Tech2 Touch

Category: Smartphones

  • Samsung Galaxy On7 Pro Cons-Reasons not to Buy

    Samsung Galaxy On7 Pro is a budget Android dual sim Smartphone priced at Rs.11,190. It is a revised variant of last years Galaxy On 7. The improvement over its predecessor are 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Considering the price, other available devices are Le 2, Lenovo Vibe K5 Note, Redmi Note 3 and Redmi 3s Prime. Comparing with these devices, here are the Samsung Galaxy On7 Pro Cons or disadvantages.

    Samsung Galaxy On7 Pro Cons

    Samsung Galaxy On7 Pro Cons-Reasons not to Buy

    Lack of basic sensors

    Nowadays we do get smartphones with fingerprint scanner in this price segment. However, we can give excuse for Fingerprint scanner. But lack of basic sensors like Ambient light sensor, Magnetic/Compass Sensor is not acceptable considering the price.  Also it impacts on the smartphone experience.

    Slightly outdated SoC for the price

    Samsung Galaxy On 7 Pro comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 clocked at 1.2GHz coupled with a Adreno 302 GPU, 2GB of RAM. This SoC is used in its predecessor as well. Only the RAM size is increased from 1.5GB to 2GB and internal storage is now 16GB instead of 8GB. We are not saying performance is bad on this device, but we expected better SoC considering the price.

    No sAMOLED display screen

    5.5 inch screen with 720p resolution is big let down if you are a media consumer.  We are seeing most of the smartphones in this price segment features full HD display panels. Galaxy J series comes with sAMOLED screen which improves the viewing experience. But this device comes with IPS display panel and not the sAMOLED display screen.  In 2016, a smartphone which is priced above 10k with 720p resolution for 5.5 inch display is not acceptable.

    No LED Notification Light and secondary Noise cancellation mic

    LED notification helps the users to know about notifications without touching the device. It is a very useful function. The secondary noise cancellation mic does improve call quality by lowering the background noise. However, Galaxy On 7 Pro does not features both of them.

    Same old boring design

    Samsung Galaxy On 7 Pro comes with plastic build which we have seen in the previous models. The quality of removable back cover is also poor. At present, Samsung has 8 devices in the price range of 8-12k. The design and build quality of all of them are very much similar except minor differences.

    This is not a Samsung Galaxy On 7 Pro review. In this post, we have listed only the cons which we felt on the device. It has many advantages as well. Such as dedicated microSD card slot, S Bike mode, timely security patch updates, decent battery life etc. Knowing Samsung Galaxy On 7 Pro demerits/disadvantages will help you to set your expectation from the device.

  • Xiaomi Redmi 3s Vs Redmi Note 3 – Which One to Choose?

    Redmi 3s Prime and Redmi Note 3 are very similar looking Android smartphones from Xiaomi with capable internals.  The price difference between the variants of these two are around 3000 rupees. So which is the better buy out of these two? Let’s try to find out in this Xiaomi Redmi 3s Vs Redmi Note 3 comparison.

    Xiaomi Redmi 3s Vs Redmi Note 3

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    Xiaomi Redmi 3s Vs Redmi Note 3 Comparison and Differences

    Design and Build quality

    • Redmi Note 3: Dimensions: 150 x 76 x 8.7 mm and weighs 164 grams.
    • Redmi 3s: Dimensions: 139.30 x 69.60 x 8.50 and weighs 144 grams.

    Redmi 3s Vs Redmi Note 3 Rear

    In Terms of design and build quality both of the device are almost identical. Only the placement of sensors and camera are different. As Redmi 3s Prime has 5 inch screen, it is more compact and slightly light weight.

    Display

    • Redmi Note 3: 5.5 inch IPS display screen with 1080p HD resolution.
    • Redmi 3s: 5 inch IPS display screen with 720p HD resolution.

    Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 sports 5.5 inch full HD display screen  which provides an approximate pixel density of 403 ppi. Whereas Redmi 3s prime comes with 5 inch 720p HD resolution screen which translates to approximately 294 ppi.  Both display panels are good on their terms. However, when compared between the two, undoubtedly Redmi Note 3 has better display.

    Processor and GPU

    • Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: Snapdragon 650 SoC with Adreno 510 GPU.
    • Redmi 3s : Snapdragon 430 Soc with Adreno 505 GPU.

    Redmi Note 3 is powered by Snapdragon 650 SoC which has 2 Cortex A72 high performance cores clocked at 1.8GHz and 4 Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.4GHz.

