Monday, 8 December 2014

The Top Five Budget Smartphones



The ideal budget phone has to be a balance of features and good performance. Keeping yourself informed about the latest in technology is a good way to know what best for you.



Each year we see new smartphone models being released, each one has their own specifications set, so choosing Best Smart Phone in India that’s right for you will come only after you know what you want from your smartphone. Here are some of the best budget androids in the current market:

The LG G3:
The flagship phone from LG has new design elements that move it away from your standard Top Smart Phones. These new elements include the power button being put at the back under the camera. It has very slim bezels, so you get a stunning display. It houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC processor that has the smoothest performance.

The Asus Zenfone 4:
Small, stylish and very budget friendly, the ZenFone 4 is the Best Smart Phone in India that may have a 4” screen but it does have a 233 PPI density. The phone has 8 GB storage with micro SD. It does however run on Android Jelly Bean 4.3, with a future update for Android 4.4.

The Sony Xperia M:
It houses very standard features but is a very slim Top Smart Phones (9.3 mm) and light as well (115 g). The device houses a quad core processor that has a speed of only 1 GHz. You also have a 1 GB Ram and a 4” screen with a resolution of 854x 480.

The OPlus XonPhone 5:
The XonPhone 5 is new but its specifications and price have made it the Best Smart Phone in India. It has a 5” screen, 8 MP camera and 16 GB storage, which is pretty rare for a budget phone. The phone retails for Rs. 7999/- and can be bought online. You have many connectivity options, Micro SD lot and a front facing camera. The phone runs on Android 4.4.2 with updates coming soon.

The Motorola Moto G:
The phone comes with a very good processor, the quad core Snapdragon 400 processor; it has a smaller screen of 4.5” with a resolution of 1280x 720 with a PPI of 326. You can either buy an 8 GB or a 16 GB variant as the Top Smart Phones does not have Micro SD slot.

The Nokia Lumia 635:
The Windows 8.1 is the Best Smart Phone in India and a good start for those who want to change from the Android OS and we recommend the Lumia 635. This is a very thin handset (9.2 mm) with just 512 MB RAM but has the Snapdragon 400 as a processor. Among the connectivity options, you also have the LTE radio.

Check out the XonPhone 5 at www.oplustech.com, for reviews, specifications and special offers. I have the XonPhone 5 and feel that it is one of the Top Smart Phones the best budget handset yet.

Monday, 1 December 2014

The Affordable Android Smartphone that will Change Everything



Google has launched the Android One initiative. They feel that this smartphone will bring top quality yet affordable smartphones to a larger number of people. This is meant for the emerging markets and will then move on to the rest of the world.



Google have launched their new Android One initiative in India so that more people will have better quality handsets and lower prices. Google will then gradually move the product into South East Asia and beyond.

Google has launched this phone with the aim of helping the five billion people who do not access to technology and instant information. The Android One is designed to help these people to access the information that the internet holds for them and everyone else, therefore making the world a batter and more connected place.

This is also a very big day for Google India, the Android One has been priced at Rs. 6399/- and caters to an ever growing number of people who use smartphones and download apps. They also believe that their gadget has potential to succeed as the communication, education and healthcare sectors are very promising markets. Here is a quick look of the phone’s specifications:

4.5” Display (FWVGA IPS)
Quad core processor (1.3 GHz)
Android 4.4.4 OS (Kit Kat)
1GB RAM
4 GB HDD (Expandable)
5 MP & 2 Mp cameras
1700 mAh battery
GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth
Dual SIM

Google has worked in close collaboration with smartphone manufactures to enhance design reference and other components that will make the phone both affordable and easy to use. This initiative has also partnered with other big names like the Sparkle V by Karbonn, the Dream UNO by Spice and the Canvas A1 by Micromax.

The initiative has also partnered with names like HTC, Alcatel, Asus, Panasonic and Qualcomm to name a few. Google now plans on moving from a simple initiative to an actual smartphone, they also have plans to launch the phone in countries like Philippines, Indonesia and the rest of South Asia towards the end of 2014.

The smartphone will have the Chrome browser that will be equipped with data compression apps that will control the data between the internet and the phone. The Android One will also offer the Android Lollipop updates and will also have the Google Translate feature and the Play Store App as well. The Android One will be launched in India in partnership with Airtel. Airtel has also developed a reduced data usage plan for this phone that involves six months free OTA updates and free 200 MB worth of apps per month for the next 6 months. Android One users will only need an Airtel SIM and these benefits will not be part of the data plan cost.

Apart from the Android One initiative and the smartphone, Google has another project underway- the ARA that involves allowing the customer to choose their own hardware specifications and customize their own smartphone.

The Android One is another player for the budget android team. The XonPhone 5 is the newest name in this same market. You can log on to www.oplustech.com to know more about it.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

XonPhone 5 - India’s Latest Budget Android and 3G Smartphone

When one buys a smartphone, they may want to reconsider just how much they can spend on one. Budget phones have become a popular choice as they are just as good as some of the premium ones. This segment is flooded with many choices, the latest one being the XonPhone 5 by Oplus.


