S NAGA MALLESWARA REDDY

With phablets refuelling the growth of smartphone market, it comes as no surprise that Nokia has joined the bandwagon with not one, but two big-screen handsets.

While Lumia 1520 is a high-end model, the recently unveiled Lumia is relatively more affordable with a price tag of Rs 23,999.

The big, big screen



The highlight of Lumia 1320 is its 6-inch screen, which is pretty good by any measure. The screen has 720p resolution and features Nokia's ClearBlack Display technology and this combination works pretty well despite not offering 1080p. The colours look vibrant and saturated, with pretty crisp images and videos. You may notice a little pixilation, but only if you are reading ebooks from a very close distance.

Lumia 1320's screen is, in fact, very good. We enjoyed the excellent contrast levels, great viewing angles and above-par sunlight legibility that it offers. The 6-inch panel is great for watching videos as well as reading ebooks and web pages.

Design
Nokia has been a little unimaginative with the looks of Lumia 1320. Basically, it looks like an oversized Lumia 625. It has the same curvy body as Lumia 625 and seems merely bigger in size; if you looked at the two models from afar, you will probably not be able to tell the two apart.

The big screen makes the phablet too big to handle. Though the curved body helps the handset slip into the pocket easily, it is a little difficult to hold because of the considerable width (3.4-inch). It is quite heavy too, weighing over 200gram.



The key placement in the phone remains the same as other Lumia models. Below the screen are the standard Windows Phone keys - Back, Start and Search. On the sides are the Volume Rocker, Power/Lock and Camera keys.

We did have one problem with the design though. While connecting the charger with the phone, we accidentally pressed the Camera key many, many times. In trying to hold the phone firmly in order to plug in the charger at the microUSB port (located at the bottom), this became nearly unavoidable.

Software



Like other Nokia smartphones, Lumia 1320 runs on Windows Phone 8 operating system. The device comes preloaded with the recent Black and slightly older GDR3 updates. Both these updates make Windows Phone 8 a slightly better operating system, bringing features like true multitasking, more control over how the device behaves; better Glance Screen interface etc.

The user interface has been tweaked to accommodate more Live Tiles on this phablet's big screen. Just like Lumia 1520, this model can also have up to six small Live Tiles on the home screen, up from four in other WP8 smartphones.

However, Windows Phone still lacks two key features - a well-stocked app store and a notifications menu. The former is a work in progress and will take some time in order to be on par with Apple's App Store and Google's Android Play Store, while the latter is under development and expected to be rolled out in April.

However, one can get several good Android smartphones priced around Rs 24,000, giving access to a vast number of cool apps. Havinf said that, if you are not fussy about specific apps, you can look at this phone.

Camera
One of the biggest problems we saw with Lumia 1320 is the camera. We are unable to understand why a company like Nokia, which has a great pedigree of cameraphones, would use a 5MP camera in a handset costing Rs 24,000! Using this camera made some sense in a low-priced device like Lumia 625 (available at approximately Rs 16,000 online), but in a rather high-priced model, it simply seems baffling.

That apart, we took some photos with Lumia 1320. The camera quality is below par; it loses much of the details in the background with softness of colours. Even the object in focus seems a little grainy in photos taken indoors, though performance - naturally - improves when it comes to outdoor clicks. Contrast levels are good and colours are saturated and well-balanced.



Considering it is a 5MP camera, Lumia 1320 does well in the imaging department. But it should not be in this department at all given the price tag.

Performance
Compared to other similarly-priced smartphones, Nokia Lumia 1320 feels quite fast and runs smoothly. Powered by the dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 chipset with 1GB RAM, the device packs enough punch to handle all the apps in the Windows Phone ecosystem. We never experienced any lag or other such problems during the review period.

In any case, WP8 is a smooth-running platform because of optimal resource utilization all round, so we didn't expect anything less from this device.

The speaker is positioned on the back and delivers acceptable sound quality, but not enough to make the music-playing experience enjoyable.

Battery life is something that Lumia 1320 can boast of. It runs on a 3,400mAh battery, which lasts nearly two days with moderate use. Even if you turn up the brightness to the maximum and use Wi-Fi and 3G constantly, the phablet won't run out of juice after a whole day. This is one feature that most Android smartphones, and none of the major rivals at this price point, can match.

Rivals
The problem with Lumia 1320 is that most Android smartphones in this price range, for example Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 and Google Nexus 4, perform better. This makes Lumia 1320 an also-ran in this race, something we would not recommend at Rs 24,000.

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 is another new device in the market and has many more advantages over Lumia 1320. It has access to all Android apps, comes with a (big enough) 5.25-inch screen and a sufficiently powerful processor. At around Rs 22,000, it is definitely a better buy.

Nexus 4 is hard to find in the market today, but still a good device to have. It remains relevant in the time of Snapdragon 800-touting beasts and is worth the price tag of Rs 25,000 it commands.

At this price, you can also get Samsung Galaxy S3, which remains a decent - if older - smartphone. It offers a much superior camera and access to all your favourite apps. You will, however, lose out on the Lumia 1320's big-screen experience with this model.

iPhone 4 at Rs 23,000 is another option, but we would not recommend it since the limited hardware does not allow it to make full use of the iOS 7 animations. Moreover, it has a very small screen and there have been reports of the new software weighing down the model's performance. Though it brings the Apple iOS capability to you at almost half the price of iPhone 5S, but is still not recommended.

If you add another Rs 5,000, you can get your hands on Google Nexus 5 - a much superior smartphone. Though its battery life and camera performance are not up to the mark, it is still the best smartphone at this price point.

Verdict
Nokia promises a big screen smartphone with good display quality with its Lumia 1320 and it delivers on that promise very well. The rich and vibrant display panel looks good, and the long, long battery life is an added advantage that any buyer would enjoy.

