Reliance Jio has finally introduced the successor to the much popular JioPhone. The JioPhone 2 is priced little higher than its predecessor but also offers more features and a full QWERTY keyboard. So, here are the top 5 reasons why you should consider buying the all-new JioPhone 2.
Price and Offers
Price is one of the most attractive parts of the Reliance JioPhone 2. The all-new feature phone is priced at Rs. 2,999. At this price, you are getting a feature phone that is as good as some smartphones as it runs on KaiOS which also has a bunch of apps. The Rs. 2,999 price point when coupled with Reliance Jio's offers, the deal becomes even more attractive.
A good secondary phone
If your primary phone is an Android or iOS smartphone, you can consider the JioPhone 2 as a secondary device. You can even keep it in your car or at home for safety reasons. Most smartphones suck a lot of juice and there are scenarios where really wish their smartphone could last longer or they just had an extra phone. So, to be safe and not to get stuck in such scenarios, the JioPhone 2 can make a good secondary device.
Software
The JioPhone 2 runs on KaiOS out of the box. KaiOS is a Linux-based mobile operating system specially optimised to run on the JioPhone. The OS also brings app support and users can easily install apps like Facebook on their phone. KaiOS has also recently partnered up with Google in order to bring most of the apps available on the Play Store to the OS.
Full Keyboard
Unlike the JioPhone, the JioPhone 2 comes with full QWERTY keyboard. The full keyboard can come in handy for people who write a lot of messages or e-mails via their phone. QWERTY keyboard also makes it easy for users as most people have literally forgotten how to use the T3 keypad found on its predecessor.
4G VoLTE
The JioPhone 2 comes with 4G VoLTE which brings in fast internet speeds with great voice quality over the calls. Voice over LTE is now becoming popular and Jio has only enabled VoLTE for calls which makes it necessary to have 4G VoLTE on your phone if you want to use a Jio sim card.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 sports a single 12-megapixel camera sensor on the rear.
Samsung India is offering a massive discount of over Rs. 40,000 on the Samsung Galaxy S9. The 64GB variant of the smartphone currently sells for Rs. 57,990. The company is offering an instant cashback of Rs. 5,000 for the 64GB variant, along with an additional cashback of Rs. 6,000 on HDFC bank credit cards. Moreover, the company is also running an exchange offer of up to Rs. 33,000. However, it will vary according to the device the person chooses to trade. Up to Rs. 6,000 additional exchange value with the Samsung upgrade program is also available. Adding up all these discounts brings up the total amount of the discount to Rs. 50,000.
To get the additional Rs. 6,000 discount under the Samsung upgrade program people will have to exchange - The Galaxy Note 8 64GB, S8 64GB, S8 Plus 64GB, S7 32GB.
As for the specifications, the Samsung Galaxy S9 sports a 5.80-inch display with a resolution of 2960x1440 pixels. It is powered by the Exynos 9810 along with 4GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 400GB via a microSD card. The device runs on Google's Android 8.0 Oreo operating system and is backed by a 3,000mAh battery.
Coming to the cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S9 sports a 12-megapixel primary camera module on the rear. On the front, it features an 8-megapixel camera for selfies. In terms of connectivity options, the device includes GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB OTG, NFC, 3G, 4G, Magnetometer, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Gyroscope, and Barometer.
The smartphone features an 18.7:9 aspect ratio display with a Notch.
Asus ZenFone 5Z is finally launched in India, a direct competitor to flagships like the OnePlus 6 and the Honor 10. The specifications of the smartphone include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor along with a 6.2-inch display. The device packs a dual camera setup on the rear featuring a 12-megapixel f/1.8 aperture primary sensor along with an 8-megapixel f/2.0 secondary sensor. For selfies, the smartphone sports an 8-megapixel f/2.0 aperture sensor up front. It comes with 6GB RAM along with 64GB of internal storage. You can also get it with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage or 256GB internal storage. All of this is backed by a 3,300mAh battery.
Asus Zenfone 5Z: Design
The Zenfone 5Z boasts a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. The company claims a near bezel-less display but that comes with a cost of a display notch. The display is amazing, however, the viewing angles were not looking great. Effect of that in daily usage is difficult to say at this moment. Stay tuned for a full review for that. The overall build quality is great. The smartphone comes with a glass back. The glass back is really reflective and scratch prone. Also, that makes the smartphone a bit slippery in hand.
