Are on-Paper Specs Everything?

There are many factors that go into buying a smartphone. A smartphone is a very personal choice and so, it comes as no surprise that a smartphone often reflects people’s personal choices. There are some that are loyal to a certain brand (like the legion of archaic Blackberry fans) and there are some who won’t compromise on a certain trait, such as a specific screen size or processor. Either way, many people are still often open to buying a device if it comes with the latest mobile specifications.

However, critics and tech pundits are questioning today whether on paper specifications can always match up to expectations in experience. For example, there was a time when dual core processors were the rage but then along came quad core processors. These were then bettered by octa core processors. However, after tons of studies and experiences, people realized that quad core processors were indeed enough and the entire ideology of octa core processors often rode on the dependence of two quad core processors. Thus, people realized that the latest mobile specifications don’t always mean that they’re the best you can get.

Similarly, on paper, a Samsung phone with an 8MP camera is still considered superior to a, say Micromax phone with a 13MP camera. This is because, even the basic specs are often adapted by each company and brand differently and in its own way.In fact, with the increasing competition in the field of smartphones, many brands have now resorted to talking about price to specs ratio, a new concept that speaks of the basic value for money that a device offers. This in fact proved to be one of the key selling factors for Motorola, as it launched the Moto G and Moto E, both phones which became synonymous with being great value for money.

If you actually were to compare mobile phones specifications you will realise that many handsets falling in similar price range, offer similar specs. Yet, some brands and handsets sell way more than others. There are many reasons behind this, one of the key reasons being the experience that a specific brand has to offer. Everyone knows that Apple’s camera is one of the best in terms of clarity and picture quality, yet at no Apple launch, will you find Tim Cook gloating about the mega pixel count of the camera of Apple’s smartphones. Somehow, it’s just implied that the camera is fantastic and that no one will regret owning an Apple device for its camera.

This is what makes certain brands stand out indeed, when they know they don’t need to harp on specific specifications of their devices. Hence, rather than sitting down to compare mobile phones specifications in depth, rather than relying on the specifications, it’ time to start looking at the smartphone experience of a brand.

Is Lenovo Ready to Take on the Note 5 with the Phab Plus?

Most people squirm at the thought of a phablet. Even getting used to a 5 inch smartphone takes a while for several individuals, which is why when we see someone with a 7 inch monster to their ear, coolly carrying on a conversation, we can’t help but wonder what’s happening to the world. However, to cater to particularl this kind of public, many brands are hogging the limelight by releasing devices that are bigger than what you’d expect. Among the latest electronic gadgets is a sector called phablets, which is basically a euphemism of ungodly huge smartphones. These are smartphones that have screens beyond 6 inches. Many brands have successfully launched phablets, with the elite Note series of Samsung gaining considerable fame.

 

After the Note 5 was recently announced, an unlikely player jumped into the arena with a fantastic phablet. Lenovo’s new Phab Plus was initially announced in March in Barcelona, although it didn’t really manage to create a stir back then. However, now, the phablet is garnering quite a bit of attention, as its specs were revealed to be quite high end. People don’t expect a brand like Lenovo to really take a sector like phablet by storm, yet its two new releases, the Lenovo Phab and Phab Plus, aim to shake up the latest electronic gadgets market indeed.

The new phablets come with 7 inch displays and sport some fantastic features. The Phab phablet has a quad core Snapdragon 410 chipset, with 1 GB RAM, Android 5.0 Lollipop, 13 MP auto focus with 5 MP front camera. The Phab Plus on the other hand comes with a 6.8 inch screen, quad core Snapdragon 615 chipset, 2 GB RAM, Android 5.0 Lollipop OS and 13 MP main camera and 5 MP front camera. Competitively priced, this time Lenovo has set its sights on the phablet market, which is still relatively nascent. Although Sony tried its hand in this market, unfortunately, the elite Xperia Z Plus series failed to make enough of an impact, as it was priced at as high a price as the Note phablets. Thus, for people seriously looking for a less expensive option in the 7 inch screen space, Lenovo has come to your rescue with its Phab series.

On the downside, as is often Lenovo’s policy, this device will be available in select countries only, most of which are in Asia and South America. This means once again, the general North American public will be denied the chance to own this fantastic phablet. Although the specs may not necessarily blow off your socks, for the price its available at, it manages to make perfect sense, especially if you’re one of those people who doesn’t want to own a separate smartphone and tablet. However, for the North American public that still wishes to own this device either way, there’s always eBay.

Can the Intex Aqua Y4 Cut it in the Budget Smartphone Market?

Flagship phones were one of the most sought after phones in the market once upon a time. Yes, in fact, owning a smartphone itself was a matter of pride and only the business class and elite elders owned those huge phones. Times have changed today, as even youngsters, college students and young adults sport the best and the latest smartphones. This new market spurred smartphone makers to release phones that were affordable and this gave rise to the budget smartphone market. This is an area where smartphones brands such as Xolo, Micromax and Intex have made it big. The latest release from Intex in fact, happens to be the ultra affordable Intex Aqua Y4 smartphone.

