Top smartphones under Rs. 15,000

The 15K budget has been a sweet deal for those not wanting to spend extra on their latest smartphone. If you’ll actually see, it makes a lot more sense than over splurging on a phone, because every new phone becomes ‘old’, after a 6-8 month cycle. So, here’s what we think are the top smartphones you could buy between Rs.10,000 and Rs.15,000. 

SE Live with Walkman 
It’s small, but it’s fast and powerful. It’s got a 1GHz processor and is future proofed as well. The Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman is the only one in this category that is definitely going to get Ice Cream Sandwich. Sony’s hit a really sweet deal for consumers with the Live with Walkman, at this price point.

The Walkman phone

Here are the specs of the SE Live with Walkman:

• 3.2-inch scratch resistant capacitive touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 720p video recording
• Secondary VGA camera
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

HTC ChaCha
The Facebook phone, HTC ChaCha is one of the few Android phones that has a very good keyboard. Plus, most will agree with us that Sense UI brings an entirely different experience to users. It may have a small landscape screen, but as we saw in our review, we had absolutely no problems browsing or manoeuvring through the fluid interface. As an added bonus, it’s got some brilliant Facebook integration. 

HTC ChaCha

Here are the specs of the HTC ChaCha:

• 2.6-inch capacitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass and a 480 x 320 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 480p video recording
• Secondary VGA camera
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

HTC Explorer
Another relatively tiny smartphone, but another impressive one. The HTC Explorer is a budget Android, but it’s fluid like cream. In our review, this one did even better than the LG Optimus Net, which had a bigger screen and a faster processor (as opposed to the 600MHz one on the Explorer). Sense 4.0 has been included to elevate your Android experience as well. The Explorer is just a little above Rs.10,000 and makes for a great budget Android.

Get ready to Explore!

Here are the specs for the HTC Explorer:

• 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• 3.15 megapixel camera, 480p video recording
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300
BlackBerry is still amongst the most popular phones in India. Be it business needs or BBM, it’s still selling well in the Indian market. The 9300 is an upgrade over the 8520 with some extra toppings. With smartphone prices dropping by the hour, the 9300 at this price is definitely a sweet deal.

Here are the specs of the BlackBerry Curve 9300:

• 2.46-inch screen with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi
• GPS with A-GPS support and BlackBerry Maps
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• 2 megapixel camera
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Motorola DEFY
Old is gold. The DEFY+ featured in our first article, the top smartphones under Rs. 20,000 and the original DEFY stands strong in this one. IP67 certification and build quality that puts other Androids to shame, the 800MHz powered DEFY is still going strong, even though it’s an oldie. 

Old, but still strong

Here are the specs of the Motorola DEFY:

• 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass and a 480 x 854 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830
It’s undoubtedly been one of the more popular phones in the recent past, at least in the Indian market. The Galaxy Ace is powered by an 800 MHz processor and is one of the older phones of this lot. Its update, the Galaxy Ace Plus is coming soon, but till then, this one holds the fort.

Ace in the hole

Here are the specs of the Galaxy Ace: 

• 3.5-inch scratch resistant capacitive touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

The reviews for each of these phones can be viewed by clicking on their individual names. That’s our list of smartphones that are worth buying between 10k and 15k. We hope that this narrows down your decision making, if you’re buying a smartphone in this price range. We’re also hoping that the MWC brings us some new smartphones in this price range. Or, at the very least, it brings down the prices of the existing top tier smartphones.

HTC Endeavor RUU has treasure trove of Sense 4.0 screen shots

Gotta love a good RUU -- otherwise known as a ROM Update Utility -- because they're chock full of fun stuff. And the one that surfaced over the weekend for the HTC Endeavor has found itself available for download. We've been picking it apart and have packaged up a nice little Sense 4.0 preview.
And that' sbeen the big question since Google announced Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich -- what will HTC (and the other manufacturers) do with their custom user interfaces. ICS easily is the sexiest "stock" UI Google's come up with (by far). How will HTC and Motorola and Samsung and everyone else customize it? We've gotten a glimpse of what HTC likely has in store for us in that leaked video of the HTC Ville, and now we're getting an even better look thanks to the RUU. Packaged within it are nearly two dozen screen shots that show a Sense that looks familiar, yet refined.
Looks like we've got a bunch of different lock screen options, with the ring and quick links that we've come to know and love so much, and the Sense dock has more of the traditional Android look and feel that we've come to know. How that all works together, we're not quire sure. It's almost some sort of hybrid, with HTC's widgets throughout. Or perhaps what we're seeing is just a massive serires of themes. 
(Update: Now that I think about it some more, maybe toss out that whole "hybrid" thing. What you see after the break may well just be example images of what you see in Sense 4.0.)
You get a good look at the Sense phone book, favorite contacts, photo gallery, lock screen reminders and stocks backgrounds -- in both portrait and landscape. And it also looks like Beats and NFC are a go, too, from what we've seen in the ROM.
We've got a plethora of screen shots after the break. Peep 'em.
We've got some wallpapers from the leaked RUU available in the Android Central forums, too!