The glass back of the Zenfone 5Z is really reflective
The smartphone comes with nifty features such as Face Unlock which works as advertised. There is also an iPhone X's Animoji ripoff. It is nowhere as good as that on iPhone X but still usable. The fingerprint sensor is really fast and responsive. Overall, the smartphone lives up to the mark the company claims. One thing that the smartphone misses is the gesture-based navigation. However, that can easily be added via a future software update.
Asus Zenfone 5Z: Price
The Zenfone 5Z gives a great competition to the OnePlus 6
The smartphone starts at Rs 29,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage variant. The 128GB variant costs Rs 3,000 extra(Rs 32,999). The Top of the line 8GB and 256GB storage variant costs Rs 36,999. With features like Face Unlock, Snapdragon 845 and 18.7:9 aspect ratio display. The smartphone packs a lot of power and features for that price point. However, the features like the Face Unlock if implemented badly can be more of a negative point than a plus point. Those features need to be tested. Also, the device felt slippery in hand. With an initial look, we firmly believe that the Zenfone 5Z offers a fair competition to the OnePlus 6. The smartphone will be available starting 9th July and you will get Rs 3,000 cashback on ICICI credit and debit cards.
iVoomi i2 Lite comes with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box
The iVoomi i2 Lite at first looks like a premium smartphone for the price it has been launched for. However, when you take it out of the packaging, you get to see its true colours. Though the smartphone feels well built the plastic body feels a bit bothersome. After turning on the smartphone, you might feel a bit excited due to the fact that the device is running on the latest build of Google's Android 8.1 Oreo operating system in its stock avatar. But, after you fully set it up you will be greeted by a lot of bloat and minor lags here and there. We got to test out the device for a period of 7 days extensively, below are our views on how the device faired.
Specifications
As far as the specifications are concerned, the iVoomi i2 Lite features a 5.45-inch InCell display with a resolution of 1440x720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek MTK6739 chipset which is a Quad Core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. The device packs in 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which is further expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The handset runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 4,000mAh battery powering up the device.
Design
The iVoomi i2 Lite, being a budget smartphone, is housed inside a plastic body. Up front, the phone has an 18:9 display with minimal bezels. The back panel is removable and is completely made out of plastic. However, iVoomi has given it a glossy feel which makes the plastic look like glass from a distance. The glossy feel results in the invitation of a lot of fingerprints which is why we would recommend putting a case on.
In terms of placements, just above the 5.45-inch display rests the earpiece. To the left of the earpiece are the front-facing camera and the selfie flash while the right is equipped with a couple of sensors. The volume rocker and the power button sit on the right of the device while the left remains empty. The bottom of the phone showcases two grills out of which one is equipped with the mono speaker whereas the primary mic rests on the other. The 3.5mm headphone jack and the microUSB port are located on the top which is actually a weird place for such ports.
Software
The software was one of the most interesting aspects of the iVoomi i2 Lite. While most smartphones at this segment are currently shipping with Android Nougat, iVoomi managed to provide the latest Android 8.1 Oreo on the i2 Lite. The smartphone runs on an almost stock Android operating system with a different launcher and a few customizations made by the company.
Lock Screen
Home Screen
About Phone
The whole operating system on the i2 Lite was pretty responsive. However, at times we did notice a few lags here and there. This can be easily fixed using an OTA update.
Performance
As the iVoomi i2 Lite is a budget-oriented smartphone, you cannot expect much when it comes to the performance. During our testing, the smartphone was able to handle day-to-day tasks like messaging and calling quite smoothly. Most apps like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram ran without an issue.
AnTuTu
GeekBench
When it comes to gaming, the handset was able to handle games like Subway Surfers and Hill Climb Racing. However, the phone did tend to struggle with games like Asphalt 8 and PUBG Mobile. The phone was able to play these games but there were occasional frame drops while playing.
Camera
iVoomi i2 Lite features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 13-megapixel primary and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. The dual-cameras look like they have just been placed to enhance the looks of the device and look good on paper. When it comes to real life performance, the images taken from the device were overexposed. The portrait mode shots do not come out well and it seems that the images are being processed after the image is taken.
Outdoor Shot
Selfie
Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter with a Soft LED flash. The front camera also delivers overexposed images. The device manages to take acceptable pictures under good lighting conditions while it struggles a lot under low light.
