Design

Karbonn S1 Titanium has plain looks with standard rectangular looking slab design. The phone has rounded corners to improve its aesthetic looks. On the front, there is four-and-half inches qHD screen and below the display, there are 4 capacitive touch screen buttons for navigation. There is also front camera lens, earpiece, and proximity sensor located close to the screen. Bezel isn’t really wide but it still takes up some space below and above the display. Capacitive controls could have been placed in a better way.

Surrounding this phone, there is grey frame on sides and it comes with brushed metal finish. Right side of this phone has volume rocker button and on the top, there is 3.5mm headphones jack and screen lock/power button. The manufacturer should have put the screen lock button on sides as it is hard to reach the top due to the size of the phone. ‘

On the bottom, there is microUSB port for charging and data connectivity. Back of Karbonn S1 Titanium is all plastic and it easily attracts a lot of smudges. There is rear camera here with flash. On the bottom, there is the brand logo.

Below the back cover, there is battery compartment. Above battery, there are the two SIM card slots and memory card slot. You don’t need to remove the battery to access these cards. However, you will need to restart the phone after inserting a new SIM card inside.

Display

Karbonn S1 Titanium comes with four-and-half inches screen and it is a qHD IPS display. The resolution is 540×960 pixels and it comes with 240ppi pixel density. The screen is quite decent and the text and graphics look sharp. Viewing angles too are good looking. Just like other budget phones screen, this display is hard to read in direct sunlight because it reflects lot of light. Pictures and videos look good on the screen but colours look a bit saturated.

Software

Karbonn S1 Titanium runs on Android 4.1.2 OS aka Jelly Bean and Karbonn has put the stock Android OS without making any changes except for few modifications in places like notification tray. This smartphone’s notification tray now comes with settings like mobile data, GPS, Bluetooth, Rotation lock, Brightness, and Wi-Fi. You get 5 user customisable home screens for filling up with widgets and shortcuts of your choice. Notification tray also has settings shortcut and clear all notification button with the expandable notification.

Below the screen, there are the four aforementioned capacitive buttons for Search, Back, Menu, and Home. For us, the placement of Home button was a bit odd. Search button was not needed here as it just opens the Google Now app. Long pressing the home button will take you to app switcher but in our tests, this phone didn’t register long presses lot of times. Karbonn should have placed just three buttons below the screen.

Karbonn S1 Titanium runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the newer version of the OS has Google Now. You need to initialize it before running. This phone comes with some apps built in like DSP manager to control sound input, Yahoo Messenger, Flipboard, File Browser, Paytm, nexGTV, POPi (m-commerce app), WeChat messaging, StopWatch, World Clock app, TOI news app, WhatsApp, and Kingsoft Office.

The manufacturer has modified phone app for dual SIM support.

Camera

Karbonn S1 Titanium comes with five megapixels camera and it can take average quality pictures. The pictures taken indoors looked grainy but the photos in bright sunlight were good looking. Camera app here is a bit different from stock Android app and you can use both rear and front facing cameras at the same time. There is photo mode where you can merge front shot with photograph taken from rear camera. This camera app has feature settings like red eye reduction, aspect ratio, face detection, exposure, white balance, etc. There is also Panorama model and HDR mode. Finally there is normal mode and speed shot mode.

For video recording, this camera can take 720p HD videos and in our tests, the video quality was pretty decent. There is dual camera model support for video recording as well. Front camera is good only for video calling.

Performance

Karbonn S1 Titanium comes with 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM 8625 quad core processor inside. This chip is accompanied by 1 GB RAM and Andreno 203 GPU. For storing content, there is 4GB internal memory and the microSD card slot supports up to 32GB of cards.

With the Jelly Bean OS, the phone experience was pretty good courtesy of the fast processor inside and Project Butter. We didn’t see any lag in using the apps, scrolling through Web pages, playing games, and launching apps. This phone is better and faster than other dual core processor phones in the market. The performance is on par with Micromax Canvas HD.

This phone doesn’t have FM radio and this is a bit disappointing as Indian youth are quite fond of listeinig to radio while travelling. In our tests, this phone couldn’t run full HD videos but there was native support for AVI files. The speaker quality is good but the speaker is located on the back and hence you will see muffled sounds if you place the phone on its back. Bundled headphones have average quality sound; if you yearn for best quality for your music, then it is recommended that you get better quality third party headphones.

When tested for call quality, this phone was quite good and we didn’t have any major issues.

Battery

Karbonn S1 Titanium comes with 1,600mAh battery inside and in our tests, it lasted for an entire day with medium use. We made phone calls for one-and-half hours, listened to music, browsed the Web on Wi-Fi, played videos and music, and did all other standard phone tasks. Using the phone moderately will give you better battery life and heavy users might have to charge this phone more than once in a day.

Conclusion

Karbonn S1 Titanium is decent smartphone made for budget users. It has four-and-half inches display, with Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean OS, and quad core processor inside. The price of Rs. 10,990 too is affordable and there isn’t much to complain about the phone.

If you are looking for alternatives, there is the Micromax Canvas HD in same price range but has bigger screen. Xolo A1000 too is a good option.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 is a camera which offers good zoom and this will surely attract point and zoom fans. It comes with 50x f 2.8-6.3 24-1200 mm lens inside which is the same as that on Fujifilm FinePix SL100 and Canon PowerShot SX50 HS but Sony camera comes with wider apertures on both ends but it is just marginally more than that of SL 1000. Due to this, the photos taken in dim light conditions look better as compared to Canon.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 comes with new lens inside and the AF or autofocus too is improved. This improves the performance in enhanced and telephoto optical image stabilization. Sony says that there is second group of lens elements which rapidly shifts for correcting any hand movements.

In our tests the OIS was working well and AF too was quick and nice even while using zoom lens. But, we would still recommend you to use the tripod where ever possible. Focussing with the camera is quick but there are other ways which can slow you down.

As compared to its predecessor, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 isn’t better or worse and the only major difference is the lens. For people who yearn for better features in same range of zoom, we would recommend the Canon PowerShot SX 50 HS. HX300 is certainly more fun and good option for point and shoot fans.

Quality

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 is good but it depends on what you are expecting from it. People who have used dSLR will be disappointed with these photos. There is 20 megapixel sensor inside but it doesn’t guarantee you great quality pictures. Also, the photos taken in full sizes aren’t really impressive. The resolution is still good especially if you shoot in good light.

Below ISO400, the pics taken up to 10×13 look good and this is what most people are looking for. You will get good pics in 8×10 photos with some cropping and enlarging. If you aren’t going to print your photos, then the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300pics will certainly look good in any HDTV or computer screen.

Once you go beyond ISO 400, the subjects will get softer but the shots are still pretty usable at smaller sizes till ISO 1600. There is Sony Handheld Twilight mode which improves the quality of pics taken in low light conditions. For best quality, use the highest ISO modes.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 can capture RAW but this isn’t a dSLR. This camera is meant for people who yearn for longer lens and better control on their photos as compared to standard point and shoot cameras.

