Nokia has scheduled a press event at London on the 14th of May, 2013. The Finnish handset-maker is teasing it to be only a Lumia-exclusive event and we might just find out that Lumia 920 isn't the flagship handset in the Lumia line-up anymore. Expectations and speculations are running high on what to expect at the event.

Nokia could finally reveal the highly rumored Lumia 928, which would be the Verizon Wireless variant of AT&T Lumia 920 exclusively available in the Unites States. It could also be the 'EOS', which was rumored to be the PureView Lumia smartphone or it just could be the Aluminium body successor of Lumia 920 code-named 'Catwalk'.

Three weeks from now, May 14 could be a big day for both Nokia and Microsoft's Windows Phone platform. Stay tuned for more details as we cover the event on the day.

TAGS: Nokia, Windows Phone, Lumia

As promised by Nokia, the wait is over, and no, it isn't a Lumia Handset that they teased on their conversations Blog. The new QWERTY handset, as anticipated is indeed an addition to the Finnish brand's Asha line up. Nokia's official blog says, the latest handset is the Asha 210, which is the world’s first handset with a dedicated WhatsApp button. Available in single SIM and an Easy Swap Dual-SIM version, the phone supports Wi-Fi connectivity, and a 2 MP rear camera that also lets you capture self-portraits with voice-based assistance.

Further specifications of the handsets have been listed below. Both variants will be available from the second quarter of 2013 for around $72 (Rs 3900) in an array of colours. Check out the promo video at the bottom of the story for more details.

• 2.4" screen, QVGA 240x320 pixels (169 ppi).
• QWERTY keypad, with Contacts key, Menu key, Camera key, Call key, 4-way Navi key with select, Power/End key, Full keyboard, WhatsApp key.
• Mini SIM support (Dual-SIM variant supports Dual Standby mode).
• Micro-USB port, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi, FM Radio.
• Quad-band GSM Support (1800 MHz, 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1900 MHz).
• Series 40 OS.
• MicroSD card support for up to 32 GB.
• 2 MP fixed focus camera with 4x digital zoom, No Flash.
• 4.4" (l) x 2.4" (w) x 0.5" (11.8 mm) (d); weighs 99.5 grams.
• 1200 mAh battery, claimed talktime of 12 hours, music playback time of 40 hours, Wi-Fi browsing time of 14 hours.
• Package Contents: Phone, Charger, Battery, Nokia Stereo Headset WH-102.
• Available Colours: Yellow, Cyan, Black, Magenta, White.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Series 40, Nokia, Asha, WhatsApp

Nokia has put up an image of an upcoming mystery device on its official Conversations blog. According to the post, the device in question will be unveiled on Wednesday. Going by the image, there's no price for guessing that it's going to be a QWERTY device. Other details, including its onboard software platform, or hardware specs remain unknown. The top corner of the phone resembles the styling of the recent Lumia 620. So don't be surprised, if it turns out to be the first QWERTY Windows Phone device. Nokia's Twitter account has also tweeted the same picture with the caption "be there or be square!". The word square could also be hinting at live tiles.

The Wednesday's announcement will be followed by a Q&A session with Neil Broadley, who is part of Nokia's feature phone team. So we can't rule out the possibility of a low-cost Asha handset, with a new design language. So guys what do you think is on the cards? Sound off in the comments section below.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Nokia

A few years back, a quality sub-10k smartphone was a distant dream. But thanks to the Android platform, the situation has completely changed. We now have a problem of plenty in the budget smartphone segment. In March, we published a list of phones worth buying for Rs 15,000. However, if you're not willing to cross the Rs 10,000 barrier, these are the options you should be looking at. Note that this list is not in any specific order:


Huawei Ascend G330
Street Price: Rs 10,000
Huawei, the third largest smarphone-maker in the world has launched some very good devices in India. The Ascend-G330 is one such device that wins our recommendations. It brings Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) to the table, which is good enough in this segment. The phone is powered by a dual-core 1 GHz CPU with 512 MB of RAM. It sports a 4" capacitive multi-touch screen with pixel dimensions of 800x480. For wannabe photographers, there's a 5 megapixel rear snapper with autofocus and LED flash. Apart from that you get 4 GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, 3G, A-GPS, Bluetooth, 1500 mAh battery and more.

 

XOLO A800
Street Price: Rs 9,500
XOLO is one of those rare domestic manufacturers who offer good build quality. Its budget offering XOLO A800 is powered by a dual-core processor clocked at 1 GHz, and 512 MB of RAM. It comes with an 8 megapixel rear and VGA front camera. Its 4.5" IPS screen has pixel dimensions of 960x540. Apart from that you get Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, A-GPS, and 1600 mAh Li-ion battery. The dual-SIM (GSM) handset runs Android 4.0 out of the box. Internal storage is 4 GB and of course there's a MicroSD card slot. You also get a 8 GB memory card with this phone.

 

Micromax 110 Canvas 2
Street Price: Rs 10,000
If you're fond of oversized mobile phones, the Canvas 2 should top your wish list. This dual-SIM handset features a 5" IPS screen (480x854 pixels), which is better than what we get on most similarly priced phablets. The phone is powered by a dual core 1 GHz CPU that does a commendable job handling Android 4.0 (ICS). Other features include an 8 megapixel camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 2000 mAh battery. Considering the list of features and screen size, Micromax offers more than what you bargain for.

 

Karbonn Titanium S1
Street Price: Rs 9900
The Titanium S1 is one of the cheapest quad-core phones officially available in India. Despite being affordable though, the phone offers 4.5" IPS capacitive touchscreen display with pixel dimensions of 960x540. It's powered by a 1.2 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor which should be enough to handle Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Other features include a 5 megapixel auto focus camera with flash, 4 GB internal storage, microSD card slot, Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi, and 1600 mAh battery.

 

Nokia Lumia 520
Street Price: Rs 9500
With the Nokia Lumia 520, Windows Phone 8 has made its foray into the sub-10k segment. The Lumia 520 is one of the best looking phones you can get for Rs 10,000. It's 1 Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset offers lag-free user experience. The phone sports a Super Sensitive 4" IPS screen with 480x800 pixels. The internal storage is 8 GB, and you get an option to bump it up by as much as 64 GB via a microSD card slot. For photography there's a 5 megapixel auto focus camera. Apart from this, you get a set of Nokia-exclusive apps such as Cinemagraph, SmartShoot, Nokia Music, PhotoBeamer, voice guided GPS navigation.


 

There you go. Take your pick. If you think, we have missed out on some good option, please use the comment box below and let us know.

Tags : Mobile Phones, Android, Windows Phone, Nokia, Huawei, Micromax, Lumia, Buyers Guide

Nokia Lumia 520
Street Price: Rs 9,900


Up until now, with a budget of Rs 10,000 you could only settle for an Android device. While the Lumia 510 was an option you could consider, it was crippled in terms of specs. The Lumia 520 on the other hand, promises to be a major improvement over its predecessor. It comes with double the processing power and the latest version of the Windows Phone platform. More importantly, the phone sports a very competitive price tag of Rs 10,500. So does it live up to its promise? Let's find out.
 

Design And Build Quality
If you think it's difficult to find a good looking handset in the sub-10k category, then the Lumia 520 is a pleasant change. Despite being affordable, it features an elegant design. The handset looks sophisticated to a point that some of my colleagues were surprised when they realised that it's an entry-level smartphone. The device is compact and the size is ideal for single-handed use. The materials used in its construction are top notch.

Similar to the 820 and 620, this phone features interchangeable shells, which means you can change the appearance of your phone by simply buying a new panel. These shells are available in Cyan, Red, Yellow, White, and Black. All of them sport a matte soft touch finish. Our friends in Shenzen will come up with some weirdly designed shells, like they did for the good-old Nokia 3200. Under the cover, the phone has a microSD card slot and the battery is user-replaceable.

At 1 cm the phone isn't very thin, but the tapering edges make it look that way. To put things in perspective, the HTC 8S is 10.3 mm thick. Like every other WP8 handset, the micro-USB port is at the bottom. Volume rocker, Lock button, and shutter key are on the right side. A 3.5 mm jack sits at the top, while there's nothing on the right side. Overall, the 520 offers a clean design and very good build quality.

