Analyzed: Samsung Galaxy Note II

We have always been a big fan of the Samsung Galaxy Note. We loved the way it looked, we loved the size, we loved the screen size and we loved the way it performed. It was literally a mini computer in your pocket. But the more we used it, the more its shortcomings became evident. Beginning with the battery life. Horrible would be putting it mildly. Then if you tried multitasking, let's just say you had to wait for apps to respond and a simple task like scrolling through the app list became a jerky chore. Sure improvements were made once the Note was upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich but still... we always felt Samsung could have done more. A lot more. And it looks like they have finally listened to what the public was saying. Enter the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

Looks: For starters, take a look the difference between the Note and the Note 2. In case you can't see much of a difference, the image on the right is the Note 2. It is slightly larger than the Note with the screen size having being bumped by to 5.5" from the 5.3" in the Note. The differences don't end there, the Note 2 is slightly slimmer and feels lighter than the Note. And of course the shape has been modified to match the theme Samsung has been pushing on its devices, a la Samsung Galaxy S III.

Display: If you thought the display on the Note looked good, look again. The display on the Note 2 is absolutely gorgeous. The HD Super AMOLED (1280 x 720 pixel) looks fabulous. It is bright, crisp and colors are fantastic. It really makes watching those HD films and images a joy. And thankfully this time, Samsung has refrained from pre-loading the phone with the bloatware they have been known for. All unwanted apps have been kept out of the mix. But one thing we did not notice on the screen is a lot of wasted space. It seems to us Samsung decided on the size of the display and then did not know what to do with it. If you look at the comparison between the Note and the Note 2, you will even notice the number of icons on the screen is 5 vs. 4, and this can't be changed. Not yet at least.

Performance: Thank you Samsung for the quad core 1.6GHz processor in this phone. I can truly multitask (and yes while watching videos) without having to wait for the phone to think about what I'm actually trying to do. The 2GB RAM is also much needed in a phone with the capabilities as the Note 2. Gone is that lag that has plagued Samsung phones past. Including Android version 4.1 Jelly Bean also makes a huge difference in the memory management capability. Everything is just silky smooth. We will actually go as far as to say this is the best performing smartphone currently in the market (and yes we are also comparing it to the iPhone5 - that review is forthcoming).

Battery Life: Guess what? This time you can actually head out with just your phone without worrying about losing a complete charge in less than 7 hours. Yes, the 3100 mAh battery makes a HUUUUUUUGE difference! Using the phone like we used to use the Note, we are actually able to pull almost 24 hours on a single charge. Huge sigh of relief anyone? This is the single biggest positive change that Samsung has brought to the Note franchise.

Camera: Not much has changed in the way of the camera, but we love the burst mode feature that is built-in. You can take up to 10 shots a second and let it choose the best image (or you can choose it yourself). And the time to start the camera and take the first shot has to be measured in milliseconds from now on. Another welcome modification. We did notice if you take pictures in the Superfine mode at the highest 8MP resolution, they become noticeably grainy. We'll stay away from that option for now. You also get several options while taking your pictures just like you would on Instagram. Oh yeah, there is also an HDR option but frankly we are still trying to figure out how to get the best shot with this option!

Extras on the Note 2: Here are some interesting things we noticed while fiddling around with the phone

1. You cannot use the original SIM card that you use on other phones. The card will have to be trimmed to fit in the slot since it is too small for a regular SIM card.
2. The power saving mode really helps extend battery life unlike the Note but we were able to get almost 24 hours without using it!
3. The phone comes with Samsung's AllShare Cast that lets you stream images/videos to your TV or any other device for that matter.
4. The S pen is much much better than it was in the Note. You can do a lot more and Samsung has included a lot more productive applications to take advantage of the revised S pen.
5. You don't get Swype anymore :( You do get Samsung's own predictive Swype like keyboard, but it is not as good as Swype. Boo Samsung!
6. You can perform File and data transfer either using NFC or via S Beam.
7. Turning Wi-Fi on all the time will kill your battery quicker. Good thing the Note 2 has a larger battery.

Overall: If you had the Samsung Galaxy Note, you will absolutely love the Note 2 but... there's a but... you will also say this is how the Note should have been in the first place. If you are newcomer, then rejoice. If you can get over the size and the S Pen, this is the best phone you can get in the market right now. And yes it is a little pricey, but there are more expensive brands in the market. You won't get the features you do with this baby though. Our take on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, buy it!

