KitKat

Specs and Price: Moto E

Motorola has done it again. It will most certainly(hoped to) replace the basic handset/cellphone market in India with the entry of its low cost mobile phone Moto E. Few moths back Moto G performed well in terms of sales in India, and I hoping Moto E will leverage the good will acquired by its predecessor Moto G.

With this launch Motorola has wide range of phones at various budget levels:

Low cost phone: Moto E (around Rs. 6999)
Medium price phone: Moto G (around Rs. 13999)
High end phone: Moto X (around Rs. 23999)

It comes with 2 colors:
1. Moto E White
2. Moto E Black
(..more colors might come soon)

Here are the astounding specs of Moto E
Brand: Motorola
Model ID: XT1022
Form: Bar
SIM Size: Micro SIM
SIM Type: Dual SIM, GSM + GSM, (Dual Standby)
Touch Screen: Yes, Capacitive
Call Features: Loudspeaker

PLATFORM
Operating Freq: GSM – 850, 900, 1800, 1900; UMTS – 2100
OS: Android v4.4 (KitKat)
Processor: 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200, Dual Core
Graphics: Adreno 302, 400 MHz Single

DISPLAY
Size: 4.3 Inches
Resolution: qHD, 960 x 540 Pixels
Other Display Features: Corning Gorilla Glass 3

CAMERA
Primary Camera: Yes, 5 Megapixel
Secondary Camera: No
Flash: No (which is bit disappointing to me)
Video Recording: Yes, 30 fps

DIMENSIONS
Size: 64.8×124.8×12.3 mm
Weight: 142 g

BATTERY
Type: Li-Ion, 1980 mAh

MEMORY AND STORAGE

Internal: 4 GB
Expandable Memory: microSD, upto 32 GB
Memory: 1 GB RAM

INTERNET & CONNECTIVITY
3G: Yes, 21.1 Mbps HSDPA; 5.76 Mbps HSUPA; HSPA+
Wifi: Yes, 802.11 b/g/n
USB Connectivity: Yes, micro USB, v2
Navigation Technology: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, with Google Maps
Bluetooth: Yes, v4, Supported Profiles (LE)
Audio Jack: 3.5 mm

MULTIMEDIA
Music Player: Yes, Supports MP3
Video Player: Yes, Supports MP4, H.264, H.263, HD
FM: Yes
Sound Enhancement: Front Ported Loudspeaker Orientation, Audio Chip

OTHER FEATURES
Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor
Additional Features: P2i, Single White LED

In Box, you’ll get: Charger, QSG and Warranty Card, Handset with Built-in Battery, Headset, Back Door

You can order on FlipKart:
1. Moto E White
2. Moto E Black

We hope Moto E does well in the market.

Best Budget Phone: Moto G

I was impressed with Moto X from Motorola, but went with Nexus 5 as I want to have pure android experience, as a developer. But I still loved Moto X for it’s camera/picture clarity.

Moto G on FlipKart

Motorola has now released Moto G, and it created a lot of buzz. I din’t want to be involved in creating the hype, but once I had the device and tested it, I was convinced that this is ‘the best’ midrange android phone we could get. Look at the specs:

KEY FEATURES OF MOTO G
5 MP Primary Camera and 1.3 MP Secondary Camera – with LED flash, HDR(auto), Slow motion video recording.
Digital Zoom – 4x
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Android v4.3 (Jelly Bean) OS – Moto G can be updated to android KitKat
1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 Quad Core Processor and 1 GB RAM
Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)
HD Recording
4.5-inch HD Display: 720p HD resolution and 329 ppi – every pixel is sharp, vivid and crystal clear.
Wi-Fi Enabled
Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 Processor is clocked at 1.2 GHz.
1 GB RAM to support multitasking and the Adreno Graphics 305 to let you play graphic-heavy games.
16 GB and 8 GB Internal Memory devices available.
2070 mAh Li-Ion battery – Up to 24 hours backup

It’s an awesome phone. If you were still thinking and waiting till your friend or coworker takes it, you need not wait – it’s good device for the price. You can go ahead and buy it.

For 8 GB Moto G it costs : Rs. 12,499/-
For 16 GB Moto G it costs: Rs. 13,999/-

I would recommend to go with 16 GB device, as it has a small difference of cost compared to 8 GB device, but comes with double the storage space. So go for 16 GB Moto G. You can also get original Cover / Case for your Moto G as an introductory offer on online sites like FlipKart, for a small extra cost.