Video quality

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 video quality too is as good as the photo quality. In good lights, the videos look good when you record at max AVCHD res of 1080/60p. The camera has some trailing for moving subjects or some judder while you pan the camera. We also noticed it while viewing the clips on bigger screens.  With low light, the videos have some artifacts and noise and they look softer too but the results are still pretty good. Using zoom lens will make some noise in quieter scenes. The quality of audio is good but there is just a mic on the top for that.

Shooting performance

Intrinsically speaking, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 is a fast camera. For the image quality, its performance isn’t the same as that of SLR but the class is still good. It takes just 2.1 secs for this camera to boot up and get ready for first shot. This time is good considering that the device has to turn on, push lens out, focus and get ready for shooting. Shutter lag is 0.2 sec in bright lights and 0.4 sec in dim lights.

The shot to shot times depend on the amount of processing that the camera needs to do. However, they are pretty fast in our tests. This camera took just 0.8 sec between the shots. But if you are using high ISO setting which needs extra processing, then you will have to wait for some more time. Using flash increases those times to around 3.8 secs between the shots.

The burst shooting too comes with some penalties. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 can take around ten shots per sec in full resolution but once the shooting is done, you will need to wait one second per shot for storing the pictures. There isn’t any option for shooting continuously with the AF and hence exposure and focus are set in first pic.

Zoom lens too isn’t really fast moving. This is acceptable for the movies where you need controlled and slower movements but if you are shooting fast travelling objects like pets or children, then things will be slower.

Design

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 comes with same body in spite of larger lens inside. On the other hand, this camera is quite heavy and large even with plastic body. Lens is responsible the most for the weight and holding this camera is a bit unbalanced. However, there are adequate grips for holding this camera and it will remain steady in your hand.

It doesn’t look like this camera gives direct control for the settings but it actually does. There is zoom control close to lens barrel and this is good for the smaller zoom adjustments. You can use it for focussing lens manually. There is also Custom button which is programmable and it is located on top close to zoom ring and shutter release. You can use it for exposure lock, metering, Smile Shutter, and white balance.

Close to this, there is Focus button and it changes the auto focus mode. It also gives focus check to check if the subject is in focus. Finally, there is jog dial close to thumb rest and it lets you change ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. You need to press this button in advance till you arrive at the option which you need to change. However, if you are using this button to make lot of changes, then things will get tiresome.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 doesn’t come with any hot shoe for external mic input or external flash. There isn’t Wi-Fi or GPS either which is disappointing as these features are available in megazooms.

Screen

LCD screen of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 is pretty bright and large and it is easy to view this screen in bright out door conditions. However, this screen isn’t visible in direct sun and you will need to use the electronic viewfinder which is a bit small. The manufacturer has dropped proximity sensor close to EVF which allowed the camera to go from screen to EVF when it is brought close to the eye. Instead, you will need to use LCD/Finder button on top for flipping between the 2.

For the shots below and above eye level, the screen pulls out from body and tilts up/down. It does not flip out and rotate but this is still good.

Features

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 comes with lot of features and hence some people are bound to get confused especially the ones who aren’t really familiar with advanced point and zoom shooters. On the bright side, menus are user friendly and it is easy to navigate through them too. There is manual inside the camera. This is good as shooting modes comes with plenty of settings even in auto modes. If you haven’t used Sony Exmor R cameras before, then you will need to spend some time to get used to it.

Battery

With the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300, we would recommend you to carry extra batteries with you. This camera has decent battery life with 300 shots on single charge but it will be exhausted faster if you are recording movies, zoom lens, using LCD, or burst shoot. Also, battery gets charged inside the camera and hence you might need external chargers.

Verdict

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 is a bit better than point and shoot cameras and it belongs to the group of cameras like Canon PowerShot SX50 HS and Fujifilm FinePix HS 50EXR. Sony camera has better performance and is certainly better option for the snapshooters. It has got longer lens as well.

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G tablet which we got for review is a seven inch device having calling feature and has both 2G and 3G connectivity. The price of the device is good considering the features inside. Let’s see what this tablet is all about in more detail.

Design

Intrinsically speaking, there aren’t many experiments left to be done for design of seven inch tablets. Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G looks similar to other tablets and it has a stylish appearance. The tablet looks classy too especially with white and black glossy finish.

The weight of the Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G is below half kg which is good and holding this tablet is very comfortable in the hand. There is scratch resistant layer over the display and it is edge to edge.

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G has a simple yet functional look and it combines mobile and tablet functionality very well. The glossy finish gives it a premium look but it will easily attract a lot of fingerprints. On right side, there are quick access buttons and due to this, the device is really easy to use. There are 3 hardware buttons and all are placed on right side. For all other controls, you need to use the display. Minimal buttons make the device look aesthetically appealing.

Display

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G come with seven inches screen and it has a resolution of 800×480 pixels. This resolution is a bit low but is still acceptable considering the price. However, colour reproduction of the screen is disappointing and we feel that the manufacturer should have done better. Fortunately, the brightness levels are good and complement every game or application very well.

Resolution of the Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G might be low but there are multi touch capabilities which is required in some games and apps. Touch is very accurate but slower hardware inside often mars the user experience especially in processor intensive apps and games.

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G comes with 400MHz GPU inside and it makes the tablet capable of 1080p full HD playback. However, the screen resolution is too low for enjoying full HD movies in all their glory. There is HDMI port for connecting this tablet on large HDTVs. The manufacturer hasn’t given any HDMI adapter inside the box and hence you will have to buy it separately.

Hardware

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G comes with single core processor inside based on ARM Cortex A8 with 1.2 GHz clock speed. There is 512MB DDR3 RAM inside which is minimum required for Android ICS OS. There is 2G cellular modem inside for calling and data. There is front camera for making video calls but 3G access is possible only through data cards.

OS

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS and it is the stock version of the OS without any modifications. There aren’t any hardware buttons which improves the feel and look of the device. There is just one modification – the lock screen remembers the last used app and takes you to it automatically when the screen is unlocked.

Apps

Just like other Android products, the Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G has Google Play connectivity and you can download the apps that you want. There is also access to Go Tech Fun Bazaar for apps.

Performance

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G doesn’t have any performance based issues but the tablet slows down when you run lot of apps at a time. The reason for this is low RAM. On the bright side, there are no compatibility issues on OS and all apps run fine. In our tests, basic games were running fine but processor intensive games like GTA brought the device down on its heels.  The tablet heated up quickly and frame rate went down to five fps.

Build quality

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G has good build quality and it is the same as other tablets in this price range. There is polycarbonate coating which keeps the device sturdy yet lightweight. It can also survive accidental falls.

Multimedia

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G has good multimedia performance. Most video and audio codecs are supported by OS natively and you can also download more apps from PlayStore. There are few preloaded apps like TubeMate, NDTV, and Hungama for entertainment and leisure. More apps can be installed according to preferences. There is 4GB internal memory and the SDHC card slot supports up to 32GB cards.

