Adrenaline Shot: The Aston Martin DB9 Special

James Bond started it with the DB5. Let us take an inside look at the latest iteration of the DB series, the DB9.

Showing posts with label Samsung. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samsung. Show all posts

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).

Analyzed: Samsung Galaxy S III

Jeez! The smartphone wars in 2012 just won't seem to end! We just saw the release of the HTC One X, which we thought was the best in the market. Samsung has responded to the challenge and has introduced the Galaxy S III, which right off the bat we will tell you has once again taken the crown. It was released in India yesterday and we got a chance to play around with it... and were we impressed. Here is a quick glance at the specs of the S III:
  1. 4.8" display at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels
  2. 1GB RAM
  3. A choice of 16, 32 or 64GB internal storage PLUS external microSD support upto 64GB (best in the market)
  4. 8MP rear camera with zero shutter lag and 1.9MP front facing camera
  5. Samsung's own 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor
  6. Operating system: Android Version 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
  7. Weight: 133g
  8. Battery capacity: 2,100mAh battery
Two things that caught our eye the instant we started using it: the colors are absolutely fantastic. This display is the best we have seen. The images or videos are so crystal clear and colors so bright and vivid, it is simply beautiful. Next, the camera. Forget the fact that there is zero shutter lag and you can take all the pictures you want as fast as you want, but the quality of the images is also amazing. Once again, the best we have seen. We will also mention that regardless of how many processors the non-Apple phones have, when it comes to smoothness, nothing beats the iPhone. Yes the Samsung Galaxy S III is smooth, but it is not iPhone smooth. The phone is also pretty light and comfortable to hold. Usage is pretty much like every other Android device and is very simple.

One of the gripes we had with the Samsung phones is that they aren't very loud. It seems Samsung has finally answered our prayers and you can actually hear the ringer or the song/video that's playing without having to use your headphones. It isn't blaring loud to the point of distortion or as good as the speakers in the HTC One X, but it is loud enough that you can hear it even when you are in a crowd. About time Samsung took care of the volume issue! Another feature called "S Voice," the Galaxy S III has a feature similar to Apple's Siri, which will let you use your voice to control the phone. You can tell your alarm  to "snooze" and it will silence your alarm in the mornings. It works... but we'll reserve our judgement for when we have used it for a few more days. Same holds true for the battery life. We haven't had to charge it after using it constantly for almost 6 hours (and that is a great start) but we'll see how far we can push it.

Other highlights of the device include Smart Alerts, which tell you if you've missed calls and messages; and S Beam, which lets you share photos and videos by tapping two Galaxy S III phones together (have you tried the Bump app yet?). Samsung will also sell an optional wireless charging pad, which will let you charge the phone by just placing it on the device. You can also take a picture while recording a video and other imaging enhancements include contact tagging and automatic photo grouping based on who is in the picture. We especially liked the whole watch a video while doing some other task feature the S III has. You can have a window open that's playing a video while doing other tasks (sort of like having your Windows Media Player running while you are working on a document). 

In case you haven't realized it yet, we absolutely love this phone. And Samsung has absolutely delivered a killer package with the S III. Sorry HTC One X, that title reign was short lived.

Our Rating: 

The Samsung Galaxy S III is currently on sale in India for Rs. 40,500 (~$800) at Samsung stores or for a lesser price at online retailers. Oh and it is only available in Marble White... for now.

A pen that's not exactly a pen

What you are looking at is the Samsung Galaxy S Pen and Holder. Samsung’s Galaxy Note comes with a digital pen called the S Pen that users can hide inside the phone when it is not in use. It makes the use of the near gargantuan 5.3" screen on the Galaxy Note something that you can live with everyday. There are a number of phone accessories for the Galaxy Note, but this S Pen and Holder is probably the most useful of the lot. The stock stylus isn't exactly beefy which can make its use a little uncomfortable for some. 

