Sandeep Maheshwari

BBM for Android and iOS Review

 

Categories: iOS BlackBerry Android Apps

Some of you might be surprised to know that BlackBerry's BBM client has a whopping 60 million users as of a few months ago. Obviously, that's not as mind-numbingly impressive as, say, Whatsapp's 200 million, but it's still a formidable number, especially when you consider that until yesterday, BBM wasn't even available on the two biggest ecosystems in the world: Android and iOS. It was about time, too, considering the entirety of the fiasco that transpired. Either way, BBM is here and it appears that this time around, it plans to stay. Naturally, therefore, we went right ahead and downloaded it with the intent to give you a head-up so you know what to expect.

For starters, we got off easy, since we had a pre-registered account and were able to get chattin off the bat. We should probably explain – due to the volume of registrations, BlackBerry has limited the stream of new users by introducing a queue of sorts. Essentially, unless you pre-registered at the BBM site days ago, you'll have to wait for a while to get at the front of the queue before you get an invite. This took about two and a half hours in an independent test we did simultaneously with this review.

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Once you get your turn, the sign-up procedure is pretty straightforward (and identical for both Android and iOS), as you can see above -- nothing fancy that you'll need in order to get on the line. It's worth nothing that apart from the breath of the Settings menu, pretty much every other detail of BBM is identical between Android and iOS: the interface, the functionality and even the overall design. So, where do they differ? Well, for starters, BBM for Android comes with a persistent notification icon pinned to your homescreen status bar, an annoyance that BlackBerry claims is "...because BBM is always on so that you are always connected." Nice try, though it begs the question of how the more than a dozen alternative clients manage the very same thing without adding more clutter to your phone's status bar. As you can guess, we quickly went into the Settings and disabled the option, though BlackBerry warned us once again that turning off the BBM Connected icon may cause messages to not get delivered, or get delayed if device memory is low. Needless to say, the LG G2 that we used to review the new app had instantaneous messaging and no problems whatsoever. 

As soon as we were ready to roll, we realized that we actually had no contacts whatsoever to test the rest of the app. Since we wanted to review both the iOS and Android version, it made perfect sense that we'll simply add a dummy account on our iPhone 5 and go for it. On this particular front, we've got to admit that BBM offers a diverse selection to pick from: invite via a barcode (really a QR code), SMS, using the unique PIN number attached to each account, or simply using an SMS. As you can see, integration with Facebook or other social media is lacking, though we still had plenty of ways to connect. By far the most hassle-free of those, if you want to connect with a friend and you're physically next to each other is to use the QR code, which can be accessed through your profile page.

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Next up, we had a quick chat with each other to see how BBM handles what it was meant to do. We really can't complain -- despite the setbacks, BBM feels and works just fine. Sure, we could make do with a less spacious design that lets you see farther back into your conversation, or a less giant keyboard that takes up 60% of the screen, but these are definitely flaws of the more subjective kind that may not necessarily annoy you. On the good side, the spacious design ensures that even people with bigger fingers and/or on smaller screens can effectively navigate around, since most UI elements are bigger than your average app. BBM also supports status updates, and you can even "Broadcast" an identical message to multiple people, a great tool to get the chore of wishing a Merry Christmas out of the way fast and effectively. Other functionality that piqued our interest includes the ability to send voice messages to your contacts, a cool perk we found useful on BBM, and also Whatsapp in the past. Speaking of perks, you also have a built-in feature that allows you to copy entire chats or, alternatively, dispose of your dirty texts in a flash. Perhaps the only other discerning feature of BBM is that it leaves tracks of your activity that your friends can check out, like status updates, profile picture updates and such. Oh, and for what it's worth, you can also "Ping" people -- that's BBM's way to poke somebody, we suppose.

The rest of BBM is, really, pretty standard stuff. Up in the settings you get your traditional slew of settings, though we should note that iOS users have access to a half as wide array of those, and are really stuck with some pretty basic stuff. On the other hand, Android has some more room for tweaking, unlike iOS. For example, you can tweak app vibrations, notification sounds and even the color your LED light will show when you have an unread message.

In conclusion, apart from some tiny hang ups we experienced under iOS, BBM seems pretty much ready for prime time. Unfortunately, the messenger space is downright ruthless lately, with a number of apps having a significant following, so it does remain whether BBM has what it takes to steal away share from the incumbents. If you ask our opinion -- it'll be pretty hard for BlackBerry to make a dent. Not because BBM is bad -- it's well-made and robust -- but, rather, it stems from the fact that we felt BBM doesn't necessarily have anything under its sleeve unique enough that will entice users enough to shout "no!" to inertia and make the switch, especially in the beginning when their contacts list will be near empty. Said otherwise, everything that BBM does has been replicated in a number of rival offerings, so it really is down to people that have grown into fans of the platform to jump-start BlackBerry's entrant.

