Showing posts with label features. Show all posts
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3: A Specifications Review
Every now and then Samsung will throw a curve ball at its competitors. Count the Galaxy Mega among those. What was initially thought to be one phone turned out to be two variants under the same name. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 has a 6.3-inch display (duh!) and the other variant comes with a 5.8-inch display and is aptly called Galaxy Mega 5.8.
Both phones will feature Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and dual-core processors, but there are some changes in the specs sheets on either side. For the purpose of this specifications review, we will be focusing on the Galaxy Mega 6.3. Let’s get going. OS – Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz UI That the Mega 6.3 comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is heartening to see in an age when software updates are becoming thinner by the day. However, the latest version of Android has been covered up by TouchWiz's bright, and peppy UI. There are some nifty additions to the interface, which Samsung claims will improve the overall user experience. The homescreen has a cleaner design now and looks less cluttered. The app drawer looks the same as it did on the Galaxy S4, and the cosmetic changes in Samsung’s flagship have been retained in Mega 6.3 as well. The Settings page, for example, now has a tabbed interface, which is a great way to quickly spot what you want to change, instead of scrolling and trying to find the right setting. Samsung has taken Air View and Smart Stay to the next logical step and enhanced their functionality. However, we can foresee users getting confused by the plethora of software features in the phone. Thankfully, they are easily accessible through the two-finger drag on the notification bar. Galaxy Mega will also get the Multi-Window mode that was first seen in the Galaxy Note 2. We expect many of the other features such as S Translator, the bevy of camera apps and the S Health app from the S4 to make an appearance in the Galaxy Mega as well. 
The display is easily the biggest attraction of the Mega 6.3
Cellular connectivity – LTE and 3G (HSPA+) The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 comes with LTE connectivity, but if your region has no 4G infrastructure, it will still support HSPA connectivity. The phone supports Cat 3 LTE, so theoretically you will get download speeds of up to 100Mbps and 50Mbps for uploads. Display – 6.3-inch TFT capacitive display; resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels Of course, with a name like Mega, the smartphone has a giant display. The 6.3-inch display is the largest we have seen on a mainstream smartphone, and it dwarfs the Galaxy Note 2 comfortably. The display has a 720p resolution, which means a pixel density of around 233 ppi. Form factor – Only slightly refreshed Samsung has stuck to the redesigned Galaxy S4 body as a blueprint for the Galaxy Mega 6.3. The smartphone adopts angular lines on the sides, while the slightly rounded bends give it an elegant look. Despite its massive footprint, the Mega cuts a pretty, if somewhat plain, picture. The back of the phone has a very subtle cross-hatch pattern and the sides are covered by a faux-metallic material. We would have preferred actual aluminium, but it would have added greatly to the 199 g bulk. However, despite being slightly heavy, the Mega 6.3 is a very slim device with a depth of 8 mm. All in all, we can’t find many details that look out of place on the device and it should feel like home for Samsung aficionados. Wi-Fi – Packed to the gills In this department, Samsung has thrown in everything that’s top of the line in terms of wireless connectivity. The Galaxy Mega supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n bands along with support for dual-band Wi-Fi. Multimedia content can be sent to your TV thanks to the DLNA, while Wi-Fi Direct can be used to share files with other phones on the same network. SoC – Exynos 5250, dual-core 1.7GHz CPU with Mali-T604 GPU Potential buyers of the Galaxy Mega can expect superb performance from the dual Cortex-A15 cores. The much-talked about Exynos 5410 Octa processor will not be seen here, but the replacement Exynos 5250 is no slouch either. You would have seen the processor being used for the Google Nexus 10 tablet, which was also made by Samsung. The dual-core CPU is clocked at 1.7GHz and it’s coupled with the Mali-T604 GPU. The Galaxy Mega has also been endowed with 1.5GB of RAM.
