Tech Karate

LG G3: Detailed specification list. 2450 x 1440 Quad HD display coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 May 2014 17:30:00 +0000

The LG G3 will be released tomorrow in an event by LG. The G3 will be the answer of LG to all the smartphones released this year like the HTC one M8, Samsung Galaxy S5 and maybe even to the ‘Flagship Killer’ OnePlus One.

You can find the comparison of the flagships here

Read the OnePlus One review here

LG has teased us with 3 videos specifying the important details that the G3 will feature.

Check out the videos here

So what can we round up from these videos?

This is going to be a 5.5’ screen smartphone up from the 5.2’ screen on the G2.
Expansion by MicroSD card upto 2TB!!!
An all metal design (brushed metal back like the HTC one M8)
It is going to feature the LG knock code now found on almost new LG devices.
The camera will be better. We all know how the G2 had a better camera than others in the competition.
The phone is going to have very small bezel as was seen in the G2 which saw the smallest bezels and the biggest screen to total size ratio.
The phone is going to be powerful (well the reason it is a flagship)
Maybe just maybe it will feature a Quad HD screen!
And a proprietary LG QuickCirle case as seem in the video

Here is spec sheet leaked on the UK website

What we are not going to find on the G3?

A Snapdragon 805/810 SOC.

So where is the Omph?

Well the main oomph factor that LG plans in the unveiling of the G3 is the time when the product will be launched for customers to buy. Unlike Samsung and HTC the product is going to be ‘expected’ to be available on all major carriers and as well as unlocked the next day itself! Now that’s fantastic judging from the way people have to be harassed for the OnePlus One and wait till a future release date in the case of the GS5.

As far as rumors are concerned LG will be the manufacturer of the next Nexus phone (if there is one) So the G3 will not only be a release of one phone but we can get a view and probably a prediction by the analyst about the likely feature and build of the next Nexus!

Mr. Nutcase: 10% discount on your next personalised phone/tablet case

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 May 2014 14:08:00 +0000

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Leaked Samsung Galaxy S5 Active: Might feature a Quad HD screen and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 May 2014 16:25:00 +0000

So we now almost know about what to expect out of the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S5 Active (Well not highly, but anyway).

Recently a video was posted by TK Tech News which has unveiled almost all the unique features that are about to come to the GS5 Active. Here is the video which leaked on the internet (it might be taken down soon)

The GS5 Active features an AMOLED display against the LCD panel as featured on the GS4 Active. Now here’s what can make the GS5 Active really interesting, in the video you can see that the person is really betting that the Active has a sharper and a crisper display than the GS5. So are we looking at a more than 1080p display here? Well it isn't confirmed but buzz around Samsung does say that they are experimenting on 2K or more resolution screens! It can be a pleasant surprise to see a more than 1080p display on the GS5 Active.

The phone looks bigger because of its rubber padded sides for bump protection. The dimensions of the phone are similar to the GS5 but seem to be a slight bigger owing to a bigger bezel and the side protection. The phone houses physical buttons on the front which are different from the ones commonly seen on other Samsung phones and the sides of the phone are covered in metal (Finally!) It certainly will come with the protection to the elements with an IP certification and more.

Lately the phone has been spotted on the GFX Benchmark. The software of the Active will house more apps for an Active life like a barometer, compass and a flashlight in case you are lost in darkness while you trek your way through a jungle!

The camera might be featuring an OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) but cannot be confirmed as of now. You can watch the video to judge for yourself.

So what do you think? Is the Galaxy S5 Active really worth it? Or is it that Samsung is doing too many product release in a very short span leaving its customers confused?

Keep us posted with your views in the comments below!

The Moto 360 SmartWatch has a competitor! (Even before it is launched)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 May 2014 19:23:00 +0000

We were all dancing in our shoes when Google unveiled what came to be known as the Moto 360. The first round dial smart watch! Wow!

Now months after the AndroidWear is made available by Google and the Moto 360 and LG G watch on the line to be launched comes a company that aims to dethrone the Moto 360 from the only one having the wow factor due to a round dial.