Nokia Lumia 2520

Introduction

It took it a while, but Nokia has finally entered the heated tablet race. The Lumia 2520, as Nokia calls its first tablet computer (in the modern sense of the word), is a 10.1” Windows 8.1 RT slate that makes use of powerful internals, such as the Snapdragon 800, and a variety of connectivity features in hopes of standing out from the crowd in this market. Still, we just can't help but feel skeptical about this product, due to... you know, Windows RT, but hey – it was Nokia that found a way to make Windows Phone look cool; it might once again be Nokia that manages to make a decent OS out of Windows 8.1 RT. Let's see...

Design

Built out of solid polycarbonate, the Lumia 2520 is among the bigger tablets out there thanks to its sizable display panel and substantial bezels. It looks quite cool in its colorful (comes in red, blue, black and white) plastic body, which also feels nice and inviting to the touch. While it's unfortunate that the Nokia Lumia 2520 isn't any lighter than its rivals out there, we're still happy to report that it's not heavier as well. It weighs 21.69 oz (615 g), versus 21.16 oz (600 g) for the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014, 23.35 oz (662 g) for the iPad 4 and 23.84 oz (676 g) for the Surface 2. Due to the wide aspect ratio of the display, the Lumia 2520 feels somewhat awkward when held in portrait orientation, but is lovely for video playback.

Display

Graced with a 10.1" IPS LCD screen, the Lumia 2520 offers good clarity with its 1920 x 1080 resolution, which translates to a pixel density of 218 ppi. This might be a bit low for a smartphone, but it's very good for a tablet, where we tend to hold the display a bit farther from our eyes. Probably the most interesting aspect about this IPS display is its maximum brightness, which is said to reach the astonishing 650 nits. This is supposed to make a great outdoor tablet out of the Lumia 1520, though we really hope that such high resolution won't be at the expense of quality.

Interface and Functionality

As we pointed out, the Nokia Lumia 2520 is a Windows 8.1 RT tablet, which means that you aren't getting support for all the legacy Windows software. Instead, you'll have to choose from the apps found in the Windows marketplace, which are steadily growing in number, but still far behind those available to the iPad and Android tablets. Naturally, you're getting the Modern-style start screen and all the live tiles that come with its, as well as teh full Office suite and a host of other useful tools and applications. It's pretty much the same user experience as on a Windows 8 Pro device, but your app catalog will be significantly limited. If you plan on using it for light stuff such as multimedia consumption and internet browsing, though, the functionality offered by Windows RT will be sufficient.

There's a wide range of messaging options on the Nokia Lumia 2520, and, of course, a very convenient on-screen QWERTY keyboard. Still, for those users who would like to get physical when it comes to typing, Nokia has produced the so called Power Keyboard, which will add a cover, physical QWERTY keyboard and some additional battery life to your tablet. However, this accessory will cost you $149, so you might want to consider your other options before going for it.

Camera and Multimedia

Interestingly, Nokia seems to be positioning the Lumia 2520 as a capable camera as well. Armed with a 6.7 MP shooter with aperture of f/1.9, a sensor size of 1/3.4" and a focal length of 26mm, the Lumia 2520 seems to be sporting the same camera unit as that in the Lumia 720 smartphone. Not that it's a bad camera, but it's definitely no where near the sensors found in top-shelf smartphones such as the Galaxy S4, G2, iPhone 5s, or the high-end Lumias. The camera on the 2520 will be able to record 1080p video at 30 fps. The main shooter is complemented by a 2 MP front-facing one that you can use for video chats, or rather – selfies.

The 10.1" 1080p display of the Lumia 2520 will be well-suited for video playback. Besides, we can only expect good things out of its AH-IPS panel. The 16:9 aspect ratio means that you'll be able to utilize all the screen real estate when watching video.

Expectations, Price and Release date

Nokia has definitely come up with a nice tablet in the Lumia 2520. It's got a good-looking design, a large and high-quality screen, as well as some very powerful hardware under the hood. However, what has us worried is the Windows 8.1 RT operating system which doesn't seem to be so popular with consumers. It tries to be just that – a consumer-centric OS just like iOS and Android, but unfortunately it still lacks the ecosystem to deliver a truly entertaining and diverse experience.