However, Lumia 1320 does not have much to offer apart from these two qualities. The camera quality and size and weight, and relatively high price tag, besides a limited app ecosystem, do not make it a good option. We would instead recommend Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 at this price or Google Nexus 5 if you are willing to loosen your purse strings a little more.

Over two years after HP - a company we all know for its desktops and laptops - killed WebOS, it is taking another stab at the smartphone market. But this time HP is doing it with Android. The company today formally launched Slate 6 and Slate 7. Both are part of VoiceTab series, which means they support 3G connectivity and you can make calls using them. Both are first launching in India and are created keeping in mind the needs of customers in developing market. 

We have Slate 6 with us for review today. It is a phablet with 6-inch screen and is meant for consumers who like to have one device through which they can make calls as well as enjoy web browsing, video playback and games on the large screen. 

In India, the phablet category is quite crowded. Almost all phone makers have at least one phablet - a phone with a screen size of more than 5-inch - in the market. Can HP match or surpass the existing phablets with Slate 6? 

Dive in for the answer. 

Sleek and with a touch of gold
Getting the design of a phablet right is not easy due to its size. But with Slate 6, HP has done well. With a thickness of less than 9mm, Slate 6 is among the slimmest devices in its class. The slim design means it feels compact and easy to hold and carry despite its large screen. Another thing that helps is the weight. At 160gm, Slate 6 is surprisingly light for its size. It is definitely not a device that you will like to - or will be able to - use with a single hand. But it is not as unwieldy as Huawei Ascend Mate. 

The phone has the usual rounded-corners, flat-box design but there are some design elements that make the Slate 6 stand apart from other devices in the market. The back cover, which can be removed, is made of plastic with matte finish. But the highlight of the back cover is the glass-weave finish. It looks really nice and gives the device a premium feel. 

The plastic frame around the device has been given gold finish instead of the usual faux chrome that we find in other devices. The metal buttons too feature the same finish. The combination of black body and the golden frame gives Slate 6 an appealing look. 

Despite all plastic design, the build quality of the device is very good. It doesn't have any flex. Back cover fits snuggly. Buttons feel firm and not loose. 

Slate 6 is powered by a quad-core processor. HP says the processor runs at 1.2GHz. However, in our tests we never saw it go past 1.1GHz. Though this is a very minor difference and something that doesn't have potential to affect any performance. There is 1GB RAM in the device. It has 16GB internal storage - you can add more through a micro SD card, a 3000 mAh battery, a 5MP primary camera and a 2MP front camera. The 6-inch screen has a resolution of 720P (1280 X 720 pixels). The device is powered by Android 4.2.2. Slate 6 has support for two sim cards. 

Let down by performance
For Slate 6, HP gets the design part absolutely right. However, on other - and more crucial - aspects it has missed a beat. 

The biggest let-down is the overall responsiveness of the device. Unlike other phone manufacturers who love to customize, or rather over-customize, the Android experience on their devices, HP is using the stock version of Android in Slate 6. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, it looks like HP just didn't optimize the OS at all for the device. The user interface on Slate 6 has noticeable lag. This lag is visible while scrolling through the list of home page, or during multitasking. Also, apps take a few extra milliseconds to open. And so does the keyboard when you click in a text field. 

Overall, Slate 6 feels a little slow. Yes, it works. You can browse all sorts of websites on it. You can play all kind of videos in all sorts of formats on it, if not through the default player then using an app like MX Player. The GPS in Slate 6 works reliably. But it all feels a little slower than it ought to be, especially compared to phones like Galaxy Grand 2 or tablets like Nexus 7. 

What about games?
Slate 6 can handle casual games like Angry Birds Go with ease. But more demanding games like Asphalt 8 can be played with smooth frame rates only at low graphics settings. At high graphics settings there is visible lag and the game doesn't respond to controls well. 

The performance story is repeated in the hardware. On paper, Slate 6 has good hardware. But in actual use we found it to be rather average. While the screen is adequately bright and shows decent colours, we have seen better. The viewing angles for the Slate 6 screen are below average and there is a noticeable shift in colours if you tilt your head or move the device while looking at it. 

The story with camera is the same. The 5MP camera is capable of shooting usable images, but only in good light. The photos lack proper contrast and level of detail but at least you can share them on social media sites. In low light, even if it is evening, colour noise creeps into the images shot with Slate 6. The camera software too could have been better. The shutter speed is slow and acquiring focus, especially in close up shots, can take a few seconds if light is low. Overall, the camera performance is disappointing. 

 

The device records videos in 720P. These are recorded in 3GP format and the quality of video recording is decent. The level of detail that is recorded is poor but at least the focus is maintained well. 

The 2MP front camera works well during video chats. 

Slate 6 has stereo speakers, placed on the top and bottom of the screen. However, the volume is on the lower side. At full volume, the audio is sufficient for games but if you intend to watch films on Slate 6, we recommend using it with a headphone. We also found the volume to be on lower side during calls, though the voice clarity was good and signal was maintained well even when we used the device on the go. 

Slate 6 has a good battery life. Depending on your use, it will last anywhere between 12 to 16 hours. When paired with a 3G connection, the device gave us a battery life of around 14 hours while we used it for gaming, photography, web browsing, emails, calls and instant messaging. 

Should you buy it or not
HP has priced Slate 6 at Rs 22,990. Given the performance issues we don't recommend Slate 6. Though these performance issues are likely to be software related and could be fixed in the coming days, we suggest you to stay away from Slate 6 until these issues are fixed. 

Slate 6 is not a bad device. But there are better devices in the market. 