With the Holder, it feels just like holding a well constructed ball point pen. You also get the same button as in the stylus. The rubber grip makes it very comfortable to hold especially for extended periods of time. The kit comes with a replacement stylus which can be inserted into the twist top holder just like you would include a replacement cartridge in a pen. And since it is the size of a pen (and is like a pen), using it on the phone is a lot easier; almost like writing on paper. The only negative we can think of is that you can't put the holder in the phone like you would the stylus, but if you are the type to carry a pen around with you at all times, this would be a moot point.

We love this holder especially since we spend a lot of time on our Galaxy Note and do some of our publishing from the phone itself! No wrist aches here.

Finally, Ice Cream Sandwich on the Galaxy Note (in India)

It has been a long time coming. Android Version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) has been out for a few weeks now for the Samsung Galaxy Note. Not in India though. For some reason or the other, the release had been pushed for the devices... until now. It isn't exactly an easy upgrade but it isn't too complicated either. 

You will need the Kies desktop software (in case you don't have it). It can be downloaded from the Samsung site. If you try the Software update link through the phone via Wi-Fi, it will let you download a firmware upgrade. But this is NOT the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. Right now, ICS is only through Kies. Once you download the desktop software, run Kies and connect your Galaxy Note to the machine. If Kies doesn't automatically look for any OS or firmware updates, just click on Tools -> Firmware Upgrade and Initialisation. This will start a series of activities beginning with the download of the OS upgrade file followed by installation. The entire process took us about 20 minutes from start to finish. Bear in mind it does reset the homescreen(s), widgets and shortcuts you may have customized on the phone. You will have to add them back once the upgrade has been completed.

Right off the bat, some of the new features included are:
  1. Built-in power saving capability
  2. Displays battery life percentage remaining
  3. Automatic alphabetical rearrangement of all application shortcuts (FINALLY!!!!)
  4. Revised Settings layout and menu options (there is an explicit option for One-handed operation we thought is great, you can also monitor the data usage without the need of a 3rd party app)
  5. Updated S Pen apps and widgets
  6. Smoother Swype interface and a change in letter trace color
  7. Updated Running Programs list (when you hold the Home button)
This update took a while to hit the Indian shores but we are glad it finally did. Overall, it seems to have made the operation of the phone even smoother than it was while adding several features that needed 3rd party apps for in the past. We haven't used it long enough (yet) to see if the battery life has been extended as promised, but we will definitely post an update once we do.

Update (6/1/2012): We have been using ICS for the past week and noticed a few things:
  1. The sensitivity of the touchscreen has increased significantly with this update. No longer do we have to push down the stylus on the screen to highlight, it seems to begin the highlighting if you hold the stylus really close to the screen. 
  2. The browser has also been updated and feels a lot smoother and has a decreased load time. 
  3. Updated GMail app. The app is very well laid out and you feel you can accomplish much without having to go through multiple steps. The look and feel seems very polished this time.
  4. Slide down the quick settings menu from the home screen and you have an additional option to activate Power saving.
  5. We are still on the fence with the built-in Power saving feature. Having turned it on we have not noticed a favorable difference. In fact it seems to us that our battery life went down after activating it (our usage of the Note has remained the same). There is also an option for Custom Power saving and we will try playing with those settings to see if it makes a difference. Another update will follow.
Update (6/12/2012): After using the updated software with the power saving feature turned on and starting completely afresh (meaning we let the battery completely die, recharged the phone and started once it hit 100% again), we noticed the battery life went up from about 6.5 hours to a little under 8. Tasks performed included browsing, checking email, watching videos, using Google Maps and playing games. We had the Wi-Fi option enabled the entire time while GPS was enabled for about 2 hours. The power saving feature was on the entire time. Other additional features encountered:
  1. Facial recognition to unlock the screen under Security -> Screen Lock
  2. Ability to Encrypt the device (not just the SD card)
  3. Direct link into Developer options for ICS

Analyzed: Samsung Galaxy Y Duos


Are you in the market for a starter smartphone and don't care about having a QWERTY keyboard? Do you need a phone that has the capability to hold dual SIM cards? Don't want to spend too much on it either? There's a phone just for you. It is called the Samsung Galaxy Y Duos.