Kairos has come up with a mechanical hybrid watch which duals up as a smartwatch when required! Now that’s smart.

Here is a video of the Kairos Watch!

The watch uses smart display technique which only lights up the LED screen when a new notification on your phone has arrived, allowing the watch to have over 5 days of battery life from the 41 hrs battery life of the current smart watches.

The watch features ARM Cortex M4 processor and houses 512Mb memory. Currently the watch features a custom OS developed by the company but when asked if they plan to use AndroidWear Sam Yang of Kairos watch replied

“We have set our specs to Arm Cortex M4 with 512MB memory in anticipation to handling Android Wear OS.”

Now that would be interesting to see. If Kairos brings it’s mechanical smartwatch with the AndroidWear I can certainly see the Moto 360 receiving the heat.

Here are the videos of the Moto 360.

and the LG G watch

What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Moto G v/s Moto E: How much of a sacrifice is the Moto E?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 17 May 2014 17:59:00 +0000

Well if you find yourself in the letter dilemma that Motorola uses to name its phones you might well be looking for a budget smartphone. Motorola had done an amazing job with the Moto G bringing in a smartphone at $179 and giving it great specs and a beautiful build. A few days back as rumored Motorola launched an even cheaper mobile named the Moto E at $129. But how much do you lose for that $50 less price tag, let’s find out.

1. DISPLAY

The Moto E sports a 4.3’ qHD display at 256 PPI whereas the Moto G features a 4.5’ 720p display at 329PPI. Pixel fanatics won’t like either of the phones due to their low pixel density but very honestly you can see the difference between these two phones even with the naked eye. Moto E’s display is a big letdown. We can clearly see the pixels if we look closely at the Moto E and that makes reading on this phone a not-so-pleasurable experience. HD movies look washed out and don’t depict the details and the punchy colors like seen on the Moto G.

Here’s a pic where you can clearly see the pixelated view of the Moto E.

Other than that, switch the screen off and you can see the touch matrix clearly on the phone. That shows how Motorola has cut costs and it isn’t really a good way to do it.

Winner: MOTO G

2. CAMERA

Yes neither of them are brilliant shooters like the flagships but come on we are looking at budget smartphones here. Both feature a 5MP rear shooter but the difference lies in the fact that the Moto G features a LED flash which makes taking photos in the dark a little less painful. To keep budget tight the Moto E doesn’t feature the LED flash but has almost the same optics. The camera applications is basically the same no frills and gimmicks plain UI which does a decent job in allowing you to shoot good pictures.

The major drawback of the camera in the Moto E is the lack of Auto-Focus. The camera is always focused at the center of the screen and that is a really sad feature.

Moving on to the front you will be not finding a front facing camera on the Moto E. So all the selfie fanatics this device will let you down!

Winner: MOTO G

3. STORAGE

This is one place where the Moto E has done a great job by including an option to increase your phones storage by 32GB using MicroSD card slot. The feature missing on the Moto G. The Moto E comes with a 4GB built in storage while the Moto G comes with 8/16GB. Now a fact to notice is that with the Moto E you will eventually be forced to buy a MicroSD card which will increase the amount of money you spend on this phone.

Winner: Tie

Read: The HTC one Mini 2 Review

4. PROCESSING POWER

While both run on Android Kitkat 4.4.2 with a guaranteed update at least to the next iteration of Android, the way they run the same software is quite different.

The Moto E features an older and slower Snapdragon 200 dual core processor clocked in at 1.2GHz. This makes playing games and multi-tasking on the phone quite cumbersome and you will notice significant lag over time.

The Moto G on the other hand features a much newer Snapdragon 400 quad core processor clocked at 1.2Ghz making it perform task much smoother than the Moto E. If you plan to play games or make use of the features that Android has to offer, the Moto G makes total sense. But if you just want a phone which will be used for texting and calling the Moto E has the necessary power to perform that.

