Hot launches: Smartphones of April 2013

The month of April saw the coming of some pretty anticipated devices in the mobile segment. While new mobile handsets hit the Indian shelves on a very regular basis each month, this month some of the heavy hitters have made their debut. Here’s a list of some of the more significant mobile launches that happened in April. 

Samsung Galaxy S4 – Rs 41,500 

The indomitable Galaxy series of devices from Samsung saw the latest edition unveiled for India on April 26 in the form of Samsung Galaxy S4. The latest device in the series brings with it some new additions to the TouchWiz UI, aiming to make the user experience that much more exciting. Housing Samsung’s new Exynos 5 Octa Processor (1.6GHz quad-core + 1.2GHz quad-core) to run Android Jelly Bean 4.2 and a slew of new features, Samsung’s well-priced S4 is already making big waves in the industry. Of course, the launch in Mumbai with Reliance seems to be facing a backlash of comments regarding the ridiculous rendition of Psy’s Gangnam Style number at the event. 

The latest from the Samsung Galaxy series

Here’s a quick look at the S4’s Specs:

• 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display, 441 ppi
• HSPA+, LTE, GPRS/EDGE
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR and A2DP
• GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
• NFC
• USB OTG
• 13MP camera with LED flash, Simultaneous HD video and still image stabilisation, 1080p video recording.
• 2MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording @ 30fps
• 16GB internal storage with microSD card for further expansion up to 64GB
• TV out via MHL

HTC One – Rs 42,900 

HTC’s latest flagship is simply called the “One”. With a robust build and the latest edition of Sense UI, i.e. version 5.0, the One is proving to be a popular device since it’s launch earlier this month. Going with a Unibody design yet again, HTC has tried to re-invent its design form by going all metal and grilles galore. With a 1.7GHz quad-core processor powering it, a few new additions to the UI and an all-new camera tech dubbed UltraPixels, the One is a strong contender for this quarter’s top smartphone. Of course, it’s competing with the Galaxy S4 for that position. Nevertheless, it’s got a lot to offer, including Beats Audio enhancement technology.

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The “One” to stand out?

The One also features:

• 4.7-inch full HD Super LCD3 (1920 x 1080) display, 441 ppi
• HSPA+, LTE, GPRS/EDGE
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR and A2DP
• GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
• NFC
• 4MP UltraPixel camera with LED flash, Simultaneous HD video and still image stabilisation, 1080p video recording.
• 2MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording @ 30fps
• 16GB/32GB internal storage with microSD card for further expansion up to 64GB
• FM radio
• TV out via MHL

Xperia SP – Rs 27,490 

Taking its cue from bigger brother, the Xperia Z, the SP is for those who want a similar experience but at a lower cost. The SP isn’t as fully loaded as the Z or ZL, but it does offer quite a bit of functionality for potential consumers. Powering it is a 1.7GHz dual-core processor for Android Jelly Bean 4.1. Sony, for some reason, has always been a little behind of the OS version and also issues updates a lot later than the competition. This could be a problem for the company even though its devices have being gaining popularity recently. Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine should hopefully keep the display as vibrant as some of the others. 

The all-new Xperia SP – could it be worth the money?

Here are the key specs of the Xperia SP:

• 4.6-inch display with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution
• LTE, HSPA+, GPRS/EDGE
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP
• NFC
• GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
• 8MP primary camera with LED flash, 1080p video and VGA front-facing camera
• 8GB internal storage, with microSD card slot
• FM radio
• TV Out via MHL

The Nokia Lumia 520 – Rs 10,500 and  Nokia Lumia 720 – Rs 18,999  

Nokia’s Lumia series is fast becoming a popular option among the masses, especially with the Lumia 620 and the recently launched 520 and 720. Their price tags put them in a very competitive position – offering high-end bodies with better than average specifications at reasonable prices. Both these devices run Windows Phone 8 off of 1GHz dual-core processors and provide a fluid UI experience. Nokia’s ClearBlack display technology makes legibility a non-issue in direct sunlight. That coupled with a host of Nokia’s pre-loaded apps, including Nokia Maps and Drive, makes these devices quite a value for money.  

Here are some of the highlighted features of the Lumia 720:

• 4.3-inch ClearBlack IPS LCD display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with sharing capabilities
• GPS with GLONASS
• NFC, Bluetooth 3.0
• 6.7MP camera with BSI sensor and 720p video recording, 1.3MP HD wide angle camera on the front
• 8GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB via microSD

As colourful and feature rich as they come for the price

The 520 features:

• 4-inch ClearBlack IPS LCD display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels
• 3G, EDGE/GRPS, Wi-Fi
• GPS with A-GPS
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
• 5MP camera with 720p video recording
• 8GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB via microSD

The reason we’ve added this to the list is simply because we’re seeing so many new budget smartphones being launched with quite an impressive array of high-end specifications. The Ultraphone 701HD from Zen Mobiles features a 1.2GHz quad-core processor from MediaTek and runs on Android Jelly Bean v4.2. Its 720p HD display and 8MP camera also makes it an option to seriously consider. All of this is offered at just Rs 12,000, making it a very affordable device.

High end features, low price tag

Here’s a quick look at the specs of the Ultraphone 701HD:

• 5-inch HD IPS display (1280 x 720 pixels) 
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)
• 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0,
• GPS
• 8MP rear camera with LED Flash, BSI sensor and 3.2MP front-facing camera
• 4GB internal memory, 32GB expandable memory with MicroSD

Micromax A115 Canvas 3D
Micromax’s first 3D phone the A115 Canvas 3D is yet another addition to the Canvas series. You won’t require any special glasses to view 3D content on the phone, which will be packed in to a special ‘Micromax 3D Space’. The Canvas 3D is powered by an unnamed 1GHz dual-core processor and runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. There’s 512MB of RAM under the hood as well. It’s priced at Rs 9,999. Packed with a 2000 mAh battery, the phone is said to have a talk-time of 4.5 hours.

The first Micromax 3D smartphone

Here are the key specifications of the A115 Canvas HD

• 5-inch WVGA 3D display
• Dual-SIM, 3G, GPRS/EDGE
• Wi-Fi, with Wi-Fi hotspot
• GPS
• 5-megapixel rear camera and 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera

Some of the other devices that launched this month include:

The Huawei Ascend G510 and Y300 – both available for less than Rs 11,000   

The Micromax Ninja A91 – priced at Rs 8,499 

LG’s L7 II and L3 II – priced at Rs 18,650 and Rs 8,800 respectively 

Stay tuned to tech2 for the latest smartphone launches and let us know which of these devices is next on your list.