Friday 18 September 2015

Moto G (Gen 3) vs Lava Iris X5 4G: CGG3 Protection vs Superior Selfies

If Lava Iris X5 4G highlights the power of 4G in its communication, Moto G (Gen 3) makes a special mention to its water resistance advantage. However, despite different value propositions, both the smartphones share one thing in common, and it is their effort of offering high-end features at affordable price points. What merits this comparative review is their comparable price points and also nearby launch time. In this review, we compare the two devices to see how they stand up to each other.

Design
Let us start with what strikes the eyes first, the colour. Moto G (Gen3) is available in standard black and white colour variants, where as Lava Iris X5 tries to be a little different with its icy white and royal black colour range. In overall physical terms, Moto G measures 142.1x72.4x6.1-11.6 mm and weighs 155grams, where as Lava IrisX5 measures 141.6x70.8x7.6mm and weighs 128grams. In hand if Moto G feels a bit fattish, curvy and a bit heavier device, Lava Iris invokes somewhat flattish and lighter feel. The sleek appearance of Lava Iris X5 looks elegant but the variation in the curves of Moto G’s entire body looks different and unique.

Display
The 5 inch display screens of both the devices come with HD resolution (720x1280) and pixel density of 294 ppi, making the visual experience at par with each other. However, the display of Moto G stands out with the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Lava Iris X5 on the other hand has entrusted the display safety to Asahi Dragontrail Glass, which has a pristine finish. Here it is imperative to note that CGG 3 comes with native damage resistance technology, which makes it 40% stronger in terms of scratches and durability.

Performance
Moto G (Gen3) is powered by 1.4 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) processor and Lava Iris X5 runs on 1.3 GHz Quad Core (64 bit MediaTek) processor, which indicates that Moto G has an edge over Lava Iris at this front. With its Operating System (OS) Android Lollipop 5.1.1, Moto G retains the slight edge over Lava Iris which comes in slightly older version of Android Lollipop 5.1 technology. Also, Moto G comes in two RAM variants i.e. 1GB (8GB storage) and 2GB (16 GB storage). However, Lava Iris X5 offers only 2GB RAM option with 16 GB in-built memory. In both the devices, you can expand the memory up to 32GB with the facility of a separate micro SD card slot.


Additional Features
Both Lava Iris X5 and Moto G (Gen3) offer 13 MP primary/rear cameras for an outstanding photography experience. The f2.0 aperture in their back cameras ensures the entry of more light, resulting in brighter images. For your selfies, Lava Iris gives you a better deal with its 8MP secondary/front camera in comparison to Moto G which has 5MP secondary camera. But, in Moto G, you also get High Dynamic Range (HDR) that enables the capturing of brightest and darkest shades in a particular frame, which looks quite similar to what you see in real life. At the battery front, Lava Iris X5 has a 2500 mAh Li- Po battery to give you a talk time of more than 24 hours, where as Moto G is not far behind with its 2470 mAh battery.

X Factor
Identifying the needs of the current generation, both the smartphones have come up with something unique to flatter their target audience. Moto G boasts of its water resistant feature under IPX7 technology, which means, you can use the phone even in a rainy weather. On the other hand, Lava Iris X5 highlights its compatibility to the 4G network; with that internet speed in your hand, you can get an amazing experience of surfing, uploading, downloading and a lot more on the internet.

Conclusion
Going by the specifications, we note that the differences between the two devices are minor. They have comparable display screen size, resolution, RAM, expandable memory option, and primary cameras, and both are 4G network compatible. However, Moto G (Gen3) has the advantage of CGG3 protection, slightly higher version of the OS and processor. On the other hand, Lava Iris X5 has the advantage of superior secondary camera, which means better selfies, and slightly higher battery capacity. Moreover, in the Indian market, while Lava Iris X5 4G is available at around Rs.10,750, Moto G (Gen 3) smartphones start at around Rs.12,000 onwards.

In the end, the choice is between more expensive, slightly bulkier Moto G with CGG3 protection and sleeker looking Lava Iris that promises better quality selfies.

Saturday 12 September 2015

Asus Zenfone Selfie (ZD 551KL) promises to show the best of you

Asusthe Taiwanese multinational computer hardware and electronics company, has successfully marked its presence globally and found its way into Business Week’s “InfoTech 100” and “Asia’s Top 10 IT Companies” rankings. Asus entered into smartphone business few years back with their Zenfone series to “Inspire Innovation”. The series has made a mark in big markets like India, China and other Asian Countries. In this review, we look at Asus Zenfone Selfie (ZD 551 KL) to get some insight about the way Asus may have tried to inspire innovation. 
The first look at the device will amaze you with its Ergonomic Arch design. Asus with no fuss gets easily adjusted in your palm and look good. Its body has a slim profile. While over all it measures 156.6x71.0x10.8 mm, it is just 3.9mm at the edge. With 170g  of total body weight, Asus is a bit heavier device than most though. But, users can feel free to keep this device in bag or pocket without a fear of getting scratches or crack, because it has the protection of the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Zenfone allow its user to flaunt their style and move like stud with shades such as pure white, chic pink and aqua blue.

On display front, Zenfone Selfie is 5.5 inch long. The device is equipped with Full HD IPS display that offers 1920x1080 high-screen resolution. With 403 Pixels Per Inch and Asus TruVivid technology, the device provides excellent picture intensity and color clarity. To enhance the overall visual experience Asus has added new features to its User Interface called ZenUI. The upgraded UI includes Zen Motion, Snap View, Trend Micro Security and ZenUI Instant Updates that ensure security and privacy and enhance usability.