Winner: Moto G

5. VERDICT

Although the difference is of $50 the spec sheet and the overall performance is way more than what $50 can give. Although the Moto E is a brilliantly designed phone it isn’t really priced that low for the sacrifices it makes. The Moto G trumps the Moto E in almost every aspect of comparison and by a good margin.

You can read about the Moto E specifications and details here.

Review: HTC one Mini 2 - the smaller avatar of the 'One M8'

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 17 May 2014 05:09:00 +0000

From the time the HTC one M8 was launched there were rumors of the next avatar of the HTC mini on the charts. So how does the HTC one Mini 2 stack up let us find out!

1. NAME

Yes this phone is called the HTC one Mini 2! That’s a mouthful (from now I’ll refer to it as the Mini 2) The Mini 2 might be the weirdest name in the phone market today but it has much better stuff under the hood.

2. DESIGN

The Mini 2 takes its design philosophy from its big brother. With a brushed aluminum back the Mini 2 looks gorgeous like the HTC one M8. Although the phone uses 40% less aluminum than its elder brother. The Mini 2 also features a plastic rim around taking cues from the original Mini. What differs visually from the M8 is the lack of a duo camera. The Mini 2 features a more traditional 13MP shooter on its back with LED flash.

On the front side we find the proprietary BoomSound speakers with a 5MP wide angle front facing camera. The button layout is same as the M8 but is much more accessible on the Mini 2 due its smaller size. The power button housed at the top of the phone can be reached by one hand.

3. HARDWARE

The Mini 2 is called so because it has been shrunk not only in size but also in the specs department from the M8.

Under the hood we find the Snapdragon 400 quad core processor clocked in at 1.2GHz backed by the Adreno 305 GPU. The phone is quite lacking in terms of raw power and we would’ve loved if it featured the Snapdragon 600. The phone has 1 GB of RAM providing the required space to run its fluidic Sense 6 custom UI.

The Mini 2 features a more traditional 13MP shooter on the back without all the gimmicks of the duo camera as seen in the M8. I prefer the shooter on the Mini 2 over the Ultra Pixel of the M8. On the front you find the 5 MP shooter similar to the one you find on the M8.

The biggest change that makes the Mini 2 a ‘mini’ smartphone is its smaller screen. It features a 720*1280 pixels display making it a 326 PPI screen, which is quite good for average usage unless you are a pixel fanatic. At 4.5’ this phone is quite small when compared to the M8 but it might get a few of you out there excited. The smaller dimensions make handling the phone a breeze.

The Mini 2 doesn’t feature the full load of sensors as its sibling does but then most of them hardly found any utilization. The BoobmSound speakers as we have come to know delivers a rich and powerful sound when on loud speakers trumping most of the smartphones in the market today. The inclusion of the MicroSD card slot is a welcome change, allowing users to expand the inbuilt 16GB storage to 128GB! The phone features a 2110mAh battery that should get you through the day considering the fact the phone features a smaller 720p display.

4. SOFTWARE

What makes a phone fun to use is the software it runs. In this department the Mini 2 isn’t lacking features from the Sense 6 UI. The phone runs Android Kitkat 4.4.2 with a custom Sense 6 skin over it. As we know the Sense is the next best skin on Android after the stock Android experience and it runs smoothly on the Mini 2. No stutter or lag is found on the Mini 2.

Compromise is made in the camera department where we see that the software doesn’t include all the modes and gimmicks found on the M8. But that shouldn’t be a drawback big enough to not consider this phone. On the phone the phone houses a great software even in an underpowered phone.

5. VERDICT

The Mini 2 is a commendable phone but for many it might seem underpowered and rightly so it is. The Moto G offering by Motorola gives you almost the same specs at less than $200. Yes you would compromise on the metal chassis or the 13MP camera, but definitely considering that the Mini 2 will be priced over $350 in the US and €400 in Europe it certainly doesn’t make it a bang for the buck.

But well for the star struck the Mini 2 might be well a phone for their choice!