Camera

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G comes with two megapixels rear facing camera and 0.3 megapixel front facing camera. However, there is no direct 3G connectivity and hence the presence of front facing camera is useless. The 2MP camera quality isn’t much to write about. Pictures taken indoors were looking dark and pixelated.

Connectivity

Internet connectivity on this tablet can be done through USB dongles, Wi-Fi, and 2G. In our tests, we found that Wi-Fi was pretty fast and 2G and USB dongles gave good speed too. Speed will depend on the data plan you have. Fortunately, you don’t need to purchase any separate USB drives or data dongles as the box has one.

Battery life

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G comes with 3,000mAh battery inside and the battery size is smaller as compared to other tablets out there. The battery life too isn’t as good as competition. On a full charge, we got three to four hours of video playback or four to five hours of Wi-Fi browsing. It takes around five hours to charge this tablet fully and 50% battery charge gets exhausted in first three hours.

Price

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G price is Rs. 6,499 and this makes it the least expensive tablet out there. We checked these prices of Flipkart and the prices in your local store might differ.

Verdict

Go Tech Funtab Talk 2G is a basic Android tablet made for people who are looking for standard and regular tablet tasks. There is 3G connectivity but you need a dongle for it which isn’t too practical. You will need to spend extra Rs. 1,500 on the dongle and for the combined price; you can get something better like Lava Etron 3G. However, for such a low price, the Funtab Talk is a good device.

Specs

• 2G connectivity, 3G through dongles
• Android 4.0 OS
• Seven inches TFT LCD, 800×480 pixels resolution
• 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor
• Touchscreen interface
• 512 MB DDR3 RAM
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity
• 4GB internal memory
• One year warranty
• 0.3 MP front facing camera, 2MP rear facing camera
• 3,000 mAh battery
• AGPS
• USB connectivity
• Rs. 6,499

Their first efforts are Sony Action Cam HDR-AS10 and HDR-AS15. The latter comes with Wi-Fi and former doesn’t have it. These devices make good first impression as well. However, this first impression doesn’t last for too long.

It feels that Sony was trying hard to stay below a price point and hence has done some compromises. It also seems that the manufacturer wanted to make a really light and small device. While reviewing, we were disappointed to see that this device isn’t good in terms of usability and design. There are some nice features inside especially on the Wi-Fi model and the video quality too is on par with cameras that are similarly priced but it is good only for viewing on smaller screens.

Inside the box

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS10 comes with water proof and shock proof housing inside and there are 2 adhesive mounts as well – flat and curved. This device is water proof up to 197 feet and comes with dust and dirt resistant seals. This is great as the device is sealed well and there is mount for tripod located on bottom for using with different mounts.

Due to waterproof chasiss, stereo mics located on front of this camera are not exposed well and hence you will only hear muffled audio with the seals. Sony is also selling pack 2 other doors – 1 having flat lens for under water use and other having mic openings. The price is $50. These aren’t sold separately and neither is door which comes with housing. If the lens is scratched, then you will need to buy another 2 pack or entire housing for $40.

Also, when this camera is sealed completely, there is a chance of condensation which will fog the lens. For this, the manufacturer is selling desiccant packs. However, you can also put silica gel packs inside for solving this problem.

2 mounts included inside are a bit too large and adhesive too is bit weak. It is recommended that you get better adhesive pads. There are other mounts like head strap which doesn’t need any housing. There is also cradle having 2.7 inches LCD display which flips out for using Action Cam just like conventional hand held camera.

Design

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS10 is very lightweight. This device is just two inches high, 2.6 inches deep, and 0.9 inch wide. The weight of this device is 3.2 ounces with the NP-BX1 battery pack inside. Hence, mounting this camera on your head is relatively easier and you don’t need to worry about the weight. The bottom is rounded and hence you will need to use some mount while being used.

Intrinsically speaking, there should be tripod mount on actual camera. However, this one doesn’t have any room for it. Back side has big recording button and hold button so that users don’t start/stop recordings accidentally. Back side is sliding door and covers card slot and battery compartment. The card slot can take both Memory Stick Micro and microSD cards.

On the bottom door, there are ports for microHDMI and microUSB with expansion connectors for using with camcorder cradle. There is also jack for external mic which isn’t seen too often on such action cameras. However, external mic jack can’t be used with supplied housing or other mounts or housings from Sony.

Also, if you want to use stereo mics, then you will need to purchase another mount or appropriate door from Sony or look for some other option for securing this camera inside included case when waterproof door isn’t put on. There isn’t anything to keep this camera from sliding out of case if there is no door on it. Hence, if the lock opens accidentally when door is on, camera will quickly pop out.

Right side has tiny LCD screen for viewing the settings and making any changes using 2 buttons on right side of the display. Buttons are not accessible through water proof housing and hence you will have to take this camera out of its hours for using the buttons. This isn’t a deal breaker but body is really slippery and there aren’t any edges for holding on tightly. It is easy to drop this camera in the bare mode. In my tests, I dropped it a lot of times and back door cover popped out but still the camera  was working fine.

Features

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS10 comes with five recording options in MP4 format – 1080p30, 720p60 (for slow-motion 2x capture), 720p120 (for slow-motion 4x capture), 480p30, and720p30. There is digital image stabilization and this camera can take 16 MP time lapse photography stills. There isn’t any option for snapping single pics or burst of photos.

Lens view field is 170 degrees provided the digital image stabilization is switched off. With DIS switched on, it crops videos, changes view field to 120 degrees. Unlike other models like ContourRoam 2 or Drift HD Ghost, this camera doesn’t offer any way for rotating lens and hence levelling this camera is pretty tricky depending on the mount. If the camera is mounted up side down, then you will need to flip your video using editing software.

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS15 comes with Wi-Fi. AS-10 doesn’t have it but if you are buying this camera, then we would recommend you to spend more and go for Wi-Fi model. The initial set up is quite easy – you just need to download and then install Android or iOS app, turn the remote control option of this camera, start the app on mobile device, and then enter password of the camera. The camera will automatically connect in a few seconds. From here, you will get view of video that the camera is viewing. Mobile device can be used for starting and stopping the recordings and for changing the resolution settings.

Video quality

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS10 video quality is quite similar to Sony’s Bloggieminicamcorders. Video is quite detailed and sharp and doesn’t look crunchy. Action Cam easily handles any motion better than Bloggie models. Things look pretty smooth and nice.

However, with fast movement or complex scenes, there are lots of artifacts. There is also some detail loss. The colours look over saturated but this isn’t unexpected for such action cams. The exposure is good and the transitions too are smooth with changing conditions but the highlights blow out easily.

We were disappointed to see some chromatic aberration or purple fringing in high contrast subjects. There was some lens flare as well and visible colour banding in blue skies’ image.

These issues aren’t seen in smaller sizes on PC screen and if you are just going to share the clips online then this camera isn’t a bad choice for its features and price. Viewing the content on a large HDTV will make the videos less impressive.

