LG Electronics today announced its latest Mobile Handset, the LG Optimus G Pro (LG E988).

The LG Optimus G Pro is a feature rich Smartphone that has been built using latest and state-of-the-art Hardware and the latest release of the Android Operating System. Launched at a Price-Tag of Rs.42,500/-, this Handset is intended for sale to buyers of Premium Smart Phones and those who are wanting to upgrade their Premium Smartphones from Apple, HTC, Samsung, Sony, etc. As a Launch Offer an LG Smart Cover worth Rs. 2500/- is being offered free with the LG Optimus G Pro. A few online retailers are also booking the LG Optimus G Pro at a Special Price of Rs. 38,990/-.

The LG Optimus G Pro has a Large 5.5″ Full HD (1920*1080) IPS Display for Superior Graphics and Accurate Colors with a 16:9 Aspect Ratio for Widescreen Viewing,  400 ppi (Pixels per Inch) and Corning Gorilla Glass 2 for enhanced Scratch Resistance and Protection of the Phone’s Display. In spite of its large display the LG Optimus Pro has a comfortable grip for one hand operation and fits well in one’s pocket. The Narrow Bezel (just 3.65mm) of the LG Optimus G Pro makes it look sleek and highlights its Display. The backside of the phone has a Textured Pattern for an Anti-Slip Grip and Scratch Resistance.

The LG Optimus G Pro is equipped with a High Speed 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Quad-Core Processor for Processor Intensive Applications, High End Games, Fast Internet Browsing and Connectivity.

The LG Optimus G Pro has also raised the benchmarks of Cameras in Premium Mobile Phones by offering a 13MP Full HD Rear Camera and a 2.1MP Full HD Front Camera. Both the Cameras are feature rich and can be used simultaneously. The LG Optimus G Pro has a Dual Camera – Dual Recording feature with which you can record an occasion using its Rear Camera, while recording your own presence using its Front Camera. The Camera also has a VR Panorama mode for creation of 360 Degree Panorama Pictures.

Some of the other features of the LG Optimus G Pro are:

• Smart Video (pauses the video when you are not watching the video)
• Pause and Resume Video Recording (for pausing a video recording at the time of unwanted footage and resuming the recording seamlessly for a single video)
• QRemote (the phone can be used an Infrared Remote Controller for TVs, Setup Boxes, Audio Systems, etc.) and
• Qslide for simultaneous Display of multiple running Applications

The LG Optimus G Pro is also equipped with a best-in-class Long Lasting, High Capacity Battery of 3140 mAh. The high capacity Battery of the LG Optimus G Pro has been designed to deliver longer usage time and longer battery life.

The Key Specifications of the LG Optimus G Pro Smartphone are:

• Opearting System: Android Jelly Bean OS 4.2.1
• Display: 5.5-inch Full HD  IPS display (1080 x 1920 pixels, 400 ppi)
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 1.7 GHz Quad-Core  Processor
• Cameras: 13MP Rear camera and 2.1MP front camera (Both Cameras support full HD recording at 1080p)
• Battery: 3,140 mAh Battery
• Size: 150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4 mm
• Weight: 172g
• Other Features: QSlide, Dual Camera/ Dual Recording, VR Panorama, Pause & Resume Recording, Audio Zoom, Smart LED home button, QTranslator, QRemote, Dual Screen Dual Play

Our View: In our opinion, for establishing a large footprint in the market, LG should have launched this High Performance and Elegant Smartphone at a lower price. With a lower price it would have not only got more customers, more market share but would have also hit its Competitors hard in the Premium Smartphone market.

We’ll keep you posted with a Detailed Review of the LG Optimus G Pro soon.

Have Comments or Questions that need Answers?  Ask us and we will be happy to answer all your queries.

The post LG Optimus G Pro launched in India appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

I sometimes fear that all the smart brains on the planet are either working with Apple, Samsung, Google or Microsoft. All the technological advances I have seen in the recent past are mobile tech, app tech blah blah. What about the rest? Has all of it fallen stagnant?  Hell, even the Space Program has been scrapped which gives rise to the thought that our advances to outer space will be limited to the moon.

I’m not going to take your time bashing NASA or our lack of will to push for more technological advances in areas apart from mobile tech. I will instead focus on a technology that takes help of your mobile tech and helps you DRIVE better.  Yes, folks driver BETTER and more safely.