 

Display And Specs
The Lumia 520 sports a 4" IPS panel with pixel-dimensions of 800x480. It's protected by a hardened glass. The picture quality is sharp and has decent viewing angles. Compared to similarly priced handset, the colour reproduction and contrast are very good. Unlike the 620, this phone lacks Nokia's ClearBlack tech, which means you're going to miss deeper blacks. The display automatically adjusts the contrast to maintain the legibility under direct sunlight. The touch sensitivity of the screen is very good. Similar to the flagship Lumia 920, this phone is also operable with gloves on. Not just that, the screen can also take input from fingernails or even your car keys. To sum is up, the display is impressive and there wasn't much to complain about.

This phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset with a 1 GHz dual-core CPU and Adreno 305 GPU. Other features include a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera, 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB internal storage, and microSD card slot (up to 64 GB). The phone lacks a front-facing camera, which is ironic considering that the deep Skype integration is one of the highlights of Microsoft's platform. Full specifications are at the end of this review.

UI And Apps
As you already know, Nokia's first generation Lumia devices had some stupid restrictions such as the lack of USB mass-storage mode and Bluetooth FTP. However, in its latest iteration, the Windows Phone platform has gotten rid of these issues. The Lumia 520 offers mass storage for data transfer, and you can share files with any phone over Bluetooth. The live tiles on the Microsoft's mobile platform look refreshingly different than the boring grid of icons present on the competing platforms. The phone offers very smooth interface. This shouldn't come as a surprise since the 520 packs in the same Snapdragon S4 chipset found inside the more expensive HTC 8S and Lumia 720.

The mobile version of IE10 is fully compatible with HTML5. Its rendering speeds are unmatched by any of the Android smartphone available at this price tag. The Office integration is superb, and also comes with tight SkyDrive integration.

The Smart Glass is an interesting app that lets you control your Xbox 360 with the phone. To stand out from other OEMs, Nokia brings its exclusive app suite to the table. With Photobeamer, you can share the gallery images on any web-enabled device. For more information, check out out Lumia 620 review. Out of the lot though, HERE Drive+ (previously known as Nokia Drive) is my favourite. The software offers offline voice-guided GPS navigation, which is as good as any dedicated car GPS system. And yes, even BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen's vehicles are powered by Nokia's location service. The turn-by-turn navigation works well on the 520. Since the handset lacks a compass, Nokia City Lens doesn't work on this handset. 
 

   

Multimedia
Apart from Microsoft's default media player, the Lumia 520 comes with a year's Nokia Music subscription that lets you download millions of songs for free. It offers equaliser settings, but there's no Dolby enhancement as seen on the Lumia 620. The device's sound quality is very good. However, the bundled earphones are bad, and the phone lacks FM radio. The phone plays MP4, WMV, and AVI videos up to720p. It doesn't support MKV files though.

The 5 megapixel snapper is very good for the price. Despite being the cheapest WP8 Lumia in the family, the 520 comes with Lumia-exclusive lenses such as Cinemagraph, Smart shoot, and Panorama. Don't forget to check out our tutorial on how to make most of these digital camera lenses. On the flipside, the camera lacks a flash, which means low light photography is out of question. Moreover, I feel that the 620's snapper offers better colours and details than this one. To view the untouched sample, click here. At max quality, the Lumia 520 can record 720p videos at 30 fps. The clips are saved in MP4 format, and offer a smooth playback.

Telephony And Messaging
The phonebook in Windows Phone offers tight integration with Facebook, Windows Live, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If you're addicted to the social networking services, this phone is perfect. The handset's call quality and network reception were good during our tests. The phone offers 3G and can share internet with up to 8 devices. The on-screen keyboard is extremely responsive, which is a rare thing for sub-10k phones.

Battery Life And Verdict
On a full charge, the 1430 mAh battery easily last for a day and half with normal day to day use. In our 720p video loop test, the phone lasted for a little more than five hours.

The Lumia 520 is officially priced at Rs 10,500. However, if you look around a bit, you can easily get it for under Rs 10,000. For this price, it offers an unmatched smartphone experience. The app ecosystem for WP8 may not be as developed as Android or iOS, but it is making rapid progress in that area, and a lot of the popular apps have already arrived on this platform. More importantly, unlike the Android alternatives, this phone doesn't lag. The design is simple yet elegant, and the build quality is solid. The exclusive Lumia apps such as HERE Drive+ and Nokia Music give it an edge over the competition. The phone lacks camera flash and a front-facing camera, which is the reason why it's wise to stretch your budget and get the Lumia 620 instead. That being said, if you're not interested in video chat and self-portraits, the 520 is a very good buy under 10k.

Features: 3.5/5
Design And Build Quality: 4/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Mojo: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5


Specifications:

• Windows Phone 8.
• Requires micro SIM.
• WCDMA 900/2100, 850/1900/2100, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.
• 512 MB RAM.
• 8 GB of internal storage; 7 GB free SkyDrive storage.
• microSD card support up to 64 GB.
• 4" IPS LCD WVGA screen with pixel dimensions of 480x800 (233 ppi).
• Hardened glass, super sensitive touch for fingernail and glove use.
• Orientation, Ambient light sensor.
• 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor.
• 5 MP autofocus camera; supports HD (720p) video recording @ 30fps.
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS (Glonass), 3.5 mm audio jack, Micro USB with charging, USB 2.0.
• 1430 mAh battery, talktime of 14.8 hours on 2G and 9.6 hours on 3G.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

Movie buffs who are looking at owning a budget or mid-range Windows Phone 8 are now in luck. Reliance Entertainment Digital has tied up with Nokia to offer a three-month exclusive BIGFLIX subscription for Lumia 520, 620, and 720 users. With the BIGFLIX app, user will have access to over 1500 films in more than 6 Indian languages, streaming not just on their smartphone but also on their laptops, desktops, and tablets.

The BIGFLIX app is also available on the Android, iOS, and Windows Phone platforms, and for the app to work you'd require a good Wi-Fi connection. Whether this service works as well as it promises to, you'd find out only once you play around with it. As long as it's free, I don’t think you need to complain.

Those looking to pick up the Lumia handsets, the 520 is now retailing at Rs 10,500; 620 at Rs 14,300; and the 720 is worth Rs 19,000 online.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Apps, Movies, Nokia, Lumia

Alcatel, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based TCL corporation, has added two new phones to its smartphones portfolio in India. The latest entrants are One Touch Idol and One Touch Idol Ultra. According to a press release, with the thickness of 6.45 mm, the Idol Ultra is the slimmest phone in its class. The One Touch Idol on the other hand, takes pride for being the lightest smartphone in its category, tipping the scale at 110 games.

The One Touch Idol Ultra features a 4.7" HD AMOLED screen (720x1280 pixels) with oleophobic coating. It's powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor (MTK 6577 chipset) has a 1 GB of RAM. There's an 8 megapixel camera for photography. Apart from that you get 16 GB internal storage, 1800 mAh battery. The phone runs the latest Android 4.1 OS (Jelly Bean). It comes embedded in a soft touch coating case to enhance not just its aesthetics but also the grip. Priced at Rs. 21,000 Idol ultra is available in vibrant colour options of black and red to choose from. And if that wasn't enough, this phone will feature in the upcoming Iron Man movie. Hard to believe that billionaire Tony Stark prefers mid-range phones!

The One Touch Idol is a dual-SIM (GSM) phone with a 4.7" IPS screen with an oleophobic coating. Similar to the Idol Ultra, this phone features an 8 megapixel camera. The phone houses a 1 GHz dual-core processor, and has 512 MB of RAM. On the software front, you get Android OS v4.1 (Jelly Bean). The phone is available in Silver, Slate, Cranberry Pink, and Red.