Battery
The iVoomi i2 Lite comes with a massive 4,000mAh battery. The battery might sound large enough on paper. However, during our testing, we witnessed that the battery barely made it through the day with heavy usage. Light or moderate usage can get you through the day but you will need to charge it at around 9 or 10 PM.
PC Mark results
Verdict
iVoomi smartphones have gotten better, comparing the iVoomi i2 Lite to the iVoomi i1 and the Me3 launched a few months back. But the device still has a lot of room for improvement considering the fact that smartphones at this price level offer a lot more than what they have been able to deliver. Even at this price point, they failed to add a fingerprint sensor to their smartphone. As a replacement, they did provide face unlock which is currently available as Android's Smart Lock feature and does not work that well. However, the company will soon bring native Face Unlock feature to the i2 Lite via an OTA update.
If you are considering to buy the iVoomi i2 Lite, we recommend you take a look at other smartphones like the 10.or E and the Xiaomi Redmi 5A as they pack in a lot more features. However, if the looks are what matter to you the most, the iVoomi i2 Lite is one of the better-looking smartphones at this price point.
Asus ZenFone 5Z features a vertical dual-camera setup at the back
Asus is gearing up to launch their latest flagship smartphone in India. The Taiwanese tech giant is holding an event in New Delhi, India tomorrow, July 4. The company will unveil the much-awaited Asus ZenFone 5Z at the event. In the traditional way, the company will be live streaming the event so that the fans can enjoy the event from anywhere around the globe.
How to watch the live stream
The Asus ZenFone 5Z launch event is scheduled for July 4, 2018, and will begin at 12:30 PM IST. Interested users can tune in here to watch the live stream. As the flagship will be Flipkart exclusive, the link redirects to Flipkart's dedicated page where the event will be live streamed.
Specifications
In terms of specifications, the Asus ZenFone 5Z features a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2246 pixels and an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The dual-SIM handset is available in 4GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB variants. The phone runs on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. All of this is backed by a 3,300mAh battery.
As for the cameras, the Asus ZenFone 5Z sports a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 12-megapixel primary and an 8-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie snapper.
The Asus ZenFone 5Z was initially unveiled at the MWC Barcelona 2018. The smartphone is the latest flagship offering from the company. If Asus keeps the pricing aggressive enough, the phone will directly compete against the likes of the OnePlus 6.
The Xiaomi Mi 6X/Mi A2 features a vertical dual-camera setup
Xiaomi recently launched the Mi 6X in China. The company will soon launch the same smartphone in India with a different name. Just like the Mi 5X was launched as Mi A1 in India, the Mi A2 will basically be China's Mi 6X. The latter smartphone will be powered by Android One and will run on a stock version of the latest Android 8.1 Oreo. The phone is expected to launch by the end of this month.
Specifications
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Xiaomi Mi A2/Mi 6X features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. The dual-SIM handset packs in 4GB or 6GB of RAM coupled with 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage. The Xiaomi Mi A2 will come with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3,010mAh battery powering up the internals.
On the optics front, the Xiaomi Mi A2 sports a dual-camera setup consisting of a 12-megapixel primary and a 20-megapixel secondary sensor. Up front, there is a 20-megapixel selfie shooter with f/1.8 aperture.
The Xiaomi Mi A2 is expected to be launched at a starting price of Rs. 14,999. The base variant will come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. Considering, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro's pricing we feel that the Mi A2 will be a bit more expensive as it comes with Snapdragon 660 instead of the Snapdragon 636 found on the Redmi Note 5 Pro.
As for the availability, the phone is expected to launch by the end of this month and will be available for sale soon after. In Xiaomi's traditional manner, the Mi A2 might go through a few flash sales in its initial days in the country.
Apple is being said to unveil three new iPhones in September along with a cheaper variant of the MacBook Air.
Apple is said to release a total of three iPhones in September just like the previous Apple event that took place last year. Two of these iPhones are said to come sporting OLED display panels, whereas the third one will be a relatively cheaper model that will come with an LCD display panel and with the 'infamous' notch.
Earlier reports have suggested that the cheaper variant will come featuring a 6.1-inch LCD display. Till date we don't know how much will the device be priced at, however, thanks to a new report by 9to5Mac, the device might come featuring a price tag of $600-$700 (Approximately Rs. 41,100 to Rs. 48,000). The estimation in the report was acquired by 9to5Mac from Ming-Chi Kuo, a popular Apple analyst.