We will also do a follow-up post as we continue to use the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 as we did with the Note.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is currently on sale in India for Rs. 38,500 (~$750).

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Analyzed: HP Envy 6

A couple of days ago we reviewed one of HP's latest offerings, the Envy 4 ultrabook. We also got a chance to play around with the other offering from HP, the big brother to the 4 (at least in terms of size), the HP Envy 6. Honestly there isn't much to be said since we tested the Envy 4 since the specs are virtually identical. We have listed the differences between the two below:

1. Screen size is 15.6" on the Envy 6 vs. 14" on the Envy 4
2. 4 speakers instead of 2 (and no built in sub woofer)
3. Digital media card reader
4. Weight: 4.75lbs

That's it. The display on the Envy 6's 15.6" screen is definitely not as striking as compared to the Envy 4. Yes they have the same dedicated graphics card but you don't get the same clarity on the bigger display. It would have done HP some good to bump up the resolution at least on the bigger display. And despite having the same battery capacity we definitely did not get the same amount of time on a single charge. We clocked a little over 7 hours with the Envy 6. A 500GB hard drive is standard on all machines but we wish the option to replace it with a SSD was available (just like the Envy 4). You do get the choice of Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for your operating system. With its brushed metal finish, the packaging is very sleek and the options are the same as the smaller version. Sound quality is also above par but lacks that little extra oomph you get out of the built in subwoofer in the Envy 4.

At the end of the day the Envy 6 costs more than the Envy 4 and unless you want a bigger screen, we would recommend sticking with the smaller version. It is definitely more bang for your buck. And you will definitely want to uninstall a lot of the bloatware that comes pre-installed on the system.

Our Rating: 

The HP Envy 6 is currently on sale in India at a starting price of around Rs. 47,000 (~$850).

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Analyzed: HP Envy 4

Here is one of HP's next generation ultrabooks. If you have read our previous reviews, we absolutely LOVED the HP Envy 14 Spectre. HP's newest offering, the Envy 4 has some really big shoes to fill as far as we are concerned.

The Envy 4 is offered in four variants, two of which have Intel's i3 1.4GHz processor and the other two which have the i5 1.7GHz processor. 4GB DD3 RAM is standard on all models but you can bump it up to a maximum of 16GB. You also get a 14" diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit display on them at a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. What this laptop makes up for in lack of resolution it makes up for in its fantastic 2GB AMD Radeon HD 7670M video card. It really makes a world of a difference if you compare it to the base Envy 4 version that comes with the built in Intel HD Graphics 3000 card. Gaming and movies look absolutely great on the Envy 4 and the experience is further amplified with the Beats Audio speakers. A 500GB hard drive is also standard on all machines but we wish the option to replace it with a SSD was available. You do get the choice of Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for your operating system.

One of the nice features of the HP ultrabooks is the CoolSense technology. If you are one of those people who like to keep your machine on your lap while working this will come in real handy. We wouldn't recommend doing it for extended periods of time but for a short duration, the CoolSense works. The built in HD webcam is nothing out of the blue and gets the job done. Battery life is very very good and you should be able to pull about 8 hours on a single charge. And you get all this in a very sleek brushed metal (and affordable) package that weighs a shade under 4lbs. Performance is definitely a lot better with the Envy 4 beating the Spectre in cold starts, restarts and waking up from sleep mode.

So, does the Envy 4 beat the Envy 14 Spectre? Honestly, we wanted to stick with the Spectre, but from a performance stand point the Envy 4 beats it in every way. The Envy 14 Spectre wasn't just a loaded machine, it had a cool factor going on with simple touches like the big volume knob and the Radiance backlit keyboard which senses your approach and gradually lights up every row. The only gripes we had with the Spectre were the lack of a dedicated graphics card and the price. HP has definitely addressed those two issues with the Envy 4. We are pretty certain sales figures for the new generation Envy will be stronger than before.

The HP Envy 4 is currently on sale in India at a starting price (depending on the spec) of around Rs. 43,000 (~$800) which by the way is a lot lower than the HP Envy Spectre.

Our Rating: 

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Analyzed: Nokia 808 PureView

Well, the diesel lens equipped Nokia 808 PureView is finally here in India and we gave it the beans to see if the hype was really worth it. In not so many words, we are on the fence. While there some features that we absolutely love, some aspects of the phone left us a little sore. The best feature of the phone is what you see in all commercials, the camera. You can take incredibly detailed photos from near and afar, and the image is still crystal clear upon zoom. While the sensor has a 41MP resolution, the maximum resolution for still images is 38MP in 4:3 mode and 34MP in 16:9 mode. Where the 41MP lens comes in is to ensure images still remain clear upon closer review. Think of it as a 41MP image compressed into an 38MP one (about 11MB per picture). Videos captured using the 1080P capable lens are also phenomenal and are among the best we have seen.