    Whereas Redmi 3s comes with Snapdragon 430 Soc with 4 Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.4 GHz and another 4 Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.1GHz.

    Specification Wise Mi Note 3 has more powerful processor. However, in day to day usage, the difference is hardly noticeable.

    Camera

    • Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: 16MP rear camera and 5MP camera.
    • Redmi 3s: 13MP rear camera and 5MP camera.

    Redmi Note 3 sports a 16MP primary camera and 5MP front facing with f/2.0. Whereas Redmi 3s houses a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 and 5MP front facing camera with f/2.2.  Once again the difference is not huge.

    Battery

    • Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: 4050mAh battery.
    • Redmi 3s: 4100 mAh battery.

    Both phones provides excellent battery life. However, Redmi 3s due to its small screen with low resolution and higher capacity battery provides slightly longer battery life.

    Price

    • Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: Rs.9,999 for 2GB RAM with 16GB internal storage variant and Rs.11,999 for the  3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage variant.
    • Redmi 3s: Rs.6,999 for 2GB RAM with 16GB internal storage variant and Rs.8,999 for the  3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage variant.

    Verdict on Xiaomi Redmi 3s Vs Redmi Note 3 comparison

    Specification wise Redmi Note 3 is better in most of the segments. Having said that, Redmi 3s has its own set of advantages such as compact form factor, better battery life and more economical. In short, we can conclude this comparison as,  if you want 5.5 inch screen, then you can go for Redmi note 3. If you want 5 inch screen you can opt for Redmi 3s.

  • Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL Review- Pros and Cons

    Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL is a higher mid range Android smartphone with premium look and decent performance. Though the price looks bit on the higher side, it does manages to get most of the things right. Here is the Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL review based on my last 10 days of usage.

    The biggest change in Zenfone 3 compared to its predecessor is the design and build quality. At a time when market is flooded with all metal unibody design smartphones, a smartphone with 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass both on the front and rear which are held by metal frame gives a refreshing feel. The concentric-circle pattern at the rear which is called “Zen design” makes this device more beautiful. The Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL is available in Shimmer Gold, Moonlight White, Aqua Blue, and Sapphire Black color variants. The one which I bought is Aqua Blue variant.

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    Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL Review

    Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL sports 16 megapixel primary camera with f/2.0 aperture and 6P Largan lens. This is supported by Dual LED flash,TriTech auto-focus technology, optical image stabilisation (OIS) and electronic image stabilisation (EIS) . TriTech auto-focus technology combines laser, phase detection and continuous autofocus.  The pictures taken using the Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL came out really good in outdoor and indoor conditions. The low light shots were decent but not great for the price. It supports 4K video recording. For 4K video recording, video stabilisation does not works.  For selfie lovers this smartphone features 8MP front facing camera. Below are the some of the images taken using the Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL and video sample.


    Video Sample

    Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL sports 5.2 inch full HD IPS display screen. The display is vibrant and offers rich colours. The viewing angles and sunlight legibility are also good. Using the Spledid app, you have the option to change the colour temperature.

    Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL is powered by octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor  clocked at 2GHz with 3GB RAM and Adreno 506 graphics. It has 32GB of internal storage in which 8GB is system reserved. Out of the box, there are lot of bloatware. Some of the third party apps can be uninstalled. However, Asus Apps cannot be uninstalled.

    5.2 inch variant of Asus Zenfone 3 comes with hybrid sim card slot. You can use either 1 nano sim card and micro sim  card or one sim card with microSD card. It supports upto 2TB of microSD card. I have not used micro SD card throughout my usage in these days as I use both slots for sim cards.  The connectivity features of the device includes 4G, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, GPS/A-GPS, and Glonass.

    Coming to performance, I have not faced any lagging or stuttering on regular usage. Gaming performance was also decent. It played games like Asphalt 8, Nova 3, Modern Combat X without any issue. However, it takes a while to open heavy games. The call quality and signal reception was excellant. The output via speakers as well as via headphone is good. The fingerprint scanner is accurate and fast. It recognises even the wet finger and supports 360 degree recognition.

    Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL houses 2650 mAh battery with fast charging. It takes around 1 hour 15 minutes to fully charge the battery. Battery life is decent and managed to cover a complete day with regular usage.

    Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL Review : Advantages and Disadvantages

    Pros of Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL

    • Premium Design.
    • Good camera performance in outdoor and artificial lighting conditions.
    • 4K video recording capability.
    • Excellent call quality and signal reception.
    • Fast and Accurate fingerprint scanner.
    • Good display panel.