Check out:
Moto G on FlipKart
Moto G on Amazon
Moto G on Amazon India

My Nexus 5

If you know me or just read this blog often, you already know I’m an android fan and I love Nexus devices. Before Nexus 5 I was using Sony Xperia Arc, and it is a great phone too.
Sadly ..
If you purchased the device from US/UK play store, you won’t be getting earphone and cover/case with it. So here are some links for good earphone and phone case(other than the one available on Google Play Store)

If you know me or just read this blog often, you already know I’m an android fan and I love Nexus devices.

Before Nexus 5 I was using Sony Xperia Arc, and it is a great phone too.

My Device: Nexus 5
I’ve got 32 GB, black colored, Nexus 5 from United States. It works well with my Vodafone network here in India, with no rooting and other tedious stuffs. Get the phone, insert the sim(micro sim), and it works.

My Review
I’m using Nexus 5 from 4 days now, this is what I felt so far:

1. It’s amazing to hold in hand! I’ve previously used HTC, Sony Xperia Arc, Nokia – above all this one feels lightweight and thoroughly gripped.
2. KitKat is absolutely sweet. Applications open and close faster than in previous versions. The credit also goes to Nexus 5’s 2 GB RAM and Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 800, 2.26GHz CPU, also the Adreno 330, 450MHz GPU.

My first computer(just few years back), had only 256 MB of RAM! My recent Computer( Dell Studio XPS 8100 ) has 8GB of RAM – compared to mobile phone, it looks very less now 🙂

3. The design of the phone is really impressive. Atleast the black variant of the device has a good built. I specially liked the positioning of the loud speakers. Sony Xpera Arc had speakers in the backside – if you’ve placed the phone on the table with phone facing up, loud speakers would get jammed behind the phone.

4. Usually Nexus devices doesn’t come with super power cameras. But Nexus 5 has a decent one – considering its retail price.

You can read about its full specifications here: Nexus 5 and KitKat Treat: Live!

Sadly ..
If you purchased the device from US/UK play store, you won’t be getting earphone and cover/case with it. So here are some links for good earphone and phone case(other than the one available on Google Play Store)

FlipKart: Nexus 5 (32 GB)

Covers / Case
Capdase Flip Cover for LG – Cream color
Capdase Flip Cover for LG – Black color

Capdase Back Cover for LG
Capdase Back Cover for LG

Amazon: Nillkin Flip for LG Google Nexus 5

Amazon India: Nillkin Flip for LG Google Nexus 5

FlipKart: Nillkin Flip for LG Google Nexus 5

Earphone
Sony Ericsson MH
Skullcandy S2IKDY
SoundMAGIC In

Amazon Link: Earphone
SoundMAGIC In

Video Shot With Nexus 5

Your Queries..our answers
If you want to know anything about Nexus 5, let us know in the comment section below and we’ll check it on our phone and get back to you the earliest.

Nexus 7 Gets KitKat

Google has officially started rolling out android 4.4 i.e., KitKat to various devices.

HTC One Google Edition and Nexus 7 gets the latest android updates.

Nexus 7 (first generation Tablet) got Android 4.4 and the download size is 185.3 MB

Updates to officially listed Sony and Samsung smart phones will follow in coming days/weeks ..

Here is what the notification message I got on my Nexus 7 tab says
This software update will upgrade your Nexus 7 to Android 4.4, KitKat, which adds a number of new features and improves performance. When you can’t find the right words, express yourself with some of the hundreds of colorful emoji in the Google Keyboard. Print documents and photos right from your Nexus 7 on any Google Cloud Print or HP ePrint printer. To find our more, visit http://www.android.com/versions/kit-kat-4-4/index.html

Procedure To Update
Turn on your WiFi or Data connection. Go to your phone/tab settings. Scroll down to get About Phone or About tablet menu item. Click on it. Now select System updates.

Over all it looks and feels good. Feels like the navigation has become smooth, but can’t confirm it till I use it for some more days.

Nexus 5 and KitKat Treat: Live!

After all these drama and PR games of specs/image leaks, the curtains have been finally pulled! LG made Nexus 5 has been announced along with much awaited android flavor – KitKat (Don’t be frustrated, if you didn’t win any contests here and there 😛 )

On FlipKart: Nexus 5 (32 GB)

Some KitKat’s Sweetness

A smarter caller ID: Whenever you get a call from a phone number not in your contacts, your phone will look for matches from businesses with a local listing on Google Maps.

