Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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Nexus 7(2013) vs iPad Mini 2

A lot many tablets are coming into the arena, thereby increasing options for the customers. We think it is time to compare a few and determine the best choices. Let us have a comparative look at the Apple iPad Mini 2 and the Google Nexus 7 (2013):
ipad-mini-2-in-indiaBuilt: The dimensions of iPad Mini 2 are 135 x 200 x 7.5 mm and it weighs about 331 and 341 grams (Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + cellular variant, respectively). Where as, the dimensions of the Nexus 7 are 120 x 199 x 8.65 mm and it weighs approximately 290 grams and 299 grams (Wi-Fi only and 32 GB + mobile data variant, respectively). Both of them are pretty handy and none of them feels like a weight to carry around so it’s a tie.
Display: iPad Mini 2 offers a 7.9 inch display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and a pixel density of 326 ppi which is better in all aspects as compared to the Nexus 7 (2013)’s 7 inch touch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and a pixel density of 323 ppi. Its not about the pixel density and the Retina Display surges ahead of the full HD display.
nexus-7-2013Processor: iPad Mini 2 has been equipped with A7 system chip 64 bit architecture and a M7 motion co-processor. On the other hand, Nexus 7 (2013) has been loaded with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. It is all about the optimization and Apple surely does it better but there are no two ways to the fact that the Nexus 7 easily matches up to the iPad Mini’s level of performance.
Operating System: iPad Mini 2 functions on iOS 7 where as the Nexus 7 (2013) device works on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean platform. The Android 4.4 Kitkat will be available soon and we’d call it a tie here as it’s a matter of personal choice.
Camera: Both the devices feature a primary camera of 5 mega pixels and a front facing camera of 1.2 mega pixels.
Battery: The Apple iPad Mini 2 runs on a battery powerful enough to offer 10 hours of battery life while the Google Nexus 7 (2013) works on a battery that ensures a battery life of approximately 9 hours.
Price: The rumoured prices of the iPad Mini 2 for the 16GB Wi-Fi variant are expected to start at Rs 28,900 whereas the Nexus 7 32GB variant with LTE will set you back by Rs 25,999 and it is here that it gets a lead the mini offering from Apple finds a bit hard to match.
Our Take: After the careful analysis of the features of these two devices it is safe to say that if you are looking for a value for money, high quality gadget at a low price, then Nexus 7 is a smart choice. However, if you are willing to cough up more cash, iPad Mini 2 will not disappoint you.
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Nexus 4 vs Nexus 5 : Which is better ?

Nexus4-IndiaGoogle’s Nexus 5 is out in the Indian market. While intense discussions about its comparisons with other rival brands are going on, we take this chance to analyze its worth against the predecessor, Nexus 4. Since Google is still continuing with the predecessor, the comparison becomes pretty obvious. Here it is for you- Display- Nexus 5 comes with a 4.95-inch (1080 x 1920 pixels) 445 ppi full true HD IPS capacitive touchscreen as compared to the 4.7-inch WXGA IPS HD (1280x768p), 318 ppi display. While the former has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, the later has Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection. Hence, its a big leap in terms of display.
Processor, Chipset and RAM- Nexus 5 has  2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM while the predecessor ran on 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with 2GB RAM. So, you will surely get significantly better processing experience on the new device as the Snapdragon 800 is the best unit currently.
Memory- 16 and 32 GB internal memory variant come with the new launch while the older one had 8 and 16 GB variants. Both devices have no card slot. Since the newer one offers a bigger memory option, I think this one should go to the Nexus 5.
google_nexus_5Operating System- Nexus 5 runs on Android Kitkat 4.4 platform with many new features. Nexus 4 has been updated v4.3 Jelly Bean platform. However, the Kitkat 4.4 will soon be available to Nexus 4 users. Camera- Both devices have similar 8 MP primary camera and 1.3 MP front camera with features like autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, photo sphere etc. However, the new generation comes with Optical Image Stabilizations) and HDR+ (High Dynamic Range) for better picture quality. The camera is a big up from the previous generation.
Connectivity- Both the devices offer connectivity options like 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, WLAN and USB. However the Nexus 5 comes with LTE support which might be beneficial in future.
Battery- Nexus 5 has Non-removable 2300 mAh battery to give 200 hours of standby and 17 hours of talktime on 2G while on Nexus 4, you will have 2100 mAh battery rated for upwards of 15.3 hours of talk time. Price- For 16 GB variant of Nexus 5, you pay Rs 28,999 whereas the Nexus 4 is selling for around Rs 22,000 for the 16GB variant. You also get the option of a 32GB variant on the Nexus 5 which will set you back by Rs 32,999.
Verdict- Nexus 5 is a significant over Nexus 4 on all counts and is more than worth the price difference. Moreover, this leap comes at no substantial cost escalation. In short, a green light from my side.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

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Top 5 Instant Messaging Apps

As a wide number of instant messaging applications and services are emerging, staying connected with friends and family from all across the world is becoming even simpler and easier. Let us have a quick look at the top 5 instant messaging apps and determine which one is the best for you:
WhatsAppWhatsApp: WhatsApp is an instant messaging app that uses your phone contacts only. It will display all those contacts that have this app installed. There is no need for you to login. The app saves all your messages offline. WhatsApp is free of charges to download; however, it comes with some in-app purchases. For the first year, your can use this app for free. But after that you will have to pay Rs. 65 every year. Though the fee is not much, but it makes the fully free rivals of WhatsApp even more attractive. Also, you cannot use this application on multiple devices.
wechatscreenWeChat: WeChat is a free instant messaging service that has been introduced this year and is already quite popular. It enables you to send voice messages and carry our Live Chat and video calls. This app is available on Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Nokia S 40 and BlackBerry OS as well. You can link WeChat to your computer with the help of QR codes and chat with friends on desktop browser. With this instant messaging service one can also send files to their device. With the Web Grab plug in, you can shake web pages from your desktop device to your smartphone. It also makes use of your phone number. However, it gives you the freedom to approve request before someone can chat with you.
line-messenger-480x300Line Messenger: Line Messenger is a Japanese based instant messaging app that has been available very recently and works on Android enabled phones. It also functions on BlackBerry, Nokia and iPhone. Line Messenger enables you to send text as well as voice messages. With Line Messenger the user can also make free calls. This is the major reason behind its huge success. This app also allows you to share data, such as photographs and videos with your friends. Line Messenger is free of cost.
Hike-messengerHike: Hike is another immensely popular and widely used instant messaging application. It is simple to use, fast and elegant. Hike enables you to communicate in three different ways. First, it allows you to message Hike-to-Hike. Second, you can send messages to friends who are not using Hike but have a smartphone. However, it is limited to India. Third, you can contact friends with some other phone via SMS. You get free 100 messages every month. Hike enables you share data as well. It comes with a friendly user interface. Hike is also a cross platform service.
BlackBerry-MessengerBBM: BlackBerry Messenger or BBM instant messaging service is perhaps one of the main reasons why BlackBerry devices are so successful. BBM offers superior security and privacy settings as compared to any other instant messaging app. It makes use of user ID or PIN instead of phone numbers. So, this app enables you to authorize people in order for them to chat with you. Therefore, nobody who simply has your contact number can message you. The good news is that BBM has recently been launched for Android and iOS as well. Being a cross-platform service, it will surely become even more popular.
Our Take: After having a good look at these top 5 instant messaging services, my vote goes in the favor of WeChat because as compared to other apps, it is available on maximum platforms. Moreover, it offers some pretty awesome features along with better security and privacy settings. But it has some glitches and Whatsapp provides a decent alternative to it as well.