Things you should know about the next iPhone!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 May 2014 08:59:00 +0000

A lot of hype has been surrounding Apple as usual as we head towards a new iPhone avatar in the near future. Leaks, rumors and concepts of the next iPhone are all over the internet. Of course nothing is certain until it’s certain but this is the rumor round up for the iPhone 6!

There’s more than one iPhone coming!

IF rumors are to be believed, the next product launch by the Cupertino Company will feature 2 versions of the iPhone 6! No it won’t be a successor to the iPhone 5C (at least we can hope so) but as the leaks go the new iPhone will come in 2 different screen sizes – a 4.7’ and a 5.5’ phablet. The screen according to a Chinese Forum will be bezel free! Now that’s interesting.

Also Apple’s Sapphire display production leaks point that the new iPhone can feature an all new display technology which is rumored to be shatter proof unlike the Corning Gorilla Glass current used by many smartphone makers.

Rumor has it that the 4.7’ iPhone will be released earlier than expected at the WWDC which is just a month away while the 5.5’ avatar will be delayed due to issues in screen and batter production.

The new iPhone will be super slick!Yes Apple is

rumored to bring a phone that is as slim as its iPod Touch. Here’s a video from Unbox Therapy showcasing how slim the new iPhone can be.

The phone may have curved edges giving it a more ergonomically designed look. As per UkraniPhone render leaks, the iPhone will be only 6mm thin!

The Camera of the iPhone will be awesome!

Apple’s move to hire Ari Partinen, the Nokia engineer behind the Lumia cameras can be seen as a move to develop great camera techniques for the iPhone. Recent patent filings by Apple suggest a new stabilization mode which will increase the pixel size of the 8MP shooter found on the iPhone. There is rumor for a Super- Resolution mode being made available in the next iPhone camera.

The screen is curved?

Well as per Sonny Dickson it so is. His tweet shows the front of the next iPhone dummy which clearly shows a subtle curve in its appearance. Is it going to be really curved? I doubt that, but with Apple nothing can be said.

iOS 8!

Well this isn’t a rumor. As we have come to know of Apple and its methodology of updating its OS every year without fail has lead us to conclude that the new iPhone will be running the latest iOS, named iOS 8.

Of dubious Weibo origins has posted a screenshot of the next iOS and it seems that Apple is working on making its mobile operating system customized for bigger screens. Packed with tighter rows and columns of apps, this rumors adds well to the larger iPhone rumor.

9to5 Mac has created a schematic of a new app that Apple will showcase and push as the future of its innovation – The HealthBook. This app is a fitness app which is expected to run along with the Smart Watch that Apple is rumored to be releasing following shortly the iPhone 6 release. So this means that the iPhone will be compatible with the iWatch (Smart watch by Apple)

Price!!!

Well this might be the ugly part of the wonderful rumors about Apple’s next product. Apple is reportedly trying to increase the price of its iPhone and is in talks with carriers regarding the same.

So will Apple succeed in wooing customers even after the price rise? Well only time can tell. Till then leave us a comment below and let us know what are your thoughts on the next iPhone!

App: The BoyFriend Log

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 May 2014 18:21:00 +0000

We had heard about keep a track of how your day went at work, or if we go to the golden days we can hear of things like a ‘Personal Diary’ where we keep track of everything that happens in our life every single day.

But today life isn’t the same as before and people are not bothered about office boss as much as they are about their love partner. Fights, quarrels, bad mouthing happens almost everyday in a person’s love life. So how to keep track of how your day went in terms of Love?

Enter The BoyFriend Log – currently available on the AppStore for iOS users, this app lets you keep a track of your everyday love life. The app allows you to write a note each day and mark your entire calendar with moods which range from Happy to Terrible (Green to Red signifying the worsening situation of your love life)

The video posted by the company shows how a girl keeps track of her love affair and finds that her love life went from Green to Blue to Red when she eventually had to leave the guy.

Productive app? A very questionable thing. This app is like your personal diary but it lets you keep a track of your love life only. Many might be against this especially your love. Although the app is protected by a PIN and you have to enter it each time you open the app, if your partner decodes the PIN and takes a look into your little ‘Diary of love’ you might not have a relation to keep track off anymore.