I was impressed with the little advances and the big ones that Ford Motor Company has come up with in the recent past in this regard. They are of course, the front runners in electric car development and there are rumors’ that they and Google are working together. This conjecture is purely based on the fact that first Ford Focus Electric rolled off the production lines straight into Google’s lap.

I’m not going to waste your time on speculating what might be brewing there, what i have are snippets on Ford Tech that are going to rolled in their cars. Some might have already found their way in the Ford cars running on the roads, some might just be in production stage but it doesn’t take away the fact that these are some simple but exciting pieces of car technology that you would love to have in your vehicle!

FORD SYNC: Ladies and gents, the name is self-explanatory. But before you put it off as a simple sync tech between your car and phone, I would like to point out that the absurdly simple things that you can do with this not only make your driving experience easier and efficient. It also makes you a SAFE driver.  Let’s face it; we have always been distracted by our phone while driving at one time or the other. Hit a red light and we flash out our phone’s to send a tweet or a reply to a message or answer a call.

Well, Ford SYNC lets us do that without us taking out the phone from our pocket and looking at it to do those tasks. Eyes on the road, hands on the steering wheel and you are controlling the temp of your or answering a call or LISTENING to the text message that you just received.

With Ford SYNC APPLINK you can talk with the apps on your smartphone, I would like to point out here that as of now there are limited apps that support this feature but Ford is working on getting developers for this. I found this feature very exciting because not only you get to control an app on your phone via your voice, it also lets you give in-app commands e.g. “change station” on Pandora and voila that’s what Pandora does!

A heads up for all of you who want to get your hands on this – SYNC is going to feature in Ford’s new SUV Ford EcoSport. Rumors are the launch of car is going to be early Q1 of 2013.

Ford Hands-Free Liftgate:  This has so far been my favorite feature. It’s not really cut-throat tech and you would probably laugh if if I told you otherwise. But it’s what I call “this is one of those simple features that I have always wanted”. Picture you are out shopping and you come back with bags in both hands and now you have to take the decision of putting the bags someplace while you unlock and open your boot trunk. Well, what if instead of putting your bags down, you just kicked the underside of your car and the trunk door flew open? Cinematic ha? This is exactly what Ford lets you do with their Hands-free Liftgate. Yessir, UBERCOOL.

Ambient Lightning:  This one is just for the kicks. Feeling blue on a Monday? Ford’s ambient lightning lets your car reflect your mood. All the interior lightning will glow blue and you and your car will be drowned in the same mood. The available colors as of now are Ice Blue, Soft Blue, Orange, Red, Green, Blue and Purple.

Pretty neat ha?

SecuriCode™ Keyless Entry:  Carrying keys in this day and age seems a little off; I mean there were sci-fi movies which put us in 2012 as driving cars without needing a steel key to start our machines. Fear not we are there! Instead of a key, with Ford’s SecuriCode™ Keyless Entry you just have to punch in numbers and voila! This eliminates the risk that you forget the keys inside the car or for that matter forget the keys anywhere. The design is suave and yes, no fumbling for keys ever. Period.

Automatic start and stop: In an economy where the fuel prices are going anywhere but down, this feature Is gold. As soon as you hit the brakes near the red light, the engine switches off and restarts as you lift your foot off the break. Pretty rad ha? All the other features and electrical components will be running, it’s only the engine which will go to sleep.  Goes all long way in saving you cash on the fuel which burns while your car is stationary.

Open XC: This lil’ baby is for the future, it’s an API to your car, which makes it more responsive. It’s like putting feelers inside your car which can communicate with you. The concept so far is to put an advanced operating system in your car which will do all those tasks that you used to do with your smartphone. All the services will be integrated inside the car. Presently the interface runs on a combination of Arduino and Android. And simply because it is part android, it can communicate with your android based smartphone as well. The possibilities of all the apps based on this are humongous. This interface is currently open sourced by Ford and they are hoping more developers will jump in and make this the grand feature in the cars of the future.

The post Stepping into the future with Ford Tech appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

Tablet PC provider, Pantel Technologies Pvt. Ltd. has launched a very attractive looking Android 4.0 OS based Tablet, Penta T-Pad IS709C. The Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet is available from Pantel’s Online Store, Grabthefuture.in and the online retailers, Snapdeal.com and Homeshop18.com for just Rs. 3995/-.

