Category: Smartphones

Samsung Galaxy J2 2016 Cons-Reasons not to buy

Galaxy J2 2016 is the recently launched dual sim Android smartphone from Samsung. The SmartGlow and Turbo Speed technologies are the two key features of this smartphone. Priced at Rs.9,750, is it worth or overpriced? What are the demerits? Let us have quick look into Samsung Galaxy J2 2016 Cons.

Samsung Galaxy J2 2016

At a time when market is flooded with great value for money smartphones such as LeEco Le 2, Honor 5C, Redmi Note 3 etc, there is a great expectation from new Galaxy J series smartphone. But unfortunately Samsung disappointed with this smartphone. Here are the some of the basic Samsung Galaxy J2 2016 Cons according to us.

Samsung Galaxy J2 2016 Cons-Reasons not to buy

Lack of basic sensors

Samsung continued to omit the basic sensors like Compass, Ambient light sensor on this smartphone as well. Now a days, most of the users use smartphones for navigation purpose. Lack of compass sensor/Magnetic Sensor, makes the device not a good device for navigation.

Low powered SoC

Galaxy J2 2016 is powered by 32bit quad core 1.5Ghz Spreadtrum SC8830 SoC which is based on Cortex A7 . It comes with 1.5GB of RAM and Mali 400MP2 GPU. It also has the new technology called Turbo Speed technology which is suppose to improve the performance. However, comparing this with the likes of new 64 bit mid-range snapdragon SoC powered smartphones in this price segment, performance is below average. With the first usage you will feel the lag in the UI. By no means it is a good smartphone for gaming.

Low internal storage

Galaxy J2 2016 has 8GB of internal storage and support for microSD card. The available user storage is around 3GB out of the box. Though it supports microSD card, all apps cannot be transferred to microSD card. The Android Marshmallow feature of using microSD card as internal storage is not available.

Average Build Quality

As we have seen in the Galaxy smartphones from 2013,2014, Galaxy J2 2016 also has plastic build. It is sad to see, Samsung continued to use same last years design and plastic build.

Over Priced

Looking at the options available at the price range of 10k, Galaxy J2 2016 looks overpriced.

Summary: These are the some of the Samsung Galaxy J2 2016 Cons according to us. Having said that, it has few advantages as well. They are decent battery life, AMOLED display screen, VoLTE support, dedicated microSD card support and vast Samsung service centers.

July 18, 2016
Honor 5C Review-Compact Yet Powerful
Huawei’s Honor series is known to provide great value for money smartphones. The smartphones like Honor 6, Honor 7, Honor 5x have kept this reputation strong. Now we have another budget offering from this brand-Honor 5C. Priced at Rs.10,999, it will compete with the likes of Moto G4, LeEco Le2, Redmi Note 3 etc. So here is the Honor 5C Review which will help you to decide whether to buy this smartphone or not.

Recommended Reading:

Honor 5C vs LeEco Le 2

Honor 5C comes with slightly curved back which is made up of brushed aluminium alloy. The textures along the sides and near the top and bottom gives a nice feel to the device. As it has 5.2inch screen, it is compact and comfortable to handle compared to most of the 5.5 inch smartphones selling in this price segment.

Honor 5C sports 5.2 inch full HD IPS display screen with pixel density of 423 ppi. The screen brightness, colour accuracy, viewing angles are good. The automatic brightness adjustment struggles a bit while moving from dark to bright environment. The touch screen is quite responsive. Overall it is a good display panel in the price segment.

Honor 5C is powered by latest Kirin 650 Chipset with Flagship FinFET Plus 16 nm Chip Technology and 2GB of RAM. It has 16GB of internal storage. The device comes with hybrid sim card slot. You can use 2 sim cards or 1 sim card and a microSD card. It runs on EMUI on top of Android 6.0. General performance is good. The games like Asphalt 8, Nova 3, Dead Trigger ran well without any issue. Even with extended gaming, Honor 5C didn’t exhibit any heating issue. However, there was a bit of delay in opening of apps. We have got benchmark scores of 52666 in AnTuTu, 19fps in GFXBench, 902 for single core and 3916 for multi-core score in Geekbench 3.

Honor 5C has fingerprint scanner. It is fast and accurate. Good thing is it has more functions other than just unlocking the device. Using fingerprint scanner on Honor 5C, you can take photos, start or stop video recording, recieve incoming calls and stop alarms.

Honor 5C house 13MP primary camera with single LED flash and a 8-megapixel secondary camera. Both cameras are capable of recording upto 1080p videos. The camera app on Honor 5C provides lot of useful functions such as pro photo/Pro Video mode which allows you adjust individual settings such as ISO, shutter speed and exposure. It also has object tracking, smile capture, self-timer, HDR, slow-motion video, time-lapse video and panorama. Though there is bit of noise and loss of colour detail in low light, overall picture output is excellent in this price segment.