This basically is an iPhone X at the price of an iPhone 8, to achieve this price point Apple would have to jump through a lot of hoops. These include giving the users an LCD display instead of an OLED panel, dropping its 3D Touch technology, using a single camera setup instead of a dual one on the rear and much more.
Kuo predicts, All the new products that could be announced this year alongside the iPhones include a cheaper version of the MacBook Air, an iPad with the Face ID technology, and newer variants of the Apple Watch with larger displays.
We recommend that you take this news with a pinch of salt as there has been no official confirmation from Apple as to if they would be launching a cheaper version of the iPhone X or completely scrapping it like the iPhone SE 2.
SoundBot SB574 vs SB1023: The battle between looks and features
SoundBot recently launched the SB574 Bluetooth speaker in India which focusses on looks while on the other hand, the SoundBot SB1023 focuses on features. Both these speakers aim at a completely different market segment within the budget Bluetooth speaker category. While one focusses on looks, the other wants to dominate using its features. The question now is which one should you pick?
Design
The SB574 is one of the best looking Bluetooth speakers at this price-point. While on the other hand, the SB1023 doesn't look impressive. The SB574 comes packaged in a grey plastic panel with a wooden finish to it, which looks immaculate combined with the front cloth grill making it blend as a great home accessory. While the SB1023 sports a more obvious speaker like design with cheap plastic all over it.
The SB574 completely overpowers the SB1023 when it comes to design.
The SB574 sports simple intuitive buttons while the SB1023 has multi-function buttons which all look the same. This makes the SB1023's interface a little hard to use. The SB1023 follows function over form while the other one follows form over function. This is reflected everywhere in the design. So if your priority is design only, the SB574 is our recommendation.
Sound and Performance
In terms of sound quality, the SoundBot SB574 and the SB1023 are both very satisfying to listen to and are able to get loud enough to fill a medium size room with sound. Where both the speakers' lack is on the bass. The highs and mids were quite impressive in the SB1023. The SB574 produces good highs but the lows are iffy. In terms of sound quality and performance, the SB1023 takes the lead.
The advantage in features SB1023 has is seen by glancing at the speakers once.
Coming to the features, the SB1023 takes a lead by a huge difference. Both the speakers take around three hours to charge. The buttons on the SB574 are a little wobbly compared to the firm ones on the SB1023. The microphones in both the speakers are not that good and might be used only in dire situations. The SB1023 sports an 8-bit display up front to let you know the time and the connection status, which the other one doesn't have.
Conclusion
So the original question remains, which one you should spend your money one?
The SoundBot SB574 is available on Flipkart for Rs. 1,790 while the SB1023 is a bit more expensive, and costs Rs. 1,949. If you care about the design and looks heavily, the SB574 should be the one you should go for. However, if you care about functionality, then the SB1023 should be the one you would rather get.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro feature an 18:9 display that gives it a more modern look
Xiaomi, a few months ago, launched the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. The smartphone is being counted as one of the best in its segment. However, the phone is still under company's Flash Sale system and has got more competition. So, does it still hold up against them and is it worth the wait? Let's find out.
Specifications
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor paired with the Adreno 512 GPU. The dual-SIM handset comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The phone runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat with MIUI 9.2 layered on top of it. All of this is backed by a massive 4,000mAh battery.
Design
Tha Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is housed inside a metallic body. The metallic body gives it a premium feel as well as increases the durability of the smartphone. However, we did feel that the back is a bit slippery. So, we highly recommend to slap-on a case as soon as you get the device in order to avoid any accidents. Up front, the Redmi Note Pro sports an 18:9 display giving it a more 2018 look.
Software
The Redmi Note 5 Pro runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat-based MIUI 9.2 out of the box. The Android Version is now pretty old as the Android P is just around the corner. Android Oreo has introduced a year ago and Xiaomi has still not provided the update to the much popular Redmi Note 5 Pro.
Lock Screen
Home Screen
Settings
Coming over to the MIUI 9.2, the UI is just a love or hate thing. Though the MIUI packs in a lot of useful features many people hate the fact that it lacks an App Drawer. However, Xiaomi has come a long way with the MIUI and the UI has received a ton of improvements and it is now much faster than its predecessors.
