India

InFocus M680 [year] Review

InFocus M680 2025 Review

January 6, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

InFocus has been a player in India for less than a year now, but it has been releasing a steady stream of new models, most of which we have received well. The US-based company, which specialises in projectors and office communication equipment, is working with Chinese electronics giant Foxconn to put its name on a line of smartphones aimed at emerging markets. Through this relationship, InFocus is trying to carve out a space for itself, and it seems as though the periodic flash sales it holds are receiving quite a lot of attention.
It can't be easy to compete in the Indian smartphone market, where a disruptive new device comes along nearly every other week. Still, InFocus appears to be gunning for the budget segment with a combination of low prices and premium features. Let's see if the new M680 can take on existing low-cost champions and leave a good impression.
Look and feel
We liked looking at the InFocus M680 from pretty much every angle except head-on. The front face is ..

OnePlus Icons [year]

OnePlus Icons 2025

March 11, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

OnePlus was founded in December 2013, though the company first burst onto the scene in 2014 when it launched the OnePlus One. The self-proclaimed “flagship killer” promised top-end performance at entry level prices. Now, OnePlus is making a push into the audio space as well, and the brand has launched its second pair of earphones, the OnePlus Icons. While the OnePlus Silver Bullet earphones were priced fairly affordably at Rs. 899, the Icons, at Rs. 2,999, are clearly at the upper end of what can be called “budget”.
The OnePlus Icons are a nice looking pair of in-ear headphones, but are they comfortable enough and most of all, do they sound good enough to justify the price tag? Or should you consider spending as much or a little more to buy something nicer, or save your money and pick up a cheaper pair?
(Also see: Best In-Ear Headphones for Every Budget)
Design, specifications, and comfort
The design of the Icons is eye catching. The angled earpieces look nice and help ensure a good..

Sky Sutra Is Part Shooter, Part Platformer, All Awesome - and Made in India

Sky Sutra Is Part Shooter, Part Platformer, All Awesome – and Made in India

December 26, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

A corner table of a local bar is hardly where you would expect to check out a brand new, unreleased video game, but that's exactly what happened as we huddled around a laptop and played Sky Sutra. Created by Mumbai-based Yellow Monkey Studios, Sky Sutra has a heavy focus on couch co-op, and is coming to the PC and possibly, the PlayStation 4.
Yellow Monkey has already made a name for itself with high quality premium mobile games such as It's Just a Thought, Huebrix, and most recently, Socioball. Sky Sutra is meant for a new audience, but the developers have made a polished game that makes good use of the controller.
(Also see: Playing It Risky: Meet Socioball, a Premium Puzzle Game From India)
At first, we were skeptical, because Sky Sutra can easily be mistaken for many of the side-scrolling, endless runners we're subject to on Android and iOS. There's a cute looking art-style with colourful backdrops, two boxy characters, and a never-ending carpet suspended in..

OnePlus X [year] first impressions

OnePlus X 2025 first impressions

February 22, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Soon after the launch of the OnePlus 2 back in July, OnePlus started creating buzz about another handset due this year which would cater to a different audience. The OnePlus X, the Chinese company's third smartphone, was finally unveiled on Thursday at simultaneous events in New Delhi and Beijing, among other cities.
OnePlus had also announced plans earlier this month to start manufacturing phones in India, further further affirming that the company considers India one of its most important overseas markets.
At the launch event, we asked OnePlus India General Manager Vikas Agarwal how the OnePlus X fits into the company's smartphone lineup, as the older OnePlus One still has better innards. Agarwal, without specifying an exact time frame, confirmed that the One will eventually be discontinued – though not this year. This made it clear that the OnePlus X is here for a reason, and the company wants to make sure that it caters to consumers looking for a powerful device but who c..

Alcatel Flash 2 - [year] Review

Alcatel Flash 2 – 2025 Review

September 9, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

Alcatel Onetouch, the joint venture between France's Alcatel and China's TCL, has been a background player in the Indian market for a while now. Several other Chinese companies have entered and made big splashes – not all have sustained their momentum, but Alcatel has popped up every now and then with a new release, reminding us that it's here.
The new Alcatel Flash 2 might raise the company's profile in India. It has a reasonable price and some interesting looks and features that set it apart in a very crowded space. We're eager to see what this device has in store for us.
Look and feel
The Alcatel Flash 2 has a pretty bold look which most other manufacturers seem to shy away from. At first glance it seems like a premium phone, but on closer inspection the shiny chrome frame which cradles the black front face and wraps around the sides is actually plastic. The front face is black and is bordered by subtle plastic strips which almost make it look as though the ..

Coolpad Note 3 Review [year]

Coolpad Note 3 Review 2025

February 22, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Coolpad entered India less than six months ago with two models, the Coolpad Dazen 1 (Review) and the Coolpad Dazen X7 (Review | Pictures). Both grabbed quite a bit of attention for their low prices, especially the Dazen 1 which seemed like it would put a lot of pressure on Indian as well as fellow Chinese companies in the critical sub-Rs. 10,000 market. Following those two launches, however, the company went pretty silent.
Now, following a corporate restructuring, the company is leaving the Dazen name and identity behind. Here in India, Coolpad is making up for lost time with a dramatic new launch. Even though we should be used to companies throwing more and more features into low-priced phones, the Coolpad Note 3 really made us sit up and pay attention. For just a shade under Rs. 9,000, Coolpad is promising a huge screen, large battery, good looks, fast processor, 4G LTE, lots of memory – and as the icing on top, a high-quality fingerprint sensor. There's a lot of hype to live up..

Le 1s [year] Review

Le 1s 2025 Review

February 8, 2016 Richard Gomez 8

LeEco (the company formerly known as LeTV) is the latest to join the long, long list of Chinese smartphone manufacturers trying their luck in India. The company doesn't have any of the advantages of being an early mover, and no matter how shockingly low it can push prices, it won't be the first to be doing so. Still, there's a lot to like about the Le 1s, which is quite full of interesting features considering its budget price tag.
LeEco hasn't gone only for impressive specifications; it's clearly trying to achieve a level of desirability, as you can immediately see from the Le 1s's metal body. While the much more expensive Le Max (Review | Pictures) took on the might of mainstream flagships and came up looking just a little short, LeEco is hoping that the Le 1s will have much wider appeal.
Look and feel
There's only so far you can go with specifications, and so LeEco has decided to bring premium materials and build quality to the budget smartphone sp..

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 3G - [year]

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 3G – 2025

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..

Altec Lansing LifeJacket 2 Review [year]

Altec Lansing LifeJacket 2 Review 2025

March 2, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

The Altec Lansing LifeJacket 2 released in India last week, as part of a slate of Bluetooth speakers ranging from Rs. 3,600, to Rs. 18,000. Since the launch, we've been using the LifeJacket 2, to try and figure out if it's worth the Rs. 14,000 price tag.
Before talking about the speaker's performance though, it's important to discuss the “everything proof” tag that the company has applied to it. The LifeJacket 2 is rated at IP67 protection, which means it is protected from dust, and capable of withstanding water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter, for 30 minutes. It's also mountable – there's a small mount included in the box, which allows you to fit the speaker onto your bike and take your music anywhere with you. The speaker is covered in a thick layer of rubber, and further encased in a second rubber slip cover that can't be removed.
The result is a tough (if heavy) speaker – it weighs 907g, which is a fair bit of weight to keep in your pack – b..