PERSONAL SPECIAL .....Be frugal, but not stingy

Be frugal, but not stingy



The stingy end up denying themselves small pleasures to hoard money

We have heard enough strictures about living within our means. Every lesson on personal fi nance begins with the nance begins with the need to spend less, save more, and trade current pleasures for future comfort.Focus on the goals, we are told. But where does one draw the line between being frugal and being stingy?
We may not know if we are being virtuously frugal or abhorrently cheap, but everyone else can tell. Misers hardly have friends, and typically dislike most people around them too. A frugal person would reciprocate the dinner invitation of friends, but a miser would take advantage of others' invitations but almost never call anyone over for a meal he would host. The unwillingness to spend is different from unwillingness to waste, and society tends to identify the difference quite well.

Many of us have friends and relatives who will always converse with warmth and invite us to their homes, except that they would not firm up a date or time, ever. When an occasion to act on their professed intent arises, we will find them making excuses. They are the stingy and cheap lot who have no intention of spending their money on others. They are likely to be keeping accounts even with their siblings and making a virtue out of it. We also have friends who would create a lavish spread when we go over to dine at their homes, only to impress us with their wealth. These are the spendthrifts who put their spending ahead of their ability to do so. The frugal are the realists who stand between these two extremes.

Frugal people find ways to get creative about spending, while the stingy would focus on the price, and be willing to buy something only because it is cheap. You will typically find them compromising quality for price, only because they feel good about saving some money and getting themselves a good deal, over everything else.

The objective behind being careful with spending is quite clear to the frugal minded. They have a goal in mind and they know why they are sacrificing a pleasure in the present. They motivate themselves and their families in pursuit of frugality, given the need to allocate money to the goal, which is a shared aspiration. Mothers who urge children to eat at home, rather than buy food outside, so that money is available for higher education, are inculcating careful spending habits, so that the limited money in the household can go farther.The stingy save for the sake of saving.To them, setting money aside is a goal in itself. The frugal are generous and give within their means. The stingy are wily takers, and their giving is a calculation of underlying future benefit.

Those who choose a frugal lifestyle are not too worried about how they may be perceived by society or how they may fall short in the eyes of their friends or relatives. There is an inevitable pride in the decisions they make, and they end up being strong advocates of their choices, the honour in being minimalistic, the virtues of reducing consumption, and the ability to differentiate between need and want. The stingy , on the other hand, are quite aware of their tendency to be cheap and therefore work hard to cover it up. They put up an act of generosity in words, tend to be dishonest in their preferences and choices, and do not like to own up to their tendency to be cheap.They extract the benefits out of a situation rather shamelessly, telling themselves that they are smart to be doing so.

Even those who choose frugality do not push the envelope so much that it compromises the quality of their lives.They do not deny themselves things that they enjoy, only to be able to save some money . They take their time to make the decision, they consider the choices, they seek information, but they are willing to spend where it matters.

On the other hand, the stingy are fully aware that the expenditure on hand is an important one, or that it can bring them joy . But they are unwilling to spend and instead settle for a lower quality of experience instead. They begin with `no' when it comes to spending and it is rare for them to find a consistent line of reasoning to make that a `yes'.

When frugal people choose a simple lunch, they are satisfied that their choice meets their need. The stingy would go hungry and make a virtue out of skipping lunch, but end up piling their plate in a buffet hosted by someone else.

The choices we make and the lessons we teach our children about money reveal our attitude about allocating that money . Being a cheapstake reduces the quality of our life as we deny ourselves things that we enjoy doing, and suffer needlessly . Being frugal means we value what money can buy and use it optimally and we remain proud of those decisions. If our focus remains on the money in an absolute sense, no amount would be enough to make us comfortable. Instead, if our focus is on what we like our money to do, viewing it as a means to an end, we may have better money lives.

UMA SHASHIKANT



The author is Chairperson, Centre for Investment Education and Learning

TRAVEL SPECIAL.... On an offbeat trail

TRAVEL .. On an offbeat trail





In May, as the snow begins to melt away, Lahaul and Spiti Valley become easier to access

LAHAUL AND SPITI VALLEY

State: Himachal Pradesh

The two twin valleys, Lahaul and Spiti are located in the north-eastern corner of Himachal Pradesh. Spiti remains practically cut off from the rest of India for six months of the year. Thick Himalayan snow blocks the mountain passes, making it almost impossible for road transport to pass through. The summer months from late May to late September are, therefore, the best time to visit Spiti. As the weather warms up, the snow slowly melts and gets cleared away to open up road travel to the valley.