Internal storage – Two variants with microSD card slot
Users can get either the 8 or 16GB-toting Galaxy Mega and as usual, you will find a microSD card slot to expand the storage up to a further 64GB. That should be more than enough space to load up high-definition movies for viewing on the large display. 
Despite the large display, Samsung has managed to keep the Galaxy Mega 6.3's waistline down to 8 mm
Cameras – 8 megapixel primary camera and 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera While Samsung chose to endow the Galaxy S4 with a 13 megapixel camera, the Mega gets an 8 megapixel unit, which sounds very much like the module used on the Galaxy S3. Despite being a 2012 camera module in a way, the camera should benefit from all the imaging features that Samsung will be packing into the camera firmware. There’s an LED flash along with the primary camera, which should help in low light situations, but don’t expect miracles. Other features include touch focus, face and smile detection, and HDR mode for shooting stills. The front-facing camera is a decent 1.9-megapixel, which should be more than enough for video calls and the odd self-portraits. Details about the maximum video resolution of the front-facing camera have not been revealed. Sensors – The usual suspects The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 has the usual accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass and ambient light sensors. GPS Samsung has been including GLONASS support for a long time now and the Galaxy Mega also benefits from the chip. Along with Assisted GPS, the maps experience on the Galaxy Mega should be great, especially with all that screen real estate. Location lock times will be drastically lower, thanks to the GLONASS support. NFC Galaxy Mega has an NFC chip, which is becoming increasingly prevalent in all manner of devices. It is an essential component in mobile payments and can also be used to establish connections between devices and consequently to share files over Wi-Fi Direct. Battery – Li-Ion 3200 mAh battery Thanks to that large display, the Galaxy Mega 6.3 comes with a generous 3200 mAh battery, which sounds like a dream. Given the specs of the phone, we can safely say that the smartphone will be on for most of the day, unless your average use scenario is watching high-definition videos endlessly. The back of the Galaxy Mega is removable, so you can replace the battery any time you want. 
The 8-megapixel camera is a holdover from the Galaxy S3 era
The bottom line The Galaxy Mega 6.3 will please those who are looking for a Note-like device, but without the added baggage of the S-Pen or the higher price. The large display is a great point in favour of the Mega 6.3. Indeed, from the looks of it, it seems a worthy second fiddle to the Galaxy Note and could very well repeat the success of the Samsung Galaxy Grand in the big phablet segment. If priced between Rs 25,000 and Rs 27,000, the Galaxy Mega 6.3 seems like a winner and could be an attractive alternative to potential phablet buyers. Overall, thanks to the Galaxy S4-like design, the massive displays and large battery capacities, the Galaxy Mega 6.3 sounds like a great proposition on paper. |
Micromax A51 Bolt now available for Rs. 4599
It’s been less than a month since the Micromax A51 Blot was spotted on the official Micromax website. It is finally on sale from online retailers Saholic and Snapdeal. It has a 3.5-inch (320 x 480 pixels) display, powered by a 832 MHz Broadcom processor and runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS. It packs a 2 MP rear camera and a 0.3 MP front-facing camera similar to the A35. Micromax launched the A35 Bolt, the company’s first Android smartphone in the Bolt series back in February.
Micromax A51 Bolt Specifications
- 3.5-inch (320 x 480 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
- 832 MHz Broadcom processor
- Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with Dual Standby
- Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS
- 2MP rear camera, 0.3 MP front-facing camera
- 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
- 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, micro USB
- 256MB RAM, 512MB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
- 1500 mAh battery with up to 4.5 hours talk time, up to 140h standby
Facebook Home now available for select Android devices
Facebook Home Android launcher is now available for select Android devices. The Facebook Home was announced last week, and the HTC First is the first device to come pre-loaded with Facebook Home launcher. The Facebook Home has Cover feed that offers photos and updates from your newsfeed, Notifications, Chat Heads, App Launcher to launch Facebook apps and more. The Facebook app for Android got updated to version 3.1 and the Facebook Messenger got chat heads support in the latest update.