The audio quality is good but with the seal on, the quality will be inferior. The mics need to be exposed while shooting for best quality.

Verdict

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS10 makes good first impression.  While testing, we saw some minor problems which aren’t usually seen on such action cams. We expected the video quality to be on par with other devices in this segment but the mediocre lens disappointed us. However, these problems aren’t really deal breakers and for its price of $240 (for Wi-Fi model) it is a good buy.

Toshiba Kirabook is made for people who are willing to spend big. This laptop starts from $1,599 and can go way up from there. The unit which I got for review in my labs cost $1,999 and it had touch screen with faster Intel Core i7 chip inside. The starting price of $1,599 doesn’t have touch screen inside and you need to pay $200 more for that.

Toshiba Kirabook will complement existing Satellite, Qosmio and Portege brand of notebooks by the same manufacturer. Toshiba has been making good ultrabooks for affordable prices and hence Kirabook will now need to justify its high price.

From the looks itself, it feels that Toshiba Kirabook is a premium laptop. It is really thin with light body and has magnesium alloy case outside which is both stronger and lighter than aluminium. Touchpad and keyboard too is better than Satellite notebooks and the 13.3 inches screen comes with 2,560×1,440 pixels resolution. The manufacturer is calling it PixelPure and isn’t too different from Apple Retina screen.

However, you won’t be able to play any high end games on the better screen as there is just Intel HD 4000 GPU inside. Still, this resolution really proves its worth at reading text and working with apps like Photoshop. Higher resolution gives you more space to work around on single screen.

Apart from the great quality screen and great construction, the Toshiba Kirabook is just standard Intel Core i7/i5 laptop having 256GB SSD, and 8GB RAM. We placed this laptop next to Toshiba Satellite U845T and both notebooks looked very similar and this is where the problem lies. The more expensive laptop is priced similar to the $799 sibling.

Compared to this, the 13 inches Apple MacBook Pro having Retina screen costs $100 less but has lesser SSD storage and its aluminium body is bigger with more weight. But the Apple laptop doesn’t have the best combination of price and features. Yet, MacBook Pro offers a distinct and attractive design like Samsung Series 9 and Acer Aspire S7.

For a price of $1,600 and above, you’d want a great look and not just high end components inside. Kirabook is a great laptop that is easy to use and travel friendly as well. The display looks great and only few other laptops in the market can come close to it.

Design

Toshiba Kirabook is downright attractive laptop and will certainly make a place for itself in museum. It has all the hallmarks – tapered front edge, brushed metal look on lid, edge to edge glass on screen, big button less click pad below island like keyboard.

This laptop certainly looks high end. The body is made of magnesium alloy which makes the laptop light yet sturdy. Finishing is really good and the clean key board tray and stiff hinge makes this laptop even more expensive. The Harmon Kardon speakers and the system fans are placed on bottom panel to keep the laptop clean.

Keyboard

Toshiba Kirabook comes with backlit keyboard and the buttons are rectangular in shape. The spacebar is a bit shorter than standard size. However, this keyboard is certainly better than earlier less expensive laptops from Toshiba. There isn’t any flex on fingers and actual keys too are deeper as compared to other ultrabooks from this manufacturer.

Clickpad

Clickpad is large and rectangular and has good surface area. This is good especially for Windows 8 where there is space needed for OS navigation gestures. Surface of the pad has good resistance but I sometimes had trouble with 2 finger scrolls.

Display

Display of the Toshiba Kirabook is the most attractive part of this laptop. The screen has a resolution of 2,560×1,440 pixels and it is in the same class as Apple’s Retina screen. According to Toshiba, the resolution equals 221 ppi and this gives great experience while reading text and watching videos.

Windows 8 takes this resolution really well and it keeps things normal looking with the tiles interface. In traditional desktop view, the icons and text look really tiny. Right now, there isn’t much content which takes optimum advantage of this bigger resolution.

It is hard to say if such bigger resolution is needed on a laptop. Some might say it is another marketing gimmick.

Connections

Toshiba Kirabook has three USB 3.0 ports and one of them is sleep-and-charge port which lets you charge your gadgets through USB even when the laptop is sleeping or switched off. Apart from this, there aren’t any high end ports like Thunderbolt port or NFC.

Configurations

Toshiba Kirabook is available in 3 configurations – least expensive one costs $1,599 and comes with slower Core i5 processor with 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM. However, it doesn’t have touchscreen. The touchscreen models start from $1,600 and without touchscreen, this laptop is lighter.

If you are buying this laptop, we would recommend you to pay more and go for the touchscreen model has Windows 8 is largely based on touchscreen technology. Our review model had Core i7 chip inside and upgraded Windows 8 Pro OS. The laptop which we got had Adobe Premiere Elements 11 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 and special Platinum support which offers 2 years warranty and 24/7 phone support.

Take any ultrabook and put in large SSD, 8GB RAM, and Intel Core i7 processor inside and you will surely get great performance. Kirabook indeed is a premium laptop and the performance too was up to our expectations. We could play any high resolution video on this computer without any hiccup.

Most people use their laptop for tasks like social networking, media playback, and Web surfing. In such tasks, you won’t notice any difference between this and less expensive laptops. There is Intel HD 4000 GPU inside which handles basic game well but they won’t run at native resolution. For instance, we played BioShock Infinite at resolution of 1,366×768 pixels in medium settings and got 16.1 fps.

Battery

High end laptops need to have long battery life. Toshiba Kirabook comes with SSD and CPU and both of them are power efficient. However, the screen is above average and it takes extra battery juice to power it. In our tests, this battery stayed alive for five hours and five minutes. This isn’t really impressive and we have seen longer battery life.

Verdict

Toshiba Kirabook is a premium laptop and the looks don’t tell that this is a sub $1,600 priced laptop. The main selling point of this laptop is the high resolution screen and apart from this, it is hard to justify the high price. Hence, we find it difficult to recommend this laptop for its price.

Specs

• 2.0GHz Intel Core i7-3667Uprocessor
• $1,599 starting price
• 1,600MHz, 8GB DDR3 RAM
• 256GB SSD
• Intel HD 4000 GPU
• Windows 8 OS
• 3.4 pounds weight with adapter

1.    Karbonn Titanium S1 (Rs. 9,399)

Karbonn Titanium S1 is dual SIM smartphone having 4.5 inches qHD capacitive multi touch display. There is quad core 1.2 GHz processor inside and this handset runs on Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean OS.

This smartphone comes with five megapixels rear facing camera and it has flash light too. There is also a front facing camera for making video calls. This phone has features like GPS, G-Sensor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, etc. There are also lot of different applications and games preloaded inside. This phone comes with 1,600 mAh battery and there is 1GB RAM inside.

2.    Intex Aqua Wonder 2 (Rs. 9,590)

Intex Aqua Wonder 2 comes with four-and-half inches IPS screen having qHD or 960×540 pixels resolution and eight megapixels camera with features of dual LED flash and autofocus. There is also two megapixels front facing camera.

