Micromax Canvas 4 up for preorder from today

Micromax already has Indian users in a tiger’s grip as compared to other budget smartphone companies. Now, the company looks to step it up a bit with the release of it’s fourth flagship, the Micromax Canvas 4.

Micromax Canvas 4 is up for preorder from today from Micromax’s official website.

Many rumors across the net portray that the Canvas 4 has mind blowing specifications. The device will have a 5 or 5.5 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display, which is to be powered by a Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex A7 processor. The graphics would be governed by a respectable PowerVR Series 5XT GPU. For taking good snaps, the device will house a 13 MP rear shooter and an expected 3.2 or 5 MP front shooter. Memory units are well equipped with 2 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal memory and  a provision for microSD. It will be juiced by a powerful 3000 mAh battery. Connectivity options include 3G, NFC, WiFi, Bluetooth. There is also a provision for Dual SIM. The device will run Android 4.2.2 JellyBean.

Micromax Canvas 4 leaked specifications:

• 5 or 5.5 inch Full HD screen


• 2 GHz Quad-core Cortex A7 processor


• PowerVR Series 5XT GPU


• 13 MP Primary camera


• 3.2 or 5 MP secondary camera


• 2 GB RAM


• 8 GB internal storage


• Android 4.2.2 JellyBean


• 3G, Bluetooth,Wifi, NFC


• Dual SIM


• 3000 mAh

The Micromax Canvas 4 is said to come with a naughty and unique “Blow to unlock” feature. What have you got next Micromax, “Kiss to Unlock”.

Micromax Canvas 4 price information and release date:

Micromax Canvas 4 is up for preorders from today that is 28 th June from Micromax’s official website. However, the official launch of the phone is on 8 th July.

Micromax Canvas 4 is expected to be priced around 15990.

Micromax Canvas 4 images:

What’s new in Windows 8.1?

Windows 8 certainly had consumers using touch oriented devices happy. However, it failed to make an impact on devices featuring a keyboard and mouse interface, which is the lion’s share of devices using Windows 8. As a result, many were unhappy with the not-so-friendly interface for keyboard and mouse. All apart, Windows 8 is certainly a much more lighter and fluid OS than the Windows 7, not to mention the faster boot time.

Let us scan through the major changes bought about in Windows 8.1

The Savior, the Start Menu

The new version that is Windows 8, comes with what you may call a satisfactory substitute for a start menu placed at the lower left corner of the screen.

The absence of a start menu is one of the biggest nemesis present in Windows 8. The new version that is Windows 8, comes with what you may call a satisfactory substitute for a start menu placed at the lower left corner of the screen. A left click on it will cause a start menu to pop up, you can run or search applications by typing there. It is not the same start menu we saw in Windows 7. Right clicking on it will lead to shortcuts to the Control Panel, Search, Task Manager and other system tools.

Boot directly to Desktop

Another irritating aspect of Windows 8 is booting leads you to the metro tiled menu but not to your desktop. What user did not like is pressing the windows key every time to switch to desktop. Windows 8.1 has the solution, with an ability to boot directly to desktop.

Xbox Music Redesigned

Xbox Music gets a more refined interface. The left panel allows you to surf different artists and play songs from your playlist and the right panel lets you stream content, watch videos etc.

Snap View function

Now run more apps simultaneously on the same screen. Run up to 4 apps at once provided you have enough screen resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels). You can even connect another monitor to run around 8 apps at once.

Upgraded Search Bar

The search bar has been spiced up with new features. Now get universal results from files, SkyDrive, apps and web. You can also play music directly from the search bar. On searching artists, it provides all their albums on the right panel and a large photo of the artist on the left.

Personalization

Now personalize the Start Screen and Lock screen through a variety of colours and themes available. This basically let’s you customize your desktop to your liking.

Improved Camera App

Now, the camera app is not the same bogus app that was used just to crop pictures, it now comes loaded with photo editing tools too.

New Windows Store App

The market looks much more pleasing than before with precisely spaced tiles.

Overall, the Windows 8.1 may not be a giant leap from the previous version, but it is definitely a step closer to making user experience better on non touch devices.

