LG L7 2 P715 .. .

The Optimus L7 2 is an update to LG's mid-range Android Optimus L7 smartphone, and is an attempt to address some of the criticisms levelled at the original model.
First up is the processor. While the original L7 had only a single-core 1GHz processor, and was criticised for its sluggish performance, the L7 2 rectifies this with its dual-core 1GHz chip.


This certainly makes a difference – Android runs smoothly on the new handset's hardware. Some of this speed improvement can also be put down to the interface speed improvements present in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. There was a slight hesitation when opening apps, compared to the instantaneous response we've seen on high-end quad-core phones, but this is to be expected on a lower-mid-range handset. 
Like the original model, the Optimus L7 2 has a 4.3 in screen with an 800x480 resolution. This isn't a bad display, and it flattered LG's colourful custom Android icons, but the screen does suffer badly from reflections from overhead light sources. The show floor at MWC is pretty much a worst-case scenario for mobile phone screens, but this doesn't bode well for how the phone will cope with being used in bright daylight.
The final upgrade from the original Optimus L7 is in the camera; there's now an 8-megapixel model rather than the five megapixels of the previous phone. We haven't been able to do a proper test of the new handset's camera, but hopefully it will be an improvement on the Optimus L7's underwhelming sensor.
One thing that hasn't changed is the way the phone looks; white plastic with chrome touches isn't really our cup of tea. Nonetheless, this is a competent smartphone that should be available for around £150; not bad for an Android handset with such a large screen.

Hands on: Acer’s Aspire P3 is an Ultrabook trapped in a tablet’s body

Highs

• Lightweight and thin
• Good battery life
• Ultrabook performance

Lows

• Shallow keyboard
• Case seems a bit flimsy
• Tablet's not easy to remove
• Can't adjust viewing angle

At Acer’s global press conference today in New York City, the company surprised us with three very intriguing products: the convertible Aspire R7, the Iconia A1 tablet, and the Aspire P3 Ultrabook. Acer’s corporate president Jim Wong stressed that the PC industry is changing extremely fast, and that different areas, like mobile and computing, are crossing over much faster than before. The manufacturer’s goal is to change the computer to computing, which it aims to do with its concept of “duality,” or the touch and type we’ve been growing more and more accustomed to over the past five years – but especially over the last six months since the release of the touch-heavy Windows 8 operating system.

Acer is trying to cross over consumption and creation, which is evident in the Aspire P3 Ultrabook. Though it’s called an “Ultrabook,” it’s unlike any Ultrabook we’ve ever seen, and that’s because it’s not exactly in the standard body of an Ultrabook. In fact, it’s actually a slate. Acer may be calling it an Ultrabook, but it’s actually a tablet with a detachable keyboard cover, like the Surface Pro

The convertible P3 has a n Intel Core i3 or i5 processor. Basic tasks and Web browsing seemed speedy during our hands-on time. At just 0.77 inches thick, and weighing just over 3 pounds, the P3 is comfortable to hold and we could see using it as a tablet to watch movies and play casual games. We were told the battery life would be about six hours if you’re using it for things like watching movies, so this will easily get you by on a cross-country trip.

But there are some issues. For starters, there’s no way to adjust the viewing angle of the slate because the keyboard it fits into only has one ridge to rest the edge of the tablet. So, if you’re sitting on the plane and need to tilt your P3 forward or backward for a better viewing angle, you’re out of luck. (This is also a problem on the Surface.) The 11.6-inch display also offers only standard HD, at 1366 x 768 pixels, while many competing tablets have full 1080p resolutions, or higher. The IPS display offers wide viewing angles, as well. Like many new devices,  the display still looked pretty darn good even when tilted at a steep angle.

The full-sized chiclet keyboard was fairly flat, since it acts as the other side of the cover, so you don’t get a lot of bounce back when typing. Still, we found the keyboard much more useable than the Type Cover keyboard that you can buy for the Surface Pro. Though we can see the Aspire P3 being compared to the Surface Pro, it also reminded us of the Lenovo ThinkPad 2, which is another tablet/keyboard combo. The ThinkPad 2 comes with a stylus though, whereas the Aspire P3’s case only has a spot for a stylus – you’ll have to pay extra for pen-based input.

From our fleeting time with the Aspire P3, we weren’t blown away by it in any way, but we’re hoping to be proved wrong when we’re able to get some real hands-on time and do an in-depth review. The Aspire P3 is definitely a contender to the Surface Pro, so let’s hope that Acer did a better job with its convertible than Microsoft did with its version.

iOS 7 Rumor Roundup

 

The usually overflowing well of Apple rumors has been oddly quiet when it comes to iOS 7. We have heard a few whispers here and there around development, but we’re in the dark as far as what specific features will make it to the finished product. It would seem that Jony Ive is a much better secret keeper than previous iOS helmer Scott Forstall. With a new version of the OS scheduled to debut in June, it’s high time we try and figure out what might be coming, and what we want from, the next iOS.