Snapdeal and Homeshop18 are offering the 709c Tablet with Free Shipping across India within 5 days and Payment by Credit/Debit Cards, Net-Banking, Cash on Delivery and EMIs. Pantel’s Shopping Portal Grabthefuture.in is charging Rs. 304/- extra for Bank Charges and Shipping.

With an attractive look in Metallic Silver color,  a rich feature list and low price of just Rs. 3995/- it leaves competing Tablets far behind. With its low price, this Tablet can be a game changer in the Budget Tablet market. A Pouch for is being supplied with the Tablet and a Screen Protector is fixed to its LCD Display.

Other Tablets with similar specifications are priced much higher. The Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet is priced 38% higher at Rs. 5499/- (without the Pouch), the Croma CRXT1075 Tablet is priced 50% higher at Rs. 5990/- (with a Free Pouch and Screen Protector)  and the HCL ME U1 Tablet is priced 100% higher at Rs. 7999/-.

The Penta T-Pad IS709C is an Android 4.0.4 (ICS) OS based Tablet. It uses the ROCKCHIP RK2906 SOC (Basically a RK2918 SOC without HDMI Output) and has a 7 Inch Multi-touch Capacitive Display.

The RK2918 SOC integrates a Cortex A8 - 1GHz Processor with support for NEON SIMD, a powerful GC800 Graphics Engine. The RK2918 SOC is the First SOC in the World to support hardware based decoding of full HD Videos at 1080p.

The Tablet has 512 MB RAM (Available Memory may vary depending on software configuration) and an Internal Memory of 4GB. Its Storage is expandable through a TF (Micro SD) Card up to 32 GB. The Tablet is equipped with a 0.3 MP (VGA) Camera for Video Chatting/ Skype Calling, a G-Sensor, a Mini USB (On-the-Go) Port and has a 3000 mAh Battery.

The Tablet offers Wi-Fi compliant wireless connectivity and supports 2G and 3G data connectivity using external USB Dongles (GSM and CDMA). The Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet is approved by BSNL for use with its Data Services. Pantel has a strategic alliance with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for bundling its Tablets with BSNL’s 3G Data Services.

Before purchasing this or any other budget 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 Vellamo, Elixir2, Z-Device Test, Passmark Performance Test 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).

Luckily for Consumers of Tablet PCs, Pantel has neither over-clocked the Cortex A8 Processor in the Penta T-Pad IS709C to 1.2/1.4/1.5 GHz nor it is falsely advertising the speed of the Cortex A8 Processor as 1.2/1.4/1.5 GHz.

Benefits to you: Without over-clocking, the Tablet is expected to offer Stable Operation as well as Good Performance. You will get no or fewer ‘Application Not Responding’ Error Messages in comparison with Tablets having over-clocked Cortex A8 Processors.  Without over-clocking, its SOC’s useful life shall also be extended due to lesser generation of Heat. The Tablet’s run-time on Battery shall also be longer in comparison with Tablets having over-clocked Cortex A8 Processors.

Our Review and Video Review of the PENTA IS709C Tablet is coming soon on this site. Stay tuned in.

The Tablet’s Home, Return and Menu Buttons are mounted on the front panel of the Tablet. Its Power Button is mounted on the Side next to its USB OTG-cum-Charging Port. There are no physical/hard buttons for increasing/reducing the Volume. Volume can be increased/decreased from its on-screen control. Its Microphone also appears to be on the front panel of the Tablet. At its location, the Microphone of the Tablet may offer a higher clarity during video chats/ Skype calls. The Camera of the Tablet is located at the corner of its front panel in an easier-to-hold Portrait Orientation. However, whether a corner mounted Camera would be convenient in actual use or not remains to be tested. The Tablet does not have a Full Size USB Host Port and a HDMI Port. Lava E-Tab Z7H and the  HCL ME U1 also do not offer Full Size Usb Ports. Pantel’s other popular model IS701C, priced at Rs.4999/- is equipped with a Full Size USB Host Port as well as a HDMI Port. The Battery of this Tablet has 7% more capacity than the Battery in the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet and 20% less capacity than the HCL ME U1 Tablet.

We tested Pantel’s Customer Care by calling them on phone (0120-480-5200). The number was answered at all times when we called with our queries. The Customer Care Staff was polite during all calls. However, some of the queries which could not be answered on phone were not responded by email, as assured.