You can download the app here. Visit the official App site here.

Motorola Moto E Launched at Rs.6,999/- or $130

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 May 2014 09:14:00 +0000

Motorola Mobility has just released the Moto E smartphone at an event in New Delhi. (Later in an event in London) The phone which was rumored to be has been officially declared and will be exclusively be available in India via Flipkart.

Motorola has released a video showcasing the phone’s features. The rumor round up can be read here.

You can check the video here

The phone priced at INR 6999/- is quite impressive and might topple the market leader Samsung and Nokia in the budget area smartphone.

SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 dual core clocked at 1.2GHz
RAM	1GB
GPU	Adreno 305
Battery	1980mAh
OS	Android 4.4 Kitkat (guaranteed update)
Storage	4GB (Expandable to 32GB)
Primary Camera	5Mp without Flash
Display	960 x 540 resolution at 256ppi

As seen the phone features a Corning Gorilla Glass which makes the phone scratch resistant and is protected by splash resistance coating which we have seen in the Moto G. The phone comes with a entry level processing package and with Kitkat running on top of it (which requires less system power) the phone can be expected to perform decently.

The major point which will make the Moto E sell like hot cakes is its price. At 6,999/- ($130) this phone is a steal of a deal. Motorola ran away to success with the Moto G price and now with the Moto E it has made a phone which is affordable to all and isn’t a slog of a device.

In comparison currently in the Indian market, the lowest end devices include phones from Micromax and Karbonn which are home grown mobile makers along with Samsung with its Galaxy Core. The Galaxy core comes in a package that isn’t anywhere close to what Moto E has to offer. It runs Android Jelly Bean along with the heavy TouchWiz UI which makes the phone lag a lot in daily usage. As we have come to know of Motorola, it provides its users almost stock Android experience which is always better than any custom UI be it even the acclaimed HTC Sense.

The areas where Motorola cut cost to fit the incredible price bracket is the camera. The phone sports a 5MP back camera but isn’t given a secondary front facing camera. Also the rear camera doesn’t include a flash. Although for people shifting from non-smart phones to the Moto E, the camera being 5MP will be a delight and they won’t complain not having a flash!

The company in the ending notes said that it was succeful with the Moto G and expects the Moto E to perform in the same manner in India. Later in the day Motorola is expected to host an event in London to reveal the new Moto X+1 the successor to the Moto X.

Stay tuned for more news from Motorola cause we are your source of everything tech!

Leaks: HTC one M8 Blue?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 May 2014 19:41:00 +0000

It has been raining rumors this past week. With Moto E and Moto X+1 leaking all over the internet, a new photo by EVELEAKS shows a HTC one M8 in blue!!

Now that’s pretty nice. After almost every company incorporated the gold color option following suit of the iPhone 5S being released in ‘Champange’ color option which outsold the sky grey and white color iPhones, the HTC one M8 in its blue avatar comes as a pleasant dose of originality. The bright blue option might not be a path breaking innovation and might not change the sales figure of HTC one M8 but it is a definite welcome for those who like to stand apart.

The blue color rather bright in its looks, would as per me delight all the girls out there who would love to carry the phone along with their matching dress, hair band blah blah.

So what do you think? Does offering a phone in a variety of color options really make a difference? Pour your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for more coverage in the world of tech only on TechKarate!

Rumors: Moto E

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 May 2014 18:26:00 +0000

It is less than 24 hours before the much rumored MOTO E is launched in a launch event by Motorola in London and New Delhi, but rumors are afloat about this revolutionary budget phone that would make you throw away your old and ‘not-so-smart’ phone for the Moto E.

GSM arena has even posted a detailed list of the rumored specifications!

http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_e-6323.php

Weeks before the launch event EVE Leaks famous for leaking accurate info posted the photo of the alleged Moto E. From the looks of it, the phone is significantly smaller than the Moto G which was Motorola’s best selling phone ever but it takes cues from the design philosophy of the Moto X and Moto G. The significant bezel around the screen makes it look less sexy than the trendiest of the phones out there but we cannot expect a lot from a phone which is poised to be at an entry level.

