 "Top speed on the information highway")
With Bharti Airtel rolling out its fouth-generation (4G) Internet service across the country, technology-hungry India has finally been served the high-speed connectivity it had been craving. Other service providers, too, are in the process of upgrading to 4G, and 3G might just become a dull option soon. The author lists some smartphones that will take you to the next level
Apple iPhone 6
Price: Rs 54,999 (128GB)
Talk of high-end smartphones and the first device that comes to mind is Apple's latest offering, the iPhone 6. The company finally decided to move on to a bigger screen with this 4.7-inch beast. The look and feel of iOS 8 backed by dual-core 1.4Ghz Cyclone processor, 1GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage is top-notch. You might not find better image quality than what the 750x1334 pixel (326ppi) screen offers. Features like FaceTime, time lapse and slow-mo add that extra bit to the device. And, if these do not interest you enough, the Apple logo at the back of the device might draw your and onlookers' attention.
Price: Rs 46,500 (32GB)
Many say this is the best-looking smartphone available. I would agree. A full-metal chassis and smooth gold frame with dual 20MP and 2.1MP camera on the back. Wait, there's more. The device has a 5.2-inch Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen (1440x2560p, Rs 534 ppi), and octa-core 2.2 GHz Mediatek MT6795T, with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, which can be expanded to up to 128GB. Also, the HTC Sense 7.0 UI has enough new features to make it one of the best covers on Android phones.
Price: Rs 49,000 (64GB)
If you love huge phablets, Motorola's Nexus 6 is the one for you. At 5.96 inches, its huge AMOLED screen offers a brilliant viewing experience. Despite the size of the device, its 3,220mAh battery survives for at least 10 hours on average usage. Also, gamers will enjoy using this device, as its powerful 2.7GHz quad-core processor, backed by a 3GB RAM and 64GB of internal memory, ensures smooth functioning.
Price: Rs 47, 900
When Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, people said it had done a Samsung - in terms of the form factor. But Samsung seems to have done an Apple with the Galaxy S6 Edge, in terms of looks. The market reaction to the S6 line was lukewarm; it wasn't a revolutionary phone, they said. That might be true. But the S6 range is the best-designed one to come from the Korean giant's stable. Plus, it checks all the boxes for flagships. And, the Edge is a guaranteed head-turner.
Price: Rs 51,000
If you like flagship phones with "old-world features", this is your only bet. Expandable memory? Check. Removable battery? Check. If that wasn't enough, this 5.5-inch smartphone sports a fabulous camera with manual controls, packs a punch (hexa-core processor with 3GB of RAM) and picks utility value over gimmicks. Did I mention the clarity in calls made on the G4 is amazing? And the front camera is great for video calls (especially when made on 4G).
Apple iPhone 6
Price: Rs 54,999 (128GB)
Talk of high-end smartphones and the first device that comes to mind is Apple's latest offering, the iPhone 6. The company finally decided to move on to a bigger screen with this 4.7-inch beast. The look and feel of iOS 8 backed by dual-core 1.4Ghz Cyclone processor, 1GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage is top-notch. You might not find better image quality than what the 750x1334 pixel (326ppi) screen offers. Features like FaceTime, time lapse and slow-mo add that extra bit to the device. And, if these do not interest you enough, the Apple logo at the back of the device might draw your and onlookers' attention.
Price: Rs 46,500 (32GB)
Many say this is the best-looking smartphone available. I would agree. A full-metal chassis and smooth gold frame with dual 20MP and 2.1MP camera on the back. Wait, there's more. The device has a 5.2-inch Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen (1440x2560p, Rs 534 ppi), and octa-core 2.2 GHz Mediatek MT6795T, with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, which can be expanded to up to 128GB. Also, the HTC Sense 7.0 UI has enough new features to make it one of the best covers on Android phones.
Price: Rs 49,000 (64GB)
If you love huge phablets, Motorola's Nexus 6 is the one for you. At 5.96 inches, its huge AMOLED screen offers a brilliant viewing experience. Despite the size of the device, its 3,220mAh battery survives for at least 10 hours on average usage. Also, gamers will enjoy using this device, as its powerful 2.7GHz quad-core processor, backed by a 3GB RAM and 64GB of internal memory, ensures smooth functioning.
Price: Rs 47, 900
When Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, people said it had done a Samsung - in terms of the form factor. But Samsung seems to have done an Apple with the Galaxy S6 Edge, in terms of looks. The market reaction to the S6 line was lukewarm; it wasn't a revolutionary phone, they said. That might be true. But the S6 range is the best-designed one to come from the Korean giant's stable. Plus, it checks all the boxes for flagships. And, the Edge is a guaranteed head-turner.
Price: Rs 51,000
If you like flagship phones with "old-world features", this is your only bet. Expandable memory? Check. Removable battery? Check. If that wasn't enough, this 5.5-inch smartphone sports a fabulous camera with manual controls, packs a punch (hexa-core processor with 3GB of RAM) and picks utility value over gimmicks. Did I mention the clarity in calls made on the G4 is amazing? And the front camera is great for video calls (especially when made on 4G).