Sources: CNET and official windows website

 

Nokia Asha 501 vs Samsung Galaxy Star Duos, low-cost smartphone comparison

This is a comparison between two budget phones that are in the market. I feel that for phones of this cost price, the features they are packing are pleasantly surprising. As you go further down in this article you’ll understand what I’m talking about. It is a tough call to decide between the two phones from the price point of view as they are more or less in the same range. A closer look at the specifications will help you decide which one suits best. Today the battle is on between two tough contenders. In one corner of the boxing ring we have Nokia Asha 501 (specifications) and on the other side we have Samsung Galaxy Star duos (specifications). Let the battle begin and may the best phone win.

Display:

All the pictures that you take would look much deeper and clearer in the Asha 501 than on the Star Duos.

Both of them sport a 3″ display. If the screen size is your only criteria, you might be wondering which one to choose here. A closer look might help you decide. Although both devices have the same pixel density of 133 ppi, Nokia Asha 501′s screen has 256k colours as opposed to the Galaxy Star Duos’ mere 65k. So all the pictures that you take would look much deeper and clearer in the Asha 501 than on the Star Duos and this is a very tangible difference. If you are very particular about the screen quality, go for Nokia Asha 501.

Nokia Asha 501=4\10

Samsung Galaxy Star=3.4\10 (Sadly lost because of colors)

Sound and Memory:

The Asha 501 is no match to the Galaxy Star in terms of memory.

Sound wise, both the phones sport a loud speaker and a 3.5mm universal jack for listening to music. Going by my personal experience with Nokia and Samsung, the former is a clear winner. After all, it was Nokia who pioneered the Express Music technology. Though Samsung’s music app flashes a warning when you turn up the volume more than a certain level, it does nothing to enhance sound quality.

The Asha 501 is no match to the Galaxy Star in terms of memory. The Nokia Asha 501 has a 64MB RAM, an internal memory of 128MB ( the numbers are quite appalling). These figures may have been revolutionary in a smartphone a decade ago. Sadly, they don’t cut it right now. Offering a free 4 GB microSD card hardly sweetens the deal. Thankfully, memory can be expanded externally upto 32 GB. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Star duos has a 512MB RAM and a 4GB internal storage. Plus it also has a micro SD which can be expanded up to 32GB.

Nokia Asha 501=2\10 (even though you have high quality music, you need space to store it which the Asha lacks)

Samsung Galaxy Star duos=4.2\10 (For RAM and internal storage)

OS and Processor:

Samsung’s 1 GHz Cortex A5 that gives the Galaxy Star a head start in this segment until further details are confirmed.

Coming to the OS, if you are a regular Nokia Asha user and are comfortable with the software platform 1.0, then you can go ahead and pick up the Nokia Asha 501. The platform is pretty basic and needs to pack some punch to come anywhere close to current competition. The OS on the Samsung Galaxy Star Duos is Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean – the tried, tested and much loved platform out there. Topped off with some customization, Samsung’s Touchwiz UI is quite catchy.

The Nokia Asha 501 is rumored to use a processor clocked somewhere in between 800 MHz to 1 GHz. This comes almost neck-to-neck with Samsung’s 1 GHz Cortex A5 that gives the Galaxy Star a head start in this segment until further details are confirmed.

Nokia Asha 501=4\10 (only for its OS cause they made an effort)

Samsung Galaxy Star duos=4.6\10 (overall performance)

Build and Camera:

Nokia trumps Samsung in the camera segment.

In this round the Nokia Asha 501 has thrown a curve ball at Samsung. Over the years, there has not been much activity over at Samsung’s design camp. Compared to the efforts that go into software and internal innovation, the outer look has remained strangely unchanged. Nokia, however, racks up the score here. Known for vibrant and wacky hues on its phones, this one is no different. Coming in a wide range of bright pastels, the Asha 501 cluster is pure eye-candy for the fashion forward. The design is innovative, ergonomical and compelling. A few likenesses to the Lumia range lends a premium air.

Nokia trumps Samsung in the camera segment also. At face value, 3.15 MP scores over a 2 MP on the Galaxy Star. Adding to the Finnish brand’s score is a 2048×1536 pixels resolution pitted well against 1600×1200.

Nokia Asha 501=5.8\10 (for the build quality and amazing inventiveness)

Samsung Galaxy Star duos=4\10 (for the poor camera)

Connectivity and Battery:

Although both are pretty much on the same level on connectivity options, there are a few ups and downs.

Although both are pretty much on the same level on connectivity options, there are a few ups and downs. Nokia doesn’t offer a facility to create portable hotspot and also, the Bluetooth version is 3.0 as opposed to Samsung’s 4.0. Being able to share WiFi and have the power of quick file transfers does make all the difference.