The new Intex smartphone comes with several interesting features which may appeal to people that are extremely tight on cash. For starters, the Intex Aqua specifications list starts with a 4.5 inch screen, which offers a basic resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. The processor is a low end dual core MediaTek processor, that’s clocked at 1 GHz, and which is accompanied by a basic 512 MB RAM. There is a meagre 4 GB of internal storage, although a slot for a microSD card lets users expand to 32 GB.

Even the camera offered is a humble and basic one, with a 5 MP main camera and a 2 MP front camera, accompanied by a rear flash. Also, the software on the device is a slightly old version of Android, which is Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS. Available in white, black, champagne and silver, with these basic features on the Intex Aqua specifications list, this smartphone is clearly hoping to attract those people who are either on an ultra budget or who are looking to move from feature phones to smartphones for the first time.

However, realistically speaking, is there a market for phones like the Intex Aqua Y4? While major smartphone makers were busy trying to advertise their flagship handsets, quietly, a huge chunk of smartphone makers made their way into the budget smartphone market. This expanding market soon caught the attention of the bigwigs, which led known names such as Samsung to venture into it. Hence, the budget smartphone market has names such Samsung and even Motorola.

The key name here is Motorola, who is managing to break norms with the Moto E. This singular handset is wreaking havoc for budget smartphone makers as hardly anyone can manage to offer specs like that at a price like that. Hence, smaller names like Intex, Spice and Xolo end up suffering at the hands of the advertisement, specs and sheer presence of names like Motorola. However, with time, it is hoped that Intex manages crack the code and can make a name for itself in the budget market. Although it seems unlikely that the Intex Aqua Y4 is the handset that achieves this feat, here’s hoping that future handsets from this brand manage to do just that.

Why Apple Needs to Up its Game

Everyone who owns a smartphone knows and needs no introduction to Apple. This is a brand that is considered the best of the best. Or so people have assumed for long. Rather than gloating about all of Apple’s achievements and ways in which it has always dominated mobile phone news, let’s take a step back and take a look at reality.

Apple may still be the highest selling brand of smartphone in the world but with the insane amount of competition that other brands offer, it may lose this position sooner than it thinks. There was a time when Samsung was the only brand that managed to come even close to Apple in terms of competition. These were the two bigwigs that went head to head all the time. However, with the newer brands of smartphone makers headlining handheld news nowadays, Apple is surely feeling the heat.

Thus, while Apple phones may be common in developed countries, they still aren’t a very common sight in developing countries. Asian countries in particular, which have a huge share of smartphone consumption the world over, still has majority of the public sticking to Android handsets. In fact, the younger generation aren’t afraid to try out new brands, such as Xiaomi and Huawei, which have managed to get fantastic responses from the youth. The two most populous countries in the world, India and China, still have an overwhelming majority of Android users, with Apple forming only a very small percentage of users, as mostly the elite business and upper class people sport iPhones.

Not to mention, Apple has had its fair share of controversies; right from pirated copies of its handset being sold in cheaper markets, down to accusations of poverty stricken workers in China working in deplorable conditions to make Apple handsets, which they will never even get to hold in their entire life. Maybe it is time that Apple steps back and re-evaluates its strategy. Yes, for all its flair, there have been times when Apple had made it to the mobile phone news for all the wrong reasons.

Google is a brand that is where it is for the simple reason that it never fails to innovate; right from optimising its Android software, down to starting with releases of Google Play Editions of elite handsets, to finally releasing its own brand of handsets under Nexus. And then, aiding Motorola in its fantastic revival with the much famed handsets Moto E, Moto G and Moto X, along with their eventual iterations, Google had managed to outdo even its own expectations.

With the purported end of the Nexus series in sight according to handheld news sources, Google also has an important road ahead, as it too needs to re-evaluate its strategy. Thus, Apple and Google currently stand at crossroads, with next year proving to be decisive, as the launch of the Nexus 6 and the Apple Watch have both failed to capture the imagination of the public. However, knowing Google’s track record, Apple still has the heavier burden of coming out with something that will take the market by storm and reassert its position as the market leader in the world of technology.

Is Buying a Smartphone Online Safe?

Online shopping isn’t considered an eyebrow raising endeavor anymore. Irrespective of what your need may be, online shopping is the answer. Right from small stationary items and hair clips, to home theatre systems, e-commerce sites have it all. People now, after doing their homework by studying all of the latest smartphone specifications and features, buy smartphones online, which isn’t really news anymore. However, what is news is that after all this time, there are people now turning away from buying expensive and heavy investment items online, due to a few bad experiences and negative reviews.

While criticisms of online shopping isn’t new, is there really enough proof regarding cons of online shopping for people to be put off it for life? Imagine what a negatively experienced user goes through. After pouring his heart into researching everything about the latest mobile specifications, imagine ending up with something quite different from what you paid for.

Some people have landed with deliveries that came with the wrong cell phone model or color. Some more unfortunate customers end up without an earphone set or charger in their box. And the exceptionally unfortunate ones end up with a soap or a big brick instead of a smartphone in a box. Of course, these are exceptional cases and any of the stages of packaging could be to blame in this case.

