Category Archives: Lava

Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet Review

Consumer Alert: Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet

Indian mobile handset vendor, LAVA International Ltd. is misleading and cheating Consumers of Tablet PCs by falsely communicating and wrongly advertising the Processor Speed of its Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet as 1.2 GHz whereas actually it is just 1 GHz.

Lava has printed a wrong and misleading Processor Speed on the E-Tab Z7H Tablet’s Retail Packaging, in its Downloadable User Guide and its website.

Check-out the following Picture of the Retail Packaging of the LAVA E-Tab Z7H Tablet with a wrong and misleading Processor Speed printed on it:

LAVA E-TAB Z7H TABLET

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The wrong and misleading Processor Speed of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet has also been specified on the Lava website:

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

We tested the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet for its Processor Speed using Quadrant Standard, Antutu, CPU Master and Four other Benchmarking and System Information Applications.

To our utmost surprise, with all 6 Benchmarking and System Information Applications, we found the Processor Speed of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet to be  just 1 GHz and not 1.2 GHz as falsely communicated by Lava and its online Retailers. The Benchmarking and System Information Test Results of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet are shown in Pictures below:

LAVA Z7H TABLET

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LAVA Z7H TABLET

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Before purchasing any unbranded or re-branded Android Tablet you should verify the ‘Maximum Speed’ of its Processor using popular Benchmarking Software like Quadrant and AnTuTu, both available free-of-cost at the Google Play Store. During the last 30 days Quadrant and AnTuTu Benchmarking Software has been individually downloaded 1 – 5 Million times. (Statistics Source: Google Play Store). You may also use other Benchmarking and System Information Applications like Elixir2, Z-Device Test, Passmark Performance Test, CPU/RAM/Device Identifier (version 5.2.0+) and Linpack for the same.

The usefulness of these Benchmarking and System Information Applications can be ascertained from the fact that during the last 30 days alone, up to 11.5 Million Users have installed these Applications on their Android Devices. (Statistics Source: Google Play Store).

The Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet uses an Allwinner – A13 SOC (System-on-Chip). A Cortex A8 Processor with a Speed of 1 GHz is built inside every A13 SOC.

The following Description and Table from the ARM website clearly shows that the Maximum Speed of the Cortex A8 Processor used in the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet is 1 GHz and not 1.2 GHz:

From the Description and Table above, it becomes clear that ARM has designed the Cortex A8 Processor for a speed up to 1 GHz. It also becomes absolutely clear that Lava is misleading Consumers of Tablet PCs by wrongly specifying a Processor Speed of 1.2 GHz in its E-Tab Z7H Tablet.

It is relevant to note that other vendors of Tablet PCs like BSNL-PANTEL and TATA-CROMA, who are also using the Cortex A8 Processor in their Tablet PCs are correctly mentioning its Speed as 1 GHz.

PANTEL correctly mentions the Speed of the Cortex A8 Processor used in its Penta T-Pad IS701C, IS703C, IS801C, WS802C and WS704C Tablet PCs as 1 GHz.

TATA-CROMA also correctly mentions the Speed of the Cortex A8 Processor used in its CRXT1075 Tablet PC as 1 GHz.

PANTEL is offering its BSNL approved PENTA T-Pad IS709C Tablet with Features and Specifications similar to the Lava E-tab Z7H for just Rs. 3995/-. The Penta T-Pad IS709C is 37% cheaper than the Lava E-Tab Z7H at its current online price of Rs. 5499/-.

PANTEL is also offering its BSNL approved PENTA T-PAD IS701C Tablet with a full size USB Host Port, a HDMI Port for LCD TV/Projector connectivity and other Features and Specifications similar to the Lava E-tab Z7H Tablet for Rs. 4946/-. The Penta T-Pad IS709C is 11% cheaper than the Lava E-Tab Z7H at its current online price of Rs. 5499/-.

TATA-CROMA  is offering its CRXT1075 Tablet PC with the latest Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS. The CRXT1075 Tablet PC comes with a Screen Guard and a Pouch. It is priced at Rs. 5990/-. The Screen Guard and Pouch are not provided with the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet. The CRXT1075 Tablet is available in easy EMIs and a 15 days Money-back Guarantee  from cromaretail.com. The Croma CRXT1075 Tablet PC is also available at Croma and Croma-Zip Stores all over India. Croma service for its house brand ‘Croma’ is said to be good.