Pantel offers many other models of fully featured Android Tablets.  Unlike many small Importers of Tablet PCs, Electronic and IT products, Pantel has multiple certifications on Quality and Compliance viz. :

• ISO 9001:2008 (Certification for Quality)
• ISO 14001:2004 (Certification for Environment Management)
• RoHS (Certification of reduction of hazardous substances)
• CE (Certificate of Compliance)

Update: 15 October 2012: Issues with PANTEL-Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet: The pre-installed Facebook Application does not work. Gives Log-in Error. The Facebook Application cannot be updated from the Google Play Store as the Downloaded Update requires the pre-installed Application to be uninstalled and reinstalled. The pre-installed Application cannot be uninstalled as Root level Permissions are not provided to the User. Disabling and Enabling the Application again also does not help. It seems the pre-installed Application is corrupt or has a compatibility issue. We communicated the above mentioned issue to Pantel Customer Care on 15 October 2012 and are awaiting their resolution for the same.  Till a resolution for the issue is received, the User can access Facebook from the Tablet’s Browser. It will not give the same speed/user experience, but something is better than nothing. We also noticed minor and hairline scratches in Two out of Three Sealed Units received by us. Although the scratches are minor, these are present in new units, seems like yet another case of Quantity taking over Quality. The scratches on the 709c Tablets also reminded us of the scratches found and reported by many Owners of the recently launched iPhone 5.

Update: 17 October 2012. Issues with PANTEL-Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet: Google‘s Chrome Browser and Friendcaster for Facebook also cannot be installed on the 709C Tablet. Both these Applications are not compatible with the current version of the IS709C Tablet’s Software. Also upon connecting a USB Dongle, a notification stating that the ‘Storage is Corrupted‘ appears. We have communicated these issues to Pantel Customer Care and have been informed that a ‘New Software’ for the IS709C Tablet shall be available soon.

Update: 18 October 2012. Issues with PANTEL-Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet: External Power Speakers  (2.0/2.1) DO NOT WORK with the 709C Tablet when connected to its 3.5mm Audio Out Socket. They work fine when connected to other Budget as well as High End Tablets. For Music Lovers, this is a big shortcoming as all popular Mobile Phones, MP3 Players and Media Players work fine, when connected to External Speakers for a better listening experience.

Update: 29 October 2012. Software Upgrade – PANTEL-Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet: We are testing a new Software Upgrade (Pre-Release version) for the 709c Tablet.  Its Partial Test Results are:

• Pre-installed Facebook Application:  Works (did not work in the originally pre-installed software)
  
• Tata Photon – Huawei EC 156 USB Data Card: Works (did not work in the originally pre-installed software)
  
• Overall Performance and Stability: Good
  

Update: 3 November 2012. Highly Recommended – PANTEL-Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet:  We have completed testing of the new Software Upgrade for the 709c Tablet. “Facebook Log-in Error” was one of the major issues with this Tablet. After the new Software Upgrade, the Facebook Application works flawlessly. Another issue with this Tablet was that it did not support the Tata Photon Huawei EC156 USB Data Card. After the new Software Upgrade, this issue has also been resolved. With its new Software Upgrade, we highly recommend the Pantel-Penta IS709c Tablet. It has Good Performance, Stable Operation and offers Great Value-for-Money at a very reasonable price of Rs.3995/-. A detailed review of the 709c Tablet with its new Software Upgrade and the Download Link (URL) for its Software Upgrade shall be published on this Page soon.

Update: 5 November 2012. More USB Data Cards/Dongles are now supported with the New Software Upgrade - The PANTEL-Penta T-Pad IS709c Tablet now supports Ten USB Data Cards/Dongles instead of Six USB Dongles supported earlier. The USB Data Cards/Dongles supported with the new Software Upgrade are:

1. BSNL 3G – LW272 – WCDMA
2. BSNL 3G – LW273 (White) – WCDMA
3. Tera 3G – T3G72A – WCDMA
4. BSNL 3G – ZTE – MF180 – WCDMA
5. Tata Photon+ – Huawei(EVDO) – Ec156 – CDMA
6. Airtel  Huawei – E1731 – WCDMA
7. Idea Huawei – E1732 – WCDMA
8. Reliance – ZTE – MF190 – WCDMA
9. Huawei – E173 – WCDMA
10. Huawei – E1550 -WCDMA