  

If you want a big screen device, we feel Huawei Ascend Mate is a better, albeit a little more expensive, choice. But if you can compromise on the screen size, Lenovo K900 nowadays has almost the same price. It is a much better phablet than Slate 6 and Ascend Mate even though it has a screen size of only 5.5-inch. At the same time, you can also take a look at the Galaxy Grand 2, which has a screen size of 5.25-inch, but offers better experience than Slate 6.,

Acer was the first device maker to come up with an 8-inch tablet with Windows 8 (not the 'made for tablets,' crippled Windows RT OS), the Iconia W3. However, its below average screen, bulky appearance and high price, made it a device nobody would want.

The Taiwanese company is back with the successor to W3, the Iconia W4 that promises to iron out these niggles and comes with the latest version of Windows, Windows 8.1. We spent quite some time with the tablet to find out if the W4 has the potential to be the first 8-inch Windows 8 tablet worth buying.

Build & Design 
Acer Iconia W4 tablet looks bulky and heavy compared to the iPad mini and other Android tablets. Acer has tried to give a brushed metal finish to W4's plastic chassis; the front and side edges in silver-grey matte finish also give the illusion of metal. The tablet is considerably thick and a bit heavy to lug around at 415 gram.

The front of Iconia W4 tablet features the 8-inch screen surrounded by black coloured bezel. The display panel sits a little raised on the frame. The bottom lip, just below the display, features a hardware button for directly going to the Windows Start screen.



The 2MP front-facing camera sits at the top (in portrait mode) with some Acer branding. The right edge features a microSD card slot, micro-HDMI port, a volume rocker key and microphone, while the micro-USB port, two stereo speaker outlets and a 3.5mm audio jack are located at the bottom. The Power/screen-lock key is at the top edge.

The back features a 5MP camera and some more Acer branding along with Intel and Windows stickers.

Display
Acer Iconia W4 sports an 8-inch CrystalBrite IPS LED-backlit multi-touch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Acer has paid heed to user feedback and improved the screen, even though the resolution remains the same. The screen was a major pain point in W3. Colours look vivid and viewing angles are good. Text and graphics look crisp and sharp.

Our only gripe with Acer Iconia W4 is that the display is extremely reflective, hampering outdoor use as this significantly affected sunlight legibility.

The tablet's touch panel features 5-point multi-touch control. At times, it failed to register the touch, especially while using legacy apps that have small window buttons. Perhaps, Acer could have shipped a stylus for using these.

Camera 
Iconia W4 features a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. The cameras are nothing home to talk about and can only click average quality shots in both daylight and artificial light.

The rear camera does not come with an LED flash so it's not possible to click acceptable pictures in low light conditions. We also found the placement of the rear camera a bit odd. It is placed at the extreme left (portrait mode), making it difficult to take pictures.



Pictures shot with the camera were noisy and washed out. The camera is capable of recoding HD videos, but again the quality was just about average.

The front camera can be used for video conference calls and does a decent job.

Software 
Iconia W4 comes with Windows 8.1, the new iteration of the Windows 8. The tablet doesn't run Windows RT, Microsoft's tablet optimized OS that doesn't offer the ability to run legacy Windows desktop apps. Thanks to Windows 8.1, you can run all applications that can be run on a regular Windows PC or notebook, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop or Tally.

Windows 8 style Modern apps or touch optimized apps can also be run. The tablet comes with some pre-installed apps, including Acer Docs, Acer Media, Acer Photo, Nero BackItUp, Evernote Touch, Amazon, Kindle, newsXpresso, TuneIn radio, and Skype, among others.



Iconia W4 also comes pre-installed with Office Home and Student 2013 edition and the license key for the software is provided in the box. The inclusion of Office is a big value-add.

Windows 8.1 offers a number of new features and improvements over Windows 8, including better multitasking, a Start button, updated search, and better handling of tiles. You can read more about these here.

One feature worth pointing out is that the tablet can now 'snap' apps, or run two or more apps simultaneously in Windows 8.1. Windows 8 required a minimum resolution of 1366x768 pixels to 'snap' apps due to which tablet screens below that resolution did not support the feature.

Performance/ Battery life 
Acer Iconia W4 is powered by a 1.33GHz quad-core Intel Atom (Z3740) Bay Trail Processor. The tablet has 2GB of RAM and features Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD GPU.

We found that the tablet performed well in daily tasks like web browsing, playing casual games, using Office, and watching HD videos.

We did not encounter any issues while playing casual games like Jetpack Joyride and Angry Birds which we downloaded from the Windows Store. Having said that, if you have multiple apps running in the background and browser tabs with graphics heavy websites running, you'll notice some sluggishness.



The tablet offers a good Windows 8.1 experience. With casual use, the tablet delivers close to 7 hours of battery backup with the screen on full brightness and the tablet connected to WiFi, Battery life would vary depending on your usage. If you use the tablet for gaming and watching HD videos it's likely that you'll need to charge it sooner. Talking about charging, Acer has got rid of the proprietary port found in the Iconia W3 and the tablet can now be charged with any micro-USB charger.

Also included in the box is the micro-USB to USB converter which allows you to plug pen drives and 3G dongles, somewhat solving the connectivity puzzle as the tablet does not come with a sim card slot. The tablet can be connected to the big screen through the micro-HDMI port though it doesn't support wireless standards like Miracast.

Our review unit, a 64GB variant of the tablet, offered about 40GB space which could be expanded up to 64GB via a microSD card.

Verdict 
So should you buy the Acer Iconia W4? With a tag of Rs 24,999, the device is one of the lowest priced Windows tablets available in the market. You can run almost all Windows 8 apps and most legacy Windows apps, so it's essentially a portable PC. The tablet would certainly appeal to road warriors who need to use Windows apps for work. You can use a wireless keyboard to get an almost PC-like experience.

However, Acer Iconia W4 still lags behind the iPad and Android tablets when it comes to tablet (and touch) optimized apps. Despite Microsoft's efforts, the Windows Store still doesn't boast of quality Modern UI apps. Also, legacy apps including Microsoft Office are not built for touch screens and you'll have a hard time using menus and controls on a small 8-inch screen. If you're willing to spend a few thousand rupees more, you can even buy a compact touchscreen Windows laptop such as the Asus Vivobook F202e.

