the Nexus 5

The Google Nexus 5 is one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year, and as of yesterday, it’s not only been announced, but also on sale. Beating Apple at its own game, Google had the Nexus 5 ready to buy within moments of its announcement., which was made in a blog post rather than at a flashy press event. As with previous Nexus devices, demand was high, and stocks soon ran short.
Whether you’ve got your order in already or not, here’s a guide to everything you need to know about the latest Google super phone, which of course, also runs the brand new Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.

How does it look?

Well, it looks exactly the same as the phone which has been leaked for what seems like forever. There’s nothing particularly unusual about the phone, which measures 137 x 69 x 8.5mm, making it almost identical to the Samsung Galaxy S4 (although it’s 0.6mm thicker) and a tiny bit smaller than the Sony Xperia Z.
It weighs in at 130 grams, which is the same as the S4, and some 10 grams or so lighter than the Xperia Z and the HTC One. Despite the increased size and spec, it weighs less than the Nexus 4. The Nexus 5 comes in either black or white, and the soft-touch rear panel has both a distinctive camera lens surround, and less-than subtle Nexus branding. The power and volume buttons are ceramic rather than plastic, which should lend the Nexus 5 a premium feel.

Big screen, big power

You may already be familiar with the Nexus 5’s specification, thanks to the never-ending leaks prior to its official announcement. But if not, then here’s what you need to know. The phone, which has been built by LG just like the Nexus 4, has a 4.95-inch IPS touchscreen and a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. This gives it a pixel density of 445ppi, a touch over competing 5-inch smartphones like the Galaxy S4.
The Nexus 5 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor inside, running at 2.3GHz, and 2GB of RAM. This sees it match many of the top-end Android smartphones on sale, and best several of the devices from earlier this year, such as the HTC One, which use the Snapdragon 600 chip.

How about the camera?

There were fears the camera would be the least interesting part of the Nexus 5, and although the 8-megapixel count remains the same as the Nexus 4, it does have a few surprises. The first is optical image stabilization, a standard feature on most high-end Nokia Windows Phone devices, but lacking in several big-name Android smartphones such as the Galaxy S4.
Second is HDR+, where a burst mode takes a succession of images, and then stitches two together to form the best possible image. Google’s AutoAwesome tool has also been added, where a .GIF-like image is created from an action sequence, along with PhotoSphere for 360-degree shots of your surroundings. Finally, an LED flash sits below the camera for improved low-light pictures.
Whether all this translates into better performance will only become known once we start snapping away, but on paper it looks positive. Besides the primary 8-megapixel camera, there is a 1.3-megapixel video call lens above the screen.

Yes, it has 4G LTE, and “OK Google” voice control

So, that’s the processor and camera covered, but what about the rest of the tech specs? It’s all good news. LG has added 4G LTE connectivity to the Nexus 5, which was sorely lacking from the Nexus 4, and it covers just as many LTE bands as Apple’s iPhone 5S. There will also be a GSM and CDMA version produced so it should be able to work on all four major carriers in the US and most places abroad.
Google experimented with voice control on the Motorola Moto X, and it obviously play a large part in Google Glass, so it’s no surprise to see them added to the Nexus 5, too. Called Voice Actions, a command of “OK Google” will allow you to open a Google search, send a text message, get directions, or control the music player. It’s not clear whether one of the Nexus 5’s dual microphone setup is always listening, or if a button press is needed to wake the voice command system.
The Nexus 5 is also equipped with NFC, GPS, a headphone port, a Micro USB port, Bluetooth 4.0, and dual-band Wi-Fi. A variety of sensors are also fitted, including a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a compass, and a pressure sensor. A choice of either 16GB or 32GB internal storage memory is provided, but there’s no MicroSD card slot.
Despite rumors of a larger battery being fitted to the 32GB model, both have a 2300mAh cell, which by Google’s estimation will provide 17 hours talktime and 300 hours standby.

Is Android 4.4 Installed?

Yes, as is traditional, the Nexus 5 comes with a new version of Android installed. This time it’s Android 4.4 KitKat, and it’s a subtle upgrade to Android Jelly Bean. Google says it’s, “more engaging” than previous editions, thanks to it obscuring background information when you’re reading, playing, or watching media. It also has a new dialer application with a comprehensive search feature, plus SMS messages have been moved into the Hangouts app.

Are any accessories coming?