To sweeten the deal further, the cellular operator IDEA is offering 1 GB of 3G data, along with 3 months of online TV with recharge of Rs. 261 on prepaid, and Rs. 259 for postpaid users.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Android, alcatel

As reported earlier, the wait for the Nokia Lumia 720 will be over by end of April. Finally, the handset is up for pre-order on Flipkart.com for an expected price tag of Rs 19,000. For those who are bold enough to pick up the WP8 smartphone before its official release slated to happen soon, the e-commerce store has thrown in a 16 GB SanDisk microSD card as a freebie. This offer is valid till the 24th of April. The phone is also available for a lower price of Rs 17,720 on eBay for the first 35 buyers or up to 20th of April, whichever happens earlier. However, you are urged to read through the product description thoroughly before making a purchase over here. At the time of this writing, six pieces have already been sold.

As is already known, the Lumia 720 is priced between the Lumia 820 and 620. While the phone follows a design similar to the N9, it does away with the unibody styling to make way for a microSD card slot and user-replaceable battery.

Sporting a 4.3" IPS screen with ClearBlack tech for better sunlight legibility, the handset is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor, and 512 MB of RAM. Packing in a 6.7 megapixel auto focus camera with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens, the phone is said to offer impressive low-light imaging. Listed below are the official specifications:

• Windows Phone 8.
• Quad band GSM 2G, 3G.
• 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU, Adreno 305 GPU.
• 512 MB RAM, 8 GB internal storage, 7 GB cloud storage, Up to 64 GB microSD card support.
• 4.3" ClearBlack capacitive touchscreen, with pixel dimensions of 480x800.
• 6.7 MP rear camera with F/1.9 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens and LED flash.
• 1.3 MP F/2.4 wide angle front camera.
• Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, Tethering, NFC.
• 2000 mAh battery with wireless charging option.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, E-Commerce, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

Update (April 10th): The Nokia 105 is now officially released in India for Rs 1249. The phone is slated to be available in retail stores soon.

Previously on April 4th: The Nokia 105 that boasts of 35 days battery backup is all set to be launched in April for a price of Rs 1200. Nokia 105 was initially showcased at the Mobile World Congress in February this year. A report published in Hindu Business Line says that the Nokia 105 would mark the end of Nokia's entry-level black and white phones (including that of Nokia 1280), and herald the beginning of colour phones in the "low-cost" basic phone market. The report also states that all the new colour phones of Nokia would be manufactured at the company's Chennai warehouse.

Nokia's Regional General Manager South, Mr T.S. Sridhar had stated that the Nokia 105 would target people yet to go mobile and those with shoestring budgets. Targeting people with low budgets would be a good move considering the fact that India is still a huge market for feature phones. According to a Cybermedia Research report, Nokia still seems to be numero-uno in the Indian market with respect to feature phones.

As for the tech-specs of the handset, it has got a 1.4 inch display, FM radio and provides the users a Speaking Alarm Clock. However, the handset's USP is its claimed 12.5 hrs talktime and 35 days standby time. Nokia 105 is expected to be introduced in Andhra Pradesh initially, after which it is slated to be available in the other states. The Nokia phone doesn't offer anything extraordinary, apart from the fact that it comes from a brand that is known for reliability and found acceptance across India.

Nokia 105, despite being an entry-level handset (colloquially called basic phones) has the potential to be successful, considering its expected "ultra-low" price tag. This phone, similar to Nokia's earlier basic phones like the 1100, could appeal to mobile-phone users in rural areas, who look specifically for basic-phones rather than high-end smartphones.

Key Specifications:

• 1.4 inch display with 65K colours
• FM Radio
• Preloaded games
• single-SIM support
• 12.5 hrs talktime and 35 days standby time
• Speaking Alarm clock and Flashlight built-in
• 8 MB internal memory

TAGS: Nokia, Mobile Phones

Nokia Lumia 620
MRP: Rs 16,000
Street Price: Rs 14,000


After garnering positive responses in the top-end Windows Phone 8 smartphone range, Nokia is now focusing on the budget market. Last year, Nokia tried to crack the sub-15k smartphone segment with its Lumia 610 and 510, but with little luck. Going by their below-par specs and OS restrictions, you knew whom to blame for the dismal sales. But things look different now, with Windows Phone 8 and the latest Snapdragon S4 chipset in tow, the Lumia 620 is ready to fight off a myriad of Android devices.

This phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset with a 1 GHz dual-core CPU and Adreno 305 GPU. Other features include a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with an LED flash to keep it a company, 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB internal storage, and microSD card slot (up to 64 GB). Full specifications are at the end of this review.

UI And Applications
The Windows Phone OS is no stranger for cellphone enthusiasts anymore, still I'll run through the most important WP8 features.  In its latest iteration, you can now customise Live Tiles with three sizes. Unlike the previous versions such as 7.5 and 7.8, you get mass storage mode and Bluetooth file sharing options in WP8. And of course, you can share internet with up to eight devices using the Wi-Fi hotspot feature.

Another major tweak includes an improved lock screen that can display updates from apps, and pulls background images from Bing and Facebook feeds. As mentioned in earlier reviews, WP offers extremely deep social networking integration. So if you're a Facebook addict, this is the phone for you. Last, but not the least, the handset does not lag. Yes, I'm looking at you Android!

 

Leveraging on Nokia's $8.1 Billion acquisition of Navteq, the 620 brings offline voice-guided Sat Nav to the table. Now branded as HERE Drive+, the app allows you to download map data right on the device. Depending on your needs, you can either choose to install the all India map, which fits in 603 MBs or opt for the individual data pack for each state. The voice instructions are available in more than 50 languages including Hindi and Tamil. During my week's usage, not once did it take more than 30 seconds to lock onto satellites, even when there was no SIM card.

Nokia's PhotoBeamer is one of the most underrated app. Leaving aside all the technical mumbo-jumbo, this nifty software allows you to share your pictures on any web-enabled device. Just visit photobeamer.com on a device where you wish to display the photograph. Open the PhotoBeamer app on your phone, and simply point it at the QR code that appears on the website. The photos on your device get mirrored on the other device (the speed depends on the internet or Wi-Fi connection speeds).

Apart from these Nokia-exclusive apps, you get Microsoft's Office Suite. Needless to say, it comes with SkyDrive integration. The mobile version of IE10 is HTML5 compatible, and offers zippy page rendering speeds. Other MS apps worth mentioning are Xbox 360 Smart Glass and Bing Vision. For details, go through our Lumia 920 review.

Microsoft's app repository now houses over 130,000 apps, and is growing at a good pace. It's undoubtedly enough for a normal user. However, I'm sure that the lack of Instagram will drive many hipsters away from this phone. And, going by the sheer number of games, the WP platform has a long way to go before catching up with Google's Play Store or Apple's App Store.

   


Multimedia
Going straight to the point, the handset's sound quality is great. The loudspeaker is indeed loud. Apart from the default music player, the phone comes with Nokia Music. It's better to opt for the latter since it offers equaliser settings and Dolby enhancement. Moreover, it offers unlimited free track downloads for a year. The bundled earphones are just ok, but not in the same league as Samsung, who ship much better IEMs with its phones.

Like every other WP8 device, this one also lacks FM radio. According to Nokia's official blog though, the Snapdragon S4 chipset consists of a radio receiver, so a future update might enable this feature. Coming to the subject of video playback, the phone is compatible with MP4, WMV, and AVI videos up to 720p resolution. However, MKV videos are still a no-go.

The 5 megapixel snapper is surprisingly good. The resulting pictures contain incredible amount of details for a budget phone. More importantly, the colours look natural. Click here, to download the untouched sample. Similar to the high-end Lumia 920, this one packs in Nokia-exclusive lenses such as Cinemagraph, Smart shoot, and Panorama. To find out the usage of these camera plugins, go through our detailed article about Nokia's nifty camera tricks.

At max quality, the Lumia 620 can record 720p videos at 30 fps. The clips are saved in MP4 format, and offer quite smooth playback.


Telephony And Messaging
The People Hub not only takes care of your phonebook, but also integrates your Facebook, Windows Live, Twitter, and LinkedIn contacts at one place. I really like the way how the alphabet tiles help you find the desired contact with minimal scrolling. Moreover, the OS offers extremely responsive on-screen keyboard, when compared to Android. The handset's call quality and network reception were excellent during our tests. Other connectivity features such as Wi-Fi and 3G also worked fine.