We would recommend buying the iPad mini if your primary use case for a tablet is content consumption. iPad is still the king when it comes to tablet-optimized apps.

Even though Windows 8.1 makes the OS more usable on touch devices, for 8-inch Windows tablets to go mainstream, Microsoft needs more tablet-optimized apps.

Recently we reviewed Lenovo Vibe X. We found it had a nice design and a very good screen. But we also saw performance issues on it. Overall, we found it to be a step back from K900, Lenovo's flagship phone last year.

Now, we know the reason. Despite its relatively high price, Vibe X is not meant to be a replacement of K900 in the market. This replacement is Vibe Z, a phablet that packs in a screen size of 5.5 inches, similar to that of K900. Unlike Vibe X, Vibe Z comes with top of the line hardware. This is the flagship phone -- or rather phablet -- from Lenovo. It looks, feels and is priced like a flagship.

But is it worth getting it over some of the other high-end smartphones sold by companies like Samsung and LG? We tell you ...

Slim, sleek but almost all plastic
Unlike K900, which had a steel body, Vibe Z uses a shell made of plastic. But it is not as bad as it sounds.

Vibe Z looks good, though some may find it a bit too flashy. The back cover, which cannot be removed by a user, is made of plastic but has a faux metal finish. It also has a fine dotted pattern, which makes it look and feel better than the glossy plastic covers used on some other phones. The device has a plastic frame with faux chromium finish. The volume and power buttons are made of metal.

The device has been put together very well. The build quality is good and the finishing is top notch.
Unlike K900, which has a boxy design, Vibe Z has rounded edges. This makes it fit better in hand. Despite having the same screen size, Vibe Z is easier to use and carry compared to K900. The use of plastic also keeps its weight lower. The power button is placed on the top of the phone but volume buttons, which are easier to reach, can also be used to wake and sleep the phone screen. Compared to K900, which weighed around 162 grams, Vibe Z weighs 142 grams.

In terms of design, the only thing we find amiss in Vibe Z is its menu button, which also doubles up as a multitasking button. Under the screen, Vibe Z has three touch-sensitive buttons - home, menu and back.

Unfortunately, while using the device when we long-pressed this button to bring multitasking option, most of the time it also opened the menu inside an app. This is a minor issue but little annoying nonetheless.

Vibe Z is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 processor. It is a quad-core processor running at speed of up to 2.2GHz. The graphics chip is Adreno 330. The device has 2GB RAM. Of this, around 900 is usually free during the use. Vibe Z has a FullHD screen, a 13MP primary camera, a 5MP front camera, 16GB storage (can't be expanded with a microSD card) and 3000 mAh battery.

Android but with some extra goodies
Lenovo is shipping Vibe Z in Indian market with Android 4.3. It is not android 4.4, the latest version of the OS, but at least in this case it doesn't matter much because Lenovo has heavily customized it with its users interface and system-level tweaks.

During our use, we found Vibe Z to be a capable performer. With top notch hardware inside its shell, the phone is fast. The lag that we saw on Vibe X is not visible on Vibe Z. Apps open quickly on this phone. Web browsing is smooth. The performance of GPS is fast and accurate. Vibe Z can play HD and FullHD videos well. And it runs even demanding 3D games like Asphalt 8 at the highest graphics settings without displaying any lag.

Compared to Nexus 5, which is the smoothest Android phone in the market, Vibe Z holds up well. It doesn't feel as responsive as Google's official phone but the difference is subtle. Vibe Z is a flagship phone and feels as fast as other flagship devices like Galaxy S4, Xperia Z1 and LG G2.

However, where Vibe Z feels different is the software. This is both good and bad.



The customized user interface in Vibe Z lacks an app drawer. Instead all apps are installed on the homescreens. This is similar to how apps are installed on iPhone. While it is simple to use, if you have an Android phone and buying Vibe Z, it will take you a few days to get used to it.

Lenovo has changed almost every aspect of stock Android in Vibe Z. The settings panel is different. Notification shade and quick settings options are laid out differently. Unlike the flat icons in stock Android, the default theme on Vibe Z has icons with faux glossy finish. They are also extra colourful and may look garish to some users.

The phone has tens of options to customize the look and feel of user interface. Different themes can be applied. Unlike the sublime and largely minimalistic theme in stock Android user interface, all themes in Vibe X use icons and looks that are too colourful and somewhat cartoonish. Some users will like it, some won't.

Vibe Z also comes with a number of unique software and hardware features. Some of them are useful, some not so much. The utility of features like smart answer - respond to a call just by picking phone up - or smart dial - call a number while reading a message by picking up the phone and holding it against your ear - will vary from person to person. But the features like pocket mode - louder volume when the phone is in pocket - and shake to lock are more useful.

But the two features - multi-window mode and USB-To-Go - are useful. In multi-window mode you can open two apps at the same time and resize them on the screen. Only apps that support Lenovo's multi-window mode work. But most of the common apps, including browsers like Chrome are supported, so it is useful.

The USB-To-Go allows a user to connect any pen drive to Vibe Z and copy or access files. To use USB-To-Go you will need either need a pen drive with microUSB connector or will require a USB-to-microUSB cable, which Lenovo is selling separately.

Vibe Z also comes with a number of apps pre-installed. Some users will find these apps useful but some may find them annoying. For example, it comes with a security app that cannot be disabled. If you think your phone must have a security app, it may not be an issue for you but if you don't want it, you are out of luck. It always runs in the background. Similarly, the phone has a power manager, which too runs in the background.