Camera update for the Nokia Lumia 800 coming soon

The Nokia Lumia 800 is a great device and it fares well in reviews the world over. Nokia spent the better part of November in launching campaign after campaign to promote this device. These campaigns aim to cement Nokia's place as a top selling smartphone manufacturer. Though the handset has been overall quite successful, there have been some issues that have been affecting some of the handsets that were available to the masses. A number of Lumia 800 owners faced certain battery issues where the smartphones were not being able to access the full capacity of the battery. Nokia addressed this issue and in January released a software update. When this update was available to the masses, the battery issue appeared to be fixed but other issues arose which came in the form of an audio problem and a camera issue. In a blog post Nokia addressed this issue but there was no date revealed as to when the update would be available. As per a tweet by Nokia’s Damian Dinning, he states that some improvements were on the way.

Nokia Lumia 800 unboxing

In a related report by PhoneArena, “Last month, when Nokia stated that an update had repaired a problem that the phone was having with the battery, the Finnish based manufacturer admitted that there was an issue with the camera and that it would not be overlooked. Apparently the problems with the camera are a software issue which is why Nokia is hopeful that this update on the way will allow the camera to reach its full potential. Late last month, word started leaking out about problems that Nokia Lumia 800 users were having with settings to the camera.”

The Nokia Lumia 800 is presently the brand’s flagship handset but with the Lumia 900 set to be announced at the Mobile World Conference event in Barcelona later on this month, the Lumia 800 will have to share some of the spotlight with its big brother. Here’s hoping Nokia releases an update as soon as possible to fix these niggling issues.

Logitech ZAAG iPad2 Keyboard Case

Apple device accessories are, if anything, numerous and that’s an understatement. But that is one the more enticing reason to own one of their products. There’s quite a bit of innovation that goes into an iPad/iPhone accessory and Logitech’s iPad 2 keyboard Case from ZAAG is just one of these products. Here’s a closer look.

Design
The ZAAG keyboard case has been designed specifically for the iPad 2. It’s built, not only to provide third party support to the device, but also to be a protective casing for transport. It’s quite light weight and therefore adds just a little more to the overall weight of the iPad 2. The keyboard case is quite compact but, naturally bulks up the tablet a bit as well, taking it up from its 8.3mm depth to about 15mm. It’s nevertheless still quite portable.

Charges via micro USB

A connect button (with an LED indicator) and power switch (also with an LED indictor) are located just above the little ridge that’s designed to hold the iPad. This slot allows you to use the tablet in either landscape or portrait quite easily. It’s precision cut to fit the iPad 2 specifically. Made from aircraft-grade aluminium, it’s as sturdy as they come. The four corners of the keypad are soft edged to help secure the iPad safely and prevent drops or compression from damaging the tablet. Edges are filed down. 

Although it’s well balanced, we don’t recommend trying to walk around with this balanced on your palm and working. It tends to be quite heavy with the tablet propped up. The iPad is quite secure, but don’t take a chance. On one side is a micro USB port that can be used for charging the device.

Neatly packs it away for transport

The keypad itself is very neatly laid out with individually spaced keys that make for comfortable typing. The keys are soft and won’t require much of an effort at all to tap, which is great for those with high grade typing skills. Although they're not anything like Apple’s own, found on the MacBooks or iMacs, Logitech has managed to make their's quite neat. Convenience keys for quick access to your photo gallery, music player (with Volume control), device search, Desktop, screen lock etc. are available on the top row.

Comfortable to use keys with plenty of shortcuts

Performance
Pairing the keyboard with the iPad 2 is a simple task. Just like you would a Bluetooth headset, pairing is a quick process. Switch on your Bluetooth radio on the iPad and on the keyboard, locate the keyboard on the tablet, type in the code and you’re done. If left on the tablet and the keyboard will auto pair each time, you’re in the vicinity, so in case you find you’re not able to pull up the virtual on-screen keyboard, just switch off your Bluetooth, as it could be connected to the keyboard that’s close by.

Using the keyboard on a rather extensive basis we found that it is indeed a very capable product. The keys are as comfortable as most netbooks and the spaced out keys ensure that you have enough of movement while typing. The various shortcuts for selecting text (Shift+Arrow) or skipping words (alt+Arrow) etc. works like a charm and the integration between the two devices is quite seamless.
The built-in battery can go on for as long as your iPad has charge and much after as well. On a single charge we’ve been using the keyboard for over 4 days with quite a bit of usage on a daily basis without ever switching off the device. That’s quite impressive.

Holds it securely in Landscape as well

The Bottom Line
The keyboard ‘accessory’, if you can even call that, is priced at a whopping Rs.4,995. That’s quite a price to pay for an add-on, then again that’s just how Apple likes it. The Ecosystem for Apple is not for those with a tight grip on their wallets. However, for those who love the iPad and are looking for some way to enhance its capabilities with a fresh perspective, the Logitech ZAAG Keyboard case, as pricey as it may be, fits that bill.

