The Nokia PR2.0 Amber update full changelog appears

 
The PR2.0 codenamed Amber update for Nokia Lumia 920 and its WP8 siblings is in the rumorland for quite some time and is highly anticipated by all owners. In case you own a Lumia 920/820/720/620/520 you are probably curious what to expect with the upcoming update.
The Amber update contains the official Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update that is coming later this year to every WP8 smartphone. There are a number of features that will remain exclusive to the Lumia lineup, though.
As luck would have it the guys from nokiawindowsphone.pl managed to get their hands on the complete changelog of the PR2.0 Amber and shared it with the rest of us.

• Glance Screen: Clock Charging indicator / low battery Indicator for silent / vibra mode, night mode (change color for night time). OFF by default.
• Smart camera capture the best moment: Accidental remove unwanted objects from the scene. Select the best shot and precise moment. Sequense take a group of images with advanced face, smile and blink detection. The, best 'face for each person is automatically selected into a single, best' shot.
• FM Radio: Be ready to tune your favorite station - FM Radio is BACK! Store your favorite stations for the next time.
• Flip: Flip to silence the phone to turn it silence.
• Data Sense: Managing your data flow monitor and control data usage. Optimally compressing web traffic.
• Find your closest hotspot: Enriched web services (for operators).
• HERE branding Location & Commerce
• Here Maps v3.4: Your compass is a discovery What's New: Increased venue map coverage Favorites saved in HERE Maps now sync across all HERE experiences Personalized Live Tile options: Pin and Pin destination to start a place to start as favorite Pin Pin to start a place category to start
• Here Drive + v2.2: The open road made easy What's New: Sync favorite places with other apps HERE and here.com Customize your map to display relevant points of interest, dry as restaurants, gas stations, and more one-tap access to speed limit Alert options right from the dashboard Personalized Live Tile options: Pin to Start a destination (one tap gives driving directions to That destination)
• Here Transit v3.5: Now arriving: the best way across town What's New: Access your favorites through your searches Display nearby stations directly on a map opens Transit Maps to display more route options Transit Maps opens to display the battles navigation options Personalized Live Tile: Pin a destination like Home, Work, or School to start (one tap shows public transit routes and times to get there from wherever you are)

And these are some of the features part of the Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update.

• Xbox Music facilitated selection, procurement and pinning music. Also for fans of music are provided to display more detailed metadata (eg information about the songs and albums), and made other improvements.
• You can listen to FM radio: FM radio directly in the heart of Music + Video. (This is not available in some phones).
• Data Sense: Sense With the service date have complete control over the amount of data sent over the phone. You can impose a limit corresponding to your subscription or simply keep track of which applications send much data. (Not all mobile operators offer the service offering Sense).
• Application: Skype applications to support VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), for example, Lync and Skype now gained greater stability and efficiency of operations.
• Comfort: Internet Explorer web browsing will be greatly improved by better compliance with HTML 5
• Other improvements includes many other improvements of Windows Phone.

The Amber update is available out of box on the Lumia 925 and Lumia 1020. We expect it to hit the other compatible smartphones in a month or two.

Zen Ultraphone 701 HD review

Newly Built Indian Mobile manufacturar company Zen recently Launch its new Smartphone. It has gain some popularity due to its new launch and company rising day by day up. Its a new Ultra Smartphone that are capable to take a nice HD click as wel as Good HD quality Video Recording. Its a new highly feature Smartphone. Zen trying to make their identity In India as wel as In Asia. But it will take long time to get that position.

Zen first launch its mobile phone and that phone repersented by Amitabh Bachchan in Tv Ads. And that ads features its multifunctioning shrtcuts. Its show that Zen smartphones contain new Shortcut keys that makes it userfriendly.

Zen Mobile company has launched Zen Ultrafone 701 HD, its a 5-inch  Android smartphone that work on  quad-core processor and available in 11,999 Rs.
New Zen Ultrafone 701 HD is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and has 1GB of RAM. Its a dual-SIM phone  features a 5-inch display that has the resolution of 720×1280.