A flattened, less skeumorphic design
One of the first things that happened under Ive’s new leadership of iOS was a refresh of the almost universally reviled Podcasts app. It received a number of fixes and new features like iCloud-synced stations that can download new episodes automatically, as well as support for on-the-go playlists. The biggest change, however, was a visual one. The faux-tape deck and large, square buttons were trashed for a more cohesive design that was easier to navigate.
If the revamped Podcasts app is any indication, and it is, then we can expect to see a lot more of this across iOS 7. We wouldn’t be surprised if the Games Center app had the carpet ripped up and icons were generally flattened and made more iconic and less … shiny. Whatever he’s doing behind closed doors, Ive’s seems to be making an impression. Rene Ritchie of iMore said in a recent Branch chat that Ive’s work is “apparently making many people really happy, but will also apparently make rich-texture-loving designers sad.”

What we want from iOS 7

 

Much to my surprise as a Windows Phone / Android user, Apple still hasn’t mastered the art of background tasks. It can consistently throw you back into an app exactly where you left off, but that means the app usually does nothing while you were away. It’s simply frozen and unfrozen. Currently, apps like Spotify, and yes, even the new Podcasts app, need to be open to download new content. So the automatic download feature in the Podcasts app essentially just means new episodes begin downloading as soon as you open the app.

We’d like to see this fixed in iOS 7, with a nice mix of Android’s free-for-all task management and Windows Phone’s tightly managed, battery-savvy multi-tasking. Actually, it doesn’t even matter how Apple does it, as long as Spotify can sync without anyone looking at it. It’s not just media that’s affected either, the issue branches out into email (the Gmail app sends notifications, but doesn’t actually sync until you open it and refresh) and other areas.

“Notifications are still terrible.”

As a whole, notifications feel a bit like a feature thrown in as a crowd pleaser that Apple couldn’t care less about. Android is ruling the roost in this department with 4.2.2 bringing actionable notifications, meaning you can choose to read or reply to text messages right from the drop-down menu, among other tasks. Apple users want that; everybody wants that. Notifications are one of the most difficult things to manage on a smartphone and they need all the help they can get. Making them swipeable would be a great first step; a more swipeable interface in general would help iOS a lot actually.
The swipe-happy Mailbox app is a good example of the demand for it on iOS, with a long line of people signing up to access the beta. The tiny X that currently only deletes notifications in batches (all emails or none of them) is no longer sufficient. Finally, the alert system could use an overhaul as well. It’s funny that Apple has yet to recognize the usefulness of an LED indicator. All Android phones have one. The current system of completely turning the screen on not once, but two times (assuming you don’t cliick on it first) is barbaric and wasteful of precious battery juice.

“iOS needs a visual overhaul.”
We covered this up top in the rumor section, but it bears repeating. Apple’s software is getting tired and it’s being left in the dust as Windows Phone continues to get more attractive and Android keeps getting more powerful. Part of that will happen with Ive’s enforcement of a more cohesive user experience that relies less on gradients and textures, but it needs to go further than that. User experience isn’t judged solely on the software’s look; it’s also based on ease of use. A unified way of handling settings would be a good first step. Currently, a random assortment of app settings are handled in-app with others accessed in the stand-alone Settings app.
Furthermore, we’d like to be able to use the apps we want to use, not the ones Apple is pushing. (And maybe Apple’s apps could be improved?) Most of the built-in apps on iOS suck, not just the mapping system. If someone wants to uninstall the built-in Weather app for instance, and replace it with the Weather Network app then that should be able to happen. And we’re just going to say it, if iOS 7 brought support for widgets – both on the lockscreen and the homescreen – we wouldn’t be upset. We might even be excited.

 

Genius Gila GX Review

Highs

• 8200 DPI sensor
• Solid build quality
• Useful driver software
• Good value

Lows

• Difficult button placement
• Ergonomics could be better

You probably haven’t heard the name Genius much in the world of gaming peripherals. Though not a new company, Genius has never been well known in North America and is just now making a serious push into the gaming market. Genius joins companies like Corsair and Cooler Master in challenging veterans such as Logitech, Razer, and MadCatz, and giving gamers more choice than ever before.
Genius, aware of the war waged for gamer’s hearts and wallets, has crafted a focused peripheral that makes no apologies and cuts no corners. Everything we could want is here, including a high-DPI sensor, on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment, numerous buttons with macro support, slick LED lighting, and even built-in memory that stores your settings (so you don’t have to re-adjust the mouse when you plug it in to a different PC). The insane feature set earned the mouse a CES Design And Engineering Award at CES 2013.
Even more impressive is the price. Though the MSRP is $100, which would be fair for a mouse with these features, the Gila GX can be purchased through Amazon for close to $75, and can be found on sale at other retailers for even less. Let’s see if Genius can compete with gaming’s old guard.