In the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet, Popular Browsers like Firefox and Chrome for Android DO NOT work properly. While using Firefox typed characters are not visible in the Tablet. While using Chrome its Touchscreen becomes non-responsive on the edges.

Application-Not-Responding‘ messages appear in plenty while using the E-Tab Z7H Tablet. The E-Tab Z7H Tablet’s compatibility with popular Android software is absolutely untested and the user is left frustrated using this Tablet.

Switching the Equalizer On/Off is a Difficult Task and it is simply Not Possible to adjust the Bass Boost and 3D Effects in the E-Tab Z7H Tablet.

The Low Brightness and Poor Quality Microphone of this Tablet leave a lot to be desired. The Low Brightness and Poor Quality of the Microphone of this Tablet become prominently noticeable during daytime Video Playback and Skype Calls using this Tablet.

We found the wireless connectivity of the E-Tab Z7H Tablet to be good over WiFi compliant Routers.

The Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet is prone to scratches and within 4 weeks of usage with reasonable care, the back side of our E-Tab Z7H Tablet has got noticeable scratches.

The Battery Charger of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet warms up considerably and does not have a single Safety Approval. Check-out the Battery Charger of any Samsung/Apple/Nokia/LG/Blackberry/Motorola/Sony/Acer or other reputed brand of Tablet or Mobile Phone or Laptop. You will see many Safety Approvals on each every Battery Charger. The ‘Safety‘ and ‘Maximum Current Handling Capability‘ of the Battery Charger of this Tablet is questionable.

Its bundled ‘Moon+’ Ebook Reader is convenient. Moon+ and many other good Ebook Reader applications can be downloaded along with Thousands of Ebooks, free-of-cost from the Google Play Store. I found at Two Ebooks bundled with the E-Tab Z7H Tablet to be good.

The bundled ‘Merit Nation‘ and ‘Tata Photon‘ Coupons may be useful for some. With 6-7 months left for children’s exams, the Merit Nation Subscriber may have to pay a full year’s subscription. The Tata Photon Data Card is available free-of-cost in many Circles upon prepayment of 2 months subscription. So both these Offers may not be the most attractive offerings for customers.

I rate the rest of the bundled content as Bloatwareunnecessarily using the E-Tab Z7H Tablet’s Resources. The bundled content has been preloaded on the Internal Storage/ROM of the E-Tab Z7H Tablet, so everything (including the unwanted content) shows up again, every time the Tablet is restored to its Default Settings.

The Lava E-Tab Z7H tablet does not come with a User Manual. Its User Manual has to be downloaded from the Lava website. The ‘Connectivity’ Page on the Lava website provides a Software Update for the E-Tab Z7H Tablet but does not inform its purpose i.e. whether it is for the USB Data Cards or otherwise.

Significantly, we found that the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet has Poor Build Quality.

The Battery inside the E-Tab Z7H Tablet is neither held in any ‘Battery Slot’ nor with any ‘Battery Retention Mechanism’. The Battery has been fixed inside the Tablet using cheap Cello Tape! The Poor Build Quality of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet is shown in the Picture below:

LAVA E-TAB Z7H TABLET POOR BUILD QUALITY

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Battery Charging and Long Duration Usage of the E-Tab Z7H Tablet causes “Temperature Rise” inside the Tablet. Due to the temperature rise and over a period of time, the cello tape may loosen and come-off. Consequently, the loosely fitted Battery inside the Tablet may cause:

  1. a “Short Circuit” inside the Tablet and “Permanent Damage” to other Components inside the Tablet such as its Camera, Main Board, LCD Panel, Processor, RAM, Storage Devices, Connecting Cables, Connectors, etc.
  2. Injury to the User of the Tablet“. (More likely if the Unit is on-charge at the time of short-circuit inside the Tablet. A Lithium-Ion Battery can explode in case of a Short Circuit.)
  3. Noise from inside the Tablet” upon moving the Tablet.