This new Zen smartphone runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS  an comes with new interactive Apps  including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. It has  8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and  BSI sensor, and a 3.2 MP front camera for video calling. The phone offers great facility of  4GB internal memory that can be further expanded upto 32GB through microSD card. It has a 2,000mAh battery and supports 3G network, fast Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Zen UltraPhone 701  HD Smartphone Specification

Display

• 5-inch screen with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels.

Processor

• 1.2GHz processor.

Memory Storage Capacity

• 1GB RAM, 4GB Internal memory, can be expandable upto 32GB via MicroSD card.

Camera Quality

• 8 MP camera, 3.2 MP front camera.

Connectivity and Service

• 3G,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity.

Network Support

• Dual-SIM (3G+2G) both.

Operating System

• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Operating system.

SMARTPHONES WITH THE BEST BATTERY

Smartphones are notorious for skimping on battery life, routinely dying on you when you most need them. But much like any broad generalisation, there are exceptions. In fact, if you were to look for handsets with the best battery life, all your options would be those running on Android. Here are some phones with long-lasting battery.

Lava Xolo B700
Conventional wisdom dictates that if you have a cheap smartphone, it won’t last for a long time on a single charge. But the B700 bucks the trend with a long-lasting 3,450mAh battery which claims 363 hours of standby time, 20 hours of talk time, 7.3 hours of 3G web browsing, 8.7 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing, 38 hours of music playback through speakers and 86 hours through headphones, nine hours of video playback through speakers and 10.5 hours through headphones. That’s impressive by any yardstick, and mind-blowing for that price. Along with that, you get a 4.3-inch IPS screen with a qHD (960×540 pixels) resolution, 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, VGA front camera and a 1GHz dual-core processor, all powered by Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich.
Price: Rs. 8,999

Lenovo IdeaPhone P770
One of the best value-for-money propositions available, the Lenovo IdeaPhone P770 is packed with a 3,500mAh battery that manages to crank out 30 hours of talk time and 12.5 days of standby time—easily the best in its class, overshadowing handsets like the Micromax Canvas HD and the Samsung Galaxy Quattro. In fact, the rest of the smartphone is quite good too. It has a great build quality and feels solid to hold, inspiring the kind of confidence that Nokia’s phones used to. It boasts a 4.5-inch IPS screen with a qHD (960×540 pixels) resolution, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, VGA front camera and 1.2GHz dual-core processor. While the specs may be similar, the phone’s camera and performance is superior to that of the Lava Xolo B700. And hey, it also runs on the updated Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Price: Rs. 15,000

• 
  Huawei Ascend Mate
• 
  Lava Xolo B700
• 
  Lenovo IdeaPhone P770
• 
  Lenovo IdeaPhone P780
• 
  Huawei Ascend Mate
• 
  Lava Xolo B700

• Previous
• Next

Lenovo IdeaPhone P780
Riding on the coattails of the P770, the newest model from Lenovo does an even better job in the battery department. The IdeaPhone P780 packs in incredible hardware for its price. For starters, there’s the 4,000mAh battery that claims an incredible 43 hours of talktime and 35 days of standby time. This is complemented by premium hardware, including a 5-inch IPS touchscreen with HD (1280×720 pixels) resolution, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and an HD front camera, running on the latest version of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. And Lenovo has gone ahead and put all of this tech into a shiny metallic body. At its price, it’s the best deal in the market today.
Price: Rs. 22,500

Huawei Ascend Mate
Is it a tablet or is it a smartphone? The Huawei Ascent Mate straddles the line between the two with its humongous 6.1-inch screen with HD (1280×720 pixels) resolution. The big size also lets the phone house its massive 4,000 mAh battery with Huawei’s own QPC and ADRX smart power-saving technologies, which claims it can last for two whole days of regular usage without needing to be recharged. It boasts of 28 hours of talk time, nine days of standby time and 10.5 hours of 3G web browsing. Apart from that, the Ascend Mate has top-of-the-line hardware, including a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash and Full HD video recording and an HD front cam. On paper, the Ascend Mate is great, but you really need to first hold it in your hand and see if a phone that huge is something you want.
Price: Rs. 24,900