Another feature which we haven't seen being promoted is the sound. With Dolby surround sound from the built in speakers (and its dual microphone), it is the best we have heard in a long time... even from the  Beats audio equipped HTC One X. Try it with a pair of decent headphones and you will really enjoy any videos on the 4 inch display. Speaking of, here are some of the specs:

1. 4" display at a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels
2. 1.3GHz single core ARM processor
3. 512MB RAM
4. 16GB storage expandable to 48GB via microSD
5. 41MP rear camera with Carl Zeiss lens and Xenon flash
6. 640 x 480 pixels front facing camera
7. 1080P capable video recording at 30 frames per second
8. Operating system: Symbian Belle
9. Weight: 169g
10. Battery capacity: 1400mAh

Unfortunately for the PureView, the good aspects have already been covered. The list of negatives definitely outweigh the positives. Let's take a look at some of them shall we. First the weight... we carry Samsung Galaxy Notes and it isn't exactly light. When we first held the PureView, our thought was, "Wow this is heavy!" And it isn't evenly distributed. Granted the camera and lens are very powerful, but that's where most of the weight is. It just doesn't feel right. And it will not feel comfortable in your pocket either. The display resolution could have also used some work. Videos look good but not as good as they can be. It is surprising Nokia went all out with the camera only to equip the phone with a mediocre display. What good is a camera if the photos you take don't look their best?

The story goes on... Nokia just announced a long term deal to switch away from their in-house Symbian operating system to Windows Mobile. We wish the PureView had made the switch before being released into the wild. The Symbian Belle operating system really detracts from the overall experience of the phone. And now that you know support for Symbian will end at some point, one has to consider if it is really worth spending all that cash on a soon to be obscure product. Silver lining here though, Nokia is planning on equipping its Lumia line of phones with the sensor used in the PureView. The battery life is decent and should net you about 6 hours with moderate to heavy use but if you start using the camera with the flash on that time will reduce drastically. Not so good if you are about to drop about $600 on a phone.

In closing, it looks to us that the Nokia 808 PureView is more of a test in the market to see how it would react to some of Nokia's cutting edge technology so that it can be included in their mainstream offerings. Yes the phone could possibly replace your point and shoot camera with the lens and settings at your display but you'll have to be prepared to put up with a less than desirable operating system. What we would like to see if the next generation of Lumia phones equipped with Windows Mobile AND the kick ass sensor in the PureView.

Our Rating: 

The Nokia 808 PureView is currently on sale in India for Rs. 33,300 (~$600).

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A mouse that doesn't look like your everyday mouse

There are mice, and then there are mice. Yes it is a simple device but it has been a while since something so small and simple caught our attention and fancy. We are of course referring to the latter and more specifically, the Microsoft Arc Touch. After using it for a variety of activities, we absolutely love it. A disclaimer here: If you are a hardcore gamer who binds multiple keystrokes to a mouse click (or 10 like those available on gaming mice), the Arc Touch is not for you. For most other users, read on.

From a looks and design perspective, the Arc Touch gets full marks. It is sleek, absolutely superb to look at and has a great feel to it. It is very light and can be used on most (non-reflective) surfaces with ease. Turning the mouse on and off is very cool... when it is flat, it is off, and when you arc it, it switches itself on. Another  cool feature we thought is the magnetic body of the mouse. The USB dongle just sticks to the underside of the mouse (like a magnet on a fridge) which makes carrying it around a doddle. Something that will take some getting used to is the lack of the traditional mouse wheel to scroll up and down. Instead, the Microsoft Arc Touch has a chiclet type button setup which works exactly like the wheel and even sounds like the wheel when you scroll. 

The only gripe we have is the price. At almost Rs. 4000 (~$60) it isn't exactly cheap but it is definitely a quality product. If you are able to look past the price, this is an awesome buy.