The villages of Spiti, though remote, are home to some of the kindest and friendliest people. There are two road routes leading up to Spiti; one from Shimla via the Kinnaur Valley and the other from Manali.

Ki-Gompa or Key Gompa, is an old monastery, situated on the peak of the hill close to the Spiti River. This monastery is one of the biggest monasteries of Spiti Valley . Another fascinating monastery is Dhankar Gompa, which is set among the rocks. It is about a thousand-year-old and still functioning. The oldest monastery of the valley is the Tabo monastery. Other monasteries are Tangyud Monastery, Gungri Monastery and Saskyagongmig Gompa.

One can find several affordable guesthouses near these monasteries. Chandra Taal is one of the major attractions of Lahaul and Spiti where one can undertake camping. The best part of this clear water lake is that there is no underground source to the lake. Besides this, there are Dhankar Lake and Suraj Taal, too.

ETPTR May 18 2017 :

STARTUP SPECIAL .....MAKER'S QUEST

STARTUP .. MAKER'S QUEST





A new breed of entrepreneurs and hardware startups is flocking to makerspaces as the tinkering labs evolve rapidly into specialized incubators.

Bengaluru-based Anuj Kushwaha was just another regular Joe--a young man working in the research and development department of a homeappliance maker. The engineer in him wanted to build something, innovate a new product, but he found no support or an avenue to experiment. Kushwaha then heard about IKP-EDEN, a makerspace in Bengaluru's Koramangala area.Makerspaces are tinkering labs that stock a wide variety of tools that people can use to build stuff.Sort of like a modern garage with high-end tools.

Soon enough, the BITS-Pilani graduate landed up at IKP-EDEN.His idea was to design a rack that would allow the elderly easy access to things without having to move, bend or stretch much. After a few months of tinkering, he has come up with a moveable rack.Kushwaha quit his job recently to concentrate on his product and establish a startup.

“My mom is old. I thought I should make something that is moveable. I went to Mahadevapura where a lot of workshops are there. But they do not allow you to use the machines.You have to give the job to them.When it comes to prototyping, they are not proactive,“ said Kushwaha.“A guy needs space for prototyping... where you can experiment and make something.“

THE GENESIS

Tinkering spaces such as Bengaluru-based Workbench Projects and IKP-EDEN, Mumbaibased Maker's Asylum and a dozen others across the country have come up in the last threefour years. A few factors contributed to this. Startup hubs such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi were developing a taste for innovation. Globally, the so-called maker culture was heating up and Indians who had travelled abroad and witnessed the movement wanted to set up something similar here. Emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) were becoming big and several people sought avenues to experiment in these fields. The enthusiasm for the first few tinkering labs in the country inspired several others to set up similar spaces.

The idea was to set up spaces with a range of tools and promote an open culture that would encourage people to experiment and share ideas so they could build whatever they wanted to. These places initially attracted curious minds who wanted to build something for the pure joy of it but now also attract startups and people serious about innovating new products.

“Engineering students come for project completion. They need guidance, tools and machines.Second, people who have retired.They are a houseful of talent. They are high-resource people. Third, the full-time jobers trying to explore an alternative career. Fourth, those cannon balls who do not care whether there is Workbench Projects or not, they will still work.What makes them come here is they get to meet people,“ said Anupama Gowda, cofounder of Workbench Projects.

There always has been an acute need for such spaces, just that something like this never came up because hardware experimentation always took a backseat or enthusiastic people figured a way to experiment with limited means.

“Before IKP or Workbench, there was a huge dearth. It was a typical problem that a growing hardware ecosystem faces. The makerspaces came at the right time,“ said Nihal Kashinath, chief executive of Applied Singularity, a platform for IoT and artificial intelligence professionals that routinely engages with makerspaces. “Over the last year, there has been less of community activity (at makerspaces) and more serious work. Makerspaces have scaled and evolved to meet that as well.“

Allan Rodrigues, CEO of Maker's Asylum, too, has felt the change.“More people are coming into the fold. People are coming in saying this is what we would like to build.Earlier, it was a few hobbyists. Now, people know what they want... and are going beyond the hobbyist-craft bit,“ he said.