 

Battery
The 620's 1300 mAh Li-Ion battery may look underwhelming on paper. However, it's good enough to keep the device up and running for a day and half to two depending on your usage pattern. In our 720p video loop test, it lasted around 6 hours, which is quite good.


Verdict
Available for around Rs 14,000, the 620 offers outstanding build quality, great camera, and an impressively screen. Thanks to the 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon chipset, you get to experience fluid interface at a budget price. Nokia exclusive apps including HERE Drive+, Nokia Music, and a bunch of camera apps sweeten the deal further. This phone's closest competitor, HTC 8S is priced at around Rs 18,000. Therefore, if you're looking for a sub-15k smartphone, the Lumia 620 should top your wish list. Unless, you believe in bigger the better ideology, and have decided to take the 'phablet' route.


Features: 4.5/5
Design And Build Quality: 4.5/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value For Money: 4.5/5
Mojo: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Specification:

• Quad-band 3G (850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz); quad-band GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz).
• 3.8" TFT WVGA ClearBlack screen with pixel dimensions of 480x800.
• 1 GHz Dual-Core Snapdragon S4 processor, 512 MB of RAM.
• 8 GB internal storage.
• 64 GB microSD card support.
• 5 megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash; Video capture: HD 720p at 30fps.
• VGA front camera.
• NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS (Glonass).
• Micro-USB; 3.5 mm audio connector.
• 4.5" (l) x 2.4" (w) x 0.4" (11.02 mm) (d); weighs 127 grams.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

As many of you already know, the Nokia Lumia 920 has been exclusive to AT&T in the US. Goes without saying, Windows Phone fans stuck with other network operators couldn't get their hands on Nokia's flagship device. Since the last couple of months though, there has been speculation regarding Nokia's Verizon-exclusive flagship device, which is said to be better than the 920.

The handset is set to release by the end of this month, but as usual, @evleaks seems to have got hold of a product shot. Going by the image, it sports a 920-esque design. Instead of the rounded corners though, the new phone seems to feature tapering edges as seen on the HTC 8X. The speaker is on the back as opposed to the bottom side placement on the 920. More importantly, you can clearly see the Xenon flash, which was made popular on mobiles by the likes of N82 and N8. Previous rumour suggested that the upcoming phone will feature an aluminium chassis. At this point though, it's hard to tell whether it's metal or polycarbonate. Other specs include a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 SoC, 1 GB of RAM, and 8.7 megapixel PureView camera.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

For a while, it seemed as though a new flagship phone was on its way, the Nokia Lumia 950. According to a Windows Phone Central report, there was a new prototype, supposedly of the Lumia 950. The report further mentioned technical specifications of the rumoured Nokia Lumia 950. Even some images of Nokia's next Lumia had surfaced online.

Nokia Lumia 950 supposedly has an AMOLED display with 1280x768 pixel dimension, with PureMotion HD technology which is present in the Nokia Lumia 920. It was also rumoured to come with 2GB RAM, and an upgraded camera (resolution details absent) with Xenon flash and a larger sensor compared to earlier Lumia devices. The handset would reportedly run on the latest Windows Phone 8 operating system, and include a battery with improved battery life.

We had a quick chat with Nokia India regarding the Lumia 950 being in the works, and they brushed aside rumours about the smartphone, saying that no such devices was in the pipeline, at least for now. So dear Nokia fan boys, sorry to burst your bubble about the Lumia 950. Even if it does get released in the future, the wait might be a long one.


image credit: Windows Phone Central

TAGS: Nokia, Lumia, smartphones, Windows Phone

Yesterday, we broke the news about Nokia Lumia 520's availability. This time around, we've a juicy bit of news regarding its elder sibling the Lumia 720. Thanks to a prominent retail source, we've learned that the 720 will be pegged at Rs 20,000 in India. And of course, you should be able to pick it for around 19k depending on your bargain-hunting skills. When asked about the availability, the person suggested that it will be out by the end of this month.

For those who came in late, the Lumia 720 fills the void between the 820 and 620. It's inspired by Nokia’s Fabula design language, which started with the ill-fated N9. The phone is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, and 512 MB of RAM. The USP is its 6.7 megapixel auto focus camera with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens that supposedly offers impressive low-light imaging. It sports a 4.3" IPS screen with ClearBlack tech that enhances sunlight legibility. Detailed specs are given below:

• Windows Phone 8 operating system.
• Quad band GSM 2G, 3G.
• 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4.
• 512 MB RAM.
• 8 GB internal storage, 7 GB cloud storage
• microSD card slot to expand up to 64 GB.
• 4.3" ClearBlack display, with pixel dimensions of 800x480.
• 6.7 MP rear camera with F/1.9 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens and LED flash.
• 1.3 MP F/2.4 wide angle front camera.
• Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, Tethering, NFC.
• 2000 mAh battery with wireless charging option.

TAGS: Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

After being showcased in the last week of February, the Nokia Lumia 520 has finally started selling in the Indian market. Available for Rs 10,500, it's the cheapest Windows Phone 8 device available in the country. The 520 is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, and 512 MB of RAM. Its 4" IPS screen has pixel dimensions of 480x800. Similar to the flagship Lumia 920, this phone comes with super-sensitive touch technology, which means you can operate it with gloves on. The internal storage is 8 GB, and you get as much as 64 GB additionally via a microSD card slot. For photography there's a 5 megapixel auto focus camera. Apart from this, you get a set of Nokia-exclusive apps such as Cinemagraph, SmartShoot, HERE maps, Nokia Music, and PhotoBeamer. And yes, it comes in Yellow, Red, Cyan, White, and Black.

Going by the specs, the handset looks as good as the HTC 8S sans LED flash. But more importantly, the 520 is Rs 8000 cheaper than HTC's handset. As of this writing, the handset is up for grabs at Saholic.com and Snapdeal.com for Rs 10,500. To sweeten the deal, Saholic has even thrown in a complimentary 32 GB memory card with every purchase.

Specifications:

• Windows Phone 8.
• Requires micro SIM.
• WCDMA 900/2100, 850/1900/2100, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.
• 512 MB RAM.
• 8 GB of internal storage; 7 GB free SkyDrive storage.
• microSD card support up to 64 GB.
• 4" IPS LCD WVGA screen with pixel dimensions of 480x800 (235 ppi).
• 2D hardened glass, super sensitive touch for fingernail and glove use.
• Orientation, Ambient light sensor.
• 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor.
• 5 MP autofocus camera; supports HD (720p) video recording @ 30fps.
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS (Glonass), 3.5 mm audio jack, Micro USB with charging, USB 2.0.
• 1430 mAh battery, talktime of 14.8 hours on 2G and 9.6 hours on 3G.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

Nokia 206
MRP: Rs 3850
Street Price: Rs 3600

When you think about the good old candybar phones, nothing has been as popular as the Nokia 3310. With countless memes doing rounds over the internet, it could easily pass off as the Rajnikant of the mobile world. And the latest Nokia 206 can be termed as a refined version of the decade old legend from the Finnish giant. To sustain its relevance in today's times though, the 206 packs in basic multimedia and SNS support. Does it qualify as a worthy successor? Let's get into specifics of its design and features.

Design And Build Quality
With the 206, Nokia brings back the retro candybar design with a dash of bold colours such as Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. For people who prefer sober shades, it's also available in White and Black. Similar to the Asha 205, this phone offers excellent build quality. The phone is compact and fits in your hand well. The Lumia-esque metal stripe around the camera lens is a nice touch. That being said, the glossy finish on the front looks a little tacky.

 

The navigation is based around a D-pad, which is reminiscent of the N-series handsets. The phone's alpha-numeric keypad offers proper tactile response. The keypad backlight is evenly distributed and sharp. In a nutshell, the 206 is sturdy handset with good looks.

 

Display And Specs
The handset's 2.4" screen has pixel dimensions of 240x320. For the price it commands, the phone's display is bright and offers decent colours reproduction. Unlike the other low-end Nokia phones though this one comes with an option to adjust screen brightness.