Our Rating: 

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Analyzed: Xolo X900

If you read our past articles, we noted that Intel was planning its entry into the smartphone market. After some delay (it was to be made available for purchase on April 23rd), the Intel powered Xolo X900 is finally here in India. Despite all the anticipation around the Xolo, we just wish Intel didn't bother with it. We are sad that Intel's foray into the smartphone market was with such a mediocre and sub-par product. There was nothing original about the phone (aside from the guts of course). It looks like a cheap knock-off of the iPhone 4S albeit a little bigger. Before we go on, here are the specs of the Xolo X900:

1. 4.03" display at a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels
2. 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor with Hyper Threading
3. 400 MHz Graphics Engine
4. 1GB RAM
5. 16GB storage
6. 8MP rear camera with 8x digital zoom and 1.3MP front facing camera
7. 1080P HD video recording at 
8. Operating system: Android Version 2.3.7 (Gingerbread) upgradable to ICS
9. Weight: 124g
10. Battery capacity: 1460mAh

So how did the Xolo do? Well, for starters the display is definitely not up to par with comparable phones from HTC or Samsung and the colors were simply too dull. Despite having a very good processor (one of the very few plus points), the display completely detracted from the experience of viewing images and movies or playing games on the phone. A point in favor of the Xolo in addition to the processor would be its smoothness. We would put it in between Android and Windows Mobile in the smoothness department. It is also quite capable of multi-tasking and we pounded the phone with memory hogging apps and the phone performed well. No significant lag was noticed despite having about 15 apps open at the same time. The stock font size is quite small and we foresee people having difficulty in reading on the phone. But that is a simple fix.

Coming to the camera, it is quick. The burst mode lets you take up to 10 photos in a second. The images are crisp but lack the color depth. Once again the display takes away from the actual image. We thought it had one cool feature, a 'Fireworks' setting in case you plan on taking a lot of shots of fireworks in action. We are surprised the Xolo was launched with Gingerbread especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is pretty much out in full swing and there is no word on when the ICS upgrade will be made available. Battery life is better than similar phones and you should see close to 8 hours on a single charge (with medium to heavy use).

Despite having good guts, the Xolo X900 comes up short overall. We don't really expect the phone to sell well. We spoke to a few stores that stock the Xolo and they aren't exactly flying off the shelves. Not surprising honestly. There has been barely any marketing or advertising of the phone online or on TV either. One would think if a heavy hitter like Intel is trying to get its feet wet they would be part of a product that would make heads turn. Not turn away. Then again it might be Intel just testing the waters to see if it should really get in deep in the market. Only time will tell.

Our Rating: 

The Xolo X900 is currently on sale in India for Rs. 21,999 (~$400).


Update (6/21/2012): It looks like someone heard our comments about there being barely any marketing for the Xolo X900. We have noticed commercials on TV and online ad banners promoting the Xolo X900... a LOT. We'll wait to see if this ad spend has a profound effect on the sales figures.

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Analyzed: Sony Xperia sola

Continuing with our reviews of Sony's Xperia line-up, we took a look at the sola. We would put the sola in the middle of the Xperia pack considering its not so top end features. It is bigger than the Xperia Ray we tested and smaller than the Xperia S. From a looks perspective it is a mini version of the Xperia S minus the see through strip with the navigation buttons that light up when you touch them. It is about the size of the iPhone 4S albeit not as streamlined. Here are some of the specs on the sola:

1. 3.7" display at a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels
2. 1GHz dual core processor
3. 512MB RAM
4. 8GB storage with support up to 32GB via microSD
5. 5MP rear camera with LED flash
6. 720P HD video recording with 16x digital zoom
7. Operating system: Android Version 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
8. Weight: 107g
9. Battery capacity: 1320mAh

The phone is also equipped with NFC capability. You know, in case you like bumping your phone against someone else's to transfer data. You get all the cool features that are included with ICS including facial recognition and the built in power saver to name a couple. Usage is quite simple and isn't unlike other Android powered smartphones in the market. Instead of shortcuts (you still have them), Sony has included something called SmartTag to manage profiles. You can touch your home SmartTag to turn on Wi-Fi, launch news or the  weather app, turn the phone sound on or off. It is customizable. 

The display is pretty much like other Xperia models with Sony's mobile BRAVIA engine which makes viewing images and videos a joy to watch. Sony displays have always had that oomph in them and this has been translated in their smartphones as well. It isn't as good as the display we saw in the Samsung Galaxy S III, but it is quite good nonetheless. The camera is very fast, in starting up, taking pictures and recovering for the next shot. All this can be done in about a second. It could have used a better camera, like the 8.1MP included in the Xperia Ray or the Xperia S, but it isn't the top of the line phone so it looks like Sony settled. The battery life could also use some work since we were able to pull less than 6 hours on a complete charge (which by the way happens to be the magic figure for most Android powered phones especially during heavy usage). The life can be extended using ICS' built in power saver feature or a 3rd party app like Juice Defender, but not by much. Still, the Sony Xperia sola is a decently packaged phone for a not so hefty price. And you can get it in Black, White and Red colors!

