GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL..................... HANDSETS FOR UNDER Rs 10,000

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL HANDSETS FOR UNDER Rs 10,000

Shopping for a budget smartphone?

KARBONN MACH ONE TITANIUM S310

YU YUREKA

The Yu is the only handset available in India preinstalled with CyanogenMod ­ an open source Android variant that allows users to customize the interface using different themes and components, including the status bars, icons, controls, and fonts.

It boasts of a large HD-resolution screen and support for dual SIMs. What you also get is 16GB storage and a microSD card slot. So if you use your phone for music and movie playback, this extra space is a huge advantage. Additionally, it supports USB OTG.

This sub-10k smartphone packs in hard ware that performs as well as handsets that cost more than double its asking price when it comes to tasks like web browsing, e-mailing and social networking.Similarly, 3D games like Frontline Commando 2 and most Full HD video formats run smoothly without any stutter or lag.

The output of its dual cameras is sharp enough to be posted on the web, though the colours seem washed out and with some softening of details. Turn on the flash, however, and you get snapshots that retain minute details under zoom.

Call quality is clear and GPS works accurately for turn-by-turn driving.

The Yu's speaker output is not loud or clear. Also the placement of the single speaker grill at the rear of the device usually gets blocked when held in the hand, and this muffles the sound further. Use this device with headphones and you won't face any problems.

The biggest drawback of this handset is its battery life, which will last you for about a day with basic tasks. But play games or videos and you will find yourself reaching for the charger every few hours.

What the ratings mean: Below 5: The product is poor and doesn't offer the experience it promises | 5 and 6: The product works as advertised | 7: The product is good; will not disappoint the buyer | 8: The product is very good; super value for money | 9: The product is exceptional | 10: You're kidding, right?

OBI ALLIGATOR S454

The Alligator is the smallest smartphone on test here. It looks plasticky, but sports a sturdy build.Its compact size makes it a comfortable fit into any pocket, although those with large hands might find its virtual keyboard too cramped to type.

This device works well enough for tasks like messaging, web browsing and listening to music.Voice calls are loud and clear. But heavy games and movies might result in lag, and at times even the touchscreen response gets sluggish.

In keeping with its modest specs, there is almost no customization to the Android interface, and very few apps (Notebook for note taking, Hungama for online music, and Truecaller to identify unsaved numbers) are pre-loaded on it.

Its display is bright and offers decent viewing angles, but its low-resolution does not match up to the clarity offered by the Lenovo A6000 and Yureka.

The camera, which includes the stock tools to capture and edit photos, takes average shots.The results appear soft and low-light photos suffers from grain. Still, these images are good enough for sharing on the internet.

Lastly, we would have preferred a better battery.The S454 gives you less than a day's service with basic tasks. The lack of any power management settings means you will need to charge the device more than once daily.

LENOVO A6000

The A6000 is a smart-looking handset with a rubberized back panel that allows for better grip and handling.It sports a bright display that renders vibrant colours and crisp text. The 5-inch touchscreen is just right for browsing and reading, while the virtual keyboard is spiffy and trouble-free.

The device is capable of clear phone calls, handling everyday productivity tasks, and the odd 3D game, but stutters and lags when multiple services run in the background.

The A6000 runs Vibe, a user interface that includes pre-loaded apps ­ ShareIt and SyncIt ­ to facilitate content sharing and contact syncing. These are visually intuitive and useful. However, its camera interface is just the opposite ­ basic settings are hidden deep within the menu and include terms like “ZSL“ and “Wavelet Denoise Mode“. Its shooters, however, are slightly better than the ones on the Obi, but you will find some shutter lag, which makes it tough to shoot action photos.

This smartphone comes with thirdparty apps like Guvera for music streaming, a Lenovo security tool, txtr for e-books, voice call recording, and a Dolby audio enhancement, which lets you configure your sound profile depending on what you are listening to. Coupled with dual speak ers, the A6000 makes for a decent entertainment device.

Like other devices in this price band, the A6000 is plagued by a dismal battery life that will require you to carry along your charger for a full day's use.

YOU CAN ALSO CONSIDER...

the single-SIM Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G (`9,999) for its 5.5-inch HD touchscreen and 3100mAh battery, or the Asus Zenfone 5 A501CG (`9,999) for its 2GB RAM, scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3 screen, 16GB of internal memory and a camera that's takes decent shots in low light as well. Alternatively, you can buy the water-resistant Motorola Moto E (`5,999) for its quality 4.3-inch display, spiffy performance, stellar battery life and loud audio output.

The Mach One is almost the same size as the Obi S454, but offers a larger and higher resolution display . The handset also sports similar processing hardware.

While the screen is not as bright as the other phones on test here, it offers better colour contrast. On the flip side, it is not very legible in direct sunlight even with brightness set to maximum.

The Mach One packs some useful features like smart gestures that let you launch apps from the lockscreen itself, use twoas well as three-finger gestures on the homescreen to adjust volume, start the camera, take a screenshot and more.

It does a fairly decent job of playing high-def videos smoothly and is good enough for games like Redline Rush and Subway Surfers.

Like the Obi, this handset's camera uses Android's stock interface with basic scene modes and filters. It also shoots average pictures that lack detail, but are good enough for sharing on the internet. Interestingly, its front-facing camera is paired with a flash, in case you have a thing for shooting selfies in the dark.

The S310 give you almost a day's use on a single full charge of its battery, thanks to its energy-saving “stamina mode“.

Ashutosh Desai and Savio D'Souza TOI21FEB15