Top 5 SmartPhone That’ll Steal Hearts in 2014

Well, you will surely be waiting for the launch of new SmartPhone devices to replace your existing ones. The currently passing year has begot amazing devices right from ultra lightiPhone 5 to unique Samsung galaxy S4. Moreover, we have seen the release of waterproof SmartPhone from Sony. So, our appetite for innovation has increased and it wants more innovation in SmartPhones. Thus, our eyes are set on 2013 winters or 2014 autumn for the release of new devices. The launching speculations of some innovative devices are making us crazy and we want to know about them in advance. If you are also thinking the same then you can select your future SmartPhone from the below mentioned SmartPhones.

iPhone 5S

Let’s start our journey to innovation from Apple’s device. As this Cupertino based electronics giant is known for making surprising devices since its inception so this is going to amaze the viewers with its flagship product iPhone 5S. On the basis of past, it can be guessed that the case of iPhone 5S will not change because the ‘S’ series products has been in the same case since the arrival of first ever iPhone. So, the physical case will remain same. On looking at iOS 7 release schedule, we have analyzed that iPhone 5S might have iOS 7 because this version of OS is going to launch in October and device will come later. So, this device will come with iOS 7. In case of display, this version of iPhone will have a Retina+ Sharp IGZO display.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

Are you a shutterbug, who cannot go out without a hanging camera on your neck? If it is so then this device is made for you. It sports an amazing camera facility that turns your SmartPhone into a digital camera or we can say that Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is a camera that lets you make calls and use internet. Due to thick & bulky body, this SmartPhone will not impress everyone except the ones who love using SmartPhones as cameras. The more interesting fact is that you cannot recognize the device from any single side because from one side it will look like a digital camera and from other it will look like a SmartPhone.

HTC Mini M4

You can also call this device as HTC one mini because Engadget has received a leak that this product is similar to ‘HTC One’. However, the praise worthy aluminum body of ‘HTC One’ will remain same. You will be able to afford it because the manufacturer has decreased the price of this device.

Sony Xperia ZU

It is a device, which will shake the SmartPhone world for ones and all. It is a Sony’s intermediate-size Phone. There are speculations that this device will sport a 6.4 inch long screen for its users. With 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage, and 64 GM micro card, it turns out as the beast in SmartPhone world.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Well, this device is going to get bigger than its 5.5-inch predecessor. This device is not going to kill your expectations because it is possibly going to come with 6.3 inches long screen. In this way, the operating system will be android. However, the version is not sure.
So, you can now choose your SmartPhone and be the innovation driver in your peer circle.

Sony Xperia C : C stands for China

SHANGHAI, China -- Though the focus of Sony's presentation earlier this week was the supersized Xperia Z Ultra phablet, the company also took the opportunity at Mobile Asia Expo to announce normal-sized handsets like the Xperia C. Meant for the Chinese market, the Android device will come with two SIM slots: one WCDMA and the other GSM.

Featuring a 5-inch qHD (960x540-pixel) screen, the Xperia C slightly resembles the Xperia Zfrom the front. However, the build is completely different once you turn it around. Instead of a glass chassis, it features a soft-touch back cover that completely envelops the sides and back. This is similar to the what we have seen on the Nokia 820 Windows Phone.

Available in white, black, and purple, the phone feels good held in the hands and is quite attractive. The way the back tapers down to being thinner at the center, when viewed from the side, is a nice touch.

(Credit: John Chan/CNET Asia)

Behind the back cover is the battery, and slots for two SIM card and a microSD card. One SIM slot supports the WCDMA network, so you'll want to put your main 3G card here for cellular data. The second slot is a 2G one, for a secondary or overseas SIM. Unfortunately, the battery is built-in, so you can't simply swap it out with an extra cell when traveling.

(Credit: John Chan/CNET Asia)

Inside, the Xperia C is equipped with a quadcore MediaTek chip. While it's not as powerful as the latest Qualcomm processors, the lower price of the MediaTek chip should help bring down the cost of the smartphone, which is a critical factor in the Asia market. I didn't get a chance to run benchmarks, but basic operations felt snappy and most users should be happy with the performance.