The battery of both the phones is rated at 1200 mAh but Nokia has a legacy of having a longer run as compared to other brands. It is reportedly the same here as Samsung is a good 4 hours short on talktime in this comparison. This may be attributed the power-hungry processor and OS that the Galaxy Star runs.

Nokia Asha 501=2.5\10 (for feature’s cut down)

Samsung Galaxy Star duos=2.7\10 (for good connectivity)

Conclusion:

Both phones score well, albeit on different fronts. It is indeed prudent not to judge a book by it’s cover as the Nokia Asha 501′s vibrant aesthetics aren’t reflected in its insides. A rather unassuming yet sophisticated Samsung Galaxy Star Duos takes the cake with its long list of good specifications and added features, courtesy the popular UI. Utility wise, the Galaxy Star would be a good choice.

Total score:

Nokia Asha 501=18.3\50

Samsung Galaxy Star duos=18.9\50

On the whole, Samsung has beaten Nokia, though by a very small margin but that makes a difference. Personally I feel that Samsung needs to pick up a few design tweaks from its counterparts. I would be really glad to see a device with the performance of  Samsung and looks of  Nokia. How many of you think that this is a good idea? Let me know.

Nokia Asha 501 price in India and online availability:

Nokia Asha 501 is arriving in India next week, the device is available for pre-order on Flipkart for Rs.5,299.

Samsung Galaxy Star Duos price in India and online availablity:

Samsung Galaxy Star Duos is available on online retailer Tradus for lowest online price of Rs.4,973.

Nokia Asha 501 up for pre-order, Priced at Rs. 5299

Nokia Asha 501 is up for pre-order on Nokia India Shop for a price of Rs. 5199. The device is also listed on Flipkart for a price of Rs. 5299. Nokia had announced the Asha 501 in the second week of May. This new Asha series aims at getting smartphone like features in a low end phone.

Nokia Asha 501 specifications:

The phone runs on Series 40 Nokia OS and comes with SWIPE UI. There are a lot of apps that come pre-loaded. All the most apps like Facebook,  LinkedIn, Foursquare, Twitter are pre-loaded. There is WiFi on board and a Nokia Xpress Browser allowing you to browse the net. The phone supports Dual SIM.

 

The on board memory is 128 MB but there is a 4GB microSD card pre-loaded with the phone for free. There is a 1200 mAh battery (removable) that gives 624 hours of 2G standby time  and 56 hours of music playback, pretty impressive figures indeed. Nokia, which has always been known for its sturdy hardware has replicated it’s design ideals with a simple yet strong 2-piece design (screen+cover) in the Asha 501 model.

You can find the full specifications below. For a price like this, the features are pretty good for an entry level phone. The phone comes in a lot of colors including Black, Red, Yellow and White. The Asha 501 has been designed with the connectivity-hungry consumer market in mind. As this demographic is largely populated by youngsters and middle-aged users, the design and features of the phone should sit well with them. This might just help Nokia increase its share in the market further, after it registered a 6% growth in the market share recently.You can read our initial story about Asha 501 here.

Nokia Asha 501 (Dual SIM)

A Dual SIM phone with 3.2 MP primary camera and 3-inch capacitive touchscreen

Price Unavailable

Quick Specs

Platform (OS)
Nokia Asha software platform 1.0

Display
3" TFT (320 x 240 pixels)

Processor

Camera
3.2 MP (Primary)

Connectivity Wi-Fi, 2G

Internal Memory 128 MB

Dimensions 99.2 mm x 58 mm x 12.1 mm

More Specs →

Nokia Asha 501 (Dual SIM) : --

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Nokai Asha 501 review:

Here is the hand-on review of Asha 501 by GSMArena

Phone Showdown : Nokia Lumia 520 vs HTC Desire 200

Well, it is a showdown between the two budget bestsellers of the market. They are the Nokia Lumia 520 and the HTC Desire 200. With these two phones placed at such a close price range (Rs 8500-9100)  it’ll definitely create a doubt among people to whether choose a budget HTC device or go for a Lumia. This comparison will help you pick your way ahead. Let’s get started.

Display:

The HTC Desire 200 sports a 3.5″ display which is small and completely navigable without stretching your thumb to its limits. On the other hand, the Nokia Lumia 520 has a flashy 4″ display. The latter might hold more attraction in the age of phablets as bigger is better seems to be mantra. So I’d opt for the 4″ because it means a big enough screen size for videos, pictures and graphic-rich games.