The 206 comes with 64 MB of internal storage and microSD card slot, which supports up to 32 GB. It features a 1.3MP camera, charger plug, 3.5 mm jack, Bluetooth 2.1, FM radio, and 1100 mAh battery. Out of its two SIM-card slots, one is hot-swappable and is placed on the device's right side. To access the microSD card slot though, you'll have to remove the back cover. Thankfully, unlike the Asha 205, the memory card slot is not placed under the battery. On the flip side the phone lacks a micro-USB port, which means you'll have to use a memory card reader to transfer media to and from this phone. Complete specifications can be found at the end of the review.

UI And Performance
The 206's UI elements look exactly like what we've seen on the old Symbian Series 60 phones such as the N78, N79, and N82. But don't let that fool you: The phone is based Nokia's Series 40 platform, which isn't a smartphone OS and does not support proper multitasking. However, you can at least minimise the music player and perform other tasks such as sending a message or browsing the internet.

The interface is clean and easy to get along with. It offers some level of customisations such as setting up a wallpaper or theme of your choice. You can add up to three widgets to the home screen, and you can customise the Menu view. The 206 is one of the first phones from Nokia Nokia to feature Slam. As mentioned in Asha 205's review, this feature can be used for sending files to the closest device over Bluetooth.

Coming to the subject of apps, the phone comes pre-installed with Facebook, Twitter, eBuddy, Viber, and Midnight Pool 3. Additional apps can be downloaded from the Nokia Store. Nokia's Xpress browser compresses data to speed up the browsing and cut down your GPRS usage. WhatsApp is only available in the handset's single-SIM variant, which is unfortunately not available in India.

The phone is a dual-SIM dual-standby handset, which means if you're busy on a call, your other SIM will be unavailable for that duration. The phone offers a SIM management menu for you to specify which SIM handles what tasks. The phone's network reception and call quality were excellent during the tests.

Multimedia
The phone's sound quality is just about ok. The music player supports MP3, WMA, WAV, and AAC audio formats. FM radio is present and packs in a recording feature. Like any entry-level phone, this one only supports low bit-rate 3GP and MP4 files. The 1.3 megapixel camera lacks flash, and its image quality is nothing worth singing hymns about.
 

Battery And Verdict
On a full charge, the phone's 1100 mAh battery easily lasts for over two days of standard usage. This is good for a handset that sports dual GSM SIMs.

The Nokia 206 is priced at Rs 3600. The phone is compact and perfect for basic tasks such as calls and SMS. What separates it from a horde of low-cost phones is its sturdy build and sleek design. While the addition of a USB-port and 3G connectivity would have made it better, it still is a very good device for what you pay for.

In this price segment, you can also consider the X2-02 that comes with a slightly better 2 megapixel camera. Micromax's X279 is another cheaper option, but only if you're ready to compromise on the handsets build quality for a few extra features.


Features: 3.5/5
Design And Build Quality: 4/5
Performance: 3.5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Mojo: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Specifications:

• 2.4 inch LCD QVGA with 320x240 pixels.
• Dual SIM support ( GSM+GSM).
• 1.3MP camera that supports video recording.
• 2G Network connectivity support along with GPRS, EDGE; Bluetooth 2.1.
• 64MB internal memory, SD card support upto 32GB.
• FM Radio with recording option.
• 3.5mm audio jack.
• Weight: 91 grammes.
• 5-way scrolling keys.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Series 40, Nokia

Microsoft, which recently updated its core Windows 8 apps, is now updating Windows Phone 8 to support FM Radio hardware, a feature expected to be part of the Windows Phone 8 General Distribution Release (GDR2).

This eliminates one of the important shortcomings of Windows Phone 8 which did not offer FM Radio. Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 supported FM Radio hardware, and now bringing back the feature will let Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 support FM radio, as both of them already incorporate the necessary hardware.

Along with FM radio support, The Verge also mentions that Nokia plans to arm its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 with a "Gesture Control" feature. When it comes about, users will be able to activate (unlock) their smartphone by double-tapping on the phone's display. Nokia is expected to bring the feature in the form of a firmware update. Other firmware updates speculated to come from Nokia include a flip option that puts the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 into standby mode. Even profile color settings are also said to be on the cards.

TAGS: Microsoft, Nokia, Lumia, smartphones

Last week, we listed some pocked-friendly quad-core smartphones you can buy under the Rs 15,000 mark. Considering that all the handsets there belong to domestic companies, brand-conscious people who don't give two-hoots about specifications may want handsets from reputed manufacturers. If you're one of them or simply don't want to take the phablet route, you have landed on a right page. In this article, we're going to look at five sub-15k phones from the world's leading brands that are truly worth your money.

Samsung GALAXY S Advance
Street Price: Rs 14,000
Samsung GALAXY S Advance is one of the cheapest phones that sports an AMOLED screen. This 4-incher has pixel dimensions of 480x800. It's powered by a 1 GHz dual-core A9 CPU, and has 768 MB of RAM. Apart from that, you get 5 megapixel autofocus camera, 8 GB of internal memory, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, and a 1500 mAh battery. On the software front, you're still stuck with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but the handset is due to receive a Jelly Bean update in coming months.

 


Sony Xperia sola
Street Price: 14,500
The sola draws power from a dual-core A9 CPU clocked at 1 GHz. To handle gaming, it comes with Mali-400 GPU. Its 3.7" screen is backed by Sony's Mobile BRAVIA Engine and has pixel dimensions of 854x480. The handset features a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 8 GB internal memory, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and a 3.5 mm jack. Additionally, the onboard NFC chip will allow the device to communicate with the bundled SmartTags and other supported accessories. The handset runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) out of the box, and is upgradable to ICS.

 

HTC Desire X
Street Price: Rs 14,000
The Desire X is quite a looker. After all, it takes design cues from the One X. Moving on to its features, the handset runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with company's iconic Sense 4.0a UI on top of it. The phone's 4" Super LCD display has pixel dimesions of 480x800. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon SOC with a 1 GHz dual-core CPU and Adreno 203 GPU, and has 768 MB of RAM. Other specs include a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flas, 4 GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and 1650 mAh battery.

 

Huawei Ascend G600
Street Price: Rs 14,000
The third largest smarphone-maker in the world, Huawei has been slowly but surely making its presence felt in India. Its latest mid-range device, the Ascend G600 runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). It sports a 4.5" IPS screen with 540x960 pixels. For photography, there's an 8 megapixel autofocus camera with a BSI sensor. Apart from that, you get a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB of RAM, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 4 GB internal storage, microSD card slot, and 1930 mAh battery.

Nokia Lumia 620
Street Price: Rs 14,300
For those willing to look beyond Android, here's a neat alternative. Continuing Nokia's love affair with bold hues, the Lumia 620 comes in cyan, black, white, magenta, yellow, and green. The Windows Phone 8 handset features a 3.8" ClearBlack screen, which is known to offer deeper blacks. To compete with hordes of Android phones, the 620 packs in a 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. Apart from that, you get a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB internal storage, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, NFC, and 1300 mAh battery. Add to that Nokia Music and Nokia Drive (maps) and we have a solid package here.

That's it for now. If you think, there are better phones that deserve to be in this list, please use the comments box below and let us know. We hope that this helps you make a smart choice when it comes to purchasing a smartphone.

Tags : Mobile Phones, Android, Windows Phone, Nokia, Huawei, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Lumia, GALAXY, Xperia, Buyers Guide

Review: Nokia Asha 205
MRP: Rs 3600
Street price: Rs 3300


Nokia might have been struggling in the high-end segment, but it still dominates the feature phone market. This is simply because many still prefer cost effective and easy-to-use basic phones over a smartphone. Considering the strong demand for the Asha 200 in India, its successor 205 was inevitable. So now that Nokia's brand new QWERTY dual-SIM handset is here, let's find out if this foot soldier is good enough to help the Finnish giant retain its dominance in the mass-market segment.