WHAT'S ON OFFER?

For those seeking alternative careers, the proposition that the tinkering labs offer is too good to miss--a space to experiment without having to pay exorbitant rents, and the availability of all required tools, mentoring, and a community brimming with ideas. Good if your plan works, if not, you have learnt something new.

“Essentially, for a startup like me, in some regard, a social impact startup, I choose to be operationally lean. In that regard, it has been hugely beneficial to have such an open configurable space. At the same time, they have specialties like the laser cutter and resources as well as extremely resourceful people. It's the space, the environment, the resource and the people,“ said Arun Cherian, founder of Rise Legs, which makes cost-effective, lightweight, elastic, cane-based prosthetic legs.

Cherian quit his PhD in mechanical engineering at Purdue University in the United States to develop Rise Legs. Previously, he had been a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, developing exoskeletal suits to help paralyzed people walk.

For Nishant Ranjan, cofounder of Zeuva Technologies, which is building an electric vehicle, taking up office space at Maker's Asylum was only logical. “The co-working spaces that have popped up are good for software startups but not for hardware startups. We needed to park a motorcycle somewhere.(Also, at makerspaces) you also get introduced to new ways of doing things,“ said Ranjan, who picked up technology tips from a senior executive he met at the makerspace.“There was a woman who was a senior leader in a design software company. She started talking about how we could improve our development process. It gave an idea about new tech.“

Mentorship at makerspaces is based on open collaboration. You ask for help, you get it. “If there is anything you want it is one call away. It is just the network. People land up to help, be it paid or unpaid,“ said Gowda of Workbench Projects. “We have had mentors come from the Indian Institute of Science, fabricators from KR Market, and neuroscience scientists from (the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences) willing to give their time.“

INSPIRING GEN-NEXT

The tinkering spaces also support futuristic ideas, pushing the bracket in terms of innovation.Next week, Workbench Projects will house around 80 students who will be building the OrcaPod, a pod prototype that can potentially reach speeds up to 460 kmph.

Hyperloop India is a team of students from BITS-Pilani, the Indian School of Business, IIMAhmedabad and the National Institute of Design. The team's OrcaPod has been selected for the final stage of Elon Musk's SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition.The team, to be mentored at Workbench Projects, will have to submit a preliminary design and its pod will be raced inside a mile-long vacuum tube built by SpaceX at Hawthorne in California.

“The design phase is done and the next most difficult phase is the manufacturing stage. The problem with colleges in India is that they are not equipped with the entire infrastructure to compete with all these graduate teams abroad. We are competing with teams from Princeton, MIT and all these colleges have the right infrastructure to teach their students how to manufacture,“ said Sibesh Kar, team lead of Hyperloop India.

Kar did a lot of research before zeroing in on Workbench Projects.“These guys (cofounder Pavan Kumar and team) were equally enthusiastic about what we are trying to do and they realized the potential of students.“

Workbench Projects supporting Kar and team is a classic example of such spaces trying to get in the upcoming generation into the maker's fold. “I think parents have gotten a lot more involved. We run a rapid prototyping workshop that stretches over four weekends, where we train people on using tools. For every monthly workshop we have parents coming to enroll kids,“ said Rodrigues of Maker's Asylum. “Toolkits are kid-friendly now. Kids are exposed to these and are already building robots.“

The government, too, is convinced about the need for including product-building in the school curriculum. “The Niti Aayog has come up with Atal Tinkering Laboratories where students are getting introduced to all of this.The idea is to make India a hardware product creation country, not simply a software country,“ said Vikraman Venu Saranyan, Vice President of Hyderabad-based IKP Knowledge Park, which runs IKPEDEN.

Workbench Projects also offers internships to students.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

Makerspaces are evolving to be testing and incubation platforms for new experiments. From setting up tools for experimenting across more domains to bringing in inclusive innovation, they are trying them all.

Workbench Projects has officially incorporated ARTILAB, a social innovation platform. “The board is being formulated with members from the industry, government, humanities and technology. (We are) in anticipation of funding from (the Department of Science and Technology) and (the International Committee of the Red Cross) with extended support from (the Indian Red Cross Society, Karnataka), and support from the Government of Karnataka. We are working towards making it a hardware incubator,“ said Gowda.