Features of Facebook Home for Android
- Glance at your phone for the latest photos and posts from your friends
- With chat heads and Facebook Messenger, you can keep chatting when you’re using other apps
- See news as it happens with bigger, bolder notifications
- Get right to Facebook, Instagram and other essentials
The official version doesn’t support the Google Nexus 4, but we managed to install the pre-release version on the device early this week to test it out. Check out the Facebook Home hands on demo on the Google Nexus 4
Download the Facebook Home app from Google Play for free. It is available only in the U.S. right now for the HTC One X, One X+, HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2. It would be available for the Samsung Galaxy S4 soon.
LG Optimus G Pro Value Pack upgrade starts, brings Smart Video and Smart Camera features
LG announced the Optimus G Pro Value Pack upgrade last month. The update has started rolling out in Korea that would bring Smart Video feature recognizes the position of the viewer’s eyes and automatically plays or stops the video and the Smart Camera feature, an extension of the Smart Video, would let you capture photographs using both the front and back cameras for a picture-in-picture composition.
The LG Optimus G Pro was unveiled in February, that went on sale in Korea on February 21st. LG announced earlier this month that they have sold over half a million Optimus G Pro units in Korea.
Here is the official video that shows off the main features of the Optimus G Pro Value Pack Upgrade
Smart Video: Recognizes the position of the viewer’s eyes and automatically plays or stops the video without any manual input from the user.Dual Camera: Simultaneously captures photographs of both the subject and the shooter using both the front and back cameras for a picture-in-picture composition.Pause & Resume Recording: Allows the user to pause and start in record mode for one continuous video file.Magic Remote Pad and Text Keypad via the QRemote function. New options for QRemote work specifically with LGSmart TVs to enhance convenience when using Optimus G Pro as a remote control for LG Smart TVs.The Smart LED Lighting outlining the home button of the Optimus G Pro will be upgraded so users can customize the colors to correspond to their favorite contacts. The flashing of the LED in different colors will allow users to identify the source of incoming calls, missed calls, unread messages and emails.The first Color Emoticons in an Android smartphone for more personalized text messages.
The LG Optimus G Pro Value Pack upgrade is now rolling out in Korea gradually for all the three operators, SK Telecom, KT and LG U
Xolo B700 Unboxing
Xolo launched the Xolo B700 with a last month for Rs. 8,999. Here we have the unboxing video of the device. The Xolo B700 features 4.3-inch (960 x 540 pixels) 16M color IPS display with 256 ppi pixel density, powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Mediatek MT6577 processor and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Xolo’s big battery phone the B700 comes in a typical white xolo box.
The box contents include, XOLO B700 handset, 2-pin charger, 3450mAh battery, in-ear earphone, USB cable, user guide and a warranty & safety guide. We have a black handset here. The accessories however are white in color. The B700 is fueled by a 3450mAh Polymer Battery that can give upto 23 hours of calling over a 2G network. The massive battery is the USP of Xolo B700.
The IPS screen measures 4.3 inch diagonally. It has a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels pixels with 256 ppi pixel density.
The handset feels plasticky. It is also light weight at 160 gms.
There are capacitive touch buttons for Home, Menu, Back and Search below the display.
The phone has 0.3MP VGA front-facing camera.
On the right side there is a volume rocker.
On the top there is a power button and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
There is a micro USB slot on the bottom.
The phone is not quite slim. Perhaps because it needs to house the massive battery. The dimensions are 130.5x 66.5x 12.1mm. There is nothing on the left side.
It runs on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.
On the back there is a 5 MP camera with a single LED flash. It is capable of recrording 720 HD videos.
The massive battery fills nearly 90% of the back side. And charging it can take up to 4.5 hrs!
Xolo B700 is dual SIM phone. It supports one 3G and one 2G SIM.
