Tech2 Touch

Author: Aniruddh

  • Mi Air Purifier 2 Long Term Review-Pros and Cons

    Mi Air Purifier 2 is a stylish compact air purifier which is priced at Rs.9,999. I have been using this air purifier at my home from December 2016. Based on my last one year’s experience,  here is the Mi Air Purifier 2 review.

    Mi Airpurfier 2 comes with triple layer 360-degree cylindrical filter.  This triple-layer design claims to removes particles larger than 0.3 microns with a high-density EPA filter, while an activated carbon filter removes formaldehyde, bad odor, and other harmful substances.

    Mi Air purifier 2

    Mi Air Purifier 2 Review- Pros and Cons

    Mi Air purifier 2 Pros

    Here are the few things which I liked with this air purifier.

    • Design: It is one of the best-looking air purifiers in the sub 10k price range.
    • Quiet operation:  In night mode, it is almost silent. Xiaomi claims it produces a noise level as low as 30db in night mode. Though I have not tested actual decibel, it is quieter than the other air purifiers I have tested so far. It is hardly audible.
    • Sync with a smartphone: This Xiaomi air purifier can be paired with the smartphone through WiFi. Using the Mi Home app, you can monitor pollution level in real time or control the air purifier.
    • Easy filter replacement: As it has a single cylindrical filter, it is very easy to change the filters.

    Mi Air purifier 2 Cons

    Over the close to one year experience with this air purifier, I felt few things could have been better. Here is the list of Mi Air Purifier cons.

    • Cost of filter: According Xiaomi, the filter should be replaced every 4 to 6 months depending on the usage. MRP of the filter is around Rs.3,000. That means for 1 year 2 filter replacements required which cost around Rs.6,000 per year. In my usage wherein I have used the purifier almost 20 plus hours a day, I was required to replace it every 3 months. Otherwise, some bad odor starts to come in from the purifier.
    • Automatic shifting to auto mode after 3 hours:  Irrespective of the mode you have selected and pollution level, this purifier automatically shifts to auto mode after 3 hours. So, even if the air pollution is high, you cannot run at high speed more than 3 hours continuously. Need to change the mode manually every 3 hours if required.
    • Filter availability: It is becoming a common problem for buying Xiaomi devices. Sometimes, filters are not available to buy. It says  Out of stock.
    • No real-time air pollution monitor:  Exact air quality can be monitored through the Mi Home App. However, if you don’t have the WiFi there is no way to see the air quality level. There is a LED indicator. But it will give only rough idea.

    Mi Air purifier 2 review summary: Priced at Rs.9,999, this air purifier offers a lot. Stylish compact design with max 310m/h Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is the biggest USP. However, it lacks in few areas.

  • Honor 9i FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    Honor 9i is a higher midrange Android smartphone which is more focused towards the camera enthusiasts. The biggest USP of the device is 2 dual camera setup. One in the front for selfies and another one in the back. Full View display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and full HD plus resolution is the another worthy feature.  Here is the quick info in the form of Honor 9i FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons.

    Honor 9i cons

    Honor 9i FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    What is the price of Honor 9i in India? Where to buy?

    This is a Flipkart exclusive smartphone. The device will available starting 14th of October. The price of Honor 9i in India is Rs.17,999.

    What type of sim cards does it support? Does it has dedicated microSD card slot?

    It has hybrid sim card slot. You can either use dual nano sim cards or 1 nano sim with a microSD card. No dedicated microSD card slot.

    What are the key specifications of Honor 9i?

    The specification summary of the device is as follows.

    • Kirin 659 SoC with 4GB of RAM.
    • 5.9-inch full view full HD Plus IPS display screen.
    • 64GB of internal storage and optional microSD card support(with the compromise on 2nd sim card).
    • 16MP+2MP primary dual camera.
    • 13MP+2MP secondary dual camera.
    • 3340 mAh battery.

    What are the cons of Honor 9i?

    It is not a complete list of demerits of Honor 9i. In the detailed review on Honor 9i, we will cover all the pros and cons. Here is the list of Honor 9i cons based on our first impression.

    • No USB-C port.
    • No 4K video recording option.
    • Lacks fast charging.
    • No dedicated microSD card slot.

    How to take a screenshot on Honor 9i?

    To take a screenshot, there are many options available. The simplest method is using the screenshot button which you can access from the quick access menu. If you are interested in all the method of capturing screenshot on Honor 9i, please refer to our post How to take a screenshot on Honor 8.  The Same method works here as well.

  • 5 Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017

    Samsung Galaxy S7 has launched almost a year and a half ago. The successor to this smartphone, Galaxy S8 is already available in the market. In the high-end price segment, there are many other smartphones available from various manufacturers. So is buying Galaxy S7 in 2017 worth?. It is a kind of subjective to user requirement. So we thought of listing main 5 Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017 according to us. We have considered the price of Galaxy S7 as Rs.30,000(In Flipkart sale, the price was Rs.29,999).

    Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017

    5 Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017

    1. One of the best Camera smartphone:

    Galaxy S8 camera performance is slightly better. However, Galaxy S7 camera performance still one of the best in the price segment. It is an all-round performer.  It provides fast autofocus, optical image stabilization, good low light photography etc. Comparing the price difference between Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 has the edge.