Moto G and Moto E side by side

In India though Flipkart the e-shopping portal and Motorola’s selling partner has been teasing its customers with the new Moto phone where it make doodles of the new Moto to replace your old phone.

India which is the country with a huge potential for entry level smartphone can see the Moto E priced between INR 8,000-10,000/- which is a very good bargain.

Moto E teaser by Flipkart.com

That’s all the news from Moto E. Stay tuned for your daily dose of tech right here at TechKarate!

Spec Sheet War: HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 & OnePlus One

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 May 2014 09:05:00 +0000

It is the time of the year when many smartphones are released. We have seen quite a few hit the market recently and quite a few lining up for the near future. Let us take a look at the specs war and put the best phones out there to battle it out for the SPEC SHEET WAR!

	HTC one M8	Samsung Galaxy S5	Sony Xperia Z2	One Plus One
POWER
Processor	Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.3GHz	Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5GHz	Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.3GHz	Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5GHz
RAM	2Gb	2Gb	3Gb	3Gb
GPU	Adreno 330	Adreno 330	Adreno 330	Adreno 330

Battery	2600mAh (Non-Removable)	2800mAh (Removable)	3200mAh (Non-Removable)	3100mAh (Non-Removable)
Storage	16/32GB (expandable upto 128GB)	16/32GB (expandable upto 128GB)	16GB (expandable upto 128GB)	16/64GB (non-expandable)

DISPLAY
Screen Size	5’	5.1’	5.2’	5.5’
Resolution	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p
PPI	441	432	424	401

OPTICS
Primary Camera	4MP Ultra Pixel Technology	16MP ISO CELL Technology	20.7MP Sony XMAR Lens	13MP Sony XMAR lens
Secondary Camera	5MP	2MP	2.2MP	5MP

SOFTWARE
Android Version	4.4.2 Kitkat with Sense 6	4.4.2 Kitkat with Touchwiz UI	4.4.2 Kitkat with Xperia UI	4.4.2 Kitkat CyanogenMod 11S

WEIGHT	160g	145g	163g	160g
PRICE	$199+ (carrier contract)	$199+ (carrier contract)	$199+ (carrier contract)	$299+ (Unlocked)

So who do you think wins the specs war? Is the One Plus One really the ‘Flagship killer’ as it claims to be? Only time shall tell!

Till then stay tuned to tech karate because we are your source of everything tech!

Review: One Plus One

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 May 2014 18:31:00 +0000

This isn’t the latest avatar of the HTC’s one line up and no it’s not a mathematical equation where you can say ‘Oh! The answer is 2’

This is the ‘Flagship Killer’ phone from the startup One Plus. Yes ONE PLUS is a company!

The entire tech world was eagerly waiting for this new device, after months of teasing by the company with the tagline

A lot of hype has surrounded this phone since its release too (It still isn't available for users to buy but has been unveiled at an event in China). The hype although might seem too much for a startup at first glance but dive deeper and you will know why!

Let us look at various aspects that make the phone never settle.

1 DESIGN

On first glance, this is a huge phone comparable to the likes of the Galaxy Note 3 and the Oppo Find 7. On the front and you have beautiful 5.5’ 1080p LCD IPS display that is just gorgeous. Colors are vibrant and do not over saturate as is the case with Super AMOLED displays. Color reproduction is pretty real. You have 3 capacitive buttons for home, recent apps and back but they don’t glow up bright to be seen (for a good reason though which we shall see later). On top you see the speaker grill along with a 5MP front facing camera. Other than that the entire front panel has significant bezel not that it will intrude with everyday use but as it has become of lately the thinner the bezel the better the handling.