At IKP-EDEN, Saranyan is setting up more labs to bring in crossfunctional capabilities. “We are setting up a chemistry and biotech lab within our space. We are also setting up an advanced machining and tooling section. You want to do material science, new polymers, fluidics, you should be able to do that,“ he said.

At the end of the day, the idea is to support `ideas', be it a startup's or an enthusiast's. “We need facilities for hardware (making). Successful or not, it is like an art form; it a human trying to express himself herself to do something. Getting an opportunity to express itself is a great help,“ said Abdul Thameem, who is building a portable, onshore clean ocean energy extractor for the fishing community and commercial establishments along the seashores. Thameem developed his prototypes at both Workbench Projects and IKP-EDEN.

J Vignesh (With contribution from Mihika RD)

ET19MAY17

LINKEDIN SPECIAL..... LinkedIn Top Companies 2017: Where India wants to work now.. 11 TO 15

LinkedIn Top Companies 2017: Where India wants to work now.. 11 TO 15

11.CAPGEMINI ..IT AND SERVICES

Despite headwinds in the Indian IT industry, Capgemini said it may recruit more than 20,000 new team members this year. (There have been reports that large-scale layoffs are possible, which the company has refuted.) To draw in those employees, the France-based consulting, technology and outsourcing company offers flexible hours, reduced workweeks and generous vacation time.

Number of employees in India: more than 100,000

Worldwide focus on millennials: Capgemini introduced the millennial innovation council, an expansion of its employee resource group program, with chapters all around the world that connect millennials with mentoring, networking and learning opportunities.

Keeping skills fresh: “We continue to accelerate our training programs in 2017 with over 2,000 India employees having already undertaken up skilling and emerging technologies training alone,” Capgemini said.

12.ACCENTURE..IT  AND SERVICES

Accenture, a global professional services company, serves clients in more than 120 countries, helping them uncover transformational solutions to keep up in today’s digital-first economy. Accenture makes sure its 401,000 global employees are equipped with the latest skills to meet those demands. In its last fiscal year, the company invested $941 million to develop workers, including training more than 60 percent of employees at its India Delivery Centers for Technology with the skills needed for next generation IT solutions.

Number of employees in India: 140,000

In-demand skills: Leadership, curiosity and authenticity. “Curiosity is critical because the pace of change in technology and in the industries we serve is staggering,” Accenture told LinkedIn.

Security first: Accenture recently opened a new Cyber Center in Bangalore, creating a hub where clients, Accenture specialists and other industry experts from universities and beyond can uncover the next generation of security solutions and outpace cyber adversaries.

13.DELOITTE INDIA, MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

This Big Four accounting and consulting firm promises employees challenges — whether that’s auditing the financial records of India’s biggest companies or coaching executives on cyber risks. To keep workers growing, Deloitte India encourages constant learning and development, offering everything from online courses to mentorship programs. The firm also provides novel perks, including a transportation reimbursement so expectant mothers can comfortably get to work.

Number of global employees: 244,400

Outside the office: Colleagues come together at events such as 10K races and Impact Day, an annual tradition when Deloitte professionals fan out across India to help on education, healthcare and environmental projects.

Keep in touch: Even after they leave, employees remain connected; the company’s alumni network includes more than 2,000 former staffers.

14.TECH MAHINDRA..IT AND SERVICES

The IT firm, the fifth-largest in India, offers a work environment heavy on training — employees can rotate jobs, take courses and participate in programs like “young CEO,” providing early leadership opportunities. TechM works with more than 800 companies to offer everything from networking support to consulting services. While the Indian IT industry has faced growing challenges, the company’s managing director and CEO, CP Gurnani, sees strategic openings: “Automation is the new game-changer. It is an opportunity.”

Number of global employees: more than 117,000

Things happen: “With Murphy’s Law always at work, a normal work day may well be interrupted,” the company notes, one reason it offers flexible scheduling and chances to work from home.

Luxurious offices: Tech Manindra doesn’t shy away from fun. Some corporate campuses resemble resorts with gardens, expansive gyms and even swimming pools.

15.SWIGGY…FOOD AND BEVERAGES

The rapid expansion of meal-delivery startup Swiggy means the company is also on a hiring binge; it tells LinkedIn it plans to increase its staff by about 30%, or 300 positions, in the next year. The company already averages 90,000 daily orders across its eight cities and is said to be valued at $400 million. And, while the industry is cutthroat, Swiggy’s hoping to avoid the mistakes of its fallen rivals by employing its own delivery personnel to offer fast, reliable service.