    2. Gorgeous Display screen:

    Galaxy S7 sports 5.1 inch Super AMOLED display panel with QHD (1440 x 2560)  resolution and 577 PPI pixel density. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection.  Overall it is one of the best displays available in a smartphone even on today.

    3. Water and Dust Resistant

    There are very few phones which are dust and water resistant with IP68 certification. Even today, in the price range of 35k it is very difficult to find a smartphone with IP68 rating.

    4. Good performance:

    In India, Samsung Galaxy S7 is powered by Exynos 8890 SoC with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. In some markets, it is available with Snapdragon 820 SoC. Though it is not as fast as current Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 835, it still gives a good overall performance.

    5. Dual sim/microSD card support

    Once again, there are very few flagship smartphones which support dual sim. Galaxy S7 has a hybrid sim card slot. This means that you can either use 2 sim cards or 1 sim card with a microSD card.

    Apart from these 5 Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017, there are many other features which make this smartphone stand apart from rest.  Samsung Pay, Widespread service centers to name few. Never mind offer and a steep discount like we saw on Flipkart big billion day sale, makes this smartphone one of the best option.

  • Nokia 8 India Price FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    Much awaited Nokia 8 finally launched in  India. Dual camera setup, ‘bothies’ camera feature, 6000 series aluminium unibody design, Snapdragon 835 SoC are the key attractions of the device. Both the dual camera in the back as well as the front-facing camera features Carl Zeiss optics.  Here is the Nokia 8 India Price, some of the FAQ and Cons.

    Nokia 8 India Price

    Nokia 8 India Price FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    What is the price of Nokia 8 in India? How to buy one?

    Nokia 8 Price in India is Rs.36,999. Online, the smartphone is exclusive to Amazon.in. The device will be available through offline stores as well.

    What are the different colour options available?

    This device will be available in Polished Blue Tempered Blue, and Steel colour variants. The Polished Copper variant will go on sale after few weeks.

    What type of sim cards Nokia 8 supports? Does it support microSD card?

    It supports dual nano sim cards. The device has hybrid sim card slot which means that you can either use 2 sim cards or 1 sim card with microSD card.

    What are the key specifications of Nokia 8?

    Specification summary:

    • Snapdragon 835 SoC.
    • 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
    • 5.3-inch QHD (1440×2560 pixels) IPS display with 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
    • Dual 13MP primary camera with an aperture of f/2.0, 1.12-micron pixel elements, phase detection autofocus, a 76.9-degree wide-angle lens, phase detection autofocus (PDAF), dual-tone LED flash and an IR rangefinder.
    • 13-megapixel front camera with PDAF, 1.12-micron pixels, a f/2.0 aperture, and a 78.4-degree wide-angle lens.
    • 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C (v3.1), and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
    • 3090mAh non-removable battery.

    What are the cons of Nokia 8?

    This is not a review. Based on the initial impressions, here are the main drawbacks of Nokia 8.

    • Hybrid sim card slot.
    • The device is not fully waterproof.
    • Does not feature standout design.
    • Lacks cutting-edge features of flagship smartphones of 2017 such as bezel-less display etc.

    How to take a screenshot on Nokia 8?

    To perform print screen, access the quick settings menu and tap on screen capture icon. Alternatively, you can take a screenshot by press and hold volume down and power buttons simultaneously.

    How to set custom ringtone in Nokia 8?

    To change the ringtone of Nokia 8 with custom mp3, just copy and paste the audio file to ringtone folder. Now you can choose that from the Ringtones option under Settings.

  • Mi A1 FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    Starting September 12th, 2017, Mi A1 will be available to the consumer via Flipkart and offline stores. This is the first smartphone from Xiaomi to run on the stock Android. The key attractions of the device are Android One platform and dual camera setup. So planning to buy one for yourself? Here is the quick Mi A1 FAQ, Tips and Tricks, and Cons.

    Mi A1 FAQ

    Mi A1 FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    What is the Advantage of Mi A1 running on Android One Platform?

    The main advantage is timely updates. The software updates are handled by Google. Hence there will be a timely security patch updates and future Android updates. Also as it runs on near stock Android, the burden of heavy skin will not be there. So in theory, the device will perform faster.

    What are the key pros or advantages of Mi A1?

    Here is the list of Mi A1 Pros

    • Promised timely Android updates for the next two years.
    • Good performance.
    • Decent battery life.
    • Dual camera setup.
    • Has all the basic sensors.
    • Excellent sound output via the headphone jack.

    What are the cons of Mi A1?

    No phone is perfect. Mi A1 is no exception to it.  We felt below-mentioned departments of this device could have been better.

    • Low light photography is average.
    • No optical(OIS) or electronic(EIS) image stabilisation for video recording.
    • Hybrid sim card slot. 2 sim cards and microSD card cannot be used together.

    What type of sim cards Mi A1 supports?

    The device accepts 2 nano sim cards.

    How to take the screenshot on Mi A1?

    To take the screenshot, you need to press and hold volume down and power keys simultaneously. Alternatively, you can take help with Google Assistant to take the screenshot.

    How to set custom ringtone in Mi A1?

    To set the custom ringtone or MP3 on Mi A1, place the desired ringtone or MP3 in the ringtone folder in the internal storage. Then select the tone from the settings ringtone option.

    What are the different variants of Mi A1 available in India? What about price?

    It is available in one variant. The price of Mi A1 in India is Rs.14,999.