It has 512MB RAM. The internal memory is 4GB, expandable to 32 GB. The memory slot is placed behind cover with the two SIM slots. The connectivity features include, 3G (HSDPA: 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA: 5.7 Mbps), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS.
We will bring you a complete review of the device soon, till then check out more images from the Xolo B700 unboxing below.
Sony Xperia Z officially launched in India
Sony Xperia Z officially launched in India, priced Rs. 38,990
Firstly, the Sony Xperia Z sports a new design language from Sony. It looks quite impressive and it feels really sleek when you hold it in your hands. Apart from the new design Sony has also loaded this device with some great hardware.
The Xperia Z sports a 5-inch display with a 1920×1080 pixels resolution which is powered by Sony’s BRAVIA engine. The smartphone is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor which is clocked at 1.5GHz. In addition to this the device includes 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built0in storage and it has a 2,330 mAh battery. It sports a 13 megapixel rear camera which Sony’s latest Exmor-RS sensor enabling the device shoot HDR videos and stills, it also includes a 1.9 megapixel front facing camera. Regardless of its sleek new design, the Xperia Z features a waterproof and dustproof exoskeleton.
It is equipped with all the key connectivity option including Wi-Fi, 3G, NFC, etc. and it has an microSD card slot for expandable memory. This Sony smartphone runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean right out of the box.
Firstly, the Sony Xperia Z sports a new design language from Sony. It looks quite impressive and it feels really sleek when you hold it in your hands. Apart from the new design Sony has also loaded this device with some great hardware.
The Xperia Z sports a 5-inch display with a 1920×1080 pixels resolution which is powered by Sony’s BRAVIA engine. The smartphone is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor which is clocked at 1.5GHz. In addition to this the device includes 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built0in storage and it has a 2,330 mAh battery. It sports a 13 megapixel rear camera which Sony’s latest Exmor-RS sensor enabling the device shoot HDR videos and stills, it also includes a 1.9 megapixel front facing camera. Regardless of its sleek new design, the Xperia Z features a waterproof and dustproof exoskeleton.
It is equipped with all the key connectivity option including Wi-Fi, 3G, NFC, etc. and it has an microSD card slot for expandable memory. This Sony smartphone runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean right out of the box.
Micromax A91 Ninja Launched
The next model in the Micromax lineup of smartphones is out. The Micromax A91 Ninja is a mid range smartphone that comes loaded with a range of features. This smartphone targets the mid range consumer segment and it comes with an affordable price tag. Micromax’s USP (dual SIM + low cost) is maintained here in this model.
This smartphone comes with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS loaded in it. The 1 GHz dual core processor ensures smooth computing. The 512 MB RAM loaded in the Micromax A91 Ninja helps in easy multitasking. The Micromax A91 Ninja measures only 10 mm in thickness and this makes it easy to carry around. The 4.5-inch display screen of this smartphone offers visuals at 480 x 854 pixels. The 1800 mAh battery loaded in this handset offers enough battery backup.
The 5 MP primary camera of this handset helps in capturing images and videos at good resolution. The 0.3 MP secondary camera helps in video calls. The Micromax A91 Ninja has 4 GB internal memory capability and it is expandable up to 32 GB through a microSD card.
The media features commonly found in mid range smartphones are available in this device. This include media players, games, FM radio and social networking apps etc. User can connect to the internet using 3G, WiFi, EDGE and GPRS platforms. The device comes with an initial price tag of Rs. 9K, which is pretty reasonable considering the features loaded in it.
Micromax A116 Canvas HD vs Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos
5-inch smartphones seem to be the talk of the town these days. You'll find every other company launching a smartphone in this genre in a desperate need to gain the consumer's attention. Samsung, which is balances its high end device portfolio featuring devices such as the Galaxy S III or the Galaxy Note (now Note II) with budget offerings like the Galaxy Ace Plus or Galaxy S Advance, has now taken the middle way and launched the Galaxy Grand Duos in the country priced at Rs. 21,500. Not only does the device offer a good performance but has a popular nationwide brand acceptance.