Number of employees: more than 1,000

A swanky home: The company’s new corporate office includes “a fully loaded games room, stocked-up pantry, nap rooms and a cozy little library.”

Still hungry?: Employees also receive food cards, “which are loaded with cash each month, and can be used at supermarkets, food outlets, kirana stores, etc.”

Adith Charlie

Tech Editor @ LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-top-companies-2017-where-india-wants-work-now-adith-charlie?trk=eml-mktg-tc17_in

ON THE JOB SPECIAL...... New Graduates: These Are The Unspoken Rules Of The Workplace No One Tells You

New Graduates: These Are The Unspoken Rules Of The Workplace No One Tells You

Entering the workforce for the first time can be a shock to the system. Here’s what you need to know.

Graduation is an exciting (and scary) time; you’re leaving a world where you know all the rules and entering into a world where what’s expected of you often isn’t so clear cut. The rules that truly matter in the workplace are often not written anywhere–they’re simply things that those who have been in it for a while consider to be obvious.

Many learn these unspoken rules through trial and error, and some do it by observing others’ mistakes. But if you’re a recent graduate, there’s no reason why you can’t get a head start on day one of your entry-level job.

RULE NO. 1: YOU ARE THERE TO DO YOUR JOB

This might seem very obvious, but according to Lauren Berger, founder and CEO of InternQueen.com, graduates’ desire to go “above and beyond” can sometimes result in them being spread too thin and compromising the work that they were hired to do in the first place.

Berger tells Fast Company, “You might be good at everything, but when you’re hired for the job, you have to focus on the task at hand.” She recalls a conversation she had with a talented graduate who recently landed a sales job. He eagerly took on extra responsibilities, only to be told by his boss some time later that he was on the verge of being let go. 

He wasn’t meeting expectations when it came to his primary responsibilities. “Sometimes as a young employee, you have to hold back,” Berger asserts. 

RULE NO. 2: IT’S UP TO YOU TO FIGURE THINGS OUT

When you’re in college, you’re given a syllabus of readings, assignments, and exam dates. You know exactly what you are supposed to do by which date, and you have a person who tells you what you need to learn, and who points you in the right direction when you’re completely lost.

This is not the case in the workplace, says Porter Braswell, CEO and cofounder of Jopwell, a recruitment platform that serves Black, Latino/Hispanic and Native American professionals. Braswell, who started his post-collegiate career as an analyst for Goldman Sachs, tells Fast Company that one of the things he wishes he’d done earlier on was to figure out what skill sets he needed to learn, and build relationships with those who can teach him those skills. “Learning doesn’t happen like it does in the classroom,” Braswell says. “Nobody is going to sit down and teach you.”

RULE NO. 3: FEEDBACK WILL NOT COME AUTOMATICALLY

Braswell also points out that school is structured in a way where immediate feedback is built into the grading system. But in the workplace, he says, “You’re not getting graded on every single task that you do. You might not know where you stand every single week.” This uncertainty, Braswell says, can come to a shock to many.

In many cases, it’s up to you to ask for feedback, but it’s also important that you pick the right circumstances and ask the right questions. Asking your manager “how I’m doing,” for example, might not elicit the most helpful response. It’s better to be specific and give your manager the opportunity to tell you what you’ve done well and what you could improve.

RULE NO. 4: ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

For Berger, who started her career as an assistant at an entertainment and sports agency, one of her biggest struggles was thinking about everything on a micro level. “The hardest thing for me was being able to think in a detailed-oriented manner. My brain just wasn’t set up to think like that.” She gives the example of booking a lunch meeting for her boss, and failing to consider the possibility that there might be seven different locations for the restaurant, or to check for parking spots.

As a junior employee, it’s highly likely that you’ll be tasked with administrative duties at some point, which might seem mundane but also equally easy to mess up. At times, the cost of these mistakes might be small, but there will be times where not paying attention to detail can hurt the company, and perhaps even put your job in jeopardy.