Nokia Lumia 520=7/10 (For sheer size and clarity)

HTC Desire 200=6/10 (Only because of the slightly lesser screen size. Clarity wise, this display is head-on)

Sound and Memory:

As far as sound is concerned, Beats Audio™ beats anything you pit against it. Not only is the sound loud but the whole range of low, medium and high sounds are crisper and clearer and easily differentiable. Nokia doesn’t stand a chance in this regard. If you are a music lover, don’t hesitate to choose HTC over Nokia on this. Though the inbuilt Nokia music player boasts of a capability to play any music format you throw at it, this is not a feature that would bring down the HTC Desire as there are many music players on Android that can be downloaded to solve this issue.

Memory wise, both of them sport a 512 MB RAM which as it states should do it’s job so it’s a tie here but storage wise, the HTC Desire 200 gives only 4GB of internal storage as opposed to Nokia Lumia 520′s internal 8GB and free cloud storage of 7GB. You are carrying around 15GB of your favorite movies without even popping in a SD card. So this point goes to the Nokia Lumia 520.

Nokia Lumia 520=7.2\10 (Scores on the storage front)

HTC Desire 200=9.0\10 ( Beats Audio is the deal clincher)

OS and Processor:

To be making a direct comparison between these two is tough because they run on totally different operating systems. The HTC Desire 200 runs on the good old Android 4.0 which I personally feel is very user friendly and easy to use. On the other hand the Nokia Lumia 520 is a Windows Phone operating system which has not clicked as much as the former but now has captured a minor part of the market. The choice here would be purely based on individual opinions and comfort levels with the respective UIs. But if it is your first time with a smartphone, Android is something worth exploring and experiencing.

The HTC Desire 200 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor and the Nokia Lumia 520 on the contrary, is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset. Both of them run at 1GHz so the main difference is going to be in the architecture of the processor.  Clearly, Lumia 520 emerges the winner here.

Nokia Lumia 520=7.2\10 (for the processor)

HTC Desire 200=7.5\10 (only for the Android OS or it would have a lost a point)

Build and camera:

The Nokia Lumia 520 with its bold colors makes quite the fashion statement. But on the whole, the Nokia Lumia 520 is a very clean and simple slate design. The HTC Desire 200 on the other hand is a very subtle looking and keeps the color palette simple with basic black and simple white. The body has been designed very well – the front speaker grill and the back side of the phone with the dotted pattern makes it look really very elegant. The camera is also supported by a small steel ring separating it from the rest of the body.

Coming to the camera, this showdown has another tie because both of them sport a 5MP camera on the back and no secondary camera. Subsequently both of them lack a flash also so this makes them both equally same in this aspect.

Nokia Lumia 520=6\10 (For the flashy colors )

HTC Desire 200=7.2\10 (For the excellent build quality and practicality )

Connectivity and Battery:

Both the phones rest at the same level in the connectivity sector as both of them are 3G enabled, WiFi and Bluetooth equipped. But the Nokia Lumia 520 has Bluetooth 3.0 where the HTC Desire 200 has Bluetooth 4.0.

On the grounds of battery the Nokia Lumia 520 uses a BL-5J ( all of those who have the curiosity of opening up a phone as soon as you get it in your would know what this is) which is a pretty old model of a Nokia Battery. I remember seeing it last in a Nokia 5800 which was ages ago. Although the specification seems a little outdated, it measured up very well against its rival with a battery life of 9.6 hours of 3G talk time as compared the HTC Desire 200′s 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Nokia Lumia 520=4.5\10 (that low just not to change their battery)

HTC Desire 200=4.7\10 (for the Bluetooth 4.0)

Overall Conclusion:

I strongly feel that the HTC Desire 200 has got a better shot at the market than the Nokia Lumia 520 because of a bunch of different features like audio, OS etc. But finally let us see what the final score verdict comes to.

Total score:

Nokia Lumia 520=31.9\50

HTC Desire 200=34.4\50

This indicates that the HTC Desire has measured out to be the better of the two. It is indeed a well-rounded smartphone at the price point in question, but those who are looking for a specific feature to be excellent when compared to the rest might want to fine tune their search some more.