(Credit: John Chan/CNET Asia)

Other specs include 1GB of RAM, up to 4GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It comes with the latest Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) operating system.

On the back is an 8-megapixel camera with Exmor R sensor and is accompanied by an LED flash. There's also a front camera for video conferencing and self-portraits.

The Xperia C will be a China Unicom exclusive for now. However, a Sony representative said a version for other Asia markets may become available in the future. Price and availability for the Sony Xperia C have yet to be announced, but we've been told that it will be priced to target the low- to midrange market.

Best upcoming phones in Q3 / Q4

1. Moto X

After the Acquisition of Google, there is no great phone from Motorola. Rumours suggested that Motorola working on the biggest development and it will their Flagship model with the guidance from Google. Motorola Boss Dennis Woodside has popped the few details about he Moto X and the phone won’t debut until late in the third quarter.

Motorola is known for its great hardware and good performance from that. The Moto X has so many innovative features , the self-awareness capability is one of them. Many sources suggested that Motorola is hardly working on this feature. For example, this phone will enable certain feature when you take out the phone from pocket and It will turn on the camera app automatically when you are going to take a picture. This feature looks promising and many dubbed the Moto X as the Google’s Next Big Thing.

There is no further specifications about the Moto X but the hardware capabilities are up to the standard. It may have the Stock Android OS partially not like the nexus one, and it’s worth waiting for.

2. Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Currently Samsung is working on the third version of the phablet “Galaxy Note 2″. There is many leaks suggested that it is going to be the very powerful phone, runs on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor. Two days before the leaks from the Samsung research division revealed and confirmed that the Note 3 will feature an 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and its internal model number will be  SM-N900. It sports a  6-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, a 13-megapixel camera, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Also the Note 3 will borrow some cool features from its flagship smartphone Galaxy S4. Samsung hasn’t officially announced the features and specifications of  Galaxy Note 3 yet. But likely to be announced at IFA trade show in September.

3. HTC T6 (HTC One Max)

HTC’s Upcoming Phablet named HTC One Max from the codename of HTC T6. The Struggling HTC is doing well with their flagship model HTC One which has the exciting features and sense 5 UI. HTC also in the process of making the mini version of the HTC One as a HTC One Mini. HTC’s 5.9-inch phablet project is to counter the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. HTC has no phablet models in their catalogue, so they are coming with One Max.

According to the rumours, the phablet has bodyshell with a 5.9-inch 1080p Full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor at the clock speed 2.3Ghz and will have a big  3,300mAh battery. HTC one Ultra pixel camera technology and booms audio. It will also have Stylus pen with great features.

4.Sony i1 or Honami

Sony has jumbed into the Smartphone competition to catch the top spot by launching the Xperia Z in this year.  Sony Honami or i1 is their upcoming Android phone.

The specifications of the Sony i1, 5 inch Full HD Reality / Triluminos Display with X-Reality screen. It will have Snapgragodn S800 Processor with 2GB RAM and includes S Master Walkman mobile + Liquid Magnetic Mobile Speaker. And boasts a large 3000 mAh battery. It might be packed with Android 4.2.2 or 4.3

There is no news about price, the Sony i1 or Honami is set to be released sep or october.

Karbonn S5 Titanium review

The Karbonn S5 Titanium is the successor to the S1 Titanium featuring an upgraded 5-inch qHD display and an 8-megapixel rear camera. The phone was launched for Rs. 11,990, around Rs.1,000 more than the S1 Titanium's launch price. The S1 Titanium is now available online for Rs. 9,990. Is it worth spending Rs. 2,000 more to buy the S5 Titanium? We try to find out how the phone fares in all departments in our review.

Build/ Design

The Karbonn S5 Titanium looks a little different from its predecessor and is thinner. It also looks more refined compared to the S1 Titanium. However, it features the same rectangular slab form factor with rounded corners. The phone comes in White and Deep Blue colour variants and we got a Deep Blue phone as our review unit.

The front of the phone features the 5-inch qHD display, three capacitive touch buttons for navigation, and the front camera lens, in addition to the proximity sensor and the earpiece. The bezel is not that wide on the sides and doesn't take up a major part of the front unlike the S1 Titanium.