Celkon HD A119 Siganture: Review

pros

• Good display
• Camera
• Battery life

cons

• Just a dual core processor
• Costly for a dual core phone from Indian brand

Celkon is not a very well known brand in North India but down South it has managed to penetrate the market, and it has now begun expanding to the north as well. Celkon Signature HD A119 is the first handset from Celkon that we are reviewing and on the face of it the device looks powerful.

The 5 inch phone comes with an HD display and 12 megapixel camera at the back and is based on Android 4.1, but unlike its competition with a similar sounding name, Micromax Canvas HD A116 gets only a 1 GHz dual core processor (Canvas HD gets a 1.2 GHz quad core processor). But in the rest of the specifications it actually matches or betters the Canvas HD A116. But how is it in the real world? Here is what we think of it after using it extensively.

Design 
The phone is a damn good looking piece of electronics. The front portion is glass covered and surrounded by a glossy black frame followed by a grey aluminum finish surrounding and then a metal finish back, though made of very thin but durable looking plastic.

The 12 megapixel camera unit protrudes from the back, but the glass is sunk slightly into the housing, protecting it from scratches. The camera unit is protected by a metal surrounding. It only has a regular port and the placement is usual but neat. Both a 3.5 mm jack and a USB port are on top. Removing the back cover reveals the two SIM slots placed side by side and a micro SD card slot all accessible without removing the battery. The power/lock button is on top and volume rocker is on the left.
The phone has a very narrow bezel around the display, which has kept the overall dimension of the phone very handy with a width of 74.5 mm and length of 148 mm. It's also very slim with a thickness of 9.3 mm.

Display 
Celkon Signature HD A116 has a 5 inch IPS panel display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, which is what Micromax Canvas HD A116 offers. It is in itself a great looking display. There is no pixelation and the viewing angle is great too.

Camera 
Celkon has put a 12 megapixel camera at the back and a 3 megapixel unit in front. Fortunately, unlike other Indian brands with tall claims of 8 megapixel delivering nothing better than 3-4 megapixel performance, this 12 megapixel autofocus camera does perform quite well. We even clicked pictures of documents and the text was crisp and clear. The colour and sharpness of images is really well recreated with just the right amount of saturation. There are no overly bright and colorful images, which many cameras do to make the image look better.

Performance 
Though the Celkon Signature HD A119 gets only a 1 GHz dual core processor, it is coupled with a healthy 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of ROM (1.45 GB available for users). With a 1 GHz dual core processor we were not expecting a powerhouse of performance, and it is indeed not one either.

However, thanks to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, which is optimised for performance by Google through Project Butter, the phone performs smoothly. It does not offer really fast frame rates in games but it plays them without freezing.

Battery 
The phone gets a 2100 mAh battery, which offers almost two days of backup with low to medium usage, which is better than average for an Android handset in this range.

OS and user interface 
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system in this phone is more or less stock and there is very little that Celkon has tweaked, which is not too bad since stock Android 4.1 is really a well laid out operating system. Most of Celkon's contribution is limited to adding a few pre loaded apps like Newshunt (news aggregation

app), My Mango TV app etc.


 Verdict 
Celkon Signature HD A119 is priced at Rs 13,500. As such it is priced about Rs 2,000 above other 5 inch dual core processor phones, and in fact is even costlier than Karbonn Titanium S5, which has a quad core processor. However, given that it has a great display, it is well designed with a nice quality feel to it and also gets one of the best cameras in this range. It is well worth the price. The performance of the phone is also good enough for most applications.

 Celkon is already a known brand at least in South India and according to some reports it is number five in terms of sales volumes across India, and therefore brand image will not be a problem for this phone. One thing that works in favour of Celkon and for which the company is in no way responsible is the increased price of Micromax Canvas HD A116, which is one of the toughest competitors for this phone, but it is at least Rs 2,000 costlier.

Celkon Signature HD A119: Review Specifications
Network	GSM -900 MHz, 1800 MHz; UMTS - 2100
Operating System	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Dimensions	148 x 74.5 x 9.3 mm , 177 grams
Display	5.0 inches, 1280 x 720 pixel
Input Method	Touchscreen
Processor	1 GHz dual dual core
Memory	1 GB RAM, ROM 4 GB
Connectivity	3G, WiFi, Bluetooth
Multimedia	Supports all major audio file types
Camera	12 megapixel auto focus, 3 megapixel in front
GPS	Yes
Additional features	In built user usable 4 GB, expandable 32 GB
Battery	2100 mAh
Warranty	1 year
Price	Rs 13,490

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------