ET Bureau & Agencies
Want to move out of the 'budget-smartphone' category? But spending anything above Rs 20,000 may tend to pinch your pocket. A slew of smartphone launches in 2013, the demanding Indian consumer.
From good cameras to big touch-screens...there is a wide variety of mid-range smartphones that have hit the market this year...we take a look at ten devices that you can consider
Sony Xperia L
Price: Rs 18,990
The Xperia L is a new mid-range offering from Sony with a slightly revamped design as compared to the rest of the Xperia line-up. It features a 4.3-inch touchscreen (854 x 480 pixels), Android 4.1, 1Ghz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB storage (expandable).
It comes with a 8MP rear camera with image stabilisation and LED flash that can record videos in 720p.
Sony claims that the 1,750mAh offers up to 8 hours of talk time. Other features include a VGA front camera, Wi-Fi direct, NFC (near field communication) and stereo FM.
Nokia Lumia 720
Price: Rs 18,999
The 720 is Nokia's mid-range offering that strikes a great balance between price and features. Taking a cue from its more expensive siblings, the Lumia 720 has a curved unibody design that provides a great grip.
Specifications: 4.3-inch IPS LCD (800 x 480 pixels), 1Ghz dual core processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB + microSD, 6MP rear & 1.3MP front cam, Windows Phone 8, 2,000mAh, 128 grams
Positives: High quality unibody construction, excellent camera, great battery life.
Negatives: Low display resolution considering the price, wireless charging only enabled with additional snap-on cover.
Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos
Price: Rs 19,900 (Best buy price according to Samsung website)
Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos is comfortable to hold despite its phablet size, and bears a premium look inspired by the flagship S III and Note 2. It is built with good quality plastic, and doesn't heat up easily either.
Specifications: 5-inch PLS (800*480px) screen, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8MP, 1080p Full HD video/2MP camera, dual SIM, 2100 mAh battery, Android 4.1 JellyBean
HTC Windows Phone 8S
Price: Rs 19,260
It may be a mid-range device but it still gets two thumbs up for great build quality. But, HTC has cut some corners (in the hardware) to bring the price down.
Specifications: 4-inch S-LCD (800 x 480), Windows Phone 8, 1Ghz dual core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable), 5MP rear cam, 1,700mAh battery, 113 grams
Positives: Good build quality (unibody), high quality screen, good camera, expandable storage, nice price
Negatives: Only 720p video recording, no front camera, no HDMI, average battery life, no FM
Karbonn S1 Titanium
Price: Rs 10,990
Karbonn has tried to stand out from the crowd with the S1 Titanium. Qualcomm's quad core processor and 1GB RAM at this price is the most impressive feature. The 4.5-inch display offers good touch response and has high brightness.
Specifications: 4.5-inch (960 x 540 pixels), 1.2Ghz Qualcomm quad core, 1GB RAM, 4GB + microSD slot, 5MP/VGA camera, Android 4.1, 130g, 1,600mAh
Positives: Quad core processor, great performance, fantastic price
Negatives: Poor viewing angles, below average camera, disappointing battery life
Micromax Canvas 4
Price: Rs 17,990
The Canvas 4 is Micromax's latest flagship Android smartphone. Following up from the successful Canvas HD, it is powered by a quad-core processor, 1GB RAM and has a 2,000mAh battery.
However, it has 16GB storage, dual cameras (13MP rear & 5MP front) & its touchscreen can work with gloves - a first for Android smartphones at this price. Micromax has added enhancements like blow to unlock, video/browser pop out, smart gestures, vertical panorama & security features such as anti-theft tracker and anti-virus.
Finally, Micromax is including the 'Music Hub' from where users can stream or download their choice of songs from over 5,00,000 tracks.
Gionee Elife E5
Price: Rs 19,999
The new E5 from Gionee is just 6.85mm thick — Gionee calls it the world's slimmest HD super Amoled phone. Unlike most of the budget quad core phones, the E5 is powered by a 1.5Ghz quad core processor, has 16GB storage (expandable) and a unibody design with non removable back cover.
You get a 4.8-inch super Amoled touchscreen (1280 x 720 pixels with a pixel density of 306 ppi), 8MP rear camera with back illuminated sensor, 5MP front camera, DTS and 3D sound.
The device is available in multiple colours including yellow, graphite, black and white.
Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro
Price: Rs 17,435
With the Grand Quattro, Samsung entered this segment primarily to grab market share from Indian brands like Micromax, Zen and Karbonn. The Quattro is Samsung's first phone to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad core processor.
Specifications: 4.7-inch (800 x 480 pixels), 1.2Ghz quad core, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage + MicroSD, 5MP rear + VGA front cam, 2,000mAh battery, Android 4.1, 144 grams
Positives: Audio output, Touchwiz user interface with various software enhancements, dual SIM
Negatives: Low resolution display, sub par still camera, low resolution video recording, expensive
iBall Andi 4.7G Cobalt
Price: Rs 19,995
iBall's flagship Android smartphone marries powerful hardware and multiple software features. The phone's 4.7-inch display with 1280 x 720 pixels is sharper than a 5-inch display of the same resolution. The iBall Andi 4.7 Cobalt is a good phone overall, but at Rs 19,995, it feels too expensive.
Specifications: 4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels), 1.2Ghz quad core, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage + MicroSD, 12MP rear + 5MP front cam, 2,200mAh battery, Android 4.2
Positives: Performance, sharp display, great rear camera performance, front 5MP camera.
Negatives: Expensive compared to competition, washed out colours on screen.
Karbonn Titanium S9 IPS
Price: Rs 19,990
The smartphone has a 13.9 cm (5.5 inch HD) screen, offering 16 million colour output. The phone comes equipped with a 1.2 GHz quad core processor and runs on the latest Android 'Jelly Bean' 4.2 operating system.
The phone boasts of a 13 MP auto focus rear camera with flash and a 5 MP front camera. The phone has a 16GB internal memory and a 1GB RAM. The memory is expandable up to 32GB. It has a 2600 mAh battery
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