RULE NO. 5: UNDERSTANDING HOW YOU FIT IN THE BIGGER PICTURE GOES A LONG WAY

When graduates are hired into an organization, they’re not always exposed to how their specific role helps the company as a whole. Braswell says, “When you come in as a new person, you’re very focused and you become specialized in what you do, and because you’re learning it for the first time, it’s hard to see a bigger picture.” Had he understood this earlier in his career, Braswell believed that he could have been more creative and effective in his job.

Understanding how your role fits into the bigger picture will also help you find more meaning in your work, because you know why what you do matters, even if it seems like a very tiny slice of the pie. Not only will you be better served to come up with solutions and initiatives that move the company forward (without compromising your main responsibilities), you’re more likely to be satisfied and engaged in your job. Given the amount of time you’ll spend at work in your lifetime, a happy work life is a crucial ingredient to a happy life.

RULE NO. 6: COMPANIES ARE NOT OBLIGED TO CONSIDER YOUR NEEDS AND INTERESTS

This one is perhaps the hardest to swallow, but other than what they’re required to do by law and what’s stated on your employment agreement, in most instances, companies don’t owe you anything. As an employee, your job is to bring value to the company, and at times, that might mean putting their needs ahead of yours.

Frida Polli, CEO and cofounder of predictive hiring startup Pymetrics, tells Fast Company that one of the biggest shocks she experienced as a new graduate was “going from an environment like school where you are the consumer and everyone is catering to you, to a place where you are a worker and people expect that you cater to them. It’s an important transition to learn how to manage well, because it’s a big change in how one is treated.”

RULE NO. 7: NO ONE WILL CARE ABOUT YOUR CAREER AS MUCH AS YOU

At the end of the day, organizations exist to make money or serve a specific mission, not to think about how they can best serve an employee’s career. Sometimes, that could mean figuring out how you want to grow, and designing that framework yourself if there is none in your job or your company.

Maria Ocampo, manager at talent management platform CornerstoneOnDemand, says that she sees a lot of graduates paralyzed and lost without a specific structure and instructions to succeed. “For the first time in your life, you don’t have a framework that somebody put together for you to grow.” 

As a graduate, it’s important to decide early on what success in the workplace looks like for you, and understand that no one will be as invested in the results as much as you will. It’s very rare that you’ll have someone looking over your shoulder every day to check on your career progress.

Both Berger and Braswell also stress the importance of asking questions during the interview process and talking to other employees to find out what it’s really like to work at the company before you start. If not, you might miss out on discovering “the unspoken truth about what it takes to succeed” at that company, Braswell says.

For Berger, it’s about really understanding your role, what that entails, and whether they align with your priorities in life. She sees a lot of graduates land jobs with certain expectations, only to be disappointed by the reality.

·          

BY ANISA PURBASARI HORTON https://www.fastcompany.com/40419679/new-graduates-these-are-the-new-unspoken-rules-of-the-workplace-you-need-to-know?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fcweekly-bottom&position=7&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=05192017

SMARTPHONE SPECIAL .....7 SMARTPHONES UNDER Rs 30,000

7 SMARTPHONES UNDER Rs 30,000





Mid-range smartphones are affordable versions of flagship devices, with almost the same features, but with lower-specced hardware. Even then they are capable of handling high-definition multimedia content, and even advanced games. These handsets, which strike a great balance between price and features, boast of sharp Full HD Gorilla Glass displays, solid metal builds, biometric security, support for dual 4G SIMs and a day-long battery lives.

Micromax Dual 5

The Dual 5 is a flagship device, that's available at a mid-range price. Notably this handset bakes quite a few security , features into its user interface. You can separate work-related data from personal content by way of a fingerprint, PIN or pattern. An anti-theft feature by Qiku protects your data even if the device is stolen: The Dual 5 is configured to send its location to an alternative phone number that you can set-up as an emergency contact.This mobile number can also be used to lock its memory card, wipe data and more.

For photography , you get two 13MP rear shooters, which work in tandem to snap images with good depth of field. The camera app includes modes for GIF animations, time-lapse videos, macro shots, as well as a manual mode for control over shutter speed, white balance and exposure. Images are rendered with neutral colours and a fair amount of detail, provided they are shot in well-lit environs. On the other hand, selfies with the 13MP front cam appear soft, and over-exposed at times.

That said, the Dual 5 beat all the other handsets reviewed here in benchmark scores by a significant margin. In real-world use, it multi-tasks flawlessly and you can even expect it to run graphic-intensive games. Call clarity and network reception is perfect, but the audio over headphones can sound a bit harsh at times.

