouble and performed smoothly.

There is a in the phone that switches off the screen when you place it near your ear for taking calls. However, there is no to change the orientation of the phone.

Karbonn K1616 is a dual phone with both SIM remaining active all the time. Other features include a 3.2 camera that is fixed focus and does an ok job, there is no flash though. FM radio is there and the reception is pretty good, even the loud speaker of the phone is sufficiently loud. The video player and the audio player are also there and are designed well. The screen is not very high but for a feature phone it is good.

For connectivity, K1616 has and GPRS.

Looks

The build quality of K1616 looks sturdy. Though the design is not very stylish, the front part looks good with the 3.5 inch screen with a single round button surrounded by circle.

The battery cover is all metal with deep black colour, while the rest of the device is dark grey in colour. The top back has the camera with chrome hints surrounding it. There is a camera button on the right while the volume rocker is on the left. Power lock button is at the top and the bottom of the device has both the port and 3.5 mm jack.

User interface

Apart from the look-alike locking action, there is another one which looks like an aquarium and you have to pick a star fish and bring to a unlock point to open the phone – an interesting but slightly cumbersome process.

Inside there are several applications like Email, Alarm, Calculator, Facebook and Twitter. An called Phone rail is also inbuilt that helps you check availability of railway tickets and also your PNR status etc. Karbonn has also started an application store called ‘K Zone’ that currently has only few apps but all of it are free. There are more apps that will help you get through your daily tasks like currency converter etc.

One thing that’s lacking is games. There are no preinstalled games and even in the K Zone there is only Tetris.

The supplied accessories, which include charger, handsfree and USB cable, are of average quality and nothing much to talk about.

Performance

Karbonn K1616 is a decent performer for a feature phone, though no hardcore processor-heavy applications have been built-in. The phone does a good job of having no lag in responding to commands and playing videos very smoothly. The battery performance is something everyone will love about this phone.

Though the FM reception and sound output are on the higher side, it does not provide a very refined sound that one want to hear but it is passable and will not annoy you if you are not an avid listener of music. The touchscreen is excellent for a feature phone and so far the best I have come across from an Indian handset brands feature phone.

Verdict

For Rs 4,400, the phone is a good buy. It performs well and does a good job of what it is meant for. However when you look at the competition you have Samsung Star Nxt, Champ, Chat, Nokia C2-03 and X2 and many more from Sony Ericsson, LG. This makes the choice difficult. Having said that, this phone has many pluses and can be considered as a good choice.

Device Review: Seagate Go Flex Satellite

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Seagate is one of the leaders when it comes to Hard Disc Drives (HDD) be it external USB powered ones or those inside our personal computers. You must be wondering what a Seagate product is doing in ‘The Mobile Indian’s’ review page.

Well while it is true that HDD’s are not yet a part of our mobile phones and tablets (Nokia N90 was an exception though). But today we have a USB powered HDD with us that is meant specifically for mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets in the form of the Seagate Go flex Satellite.

And it’s not a simple a device that you connect through USB port, it has inbuilt WiFi hotspot feature which makes it you own personal content hub.

The device

The device is no different than any regular USB HDD, but slightly bigger and bulkier version of it. The device is without a doubt a good looking one that is sure to entice you and others who see it. The HDD comes in a single black and silver colour scheme which makes the device look good while adding the much needed class appeal to it.

The Seagate Go flex Satellite comprises of a regular 500 GB, 2.5 inch HDD encased inside a hard plastic shell that houses the WiFi unit and the battery pack. All this definitely makes it look even bulkier than a portable 2.5 inch 1 terabyte memory capacity drive.

In terms of sturdiness, the Seagate Go flex Satellite is rock solid and can withstand minor drops and falls but as the rule goes for hard disc drives, they cannot handle bigger falls and if the Seagate Go flex Satellite will fall while it is working it will surely destroy the drive. And being mobile, users will have to be a wee bit more careful while handling this device.

Last but not the least, the device utilises its own WiFi capabilities to stream data to mobile devices and tablets so you do not really need to be connected to a WiFi network for doing so. But for transferring data on to the drive it still utilises the PC connectivity

The Technology

The Seagate Go flex Satellite utilises a 500 GB, 2.5 inch HDD for storage which delivers faster access times and quicker response as well. The Seagate Go flex Satellite is based on USB 3.0 standard so it is compatible with both newer and older systems as well. The drive utilises the USB 3.0 micro B connector that is slightly bigger than the older 2.0 connector.

For connectivity to mobile devices and tablets, the Seagate Go flex Satellite utilises its own WiFi network that gives it connectivity for up to 30 feet while working with up to three devices simultaneously.