Zenfone Selfie has Android 5.0 lollipop on board including Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 chipset with Octa-Core processor that make the device work fast. It comes in two variants 2GB RAM/16GB Memory and 3GB RAM/32GB memory that can be further expanded up to 128GB through MicroSD card, which is certainly a huge storage capacity. On the whole the device allows you to explore, choose, download and use lag free.
Camera is the USP of this device. It particularly grabs your attention when you note that both primary and secondary cameras are 13MP. It will most certainly bring smile on the face of selfie lovers. To make you “See the perfect you”, Asus compiled back camera with five-prism Largan Lens with 88- degree, wide-angle framing, and dual LED real tone flash. Moreover, for the selfie lovers, it has added HDR and Laser auto-focus to the front camera. Interestingly, along with all those looks, great specs and a powerful front camera, Asus has equipped Zenfone Selfie with an equally powerful battery of 3000 mAh battery.

Considering all the specification, it is clear that Asus Zenfone Selfie (ZD 551 KL) has a way to get attention of smartphone lovers, particularly selfie loving youth. In the last but not the least, the price of the device is equally attractive. In the Indian market, the price tag is around INR 18000, which seems pretty good for the kind of specifications and superior technology that this device comes with.

Tuesday 8 September 2015

Micromax Yu Yuphoria has an edge over Lava Iris Alfa L

The smartphone market is only getting competitive. Each smartphone maker is eyeing to grab a larger share of the ever-growing market by finding new ways of differentiation in its devices. Two recently launched devices Micromax Yu Yuphoria and Lava Iris Alfa L are similarly competing to get the attention of customers. Therefore, we have decided to compare the two devices to make it easier for the customers who may be considering either of the two devices.

Micromax Yu Yuphoria (142.38x72.96x8.2mm; weight 143g) is all new pocket friendly device that has a sleek buffed steel body and is available in back colour and champagne gold with white colour. It has a full HD 5 inch display screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and screen resolution of 1280x720. The mobile device spec detail includes 64 bit 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410 processor that is paired with 2GB RAM and Adreno 306 GPU. It comes with 16 GB in-built storage with the possibility to expand the memory using micro SD card (32GB).

Yu Yuphoria runs on Android Lollipop 5.0.2 based Cyanogen Mod 12 OS and comes with app themer that permit the user to customize the display of the device. It has a 2230mAh battery that offers a Talk Time up to 7 hours which might not sound sufficient for heavy mobile phone users. The Smartphone is 3 times scratch resistant and has a 67 percent screen to body ratio. In the Indian market the device is available at around Rs.7000 and offers a good package deal for any mobile user looking for a good smartphone.

On the other hand, Lava’s newly launched Iris Alfa L is an ‘app’ packed device. With a dual-SIM and FOTA (firmware over the air) support, this Android Lollipop 5.0 based smartphone comes with 1GB RAM, is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core mediatek processor and has IPS Capacitive Touchscreen. The user of Lava Iris will get 8GB of built-in storage that comes with expandable feature via microSD card (up to 32GB). The battery capacity of the phone is 3000 (mAh) that offers talk time on standard battery of up to 22hrs 6min (2G) and 13hrs 15 min (3G).

Lava Iris Alfa, priced at around Rs.8000 onwards, is for those looking for smartphone with a bigger screen (5.5 inch; resolution- 960x540) and in-built app features. It comes with an offer to download music from Hungama Music app free of worth Rs.2000. Along with this there is Truecaller premium app and the phone is loaded with Adaptxt keyboard app that is compatible with 11 Indian local languages. The smartphone is made for those looking for a phone with larger screen size and longer battery.

Micromax Yu Yuphoria has a 1080p video recording along with an 8MP primary camera with LED flash, Omni vision sensor with f2.2 aperture and 5MP front snapper with 4P lenses, 86 degree wide angle lens and f/2.0 aperture. Lava Iris, on the other hand, has 8MP primary camera LED flash and a 2MP front-facing camera.

Both the smartphones are android devices that support dual SIM and have Bluetooth features. They both have audio connector ranging 3.5 mm. When it comes to connectivity options those looking to buy Lava Iris Alfa L can get features such as 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Micro-USB, A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, and FM radio. On the other hand, Yu Yuphoria supports all the connectivity the user is expecting from a flagship device such as dual SIM with dual standby, 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and a lot more.

Lava Iris has built-in application like Google Talk, YouTube, Gmail, Google Search and Google Play. But this phone does not have a FM Radio, a feature that Yu offers to its user. Lava on the other hand supports music formats such as MP3, 3GP, AMR, WAV- Video formats: 3GP, MPEG4, AVI. Yu comes with limited support with music formats such as AAC, AMR, MID, MP3, OGG and WAV.

It can noted that Micromax Yu Yuphoria offers bigger RAM, larger storage, GG3 protection, higher resolution, and more powerful front camera. On the other hand, Lave Iris Alfa L comes with larger display screen, higher battery capacity, and a processor that offers slightly better clock speed. In addition, Lava also packs in many Apps. At the price front, both the devices are almost comparable, with Micromax having slight advantage. In overall terms, we think Micromax Yu Yuphoria has an edge over Lava Iris Alfa L.