Dual SIM phones aren't used that often outside India, but it does have a fair amount of users within the country especially since there are so many tiered plans and rates when it comes to roaming. There are several options out in the market from other manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola and Videocon  but the Galaxy Y Duos seems to have the most comprehensive basic features of the bunch. The phone comes equipped with:
  1. 3.2" display at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels
  2. 832Mhz single core processor
  3. 3MP camera with no flash
  4. 160MB built in storage with microSD slot that supports up to 32GB
  5. Wi-Fi enabled (not all phones in this range come equipped with Wi-Fi)
  6. Android Version 2.3.6 (Gingerbread)
  7. Weight: 109g
  8. Battery capacity: 1300mAh
As you can see the Duos comes quite well equipped especially if you are just switching to a smartphone from a conventional one. You also get all the support and apps that are available from Google Play. You can't expect the phone to be as quick as the higher end versions but it does hold its own as long as you are doing basic activities like browsing the web, watching videos or listening to music. Trying to multi-task is almost out of the equation since the phone won't be able to handle it given its specs. Still, it does pack a lot of features in a very compact package. The display could have been a little better but considering the size of the screen (or the lack thereof), and the price, you really can't expect much more than this. And because there aren't too many powerful components, the battery will also last for a day on a single charge if used for basic tasks. Like we mentioned earlier, if you are on a budget, and want to make the switch to a smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Y Duos is a good buy.

The Samsung Galaxy Y Duos is currently on sale in India for under Rs. 9000 (~$180)... bear in mind you are not locked into a contract like in the U.S.A which helps subsidize the cost of the phone. The cost of cellphones in general is a lot higher in India compared to the rest of the world.

Our Rating: 


It's here. The Samsung Galaxy S III.

The Samsung Galaxy S III is probably the most awaited Android smartphone to hit the market this year (along with the HTC One X). It has reached an almost cult like following akin to the iPhone series. Branded as the top cellphone maker in the world and considering what a resounding success its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S II was, Samsung and the Galaxy Version 3 has a lot to live up to. The S III was unveiled at an invitation only event in London on May 3rd and it was worth the wait. 

Samsung say their design credo for the S III was inspired by nature and it shows. You almost get the feeling you are holding a smooth pebble in your palm when clutching the S III. Samsung has gone all out with the S III and has packed it to the hilt with goodies. Here are the tech specs:
  1. 4.8" display at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels
  2. 1GB RAM
  3. A choice of 16, 32 or 64GB internal storage PLUS external microSD support upto 64GB (this is the best in the market)
  4. 8MP rear camera with zero shutter lag and 1.3MP front facing camera
  5. Samsung's own 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor
  6. 2,100mAh battery
  7. Android Version 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
  8. Weight: 133g
There's something else the display can do that's unique. Using eye-tracking, the phone's "Smart Stay" feature uses the 1.3MP front-facing camera to adjust the screen brightness or keep the screen lit. Samsung says, "The screen recognizes your eye movement. It knows exactly what you are doing, the screen won't go dark if you don't touch the screen, as it sees your eyes and recognizes that you are still looking at the screen and camera." And the phone doesn't only see you, it hears you too. Called "S Voice," the Galaxy S III has a feature similar to Apple's Siri, which will let you use your voice to control the phone. You can tell your alarm  to "snooze" and it will silence your alarm in the mornings.

Other highlights of the device include Smart Alerts, which tell you if you've missed calls and messages; and S Beam, which lets you share photos and videos by tapping two Galaxy S III phones together (have you tried the Bump app yet?). Samsung will also sell an optional wireless charging pad, which will let you charge the phone by just placing it on the device. You can also take a picture while recording a video and other imaging enhancements include contact tagging and automatic photo grouping based on who is in the picture.