Intex Aqua Wonder 2 comes with 1,800 mAh battery inside and the phone is powered by 1.2 GHz quad core chip inside with 512MB RAM.

Intex isn’t much popular as a smartphone brand but the brand name has been around for a while and this might help them. However, Intex doesn’t enjoy the same popularity as Micromax and Karbonn. Still, the Wonder 2 is a really inexpensive smartphone and specs are the same as other high end foreign phones out there.

3.    Karbonn Titanium S2 (Rs. 10,790)

Karbonn Titanium S2 has a five inches FWVGA screen having a resolution of 854×480 pixels and there is 1.2 GHz processor inside. This is Android 4.1 OS phone and this handset is the least expensive quad core phone to have a five inch display. Other features of Karbonn Titanium S2 include eight megapixels rear facing camera, two megapixels front facing camera, 2,100 mAh battery, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G.

The manufacturer hasn’t revealed the RAM and display resolution too is lower as compared to other quad core phones. But still, it is the cheapest five inch quad core smartphone out there right now.

4.    Karbonn Titanium S5 (Rs. 11,900)

Karbonn Titanium S5 is again a dual SIM Android smartphone running on Jelly Bean OS and there is quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2 GHz chip inside with 1GB of RAM. The display is five inches big and has a resolution of 960×540 pixels which isn’t the best but is still decent. There is eight megapixels rear facing camera and two megapixels front facing camera.

Display resolution is acceptable considering the low price of the phone. Also, the manufacturer has used Qualcomm chipset inside which isn’t as fast as Mediatek chipset that is often found in such phones.

5.    Zen Ultrafone 701HD (Rs. 11,999)

Zen Ultrafone 701HD runs on Android 4.2 aka Jelly Bean OS which is latest Android OS. The phone has 1.2 GHz quad core processor inside. This handset comes with five inches IPS capacitive touchscreen and the display has HD or high definition resolution. Features of this phone include 2,000 mAhbattery, 4GB internal storage, 1GB RAM, and there is microSD card slot for up to 32 GB expansion.

Zen Ultrafone 701HDhas A-GPS, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n), and microUSB port. There is also eight megapixels camera on back with auto focus, LED flash, and BSI sensor and front facing 3.2 megapixels camera.

Zen smartphones aren’t really popular in the market but this is one of best equipped smartphones with latest Android OS. Camera specs too are impressive.

6.    UMI S1 (Rs. 11,999)

UMI too is a new phone brand and their latest phone is UMI S1 which is impressive in terms of quality. This handset runs on Android 4.2 aka Jelly Bean OS and comes with five inches display having 1,280×720 pixels resolution.

UMI S1 has MediaTek MT 6589 chipset inside and the phone runs on 1.2 GHz quad core chip. There is also 1GB RAM. UMI S1 is available in 8GB and 16GB versions. There is eight megapixels rear facing camera and two megapixels front facing camera.

In terms of connectivity, this phone comes with Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G, and GPS. This phone has proximity sensor, light sensor, and G-sensor.
UMI S1 is powered by 2,020 mAh lithium polymer battery and it has four hours of rated talk time which is a bit less as comared to other phones. There is Hindi support on this phone and the handset is 9.7mm thick. Weight of this phone is 187 grams. The battery back-up may be poor but this phone comes with good price and features with latest version of Android OS.

7.    Zopo ZP980 (Rs. 12,500)

Zopo ZP980 comes with five inches full HD display and the Corning Glass 2 screen has a resolution of 1,920×1,080 pixels. There is Mediatek quad core MT6589 processor inside with 1 GB RAM, 4GB ROM, 13 megapixels rear facing camera, five megapixels front facing camera, and the phone runs on Android 4.2 aka Jelly Bean OS. This smartphone is only available through the manufacturer’s Website.

This handset is good but it has availability issues.

8.    Celkon Signature HD A119Q (Rs. 12,499)

Celkon Signature HD A119Q runs on latest Android 4.2 aka Jelly Bean OS and the phone is powered by MTK 6589 1.2GHZ quad core chip inside. There is 1GB RAM and 4 GB ROM.

Celkon Signature HD A119Q comes with five inches screen with a resolution of 1,280×720 pixels. There is 12 megapixels rear facing camera and three megapixels front facing camera.

Other features on this phone include GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and all the sensors. This handset comes with a flip cover. Celkon Signature HD A119Q will compete with phones like Micromax Canvas HD A116.

Celkon is a popular brand and we have had a lot of phones for review from this company. Celkon Signature HD A119Q will surely do well in the market due to its affordable price and good quality.

9.    Xolo Q800 (Rs. 12,499)

Xolo Q800 is a smartphone running on Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean OS and this phone has four-and-half inches screen having qHD resolution of 540×960 pixels.

Xolo Q800 runs on quad core 1.2 GHz Mediatek chipset and it has 1GB RAM inside with 4GB ROM. This phone comes with eight megapixels rear facing camera with auto focus and back side illuminiation CMOS sensor which gives better quality in dim light conditions. There is also front facing 1.2 MP front facing camera.

Xolo Q800 features include 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Accelerometer, Promixity sensor, A-GPS, etc. There is 2,100 mAhbattery inside 16 hours rated talk time.

With such specs, the phone is similar to Karbonn Titanium S1 but has better camera, faster 3G and longer battery life. The quality of this smartphone is better than most Indian phones. However, there are phones having bigger screens and better cameras. We would recommend this handset for people looking for smaller screen.

10.    GioneeGpad 2 (Rs. 13,999)

GioneeGpad 2 has a 5.3 inches screen and has quad core processor inside. The display of this phone is 5.3 inches big and has a resolution of 960×540 pixels. This phone runs on Mediatek quad core chip clocked at 1.2GHz speed and runs on Android Jelly Bean OS. This phablet has 4GB internal memory and 1GB RAM.

GioneeGpad 2 comes with 16GB card bundled inside and the microSD card slot accepts cards up to 32GB. Features of this phone include 3G, microUSB, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3.5 mm headphones jack. For photography, there is eight megapixels rear facing with two megapixels front facing camera.

GioneeGpad 2 comes with Yamaha audio hardware for superior music quality. This phone too suffers from availability issues and this will result in poor sales.

Pros

The BB 10 OS looks polished, and comes with premium features that are widely demanded by users. It also features some of its own signature tools for business and security users.

Cons

Despite the improved looks, the BB 10 has few missing features and inefficient for the users.

At start, this is fair to say that there are several points to fall in love with this new operating system. It should get some respect in the market for its designing and coding where it is based on QNX version that we have already seen in BB PlayBook. With its rich design and better graphic interface, the BB 10 is a mobile OS for grown-ups. It has virtual keyboard, enhanced BB Messenger app, better BB Balance, and aesthetic buttons. All these features make this new OS worth the money you pay. It is based on taps and gestures and we believe that these functions had turned very important since the company has to show some uniqueness to survive.

