Coolpad Note 3 Lite [year] Review

Coolpad Note 3 Lite 2024 Review

July 3, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

The Coolpad Note 3 Lite, as the name suggests, is a toned down version of the Coolpad Note 3 (Review | Pictures) that launched back in October last year. It was one of the first phones in the sub-Rs. 10,000 price segment to sport a fingerprint sensor, and today, the company is bringing this feature available at an even lower price segment.
(Also see: Coolpad Note 3 Lite vs Coolpad Note 3)
Our initial impressions of the Note 3 Lite were fairly positive but that was after using it for just a short while. Let's see if Coolpad will be able to disrupt the entry-level Android market with its latest offering.

Look and feel
The Coolpad Note 3 Lite has all the hallmarks of a budget phone but a few good design choices help it stand out. The gold trim running along the edges of the body, camera lens, and fingerprint sensor jazzes up the phone a bit. The quality of the plastics and the overall fit and finish of the parts is quite good, and the phone feels sturdy and durable on the whole.
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Nexus 6P Review [year]

Nexus 6P Review 2024

February 13, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Google's Nexus range of devices has become iconic, with a devoted following. In a departure from precedent, this year's Nexus range has two smartphones: the Nexus 5X (Review | Pictures) and the Nexus 6P. The current Nexus device has always been used to show off the newest version of Android, and now Android Marshmallow comes pre-loaded on both new models.
While the polycarbonate Nexus 5X has been designed to appeal to the majority of buyers thanks to its convenient size and lower price, the Huawei-built Nexus 6P is an all-metal powerhouse of a smartphone. Priced at Rs. 39,999 for the 32GB variant and Rs. 42,999 for the 64GB variant, the Nexus 6P is Google's idea of premium. This is a device meant to satisfy the needs of the Android elite; the no-holds-barred smartphone that represents Android in the purest sense. Does the Nexus 6P live up to those expectations? We find out in our review.
Look and feel
The 6P is the flagship product of the Nexus range, and Google has stat..

Gionee Marathon M5 Plus [year]

Gionee Marathon M5 Plus 2024

January 4, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

No matter how big the battery on any smartphone, it degrades over time. If your smartphone lasts a whole day on a single charge when it's fresh out of its box, then one year later its battery life will be significantly less. The Gionee Marathon M5 Plus, which the company unveiled at a special event in Dongguan, China this week, tries to solve this problem. Gionee claims that the smartphone's battery will retain 90 percent of its capacity after 600 charging cycles, which translates to roughly two years of use.
This explains why the Gionee Marathon M5 Plus has a slightly lower capacity 5020mAh battery, when compared to the 6020mAh battery if the Gionee Marathon M5 (Review | Pictures). The “Plus” moniker has more to do with its larger screen and longer-lasting battery, according to Gionee. In a world where an Android smartphone with a humongous 10000mAh battery isn't impossible, the Marathon series' battery capacity doesn't seem excessive.
The biggest challenge fo..

Moto X Style Review: Falling a Bit Short

Moto X Style Review: Falling a Bit Short

February 22, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Motorola struck a chord with Android purists with the original Moto X back in 2013, and it resonated loud and clear in India too. Since then, the company has been on a winning streak with very successful launches in the budget and upper mid-range phone segments. The company's outgoing flagship, the Moto X (Gen 2) (Review | Pictures), added some much-needed improvements to the camera and battery performance of the original. Today, we have the third generation of the device, but instead of calling it 'Gen 3', Motorola has gone with the name Moto X Style or Pure Edition, as its known in some countries.

The Moto X Style features incremental updates in most areas and fixes one major gripe we had with its predecessor, which was the lack of expandable storage. But is this enough to make it a must-have for those shopping in the Rs 30,000 segment? Motorola's own Google Nexus 6 (Review | Pictures) retails for around the same price point today, and offers very similar specif..

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) and Galaxy A5 (2016) First Impressions

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) and Galaxy A5 (2016) First Impressions

February 8, 2016 Richard Gomez 4

Samsung, at its Southwest Asia Forum 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, announced details of its new Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 2016 edition smartphones for the Indian market. The handsets were first unveiled last year in China, though the company had not disclosed anything about the availability of the two refreshed models outside China at that time.
The Galaxy A series was first launched in late 2014, and now the South Korean giant claims that it has contributed to increase in its worldwide 4G market share, along with the J-series. According to Samsung, its share in 4G devices increased from 25.9 percent in December 2014 to 60.6 percent in December 2015. The company however declined to share exact numbers.
We spent some time with both the new Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 2016 edition smartphones at the launch event and here are our first impressions.
At the press briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Samsung stressed that the new generation Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 are designed using glass and metal. This was evident..

Micromax Canvas 5 - [year] Review

Micromax Canvas 5 – 2024 Review

November 27, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

The Canvas 5 is Micromax's new flagship offering, arriving nearly two years after its predecessor. Priced in the chaotic sub-Rs. 15,000 segment, the Canvas 5 aims to deliver stellar camera performance without costing buyers a whole lot of cash. Let's see if it can make a strong impression on us.
Look and feel
The Micromax Canvas 5 scores some brownie points for its 2.5D curved arc display which saves it from getting lost in a sea of look-alikes. The front is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection against scratches. The rest of the phone isn't too exciting to look at and won't be turning heads. The metal frame on the sides offers decent grip and the buttons are well within the reach of your thumb when you hold it. The volume rocker feels a bit stiff but the power button has better response. There's a 3.5mm headphone socket at the top and a Micro-USB port at the bottom.
The back is covered by a textured plastic cover which is removable. However, this is..