All your messages in the same place Never miss a message, no matter how your friend sends it. With the new Hangouts app, all of your SMS and MMS messages are together in the same app, alongside your other conversations and video calls. And with the new Hangouts, you can even share your location and send animated GIFs.

Emoji everywhere Emoji are colorful Japanese characters, which are now available as emoticons in your Google keyboard.

HDR+ photography HDR+ mode on Nexus 5 automatically snaps a rapid burst of photos and combines them to give you the best possible single shot. Daytime pictures are vivid with clean shadows, and nighttime photos are sharp with less noise.

Nexus 5
Watch this video before you read boring text 😛

..well to be brutally honest, this video dint impress me as much

But Nexus 5 device in itself is so well designed, it grabbed my attention much before I watched these videos.

Nexus 5 Specs
Nexus 5 comes with 4.8 oz and 8.59mm thin.
Display: 4.95” 1920×1080 display (445 ppi). Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
Operating System: Android 4.4, KitKat.

Processor:
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 800, 2.26GHz
GPU: Adreno 330, 450MHz

Camera: 1.3MP front facing and 8MP rear facing with Optical Image Stabilization.

Dimension: 69.17×137.84×8.59 mm, 4.59 ounces (130g)
Battery:(under test environment)
2300 mAh
Talk time up to 17 hours*
Standby time up to 300 hours†
Internet use time up to 8.5 hours on Wi-Fi, up to 7 hours on LTE‡
Wireless Charging built-in

Audio: Built-in speaker. 3.5mm stereo audio connector

Wireless:
Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
NFC (Android Beam)
Bluetooth 4.0

Networks:
2G/3G/4G LTE

North America:
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
CDMA: Band Class: 0/1/10
WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19
LTE: Bands: 1/2/4/5/17/19/25/26/41

Rest of World:
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8
LTE: Bands: 1/3/5/7/8/20

Memory:
You can Choose 16GB or 32GB internal storage (actual formatted capacity will be less)
2GB RAM

Ports and Connectors:
microUSB
SlimPort™ enabled
3.5mm stereo audio jack
Dual microphones
Ceramic power and volume buttons

Sensors:
GPS
Gyroscope
Accelerometer
Compass
Proximity/Ambient Light
Pressure
Hall

Device Color: White and Black

Price:
For 16GB variant $349
For 32GB variant $399

Nexus 5 Price In India
Nexus 5 – 16 GB – Rs. 28, 999
Nexus 5 – 32 GB – Rs. 32, 999

These devices are officially unlocked and are not bound to any contracts.

My Views On Nexus 5

Camera
It’s an awesome device. But you may think, these days smartphones are shipping with 32 MP camera’s and Nexus 5 is stuck with 8 MP!, well clarity of pictures don’t just depend on Mega Pixel rates, so lets wait with the new additional camera features Nexus 5 is shipping with. I’m sure, they’ve taken much care about video recording and photo capturing, as it has been highly emphasized in promo videos. The new HDR+ fixes all your shaky captures!

Sensors
It also comes with cool sensors. We could play around and create wonderful applications for devices running KitKat.

Speed
2GB RAM in a smart phone is awesome. Not long ago we had only 256 MB of RAM in our desktop computers 😛 – good old days. So we could expect this smart phone to be a faster device.
Also not to forget: CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 800, 2.26GHz and GPU: Adreno 330, 450MHz

..talking about the speed – According to Sundar Pichai, head of Android, apps have been fine-tuned to use less computing power, with new android KitKat. Also, Google wants KitKat to be compatible with even the low end(hardware wise) android devices. Application developers could build application that would run based on the memory the device has. This way, Google is aiming to bring android KitKat to all the android enabled devices. But providing upgrade to these devices are left to device manufacturers. This way, Google wants to bring uniform user experience for all android device users.

Nexus Devices
If you follow our blog, you might already know that, I love android devices. Recently I bought Nexus 7 (first generation tablet) and I’m still loving it. It’s really an amazing device.

As always, one of the biggest advantage of Nexus devices is that it gets the new versions of android( updates ) sooner than any other devices. That being said, Nexus 4, Nexus 7(both 2012 and 2013 models), and Nexus 10 will be getting KitKat i.e., android 4.4 in coming weeks.

You can order Nexus 5 from FlipKart: Nexus 5 (32 GB)