The Dual 5 has an additional button, which can be configured to clear memory , launch an app, take a photo, etc. However, while its user interface includes features such as call recording, data security and anti-theft, its onscreen instructions seem like literal translations from Chinese into English, and can be difficult to understand.

Still, if you're looking for an all-round performer with good security features, the Dual 5 is well worth your consideration. Besides, it is the only smartphone here with 128GB of onboard storage.

RATING 7/10 Rs.24,999

Honor 8 Lite

The Honor 8 Lite is a cheaper version of the flagship Honor 8, but maintains the same aesthetic look and feel. Its customised user interface is snappier and is also highly configurable, when compared to the other devices here. For instance, you can set its fingerprint sensor to take pictures, answer a call, or shut an alarm. You also get a Health app for fitness and an SOS emergency service. On the flip side, it's the only handset here without a Gorilla Glass screen.

On the performance front, it is on a par with the Moto G5 Plus; capable of handling mundane productivity tasks as well as demanding 3D games smoothly .

Pictures shot with its rear camera appear sharp, with punchy colours and excellent contrast. The camera is responsive but the software takes a second to process captures in dull lighting. On the other hand, its front ther hand, its front camera is an average performer when it comes to selfies; it has a panorama option for large group shots, but the process is clunky and not as intuitive as it is on the Oppo F3.

Honor devices have always had a feature rich camera app, and the 8 Lite is no different.

You get shooting modes like light painting, document scan and Pro Video, which lets you manually set exposure, white balance and light metering. Its built-in editing tool includes functions that let you pixelate parts of the photo, highlight one colour in a monochrome shot and `beautify' pictures with its makeup mode.

On the whole, the Honor 8 Lite promises a decent bang for your buck: you get a good-looking handset, a crystal-clear display, Huawei's proprietary amplifier technology for loud audio playback, day-long battery, and network handling that's comparable to the best in the market.

RATING 6.5/10 Rs.17,999

Gionee A1

The Gionee A1 might not have a single standout feature, but still makes for a compelling package. It is second only to the Oppo F3 when it comes to selfies, thanks to its 16MP front camera, while its 13MP rear shooter clicks images with great contrast and vibrant colours. In low-light, picture quality takes a slight hit. Still, you get an interface with options to shoot slow motion videos, business cards, barcodes, and even translate foreign language text.

Its home-screen button, which doubles as a fingerprint sensor, recognises gestures to launch a floating shortcut panel that can be customised to launch features and apps.Plus, you get call recording; gesture recognition to mute or answer calls, and a split screen mode that makes it easier to work with two apps at the same time.

The phone works smoothly for most part, but gets unusually warm during prolonged use and while charging. Hopefully , this flaw will be rectified with a firmware update.

Notably , the Gionee A1 scores high on the entertainment quotient: an IR blaster on the handset lets you control your TV , AC, set-top box, etc. Then, there's the Peel app, which displays a localised TV programme guide, allowing you to quickly switch to your favourite channels. And you also get the Waves MaxxAudio sound optimiser that boosts the bass in music without overpowering the highs.

RATING 6/10 Rs.16,999

Panasonic Eluga Ray Max

The Panasonic Eluga Ray Max is the only handset here that sports a plastic build, and a removable back panel for access to the SIM card and a memory card slots. But it still packs in features like a homescreen button that doubles as a fingerprint sensor, a call recorder, motion recognition and smart gestures to lock the screen, launch apps and make calls.

Its rear camera takes decent photographs in welllit surroundings; it catches some detail in shots, and manages to get the exposure right in shadow areas while keeping noise to a minimum. The front camera is not too bad either, with a simple beautification mode to help subjects appear blemish-free, with larger eyes and a narrower jaw line.

On the downside, given its screen's brightness, it sometimes gets difficult to figure out if the subject is in focus when in direct sunlight.

The Ray Max is not a performer like the Micromax Dual 5 or a multimedia phone like the Gionee A1. But it is capable of running games like Asphalt 8, though it has limitations when handling heavier workloads and multi-tasking between them.

Also, its touch sensor, which can also be used to navigate to the home-screen or one step back, is a bit slow in unlocking the handset when compared to all the devices on review here.

On the music front, its Snapdragon Audio+ enhancement amplifies sound across the aural range, yet don't expect nuanced output from this device.