Basic smartphone features

As per the new mobile operating systems used by people, this new BB 1o supports multi email addresses, social networking accounts and calendars. It also supports VPN, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mobile hot spot, and Internet tethering. Also supported are DLNA sharing, airplane mode, and accessibility features that hold TTY settings for teletypewriters and magnification gesture, hearing and support. The most important thing here is your BB ID that is done when you create it when the phone is first boot up. Once started you will be glad to see a newly included feature – Bedtime Mode – turning off all the buzzes, chirps, and incoming calls until your phone’s alarm rings to wake you up. It is a good idea and is obviously useful for the users. Through this we can at least make out that RIM is working real hard to make this OS a big hit in the market. However, the company should have added some more alarm tones than adding just three tones.

Coming to the positive side, this new OS supports screenshots where you are free to capture image of the screen by just pressing both the volume buttons at once. This sounds interesting isn’t it?

The Virtual Keyboard

There are total seven things to consider that RIM has added to its virtual keyboard. Lets have a look –

• Clean layout
• Responsive keyboard
• Stores up to three languages at a time
• Press and hold a letter to turn on the caps lock or start an alternate symbol
• Swipe left on Clear key and full words will be deleted
• Word predictions are creatively presented
• Autocorrection is good

There is one creative approach that RIM has taken for the predictions of words, but this sometimes really does irritate especially when you are working and this method keeps flicking. It is true that autocorrect take care of many errors as we often mistakenly place our finger on other letter. Simple typos! Not every third party app will support this new prediction. For say, when you log in to Facebook, it won’t help you. Well, one good thing is that the keyboard works well when you use your voice dictation than typing. It keeps thing simple and you can also use punctuations by spelling them. However, voice dictation takes time to get processed and is not that smart to capitalize the words at the beginning of new sentence.

Navigation and Interface

The design of this new OS is very polished and has perfectly taken the thread of the previous design language used by BlackBerry. Rich colors, large icons, and animations all are very smooth. The fading from one screen to the next while swiping is very impressive. There is one thing to point out and that is the settings menu which has been kept old.

This new BB is completely gesture-based. At the far left you will find BB Hub which is the universal inbox where all the messages and notification alerts are stored. At its right, you will find Active Frame area which stores up to eight thumbnails of open apps. Again at its right, you can see the app icons that can be manually rearranged, plop on top, or deleted and created folders. Ever screen gives you access to the camera, dialer and universal search which is a great move.

Two interesting things are, swiping up to wake up the phone and using Peek gesture (quickly pulling the finger up and turning to right, making a perfect right angle) to temporarily suspending the app so you can take a sneak peek at your notifications in the Hub. Again making a left up gesture and you can jump back to the Hub by closing the app. Also if you keep your finger pressed to the screen, you can go back to the app without losing the place.

One flaw that has been noticed is the BB10’s menus that are not entirely consistent. Once you gotta long press to surface the context menu, and once you have to pull down or swipe over towards right. Once you will find the dedicated menu button giving you more options.

Lock screen offers read only glimpse of awaiting messages and the camera button can be used to open. Perhaps this lack of navigational buttons won’t like by many. Though all these are forgiven, the apps that open from multitasking window are found to be unnecessarily jerking. Sometimes exploring the OS becomes very interesting as you can swipe deeper left to get to the Hub submenu from notifications. However, if you swipe deeper right, you might end up bringing another window to cover the notifications. Take a user guide before starting your tour to explore this OS.

Browser

The BlackBerry 10’s WebKit-browser comes standard. It is powered by HTML 5 and you can toggle on Adobe Flash support from the settings. Though the browser delivers you Bing results, you can reset to the Yahoo or Google search engines. For zooming, you need to double tap on screen to make the contents readable. Users can even use other tools such as bookmarks and history, on-page search, private browsing, and whitelist for permissions.

However, it most inconvenience will be when you will load heavy browser which could bring rendering issues. While our testing, some of the mobile Web pages didn’t rendered properly, even the Wikipedia images and Google Maps images took time to load in search results. The most awful is when we loaded and it took minutes even in full power 4G LTE. Well, it possibly is our testing phone only that is bugging us up. Once the browser worked real faster with quick loading of Web pages. Also opening a new tab is just super fast without any whisk from the current page.

Email and Voice Control

One of the BlackBerry’s strengths had always been the RIM’s thorough email tradition which is kept similar in BB 10 OS. You can mark messages as unread, can flag them or file them by folder, or can even invite a contact for meeting. If you are composing a message, this OS will give you additional experience of attaching various files, changes in text color, or format text options. You can even mark the email if it is important or urgent. Moreover, you get options to process your emails to a lot of members at once including flag, file, delete, and mark as read in a batch.

BB’s new 10 OS has introduced a new voice control app. It basically commands within the context of a voice assistant that interacts with you. It mostly looks like the Apple’s Siri OS that responds to the user’s commands. It opens the weather app or search on Internet for weather report in just one command from the user. However it can only tell you the current status and not what the weather will be later or if you need an umbrella. Tough it doesn’t help the users by acting as a robot, but it will give you a friendly female voice to make your work easy. The app seems to be working slightly slow, may be due to the slow connections during our test. Still, browsing internet was interesting and I successfully made schedule appointments, reminder notes, and dictate very short and simple messages.

Conclusion

Overall, this new OS is a new and interesting thing to use. It does possess some lag, but we can still enjoy its flavor due to some of the new additions including Voice Search. Devices run smooth, though we have experienced few slow and lagging apps. Virtual keyboard is very clean and quick to access, but you may find some of the missing features. Excluding its lacking capacity, the BlackBerry 10 operating system gives amazing look and fine quality for the trendy generation. It is true that iOS and Android users will find no reason to switch to this OS even though it has got a polished look and is packed with interesting/useful features.

In terms of design, the Windows 8 tabs are pretty much the same. All have essentially the same looks of black metal slab with plastic and glass materials used. All manufacturers like HP, Lenovo, and Acer are using the same design cues. The specs too are identical – Intel Atom chips, 64GB SSDs, and 2GB RAM.

We got the HP ElitePad 900 and it is quite similar to other Windows 8 tablets out there. HP tablet range is quite rich and they are all business oriented. Hence, it can be used for office, home, and mobile use comfortably.

Starting price of this tablet is $699 and for this cost, you only get 32GB SSD. If you need more storage, the 64GB SSD tablet will cost you $799. The cost is a bit more as compared to other tablets but you get mobile broadband options from AT&T and T-Mobile. There are also some configs having 2 years 4G T-Mobile data.

Accessories

There are good set of accessories offered with this tablet.  Best accessory is ‘productivity jacket’ but it isn’t available yet. It is keyboard case having 3 adjustable screen angles with portable keyboard. The case also comes with expansion ports inside. The jacket will be available soon for $199 extra which is a bit expensive but this is a sleeve, docking station, and keyboard all built in one.