Share It, an app that can be used to share files between two phones, is useful though. The app comes preinstalled on Lenovo phones but if you want to share files between Vibe Z and a non-Lenovo phone, you can install the app from Android Play store on the non-Lenovo phone.

Similarly CamCard, an app that costs over Rs 600, is pre-installed on Vibe Z. It allows a user to manage business cards in a better way and most people will find it very handy.

Due to all the unique features, options to customize user interface and tweak various settings, Vibe Z offers a lot of options to power users. But for the same reasons, it may also feel a little overwhelming to users who value simplicity and clean user interface.

Good screen, camera and battery life
The Vibe Z screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It is a sharp screen. Text and images look crisp on it. It also shows rich colours and viewing angles are good. Watching high-resolution movies on the device is an enjoyable experience. The level of brightness is adequate during indoor use but under sunlight, the screen feels dim and it is difficult to read on it.

The primary camera in Vibe Z performs well, though we did not find it as good as the one in K900. In the default mode, the pictures that we clicked with Vibe Z in good light came out well. They had ample amount of detail and the focus was sharp. But at the same time, we found the contrast a little low. In low light too, Vibe Z shoots decent images. The amount of noise is low.

The 5MP front camera has wider angle of view compared to what is found on other similarly-priced phones. We found the quality of images taken with front camera to be slightly better than what other devices manage, mostly because of the higher resolution of these images.

Vibe Z shoots videos in up to FullHD resolution. In videos shot with Vibe Z we found that focus was maintained well. But the lack of contrast made them look dull. Vibe Z will capture the footage during your birthday party but devices like LG G2 are better at video.

 

Battery life is a strong point of Vibe Z. When used with a 3G connection, the phone lasts around 15 to 16 hours of use. If you utilize the battery saver modes through the power manager app, you can get even better battery life.

The sound quality during calls was very good on Vibe Z. However, we found the sound output from speakers to be on the lower side.

Should you buy it?
Lenovo Vibe Z has a price tag of RS 35,999.

If you are looking for an easy-to-use, fast and reliable Android phone, in this price range we recommend Nexus 5 with 32GB storage. That will cost Rs 32,999. It is faster than Vibe Z, has more storage, comes with a camera that is slightly better at clicking images (but not videos), runs a more slicker looking version of Android and will get early Android updates.

But if you are looking to get a phone with a bigger screen, better battery life and features like USB-To-Go, Vibe Z is a good option. It works well and offers a number of unique features which are likely to be useful to you, if you do not mind the unique user interface and software customization that Lenovo has put in the phone.

Before we take a detailed look at Fujifilm X-E2, let's talk about its price. A camera that costs Rs 1,09,999 with the kit lens (18-55mm) is an expensive preposition for almost all mainstream consumers. Even those who are passionate about photography will think twice before opting for Fujifilm X-E2 because of its high price. In body only package it costs Rs 76,999.

But this is a price that we feel is justified. We don't say it often for very expensive gadgets. But after spending over two weeks with X-E2, we feel confident in recommending it to you, granted you need it and want to spend more than Rs 1 lakh on a camera that is not a DSLR. But why do we say this? Dive in for a better look at X-E2.

Small yet in the league of big boys
X-E2 is an update to Fujifilm X-E1, a camera that was launched in 2012.

Just like its predecessor, X-E2 uses a body made of magnesium and plastic. There is more metal than plastic though. This gives the camera a sturdy and premium feel. It also gives it much needed weight, which is a welcome change considering how camera manufacturers are focusing on lighter and more compact camera bodies. In fact, the weight (around 350 grams) and size of X-E2 is a nice compromise between a DSLR camera, which is heavy and bulky, and compact camera like RX 100 II, which feels too small. 

X-E2 is small enough to be taken out of the bag in a flash. It will slip into a small pocket in your backpack. In fact, if you are wearing a jacket, you can carry X-E2 and a flat pancake lens in a pocket. You don't feel its weight when you are carrying it. But it is big enough - and more crucially heavy enough - to give a reassuring feel when you are shooting with it. We used the camera with XF18-55mm lens and we never felt the weight of the lens weighing the camera down or making it uncomfortable to hold.

This is very crucial and one reason why a lot of pro and enthusiast photographer prefer DSLR cameras. The bulk of a DSLR camera makes it easier to hold and keep it steady while shooting, even when it has big lenses attached to it. On smaller camera, the same balance and grip is lacking. Fortunately, with X-E2, Fujifilm gets the design and balance right.

X-E2 is also looks stunning. The design mimics the looks and feel of cameras made in 1950s. Yes, X-E2 has a retro design.

X-E2 supports Wi-Fi connectivity. It also has in-camera RAW conversion so even if you are shooting RAW, you can quickly process the image in the camera and share it to your social media account on Facebook or Twitter using Wi-Fi. Pretty neat, we say!

Easy to use, excellent performance
When it comes to cameras, only one thing matters - how well it can shoot images. But ability to shoot good quality images in itself depends on several factors. One is the design. We talked about that earlier. For most parts, X-E2 gets the design part right. Second is the ease of use and how well you can access various options while shooting. And third is the quality of lens and image sensor.

While using X-E2, we found it to be a feature-rich camera that makes it easy for a photographer to tweak settings on the fly. X-E2 comes with a lot of buttons and two dials. This is better than most of the DSLR cameras that cost less than Rs 1 lakh.

On the top plate, X-E2 has two buttons and two dials. One dial can be used to set aperture. The other one can be used for exposure compensation. Both are easy to reach even when you are peering into the viewfinder and are about to click a shot. The other two buttons are shutter release/power on & off button and function button.



The aperture on X-E2 is controlled through a ring on the lens. On the left side below the lens, there is a dial to switch between focus modes which are single, continuous and manual. Again, this is easy to reach and focus modes can be changed on-the-fly while shooting. If you select single point focus mode, you can select from 49 focus points, which cover almost whole frame.