Overall, the Ray Max managed to equal the benchmark scores of the Oppo F3 and it even does this at a lesser price. So if you have to choose budget over build quality and better cameras, this is the phone you could consider instead.

RATING 5.5/10 Rs.12,4999

Moto G5 Plus

The Moto G5 Plus is a workhorse that gives you two days of mixed usage--web browsing, music, calls, email, etc--on a single charge. Also, this is the only phone in this line-up with a water-repellent build. It has a nano-coating--inside and out--that protects it from damage caused by spillage and splashes.

Owing to its marginally smaller (5.2-inch) screen, the handset feels lighter and easier to operate. Its home-screen button is replaced with a fingerprint sensor that can only be used to unlock the screen; navigation controls are accessible on its touchscreen only .

The G5 Plus, which runs Android Nougat OS sans any customisation, is very responsive and delivers a lag-free experience. You also get Moto's signature motion gestures that allows you to activate its camera and flashlight; you can flip the phone to mute a call, and swipe to shrink the screen. You can also customise its audio output, depending upon whether you're using its speakers, or listening to music on your headphones.

And this brings us to the cameras: the G5's rear shooter is quick to focus and is capable of sharp pictures with a fair amount of detail and excellent colour contrast. Selfies taken with the front camera are not as good as those snapped by the Gionee A1 and Oppo F3, but they are definitely not a cause for complaint.

Performance-wise, this phone is on a par with the pricey Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro ­ and handles 3D games and resource-intensive photo-editing apps with ease.

RATING 6.5/10 Rs.16,999

Oppo F3

The Oppo F3--touted as an out-and-out selfie phone--is equipped with dual front-facing cameras: A 16MP snapper for `regular' selfies and an 8MP shooter for wide-angle shots of larger groups. The 16MP cam is easily one of the best in this round up; it captures sharp mug shots with great detail.The second one--with its selfie panorama mode--works just as well with its near 160-degree field of view.

The rear camera does well to capture sharp stills with balanced colours and evenly exposed photos. However, details tend to get lost when focusing on objects with similar colour contrast.

Oppo's customised interface comes with the options like a fingerprint sensor that can also be configured to lock apps and file folders, a call recorder, gesture recognition and a detailed instruction guide for new users. You also get a cloning feature that allows you to run two instances of compatible apps on the phone. While this worked with WhatsApp, it would not let us clone apps like Amazon, Flipkart, Facebook and Facebook Messenger.

The Oppo F3 comes with a Dirac sound optimiser that delivers deep lows, clear mids and crisp highs. You also get the option to individually adjust these levels, or simply apply `music genre' presets.

All in all, the F3 is a middling performer when it comes to productivity tasks and intensive gaming, but there's no denying that this device is built around its fantastic cameras.

RATING 6/10 Rs.19,990

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro

The C7 Pro is probably the best mid-range phone available today for Samsung loyalists. Its large, crisp display is ideal for reading and browsing the internet; you get a good set of cameras, as well as two-day battery life that can be extended with power management tools. It doesn't match up to the Micromax Dual 5's processing muscle, but it is still capable of handling heavy duty tasks, including 3D games like War Robots and Modern Combat 5, without a stutter.

Pictures taken with the C7 Pro's rear camera are on a par with the Moto G5 Plus, with vivid colours, details and textures. Some images show a hint of image smoothening, and this is more evident when you use the selfie camera in low-light.

You don't get the latest Android Nougat version, but Samsung's customised user interface includes some nifty features: You can hide apps, safeguard work-related data with your fingerprint, use accessibility features for single-handed operation, edit documents with Microsoft's Mobile Office productivity suite, and even work across two apps in a split-screen mode.Audio output over earphones is clear and neutral. Its built-in audio enhancement lets you fine tune the output via presets and a 7-band graphic equaliser. The C7 Pro might not be the best handset at its asking price, but it still remains an attractive proposition due to its balanced mix of build quality, looks, proprietary features and performance.

RATING 6/10 Rs.27,990

WHAT THE RATINGS MEAN: Below 5:

The product is poor and not worth buying it promises | 5 and 6: The product works as advertised | 7: The product is good; will not disappoint | 8: Very good; super value for money | 9: The device is exceptional | 10: You're kidding, right?

Ashutosh Desai

TOI 20MAY17