What you do get now is expansion jacket which comes with USB and HDMI ports and has room for extra battery which will cost you $79 more. There is also weighted docking station having multiple data and video ports priced at $119.

Alternatives

The three accessories cost $400 and add cost to the tablet which alone costs $799. Looking at this, for $1,200 you could get MacBook Air or Microsoft Core i5 Surface Pro. There is also Google Pixel Chrome book for $100 more which has superior high resolution display. What we are saying is that there are better options available for $1,200 and it makes no sense to spend so much on a Intel Atom processor tablet having 2 gigs of RAM.

Tablet for business users

However, there is some justification for such heavy investment. This tablet is made by HP for business customers and it’s different from the other $500-$600 tablets that we have seen earlier. This tablet is made especially looking at requirements of corporate IT needs and has support for different technologies like LANDesk and HP BIOS Protection.

HP hasn’t given a USB port on this tablet for security purpose and all the ports are now accessible only thorugh accessories and docks. There is just one panel which houses microSD card and SIM card slot. It is provided for people who want to stay connected while travelling. There is also NFC inside but it isn’t popular yet.

Lot of HP business products like ultrabooks have sold well in the market. ElitePad is not one of them as it is priced steeply and isn’t as consumer friendly as other Windows 8 Intel Atom based tablets either.

Design

HP ElitePad 900 looks very similar to other Atom based Windows 8 tablet we have tested to date. Build quality of the device is quite impressive. It is just single piece aluminium device having Gorilla Glass display.

Dimensions of this tablet are quite similar to other tablets from Dell, Asus, and Acer and the only difference is that this corporate display is 16:10 instead of 16:9 that you’d get more often. This makes the display more useful vertically. The display resolution is 1,280×800 pixels and this is the same as non-Retina screen of 13 inches Apple MacBook Pro. Screen brightness is good and off axis viewing angles too are decent. The screen responds very well to touch too.

Productivity Jacket

I was using the HP ElitePad 900 with the Productivity Jacket most of the time. The jacket comes with SD/USB connectivity and full keyboard. Just like iPad keyboard case, this one too adds some size and weight to the tablet and makes it look like chunky laptop. However, at just 1.3 pounds, the tablet alone is pretty light. Keyboard case has stiff hinge and it keeps the display from slipping. Also, the entire device is easily operable from one hand. There are 3 screen angles but display doesn’t tilt back really far.

Expansion jacket is just like protective sleeve and has SD card port and HDMI jack. There are two more USB ports too.  There is compartment inside for a battery that isn’t available yet and this makes the jacket feel like big iPhone battery case. Docking station feels familiar and has VGA and HDMI ports and also Ethernet Jack. Dongles connect to tablet directly and have ports for video, USB, SD card, and Ethernet. The cost is $29-$39 for each.

Keyboard

Keyboard of the HP ElitePad 900 is island styled and flat topped. It is built inside this case just like iPad keyboard cases and the keyboard case is really good for typing. Till here it is all good but this keyboard cover comes with a functional touchpad as well. However, there isn’t any cursor available and you just use the touch screen directly.

Windows 8 is touch friendly OS and is primarily made to be used with directly with your hand. However, when you put it inside the dock or keyboard, the productivity of this system shrinks. You then need to connect separate mouse for this. In our tests, we connected Logitech T650 touchpad and had a good user experience. However, HP hasn’t suggested any mouse pairing or touchpad with this tablet.

Connections

HP ElitePad 900 can be very difficult or easy to connect. There aren’t any accessible ports here and they are all available on the dock and accessory jackets. There are dongles sold individually too which can be pretty annoying as you will have to carry them together with you. There are two cameras, rear facing eight megapixels camera and 1080p standard Webcam on inside.

Configuration

HP ElitePad 900 comes with 1.5 GHz Intel Atom Z2760 GPU inside with 2GB RAM. Main differences are options of 64 or 32 GB SSD and different options of mobile broadband. The performance of this system too is similar to other Windows 8 Atom based tablets.

Not for use as a workstation

If you are thinking of using this device at your workplace as a regular computer, then we would tell you otherwise. The performance of Atom processor can be very sluggish at times especially with apps like Google Chrome browser which isn’t optimized for Atom/Windows 8 OS. This along with small display and low resolution makes this tablet bad choice for workstation.

Battery life

HP ElitePad 900 comes with good battery life and in our tests, this device could stay alive for over seven hours which is impressive. However, this isn’t the best and we have seen tablets with our eight hours of battery life. We got expansion jacket with our review model but it didn’t have any battery inside so we could not test it.

Verdict

HP ElitePad 900 offers a good set of accessories and add-ons. You can get the ones that you need and start working. However, the cost of the tablet along with the accessories is really high and you are better off getting something like Apple MacBook Air instead. However, this device is a good option for corporate tablet needs.

Design

Lenovo S890 comes with a good design. This handset has white glossy finish with metallic trimmings on sides. The phone looks really classy and great. Back panel is glossy looking but the manufacturer has included a cover in the box and hence there won’t be any problem of fingerprints.

The cover is called magic flip cover and it automatically turns the screen on/off. Hence, you won’t need to push the physical button for turning the display on and off. You just need to put the cover on and the phone will automatically enter standby mode.

Lenovo S890 isn’t a lightweight phone but it isn’t too heavy to carry either. This handset weighs around 170 grams and this weight can be attributed largely to the 2,250mAh battery inside. There aren’t any hardware buttons on front which makes the phone look clean and sleek.

Earpiece of this phone comes with indicator lights and they light up while charging and incoming phone calls. These lights are visible through cover too.

Display

Lenovo S890 display is IPS screen and hence it has superior brightness and contrast. The screen is really good and we liked the colour vibrancy and contrast. At max brightness, this display can be used even in the bright sunlight.

Display resolution is 540×960 pixels and this screen is good enough for daily use. We like the colour reproduction of this display; it is better than most phones in this price range. At highest level, the brightness level can go really high but it strains the eyes too.

The cover of the phone too is really good. The display immediately goes off as soon as you put the cover on and this saves battery life. This phone comes with slim design for bezel and this makes the phone look better. At five inches, the size of this phone might be intimidating but it is really easy to hold in the hand.

Processor

Lenovo S890 comes with dual core 1.2 GHz processor inside and it is accompanied by PowerVR SGX 544 graphics card. This combination is good and we didn’t have any problems in using this phone. There were no lags and pages would turn smoothly.

Performance of the phone is good courtesy of the fast processor inside. This handset comes with Android JellyBean Project Butter which improves the performance further.

Gaming enthusiasts too won’t be disappointed with this phone as it plays most games very smoothly. Even HD games ran without any hiccups. In our tests, we played Dead Trigger for a long time and were pleased to see that this phone could handle it very well without any problems.

Lenovo S890 comes with a gig of RAM inside and there is 4GB internal storage too. This works well with dual core chip inside to give better user experience.

This phone has 4GB internal memory but only 2.7GB is available for users. Rest is occupied by OS and other apps. The microSD card slot can take maximum of 32GB cards.