The USB Data Cards/Dongles not supported by the new Software Upgrade are:

1. Micromax – MMX – 353G – WCDMA
2. Micromax – MMX – 352G – WCDMA
3. Reliance – ZTE(EVDO )-  AC2737 – CDMA
4. MTS ZTE (EVDO) – AC2746 – CDMA
5. MTS ZTE (EVDO) – AC2747 – CDMA
6. Visiontek – 82G – WCDMA

Update: 6 November 2012. External Low Power 2.0 PC Speakers are supported - We tested GENIUS SP-Q06S 2.0 PC Speakers (2*0.5W) with the 709c Tablet after performing its Software Upgrade. The Speakers worked fine at all Volume levels. The Equalizer and Sound Effects also worked fine on the Tablet. However, CREATIVE-XFREE – 2.1 Speakers (2*10W) tested by us were supported only up to approx. 40% Output of the Tablet. F&D  3000U 5.1 Speakers did not work in any mode (2.1/4.1/5.1) with the Tablet. It seems that the Output Power of the Tablet’s Audio chip is less than that required by 2.1/ 4.1/ 5.1 Speakers.

Update: 7 November 2012. New Software Upgrade Available - Users of the 709c Tablet can resolve major issues faced by them with its new Software Upgrade. To get its Download Link and Software Upgrade Instructions click here. The Download Link (URL) for the new Software is mentioned in the Software Upgrade Instructions.

Update: 17 December 2012. New Software Upgrade Available - Users of the 709c Tablet can resolve any issues faced by them with its new Software Upgrade. To get its Download Link and Software Upgrade Instructions click here. The Download Link (URL) for the new Software is mentioned in the Software Upgrade Instructions.

The Technical Specifications of the Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet are :

• Operating System            Android 4.0.4
• SOC                                     Rockchip RK2906 (Basically a RK2918 SOC without HDMI Output)
• Processor                           Cortex A8 1.0 GHz
• GPU                                    Vivante GC800 Graphics Engine
• RAM                                   512MB  (~323MB Available)
• Internal Memory             4GB  (~2.04GB Available)
• External Memory            Expandable up to 32 GB with a TF (Micro SD) Card
• Display Type                     LCD
• Display Size                      7 Inch
• Touch Type                      Multi-touch Capacitive
• Sensors
  •                                             Accelerometer (MMA8452Q – Present and Active/Enabled),
  •                                             Light Sensor (AL3006 – Present but Inactive/Disabled),
  •                                             Magnetic Field Sensor (AK8975 – Present but Inactive/Disabled),
  •                                             Orientation Sensor (AL3006 – Present but Inactive/Disabled)
  •                                             Proximity Sensor (AL3006 – Present but Inactive/Disabled)
• Camera                              0.3 MP
• Speakers                            Stereo Speakers
• Battery Capacity              3000 mAh
• USB Port                           Mini USB (On-the-Go)
• Wireless Connectivity    Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
• Connectivity                     Supports 2G and 3G USB Dongles (GSM and CDMA)
• Supported Dongles         (A Software Upgrade may be required by existing Users for support for all 10 Dongles. Originally the Tablet supported 6 Dongles)
  • BSNL 3G – LW272 – WCDMA
  • BSNL 3G – LW273 (White) – WCDMA
  • Tera 3G – T3G72A – WCDMA
  • BSNL 3G – ZTE – MF180 – WCDMA
  • Tata Photon+ – Huawei(EVDO) – Ec156 – CDMA
  • Airtel  Huawei – E1731 – WCDMA
  • Idea Huawei – E1732 – WCDMA
  • Reliance – ZTE – MF190 – WCDMA
  • Airtel Huawei – E173 BU-1 – WCDMA
  • Huawei – E1550 -WCDMA
• Audio Jack                        3.5mm
• Supported Video Formats   AVI(H.264, DIVX, XVID, rm, rmvb, MKV(H.264, DIVX, DIVX, XVID), WMV, MOV, MP4
• Supported Audio Formats  MP3,WMA,MP2,OGG,AAC,M4A,MA4,FLAC,APE,3GP,WAV
• Supported Document Formats  EPUB, MS-WORD, MS-EXCEL, MS-POWERPOINT, PDF, TXT
• Quality & Compliance    FCC Approval, CE and ROHS
• Warranty                           1 year
• Package Contents            Tablet, Pouch, Charger, USB Charging-cum-PC Connectivity Cable, Mini USB to USB Converter Cable (for Dongles/Pen Drives), User Guide, Product Literature

Important Note: The Product Specifications have been updated by us on the basis of 3 Nos. IS709c Tablets evaluated by us on 13 October 2012. The Product Specifications on the Pantel and Snapdeal websites are different. Please check the exact Product Specifications with your Retailer/Pantel before placing your Order..