Design And Build Quality
Despite being an entry-level handset, the Asha 205 doesn't feel cheap at all. In fact, it's one of the best looking handsets you can get for slightly more than 3k. Upon close inspection, the fine texture on the back-panel and evenly distributed keypad backlighting shows Nokia's build precision and attention to detail. The QWERTY keypad is well spaced, and brings back the good old tactile response. Undoubtedly, it's a treat for texting addicts. To woo the Facebook lovers, the handset features a dedicated FB button.

 

Taking cues from the Lumia series, it comes in bold colours such as the cyan, magenta, orange, pink, and white. Compared to the Asha 200, this one features more straight lines and sharp edges. The build quality is great, and I'm sure the phone can survive a lot of bumps and drops.

 

Display And Specs
The handset's 2.4" screen has pixel dimensions of 320x240. Its colour reproduction is decent, but the viewing angles are strictly ok. But, then you can't expect anything better at this price tag. Thankfully, based on the user feedback for the Asha 200, Nokia has finally added an option to control the screen brightness.

The Asha 205 comes with 64 MB of internal storage and microSD card slot (supports up to 32 GB). It features a VGA camera, charger plug, 3.5 mm jack, Bluetooth 2.1, FM radio, and 1020 mAh battery. Nokia has provided a hot-swappable external SIM card slot, but at the same time the microSD card slot is placed under a battery. If that wasn't bad enough, the phone lacks a USB-port, which means you either have to use a Bluetooth dongle or memory card reader to transfer media to and from this phone.


UI And Performance
 The Asha 205 is based on Nokia's Series 40 platform. This Java powered handset offers easy-to-use interface. On home screen, you can add up to three widgets for quick access. Moreover, the Menu view can be organized into a list or grid view. As far as the customization is concerned, you can set a wallpaper and theme of your choice.
Since it's not a smartphone OS, there's no proper multitasking. However, you can minimize the music player and perform other tasks such as sending a message or browsing internet. All in all, the user experience is reasonably smooth and user friendly.

The Asha 205 comes with an interesting feature called Slam. Using this, you can directly send files to the closest device over Bluetooth without even pairing it. The feature works well with most of the smart and feature phones except for Windows Phone platform ironically.

Apart from built-in apps for Facebook and Twitter, you get a pass to download up to 40 free EA games including Medal of Honor 2010 and Bejeweled for free. Nokia's Xpress browser compresses data to speed up the browsing and cut down your GPRS usage. WhatsApp client doesn't work with Nokia's dual-SIM handsets, and this one's no exception. So, if you're addicted to WhatsApp, go for the Asha 201 instead.

The Asha 205 is a dual-SIM dual-standby handset, which means if you're busy on a call, your other SIM will be unavailable during that duration. To organize two SIM cards, the phone offers a SIM management menu. The phone's network reception and call quality were excellent during the tests.


Multimedia
The phone can play MP3, WMA, WAV, and AAC audio formats. The sound quality though earphones is strictly ok. It lacks the equalizer settings, but FM radio is duly covered. If you feel like watching videos on a 2.4" screen, you can play low bit-rate 3GP and MP4 files. The camera has been added as a token feature. It lacks a flash, and you know what to expect from a VGA camera.


Battery And Verdict
The 1020 mAh battery easily lasts for a over a couple of days. If your primary phone is an Android device, the Asha 205 can be a perfect backup handset for you.

Available for around Rs 3300, this deivce offers excellent build quality, chic design, and user-friendly interface. 3G connectivity and a USB-port would have further sweetened the deal, but unfortunately some smart buggers at Nokia thought that these features would have been a tad too much for a phone in its price bracket. Despite these absentees, the Nokia Asha 205 is a very good phone for the price. In case you're hell-bent on buying a smartphone in this price segment, the Android 2.3 powered Micromax A25 Smarty (Rs 3300) is worth your consideration. That won't be such a smart buy though.

Features: 3.5/5
Design And Build Quality: 4/5
Performance: 3.5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Mojo: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5
 

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Multi-SIM, Series 40, Nokia, Asha

After bringing out two new Windows Phone 8 handsets at Mobile World Congress 2013, Nokia has finally announced pricing and availability of its Lumia 520 smartphone. The phone will sport a price tag of Rs 10,500 and is slated to be up for buying from next week. The Lumia 720 is expected to hit India by mid-April.

The 520 will be available in yellow, red, cyan, white and black, along with Lumia 820-style changeable shells. For those who came in late, here's the list of specs for the handset as per the product page:

• Windows Phone 8.
• Requires Micro SIM.
• WCDMA 900/2100, 850/1900/2100, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.
• 512 MB RAM.
• 8 GB of internal storage; 7 GB free SkyDrive storage.
• microSD card support for expansion up to 64 GB.
• 4" IPS LCD WVGA, with pixel dimensions of 480x800 (235 ppi).
• 2D hardened glass, super sensitive touch for fingernail and glove use.
• Orientation, Ambient light sensor.
• 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor.
• 5 MP autofocus camera; supports HD (720p) video recording @ 30fps.
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS (Glonass), 3.5 mm audio jack, Micro USB with charging, USB 2.0.
• 1430 mAh battery, talktime of 14.8 hours on 2G and 9.6 hours on 3G.
• Available Colours: Yellow, Red, Cyan, White, and Black.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

Right from its day of release, the Nokia Lumia 920 has been AT&T exclusive in the US. Goes without saying, mobile users tied to other network operators couldn't get their hands on Nokia's flagship device. But now, it seems that Verizon customers will be soon greeted by the Lumia 928, which is expected to be a notch better than the brand's current flagship.

According to TheVerge, sources close to Nokia believe that the Lumia 928 will hit the US market next month. The handset will have a radically different design language as compared to the 920. For starters, Nokia might replace the polycarbonate unibody with an aluminium chassis. It will be also be thinner and lighter than the 920. The change won't be limited to aesthetics alone, as an AMOLED screen and Xenon flash are on the cards as well. Rest of the specs will remain unchanged, meaning you'll get a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 SoC, 1 GB of RAM, and 8.7 megapixel PureView camera. At this point though, there's no information on whether this phone will see a global release.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

If you plan to buy an expensive Nokia handset, but are worried about it being stolen or water damaged then you can now buy it with an insurance cover to go along. In a tie up with New India Assurance, users can avail handset insurance plans against loss and damage of handsets. While daily wear and tear will not be covered under these policies, it will consider untoward incidents such as thefts, burglary, malicious acts, water damage, and riots among others, along with any damage which is deemed beyond the standard warranty offered by the manufacturer.

While premiums start at as little as Rs 50 per month, the plan costs approximately 1.25% of the purchased handset's value (whichever is higher). To buy the insurance (which will start retailing from 14th March), you'll have to purchase your handset from a Nokia Branded Retail Store. Initially, the offer is available only for users in Delhi and the National Capital Region, Jaipur, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Cochin.

Nokia has also set up an IRDA Licensed "Insurance Broker", to ensure smooth process to settle claims. To avail of these services, an additional fee of Rs 50 per device (irrespective of handset cost) needs to be paid. All claims will be routed through the broker, which will also offer some additional services. These include free pick up and drop for damaged devices (in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata only), cashless service from authorised service centres, and standby handsets and chargers. In case of theft, the handset owner will have to get a copy of the FIR filed for loss of handset, and acknowledgment of loss of SIM report as furnished buy the network service provider.

As of now, eight Lumia handsets are available in India: the Lumia 920, 820 costs, 620, 510, 610, 710, 900, and the 800. Keeping the recent price hike post the Union Budget, this is what the premium should come at. Please note that this is indicative pricing and premium amount. Also keep in mind that this scheme is not limited just to Nokia smartphones - but then again, paying Rs 50 for a Rs 4000 handset probably isn't worth it.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Nokia, Lumia, Asha

Meant for users of Nokia's S40 phones and for those of you wanting to get a Lumia like interface on your Asha 305, Asha 306, Asha 308 and Asha 311 feature phones, the Lumia for Asha free app provides a smartphone-like user interface (in the style of Windows Phone 7). This interesting concept by a third-party developer is unlike iPhone and Android themes, and offers an interface usually associated with high-end phones.

    
Lumia-like interface on Nokia Asha.