Please note in the Picture above that there is No UL or equivalent Battery Safety/Compliance Approval or Safe Disposal  Instruction/Graphic on the Battery nor is its Brand or Capacity mentioned. Check-out the Battery of any Samsung/Nokia/LG/Blackberry/Motorola/Sony or other reputed brand of Mobile Phone or Laptops or the Tablets shown below. You will find many Safety Approvals and relevant details on every Battery.

To say the least, such Poor Build Quality is not expected from any Vendor of Tablet PCs.

The following Pictures will give you a clear idea about the Build Quality and Battery Fitment in popular global brands of Tablet PCs:

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We communicated all our findings to Lava for their clarifications about the same. Lava did not deny our findings and wanted that we ‘do not publish’ our findings/review about the E-Tab Z7H Tablet on this site. We were also told that a Tablet ‘E-Tab Z7H+’ similar in appearance to the ‘E-Tab 7ZH’ Tablet shall be launched during the end of this month. For the Z7H+ Tablet to be worthy, we hope that it has a faster Processor, a higher capacity Battery, a Standard USB Host Port, HDMI Port and a safer method to hold the Battery inside the Tablet.

Update: 11 October 2012. Lava has launched its Z7H+ Tablet. On its website Lava states the speed of the Cortex A8 Processor in the Z7H+ Tablet as 1GHz. The Z7H+ Tablet is equipped with Stereo Speakers. Lava website states that the Z7H+ Tablet supports Airtel E1731, Idea E1732, Reliance 3G MF190, MTS Mblaze AC2746 EVDO and Reliance EC150 EVDO USB Data Dongles. There is no mention of support for Tata Photon EC156 and EC1261 USB Data Dongles. Both these Tata Photon Dongles are supported in the Lava Z7H Tablet. The Tata Photon Offer is also not available with the Z7H+ Tablet. The Z7H+ Tablet may be using a different SOC. The HDMI Port and a Full Size USB Host Port are also not available on the Lava Z7H+ Tablet. The 512MB RAM, 4GB ROM and 2800 mAh Battery Capacity in both the Lava Tablets remain the same.

 A “Detailed Performance Review” and a “Video Review” of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet is coming soon on this site. Do check them out.

Due to the above mentioned facts, I do not recommend the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet. With all its deficiencies, the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet is also expensive. Brands like BSNL-PANTEL and TATA-CROMA in particular offer better Tablet PCs which offer superior performance and much better value for your money.

For immediate purchase, you should consider the Penta T-Pad IS709C, Penta T-Pad IS701C or the Croma CRXT1075 Tablet PC. You can also wait for the new Akash II/ Ubislate 7C Tablet. It has Mobile Phone Capabilities (SIM Slot), a 1 GHz Cortex A8 Processor and other specifications similar to the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet. The new Akash II/Ubislate 7C Tablet has won rave pre-launch reviews outside India. It is expected to be launched in October 2012 at approx. Rs. 4500/-.

Some Comments about the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet by Flipkart Buyers are:

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Our findings of the Actual Processor Speed of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet have also been confirmed by Tech2.in in in their independent review of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet dated 28 September 2012:

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

Lava is also making false communications while advertising its E-Tab Z7H Tablet through online retailers like Flipkart, Ezoneonline, Snapdeal, Infibeam, etc. Consequently, Lava is also spoiling the trust of Consumers in these Online Retailers. Check-out the following Pictures with the wrong and misleading Processor Speed of the LAVA E-Tab Z7H Tablet in the Advertisements and Offers of Flipkart, SnapDeal and Ezoneonline. 

With false and misleading communications, poor build quality and unfair trade practices Lava would lose Customers sooner than later. If you own a LAVA E-Tab Z7H, ask your Retailer for a Refund.

LAVA ETAB Z7H TABLET(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

LAVA ETAB Z7H TABLET

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LAVA ETAB Z7H TABLET

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Last Updated on 11 October 2012. Correction: The User Guide of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet does not accurately describe the function of the Second Button of the Tablet, located just below its Power/Lock Button. As a result on 8 October 2012,  in our update to this Post the Second Button of the Tablet got incorrectly described. The Second Button from the Top does not function for Power On/Off purpose but takes the User back to the Home Screen of the Tablet from a running Application or from the Application/Widget Menus. However, if this Button is pressed while the Home Screen is being displayed, it has ‘No Function’ (as described by us on 8 October 2012). The error is regretted.