Micromax, a homegrown manufacturer of budget devices has surprised Indian audiences by challenging the Samsung behemoth and taking the 5-inch category to a whole new level with the A116 Canvas HD and offering the smartphone at a lucrative price of Rs. 13,990. So much so, that 9,000 units of the device were sold out in just 24 hours.
Though we separately reviewed both the Micromax A116 Canvas HD and the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos, we pitted the two devices against each other in a head-on comparison to see which of the two emerged triumphant in the ultimate battle of the 5-inch budget smartphone.
Build/ Design
While the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos draws inspiration from the Note II and the Galaxy S III to a great extent, the Micromax Canvas HD looks more like the Galaxy Nexus and not the Canvas 2 on first impressions.
Design wise, the Galaxy Grand Duos looks like other Samsung devices keeping it plain and simple with a plastic back panel and a glossy finish with a chrome strip running along the perimeter of the device. The Micromax Canvas HD, however, sports dual-colour schemes, the front being white and the back in black that may put a user in the 'like it' or 'leave it' sort of a situation.
Coming to the build quality, the Galaxy Grand Duos is pretty solid and sturdy and in no way feels cheap. However, the same cannot be said for the A116 Canvas HD that overall feels plasticky and could have been better in terms of build quality.
Both 5-inch devices have ports and slots in the right places. While the bottom of the A116 Canvas HD has just the microphone, the Galaxy Grand Duos accommodates an additional Micro-USB port as well.
The former has the notification light, front camera and earpiece above the screen and three capacitive touch keys at the bottom. The latter has the sensors, earpiece and the front camera finding place on the top alongside the Samsung branding and the physical home and capacitive menu and back buttons at the bottom of screen. The back cover of both devices is removable and features the rear camera with LED flash, only differing in the placement.
The Galaxy Grand Duos has an added advantage of a free flip cover the company is offering to protect the screen, apart from a spare back cover as well.
Of the two devices, the A116 Canvas HD is thicker at 10.7mm, though the Galaxy Grand Duos is heavier at 162 grams. It's pretty close between the two when it comes to design. But we'd root forSamsung for offering a more sophisticated look and feel.
Display
This is one of the key strength areas of the A116 Canvas HD. The device wins this round hands down for its IPS screen sporting a resolution of 720x1280 pixels as opposed to the Grand Duos' measly 480x800 pixels on a TFT LCD display. No doubt, the A116 Canvas HD boasts sharper images, text and videos, but contrast issues seem to exist making the images appear washed out.
It's noteworthy that despite a reflective screen, the under sun visibility for the A116 Canvas HD was better than the Galaxy Grand Duos. Micromax also scores here for better and wide viewing angles, but the Galaxy Grand was also decent enough and did not disappoint much. Samsung offered a pleasant experience in reading text, playing games or watching videos for that matter.
Camera
A large number of people are now considering the camera on a smartphone as an important feature. With companies like HTC setting benchmarks, other manufacturers are now beginning to offer anywhere between 5-megapixel to 8-megapixel cameras in decent budget offerings.
Our two contenders feature an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and autofocus capabilities, though the results achieved are quite different. The Galaxy Grand Duos has a similar sensor as seen on the Galaxy S II that produces detailed and crisp images with almost accurate colour reproduction, including macro shots. Also, you'd experience next to zero shutter lag while clicking stills. Indoor shots are however, only average.
On the other hand, the A116 Canvas HD tends to overexpose images with greater whites and also making them appear dull. The device offers burst mode, but again, there is a lag between two consecutive shots. Both these devices feature a 2-megapixel front camera as well. While the Canvas HD offers 720p recording, the Galaxy Grand Duos is restricted to 480p.
Both have their own set of software features, though Panorama is a miss on the A116 Canvas HD. In the end, the Galaxy Grand Duos claims this section for overall better image quality.