The Power/Screen lock is located at the right side of the phone, while the volume rocker key is located on the left side. The 3.5mm headset jack and the Micro-USB port sit at the top.

While Karbonn has mostly taken care of our gripes with the S1 Titanium's design in the S5 Titanium, the back of the phone is still made of plastic and is extremely glossy. You could use it as a mirror but it's a fingerprint magnet and it'll be full of smudges as soon as you start using the phone. The 8-megapixel rear camera lens is located towards the top along with a flash. There's some Karbonn branding towards the bottom.

The back cover is removable and hides the battery compartment. The two SIM card slots and a microSD slot are located just above the battery compartment.

Display

The S5 Titanium comes with a 5-inch qHD IPS screen that has a resolution of 540x960 pixels and pixel density of 221ppi, which is decent, and graphics and text appear sharp, although a 720p screen could have taken it to the next level. The viewing angles looked good. However, it's really difficult to read or take pictures in sunlight, as the screen is extremely reflective. Videos and pictures looked good but colours appeared to be a little saturated just like the S1 Titanium's screen.

Software/ Interface

The Karbonn S5 Titanium runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The interface is the same as that of the S1 Titanium and you can read about it in detail in our S1 Titanium review. 

We like the fact that Karbonn has removed the redundant Search button and switched to the standard three button navigation.

Camera

The phone features an 8-megapixel autofocus shooter that takes good quality images in daylight. However, at times we observed that they were a little over-exposed. Pictures taken indoors under artificial light also came out well but suffered the same issue.

The camera app is a little different from the stock Android camera app and unlike the S1 Titanium, doesn't feature the capability to simultaneously use the rear and the 2-megapixel front camera. The camera app features settings for white balance, exposure, aspect ratio, face-detection, red eye reduction among others. It also offers a Panorama mode but leaves out the HDR mode which was present in the S1 Titanium's camera app. There's a speed shot mode as well as the normal mode takes time to click photos.

The phone is also capable of shooting 720p video and we found the recording quality to be decent.

The front camera also takes decent photos and can be used for video chats as well as for self clicks.

Performance

The Karbonn S5 Titanium is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8625 quad-core processor. It has 1GB RAM onboard, and Adreno 203 chip for processing graphics. There is 4GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card.

With Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the overall experience of navigation through the interface was impressive, thanks to Project Butter and the phone's quad-core processor. We did not experience any lag while launching apps, playing games, scrolling web pages or switching between apps. It is safe to say that performance wise, the S5 Titanium trumps other dual-core processor powered phones in this price range.

The phone also offers FM Radio unlike its predecessor, which gives you another reason to choose this phone over the S1 Titanium.

We were not able to play full-HD clips, but the phone supported formats like .AVI, natively. 720p videos can be played but stutter. The speaker on the phone delivers average quality sound at high volume levels, but there's some muffle when the phone lies on its back, as the speaker grill is located on the back. The headphones that come with the phone offer average quality sound output.

Call quality was good.

The phone comes with a 2000mAh battery, and based on our experience, it will last you a full day with medium to heavy usage, including 1-1.5 hours of phone calls, two e-mail accounts with push notifications, screen at maximum brightness, playing some music and video clips, Twitter notifications and WhatsApp chats. It's also worth pointing out that we had turned off Wi-Fi and auto-brightness, and the phone was hooked to a 3G network. Altering these settings might help in running the phone for a longer duration, depending on your usage pattern.

Verdict

The Karbonn S5 Titanium is a worthy upgrade to the S1 Titanium, offering a better build, improved camera, albeit stripped of some features and a bigger screen. It also offers FM radio if you like tuning in to your favourite local radio station. We'd recommend buying the S5 Titanium over the S1 Titanium though it will cost you around Rs. 2,000 more at this point in time.

We also recommend you to take a look at the Zen Ultrafone 701HD that comes at the same price point and offers Android 4.2 and a 720p display along with a better build quality.

Other quad-core processor phones in the budget range include the Micromax Canvas HD and the Xolo Q800.