Flip to the back and you see 2 very interesting logos. Just below the camera sensor sits a small neat One plus logo.The interesting of the two is the logo at the bottom of the back panel. Yes you all android geeks out there its CyanogenMod. For those who don’t know Cyanogen is a 3^rd party Android software developer that gives a highly customizable Android experience. (More on this later)

The entire back panel is made using a ‘baby touch’ plastic back which is specially designed for the One. This material as the company claims ‘can only be felt when rubbed against your cheek’. I don’t know how true that is but certainly the phone looks great. On the top of the back panel you can see a 13MP shooter with a dual LED flash. The back cover is removable and you have a huge number of designs to choose from for your back including a denim cover!

The buttons are located ergonomically on the sides with tacky response to them which makes the handling of the phone a breeze despite its monstrous size.

The One Plus One

Choice of back covers for the One

2. UNDER THE HOOD

So what there to not settle with the design? Even the Moto X came with customizable options. What makes the phone really not settle is its power under the hood. It is powered by the best in class processing package.


Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SOC clocked at 2.5GHz
GPU	Ardreno 330
RAM	3 GB
Battery	3100 mAh (non-removable)
Storage	16GB and 32GB (non-expandable)

Now that’s on paper even more powerful than the HTC one M8 and the Samsung Galaxy S5 which were recently unveiled. With 3Gb RAM the experience on this phone is buttery smooth with the customized CyanogenMod 11S software highly customized for the One. This phone really takes the battle of the flagships to an all new level providing the best in class processing package.

3. SOFTWARE

This is where the most interesting part lies. After partnering with Oppo to provide a custom install of CyanogenMod replacing the inbuilt Color OS, Cyanogen went ahead and partnered with One Plus to actually make the entire software for the phone. The One is running Android 4.4.2 Kitkat CyanogenMod version. Now for folks who have no idea of what CyanogenMod is here’s what it is. Just like the way Samsung, HTC or any other big company change the way the Android OS works on a NEXUS phone by building custom builds of the software and naming them ‘TouchWiz, Sense, etc etc’ Cyanogen changes the original Android system and makes it highly customizable and optimizable.

No what Cyanogen has done by partnering with One Plus is provide a complete feel of the stock Android experience with a lot more feature in built and right out of the box.

To name a few would be

a. The Camera: Stock Android Camera on a Nexus just sucks. Google has done a blunder with the camera algorithm and the Nexus just shoots horrible pics. Cyanogen has customized the camera app and made significant changes to it. It has added many filters which are just a swipe away, a plethora of options for shooting mode, 4K videos and for the ones who like to tweak every photo according to their like a multitude of setting wherein you can adjust the expose, white balance and other stuff

b. Security: Yes Cyanogen increases the security of the phone by adding features under the security tab under settings. Here you can determine what data an app uses and customize every single move that app makes (Its hardly useful but to have a setting is always welcome)

c. Themes: You can choose the way your entire experience on the One looks and feels by changing your theme from the proprietary theme market. Although not all of the themes are free but you get plenty of options none the less.

d. Mods: The tweaks that Cyanogen puts in its software are commendable. Listing the full mods available will take up a lot of time but the most significant one is the option to change from hardware keys to on screen keys and changing the functionality and layout of all of them. (the reason probably why the hardware keys are not illuminated bright enough)

4. THE WOW FACTOR

So what makes the One Plus One such an attention seeker? It’s the price at which this phone is lauched!

16GB - $299

32GB - $349

Yes you are not seeing a mistake, that’s true the price of this phone is its trump card. No other phone other than the Nexus 5 comes even close to this phone’s price! Although with a very weird marketing strategy in place, we really don’t know when this phone will be available in stores.

5. FINAL THOUGHTS

The One certainly catches the eye with the awesome pricing and all the goodies it comes loaded with. It is definitely a phone to look forward to although I won’t say in the near future. It might be long before it finally hits the market getting over the horrendous marketing strategy the company has put in place.

With the kind of on sheet specs and verdict coming from people who have got to use this phone, it’s definitely going to challenge the biggies like Galaxy S5. HTC one M8 and the Sony Xperia Z2.

The only rival I see threatening this phone is the rumored Nexus 6!!!

Shoot in your comments below and tell me if the One Plus One is really a flagship killer?

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