Updated on 8 October 2012 with Comments/Reviews by Certified Buyers of Flipkart for the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet of and a Screenshot of the review of Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet dated  28 September 2012 on Tech2.in.

Updated on 4 October 2012 with Download Links to Android based Benchmarking and System Information Software, Cortex A8 Processor Data from ARM Limited Website, Images of Build Quality of Popular Tablet PCs and a brief Product Safety and Performance Review of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet.

Lava XOLO Smartphone Review

 

XOLO Smartphone

At the Mobile World Congress, Barcelona during February this year, Intel Corporation, the global leader in Microprocessor technology showcased its Smartphone reference design featuring the Intel Atom Processor Z2460 with Hyper-Threading Technology and support for HSPA+ and the Intel XMM 6260 Platform.

During April this year, Intel Corporation and Lava International, an Indian mobile handset vendor has launched in India XOLO, a Smartphone based upon Intel’s design.

Lenovo and Orange have also launched Smartphones based upon Intel’s design recently.

We’ll have a look at what the phone has to offer to you in terms of its features, specifications, its Pros and Cons.

The Lava XOLO Smartphone is powered by a fast 1.6GHz Intel Atom Processor Z2460 (Medfield platform).  The Atom Processor Z2460 supports Intel’s Hyper-Threading Technology for doing multiple tasks at one time and supports HSPA+ Technology for High Speed Communication on Mobile Networks.

Intel Atom Processors offer High Speed Processing with Low Power Consumption. Intel Atom Processors are popular in entry level Desktop PCs, Netbooks and have also made headway into entry level Small Business Servers. Intel Atom Processors offer great value and performance while conserving Power. Benefits to you… high performance, fast web browsing, responsive apps and effortless multi-tasking. You also get more Talk/ Standby/ Browsing time without having to recharge your phone’s battery frequently.

It uses Intel’s XMM6260 Slim Modem Platform, a highly integrated network platform requiring very little power. The platform features an integrated power management unit, supports quad-band EDGE and multi-band HSPA+ for global connectivity. Benefits to you…high performance and access to high speed networks without changing/ upgrading your smartphone in the nearest future. Since the platform itself uses very little power, you also get more Talk/ Standby/ Browsing time without having to recharge your phone’s battery frequently.

Lava XOLO  X900 Smartphone – Pros

  • Attractive Appearance (its Design is likeable by both Men and Women).
  • High Speed Intel Atom Processor @ 1.6 GHz.
  • Support for quad-band EDGE and multi-band HSPA+ for Global Connectivity to High Speed Mobile Networks.
  • Large 4.03” LCD Display with 16 Million Colors.
  • 8MP Rear HD Camera with LED Flash – shoots up to 15 Frames/Second in Burst Mode.
  • 1.3MP Front Camera for Video Calling/ Video Chat.
  • Extensive Camera Settings like White Balance, Flash, Exposures, Focus, ISO, Frame Rate, Scene Mode, Color Effects, etc. for convenient Amateur and Advanced Photography.
  • Touchscreen with Scratch Resistant Corning Gorilla Glass.
  • Dual Active Noise Cancellation Microphones for Clear Conversations in Noisy Environments like Railway Stations, Factories, Outdoors, etc.
  • “Swype” Keyboard for typing convenience.
  • Support for NFC (Near Field Communications).
  • Micro HDMI Port for connectivity to TVs and Projectors equipped with HDMI Port. (The Micro HDMI cable is not included).
  • Software Upgradeable to Android 4.0 (ICS) – Upgrade Not Available Yet.
  • Good Build Quality.
  • Rugged Design.
  • Well placed and convenient-to-use Hard Keys.
  • Slightly thicker phone design makes it comfortable to steadily hold the phone, while using it as a Camera.
  • Brightness Control Widget in the Function/Feature Notification Bar.
  • Dedicated website with Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, Software Update & User Guide Downloads.
  • Xolo Care Software on Phone.
  • Doubletwist Software for syncing iTunes Music.