Price: Rs. 11,990

Pros

• Decent performance
• Good camera

Cons

• Plasticky back which is a smudge magnet
• Reflective screen

Ratings (Out of 5)

Design: 3.5
Display: 3
Performance: 4
Software: 3.5
Battery Life: 3
Value for Money: 3.5
Camera: 3.5
Overall: 3.5

Spice Coolpad Mi-515 review

Build/ Design
The Spice Coolpad Mi-515 doesn't score much in the looks department. It looks like most other budget phablets available in the market. It's 140mm tall, 73mm wide and 9.9mm thick, and is definitely not a slim contender.

The 5.0-inch display dominates the front of the phone, with three capacitive touch buttons placed beneath the screen, while the earpiece, front-facing camera and the proximity sensor sit on the top of the screen with 'Coolpad' branding just below the earpiece.

There's a metallic Blue frame around the device that adds to the aesthetic appeal. On the right side is the power key while the volume rocker key is located on the left side. The Micro-USB port and the 3.5mm audio jack are placed on the top panel.

The back of the phone houses the 5.0-megapixel camera module and LED flash. Both the camera and the flash are enclosed in a metallic rectangular frame. There's some more Coolpad branding along with the Spice logo in the middle, while the speaker grille is located towards the bottom.

The Spice Coolpad Mi-515 is a dual-SIM (GSM + GSM) smartphone. Both SIM card slots and the slot for the microSD card hide behind the back cover, just above the battery slot. If one wants to change the SIM card, the device needs to be switched off, as the SIMs cannot be accessed without removing the battery. The body of the phone is plasticky and the device plain at best in terms of looks. The glossy back makes the phone slippery and difficult to grip. Having said that, the device did fit in our hands comfortably despite the 5.0-inch form factor.

Software/ Interface
The Spice Coolpad Mi-515 runs Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) with some minor tweaks done by the company including skinning of app icons, colour schemes and settings toggles. It's not the latest version of the OS but almost all devices in this price segment feature the same operating system. In terms of additional functionality, the software has nothing new to offer.

The home-screen panel consists of five customizable screens. The notification tray includes toggles for settings such as Wi-Fi, Brightness, Rotation, Bluetooth, GPS, Data, Screen timeout and sound profiles.

The device comes with NQ anti-virus pre-loaded that helps safeguard the device from malware, viruses and similar threats with a free usage for a limited period. The phone also includes some preloaded apps that include Chrome, Facebook, Opera Mini, TOI, SpiceGang, Nimbuzz, WhatsApp and Twitter.

The phone also comes with the ability to update the operating system over the air through a Wireless Update utility.

Camera
The camera on the Spice Coolpad Mi-515 is a bit of let down. The 5.0-megapixel camera takes decent quality shots during well-lit conditions but disappoints when it comes to low-light and indoor shots. The images shot in low-light had a lot of noise, lacked detail and were grainy. Even photos clicked outdoors in bright light lack detail and the colour reproduction isn't accurate.

The camera app on the device does not offer too much in terms of options. A few camera features included in the handset are an HDR mode, face-recognition, colour effects, scene modes, and anti-flicker. Many would not mind the absence of a physical camera key but it would have added to the comfort of using the camera on the device.

Though the device supports HD video recording but we were not very impressed with the quality of the recorded videos.

Spice Coolpad Mi-515 also includes a VGA front camera. However, the quality of the front camera was not that great and it can be used for self-portrait shots at best. Overall, the device is not that great in the camera department.

PerformanceThe Spice Coolpad Mi-515 is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, and has 1GB RAM. There is 4GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 32GB with the help of microSD card.

We did not experience any lag while browsing the Web or navigating on the device, however, we did experience lag while launching and exiting games like Dead Trigger and Temple Run 2.

The phone comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, and Micro-USB connectivity options. Other major features include GPS, a-GPS. The phone also comes with FM Radio and offers good reception.

It is powered by a 2000mAh battery that easily lasts for more than a day with normal usage, including calling, browsing, playing games and using apps. The touchscreen QWERTY keyboard of the device was a bit sloppy and it took some time to get used to it.