The company is new and they had previously launched a tablet called the XonPad 7. T give you a clearer picture of how good the XonPhone 5 is, one can compare it to the Canvas Unite 2 by Micromax or the Redmi 1S by Xiaomi. They phone does stand out in its own right here are some of its best features:

Design and Build Quality:
This is the best part of this budget phone and also a very critical feature on nay budget phone, for that matter. It has unique metal accents on the sides with a perforated dots pattern on the back panel, this makes the phone easier to hold, a plus point on budget phones. The bezels on the screen are smaller, so you have more real estate on the display. You can easily reach the ends of screen using one hand. The navigation buttons (Menu, Home and Back) are ergonomically placed under the screen. The speaker grill is one the back, along with the 8 MP camera and LED flash.

Audio and Display:
The 5” display is made using the IPS LCD technology, so you will get very bright colours and resolution at 320 PPI. It also comes with the Full View function so viewing from extreme angles are not really an issues. You have very accurate response touch function as it has the OGS technology as well. This phone is good for watching videos, playing games. Outdoor viewing is good and you will have to adjust the settings. The loudspeaker delivers an audible level sound. The sound from the earphones accessory is also very audible.

Camera:
There is an 8 MP camera at the back that is equipped with LED flash, Auto Focus. It has an aperture of F/2.2 and captures videos and photos in HD format. The 2 MP front facing camera can capture in the 720p format. You have loads of other options on the software suite such as HDR, Live Photo, Panorama, various colour modes. You can adjust the white balance, exposure, saturation and colours as well, so the camera is a highly versatile one. Some of these functions work in the video mode as well. The 2 MP cameras is a very basic one and is just perfect for video calling and conferencing.

Performance:
The hardware is also of a standard quality and you have the 1 GB RAM, a Mali 400 MP GPU card and a MediaTek MT6852 CPU. The daily performance is good and the phone can last a whole day on a single charge. You get a 16 GB of expandable storage. The phone runs the Android 4.4.2 (Kit Kat), so you don’t have to worry about the phone slowing down. OPlus has installed a MIUI launcher so you have different icons and wallpapers. Apps works smoothly with minor frame drops in very graphic heavy apps.   

Battery Life:
The removable 2000 mAh battery does give a decent output and can support the display and moderate usage, even though it may not seem like it. To get the best out of this battery one has to limit processes and apps.

For more insights, and reviews on the XonPhone 5, log on to www.oplustech.com. I have used the XonPhone 5 Latest Android Smartphone and have found that it is a pretty good handset.

Friday, 21 November 2014

How to Choose the Right Smartphone for You



The real value of a smartphone lies in how we use it and the specifications tucked into it. Most smart phones will vary in what they have to offer their users; you need to keep in certain factors that will help you to choose the smartphone that is right for you.

There are thousands of handsets on the market being offered by many manufacturers, it can be tough to choose the right one from so many, especially if one is not really tech savvy. To many people, the smart phone is the heart of their universe, owing to the set of features that they have. They are our messaging devices, our cameras, our phones, our web browsers, music player, navigation device and so much more.

With so many changes taking place in technology, it has become even tougher to choose the right device. These improvements include things like bigger and crystal clear displays, quality in user interface, mobile gaming, application usage and more.


Here are a few points to keep in mind before selecting the right phone:

The Right OS:
Android is the most popular OS for the Smartphone, this is mostly because you have hardware options, more apps over the iOS or the Windows Phone. Smartphone manufacturers find it easier to build on Android. You have many versions of the Android OS, so always pick the latest versions as they can easily update. The Android UI can easily become cluttered, but you can adjust this very easily.

Display or Screen Size:
You have varying screen size sizes that range from 3.5” to 6”. The more popular ones are the bigger displays as these tend to sell out faster. The most popular small screen is the iPhone 5s, as it has a compact design. If you are looking for a bigger phone, then you will have to choose a device that runs on either the Windows or Android OS. If you want a tablet and a Smartphone in one, you can choose a bigger phone. The only drawback is that the devices may be heavy, won’t necessarily fit into your front pocket and you need both hands to operate them.

Camera:
You’re probably going to take loads of photos and videos with your Smartphone. In this case, there are many phones that have cameras that have a mega pixel count of 20 or higher. If you are looking for a good camera, you can choose a device that has 13 MP or higher. The quality of the images and the sensor are crucial here, as these will produce photos that are sharp. The software suite and the flash are also important as this increases the functionality of the camera.

Specifications:
The capacity of the battery is usually mentioned on the battery itself. If you want a device with endurance, you can choose a battery that is 3000 mAh or more. Since you will be storing plenty of data, choose a device that has loads of internal storage ranging from the standard 16 GB to 32 GB. You can also choose one with a Micro SD slot.


The RAM or system memory on a device ensures that device runs well. Low range phones will typically have a 1 GB RAM, but the flagship devices will have 2 to 3 GB RAM. A higher RAM ensures that faster loading and switching between apps.