On the back, there are more buttons. For example, there are buttons to lock exposure and focus. This is really good and once you get hang of it, will give you better images. But the two important buttons here are Drive and Q. The drive button allows easy access to shooting modes - single shot or burst - as well as filters and video mode. The Q button brings up commonly-used settings on the screen and allows a photographer to change various parameters.

Overall, we found the button layout in X-E2 is sensible, which gives a photographer easy access to commonly-used settings.

The camera has a 3-inch rear screen. It is a sharp screen and shows good colours, though we found the brightness less than ideal. In sunlit areas, we found previewing the images a bit difficult.

X-E2 lacks the optical viewfinder found in DSLR cameras. Instead it has an electronic viewfinder, which is really good for its class. But if you are used to an optical viewfinder, you will find that the electronic viewfinder has low-resolution and looks dim. This has nothing to do with X-E2 but it is a technology difference between optical viewfinders and electronic viewfinders.

 

X-E2 uses a 16MP APS-C image sensor. In terms of size it is similar to what found in similarly-priced DSLR and other cameras, though some like Sony R7 have now started coming with full-frame image sensor. Fujifilm says the image sensor in X-E2 lacks an anti-aliasing filter and hence offers sharper image.

In our use, we found X-E2 to be an excellent performer. Whether we were shooting in daylight or in a dimly-lit restaurant, the camera consistently produced sharp images with accurate colours. The images that we shot JPEG mode had good amount of details and mostly accurate exposure. But the best results - no surprises here - came when we shot images in RAW mode. The RAW mode captures more data, which we were able to use while processing the images.

The highlight of X-E2 is the incredibly low amount of noise in images that it shoots. In fact, the processing of images is so aggressive that on some occasions you may have to use film simulation mode to get better details. But this processing of images and ability of X-E2 to keep noise low comes handy when you are shooting in low light. Even with high ISO of 3200 and 6400, the images that we clicked showed little noise or artifacts.

 
In terms of image quality, we faced only problem: The camera tends to underexpose images, especially in brightly-lit conditions. Fortunately, it is something you can fix with a little bit of processing in an image editing software.

Fujifilm claims that X-E2 is a camera with world's fastest autofocus. The speed is claimed to be 0.08 seconds. In our subjective tests, we didn't found it to be all that fast. Though, it wasn't slow either. We rarely waited for it to acquire focus. This is something of an achievement for a camera with the size of X-E2. But we also found X-E2 wasn't faster than a DSLR like D7000. In low light, there were occasions when it hunted for focus for a second or longer before showing the sharp preview.

While X-E2 excels at images, its performance in recording videos is average at best. If there is not much movement and if conditions are well lit, the camera shoots footage that is sharp and clear. But in more adverse conditions, we encountered focus issues.

X-E2 vs a DSLR camera
If you are going to spend Rs 1 lakh on a camera, why not get a DSLR?

This is an important question. A DSLR like Nikon D7100 costs less (around Rs 25,000) than X-E2. And in most conditions, it will beat X-E2.

A Nikon or Canon DSLR camera also has access to more variety of lenses compared to X-E2. Fujifilm has many X-mount lenses for X-E2. Most of these lenses are optically excellent - almost all of them are prime lenses - and are reasonably priced. Prime lenses have fixed focus and are usually capable of taking fantastic images. Yet, the selection of X-mount lenses doesn't match what Nikon and Canon offer for their cameras.

To summarize, buying a DSLR camera over X-E2 is not a bad decision.

But if you decide to get X-E2, that too is not bad decision. It all boils down to what you want from your camera.

To buy or not to buy X-E2
X-E2 is a capable camera. It shoots excellent images and is a joy to use. But it is not suitable for all consumers. Even if you want to spend over Rs 1 lakh on X-E2, buy it only if:

* You don't want a DSLR camera because of its weight and complexity and yet want something that will give you some degree of lens flexibility, and excellent image quality with minimum fuss.

* You want a camera that looks cool, is easy to carry and easy to use.

* You don't care for shooting videos from your image camera.

* You already have a big DSLR camera and want a companion shooter for it.

* You want a camera that is fantastic for street shooting because of its size and some very good wide-angle prime lenses available from Fujifilm for X-mount.

* You want a camera that is a perfect for travel (and everyday) shooting because of its size.

Don't buy X-E2 if
* You want to explore photography as a serious hobby. A DSLR camera from Nikon or Canon will give you more options to indulge in creative photography due to their lens collection.

* You want to shoot wildlife and birds or go on a safari often. A DSLR camera paired with at least a 300mm lens (on APS-C sensor this turns out to be around 450mm) works best here. In fact, Fujifilm doesn't even have a 300mm X-mount lens.

* You love optical viewfinder (explained above).

* You want to explore a niche. For example, if you want to shoot ultra-close macro photos, get a DSLR. If you just want to shoot portraits, get a DSLR and an appropriate lens with focal length of 85mm. You just want to shoot HDR landscape images, get a full-frame camera with an appropriate lens. X-E2 works best as a general-purpose camera.

Micromax is India's second biggest smartphone company. But that is what market research firms say. Over 16% market share of Micromax is a fact. It is not a perception.

In the minds of consumers, Micromax is a local company. Few consumers put it in the league of Sony or LG even though Micromax sells more smartphones than both in India. The perception is that Micromax makes smartphones that are affordable but not necessarily top class.

For over a year now, Micromax is fighting, and fighting hard, to change this perception.

In 2013, Micromax launched Canvas HD, Canvas 4 and Canvas Turbo with an aim to show that it can make and sell phones that match the quality and finish of global products. The company did not hit the home run in its attempt but largely it succeeded. All three Canvas devices were better than anything else it had sold earlier.

Knight A350 is the next flagship Micromax phone. And it continues the company's quest to win the respect that it feels it deserves. This time, in our opinion, it hits the home run.