However, the Lumia 2520 has one major advantage over most of its direct opponents and that's the presence of 4G LTE connectivity inside the $499 model. We can imagine that this is going to be important for users on the lookout for a truly mobile 10" tablet at a decent price.

The Nokia Lumia 2520 still lacks a release date attached to it, but Nokia hopes to have the device on the market by the end of the year. As far as US carrier availability goes, AT&T and Verizon are said to be willing to offer the tablet.

Micromax Canvas Turbo A250 Coming Soon In Full HD Display

Micromax Canvas Turbo A250 Coming Soon In Full HD Display Trus

ted leak source for Micromax leaks, @MMX_Newscaster, has now revealed another to be soon launched Micromax Smartphone, Micromax Canvas Turbo A250, which will sport a Quad core processor and A Full HD Display.

Micromax Fans have been expecting these specs from Micromax for quite some time now. Micromax Canvas 4 was hyped and speculated to be the turbo quad core device with Full HD display from Micromax, in line with its previous reputation of providing with the best and refreshing specs earlier than others, like it did with earlier Canvas Series devices including Ultra successful Canvas HD. That unfortunately did not happen.

Micromax Canvas 4 was launched back in July and its successor 5.7 Inch Display phablet Micromax Doodle 2 also didn't bring anything new to the table. But one thing is for sure, Micromax did improve a lot with respect to build quality and body design, something people don't expect from Domestic brands.

With phones like Intex Aqua i7 and Gionee Elife E6 out there and Smart NaMo Saffron 1 coming soon, Micromax is quite late this time around  for its Full HD version and though the specs have not been specified yet, we expect Micromax to make this device stand apart from others by providing some added feature or by keeping the pricing competitive.

With the word "Turbo" included in the Device Name we expect, the Quad core processor to be MT6589T and the RAM capacity might even be 1 GB, same as the last three flagship phones, Micromax Canvas HD, Micromax Canvas 4 and Micromax Doodle 2. We are optimistic, but it’s too soon to be excited.

Micromax Canvas series has helped it garner consumer trust as is evident from its Number 2 position in Indian market with a Massive 22 percent market share, next only to the Tier one global manufacturer Samsung. We expect Micromax to impress us this time around and breathe new life in the Canvas series which appears to be losing its killer edge. This device might even lay the foundation for an Octa core device from Micromax that will come in near future.

Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4 16GB

Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4 16GB सैमसंग I9505 आकाशगंगा एस 4 32GB - 32GB, 16GB सैमसंग I9505 आकाशगंगा एस 4 64GB - 64GB, 16GB ब्रिट्स कौन से? हाल ही में एक बैटरी परीक्षण, दुनिया के प्रमुख स्मार्टफोन अपनी खुशी को देखने के लिए एक दूसरे के खिलाफ खड़ा कर रहे थे जहां था. परीक्षण की स्थिति में फोन 'स्क्रीन एक करने के लिए सेट किया गया है और न उज्जवल स्क्रीन सिद्धांत में अधिक ऊर्जा की खपत होती है, क्योंकि अधिक से अधिक करने के लिए उन्हें ऊपर मोड़ से, चमक स्तर को पढ़ने के लिए एक ही आरामदायक. ब्राउजिंग समय प्रदर्शन और नेटवर्क कनेक्टिविटी से बैटरी दोनों पर दबाव डालता है जो एक 3 जी कनेक्शन से अधिक दर्ज की गई थी. उच्च अंत फोन मंदी पर अपने निराशाजनक मार्गदर्शन की वजह से सैमसंग के हाल ही में शेयर की कीमत संकट के बावजूद, गैलेक्सी एस 4 लगातार यह डिजाइन और नई सुविधाओं के साथ अपने दिल से नहीं ले सकता है कि साबित होता है, लेकिन यह लगातार कम स्कोरिंग, एक बहुत, बहुत ही संतुलित स्मार्टफोन है कैमरा और अब बैटरी परीक्षण के ऊपर. 5 iPhone चार्ज गति वर्ग में केक ले लिया, हालांकि यह भी एक तेजी चार्जर था. वहाँ क में कोई phablets हैं, लेकिन परीक्षकों अगर वहाँ थे, अपने विशाल बैटरी यूनिट के साथ नोट द्वितीय इसके बदले में उन सब को हरा करने के लिए दिखाया गया था कि कहते हैं.
Construction
Dimension	136.6x69.8x7.9mm (5.38x2.75x0.31")
Weight	130gr (0.05oz)
Form Factor	Candy Bar
Usability
Display Resolution	1080x1920px
Display Type	16M AMOLED
Input	Capacitive Touchscreen
OS	Android OS
Java	MIDP 2.0
Vibration	Vibration
Ringtone	Polyphonic
Hardware
Processor	4 Cores @ 1.9GHz
Ram	1.95GB
Internal Memory	16GB
External Memory	microSD
Camera Resolution	13 Megapixel
Camera Flash	LED
Second Camera	Available
Other Functionalities	Digital Compass Accelerometer Gesture Control Proximity Sensor
Speaker	Mono Speaker
Battery Capacity	2600mAH
Connectivity
NFC	NFC
USB	v2.0
Bluetooth	v4.0
Positioning System	Integrated GPS
TV Out	MHL
Audio Output	3.5mm Audio Connector
Infrared	Infrared
Cellular Network
Network Compatibility	GSM 1800 / 1900 / 850 / 900 UMTS 900 / 850 / 2100 / 1900 HSDPA 900 / 850 / 2100 / 1900
GPRS	Class 12
EDGE	Class 12
VARIOUS
Price Range	$775 - $947 (€599 - €732)