Software/ UI
Both devices ship with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy Grand, however, is layered with a polished TouchWiz UI offering a fluid interface and a smooth experience. A combination of both offers deeper social integration and various options compared to the stock Android apps.
Samsung exclusive features such as Smart Stay, S Planner, S Memo, S Voice, S Suggest, Chat On, Games Hub and myServices along with an array of motion based gestures make the experience worthwhile.
The device also comes with certain Premium Suite features like Multi Window, Facebook Lock Ticker, Contextual Menu and Tag, Page Buddy and Sound Balance amongst others. In addition to the Google Play Store, the device also features Samsung's Apps Store offering additional assortment of apps.
Micromax has a different UI layering the stock Android Jelly Bean, noticeable in some elements like the app icons and the notification tray. But the experience is closer to raw Android.
The company has also included some of its own apps such as content stores - M! Store and M! Live and services store - M! Zone, in addition to its messaging app, HookUp, and friends locator app, M! Buddy and a few 'try and buy' games (Fruit Devil, Cricket Fever). It also has FM Radio and recording. Users can always head over to the Google Play Store for more.
User Interface depends from person-to-person. But amongst the two, the Galaxy Grand Duos wins for the sheer variety and exclusivity of Samsung features that offer a premium user experience in better-packaged software.
Performance
If you're shelling out a decent amount of money for a smartphone, the least you'd expect is that it deliver when it comes to gaming, watching videos or multitasking. So how do the two opponents fair in this section? Let's take a look.
The A116 Micromax Canvas HD is powered by a 1.2GHz MediaTek MT6589 quad-core processor with 1GB RAM onboard and a PowerVR SGX544MP GPU. It's needless to say that it's snappier and currently the best in its category for the price tag it carries. Multitasking is handled pretty well by the device.
The Galaxy Grand Duos is powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor coupled with 1GB RAM. There are no lags whatsoever when playing games, watching games, browsing the web or simply switching apps.
Micromax Canvas HD comes with 4GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card, while the Galaxy Grand Duos claims 8GB, with only 4GB of user accessible storage that is expandable by an additional 64GB and 50GB of free Dropbox storage as well. The company is also offering Rs. 8,000 worth of movies and music from the myServices app.
Certain users reported frequent reboots on the A116 Canvas HD, but we didn't experience any such issues with our unit. When it comes to the Grand Duos, the place where it hurts most apart from the display (which is still acceptable) is the battery life. The 2,100mAh battery of the device maxes out in about 6 hours with various activities especially watching videos.
The Canvas HD allows you to squeeze enough juice from the 2,000mAh battery lasting an entire day with heavy device usage. Of course, better productivity can be achieved on customising various settings like brightness etc on both devices.
The video watching experience on the Canvas HD is better than the Grand Duos courtesy the sharper HD display. But the Grand Duos doesn't completely disappoint. It's just about average. The audio quality on both devices is better with the bundled earphones than on the loudspeaker.
In a holistic sense, the performance of both devices are almost at par but by the narrowest of margins, we'd give this one to the Micromax A116 Canvas HD.
Verdict
After having gone through the comparison, you'd figure that the devices are head strong in their own set of domains. While the Galaxy Grand Duos scores in the design, camera and software features, the A116 Canvas HD outperforms its opponent in the performance and display sections, that are the vital aspects of a smartphone buying decision. The biggest disappointments for the Galaxy Grand Duos are the battery and display.
Coming to the price points, the A116 Canvas HD is being offered at Rs. 13,990 as opposed to an expensive Galaxy Grand Duos at Rs. 21,500. The former is a power performer in a budget, while the latter banks upon the Samsung branding. Both devices are good performers in their own sense.
So if you're a budget conscious user looking for high-end specs in a device, the A116 Canvas HD is the best choice for now. But if you're willing to forego battery life and display, not to forget spending close to 8 grand more, then you could consider the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos.