The drive has an inbuilt battery pack that powers the device for up to 5 hours of streaming time, but the time will be reduced if multiple devices are connected to the drive as the level of activity increases with it.

Along with WiFi, the Seagate Go flex Satellite utilises a special application that has been developed for both and systems to access the data from the drive and playback the content on the mobile device or tablet. In short, the Seagate Go flex Satellite offers unique mobile entertainment solution for a bunch without all the hassles.

The Performance

True to its name, the Seagate Go flex Satellite is the best in terms of technology that one can lay his/her hands upon. The drive offers USB 3 connectivity that can theoretically offer up to 600 MB/sec data transfer speeds. We tested this drive with the Ailienware MX 11 laptop on which it offers up to 108MB / sec data transfer speeds &#151 which is quite a fast speed that enables huge chunks of data transfer easy as breeze. Loading a ton of movies and music on the drive took us about 5 minutes or so to finish.

The company claims that the Seagate Go flex Satellite can connect to up to three devices simultaneously for streaming content. We tested it on Acer Iconia A501, Apple iPad and Fly Tab simultaneously and the drive performed flawlessly without any glitch or freeze.

When the wireless activity gets to the peak the indicator on the Seagate Go flex Satellite just goes crazy while blinking as fast as the speed of streaming is.

In terms of the multimedia compatibility, the device does not have any limitation; its main function is to stream the data. Its capability is limited by the capability of the device it is streaming to and so if your tablet is capable of playing video, it can stream HD quality video and so on.

As far as battery backup goes, we managed to get a backup of four hours between charges that is for running the device in both single and multiple user modes. But mostly the device was run in single user mode.

The Verdict

Seagate has always been very innovative in its offering and Seagate Go flex Satellite is a unique product. The Satellite, as far as portable USB powered HDD’s go, is at the epitome of technology with USB 3.0, WiFi (B/G/N) and inbuilt battery pack. There is nothing more you can expect out of a portable HDD. In terms of the performance, it surely entices us and with its compatibility across devices – big or small. It is very useful as well.

The Seagate Go flex Satellite with a price tag of Rs 11,300 is without any doubt expensive but it does justify its price to the max with its offering and utility. It is a must have tool for people with many devices like laptop, tablet, and smartphone and maybe even a TV with WiFi. This is one device that makes your content work across the screens without wires and without much setup needed.

App Review: Volume Rocker

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Android by far has won over a million hearts. It has got all the elements that make it a super mobile operating system plus it is absolutely free of cost thereby leading to cheaper and a wider range of devices. Plus the open source nature of the operating system allows others even outside the core development team to work upon the operating system and make it a better one.

Talking about better things, volume and ringer management on Android is by far the most simple and easier to use – just play with the volume rocker and tweak the volume.

But still it lacks a certain degree of control and refinement which the Volume Rocker application addresses to a large extent. The Volume Rocker is a free to use application developed by Netshop Inc that provides an advance level of volume control over the Android’s stock volume controls which has a confusing menu.

The Volume Rocker bring all the volume and profile related controls from within the device to a single neat looking widget that can be accessed for tweaking the devices’ volume and notification on the fly.

Even though the Android volume and notification control interface is simple and useful but it lacks the much needed preset controls that offer a one touch peace of mind. So at present, if you reduce the voice of the ringer which controls the overall volume level, everything either becomes silent or too loud.

The Volume Rocker provides the older, much appreciated profile based control for the Android devices in which the whole volume settings gamut is involved. Users get an option of five different preset volume settings that have varied volume levels custom made to suit most occasions. So users can very simply select the meetings preset when entering a meeting and it automatically controls the volume levels.

But what differentiates the software is the ability to tweak the setting in between the presets as well. So I can very well choose to silence my ringtone but not my scheduler or reminder alarm which alerts me at the right time. So the individual volume level tweak helps users control the annoying bits while sparing the critical ones which were earlier affected overall.

The application, as mentioned earlier, also is simple and very easy to use plus it is available absolutely free of cost. The application is supported by advertisements which are annoying sometimes but the utility offered is bigger than the annoyance.

The utility is available for all Android 1.6 and above devices. The application can be downloaded from the Android Market or alternatively user can also follow this link to download it also.

TRAI proposals may push up mobile tariffs

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Mobile phone tariffs may go up in the future if TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has its way.

In a long list of recommendations, the telecom regulator has reiterated its earlier demand that existing telecom players must pay four times the current price of the 2G spectrum that they hold when they apply for renewal of their license. Notably, most of the older players will be up for renewal in next 3-4 years.