The Galaxy S III will be launched in 145 countries and with 296 mobile operators in the coming months, marking Samsung's largest mobile launch ever. Europe goes first at the end of May, while 4G versions will launch in the U.S. in the summer. Pricing details have not been released yet.

Update: The Galaxy S III is slated for release in India in June 2012 at a starting price between Rs. 34,000 (~$680) and Rs. 38,000 (~$760).

Hey India. No Nexus for you. Yours Truly. Samsung.

The headline is not a joke. At first we thought it was considering India is the 2nd largest mobile market in the world. And considering how Samsung has been touting about increasing their market presence in India. This declaration (Disclaimer: these were not the exact words from Samsung) was not part of any press release from Samsung but from their twitter account (@Samsung_India) no less. Back in January 2012, Samsung announced that the Galaxy Nexus launch would be pushed to March 2012. And now this... wonder what gives? We are going to venture a guess that the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III tomorrow (May 3rd) might have something to do with it.

In case you are wondering what the big deal about the Galaxy Nexus is... well let's just say it was marketed beginning last year as the best Android smartphone ever. And it has the blessing of Google themselves. For those wondering what exactly we will miss, here are the specs:
  1. 4.65" curved glass display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels
  2. 1GB RAM
  3. 32GB storage
  4. 5MP camera in the rear, 1.3MP front-facing camera
  5. 1080p video recording
  6. 1.2 GHz dual core processor
It even comes with a barometer. And weighs just 135g. Needless to say, it is a sweet package. In the US, the phone is available through Verizon and Sprint if you want to purchase it with a contract. And if you don't want the hassle of a contract, you can also purchase it directly from Google Play.

Analyzed: Samsung Series 5 ULTRA

Samsung hasn't exactly been known for their laptops. But considering their success in the electronics division it was only a matter of time before they got their feet wet in the laptop department. They have been around for a while, but it looks like their design philosophy from the smartphone/TV division has finally spilled over on to their notebooks as well. 

We tested out the 13.3" Samsung Series 5 ULTRA (there is also a 14" version) and it was pretty loaded for an Ultrabook. Our version came with a 1.6GHz Intel i5 processor, 1TB storage (the most we have seen in an ultrabook) with 16GB ExpressCache (for those ultra fast boot times), 1GB AMD Radeon graphics card, 1.3MP webcam, optical disc drive and 6GB RAM (upgradable to 8GB) in a package that weighs under 4lbs. You also get 3 USB ports, 1 VGA port, 1 HDMI port and a 4 in 1 multi card slot for your memory cards. Not bad if you ask us. From a looks perspective, as with all the Samsung products in the market, the Series 5 ULTRA is sleek and well packaged. The sophisticatedly simple and refined exterior is a cool metallic aluminum, while the underside is made with fiber glass that’s light but resistant to wear and damage.

We felt the display resolution could have been better. Despite having a dedicated 1GB AM Radeon graphics card, the maximum resolution is pegged at 1366 x 768 pixels. We watched a couple of HD movies on the laptop and were impressed with the darkness of the black colors and how vivid the other colors looked on screen. The same held true for a couple of games we tested out on the Series 5. Using the Mac style trackpad is also easy and we didn't notice any trailing issues that we have noticed with other brands of Ultrabooks. Multi-tasking doesn't choke the machine too much considering the amount of RAM that is included, but we did notice significant slowdown in the performance while trying to do some rendering in Photoshop and other activities at the same time. Not surprising considering how much RAM gets used up when trying to render. The chiclet styled keyboard is very easy to use and is water proof as well (which we love - we've ruined more than one keyboard before by spilling drinks on them... by mistake of course)!

One of the best features of the Samsung Series 5 ULTRA is its price. You get all the goodies mentioned above for Rs. 53,900 (~$1,078) in India. That's great considering the other Ultrabooks we have tested cost about Rs. 18,000 (~$360) more! It is definitely the lowest priced Ultrabook around these parts. For what you get for the price, we think the Samsung Series 5 ULTRA is a steal!