Micromax, a homegrown manufacturer of budget devices has surprised Indian audiences by challenging the Samsung behemoth and taking the 5-inch category to a whole new level with the A116 Canvas HD and offering the smartphone at a lucrative price of Rs. 13,990. So much so, that 9,000 units of the device were sold out in just 24 hours.
Though we separately reviewed both the Micromax A116 Canvas HD and the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos, we pitted the two devices against each other in a head-on comparison to see which of the two emerged triumphant in the ultimate battle of the 5-inch budget smartphone.
Build/ Design
While the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos draws inspiration from the Note II and the Galaxy S III to a great extent, the Micromax Canvas HD looks more like the Galaxy Nexus and not the Canvas 2 on first impressions.
Design wise, the Galaxy Grand Duos looks like other Samsung devices keeping it plain and simple with a plastic back panel and a glossy finish with a chrome strip running along the perimeter of the device. The Micromax Canvas HD, however, sports dual-colour schemes, the front being white and the back in black that may put a user in the 'like it' or 'leave it' sort of a situation.
Coming to the build quality, the Galaxy Grand Duos is pretty solid and sturdy and in no way feels cheap. However, the same cannot be said for the A116 Canvas HD that overall feels plasticky and could have been better in terms of build quality.
Both 5-inch devices have ports and slots in the right places. While the bottom of the A116 Canvas HD has just the microphone, the Galaxy Grand Duos accommodates an additional Micro-USB port as well.The former has the notification light, front camera and earpiece above the screen and three capacitive touch keys at the bottom. The latter has the sensors, earpiece and the front camera finding place on the top alongside the Samsung branding and the physical home and capacitive menu and back buttons at the bottom of screen. The back cover of both devices is removable and features the rear camera with LED flash, only differing in the placement.
The Galaxy Grand Duos has an added advantage of a free flip cover the company is offering to protect the screen, apart from a spare back cover as well.
Of the two devices, the A116 Canvas HD is thicker at 10.7mm, though the Galaxy Grand Duos is heavier at 162 grams. It's pretty close between the two when it comes to design. But we'd root forSamsung for offering a more sophisticated look and feel.
Display
This is one of the key strength areas of the A116 Canvas HD. The device wins this round hands down for its IPS screen sporting a resolution of 720x1280 pixels as opposed to the Grand Duos' measly 480x800 pixels on a TFT LCD display. No doubt, the A116 Canvas HD boasts sharper images, text and videos, but contrast issues seem to exist making the images appear washed out.
It's noteworthy that despite a reflective screen, the under sun visibility for the A116 Canvas HD was better than the Galaxy Grand Duos. Micromax also scores here for better and wide viewing angles, but the Galaxy Grand was also decent enough and did not disappoint much. Samsung offered a pleasant experience in reading text, playing games or watching videos for that matter.Camera
A large number of people are now considering the camera on a smartphone as an important feature. With companies like HTC setting benchmarks, other manufacturers are now beginning to offer anywhere between 5-megapixel to 8-megapixel cameras in decent budget offerings.
Our two contenders feature an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and autofocus capabilities, though the results achieved are quite different. The Galaxy Grand Duos has a similar sensor as seen on the Galaxy S II that produces detailed and crisp images with almost accurate colour reproduction, including macro shots. Also, you'd experience next to zero shutter lag while clicking stills. Indoor shots are however, only average.
On the other hand, the A116 Canvas HD tends to overexpose images with greater whites and also making them appear dull. The device offers burst mode, but again, there is a lag between two consecutive shots. Both these devices feature a 2-megapixel front camera as well. While the Canvas HD offers 720p recording, the Galaxy Grand Duos is restricted to 480p.
Both have their own set of software features, though Panorama is a miss on the A116 Canvas HD. In the end, the Galaxy Grand Duos claims this section for overall better image quality.