Build and design
Knight A350 is a phone unlike any other Micromax made earlier. Though when compared to devices sold by companies like Sony and Apple, Knight A350 doesn't look all that different.




The phone uses a glass and metal body. The back cover and the front of the screen is topped with tough - but not of Gorilla variety - glass. Except the protruded camera module on the back, it is all smooth glass. The phone looks similar to Sony's Xperia Z phones, which too use glass and metal body. But there are some differences. Unlike the Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z1 compact, which have rounded edges, Knight A350 has edges that follow the pattern set by iPhone 5.

Knight A350 has chamfered edges, though they are not as shiny as what you get on iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S.
Knight A350 has a slim - and a little tall - profile. The tall profile means it is not as wide as some other 5-inch phones out in the market. The slim and tall profile of Knight A350 makes holding and using the phone quite easy. It is possible to use it with one hand.

Overall, we like the design and build quality of Knight A350. The glass feels tough and while it will inevitably collect scratches - it is glass, after all - it is nice to see Micromax not going for some cheap materials here. The finishing, especially the way glass bonds to the metal frame and how the buttons and edges feel, is also good.

That said, we have two minor complaints. Knight A350 attracts smudges easily and because of shiny glass body, these smudges are very much visible. Also, glass, or for that matter metal back covers, tend to absorb the heat from the processor inside the phone and make the device feel hot to touch, especially if you are playing a game on it. It happens with iPhones and it happens with Knight A350. If you are playing a game or browsing a few websites on Chrome, the back cover on Knight A350, especially under the camera module, gets warm.

Display
Knight A350 has a 5-inch screen with a FullHD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. For a phone that costs less than Rs 20,000, A350 has a very good screen. It shows punchy colours and has good viewing angles, which means colours don't fade or lose contrast when you look at it from a different angle. The high-resolution means it shows sharp text and images. Even the level of brightness is good. Unless you are going to be directly under the sunlight, the screen on A350 remains legible during outdoor use.


Software
A350 is powered by Android 4.2.2. That is an older version of Android - the latest one is Android 4.4 - but in terms of features there is not much difference. Micromax is using a customised version of Android in A350 but there are not many tweaks or user interface changes. The biggest change is the launcher, which uses different icons and theme. The default icons for apps like Phone Dialler and Camera in Knight A350 have square shape. It also has a translucent background in the app drawer, which is available in the stock Android 4.4, but not in stock Android 4.2.

By and large, the changes in the Android user interface in A350 are minimal, which is good. User interface on A350 will feel familiar to anyone who has used an Android phone before.

A350 comes with some third-party apps installed by default. These include BBM, Hike, TrueCaller and Kingsoft etc. While some of these apps will be useful to some users, we prefer phones that don't have third-party apps installed by default. Users who require these apps can always get them from the Android app store. But when they are installed by default, users who don't need them can't uninstall them.

Camera
A350 has a primary camera that shoots 16MP images. We all know that number of mega pixels doesn't matter much when it comes to image quality. Thankfully, the camera in A350 is a decent performer. In good light, it clicks images that have lots of details and right amount of contrast.





In low light, the images tend to have some noise but unless you are shooting in really dim light, for example in a restaurant while having dinner, you will get images that are good enough to be shared on a social media site.




What about video? A350 can shoot videos in 1080P aka FullHD resolution. But the video format is 3GP, which is not as nice as MP4 that other smartphones use. The videos we shot with A350 showed that the camera can record footage that is clear and where subjects are in good focus. But it also over processes videos. It bumps up the colours and they look too rich to be real. It also tries to reduce the colour noise very aggressively and that makes objects look smoother than they actually are. That said, given the price of the device we will call video recording in A350 acceptable.

The front camera can snap images in 8MP. But don't get excited about the big number here. The performance of the front camera is just average. It works for occasional selfies and video chats but don't expect it to click stellar 8MP images for you.

Performance
A350 is powered by MediaTek's MT6592T processor. It is an 8-core processor capable of running at 2GHz. However, don't let the 8-core moniker fool you. The processor uses A7 architecture from ARM which is aimed at providing mainstream performance and not high-end performance. While 8 cores matter, they will not be properly utilised unless there is an application that can use all these cores simultaneously.

Currently, no popular app can utilise an 8-core processor properly. More important here is the 2GHz speed. MT6592T is a fast processor, capable of handling the everyday work load with ease. Combined with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, MT6592T provides Knight A350 with good enough hardware to deal with web browsing, multimedia playback of videos in various formats and photo editing etc with ease. While there is some lag from time to time, especially if you are multi-tasking or scrolling through a list quickly, it is barely noticeable and rarely a factor that affects the experience.

GPS in the phone works well and reliably. While making calls we found the call quality to be good and we never had to shout in the phone to make the person on the other hand hear what we were saying.

One area where, Knight A350 really excels is the speaker. While it is a mono speaker, it is very loud. This helps while playing games or watching movies on the device.

The battery life is where Knight A350 stumbles. When used with a 3G connection, the device lasts around 9 to 10 hours. This is 2 hours less than what we typically see in an Android phone.

Gaming
The MT6592T processor in A350 has four core of Mali 450 for graphics processing. While this is not a cutting-edge graphics, it is capable of handling most of the current Android games. During our test, we played casual games like Angry Birds and demanding games with high quality graphics like Asphalt 8 on A350. In both types of games, we had a good experience. In Asphalt 8, we played with graphics quality set to maximum and the game ran without any lag or dropped frame rates.

Verdict
It is easy to like Knight A350. Its design is good, performance satisfactory and screen best in its class. Even camera is decent. We feel Knight A350 is worth Rs 19,999, the MRP Micromax has set for it.