Since most of the incumbent operators will have to renew their licences in the next 3-5 years, they might have to shell out more than Rs 10,000 crore for acquiring start-up 2G spectrum compared to just Rs1,658 crore paid earlier.

Just months ago, Bharti Airtel had hiked its tariffs citing losses. Though other operators denied such a move then, but a hike in spectrum charges undoubtedly force them to do the same.

However, TRAI has also asked for a uniform license fee of 6 percent of revenue, whereas government had recommended that different services should pay different with mobile services attracting 10 percent. If accepted, this may help keep the prices stable if not reduce it, in the short term till the impact of new spectrum pricing is felt.

TRAI also wants to give licenses to be given at district level so that even local cable TV service providers can offer services like internet. These recommendations if accepted are going to be incorporated in the new Telecom Policy.

The telcom regulator wants to improve connectivity in the rural areas as well. TRAI wants more than 90 percent area in each village with more than 2000 people to be covered in four years of a service provider getting spectrum. With service providers meeting the obligations getting as much as 4 percent total discount of license fee.

It has also asked that the merger be allowed if the combined market share of the merged entities be less than 60 per cent. And to encourage merger and acquisition, which is badly needed in the hyper competitive market, the regulator wants to allow them to retain spectrum with riders and fees.

However, it has stuck to its demand for charging four times the current price of the for the excess spectrum that currently players hold and similar amount be charged when they apply for renewal of their license (most of the older players will be up for renewal in next 3-4 years.

Some of the other recommendations which is likely to be incorporated in the new Telecom policy, and are likely to have far reaching consequences are technology neutral license, which means that an entity with a unified license, which by the way will be given to all (so no more multiple type of licenses) can offer communication services using any of the technology, like GSM, CDMA, wireline etc.

HTC Rezound with Beats Audio announced

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HTC has officially announced a new smartphone &#151 Rezound, at an event in New York City, US. New HTC Rezound smartphone comes with Beats Audio with Red Accents and features 4.3 inch display that supports 720p native resolution. Here, HTC has followed the suite of Samsung by introducing an Android handset with 720p HD native bearing screen. HTC Rezound will be available exclusively through Verizon Wireless from November 14 at $300 on contract for USA.

Samsung had recently announced the Galaxy Nexus handset that comes with 4.65 inch HD display that supports 1280×720 resolution natively. Now HTC Rezound comes with the same native 1280×720 pixel resolution for the 4.3 inch display.
This new handset will feature the Beats Audio technologies and will have the Red Accents similar to the one in Sensation XE smartphone.

HTC has added a dual-core 1.5 GHz to power the 4.3-inch display and coupled with 1 RAM. The company has committed that the HTC Rezound will be Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ready so the handset will come with Android 2.3.x Gingerbread version initially. This HTC handset will feature latest version of HTC Sense user interface.

The HTC Rezound comes with 16 GB onboard storage and features an 8 camera at the back that is capable of full 1080p HD video recording. HTC Rezound will come with support for faster data connectivity and even video calls using the front facing 2 megapixel camera.

Styled with Beats Audio features, the Rezound will come bundled with Beats earphones that will work with the pre-configured profiles on the phone. For longer run, HTC has added 1630 battery.

At this moment, there is no hint on whether this same smartphone be made available to India and rest of the world. But looking at the current trends, we can expect this smartphone to hit Indian shores by early next year.

Update of Duke Nukem 3D Android arrives; to remove ads

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Just two days after launching the version, the developers of the Duke Nukem 3D game were forced to roll out an update of the classic game.

The update has been rolled out after users complained that despite being a fully paid version, the game was displaying advertisements for which the users felt highly cheated. The update aims to remove all the advertisements from the game and will present it in a way it was originally supposed to be.

The application is available on the Android Market and can be downloaded using the device’s application store or by visiting the following link as well. Users who have already installed the application can update it via the Android Market and for new users, here’s the link of the game.

Although with the update the problem of the advertisements has been eradicated but users still have to spend more money to buy additional episodes of the game which is not being accepted by many users. As for the developers, the impression has been quite wrong and people will remain choosey about other games that will be releasing in the future by the same developer especially for the paid titles.

Duke Nukem 3D is a first person shooter game developed by 3D Realms and published by Machineworks Northwest LLC. The story is simple – users get to play the role of macho Duke Nukem who fights aliens. The game play is pretty interesting with the mighty foot basic kick attack to knock down aliens without wasting bullets from guns. Otherwise you will always have your faithful sidearms to knock down some Alien Foes.