Analyzed: Samsung Omnia W

A lot of the phones we have been reviewing lately just happen to be Android based (for good reason since a majority of the smartphones out there are Android phones). Not to mention they happen to be among the top of the line models. But this time we took a close look at the Samsung Omnia W. Right off the bat let's set the right expectations: It is not a top of the line phone, it is not as expensive and it is not loaded with the top of the line hardware. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the mid priced Samsung Omnia W.

From a technical perspective, the Omnia comes with a single core 1.4GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB storage, a 3.7" screen at a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, 5MP rear camera, 0.3 MP front facing camera and weighs in at a mere 115g. It is a very very light phone. And it is also a very thin phone and you could confuse it for your wallet in your pocket. The Omnia W comes with Windows Mobile Version 7.5 (Mango) and just like the Nokia Lumia 800 it is silky smooth to operate. You get all the features associated with Windows Mobile phones like Microsoft Office Suite, XBox Live and the Windows Phone marketplace.

We are fans of the Metro UI that Mango offers. In the usability aspect the Omnia W scores high points. But try and push the processor to the limit by multi-tasking or playing processor intensive games and you can notice the phone response taking a little longer than usual. Not to the point where you can't use it anymore but it is definitely noticeable (but this doesn't affect how smooth the phone is when it comes to scrolling and looking for your apps - something that occurs on Android phones when the processor is being hammered). This is due to the single core processor and the 512MB RAM. For regular use (web browsing, watching videos, listening music, email, social networking etc.) the specs are definitely more than adequate. The display is also very crisp and the resolution offered is perfect for the screen size. Colors are also very vibrant. The camera could use a little work but for the price we can't really complain. Even at the maximum resolution the photos still looked a little hazy. Still, we can live with it.

Not everyone can afford to drop a large wad of cash (or credit) on the latest and greatest out in the market. For those looking for a quality product without breaking the bank much, this phone is a good buy. Based on what we have seen, we'll go as far to say it is a steal for what you get!

The Samsung Omnia W is currently on sale in India for Rs. 15,500 (~$310).

Analyzed: Samsung Galaxy S II

How could we have ever forgotten our trusty Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch? We have so many gadgets around us that we had almost forgotten about our S2! To us, this is the phone that started the Samsung revolution. It laid the founding stone for their upcoming tablets as well as the now famous Galaxy Note. We did a comparison of the S II against the Galaxy Note but we figured it deserved its own post.

The Samsung Galaxy S II's 1.2GHz dual core processor is the ultra responsive answer to mobile performance, providing high-speed multitasking, quick web page loading, quick reaction speeds, a smoother UI, lightning fast image editing and high performance gaming. The 4.3" gorilla glass screen covered display is beautiful albeit not as good as the one on the Galaxy Note, but it is beautiful nonetheless. The resolution is 800 x 480 pixels and on this screen size it works quite well. Images and videos just look stunning, crisp and vivid on this screen.

With the 1GB RAM built-in, multi-tasking is a breeze. In fact we felt the Galaxy S II was smoother than the Galaxy Note in this regard. That's saying something. We had several applications open all at the same time and not once we did notice any lag. We did notice the heat issue (similar to what we noticed when we tried it on the Galaxy Note) when playing Airport City on the phone though. We wonder if anyone else has noticed this issue... do let us know. Storage space can be expanded to 32GB using a mini-SD card and that is more than enough to carry your videos, photos and music.

Samsung has definitely hit it out of the ball park with the 8MP camera that has been included in the Galaxy S II. Pictures and videos (in HD) are absolutely fantastic without using any modifications. We have had several people ask us if the pictures we took in the past were off some professional camera and they were absolutely shocked they were taken with a phone! Oh and you also get a 2MP front facing camera in case you decide you use Skype or any other video chatting app on the phone. Of course we can't say enough about the fact that it comes with Android's Gingerbread OS (which will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich) and you get all the goodies that come with Google Play.