Lava XOLO  X900 Smartphone – Cons

  • The phone is slightly on the thicker side.
  • The phone grip is not very comfortable while holding it for a long duration.
  • The Touchscreen of the phone is not the most responsive for the price of the phone.
  • The Display of the phone is not the best in comparison with other phones in its price range.
  • No expandable Memory/ No SD Card Slot for Additional Storage.
  • Fixed non-removable Battery. Makes it impossible for the User to remove the phone’s battery for troubleshooting purpose or for replacing the phone’s battery with a spare battery when required.
  • Micro SIM Slot. The Micro SIM slot makes it difficult for Users having more than one active SIM to use the same phone, during travel or otherwise.
  • Hard to clean Camera Lens and inner side of the Lens Cover of the phone. The phone has to be opened for cleaning its Camera Lens and the inner side of its Lens Cover.
  • The Hard Key for Camera is a little less responsive in its time-to-shoot. The onscreen ‘Capture’ button takes pictures faster.
  • The size of the Icons for the Camera Settings Menu is Small.
  • The phone has Low Volume for media playback. The maximum volume is sufficient only for media playback using Headphones.
  • The Quality of Sound of the phone is not the best for the price of the phone.
  • Low Volume for ringtones renders ringtones inaudible in noisy areas or from a distance.
  • The phone runs on the dated Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS.
  • Upgrade to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is not yet available.
  • The supplied USB cable’s length could have been longer for convenient charging and PC connectivity.
  • Wireless Connectivity with Dlink Wireless Routers.
  • High Price.

The Specifications of the Lava XOLO Smartphone are:

PROCESSOR
Chipset                                  Intel Atom Processor Z2460
CPU                                       1.6 GHz Intel® Atom™ with Hyper Threading

GRAPHICS CORE
Clock speed                          400 MHz
Triangles per second          40 million

DISPLAY
Display Size                          4.03″
Display Colors                      16 Million
Display Resolution              1024*600
Display Technology            TFT LCD Capacitive Touch with Corning Gorilla Glass

OPERATING SYSTEM  Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) upgradable to Android 4.0

MEMORY
Internal Memory                 16 GB (Available Memory will be subject to Software Configuration)
RAM                                       1 GB
Expandable Memory           Not Available

CAMERA
Rear Camera                        8 MP
Front Camera                       1.3 MP
Flash support                       Yes, Single LED
Auto focus                             Yes
Touch focus                          Yes
Digital zoom                         8x
HD recording – Rear          1080p
Video chat – Front              480p
Burst Mode                           15 fps, 10 images in <1 sec
Camera Modes                     Auto, Sports, Portrait, Landscape, Night, Night Portrait, Fireworks

SENSORS                          Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor

CONNECTIVITY
USB                                        2.0 Hi Speed
Bluetooth                              v2.1
Wi-Fi                                      802.11 b/g/n
NFC                                        Yes – 13.56 MHz
WLAN support                     Yes
Modem                                   Intel XMM6260

AUDIO
Dual Speakers                     Yes, 0.3 W each
Digital Microphones          2
Ambient Noise Cancellation Yes
Voice Recording                 Yes, 3GPP
Audio Codecs supported   MP3, MIDI, WAV, 3GPP

VIDEO
Video Recording/Playback Full HD 1080p @ 30fps
Video Codecs supported    MPEG4, 3GPP, WMC, H.264, VP8
Video Player                         Android Video Player, DoubleTwist

NETWORK FREQUENCY BANDS
GSM                                       850/900/1800/1900
UMTS/HSPA                       850/900/1900/2100
HSPA+                                  850/900/1900/2100
Edge/GPRS                          Class 10
WCDMA                                Yes
HSPA+                                  Up to 21 Mbps (DL), Up to 5.7 Mbps (UL)

BATTERY
Battery Capacity                   1460 mAh
Browsing (3G)                      Up to 5 hours
Talk time (3G)                      Up to 8 hours
Talk time (2G)                      Up to 14 hours
Music playback (earphones) Up to 45 hours
1080p Video                         Up to 6 hours
Total Standby time              Up to 14 days

DESIGN
Dimensions                          123 x 63 x 10.99 mm
Hard Keys                             Power key, Volume key, Camera key
Slots                                       Micro SIM Card Slot, Micro USB, Micro HDMI, 3.5 mm audio jack
Weight                                   124 grams

Image Credit and Source: intel.com

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