Flexible Batteries – at the heart of tomorrow’s smartphones

The smartphone industry in particular and the consumer electronics segment in general is ceaselessly innovating everyday. There has been much talk lately about flexible smartphones, displays and batteries. To make a smartphone that is wholly and truly flexible, the heart of it that powers it should definitely be a flexible and reliable unit. Flexible batteries are being envisioned, designed and improvised upon as we speak.

Though the idea of a thin-film battery has been around for a while as a nebulous concept, the project has started getting into a concrete shape with the work carried out by researchers at the Korea Advance Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). They have brought out a very promising solid state, thin-film Lithium-ion battery that claims the highest energy density ever achieved for a flexible battery.

How do they work? 

Conventional Li-Ion batteries depend on a liquid electrolyte as the medium through which Lithium ions swim from one electrode to the other. This battery though, has an issue that the film separating the electrolytes may melt under heat, in which case the positive and negative terminals may come into contact causing an explosion. This may be the explanation for all those smartphones that go up in flames. In contrast, in a thin film battery, one polymer, typically polyvinylidene fluoride, functions as a glue that binds tiny conductive carbon particles to those of the metal oxide and graphite that normally compose the battery’s cathode and anode respectively. The other polymer, often polyethylene or polypropylene, serves as a barrier between the electrodes. It physically separates the battery’s positive and negative terminals to prevent the battery from short-circuiting but allows Lithium ions to shuttle back and forth between the electrodes as the battery is discharged to provide power and then recharged.

By the judicious choice of polymers and replacement of some battery components, researchers and a handful of manufacturers are now designing batteries with atypical properties such as mechanical flexibility, thus creating the so-called flexible batteries.

Advantages of flexible batteries:

Highly flexible batteries would free product designers from the constraints of rigid and predetermined forms. A smartphone might fold up in your pocket. Electronically controlled drug delivery patches could stretch around your arm. Products could take on the form best suited to the application, not the form dictated by a bulky power source. These flexible batteries also solve the problem of safety posed by the conventional Lithium-ion batteries.

One severe limitation though of the flexible batteries is the internal short circuiting that occurs during flexing. A lot of work has already gone into dealing with this and a few other problems with companies gearing up to release bendable smartphones into the market soon. Samsung with it’s YOUM OLED display and LG Display with it’s OLED panels are top contenders.

HTC Desire 200 announced, specifications include Beats Audio, 5 MP camera

HTC recently officially announced its new Desire 200, a low-end Android phone. HTC has announced this offering on its website. Though it has given out all major details of the device, there is no pricing information and release date given at this point of time. Since they have put it up on their website, it should only be a matter of time before the Desire 200 is released.

HTC Desire 200 Specifications:

• The phone sports a 3.5″ display, 320×480 resolution


• Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 chipset


• Android version 4.0 – something that is a little ambiguous


• 4 GB of storage


• 512mb of RAM


• 3G enabled


• Rear camera is a 5MP (only down fall – there is no front camera)


• Beats Audio and HTC headset (The best feature on this phone)
  


• Battery is a 1230 mAh piece which should do well enough (7 hours and 30 mins on 3G, 812 hours of standby)


• Connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, GPS, Micro USB


• Sensors include accelerometer, proximity and ambient light

The  HTC website quotes that you dont have to pay premium prices for getting an incredible HTC smartphone. Which tells us that it is not only going to be cheap but at the same time it is going to give us premium smartphone features (like the last cookie in the jar).

Conclusion:

We feel this is really an amazing attempt by HTC to provide a budget smartphone to people out there who don’t want to spend too much on a premium phone. Also I personally feel that the phone will sell like hot cakes because of the design factor and build quality.

Source: HTC

Huawei Ascend Mate launched in India, priced at Rs.24900

Huawei Ascend Mate which was announced back in the month of January, finally arrives in India. The device appeared online before it’s official launch a few days back.

Huawei Asced Mate’s top specifications include Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, Quad-core 1.5 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, 6.1-inch HD display and the marathon 4050 mAh battery.

Huawei Asced Mate specifications:

Ascend Mate features a 6.1-inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) display running on IPS+LCD technology and accompanied by a pixel density of 241 PPI. Huawei claims that the touch is super-sensitive, which reacts even when gloves are on. It comes with a gigantic 4050 mAh battery which boosts the device upto 48 h (under normal use)

It runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS out of box and also enjoys Emotion UI. The device is powered by a Quad-core 1.5 GHz processor and 2 GB RAM.