Software/ UI
Both devices ship with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy Grand, however, is layered with a polished TouchWiz UI offering a fluid interface and a smooth experience. A combination of both offers deeper social integration and various options compared to the stock Android apps.
Samsung exclusive features such as Smart Stay, S Planner, S Memo, S Voice, S Suggest, Chat On, Games Hub and myServices along with an array of motion based gestures make the experience worthwhile.
The device also comes with certain Premium Suite features like Multi Window, Facebook Lock Ticker, Contextual Menu and Tag, Page Buddy and Sound Balance amongst others. In addition to the Google Play Store, the device also features Samsung's Apps Store offering additional assortment of apps.
Micromax has a different UI layering the stock Android Jelly Bean, noticeable in some elements like the app icons and the notification tray. But the experience is closer to raw Android.The company has also included some of its own apps such as content stores - M! Store and M! Live and services store - M! Zone, in addition to its messaging app, HookUp, and friends locator app, M! Buddy and a few 'try and buy' games (Fruit Devil, Cricket Fever). It also has FM Radio and recording. Users can always head over to the Google Play Store for more.
User Interface depends from person-to-person. But amongst the two, the Galaxy Grand Duos wins for the sheer variety and exclusivity of Samsung features that offer a premium user experience in better-packaged software.
Performance
If you're shelling out a decent amount of money for a smartphone, the least you'd expect is that it deliver when it comes to gaming, watching videos or multitasking. So how do the two opponents fair in this section? Let's take a look.
The A116 Micromax Canvas HD is powered by a 1.2GHz MediaTek MT6589 quad-core processor with 1GB RAM onboard and a PowerVR SGX544MP GPU. It's needless to say that it's snappier and currently the best in its category for the price tag it carries. Multitasking is handled pretty well by the device.
The Galaxy Grand Duos is powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor coupled with 1GB RAM. There are no lags whatsoever when playing games, watching games, browsing the web or simply switching apps.
Micromax Canvas HD comes with 4GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card, while the Galaxy Grand Duos claims 8GB, with only 4GB of user accessible storage that is expandable by an additional 64GB and 50GB of free Dropbox storage as well. The company is also offering Rs. 8,000 worth of movies and music from the myServices app.
Certain users reported frequent reboots on the A116 Canvas HD, but we didn't experience any such issues with our unit. When it comes to the Grand Duos, the place where it hurts most apart from the display (which is still acceptable) is the battery life. The 2,100mAh battery of the device maxes out in about 6 hours with various activities especially watching videos.The Canvas HD allows you to squeeze enough juice from the 2,000mAh battery lasting an entire day with heavy device usage. Of course, better productivity can be achieved on customising various settings like brightness etc on both devices.
The video watching experience on the Canvas HD is better than the Grand Duos courtesy the sharper HD display. But the Grand Duos doesn't completely disappoint. It's just about average. The audio quality on both devices is better with the bundled earphones than on the loudspeaker.
In a holistic sense, the performance of both devices are almost at par but by the narrowest of margins, we'd give this one to the Micromax A116 Canvas HD.
Verdict
After having gone through the comparison, you'd figure that the devices are head strong in their own set of domains. While the Galaxy Grand Duos scores in the design, camera and software features, the A116 Canvas HD outperforms its opponent in the performance and display sections, that are the vital aspects of a smartphone buying decision. The biggest disappointments for the Galaxy Grand Duos are the battery and display.
Coming to the price points, the A116 Canvas HD is being offered at Rs. 13,990 as opposed to an expensive Galaxy Grand Duos at Rs. 21,500. The former is a power performer in a budget, while the latter banks upon the Samsung branding. Both devices are good performers in their own sense.
So if you're a budget conscious user looking for high-end specs in a device, the A116 Canvas HD is the best choice for now. But if you're willing to forego battery life and display, not to forget spending close to 8 grand more, then you could consider the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos.