The app lets Nokia Asha users check battery status, signal strength and even make calls using its own dialer. The best part - it tries to have a go at emulating Live Tiles.

Some of the features that Lumia For Asha provides are:

• Windows Phone Style start screen
• Windows Phone Style dialer
• Battery status updates on Live tile
• Network strength updated on Live tile
• Gallery view similar to that of Windows Phone
• Calendar and downloadable games

Name: Lumia For Asha
Developer: Lexo Systems
File Size: 0.69 MB
Licence: Freeware
Platform: Nokia S40, Asha 305, Asha 306, Asha 308, Asha 311
Download URL: http://store.ovi.com/content/353683

TAGS: Nokia, Lumia, Apps, Software, Downloads

After a lot of anticipation and delays, Nokia has finally launched its budget Lumia 620 in India. Priced at Rs 14,300, it's the most inexpensive Windows Phone 8 device to reach Indian shores. Despite being significantly cheaper than the HTC 8S (which costs Rs 19,000), the Lumia 620 packs in better specs. It also comes with a set of Nokia-exclusive apps such as Cinemagraph, SmartShoot, HERE maps, City Lens, and PhotoBeamer.

Similar to its older sibling the Lumia 820, this one also comes with changeable shells. It's available in cyan, black, white, magenta, yellow, and green variants. The Lumia 620 features a 3.8" ClearBlack screen, and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. Apart from that, you get a 5 megapixel camera, 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB internal storage, and microSD card slot. Detailed specs of the handset are as follows:

• Quad-band 3G (850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz); quad-band GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz).
• 3.8" TFT WVGA ClearBlack screen with pixel dimensions of 480x800.
• 1 GHz Dual-Core Snapdragon S4 processor, 512 MB of RAM.
• 8 GB internal storage.
• 64 GB microSD card support.
• 5 megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash; Video capture: HD 720p at 30fps.
• VGA front camera.
• NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS (Glonass).
• Micro-USB; 3.5mm audio connector
• 4.5" (l) x 2.4" (w) x 0.4" (11.02 mm) (d); weighs 127 grams.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

Nokia's budget Windows Phone, Lumia 620 is now available for pre-order on a couple of ecommerce websites in India. As some of us were expecting, the device is pegged at Rs 15,199. Considering the Lumia 510 has been selling for less than 10k for months, the 620 isn't the cheapest Lumia in the market. However, it's the most inexpensive Windows Phone 8 device to reach the Indian shores. To put things in perspective, the Nokia Lumia 620's closest rival HTC's 8S, costs around Rs 19,000. So let's do a quick features comparison and find out whether this new Lumia can give the HTC 8S a run for its money.


Screen
The Lumia 620's 3.8" screen is slightly smaller than the 4-incher found on the 8S. On the other hand, thanks to Nokia's ClearBlack tech, you can expect deeper blacks on the 620. With pixel dimensions of 480x800, it's not going to be impressively sharp. But, since Windows Phone 8 UI contains mostly tiles and straight lines, the effect of lesser number of pixels is less pronounced to the user.

Design
Similar to its older sibling, the Lumia 820, this phone comes with replaceable outer shells. This design has allowed Nokia to offer user removable battery and microSD card slot. On the other hand, the 8S does not offer easily replaceable battery, but definitely comes out as a winner due to its beautiful polycarbonate unibody design.

Processor And Storage
Both the Lumia 620 and 8S are powered by the 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC. Having reviewed the 8S, I think it's safe to assume that the Lumia 620 won't have a problem handling Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform especially with a WVGA display. Coming to the subject of storage, the HTC 8S packs in 4 GB of storage, whereas the 620 offers 8 GB out of the box. Apart from that, both the handsets have a microSD card slot for additional storage.

OS And Apps
As mentioned in many reviews, the WP interface is a refreshing break from the grid of icons found on rival platforms. Since the OS still lacks a proper navigation app, Nokia compensates for it with its Drive app that offers offline voice guided satellite navigation for free. Other Nokia apps that deserve a mention are City Lens and Photobeamer. On the other hand, HTC doesn't have anything exclusive up its sleeve.

Camera
In photography department, the 620 as well as the 8S sport a 5 megapixel camera. The 8S comes pre-installed with HTC's Photo Enhancer app that offers Instagram-like filters. However, it's no match for Nokia exclusive lenses (camera plugins) such as Cinemagraph and Smart shoot. The 620 also has an edge over the HTC's offering due to the presence of front-facing camera. We will share details about the image quality comparison after we put the Lumia 620 through a thorough grind.

Battery
While the WP platform isn't as battery intensive as Android, Nokia's decision to go with a 1300 mAh battery remains questionable. Since, I haven't tested the phone yet, I would like to hold back my judgement on the same for the time being. However, considering the HTC 8S offers a 1700 mAh battery, the Finnish phone-maker should have gone with a similar capacity.

On paper at least, the Lumia 620 comes out as a better phone than the HTC 8S. Apart from the features, a more aggressive price tag also gives it an edge over the 8S. Those looking to buy a budget smartphone usually don't have much choice but to go with Android phones. Let’s hope that the Nokia Lumia 620 changes that trend. Watch out for a detailed review shortly.

Tags : Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, HTC, Lumia

Nokia introduced its Lumia series of smartphones to designate handsets running Windows Phone OS, when it switched allegiance to the budding new mobile OS. With this move, the company turned its focus away from its trusted-but-ageing and declining Symbian.

The Finnish mobile phone maker started off with two Lumia models - the flagship 800 and the mid-range 710, both running Windows Phone 7.5. Instead of turning to the lower-end market, Nokia then introduced the Lumia 900, which was its flagship WP7.5 phone, and was therefore priced higher than the other two. The Lumia 900 didn't really sell well, and at the time that these models were deemed to be too expensive by most buyers.

Nokia then introduced the Lumia 610 with a stripped down configuration, targeting those who wished for a WP7.5 phone, priced a little under Rs 10,000. Nokia didn't introduce any other WP7.5 phone after that.

When Windows Phone 8 was launched in 2012, Nokia announced the Lumia 920 (its WP8 flagship), 820 (mid-end), and the 510 , which is an entry-level WP7.8 handset. While it was generally felt that all the main price segments have been covered, Nokia later released the Lumia 620 (mid-range), 720 (higher mid-range), and yet another entry-level 520. Of these, the 720 and 520, have been launched at the MWC 2013, and aim to provide Windows Phone 8 smartphones to those who can't afford the more expensive versions.

However, that has created a problem of plenty. There are too many Lumia options for a buyer who wants to pick up a Nokia WP phone. Things get more complicated as the company continues to sell the older Lumia smartphones (based on WP7.5) alongside its new WP8 phones. Even without considering geography-specific special versions that exist, there are now ten Nokia Lumia models.

Nokia's Lumia story, on the whole, gives me a feeling of déjà vu. I remember how Nokia had an insane number of phones a few years ago, with tongue-twisting model numbers that gave me nightmares: I usually had a hard time distinguishing one from the other. However, it seems that the strategy worked at the time: Nokia remained at the top of the mountain, selling the maximum number of phones for several years. Samsung also adopted this strategy (confusing number of phones and model names), and guess what? It worked just as well for the Korean company too. If Nokia plans to revisit its original strategy (of bombarding consumers with insane number of mobile phone models in guise of offering "choices"), then we may witness a resurgence of the Finnish manufacturer. In its defence, the Lumia series at least offers more design variants and colours to show.

For that alone I am ready for the onslaught, even if it means more nightmares. I will only hope that Nokia will go a little bit easy, and space out the launch of the number Lumia of variants.

Tags : Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia

Nokia has launched new basic phone models at the ongoing Mobile World Congress 2013 (MWC 2013) - the Nokia 105 and Nokia 301. These low cost phones are said to cost 15 euros (Rs 1072 ) and 65 Euros (Rs 4641).

Nokia seems to have remembered its "basic phones to capture market share" strategy. Remember that Nokia was a leader in the "affordable phones segment" before it was toppled by the likes of Samsung and Micromax, in India.