Honor 5C sample video

Honor 5C Camera interface and Settings

Honor 5C packs 3000 mAh battery. In a single charge, we got around 1 and half days of usage. As it does not comes with fast charging it takes around 2 hours to completely charge. Call quality, network and data connectivity are good in this device.

Honor 5C Review Verdict: Honor 5C is a good all round performer. Considering the price, it performed decent in all segment. If you are looking for a good compact smartphone with good features and performance in the price range of 11k, then it is worth considering this smartphone.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Honor 5C

Pros of Honor 5C
- Good Design and Build Quality.
- Decent display panel.
- Fast and Accurate fingerprint scanner.
- Decent performance.
- Good battery life.
- Good camera performance.
Cons of Honor 5C
- Hybrid sim card slot.
- No USB OTG support.
- No fast charging.
July 14, 2016
Samsung Galaxy On5 Pro and Galaxy On7 Pro FAQ with Cons
Samsung has launched Galaxy On5 Pro and Galaxy On7 pro smartphones in India. Both smartphone are successors to the last years Galaxy On5 and Galaxy On7 with few hardware improvements. Here are the some of the Samsung Galaxy On5 Pro & Galaxy On7 Pro FAQ, Tips and Tricks and Cons.

Samsung Galaxy On5 Pro & Galaxy On7 Pro FAQ, Tips and Tricks, Cons

What are the difference between Galaxy On5 Pro and Galaxy On7 Pro?

The major difference between Galaxy On5 Pro and Galaxy On7 Pro are display screen size, processor, camera and Battery.

Display: Samsung Galaxy On5 pro sports 5 inch 720p HD TFT display screen whereas Galaxy On7 Pro sports 5.5 inch TFT 720p HD display screen . As there is a no difference in terms of screen resolution, On5 pro has more pixel density.

Processor: Galaxy On5 pro is powered by 1.3GHz quad core 32 bit Exynos 3475 processor with Mali T720 GPU. Galaxy On7 pro is powered by 1.2GHz Quad core Qualcomm 410 chipset with Adreno 306 GPU. Both these smartphones comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

Camera: Galaxy On5 pro features 8MP primary camera whereas Galaxy On7 Pro has 13MP primary camera. Both phones comes with 5MP front facing camera.

Battery: Galaxy On5 Pro houses 2600 mAh battery and the other has 3000 mAh battery.

Price: Samsung Galaxy On5 Pro price in India is Rs. 9,190 and Galaxy On7 Pro price in India is Rs.11,190.

What size sim cards Galaxy On5 Pro and Galaxy On7 Pro supports? Does it has dedicated microSD card support?

Both smartphones accepts microSIM cards and has microSD card support.

Is there OTG enabled on these devices?

Yes.

What are the cons of Galaxy On5 Pro?

I have not got the time to do complete review on the device. But some of the cons of the device are given below based on the specification and initial impressions.
- Outdated Soc. It is powered by 32bit Cortex A7 based processor.
- Lack of basic sensors like Light sensor, compass.
- No LED notification light.
- Not backlit navigation keys.
What are the cons of Galaxy On7 Pro?
- Weak processor for the price.
- Lack of basic sensors like Light sensor, compass.
- No LED notification light.
- Not backlit navigation keys.
- Only 720p resolution for a 5.5 inch display screen.
How to take screenshot on Galaxy On5 Pro and Galaxy On7 Pro?

The method to take screenshot on both smartphone are identical to its predecessor. You can refer my previous post on How to take screenshot on Galaxy On5 and Galaxy On7.
July 12, 2016
LeEco Le 2 Vs Honor 5C Which one is better
Huawei Honor 5C and LeEco Le 2 are the two popular mid range Android smartphones which offers good value for money to the user. Both have their own merit and demerits. Based on the requirement of the ones needs selection can be made. So here is the comparison of LeEco Le 2 Vs Honor 5C which might help one to choose right smartphone.

Recommended Reading:

LeEco Le2 Cons-Reasons not to buy

LeEco Le2 vs Redmi Note 3

Honor 5C Review

LeEco Le 2 Vs Honor 5C Which one is better

Below are the LeEco Le 2 Vs Honor 5C comparison based on my usage experience.

Design and Build quality
- LeEco Le 2 Dimensions: 151.1×74.2×7.7mm and weighs 153 grams.
- Huawei Honor 5C: 147.1×73.8×8.3 mm and weighs 156 grams.
Both smartphones feature all metal unibody design. Le2 has advantage of thin bezels which makes the device compact in spite of having a 5.5inch screen.Hence its screen to body ratio is higher. It is marginally lighter than the Honor 5c as well. Honor 5C provides three colours options to choose from whereas Le 2 currently available in only one variant. As it has only 5.2inch screen, it is comparatively smaller in size than the Le 2.

Winner: Draw

Display
- LeEco Le 2: 5.5inch full HD display screen with 401 ppi pixel density.
- Honor 5C: 5.2 inch IPS full HD display screen with 423 ppi pixel density.
Le 2 has advantage of bigger screen and Honor 5C has the advantage of higher pixel density. Viewing angles, sunlight legibility, colour saturation are good in both smartphones. Sharpness, colour accuracy and brightness are slightly better in Honor 5C.