We were able to play full-HD videos and the phone supported popular formats. The device doesn't offer much in terms of music playback. The sound quality was average through the supplied headset and the built-in speaker outlet. The call quality was good during our testing of the device.

Verdict
The Spice Coolpad Mi-515 is a good option among large 5.0-inch budget phones. The phone scores more in terms of its battery back up, performance and the presence of a 5.0-inch screen. The camera performance on the other hand was just average. However, the whole package at Rs. 9,449 is not a bad deal.

Those looking for alternatives can look at Karbonn Titanium S2 that also comes with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and is priced at Rs. 10,200. The Intex Aqua Wonder, which is also not a bad option, available at a price point of Rs. 9,500. Looking beyond the Android world, Nokia Lumia 520 (Review |Pictures) is probably the best value for money offering in the sub-Rs. 10,000.

Price: Rs. 9449

Pros

• Good performance
• Value for money

Cons

• Plasticky back
• Average camera

Ratings (Out of 5)

• Design: 3
• Display: 3.5
• Performance: 3.5
• Software: 3.5
• Battery Life: 3.5
• Value for Money: 3.5
• Camera: 2.5
• Overall: 3

Micromax launches Bolt A35 for Rs. 4,250

The Indian handset maker Micromax has launched Bolt A35 smartphone in the Indian market. This smartphone will run on Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread) and is available in the market for Rs. 4,250. Micromax Bolt A35 comes with 10.1-cm full capacitive touch screen and is powered by 1GHz processor.

For camera, there is a 2.0-megapixel rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front camera. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi. The smartphone comes with 1500 mAh battery, which according to the company delivers talk time of 4.5 hours. Bolt A35 comes with internal memory of 160 MB, which can be expanded further via a microSD card to up to 16 GB. There are no details in regards to the RAM on this smartphone.

Micromax Bolt A35 comes pre-loaded with 'Flash Transfer' app, which is aimed to improve the file sharing experiences experience of the consumer and making it easier and faster for users to share images, videos, songs etc. To use this 'Flash transfer' feature the users can just swipe to share files with their friends or drag content across the screen or simply shake and share. This feature is works only when the files are being shared between Android devices.

This app uses the Wi-Fi of one smartphone to create a Hotspot and sharing files over the private network.

With this smartphone the company is adding yet another smartphone category in its portfolio 'Bolt'. According to the company the Bolt category will consists of feature-rich phones. Micromax is also offering smartphones under Canvas series.

The company had recently launched A116 Canvas HD in the Indian market for Rs. 13,990. It is a quad-core smartphone that clocks speed of 1.2GHz. Micromax A116 Canvas HD come with 5-inch HD IPS screen that sports 1280x720 resolution and a colour depth of 16.7 million. It runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) out of the box and packs in a 2000mAh battery.

Micromax Bolt A35 Specifications

• 10.1-cm full capacitive touch screen (approximately 4-inches)
• 1GHz processor
• 160MB of internal memory, can be expanded to up to 16GB
• 2.0-megapixel rear camera
• 0.3-megapixel front camera
• Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread)
• 1500mAh battery

Nokia Lumia 925 Review

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Quad-band 3G with 42 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support
• 4.5" 16M-color PureMotionHD+ AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of 1280 x 768 pixels
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 1080p@30fps video recording
• Optical Image stabilization with floating lens technology
• 1.3MP front-facing camera
• Windows Phone 8 OS
• 1.5GHz dual-core Krait CPU, Adreno 225 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8960 chipset, 1GB of RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
• GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support
• Free lifetime voice-guided navigation
• 32GB of inbuilt storage
• Stylish aluminum frame results in a thinner and lighter profile than the Lumia 920
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• Wireless charging with optional accessories
• Built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP and file transfers
• SNS integration
• Xbox Live integration and Xbox management
• NFC support
• Digital compass
• Nokia Music
• FM radio

Main disadvantages

• No microSD card
• No system-wide file manager
• No lockscreen shortcuts
• Mono sound for video recording

Improved user interface

Windows Phone 8 is Nokia's only smartphone OS and the Finns have taken care to add as much value as possible to the Lumia line. And since Microsoft doesn't really allow UI customizations, adding value translates to supplying exclusive apps and services.