The Nokia 105 is expected to be launched in India soon. There is a 1.45" display and is marked for a battery backup of 12.5 hrs on 2G networks. The phone comes with FM Radio, Flashlight and Nokia Life application (Nokia Life is an SMS based, subscription information service designed for emerging markets which offers a wide range of information services covering healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment. The service is currently available in India). Click here to view full tech specs on Nokia's website.

The Nokia 301, is a dual-SIM phone with a 3.2 MP camera and 2.4" display. The Nokia 301 is claimed to provide a talktime of 20hrs on 2G and 6 hrs on 3G. It comes with 64MB internal memory that can be expanded up to 32GB with micro-SD card. Click here for full tech specs. It is expected to be available in India, Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific from the second quarter of this year.

The Nokia 105 is said to weigh in at 70 grams, making it light to carry around. The phone is expected to be available in Black and Cyan colour variants. The Nokia 301 will be a bit heavier in comparison, at 102 grams, but still weighs delightfully low overall.

The Nokia 1280 had recently been launched at a price of approximately Rs 1200. Now with two phones, one being low-cost with the other a somewhat "mid-range" phone, the company is looking at capturing eyeballs in a market it once dominated.

TAGS: Nokia, Mobile Phones, MWC

Nokia seems to be having a field day at this year's MWC as it unveiled two Lumia phones alongside two budget feature phones. While the Lumia 720 falls in the mind-range WP8 handset segment, the Lumia 520 is an entry-level smart phone. Like the 720, this mobile phone also does not feature PureView technology, but its 5 MP camera with autofocus boasts of features such as Cinemagraph, Smart Shoot, and Panorama shots as in its older siblings.

Another feature that the 520 borrows, apart from the design language, from the high-end Lumias is the super sensitive touch technology, which means that you can use the touchscreen wearing gloves or your fingernails with ease.

Here is the full set of specs as mentioned on the product page:

• Windows Phone 8.
• Requires Micro SIM.
• WCDMA 900/2100, 850/1900/2100, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.
• 512 MB RAM.
• 8 GB of internal storage; 7 GB free SkyDrive storage.
• microSD card support for expansion up to 64 GB.
• 4" IPS LCD WVGA, with pixel dimensions of 480x800 (235 ppi).
• Super sensitive touch for fingernail and glove use.
• Orientation, Ambient light sensor.
• 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor.
• 5 MP autofocus camera; supports HD (720p) video recording @ 30fps.
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS (Glonass), 3.5 mm audio jack, Micro USB with charging, USB 2.0.
• 1430 mAh battery, talktime of 14.8 hours on 2G and 9.6 hours on 3G.
• Available Colours: Yellow, Red, Cyan, White, and Black.

Like the 820, the Lumia 520 also comes with exchangeable shells, so you can give it a new look every time you want to. The handset is priced at €139 (Rs 10,000) before taxes and subsidies. The phone is expected to start shipping by March 1st, to Hong Kong and Vietnam. Considering that the product page is up on the Nokia India website, it should arrive here soon.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia, MWC

Nokia has unveiled its spanking new Windows Phone 8 smartphone - Lumia 720 at the MWC in Barcelona, Spain, according to a press release. This smartphone is being portrayed as a trendy and social device that lets you remain online and keep your friends updated with your latest snaps.

While it does not feature PureView technology, it still sports a 6.7 MP Carl Zeiss F/1.9 lens, thus should be a decent snapper. Also, it features a new pre-loaded digital lens known as Glam Me that will let the user edit and fix their photos (whiten teeth, widen eyes, and oversaturate colours, among other things). Additionally, there is also a 1.3 MP wide-angle front camera that can click self-portraits, group shots, and also be used for video chat.

• Windows Phone 8 operating system.
• Quad band GSM 2G, 3G.
• 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4.
• 512 MB RAM.
• 8 GB internal storage, 7 GB cloud storage
• microSD card slot to expand up to 64 GB.
• 4.3" ClearBlack display, with pixel dimensions of 800x480.
• 6.7 MP rear camera with F/1.9 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens and LED flash.
• 1.3 MP F/2.4 wide angle front camera.
• Wi-Fi (with hotspot for 8 connected devices), GPS (with A-GPS), Bluetooth 3.0, Tethering, NFC.
• 2000 mAh battery with wireless charging option.
• 5" (l) x 2.7" (w) x 0.35" (9 mm) (h), 128 grams (weight).

The smartphone sports a polycarbonate unibody design, which is normally a feature reserved for devices in the high-end range such as the 920. However, it is said to be slimmer and lighter than the 920, even though it contains the wireless charging coil that is known to considerably add to the bulk.

The Nokia Lumia 720 is set to initially launch in China and a few European countries, but we can expect it to trickle down to India sooner than later as the company has already put up a product page for the country. The current pricing is estimated at Euros 250 (Rs 18,000) before taxation and subsidies. The Lumia 720 appears to be set to be placed somewhat below the 820 as far as the specs are concerned, so a price tag of under Rs 20,000 for India seems to be a reasonable guesstimate.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia, smartphones

Last year just before the launch of Lumia 820 & 920, images from the press shots were leaked by @evleaks on Twitter and they were accurate to say the least. This time it is no different. We are just a couple of days away from the Mobile World Congress 2013 and new images of mid range Lumia smartphones have been leaked again by the same Twitter handle.

Below you can see the image of Nokia Lumia 520 (codenamed "Zeal") which WPCentral claims to sport a 4-inch touchscreen with a 5 MP rear camera, 512 MB RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a dual-core 1 GHz processor.

Nokia Lumia 520, 2013 twitter.com/evleaks/status…

— @evleaks (@evleaks) February 22, 2013

And here is the image of Lumia 720 (codenamed "Fame") which is claimed of having a 4.3-inch Clear Black display, with 8 GB of internal memory, 512 MB RAM, dual-core 1 GHz processor, 2 MP front camera and a 6 MP rear snapper. It also comes with support for HSPA+ and a microSD card expansion slot. Both the devices are seen to come in an array of different colours.

Nokia Lumia 720, 2013 twitter.com/evleaks/status…

— @evleaks (@evleaks) February 22, 2013

These mid range Windows Phone 8 devices are expected to take the center stage at Nokia's media briefing with possibly some other devices (if any) at MWC 2013.

TAGS: Nokia, Lumia, MWC, rumour, Swagatam

Update: Nokia Asha 310 can now be purchased online from Nokia at Rs 5600, and also from Saholic and Snapdeal for a price of Rs 5500. We had covered the Nokia Asha 310 launch a month earlier, which you can read below.

Feb13: Nokia has announced its next feature phone, the Asha 310, and claims that the device's USP is its ability to provide Wi-Fi and dual-SIM support. It is expected to be priced at $102 (approx Rs 5500), according to a blog on Nokia's website.  

"The powerful combination of Dual SIM plus Wi-Fi in the same device, a first for Nokia smartphones, gives consumers the best of both worlds by offering the flexibility to enjoy more mobile experiences while managing their costs”, stated Nokia in the press relase. Do note that Nokia Asha series does not necessarily fall in to the category of smartphones (by today's standards). More over, the speciality of dual-SIM and Wi-Fi being incorporated in a single device is nothing new, even if it is a first for Nokia (most other smartphone manufacturers have picked this concept up in recent times).

The technical specifications of the Nokia Asha 310 are as under: 

• 3-inch capacitive touchscreen with 400x240 pixels
• Dual-SIM support
• 2 MP  rear camera
• Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, USB connectivity
• 128 MB internal memory expandable with microSD card
• Pre-loaded 4GB memory card, 2GB card in some countries like Brazil

Nokia also states on paper that its Xpress browser included in the Asha 310 saves money by compressing Internet data up to 90 percent. Actually, the Express browser delivers data to Nokia's server, which in turn compresses data and sends it to users' devices, thus resulting in optimization [the mobile browser Opera Mini has been doing this for over three years now].

If you are on the lookout for "budget smartphones", Micromax Ninja A87 running on the Android Gingerbread platform, which has a street price of Rs 6,000 has better specs than the Asha 310.

TAGS: Nokia, Mobile Phones