Our Rating: 

The Sony Xperia sola is currently on sale in India for about Rs. 19,500 (~$360).

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Analyzed: Sony Xperia Ray

We've all heard the saying all good things come in small packages. It definitely holds true in the case of the Sony Xperia Ray. It is smaller than most of the other smartphones in the market but it packs all the features of the bigger phones. It is lighter than comparable phones and can also support Android's latest operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich. Here are some of the specs of the Xperia Ray:

1. 3.3" display at a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels
2. 1GHz single core processor
3. 512MB RAM
4. 300MB storage expandable to 32GB via microSD
5. 8.1MP rear camera with 16x digital zoom and 0.3MP front facing camera
6. 720P HD video recording at 30 frames per second
7. Operating system: Android Gingerbread Version 2.3.7
8. Weight: 100g
9. Battery capacity: 1500mAh

We enjoyed playing around with the Xperia Ray. The combination of a slim package that has a very good display for those photos and videos made it very enticing for us. It is equipped with the mobile BRAVIA engine and has very good pixel density (295PPI) which adds to the experience. Playing games is ok and at times we did feel the display might be a little too small for some games but it isn't something that turned us off to it. The speaker is also very good considering how small the phone is. Don't expect deep bass like the Beats audio equipped HTCs but it is good enough. The 8.1MP camera works well, as long as you don't try to take photos in low light. The camera app itself could use some more work (additional features) but it is possible this will be addressed in an update in the future. Battery life is much better than other smartphones due to the capacity and not so powerful components in the phone itself. Another plus is that should be able to upgrade the phone to ICS. At an affordable price, the Sony Xperia Ray makes itself quite a surprising and well equipped catch the in the market. Frankly we are surprised we haven't seen much marketing from Sony to promote this phone but one would think Sony needs to do a little soul searching considering the number of phones in its product line around the same price (Xperia Sola, Xperia U).

Our Rating: 

The Sony Xperia Ray is currently on sale in India for about Rs. 19,000 (~$360).

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Analyzed: Nokia N8

Before the newest crop of smartphones hit the market this year, the Nokia N8 was considered among the top of the line models. Its shot at fame was all due to the 12MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics. It also came in an affordable package which drew a lot of customers towards it. It may have been overtaken by Nokia's own Lumia series at this time, but we decided to take a look at the N8 any way. Before we get going, here are some of the specifications:

1. 3.5" display at a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels
2. 680MHz ARM 11 single core processor
3. 256MB RAM
4. 16GB storage expandable to 48GB via microSD
5. Dedicated camera button
6. HDMI port
7. 12MP rear camera with Carl Zeiss, Tessar lens with 2x digital zoom
8. VGA front facing camera
9. 720P HD video recording at 25 frames per second with 3x digital zoom
10. Operating System: Symbian^3
11. Weight: 135g
12. Battery capacity: 1200mAh

So it's not exactly quick compared to similarly optioned phones. You will notice significant lag even while trying to do the most mundane of tasks on the N8. Considering how quick the phones in the market are these days, it really feels like you could be doing something more worthwhile with your time. In the looks department, the N8 scores well. It is very similar to the Lumia series that Nokia has introduced. You also get a dedicated camera button to showcase the 12MP camera. Once again, we just wish it were a lot quicker than it is. Taking a quick photo isn't possible. It will take you at least 7 seconds to start up the camera and take your first shot. And that doesn't take into account the recovery time after snapping a picture before you can take the next one. Take away the speed factor, and the pictures are quite crisp and detailed. But compare it to the new camera in the Samsung Galaxy S III or the HTC One X, despite having a lower resolution, the images are clearer and colors more vibrant in the Samsung and HTC. Battery life is also lacking and we were barely able to get 6 hours on a complete charge with heavy use.

Symbian is an operating system that is definitely not for everyone. It lacks the flair and look of the iOS or Android operating systems. And it also loses out in the quickness factor. With Nokia marketing their newer phones with Windows Mobile, one has to wonder how much longer Symbian will be around. Yes you do have app support with Nokia store, but it isn't enough to keep up with the big guns. There are other Nokia phones we would rather have than this one, at the same price point.

Our Rating: 

The Nokia N8 is currently on sale in India for about Rs. 19,000 (~$380).

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