Ascend Mate includes an 8 MP AF back camera (capable of recording Full HD videos) with HDR and 1 MP HD front camera. For storage, the device comes with 8 GB in-built memory and microSD slot.

Huawei Ascend Mate will be facing the 6.3-inch phablet  Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3, which was launched in India last month for Rs.31490.

Huawei Asced Mate price and online availability:

Ascend Mate is being launched with a price tag of Rs.24900 and is listed on the online retail store

Gesture control – the new fever

With the world going crazy about gesture controlled devices and with the increasing popularity of products like Google glass and Xbox Kinect, the touch-free device developer eyeSite has developed a gesture control software that only requires a standard camera for its gesture recognition. This Israeli company, which has global offices in the U.S, Korea, Hong Kong and Japan, chose to demonstrate their product using Google Earth recently. The video that was released recently shows how the virtual streets are navigated exclusively through gesture recognition. The company has claimed that their product would be able to recognize the particular person controlling it even in a crowded room.

Gideon Shmuel, CEO of eyeSight said “The success of any gesture system will be dictated by how ‘natural’ it feels. Just as Apple made control via touchscreens feel completely natural a few years ago, we’re hoping to do the same thing with gesture: Our fingertip tracking makes gesture feel so intuitive that eventually people will use it without even thinking about it. Now we’re hoping to make this capability available in consumer devices produced by our customers.”

Crunchfish, a Swedish app development company has also claimed to have developed a purely software-based gesture recognition model for smartphones. This software recognizes hand movements with the help of the front camera and processes the smartphones accordingly. Yet another software developer Leap Motion has also developed gesture recognition software which when plugged into a Windows OS device will support full multi-touch gestures out of the box, allowing users to click, drag, scroll, swipe and rotate screens entirely with gestural input. It is not just these companies, but also the smartphone giant Samsung that has filed a patient for its newly developed gesture recognition software.

With a lot of companies developing their own software for gesture recognition, we would probably in a few years’ time be using devices that no longer require our touch, but would do our errands by simply recognizing our gestures. These software make the smartphones and PCs sync to the natural human rhythm rather than it being the other way round.

Intex Aqua i5 specification review

If you thought you have seen enough Quad-cores, you are wrong. Intex looks to breakthrough with this new handset called the Intex Aqua i5.

This is a zoom-in on an earlier launch cover of the Intex Aqua i5.

Intex Aqua i5 specifications:

• Android 4.2 Jelly bean
  


• MediaTek MT6589 chipset, 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex A7 processor


• 5-inch qHD display


• 12 MP back camera with LED flash, 2 MP front camera


• 2000 mAh battery

Design

Intex Aqua i5 features a 5 inch qHD display, similar to that of Karbonn S5 Titanium. Strangely, all the Quad-cores in this price range follow the same pebble type curvy edge profile. Like all other 5 inch displays, one handed use is not going to be in your comfort zone. Up front, the device has 3 capacitive buttons at the bottom, the 5 inch qHD display and a 2 MP secondary camera seated just above the display. On the rear is a 12 MP primary camera.

Processor

This device utilizes the same Media Tek 1.2 GHz Quad-core chipset as the other budget phones. It also includes an SGX 5t GPU, which should boost graphic performance. The processor provides enough juice for the device to run in fluidic fashion.

Camera

The device boasts a 12 MP camera with Layer lens and BSI, which is the best sported by any such device in this price range. The device also comes bundled with a 2 MP secondary shooter. The presence of LED flash should enable good low light photography.

Operating System

The device comes out of the box with the latest Android 4.2 JellyBean. Intex decided to lightly customize the stock Android UI. Remember that brands like Micromax have also done pretty well with their UI. It would be interesting to see the two UIs battle it out.

Memory

The device comes with 4 GB of ROM out of which only 1.56 GB is usable. However, this can be expanded by means of  microSD up to 32GB. 1 GB of RAM coupled with the powerful processor should ensure lag free performance.

Battery

2000 mAh battery for a 5 inch screen can never be impressive. Charging everyday would be necessary.

Overall, the Intex Aqua i5 is a formidable opponent to the popular Karbonn S5 Titanium (Karbonn S5 Titanium review), the Micromax Canvas 2 plus and the Lava Iris 504Q (Lava Iris 504Q review).

Intex Aqua i5 price

Intex Aqua i5 is available for online purchase on Snapdeal for Rs 10999. This is the lowest online price as on 17th June 2013.