Google has announced a decent range of accessories to accompany the Nexus 5. The first takes advantage of the phone’s wireless charging feature. The wireless charging pad is compatible with the Nexus 5 and the 2013 Nexus 7, and has a set of magnets inside to help stick the hardware to the surface. It’a all set to be sold through Google Play, but at the time of writing it’s not available. The Nexus 5 uses the popular Qi wireless charging standard, so it should be compatible with other types of pad, including those made for Nokia Lumia phones.
The charging pad is joined by two different types of cases, the Bumper and the QuickCover. The Bumper is a hard shell case with a soft lining, weighs 19 grams, and is compatible with wireless charging. It comes in black, grey, red, or yellow and is listed as coming soon on Google Play. It’s priced at $35.
The QuickCover is much like Samsung’s Flip Cover for the Galaxy S4, and you can bypass the lock screen simply by opening the cover. It’s in either black or white, won’t interfere with wireless charging, and costs $50.

How much does the Nexus 5 cost through Google Play?

The 16GB Nexus 5 is $350, while the 32GB version will cost you $400, and there is the choice of either black or white body colors. If you want to find one in a different store, Best Buy and RadioShack are confirmed as sellers, as is Amazon. However, pricing is a mystery.

 

JK State Cooperative bank results and interview

Nokia Lumia 625 || Big B

Nokia recently launched the Lumia 625 in India, bringing its biggest smartphone to the country. This handset also holds a lot of sentimental value, as it is the last smartphone launched by the Finnish manufacturer before its sale to Microsoft.
The phone matches the specs of key rivals in this segment and does not seem to fall short in most departments, at least on paper, and comes with a host of freebies. Let's see if the sub-Rs 20,000 segment has found a new king, or the Lumia 625 can at best achieve a moderate success in the market. Here's our review to check out the strengths and weaknesses of Lumia 625 and if the phone is worth buying...
Design and hardware: Design-wise, the Lumia 625 is quite similar to Lumia 620, though a little bigger and thinner. You get the same curved edges and removable shells that you got with the Lumia 620, but the thinner design adds to the overall appeal. At 4.7-inch, the screen of Lumia 625 is obviously bigger, the largest for any Nokia smartphone in fact. The design is easy on the eyes and the build quality seems solid. However, it is a tad heavy at 159gram.
The screen of Lumia 625 dominates the front panel and happens to be the chief selling point of the device. In fact, Nokia at the India launch event emphasized how this handset is meant for those who love to watch movies and videos on the big-screen phones. Much to Nokia's disappointment, there are already several phones with bigger screens and same resolution in the Indian market (Canvas 4 and Galaxy Grand for instance).
While the display is supposed to be the key feature of the Lumia 625, we were not exactly impressed by it. With 800x480p resolution and IPS panel, it is not any different from the crop of Android smartphones we have in the market today. Nokia has even left out its ClearBlack display technology from the Lumia 625, which would otherwise have rendered it with the advantage of deeper blacks. The contrast levels are low due to the absence of this display technology, but this is a sacrifice that the manufacturer probably had to make in order to keep manufacturing costs to a minimum.
Incidentally, Lumia 7

20, priced lower than this handset, has this technology and boasts of one of the best screens we have tried out in this price range.
Other display aspects like viewing angles and sunlight legibility are decent, giving us no problems during daily usage. The screen comes with the super sensitive touch technology that allows users to access the display even while they are wearing gloves; this feature is available even in the low-priced Lumia 520 smartphone.

Cameras have always been central to Nokia's smartphone experience. However, the company has left us disappointed with the imaging capabilities of the Lumia 625. This phone has a 5MP camera with LED flash on the back. The photos taken by the smartphone are quite noisy and colours are not exactly vibrant, though they are largely accurate. Some photos show a little softness at the edges and do not capture enough detail.
We have seen better cameras in phones priced under Rs 20,000 and the Lumia 625 leaves us feel a little lacking in this department at least.