Samsung Star Pro S7262

• Samsung Star Pro S7262 (White) Price: Rs.6590

• Android Jelly Bean OS
• 2 MP Primary Camera

• 4-inch Touchscreen
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)

  Samsung Star Pro S7262 (White) Price: Rs.6590

  Key Features

  • 2 MP Primary Camera
  • Android (Jelly Bean) OS
  • Wi-Fi Enabled
  • 4-inch TFT Touchscreen
  • 1 GHz Cortex-A5 Processor
  • Dual Standby SIM (GSM + GSM)
  • Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB

  A solid Samsung offering that throws open the world of smartphones to you, the Star Pro is a handset that will help you get accustomed to the ways and means of how smart your phone can make you.
  Two SIMs, One Phone
  With support for two GSM microSIM cards, the phone ensures that you get the best of two network plans and also enables you to keep the business away from the personal as well. With the Always On feature, calls get transferred to SIM 2 when the first one is in use to ensure that you never miss a call. Also call functions available on both SIMs ensure that can manage simultaneous calls at the same time on the same phone.
  Smart Visuals and Performance
  A 4 inch TFT screen that is wide enough for you to see every last detail with clarity is what the S7262 has on offer.
  A one GHz Cortex-A5 processor with 512 MB RAM ensures that you can switch between apps and browse through the phone without any lag or hang. Also, with the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system, the phone is intuitive to your needs and extremely simple to operate apart from being smooth and seamless as well. Unlimited access to the Play Store which gives you apps for almost anything that you need to do is only one of the advantages of the Star Pro from Samsung. To top it all, the Intelligent User Interface gives you shortcuts for the regular actions that you perform, making life that much easier.
  Storage and Connectivity
  Never bother about storage as the phone comes with 4 GB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 32 GB to store apps, files and media. Also the phone supports GPRS, EDGE , Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity as well. You can also talk to your heart’s content as the 1500 mAh battery gives you up to 15 hours of talktime.
  

  Specifications of Samsung Star Pro S7262 (White)

  GENERAL FEATURES
  Brand	Samsung
  Model ID	Star Pro S7262
  Form	Bar
  SIM Size	Micro SIM
  SIM Type	Dual SIM, GSM + GSM, (Dual Standby)
  Touch Screen	Yes
  Business Features	Document Viewer, Pushmail (ActiveSync), Document: DOC, DOCX, DOT, DOTX, XLS, XLX, XLTX, CSV, PPT, PPTX, PPS, PPSX, POT, POTX, PDF, HWP, TXT, ASC, RTF and Zip
  Call Features	Conference Call, Speed Dialing, Loudspeaker, Call Divert
  Handset Color	White

  Platform
  Operating Freq	GSM - 850, 900, 1800, 1900
  OS	Android (Jelly Bean)
  Processor	1 GHz Cortex-A5

  Display
  Type	TFT
  Size	4 Inches
  Resolution	WVGA, 480 x 800 Pixels
  Color	16 M
  Other Display Features	Brightness Control, Auto-rotate Screen, Screen Timeout, Finger Gestures, Control Motions, Pinch-to-Zoom

