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At first glance the Nokia Lumia 820 looks like its elder sibling, the 920, but then you see that you have to take the back cover off to install the microSIM. "Wow, you can actually open it up and put in an external memory card. Wish my Lumia could do that," a veteran Lumia user passing by said.
After I set up the 820, what was impressive was that I had all my contacts on tap, thanks to the fact that I use the same account with my Windows 8 desktop.
Nokia phones are generally quite good with calls, and this one's no different. The 820 can connect to dual-band Wi-Fi and pulling videos off the home media server and playing them on the phone was no hassle, provided both devices were part of the same Windows Homegroup.
The 820's screen is good enough to use in the sun but not as good as the 920's. Also, we've seen higher resolutions on screens in this price bracket. The touch interface is pretty good as well. But if the phone's on standby (and on silent), there's no way to know if you've got mail or any other notification unless you wake it up.
One thing we noticed with the phone was if you turned down its volume, alarms were muted as well, which isn't particularly helpful if you've that early flight to catch. The phone comes bundled with some pretty useful apps such as the Here Drive and Here Maps, which were quite accurate in Delhi. And best of all, the maps are available offline.
The 820 doesn't come with an FM radio, but with Nokia Music. For a year, the user is given access to unlimited downloads from the Nokia store, which had an eclectic collection.
The 8 MP camera is good enough for those candid shots both indoors and outdoors. The front camera is good for video chats but we've seen better on Android phones in this range.
Gaming or multitasking doesn't show lag but Windows Store doesn't have as many games as competing app stores. The 820 supports wireless charging (but the charging back cover needs to be purchased separately) and back covers in multiple colours. With moderate usage, it lasts more than a day.
The 820 is good enough to withstand falls. I would probably buy the phone, but only if it is available near Rs 20,000.
Abhik Sen
NOKIA LUMIA 820
Price: Rs 27,559
Screen: 4.3-inch 800 x 480 multi-touch
OS: Windows Phone 8
RAM: 1GB
Processor: 1.5GHz dual core
Memory: 8GB internal, expandable via microSD
Camera (rear/front): 8MP/VGA with HD recording (rear camera)
Battery: 1,650mAh (user-replaceable)
Weight: 160g
Google's answer to the iPad mini
The Google Nexus 7 has landed. At last. Months after Google shook up the Android tablet space with its answer (okay made by ASUS) to the iPad mini, us Indians will be able to get our hands dirty with this product the legal way.
The device, with its patterned black back, gives off a sober look and provides a good grip. For a butter-fingers-from-birth person like me, that is a godsend. The Nexus 7 features a minimum of buttons and ports - the power/lock button, the volume rocker, the microUSB port and a headphone port. The 3G model also features a microSIM slot.
If you want to add some colours, ASUS provides back covers in several colours.
Turn it on and unadulterated Android 4.2.2 greets you. Many Google apps, including Google Now are pre-installed. The NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM ensures a zippy experience even with several windows open. In fact, I didn't even realise that so many apps were open in the background till I opened Advanced Task Killer, not because I experienced any lag, but because I just wanted to find out how many apps were open.
Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfer ran very well, though I've seen brighter screens and better contrasts on Android tabs. But the IPS display has good viewing angles and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. So no scratches.
The tab is light, weighing a shade below 350 gm, and the form factor is even smaller than the iPad mini. Using Play Books to read old classics, which can be freely downloaded from the store, was a pleasure and thankfully it supports rival Amazon's Kindle app.
Browsing was also fast with no lag even after I had opened over a dozen tabs. HD videos on YouTube played without any stuttering. The speakers are quite loud as well.
The Nexus 7 features a 1.2 MP front camera, good enough for video chats, but nothing else.
The tab also features NFC (near field communication). Basically, with this turned on, you can tap the phone on another NFC-enabled device and exchange information. If your friend has a Nexus tab as well, with Android Beam turned on, you can exchange media and web pages opened on one device with another.
With moderate browsing, Wi-Fi turned on at all times and moderate gaming, we were able to extract more than a day on a full charge. I figure under normal usage it may last longer.
So in the short time we had the Nexus 7, did we love or hate it. We loved most parts of it - the form factor, the viewing angles, the weight , and of course the powerful hardware. But there are a couple of grouses. One, it doesn't have expandable memory (which might not hamper your experience but its good to have that option at the price range) and two, a better (rear) camera, as is available at this price range. Otherwise, a great product.
Abhik Sen
GOOGLE NEXUS 7
by ASUS
Price: Rs 21,999 (3G)/ Rs 18,999 (Wi-Fi)
Screen: 7-inch 1280x800 WXGA 10-point multi-touch IPS
OS: Android 4.2.2, RAM: 1GB
Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.2GHz quad core
Memory: 32GB internal, not expandable
Camera (rear/front): NA/1.2MP
Battery: 16Wh Li-Polymer
The Sony Xperia ZL isn’t as powerful as the Z, but costs nearly as much
On the first glance, the phone looks pretty much like the Z except that it has a plastic body and is a bit curvy. The ZL isn’t waterproof or dustproof – which is one of the USPs of the Z. The Xperia ZL has many things common with the Z, it comes the same 5 inch full HD display – which by the way is excellent — 13MP camera and runs on a 1.5GHz quad core processor.
Even though the screen size is same as the Z, the ZL doesn’t look that big. The Z at times is a bit difficult to use because of its size but there’s no such problem with the ZL.
It’s tough not to compare both the phones but even without the comparisons, the ZL is a sturdy device. It runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and the display is a clincher in itself. The colours are bright and vibrant and although in sunlight you might have to squint a bit, it’s still better than its competitors.
The camera gives more than commendable shots and the Auto mode more or less picks appropriate setting to capture – even in low light. The front camera is 2.1MP, just like on any other comparable device. The Stamina Mode of the battery is another eye-catching feature of the ZL. In fact, overall, the battery life of the ZL is extremely good for a smart phone. The stamina mode extends battery life and doesn’t allow apps to drain the battery and tells you how long it will last on standby.
The ZL is a very good phone but there is a good chance that both Sony models will end up cannibalising each other. The phone will do well but would have done exceptionally well, if the price point would have been close to Rs 30,000.
Aabhas Sharma
SONY XPERIA ZL
Price: Rs 36,990
Screen: 5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 full HD multi-touch
OS: Android 4.1.2
RAM: 2GB
Processor: 1.5GHz quad core
Memory: 16GB internal, expandable via microSD
Camera (rear/front): 13MP/2MP with full HD recording
Battery: 2,370mAh Li-Polymer (non-removable)
Weight: 151g