Winner: Honor 5C.

SoC, RAM and OS
- LeEco Le 2: Octa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 with 3GB of RAM, Adreno 510 and runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.
- Honor 5C: Octa Core HiSilicon Kirin 650 Soc with 2GB of RAM, Mali-T880MP2 GPU and runs on Android Marshmallow.
LeEco Le 2 has advantage in segment. It has more RAM and it provides better performance in terms of multitasking and gaming performance.

Winner: LeEco Le 2

Storage
- LeEco Le 2: 32GB of internal storage.
- Honor 5C: 16GB of internal storage with optional microSD card support.
Honor 5C has less internal storage. But as it has hybrid sim card slot, users have the option to add additional storage via microSD card. Even you have the option to select Default location as microSD card. Whereas LeEco Le2 has higher internal storage but there is no option to add microSD card.

Winner: Draw.

Camera
- LeEco Le 2: 16MP primary camera with f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) and 8MP front facing camera.
- Honor 5C: 13MP primary camera with LED flash and 8MP front facing camera.
Honor 5C primary camera has BSI sensor with 78-degree wide-angle 5-element (5P) macro lens. It also has an anti-reflective, oleophobic and infrared-absorbing coating to reduce glare, prevents fingerprints, and stops unwanted IR light from reaching the sensor. In terms of camera performance, Between LeEco Le2 and Honor 5C performance there is not much difference.

Winner: Draw

Battery
- LeEco Le 2: 3000 mAh battery with fast charging.
- Honor 5C: 3000 mAh battery.
Both smartphones feature non removable 3000 mAh battery. However, the power efficient Octa Core HiSilicon Kirin 650 Soc and smaller screen size helps Honor 5C to provides better battery life.

Winner: Honor 5C.

Price and Availability
- LeEco Le 2: Rs.11,999. It is available in flipkart and LeMall via flash sales.
- Honor 5C: Rs.10,999. It is available in Flipkart via open sale.
Honor 5C is more affordable and easier to purchase. Whereas Le 2 can be purchased only through flash sales as of now.

Winner: Honor 5C.

Verdict: Whether to buy LeEco Le2 or Honor 5C is upto each individual’s decision based on the preferences. My personal choice would be Honor 5C due to its compact size and better battery life. I like small screen smartphones. Also I am not quite happy with the quality control measures taken on the LeEco Le 2. I have written a detailed post on it. The link is provided in the starting of this post. Which one you prefer between LeEco Le 2 Vs Honor 5C and why? Share it in the comment section.
July 11, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016) with Smartglow Notification Launched
Samsung has launched a new Galaxy J smartphone Galaxy J2 (2016) along with Galaxy J Max tablet in India. It will be available starting July 10, via both online and offline retailers. This smartphone comes in three different colours namely Black, Gold, and Silver colours. Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016) price in India is Rs.9,750. As a promotional offer, Samsung is offering 6 months of free double data offer to Airtel prepaid customers worth Rs. 4,500.

Samsung Galaxy J2 2016 USP is its SmartGlow notification and Turbo Speed Technology (TST) . SmartGlow feature allows user to assign colour codes to any contact, app or phone usage alert. The new SmartGlow feature can be enabled from the Quick panel and it can be utilised for three usage scenarios: for Priority alerts, Usage alerts and Selfie Assist.

Selfie Assist feature in Galaxy J2 2016, will allow users to take framed selfies via rear camera. The LED notification ring lights up completely when it detects a properly aligned face and takes the selfie automatically.

To use set Priority alerts after enabling the SmartGlow, users need to drag and drop the contact or app onto the “+” in the ring. Users have the option to select and save the SmartGlow colour for any particular contact or app. Once enabled, whenever there is any alert from that contact or app, LED will glow in the corresponding colour. Users can add upto 4 alerts. For Usage Alerts, Smart Glow will inform users on battery, data, or storage related information.

As mentioned earlier another unique key feature of Galaxy J2 2016 is Turbo Speed Technology (TST). According to company, it enhances the performance of the smartphone and load apps up to 40 percent faster than devices with double the RAM. The new Turbo Speed Technology is also said to shut down idle processes running in the background to free the RAM.

Other than this, there is a new UI as well. The new UI on Galaxy J2 2016 has features like Smart Notifier which enables users to prioritise notifications into simple categories, and the new redesigned app tray featuring vertical scroll navigation. There is also S-Bike and UDS (Ultra Data Saving) features which are unique to Galaxy J series lineup.

Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016) Specification
- 5 inch 720p HD Super AMOLED display screen.
- 1.5 GHz quad-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM.
- 8GB of internal storage and support for external storage upto 32GB via microSD card.
- 8MP primary camera with LED flash and 5MP front facing camera.
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
- 2600 mAh battery.
Source: GSM Arena and Gadget 360.
July 8, 2016