The Samsung Galaxy S II was introduced in India at a starting price of Rs. 31,000 (~$620). Now that the Galaxy Note is out, you can get a cracker of a deal on a new S II for about Rs. 27,400 (~$550). Not a bad deal if you ask us especially considering you don't have any contract commitments.

Analyzed: Can a Smartphone replace a Notebook?

One of the main missions on our road trip, was to determine if a smartphone can replace your notebook for short periods of time. We were on the road for 5 days and decided only to use our Samsung Galaxy Note for taking photos, writing articles and doing some of our work instead of using our trusty notebook (which we did carry with us as a backup). So how did we fare? Let's take a look...

Off the top of our heads, here are some of the tasks we performed on the road:
  1. Check/respond to emails
  2. Watch videos
  3. Listen to music
  4. Write/publish/modify articles
  5. Work on few Word and Excel documents
  6. Browse the web
  7. Scan and create PDFs
  8. Use it as a backup camera to our Canon EOS
So how did the smartphone do? In a nutshell, most of the activities you can do on a notebook can be done on a smartphone. The key word is MOST. We were able to check and respond to our emails with ease, watching and listening to movies and videos is very simple (as well as streaming it online), browsing the web is also pretty simple and the photos we took were absolutely stunning. 

Where the smartphone fell short was when we got into intensive tasks such as document editing (both in Word and Excel). We used the Blogger app on our Android phone to write our posts, but if you are trying to write HTML code (or even try something simple like justify the text of a paragraph) on a smartphone, let's just say a task that would take you about 15 seconds on a notebook would take you about 2 minutes on a smartphone especially when you have to switch between applications to achieve a desired result. This exponential time factor coupled with the number of times we had to switch between applications became very frustrating after a while. We also noticed the image that we uploaded on our road trip article was a little distorted. Though this is an easy fix, we decided to leave the image the way it is as a reminder that it was written using a different medium!

We also noticed an issue while composing an article using Blogger through the browser on a smartphone, we were unable to select the body of a post to make any edits (or just type anything). Creating Word documents is relatively simple especially thanks to the Samsung Note's Stylus. But try working with Excel and you will really want to pull your hair out. Reviewing is easy, doing a lot harder. That was the common theme throughout our trip. Connection speeds are also dependent on where you use your smartphone, the places we were at had horrible reception and without a reliable connection or just Wi-Fi, you are pretty much dead in the water.

In short, yes the Smartphone can replace a Notebook... if only temporarily. For the regular person, you might actually be able to get away for a few days without the use of your notebook. But be prepared for the frustration that we are almost certain will happen simply because of the fact that a task that you might have done a thousand times before on your laptop in a few seconds without even giving it a second thought, might, no, WILL end up taking minutes... every single time. And if your job involves data intensive tasks or heavy graphical work, the answer is a flat NO. 

One thing though, kudos to the innovation in our time that we are actually even able to think of comparisons such as these! With faster and faster processors coming in smaller and smaller packages, it is only a matter of time before this gap between smartphone and notebook will be bridged. We can't wait!

Update: We forgot to mention that the infamous scratch proof Gorilla glass is NOT scratch proof. We have used the Galaxy Note with the Stylus (very rarely without it) since we got it, and with repeated use, we are starting to see scratch marks on the screen. That's not good.

hapless geek on the road!

We've been testing a few hatchbacks and decided to take the show on the road for a multi-city trip. We'll be hitting up Mumbai and Jaipur before heading back to Chennai. The purpose of our trip besides getting word out on the site is to see if we can test out and review a major portion of the hot hatchbacks currently in the Indian market. The cars currently on our list are the Fiat Punto, the Toyota Etios and the Maruti A-Star. We're also going to see if we can get our hands on the Nissan Micra.