However, if you are looking to buy a smartphone with a budget of less than Rs 20,000, our first recommendation remains Motorola Moto G, which is available for Rs 13,999. Overall, Moto G is a better value for money. It is also slightly faster - though not in games - than A350 and has a much better battery life.

But if you decide to give Moto G a pass, A350 is a very good choice. It has a bigger (and sharper) screen, a better camera, more graphics performance, 2X internal storage, extra 1GB RAM, and a much more attractive design.

Amkette - yes, it is the same company that once sold floppy disks - nowadays make digital accessories for various products. It makes accessories for smartphones, tablets, computers and TVs. 
FlashTV HD Pro, an accessory for televisions, is not exactly a new product. This particular model was launched months ago. But the reason behind this review is a problem I came across a few weeks ago.

A friend, who is a movie aficionado, owns an old TV. It is really old - around 6 or 7 years old. It is a colour television but of CRT variety and has resolution of 480p. It also lacks ports like HDMI. And unlike televisions of today, it cannot play any videos or access files stored in a pen drive or hard disk. Yes, you guessed right - it doesn't even have a USB port.

The person who owns this television wanted to know if there is a cheap and easy way for him to occasionally watch films stored on pen drives or hard disks on this television.

While looking around for a reasonably-priced solution, I realized that this problem is not particular to my friend. There are many more like him, who don't watch TV too often, but want some sort device through which they can occasionally watch a film or two stored in pen drives or external hard drives on their old TV sets.

This is when I found FlashTV HD Pro.

So, does FlashTV HD Pro solve the problem with old TVs? Does it make them useful?

The short answer is yes. But it is not all that simple. FlashTV HD Pro is not the only product that can connect to an old TV and let you play movies directly from a pen drive. There are some more out there and depending on your needs, the other media players may be a better choice than FlashTV HD Pro. But more on that later. For now let's take a look at Amkette's media player.

Small and light
Even by the standards of media players, FlashTV HD Pro is quite small. It is smaller than most of the set-top boxes that people use with their televisions nowadays. Or in other words, it as small as a router that you may be using for broadband connection in your house.

It is also very light. It probably weighs less than 300 grams. It is definitely lighter than most of the tablets available in the market. One more reason behind the low weight of FlashTV HD Pro is its plastic body.

While finishing of the device is quite good - there are no loose parts or sharp edges - the quality of plastic used to make its body is not very sturdy. The top half is made of glossy plastic. The bottom part has plastic with matte finish. The plastic used for both parts feels a bit flimsy. Of course, the device won't break if you press it hard but it does feel a bit cheap.



On the right side of the device, there are two USB ports through which a user can connect two external storage devices like pen drives or hard disks to the TV. On the back of the device there are connectivity ports. If you have a TV that supports Full HD resolution then it is likely to have a HDMI port. So you can connect FlashTV HD Pro to your TV using the HDMI port. If you have an old TV, you can use the RCA connectors - the yellow, red and white connectors. There is also a SPDIF connector that you can use if you have a compatible audio system.



On the back, there is a power on/off button and the slot for connecting power cable. On the front of the device, there is a button to switch on and off the device.

There is no memory card reader on FlashTV HD Pro. However, if you have a memory card reader with a USP port, you can connect it to FlashTV HD Pro using the USB cable.

FlashTV HD Pro comes with a remote.

You cannot connect your phone or tablet to FlashTV HD Pro and access audio, video or picture files stored in your device.

Easy to use
I tried FlashTV HD Pro with several TVs. One these TVs was very old. Some were new. And in all instances, I found the performance of FlashTV HD Pro satisfactory.

To use FlashTV HD Pro, you have to connect it to a television and have to supply power to it using a power adapter that is bundled with it. Amkette also bundles RCA cables and HDMI cable. Depending on the ports that are available on your TV you can use any of the supplied cables.

If your TV supports Full HD display or 720p display and (obviously) has a HDMI port, use the HDMI cable. If not, the RCA cable is your best friend.

Through FlashTV HD Pro, I played videos in several formats on several TV. The device handles formats like MP4, AVI and MKV with ease. Even content with high bit-rate is handled well. The playback was satisfactory though on the old TV, the quality of the picture was limited by the low resolution. The audio and video were in sync during the playback.

The user interface that FlashTV HD Pro offers when connected to a TV is easy. When an external media is connected to FlashTV HD Pro, it is identified as Drive C. If you enter the drive, you can see various folders - if there are folders - and media content stored in them. Picture, videos and music can be accessed and played using FlashTV HD Pro.

Should you buy it?
FlashTV HD Pro is a basic but capable media player. But before I talk about whether you should get it or not, let me explain who should not get it:

* If you have a not-so-old TV, it is likely that your TV has a USB port and can play video files directly from a pen drive or external hard disk. If this is indeed the case, FlashTV HD Pro is not for you.

* If you are looking to get a media player that can also connect to the internet and play YouTube videos on your TV, FlashTV HD Pro is not for you.

* If you are looking for a media player that can connect to your Wi-Fi network and help you play videos directly from your laptop to your TV, FlashTV HD Pro is not for you.

* If you have a TV with HDMI port and a good Android tablet, you can connect the tablet to the TV and use it as a media player. Any good Android tablet nowadays will play almost all popular video formats.

FlashTV HD Pro is primarily meant to be used with old televisions. Yes, you can use it with your new TV if you want but I don't think you have any good reason to do that.

While FlashTV HD Pro gets the job done, the price is on higher side. It has a MRP of Rs 4,695. However, it is available for less than Rs 4,000 in the market. This makes it one of the cheapest branded media players you can buy. But the problem is that pairing a Rs 4,000-accessory to an old TV may not look like a very practical decision to most people. A price tag of less than Rs 3,000 would have been better.

That said, if you have an old TV and want to use it to watch films and videos stored in a pen drive, FlashTV HD Pro is a decent choice if you don't mind spending Rs 4,000.