The game is available for a price tag of Rs 49 from the Android Market and can be installed on Android devices running Android version 1.6 and above making it available for almost any and all Android devices. The game price tag includes the Episode 1 but for other two episodes they will have to additionally pay around Rs 40 each.

Qualcomm monopoly for Windows Phone ends

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In a move that is expected to help Nokia reduce the entry level price point of Windows Phone devices, Nokia has inked a deal with ST-Ericsson for chipsets of its future Windows Phone 7 based smartphones.

Earlier Qualcomm was the sole supplier of solutions to all Windows Phone 7 based devices. Given the fact that Nokia is expected to be the biggest vendor of Windows Phone devices, and with it joining the WP7 bandwagon, the market share is expected to go up and in this scenario just one chipset supplier was untenable.

In a statement, ST-Ericsson said the deal will allow “Nokia to extend Windows Phone devices to new price points and geographies”. The press release did not elaborate much on the deal.

It’s unclear how soon ST-Ericsson chips will find their way into Nokia’s Windows Phone devices, or how much business ST-Ericsson will win from Qualcomm.

“As Windows Phone grows in popularity, it is natural to expect that they would diversify their number of suppliers,” Qualcomm said in a statement to FierceWireless. “This has no impact on our commitment to Nokia and Microsoft and we look forward to continuing to work with all Windows Phone OEMs to deliver the best possible experiences on Windows Phone and Windows 8.”

Sony Ericsson working on Xperia Arc HD with 720p HD display

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Sony Ericsson is working on a Google OS running smartphone that will feature 720p display. Dubbed as Sony Ericsson Nozomi, this smartphone is likely to be branded as Xperia arc HD.

GSMArena quoting sources reported that Nozomi will come with 720p HD touchscreen display and capability of recording 1080p HD video. This alleged handset is still under prototype testing and is expected to be shown sometime early in the January 2012.

In couple of months, Sony Ericsson will soon join the 720p HD native display bearing smartphones club that currently comprises of Samsung (Galaxy Nexus) and HTC (Rezound). The Sony Ericsson smartphone codenamed Nozomi will have a 4.3-inch display and have 342ppi density which is bit higher than the one found in Apple iPhone 4.

Apart from that Nozomi will feature Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update and will house a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 with Adreno 220 coupled with 1 LPDDR2 memory. This handset will most likely use the chipsets manufactured with 28nm fabrication process. That hints that the handset will be most likely thinner, lighter and offer bit more space to accommodate larger battery. This handset will feature a 12 Exmor R camera that will be capable of capturing 1080p HD videos.

Another Sony Ericsson handset codenamed Aoba bearing dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm and Adreno 220 GPU showed up in the NenaMark benchmark list.

Both Sony Ericsson handsets are being currently tested with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread update but when they are released, both handsets would be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. Despite bearing similar hardware, the Mozomi handset will come with a microSIM. Absence of front facing camera would turn out to be a real shock for several Sony Ericsson loyalists.

With scarce details, either of the handset is expected to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2012 convention in Barcelona, Spain.

Nokia Map suite goes beta, adds Pulse

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Nokia had some time back came out with a Foursquare like application – the Nokia Pulse, which is a more secure and personalised location sharing application. But Nokia seems unhappy with such singular products and therefore they have now launched the new Nokia Map suite.

It seems inspired somewhat with Google maps application and all the features that it offers for its users. Well anyways the Nokia Maps suite application, as we said earlier also, is not just a single application but an application with multiple features that make the work easier and much more effective.

The Nokia map suite application primarily is a map based application that can be used for getting directions or information about a place.

Besides, the application also includes the recently launched Nokia Pulse application that sends updates on conversations, location and the places being visited to the contacts in a simple yet effective manner.

While all this is shared with people within your group, no one outside of the group can access this information form any place. Nokia Pulse is available across various platforms so accessing it form different places is not a problem.

Along with this the Nokia Map suite also includes transit details for the most commonly used public transportation mediums. And along with that users can also discover and find more information about the different places using the ‘places’ feature in the app.

Last but not the least, the Nokia Suite application also includes the much awaited augmented reality as Nokia feels that it will be a giant step as far as navigation goes. And quite aptly the inclusion of an augmented reality browser adds a new dimension to navigation on mobiles.

Presently the Nokia Map Suite application is in its beta phase so it might have some bugs, but once it gets out of the beta phase many more features are expected to be added to it. The Nokia Pulse application can be downloaded either from the Nokia beta labs or can be downloaded from Symbian Phone application stores by accessing the given link.

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