For now, check out our office for the day! That's Marine Drive in Mumbai. And despite us carrying our trusty laptop, we're also trying to find out one thing. Can a smartphone truly replace a notebook or desktop while you're on the road? We will be using a Samsung Galaxy Note the entire trip to write our articles as well as do other office work. By the way, this article was also written on the Note using the Blogger Android app.

Come back to our site to see our reviews and impressions!

Analyzed: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

It is hard to keep up with all the new tech gizmos that are being introduced in the market. It seems like every other day a new product is being launched before users even get a chance to get acclimatized to the old ones! Samsung is definitely one of these companies that keeps putting out frequent launches, but good thing for us a lot of their products are actually very good. But that's another story. We are here to discuss the largest of the Samsung Tablets, the Galaxy Tab 10.1. There are other variants of course, like the Tab 7.7 and the Tab 8.9, but the Tab 10.1 is the top of the line version.

The first thing that caught our attention is how thin the Tab is. It is so thin that at times we were afraid we might break the tablet by mistake! The Samsung Galaxy Note we tested is 9.7 mm thick while the Tab is just 8.6 mm. Amazing the technology these days isn't it? With a weight of 565g (~1.25lbs) the Galaxy Tab is quite light as well. It is a very nicely built device and you feel the quality when you hold it. The tablet comes with the 1GHz dual core Tegra 2 processor, 1GB RAM, 3G vs. non-3G versions and 16, 32 or 64GB of storage. The 10.1" widescreen LCD supports a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It comes with Android's Honeycomb operating system (which should get upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich sometime this month). The battery life is great and we managed to use the tablet for almost 3 days on a single charge.

Where we feel Samsung skimped out on is the camera. Their top of the line phones come with 8MP cameras these days and they went ahead and stuck a 3MP camera in the Tab. That doesn't make much sense to us. We also noticed some lag (which is livable) while running multiple apps and scrolling across our documents/app list. These are the only faults we could find with the Tab. If we really wanted to gripe we would also say we wish it had the same game controller features like the Sony Tablet S. As with all Android powered devices, you get complete access to Google Play and the apps. You also get to plug your USB device to the tablet and it instantly recognizes the different file types. This makes it very enticing to the business user. There are also a myriad of accessories that can be purchased for the tablet such as a docking station, keyboard etc.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 retails in India between Rs. 23,000 and Rs. 33,000 (depending on the storage size). It will be interesting to see what changes Samsung is going to incorporate into the Galaxy Tab 2 (next version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1) now that the new iPad is also out in the market.
 

5 million in 5 months

In case anyone was wondering if the Samsung Galaxy Note would do well, the numbers speak for themselves. 5 million units sold in 5 months. It isn't close to the iPhone numbers, but considering how skeptical everyone was at the launch of the Note, Samsung should feel very proud of what they have achieved. Samsung projects that over 10 million units will be sold by the end of 2012. Looks like Samsung has taken a page out of Apple's marketing book. If you think a market need doesn't exist for a product, create the market and the need will come. Great job Samsung, we can't wait to test out the new products slated for release this year!

Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note in February.

You can also join the Samsung Mobile page on Facebook.
 

Samsung seeks to double tablet sales in India

Looks like business is booming for the electronics giant from South Korea. Samsung Electronics is targeting to double its sales of tablets in India in the current year. The company clocked sales of 300,000 units in 2011 and sees a challenge in growing the tablets penetration dramatically.

Analyzed: Samsung Galaxy Note

Galaxy Note vs. Galaxy S2
We've had the Galaxy S II for a few months now and love it. It really made all the other smartphones look like they were a blast from the past... iPhone included. Then we read about this Samsung Galaxy Note and saw some commercials online and it piqued my curiosity. The specs looked incredible to say the least and we were finally able to get my hands on one after searching around. Like a fat kid in a candy store we  have been playing around with it and figured it warranted a review. And to be fair, we installed the same apps we have on the Galaxy S2 and have been pounding on it constantly. They also had the same version of the Android OS, Gingerbread 2.3.6. So... is it a tablet? No. Is it like a conventional phone? No. This will take some getting used to. 