However, once bitten twice shy is definitely true for several users who have had a bad experience such as those mentioned above when shopping online. Well, the good news about buying a smartphone in a store is that at least you yourself needn’t bulk up on the knowledge of the latest smartphone specifications yourself, as there will be a salesman to let you know about what features are present in which smartphone. And you may even get a chance to hold a similar model in your hand, so that you get a feel of the phone.

However, brick and mortar stores can never replace the convenience of being able to make a purchase from the comfort of your home. The best thing to do in such a case is to be cautious but not too cautious. Always make purchases only from authentic websites that everyone knows and who have a good reputation of not only delivering goods properly but also of addressing customer grievances on time and respectfully. Go through different handheld news to know which websites users are recommending for purchases.

Such news not only update you about the latest mobile specifications but also in related forums, users often speak of their experiences with smartphone purchases, providing vital guidelines on the do’s and don’ts of buying a smartphone. So, keep your eyes open and follow these pointers to make a smart and safe online smartphone buy.

The Evolution of Smartphone Cameras

Gone are the times when people would go out of their way and buy separate cameras to capture special moments. Today, people only bother to take out copies and prints of pictures to make a wedding album or for other official purposes. Today is the age of smartphones. Yes, the all encompassing smartphone suffices and doubles up as a device that can make calls, send texts and emails and also capture pictures when need be. So, when buying a smartphone, one needs to do a detailed smartphone camera comparison.

Smartphone cameras come in all types today. Some come with a flash and some come without a flash. Then there are some that come with a front camera, for video conferencing and clicking selfies and some that come without a front camera. Either way, the options available are galore, or we haven’t even gone into the technicalities of a good smartphone comparison tool that will allow you to know where a camera hits and where it misses.

Initially, smartphones came with cameras that sported a maximum MP count of 5 – 8 MP. However, as customers became more demanding, it became harder and harder to be able to satisfy customers with such cameras. Hence, innovation finally took place and cameras with double digit MP count started rolling out.

There are several brands of smartphones that are famous for their camera. The bright and colourful Lumia series has managed to make a name for itself in the camera department of smartphones. The famous 1020 Lumia managed to grab headlines in the latest smartphone news, as it came with a ground breaking 41MP camera, which was all set to make a new record in the smartphone industry.

There have been several other innovations in the camera department as well, as smartphone makers are doing what they can to make it to the latest smartphone news. Oppo released their hopeful Oppo N3 smartphone, which came with a rotating or swiveling camera, which was a 16 MP one, which doubled up as the front and main camera. This allowed people to take phenomenal selfies. There are also several other brands, such as several high end Sony Xperia models, that come with great cameras, allowing users to click clear and detailed pictures.

In the end, to become more knowledgeable regarding phone cameras, you can scour several smartphone comparison tools, which detail the differences between different phone cameras. A good smartphone camera comparison will detail not just the MP count of the camera but will also talk about the flash, different modes and the apps that are available in the camera. so, always do your homework before buying a smartphone for its camera.

Compare Before You Despair

A smartphone is a huge investment. Not just monetarily speaking but even otherwise. This is a device which you will hold in your hand more often than your pet, your kid and your spouse combined. So, when you’re out looking for the perfect smartphone to buy, perhaps it is a good idea to opt for an in-depth mobile phone comparison study.

So, what do you do when you compare mobile phones? Do you keep volleying between different sites, trying to figure out how to get a good comparison that will help you understand where a certain handset scores and what it lacks? No, you need to instead find a site that offers you everything you want on a platter. As a prospective customer, you need to ensure that you are well informed and have the best resources at your disposal before making a buy. Hence, before finding the perfect smartphone, you need to find the perfect mobile phone comparison site.

A good cell phone comparison will detail several features of a device, starting with its date of release and price, down to the accessories it comes with. Yes, when comparing, you need to know the whole story, because there are several smartphones that come with similar names but which may have been released years apart. So, it’s tricky because you may be looking at the details of an old smartphone thinking it’s a new one and vice versa.

Also, a good mobile phone comparison site will enlist all the relevant features side by side, letting you know where, which mobile phone stands. Some of the main features to look for include:

• Display – Size, pixel density and the protection, in the form of Corning Gorilla Glass edition
• Processor – Brand and cores present, along with the RAM size
• Operating system – Type and edition
• Camera – Pixel count and flash, along with the added features for photograph enhancement in the camera app
• Storage – The internal storage, along with the presence or absence of a slot for microSD card
• Connectivity Options – Including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, LTE, etc.
• Battery – Capacity and whether removable or not
• Other features and apps in the phone

So, these are some of the points to look for when buying a smartphone. Besides these, what you obviously need to decide beforehand include what you want in your smartphone and what your budget is. A good mobile phone comparison site will surely get things started for you and will help you to make the right decision. Once you are done with your cell phone comparison, you simply have to walk into a mobile phone store and buy the handset you want.