    Cons of Zenfone 3 ZE520KL

    • No backlit navigation keys.
    • Hybrid sim card slot.
    • Glass back feels bit slippery. Also, there is a huge possibility of breaking of these glass even if you drop it from 3 to 4 feets.
    • Priced little on the higher side.

  • Moto G4 Play FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    Lenovo India on Tuesday launched its most affordable 4th Gen Moto G smartphone variant Moto G4 Play in India. The other two variants from this series are Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus.  In this post we will have quick Moto G4 Play FAQ, Tips and Tricks and Cons.

    Moto G4 Play

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    Moto G4 Play FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    What are the different colour variants of Moto G4 Play available?

    The new Moto G4 will be available in Black and white colours.

    What is the price of Moto G4 Play in India? Where can I buy one?

    It is priced in India at Rs.8,999. It will be available in Amazon.in starting 6th September 10pm onwards.

    Does it has dedicated microSD card support?

    Yes.

    What is the CPU, RAM, GPU and Storage available on this device?

    This device is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC with 2GB of RAM and Adreno 306 GPU. It comes with 16GB of internal storage. In the demo unit, the user available storage was 7.41GB. The retail unit available storage might be slightly different.

    Does it has fingerprint scanner?

    No.

    What is the battery capacity of the device?

    It comes with 2800 mAh battery.

    How to take screenshot on Moto G4 Play?

    Capturing screenshot on Moto G4 Play is identical to  Moto G4 Plus. It works on all the variants of Moto G4. Here is the video guide demonstrating on how to take screenshot on Moto G4 smartphones.

    How to set custom ringtone in Moto G4 Play?

    To set custom MP3 song as ringtone, you need to paste the ringtone to “Ringtones” folder. You can do this by either connecting it to PC or through the File manager.  Here is the video guide on how to set custom MP3 song as ringtone.

    What are the cons of Moto G4 Play?

    This is a not a review. Based on the first impression, we felt following are the cons of the device. The complete list disadvantages will be posted after the detailed review.

    • Compared to competition, low powered Soc.
    • No compass sensor.
    • No fingerprint scanner.

    Image source: Motorola.

  • How to set custom ringtone in Asus Zenfone 3

    When we purchase any new smartphone,  most of us like to customise the phone according to our liking. Our favorite photos as wallpaper, favorite MP3 as ringtone etc. Asus Zenfone are popular for providing lot of customisation for the users. So in this post, we will learn How to set custom ringtone in Asus Zenfone 3.

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    How to set  ringtone in Asus Zenfone 3

    For setting the different ringtones for two sim cards, just follow the steps given below.

    • Go to settings->Sound & notification.
    • Tap on to phone ringtone.
    • Now we have the option to select the ringtone to SIM 1 and sim 2.
    • Select the SIM which you want to set ringtone and tap on to the phone ringtone and from the drop down list, select the one which you like.

    How to set custom ringtone in Asus Zenfone 3

    In the above method, you might have noticed that, you have the option to select only the default ringtone. Then how to set your favourite MP3 ringtone in Asus Zenfone?. There are multiple ways to do it. Some of them are given below.

    To set custom MP3 ringtone on Asus Zenfone using PC

    • Connect your phone to PC.
    • Now select file transfer option in the phone.
    • Now from your PC, navigate your phone folder “Ringtones“.
    • It is under Internal storage->Ringtones.
    • Copy ringtone which you want to use to the ringtones folder.
    • Now you can select the ringtone from the above method.

    You can even use File Manager to move ringtone to ringtone folder.

    To set custom MP3 ringtone on Asus Zenfone without using PC

    • Go to file manager on your Asus Zenfone 3.
    • Navigate to the folder where the ringtones are available.
    • Select the ringtone which you want to use.
    • Now tap on to the options(“|”) which is available in the top right corner of file manager.
    • Select “Move to” or copy to. set custom ringtone in Asus Zenfone 3
    • Select the path: Internal storage->Ringtones.
    • How to set custom MP3 ringtone in Zefone 3
    • Confirm your action. Now your custom MP3 ringtone will be available in the dropdown list.

    This method of setting custom ringtone works on all the Zenfone 3 variants such as Zenfone 3 Deluxe, Zenfone 3 Ultra, Zenfone 3 Laser etc. It also works on some of the previous generation Asus Zenfones as well.