Under the hood, Nokia Lumia 625 packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 512MB RAM. The phone delivers an average score of around 9000 in the Antutu benchmark test, which is not really impressive but shows that the phone can deliver workable performance. While many potential buyers may cry themselves hoarse that 512MB RAM is much too less, especially compared to the 1GB RAM that most Android phones in this segment offer, it must be remembered that Windows Phone platform is better than Android in resource management and very few WP8 apps at present demand 1GB RAM for smooth functioning.
The 2,000mAh battery of the Lumia 625 is okay, giving us approximately 14 hours of life during daily usage. This includes 4-5 hours of music playback, an hour of video playback and web browsing each and around half an hour of gaming. 2G mobile data was turned on for at least eight hours each day. While this seems good, moderate usage should be able to give over a day of battery life.
For connectivity, Lumia 625 has features like 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. GPS lock was fast and

the Nokia Here maps suite is present, though it does not have as much local information as Google Maps. Lumia 625 loses out on NFC, likely a means of keeping costs down. This feature, though not very widely used as far as we have heard, is present in lower-priced Lumia 720 and Lumia 620.

Verdict:

Lumia 625 is not an exceptional device by any measure (Lumia 720 certainly has an edge in most departments), even though it is not lacking in any department. However, Lumia 625's list of freebies makes it a smarter choice if you want a good smartphone experience without spending over Rs 20,000. The phone has a lot of things going for it, and is expected to improve on its shortcomings with future updates. Though camera performance is less than stellar, it is still worth buying considering that you get everything, namely hardware, software and the experience, besides freebies.

What we like:
Build quality
Freebies
Battery
What we don't like:
Unremarkable display
Average camera performance

Nokia Lumia 1520 Bandit

The Nokia Lumia 1520, Nokia’s (or should we now say Microsoft’s?) first phablet is expected to get official soon, but the first screenshot allegedly coming from the device earlier referred to as the Nokia Bandit has leaked out. And wow there is a ton of Live Tiles there!

The Lumia 1520 will support six small live tiles in a row, up from four in Windows Phone devices so far. This is a 50% increase in the maximum number of apps you can fit on its display.

Question remains whether we can really trust that this screenshot is coming from the Nokia Lumia 1520. It’s hard to say, but given the good track record of @evleaks who obtained the image and its realistic looks, we’re inclined to think it’s true. The image also agrees with a previous leak allegedly showing Nokia’s phablet.

The Lumia 1520 is expected to sport a 6-inch 1080p display. Nokia is expected to unveil the device at a huge event in New York at the end of September.

There's been plenty of talk about a Nokia Windows Phone phablet in recent months, but things just got a little more serious thanks to some reportedly leaked specs that surfaced on Monday.
According to The Verge, the Finnish manufacturer plans to launch the 6-inch handset, currently codenamed 'Bandit' later this year, in an already release-heavy 2013 for the company.
The report claimed the device will have a Full HD 1080p display, which will enable an extra column of Windows Phone live tiles on the home screen.
On top of that, Nokia may look to include a 20-megapixel camera (which a Lumia 925-like 'hump' on the rear) and a Qualcomm quad-core processor.

1080p wave

According to the report, it'll be the first of a wave of 1080p Windows Phone devices, with Microsoft currently making adjustments to the OS to facilitate the changing of the guard.
The Verge claimed the 'Bandit' will feature a polycarbonate body and will retain a thin and light build.
Earlier, Nokia seemed to confirm a phablet is indeed on the way when Chris Weber, Nokia's executive VP of sales and marketing, took a thinly veiled dig at Samsung on Twitter.
He wrote: "Samsung take note, next generation Lumia coming soon," he tweeted. Not so cryptic.


compared to lumia 1020

Micromax Canvas A113

Micromax Canvas Ego A113 with Android Jelly Bean and 4.7-inch display available on preorder for Rs 12,999

 Micromax’s new Android handset, the Canvas Ego A113, has been spotted selling on preorders at an online store for Rs 12,999. Though Micromax has not yet officially launched the Canvas Ego A113, the company has lately preferred to launch smartphones on e-commerce portals. Recently the company had unveiled the Canvas Fun A74 and Canvas Doodle 2 in a similar way.

 

 Features-wise, the Micromax Canvas Ego A113 is a dual-SIM compatible smartphone, which comes with a 4.7-inch display. The phone comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, packs in a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage expandable up to 32GB using microSD card and has an 8-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus and an LED flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Other features include connectivity options Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, A-GPS and 3G support, sensors like gravity, proximity sensor, and a 2,000mAh battery with up to 5 hours of talk time.

 

At this price point, the phone will be facing tough competition from options like Xolo Play T1000 which packs in Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, a 4.7-inch 720p display and is now available for approximately Rs 13,500.