During our time with the Redmi Note 5 Pro, we did face issues finding a few settings. However, we did enjoy the snappy interface and the extra features like Themes. Also, we did notice that the MIUI is RAM hungry and most of the time the phone had around 800MB free memory out of 4GB. So, we highly recommend going in with the 6GB variant.
Performance
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is counted as one of the best smartphones in its segment. This is what made us curious to know how capable is the device. The performance of the Redmi Note 5 Pro really keeps up with our expectations as well as the specifications. The phone performed well during our testing period where we did not notice any lag or stutter. However, we did notice that the UI on the device is quite RAM hungry but that did not affect the performance much.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro managed to score 1331 on Geekbench's Single Core test while the Multi-Core test achieved a score of 4715. Antutu Benchmarks gave the Redmi Note 5 an impressive score of 111968.
As far as gaming is concerned, the Redmi Note 5 Pro was able to run any game thrown at it. We played Asphalt 8 and PUBG Mobile during our tests and we were pleased to see such good framerates. We did not notice any lag whatsoever. Overall, for its price, Redmi Note 5 Pro performs really well.
Camera
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro sports a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 12-megapixel and a 5-megapixel sensor. The dual-camera setup allows for more depth information in order to provide a bokeh effect in the pictures. The blur looks quite natural and the edge detection works well. However, we feel that the dual-camera setup used on the Mi A1 was better than this one.
Outdoor
Outdoor
Low-Light
The camera performs well under good lighting conditions. The regular images are sharp and have great detail levels. The colours are vibrant and the images look natural. Redmi Note Pro's camera can work even better when HDR mode is turned on. Sadly, there is no Auto HDR, so you have to turn it manually when needed.
Selfie
With Portrait Mode On
As for the selfies, the Redmi Note Pro features a 20-megapixel selfie shooter. The front-facing camera manages to capture some great looking selfies with a good amount of details. However, at times we felt that the camera is trying to overexpose the scenes.
Battery
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is pretty impressive when it comes to the battery performance. The Redmi Note line-up by Xiaomi is known for its battery and the Redmi Note 5 Pro keeps up to the reputation. During our testing, we were easily able to get battery backup for up to 2 days. The phone can provide screen-on time of 5-6 hours. Even with heavy usage, the Redmi Note 5 Pro can last for one full day with having at least 25 percent battery left at the end of the day.
Screen-on Time
Phone Idle Time
Conclusion
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is a great performing smartphone with a really good battery backup. The smartphone also looks a bit premium and has a lot of features, thanks to MIUI. For Rs. 14,999, Xiaomi managed to provide some great specifications without making major sacrifices. However, the smartphone is still a part of Xiaomi's Flash Sale system which might make it a bit difficult for you to get your hands-on the device.
Also, Asus recently introduced the ZenFone Max Pro M1 which creates a tough competition for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. At Rs. 10,999, the ZenFone manages to provide similar specifications and has Stock Android which is much better than Xiaomi's MIUI.
To conclude, if you are looking for a sub Rs. 15,000 smartphone, we would highly recommend to check out the ZenFone Max Pro M1 before making your decision. You can check out our Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 review.
Spotify is an uber-popular music-streaming app which allows users to stream music from the internet and is now available in a lightweight version, Spotify Lite.
Having a lightweight version of your application is not a new concept and many companies already have pushed out a 'Lite' app for their users'. Spotify recently released a Lite version of its music streaming app, which targets users' with low-end smartphones and slow internet connections. The company seems to have gotten most of the features a lite app requires but there are some significant compromises it had to make that might catch your eyes.
Similar to the regular version of the app, the Lite version of the app also greets its users with a list of playlists and recently-played music when opened. However, this is where the list of similarities finish.
The Spotify Lite app comes with a lot of differences, however, considering the fact it is still in beta, we can't say much.
Coming to the differences, the bottom navigation bar only shows Home, Search, and Favorites buttons which compared to the full version is very low. The settings menu doesn't offer any granular control to the users. The app does offer the feature for users to check how much of their mobile data has been used along with a setting to limit monthly usage.
The Spotify Lite app also doesn't come with the Spotify Connect feature which allows users to use their Wi-Fi to listen to their music on other devices. It also lacks the option to save music offline and selecting specific songs to play even if the said user is a premium one. It should be pointed out that the lack of downloading music is weird as this would help users save a lot of data.
The Spotify Lite app is just 15MB in size and is currently in beta. The mentioned missing features could be added in the final release of the app.