The Nokia Lumia 925 comes with the new Amber update preinstalled but that doesn't change the user experience dramatically. It does add a few features like Glance Screen, FM radio support and a new camera lens, but the rest is barely different from the previous WP8 iterations.

The Nokia Glance Screen is one of the coolest features that the Amber update brings along. It's a tribute to the MeeGo lockscreen (and Symbian smartphones of old), where you can always see a clock and get any missed events flagged right on the black standby screen. And just like on the Nokia N9, you can wake up the phone with a double tap. The Glance Screen feature leverages on AMOLED to achieve very good power efficiency - only the handful of pixels needed to display the clock and notifications are actually lit up.

There are several options to the Glance Screen feature. It can either be Timed (after a pre-set period of time it turns off the screen completely to save battery) or always on, if you want to be able to see it at all times.

There's also a fourth option called Peek. It allows you to wave over the phone's face to display the clock and notifications, much like Samsung's Quick Glance.

Final words

It's been eight months since the release of the Lumia 920. At that time, the great design and updated WP8 build, complete with Nokia customizations and exclusive apps, resulted in one of the best smartphones representing the platform.

Much has changed in the time between that launch and the Lumia 925 we have today. The introduction of the Lumia 1020 is perhaps the most significant development, although that matters mostly to photography purists that want the best possible image quality from their smartphone.

New flagships and camera interfaces aside, the user experience you'll get is largely the same as what the Lumia 920 offered more than half a year ago. Even the rebranded HERE Maps and Drive+ global navigation suite is no longer a Lumia exclusive, as Nokia have made it available (for a price) to other WP8-powered handsets in the Windows Phone Store.

So with such marginal software updates (which the Lumia 920 will also get) aside, what it really comes down to with the Lumia 925 is the updated exterior and the new 6-element camera lens. The improved image quality along with the AMOLED screen, aluminum frame, and resultant thinner and significantly lighter body are all marked improvements over the Lumia 920.

But, how much will those improvements actually run you? Currently, the Lumia 925 retails at around €500. This is significantly more than the Lumia 920, which can be had for around €325. So while the 925 is definitely a better smartphone, we can't in any way recommend paying such a premium for it.

Nokia Lumia 920

After all if you must have Nokia's cream of the crop then the just-announced Lumia 1020 is the only way to go, anyway. It features an incredible 41MP PureView camera, complete with a huge sensor OIS and Nokia's very easy-to-use and intuitive Pro Cam Lens. However, besides doubling up the RAM to 2GB, all the other internals are identical, so there isn't much of a performance difference between that and the Lumia 925. The real kicker, though, is the price. The Nokia Lumia 1020 is currently up for preorder for AT&T in the US for $660 unsubsidized, which translates to only slightly more than the Lumia 925.

Nokia Lumia 1020

If, however, you want to go easy on your wallet, and don't want to lug around a hefty device like the Lumia 920, there are a couple of viable alternatives. The Samsung ATIV S and HTC Windows Phone 8X both offer Windows Phone 8 for less than even the Lumia 920, with the ATIV even giving you a bigger screen and larger battery. And we can't reiterate enough that the formerly exclusive-to-Nokia mapping and global navigation suite is now available, to these devices as well. It's even free of charge in North America, as well as the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

 
Samsung Ativ S I8750 • HTC Windows Phone 8X

Ultimately, if premium feel on the Windows Phone platform is what you're after, and you don't like a jutting camera sensor dominating the back of your device, then the Nokia Lumia 925 is your best bet. It addresses two of the biggest issues people had with the former flagship, bulk and weight, and the AMOLED display's ability to turn off pixels lends itself really well to the predominantly black Windows Phone interface.

Pricing is its biggest Achilles' heel, though, as it's hard to justify paying over €150 more for a Lumia 920 with a redesigned body, especially with competitor alternatives hovering at half the price! More than likely, the release of the Lumia 1020 will take most of the wind out of the 925's sales (sic), so to speak, which may force it into a more accessible midrange market.