Le Max [year] Review

Le Max 2026 Review

May 1, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

China's Letv started making headlines in India back in April 2015, and less than a year later, the company has arrived here to compete in the gruelling smartphone race. Originally one of the largest online video companies in China, Letv has added a couple of 'firsts' to its name within a short span. Its Le Max Pro is the world's first smartphone with Qualcomm's highly anticipated Snapdragon 820 SoC, and the company also had the world's slimmest 65-inch TV to its credit this CES, with a depth of just 3.9mm thick. Other than phones and televisions, the company has a diverse range of products too, which it plans to launch in India over time.
With its sights set on major developed and emerging markets, the company has undergone a rebranding exercise and is now called LeEco, which signifies a whole ecosystem of tech products and services. LeEco has rolled out its first smartphones in India and today, we'll be reviewing its flagship offering, the Le Max. T..

Battle of the bulge - Micromax A100 vs Spice Mi-500 vs iBall Andi 5c

Battle of the bulge – Micromax A100 vs Spice Mi-500 vs iBall Andi 5c

February 13, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

A world where mobile phones are getting bigger and tablets are getting smaller has seen the rise of a new category of devices. At first considered Frankensteins of the mobile computing world, phablets became cool with Samsung Galaxy Note's success.
Recently, we've seen a bunch of new devices trying to make a mark by appealing to those looking for large screen devices, minus the stylus. We look at three such devices that attempt to woo the budget-conscious – the iBall Andi 5c, Micromax Superfone Canvas A100 and Spice Stellar Horizon Mi-500.
Build/ Design
The Micromax A100 is a clear winner in this department. The curves of the A100 fit well in hand, thanks, no doubt, to the slightly smaller profile compared to the other two devices. While none of the three devices scream “cheap plastic” (the Spice comes the closest), the overall finish of the Micromax ensures it stands out from the rest.
The Micromax A 100, like the iBall Andi, has the power button on the right, which makes it..

QiKU Q Terra [year] Review

QiKU Q Terra 2026 Review

April 12, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Another day, another Chinese smartphone maker enters India. This time, it's a joint venture between Qihoo 360 Technologies and the handset maker Coolpad, who have formed the brand QiKU. Its debut offering, the Q Terra, is yet another “flagship killer”, if you will, but comes with a unique set of features which should help it stand on its own feet. Priced similarly to the Moto X Play (Review), let's see if the company's debut offering in India has what it takes to get noticed.
Look and feel
The Q Terra is a massive phone and there's no getting around this fact. QiKU has tried to minimise this by shaving down the bezels to a razor-thin 1.4mm and leaving only enough plastic on the top and bottom for the earpiece and navigation buttons. The end result is quite stunning, mostly because almost all you see is the display. The near borderless design looks cool, but it isn't the most practical. We had to put up with many accidental presses of the touchscreen and naviga..

Micromax Funbook Pro [year]

Micromax Funbook Pro 2026

February 27, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

Since the introduction of the original Funbook in the country, Micromax has unveiled quite a few tablets. While most of these are just variants of the 7-inch Funbook, the Micromax Funbook Pro is a large 10-inch tablet with different internals.
Micromax is clearly targeting the budget tablet market with its Funbook Pro and has no interest in buyers of the Galaxy Tab or the iPad. We find out whether the tablet is a worthy addition to the growing budget tablet offerings and if it offers value for money.
Hardware
One of the first things that you notice about a tablet, or that matter any device, is the overall look and feel and that is surprisingly good in the Funbook Pro. The tablet feels sturdy and fits nicely in the hand despite the full plastic body.
Most of the front has been taken by the display, which is surrounded by a bezel, about an inch in thickness, and apart from that there is the front camera placed in one corner. The back is similar to the original Funbook, clean and coated ..

Micromax Canvas 5 - [year] Review

Micromax Canvas 5 – 2026 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..

Zync Z999 Plus review [year]

Zync Z999 Plus review 2026

June 21, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Similar to the sudden rise in the number of mobile phone manufacturers a few years ago, tablet makers are raining these days. It seems everyone is making tablets or just importing a few from China and pasting their stickers.
There is suddenly a lot of choice for budget tablets, but if you are looking to find quality budget tablets, the options are very limited.
One such company that appeared along with the recent tablet tide was Noida-based Zync, which has launched various tablets in different segments in a very short period of time. The company recently released its Z999 Plus tablet in the country with voice-calling and Ice Cream Sandwich. We put it through the paces to find out if it offers any value or is just a part of the herd.
Design/ Hardware
When you go to buy a budget tablet, the expectations aren't much and often the not-so-good looks are also ignored if the performance is decent. The Zync Z999 Plus is a tablet in the not-so-good looks category, we will find out about ..