Looks: To say the Note is huge is an understatement. When we got the S II and compared it to the iPhone it felt bigger (it has more screen space). When we compare the Note to the S2, it is just ginormous! The entire phone fits within the Note's screen. It is that big. The size might seem too big but it still fits snugly in a pocket. It is a little heavier than the S2, but this too will be forgotten in a while.

Home Screen
Display: The Note wins hands down in this department (we must say the S2 is not that far behind). The gorilla glass works and with the resolution (1280 x 800 I believe), it just looks downright amazing. Pictures of the display don't do justice (check out the screenshots included for an idea). It has to be seen to be believed. Games, movies (especially in HD), pictures, you name it and they look so damn good. But bear in mind if you like to use widgets, not too many apps exist where the widgets extend across the entire screen. You will have a little gap since the largest size of most widgets is 4x1, 4x2 or 4x4. You will need a widget that can display 5xN for it to fill the width of the screen.

Performance: The Samsung Galaxy S2 is blindingly fast for a phone. With the 1.2GHz dual core processor and 1GB RAM it is smooth and handles multiple simultaneous applications with ease. So does the 1.4GHz dual core processor in the Note make a big difference? Not really. The Note is also very smooth, there is no lag while scrolling or watching movies or while working on documents. BTW, both phones have the same processor but it has been slowed down in the S2. All apps performed on both phones in a similar fashion (photo editing, movies, music, live streaming etc.) You can tell where the processor is if you run memory intensive apps (we were checking out the Airport City app) on both phones by the heat generated (right by the camera in the back). It does get pretty warm we admit. But the one thing we did notice is that in the Note, the phone does get a little laggy if you keep pounding the processor for extended periods of time continuously (we're talking hours vs. minutes). This was not noticed in the S2. A quick restart solves the issue but we're  not so sure you would want to keep doing that... it can get pretty annoying.

Airport City app
Battery Life: Both phones have pretty good battery life. You can a day (normal use - phone calls, browsing, playing around a little bit) to a day and a half (if you use it sparingly) on a full charge. Now not all apps are created equally and if you play say Airport City constantly, you can kill your entire battery in little over an hour! So pick your battles wisely.

Camera: Both the Note and the S2 have the same 8MP camera in the back and a 2MP in the front. Pictures look amazing and of course there are so many apps you can download from the Market to play around with them. Skype looks better on the Note but this is due to the amazing display it has.

Extras on the Note: The elephant in the room, the stylus. Does it work? Yes. Does the Note need it? Yes. This is owing to its 5.3" size. You can use your fingers for sure, but you cover more area more quickly with the stylus. And it will be very very handy for people with fat fingers. For us the biggest difference I saw was with Swype. Because of the bigger screen, it does take a little longer to type with your fingers even when using the Swype keyboard on the Note. But use the stylus and bam! you're literally flying. It also comes in very handy with photo editing, taking notes (we used the built in S Memo app) and just browsing in general. It might take a little getting used to, but we am definitely in favor of it. A good value add to the tab- err... phone.

Overall: We absolutely love it. Whether it will change your perception of what a smartphone is remains to be seen. The added extras make it a very compelling device to own. The price is in the same league as the Galaxy S2 as well. All things considered, and after playing with both of the best phones currently in the market, We'd go with the Note.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is currently on sale in India for Rs. 32,700 (~$650).


Check our the Premium Suite Samsung is offering on the Note below:

Analyzed: Samsung UN46D7900 SMART LED TV

The first thing that catches your attention when you see Samsung's new LED series TVs is how thin the screen is. It is probably thinner than a third of your pinky finger. No joke. This along with the bezel which is only 0.2" thick is in line with Samsung's design philosophy of - visual impression of “more screen, less frame”. After the Pioneer Elite, which is in a league of its own, this is a brand that caught our attention with its innovation and price point. The model we tested was the UN46D7900, read: 46" 3D LED HDTV.