  Camera
  Primary Camera	Yes, 2 Megapixel
  Video Recording	Yes
  Other Camera Features	Shooting Mode, Multi-scene Mode, Panoramic Photos, Zooming In and Out, White Balance, Metering, Centre-weighted, Brightness, Timer, Switch between Still and Video Mode, Night Mode, Image Editor

  Dimensions
  Size	62.7x121.2x10.6 mm
  Weight	121 g

  Battery
  Type	1500 mAh
  Talk Time	15 hrs (2G)
  Standby Time	370 hrs (2G)

  Memory and Storage
  Internal	4 GB
  Expandable Memory	microSD, upto 32 GB
  Memory	512 MB RAM

  Internet & Connectivity
  Internet Features	Email
  Preinstalled Browser	Chrome, Android
  GPRS	Yes
  EDGE	Yes
  Wifi	Yes, 802.11 b/g/n
  USB Connectivity	Yes, micro USB, v2
  Tethering	USB, Wi-fi Hotspot
  Navigation Technology	with Google Maps
  Bluetooth	Yes, Supported Profiles (OPP, PBAP, MAP, HID, HSP, HFP 1.5, A2DP, GAP, PAN, DID, AVRCP)
  Audio Jack	3.5 mm

  Multimedia
  Music Player	Yes, Supports MIDI, MP3, WAV, FLAC
  Video Player	Yes, Supports 3GP, MKV, MP4, M4V, 3G2, WEBM
  FM	Yes

  Other Features
  SAR Value	At the Head - 0.497 W/Kg, At the Body - 0.311 W/Kg
  Call Memory	Yes
  SMS Memory	Yes
  Phone Book Memory	Yes
  Sensors	Accelerometer
  Additional Features	Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Protected Setup, PC Sync (KIES), Switching between Networks, Alarm, Flight Mode, Blocking Mode, Rearranging Panels, Multiple Languages Support, International Call, Call Barring, Call Waiting, Business Card, Switching between Chats, Memo, Calendar, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Clock, Calculator, Voice Recorder, Bluetooth Tethering, VPN, SIM Card Manager, Text-to-speech Output, Pointer Speed, Motion, Backup and Reset, B-to-B Compability, WPS Push Button, Wi-Fi Sleep Policy, Dual Clock, Lock SIM Card, Device Administrators, Auto Spacing, Auto-punctuate, Character Preview, Block Offensive Words, Driving Mode, Sound Balance, Voice Input
  Important Apps	Samsung Apps, ChatON, Widgets, Gmail, Google Talk, Google+, Instant Messaging, YouTube, Play Store, Play Books, Google, Google Now, Play Movies, Play Music, Google Voice, Samsung Kies

  Warranty
  Warranty Summary	1 year manufacturer warranty for Phone and 6 months warranty for in the box accessories

PANASONIC P51 SMART PHONE

T31

The New Definition of Smart

Best Buy : 7,990

T21

A Whole New Experience

Best Buy : 13,990

P11

The Flauntable Phablet

Best Buy : 16,490

T11

Quad On Performance Half on Price

Best Buy : 9,790

P51

It's Out of This world..

Best Buy : 19,990 

PANASONIC P51 SMART PHONEhttp://www.youtube.com/v/tLs964M-mSU?version=3&hl=en_GB&rel=0

Platform		Android 4.2
Processor		1.2GHz, QuadCore
General	Weight (gm)	135.0
	Dimensions (mm)	144 x 75 x 8.5
	Color variation	Black, White
	Hard keys	Volume Control, Power
Display	Display Resolution	HD (1280 x 720)
	Display Colour space	16M
	Display Size	5"
	Display Technology	IPS
	Touchscreen Technology	Capacitive
Network	Network (2G / 3G )	2G/3G
	GSM bands	Quadband (850/ 900/ 1800/1900)
	UMTS bands	Dualband (900/ 2100)
	EDGE/ GPRS	Yes
	WiFi	WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Camera	Back Camera	8MP
	Auto-focus	Yes
	Flash LED	Yes
	Front Camera	1.3MP
Sensors	Accelerometer	Yes
	Proximity	Yes
	Digital Compass	Yes
	Ambient Light	Yes
Memory	RAM	1GB
	Storage	4GB
	SD card Slot	Yes
Battery	Battery (mAh)	2,500
Connectivity	Bluetooth version	4.0 + A2DP, EDR
	HDMI support	No
	NFC support	No
	GPS	Yes
	USB	USB 2.0 - High Speed
SIM	SIM CARD TYPE	Dual SIM