The precision with which this keyboard is cut, gives it a very sophisticated and business-like feel. The ZAAG keyboard also takes the iPad 2 tablet, that’s already equipped with a well designed virtual keypad, to a netbook-akin status.

LG Optimus Vu snapped alongside the Galaxy Note

There is nothing quite as interesting as a leaked image of a handset that has been captured in the wild, meaning that it is different from the press shots or promotional videos. The latest handset to have been snapped is the LG Optimus Vu, which is the same smartphone that debuted a few days ago in a promotional video on an official LG Korean blog. This handset, judging by the appearance is likely to find its best competition in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Note. So what better way to access the competition, other than putting both handsets next to each other in a photo shoot? This is exactly what HelloAdam100 blog have done.

Apart from the ability to easily choose one over the other, we can see some of the differences between the two handsets. Firstly, both these handsets are fairly large, which is the only similarity, at least going by the picture. The LG Optimus Vu featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio shows that its screen is wider than the Samsung Galaxy Note. From the above picture, we can see that, while the Note features curved edges, the corners of the Optimus Vu appears to be a bit boxier in comparison.

Plus size handsets are here

Here is a list of the supposed specifications that are to feature in the LG Optimus Vu:

• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• 5-inch IPS XGA LCD display with a resolution of 1024 x 768
• 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 8GB internal memory
• 1GB RAM
• 8 megapixel camera
• NFC

As noted before, the only limiting feature of the LG Optimus Vu was that it will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, as opposed to Google’s latest operating software, Ice Cream Sandwich. With Samsung already rolling out Android 4.0 to a number of their handsets; the Optimus Vu may be losing out in this competition, even though it will be a newer handset, as LG is rather slow with their OS release cycle.

Let us know your reactions on the LG Optimus Vu. Do you think that it can make a worthwhile competition in the larger smartphone segment that is presently dominated by the Galaxy Note

Will the HTC Edge be renamed as Endeavor at MWC

Rumours about HTC launching a quad-core handset at the Mobile World Conference event in Barcelona have been floating around the Internet since November. The handset, all this while went by the name Edge and besides the name there were some specifications to go by as well. However, according to an exclusive report by Pocketnow, a trusted source has informed the website that instead of the name Edge, the smartphone will instead be unveiled under the name Endeavor.

The speedy handset gets a name change

The report states that the decision behind the change of name was probably due to the fact that the details of the handset have been leaked in all its entirety ahead of its scheduled MWC announcement. They go on to add, “Like any B2C organization, HTC wants to build up some buzz for its products prior to their introduction, but not so far ahead of time that its ability to operate in secrecy is hindered.”

Though the name of the handset appears to be changed, the specifications seem to be the same. Here is a quick look at the supposed specifications of the HTC Endeavor:

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.0 UI
• 4.7-inch screen with an HD resolution
• A little over 10mm thick
• NVIDIA AP30 Tegra 3 1.5GHz quad-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8MP rear camera with f/2.2 lens and 720p video recording capabilities
• 32GB internal memory
• 21Mbps HSDPA
• Bluetooth 4.0

From the looks of it, HTC has quite a list of handsets that are expected to make an appearance at the event that starts later on this month. Besides the Edge/ Endeavor, the brand may also announce the Zeta and the Ville, the former also being a quad-core smartphone that is clocked at 2.5GHz. In recent times, there have been a lot of talks about the HTC Ville as a leaked video and multiple images have surfaced. But not many details have surfaced regarding the Zeta. Here’s hoping HTC has a great showing at MWC with the brand not just launching a single handset but a range of devices. Let us know your reactions about the HTC Endeavor in the comments below.

Apple's now looking at Galaxy Nexus ban in U.S

If the reports coming in are anything to go by, then Apple has removed its sights from Germany, for now at least and is gearing up for some action back home. Now, according to reports it is confirmed that Apple is looking at getting the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone, which is the first phone to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich banned in the U.S and it has filed a preliminary injunction to that effect in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.

In the eye of the storm...

Apple is now accusing Samsung of violating on 4 new patents, which Foss Patents in a post equals to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The four patents, in question, include a data tapping patent, a patent related to Siri, a slide-to-unlock patent and a word completion patent. Further, the post states that there is more to just this injunction than what meets the eye. Apparently, this preliminary injunction was filed alongside a federal lawsuit; and in all likelihood the existing set of patents may be a part of a larger group. Apple's now seeking a sales ban on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the United States.

Clearly, Apple's in no mood to lie dormant, especially after its rather bitter defeat in Germany, wherein the state court in Düsseldorf gave the Galaxy Tab 10.1 a go-ahead. According to the post, Apple is looking more closely at technical patents, than design-related ones, and hence this should particularly be one to look out for. The post further throws light on the specifics of the preliminary injuction stating that, "A preliminary injunction would not prohibit the sale of a Galaxy Nexus just because it's called Galaxy Nexus or looks like one: it's all about which patents it infringes on. Theoretically, Google could remove the functionality protected by any of these patents in order to keep the product on sale, but if it changes the program code of a lead device, this would make it particularly clear to everyone else in the market that there's an infringement issue."