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 3G - [year]

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 3G – 2026

October 26, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

Amazon announced an updated Kindle Paperwhite in September last year. The refreshed ebook reader comes with various improvements including a higher contrast display, a faster processor, improved touch technology, and several software enhancements.
While the Wi-Fi variant started shipping in US the same month, the Wi-Fi + 3G variant became available closer to the holiday season. The Kindle Paperwhite 3G (2013) was listed for pre-orders in India last month, and is now available via Amazon.in as well as offline retailers across the country.
Does the new Kindle Paperwhite come with enough improvements to stay ahead of the likes of the Kobo Glo? We spent a little over three weeks with the ebook reader in a bid to find out. Let's dig in.
Look and feel
At first glance, you'll be hard-pressed to find a difference between the Kindle Paperwhite 3G (2013) and its predecessor. The two have identical dimensions (169x117x9.1mm). While the current model (222g) is marginally heavier than the..

Review: Sony Tablet P [year]

Review: Sony Tablet P 2026

June 21, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

In recent times, we've seen the tablet market overflow with devices claiming to be 'iPad killers'. Every other tablet just wanted to prove itself to be better than the iPad but while none have been better, only few such as Motorola (Xoom) and Samsung (Galaxy Tab 10.1) can claim to have come anywhere close.
And then there was Sony. It did not claim to be the next iPad killer, rather tried to innovate and come up with something new that would grab the attention of the tablet market. Sony finally launched the Tablet S, with a foldable magazine-like design and the Tablet P, which folds in the centre like Nintendo's 3DS console. Today we review the PlayStation certified Tablet P and find out if it is worth your time.
Design & Build
On first impressions, the device looked like the Nokia communicator on steroids which isn't a good thing. The unique clamshell design is what caught our interest. The tablet folds right in the middle supported by two hinges on either side..

Google Nexus 7 ([year]) review

Google Nexus 7 (2026) review

August 12, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

When Google launched its first Nexus tablet in 2012 with Asus as the OEM, the tablet created a lot of buzz worldwide and offered consumers the purest form of the Android OS on a 7-inch tablet with decent hardware at a competitive price.

However, one year is a long time and when it comes to technology; devices tend to get more powerful with each passing year, while prices are expected to stay the same or even drop.

We now review the Google Nexus 7 (2013), Google and Asus' second outing with a joint flagship device, the current tablet platform lead.

Considered by many to be the challenger to the Apple iPad in the tablet segment, the Nexus 7 (2013) finally reached Indian shores recently, and is an attempt to strike a golden balance between premium specifications and price.
The Google's latest Nexus 7 (2013) tablet is also a definite upgrade compared to its predecessor in terms of hardware and design, while the software upgrade benefit, as previously mentioned, remains the ..

Review: Reliance 3G Tab [year]

Review: Reliance 3G Tab 2026

June 17, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

There seems to be no end in sight for the Tablet frenzy. After the iPad 2 and the Android Honeycomb armada, here is Reliance's latest 7-inch, 3G tablet which runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and comes bundled with a multitude of 3G plans. At the outset we have to say that for a change this one does not follow the monotonous similarity of all the other Android tablets. Lets see if this one breaks the ice with the Indian masses.
Packaging and Content
Reliance gives us the standard set of goodies including the power cable, the USB cable, the 4-gigabyte memory card and also a pair of super-cheap headphones. But yes, headphones. Apple, are you reading this? If Reliance can, so can you – give us headphones with the iPad!
Hardware and Styling
At Rs 12,999, this is not the cheap Chinese built tablet one would expect. Even though its clearly 'made in China' courtesy ZTE, its at the higher end of the spectrum. With its brushed aluminum like plastic finish in the rear, the device indis..

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 [year]

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 2026

September 3, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

After forging a formidable reputation for itself in the global market with conventional notebooks and tablets, Lenovo has taken a fresh leap into Android tablet segment and has launched two new tablets dubbed the Yoga Tablet 8 and Yoga Tablet 10.

Much like other Yoga devices in Lenovo's line-up, the Yoga Tablet 10 features multimode design and can be used in different 'modes'. The Chinese giant has been touting the Yoga tablets as the company's biggest launch of the year and also hired the Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher as Lenovo's 'product engineer'. But can the combination of decent hardware, revamped tablet design with sleek form factor and a Hollywood actor make this the turnaround vehicle for Lenovo's tablet segment in India? We try to find out in our review.
Design/ Build
We have always been fascinated by new form factors in devices. Which is why we were so interested in reviewing the Lenovo Yoga tablet.
As far as looks go, Lenovo's..