OS

Lenovo S890 comes with Jelly Bean OS which is the latest Android version and it has lots of apps and features inside. Lenovo has customised the OS a bit with IdeaDesktop UI. It has a lot of new icons, and the feel and look is changed as well. Lenovo has optimized the software very well and it works well with the software inside.

UI comes with good themes having separate icons and this makes the phone even more customizable.

Performance

Lenovo S890 has good performance and this phone is really user friendly just like most Android phones out there. in our testing, we put it through some challenging tests but it never froze. The performance will get affected only if you open too many apps at a time. If this problem bugs you, then you can install something like GO Task Manager EX for it. The big display lets you run the apps in all their glory.

Default keyboard on the phone is TouchPal and it is better than Android keypad. Fat fingers might struggle with it but otherwise, it is pretty good. The manufacturer has provided a stylus with the phone for such issues but you need to buy it separately.

Call quality of the phone is really good. We made a lot of phone calls while testing this phone and they were all flawless. Loudspeaker and earpiece volume level is abundant and voices through microphone can be heard very easily.

This phone comes with noise cancellation microphone to give you better call quality. This second microphone is located on back of the phone for cancelling any external noises.

Camera

Lenovo S890 comes with eight megapixels camera and it has LED Flash too. In our testing, autofocus was good and so was the sharpness.

Image quality is good in both indoor and outdoor conditions. Flash gives good illumination as well. Colours look nice with plenty of details and indoor pics have some noise to them which is disappointing.

This camera can also record 720HD videos at 30fps. Videos look good with plenty of smoothness but we expected 1080p HD video recording capabilities. On the front, there is 0.3 megapixel camera for video calling.

This phone has good multimedia support. All popular formats are supported out of the box and you can also get separate apps from Android market for formats which aren’t supported.

Battery life

Lenovo S890 comes with long battery life. In our tests, this phone lasted for 2 days where we used it extensively on both 3G and Wi-Fi. We did lot of calls, Web browsing, audio-video playback, etc. There is 2,250 mAh battery inside which is quite impressive. The manufacturer has done well to balance the performance and power consumption here.

There is power save feature here which works well and increases the battery life. The cover also contributes to save battery life as it kills the screen as soon as you put the cover.

Price

Lenovo S890 is a very impressive phone but the price is disappointing. The cost of this handset is Rs. 20,899 which makes it a big expensive. This phone is made to compete with Samsung Galaxy Grand. Head to head, the Lenovo device looks more attractive but Samsung Galaxy Grand is marketed better and hence will certainly sell better.

Verdict

Intrinsically speaking, the Lenovo S890 is a good phone but comes with some flaws. For instance, there is no full HD video record which is unacceptable at this price. The weight of this phone too is a problem.

On the other hand, the performance of this phone is good and there is good customization offered too. Battery life is good and the flip cover too sweetens the deal. We would have certainly recommended this phone if the price was a bit low.

Specs

• Android Jelly Bean OS
• Five inches display
• Capacitive touch screen display
• 1.2GHz dual core processor
• 4GB internal memory, 1GB RAM, 32GB expandable memory
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Hot Spot connectivity
• Eight megapixels rear facing camera, 0.3 megapixel front facing camera
• Magic flip cover
• 2,250mAh battery
• One year warranty
• Price Rs. 20,889

Lenovo has been known to make good quality designs for their laptops. However, IdeaPad Z400 Touch isn’t one of these. The body of the notebook is thick and the keyboard is less impressive. The specs too are basic and this makes the laptop generic. The only thing that is appealing here is the 14 inches touchscreen but then this isn’t the only notebook out there to have a touchscreen now.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch comes with big 1 TB hard drive inside and DVD drive. The GPU isn’t impressive and the processor isn’t as fast as the latest laptops in market right now. The price of this laptop is $700 and for this cost, you’d expect a bit more. The weight of this notebook too is a bit higher than other 14 inches laptops out there.

There are newer and better laptops coming in to the market with better value for money. Hence, it is recommended that you wait for a while for better laptop. Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch is functional yet skippable.

Design

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch comes with a clean yet attractive design. There chocolate brown lid with 2 tone black and silver plastic inside and this gives a premium look to the notebook. However, the finishing is cheap. The manufacturer has used plastic instead of metal. The laptop is also heavy at 5.3 pounds and one inch thick. Even the top lid feels thicker as compared to other tablets out there.

On one side, there is big grille close to the VGA port and this makes the laptop look really old as this design was once used by notebook years ago.

Keyboard

Lenovo has been known to make good quality keyboards but we were disappointed to see the hollow feel with such flex on this keyboard. This looks like some cheap imitation of other notebook keyboards. Fortunately, the brightness and volume buttons are function reversed and hence can be used with just a single press. There is backlighting too. The clickpad is smaller and we had a hard time using 2 finger scrolls smoothly.

Display

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch comes with 14 inches display and just like other Windows 8 touchscreen, it is very responsive. The resolution is 1,366×768 pixels and the picture is bright looking. The display isn’t as good as other higher end laptops and we expected better resolution too. On the bright side, there is 720p Webcam which gives crisp video quality.

Connections and ports

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch comes with standard connectivity options like SD card slot, Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI, Bluetooth and DVD optical burner drive. This is mainstream laptop and not an ultraportable and hence these connectivity options aren’t really surprising.

Configurations

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch is available in different configuration options and you get plenty to choose from. The starting price of this laptop is $599 and for this price, you get Intel Core i3-3120 M, 1.5GHz processor with 4 gigs of RAM and 500 GB hard drive. The most expensive configuration is for $999 and it gives you 2.9 GHz Core i7-3520 M processor, 8 gigs of RAM, and 1 TB hard drive running at 5,400 rpm. The display also comes with higher resolution at 1,600×900 pixels. All these configs have DVD optical drives, touchscreen, and Bluetooth. None have Nvidia or AMD GPU or SSD option.

Closest config with the one which we got for review cost $679 on the manufacturer Website and it comes with 2.6 GHZ Core i5-3230 M chip, 1 TB HDD, 1,600×900 pixels screen, and 8GB RAM. Our review model had 1,366×768 pixels display and 6GB RAM.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch comes with full voltage Core i5 chip inside and it is better than those present in ultrabooks. However, the advantage is fast dwindling with newer laptops. There is Intel HD 4000 integrated GPU inside which is good for standard use but you won’t be able to play any games on it.

Battery life

Considering the weight of sub five pounds, you’d think that the battery life would be great. That is right, in our tests; this laptop stayed alive for a little over five hours and it is good enough for an entire day’s work.

Verdict

Looking at the specs and price, this laptop seems like a good deal. However, this isn’t everything that people look while buying a laptop these days. Except for touchscreen, this laptops is seriously old fashioned. For this price, you’d expect lighter and thinner laptops and more power. It would be a bad idea to buy this laptop. Instead, wait for few months and there will be better alternatives.