Image Credit: http://snapdeal.com

You may also like to read:

• Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet Review
  
• MTNL and TERACOM launch Android 4.0 Tablets
• Helpful Tips on Buying Electronic Gadgets

Updated: 17 December 2012 10:06PM. Software Update.

Update: 29 November 2012. SOC Rockchip RK2906 (Basically a RK2918 SOC without HDMI Output)

Update: 7 November 2012. Download Link for Software Upgrade.

Updated: 6 November 2012. External Low Power 2.0 PC Speakers are supported.

Updated: 5 November 2012 6:54PM. More USB Data Cards/Dongles are now supported with the New Software Upgrade.

Updated: 3 November 2012 8:46PM. Highly Recommended – PANTEL-Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet and Software Update.

Updated: 29 October 2012 4:45 PM. Homeshop18, New Software Update, Benchmarking Software and Sepcifications: Facebook Application Works, Tata Photon EC156 Works. Vellamo Benchmarking Software. Active/Inactive Sensors.

Updated: 26 October 2012 1:45 PM. Specifications: Active/Inactive Sensors.

Updated: 18 October 2012 1:45 PM. Issue: External Power Speakers  (2.0/2.1) DO NOT WORK with the 709C Tablet.

Updated 17 October 8:17 PM. Issue: Google Chrome Browser, Friendcaster for Facebook Applications are not compatible with the 709c Tablet. USB Dongle Notification Issue. Pantel Software Update Coming Soon.

Updated 15 October 11:52 AM. Issue: Pre-installed Facebook Application does not work. Gives Log-in Error.

Updated 13 October 6:11 PM. Product Price Comparison and Product Specifications.

The post PANTEL launches Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet for just Rs. 3995/- appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

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:

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

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:

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

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 Bloatware, unnecessarily 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:

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

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:

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

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:

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

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.

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

(Click on the Image above for Enlarged View)

You may also like to read :

PANTEL launches Penta T-Pad IS709C Tablet for just Rs. 3995/- and

Helpful Tips on Buying Electronic Gadgets

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.

The post Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet Review appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

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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MTNL and TERACOM launch Android 4.0 Tablets

The post Lava XOLO Smartphone Review appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited), New Delhi in association with  Teracom Limited, Noida has launched Three models of 7” Android based Tablets in the brand name “Lofty”.

All the three Tablets run on the Android 4.0 – ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) platform and offer Wireless Connectivity using a Wi-Fi Router and select 3G USB Devices.

The Lofty – TZ100 is equipped with a class leading Cortex A9 – 1GHz Processor, a SIM Slot for making Voice/3G Data Calls and a Capacitive Touch Screen. It is priced at Rs.10,999/- (MRP).

The Lofty – TZ200 is equipped with a Cortex A8 – 1.2GHz Processor and a Capacitive Touch Screen. It is priced at Rs.6,499/- (MRP).

The Lofty – TZ300 is also equipped with a ‘Cortex A8 – 1.2GHz’ but has a ‘Resistive Touch Screen’. It is priced at Rs.3,999/- (MRP).

At this time, there is no information available on the Graphics Capability/ the GPUs used in any of the above mentioned Lofty Tablets.

MTNL is offering 10GB of Free Data Usage on its 3G Network during the first 2 months upon purchase of these Tablets. MTNL claims to have extensively tested these Tablets on its Network. These Tablets will be available in the MTNL Sanchar Haats, Teracom Stores and Dealers.

The Comparative Specifications of the Lofty Tablets and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are as under:

Note: A lower end specification is mentioned in Red color. A better specification is mentioned in Bold in Blue color. The best specification is mentioned in Bold in Green color.

Operating system

• Android 4.0 - ICS (Ice-Cream Sandwich) in all Models

(This version of Android is Current and Stable. It is recommended for use with Processors with clock speeds above 1 GHz.)

Display Size

• 7” in all Models

(This is a Popular Display Size in Tablets.)

Processor

• TZ100                    1 GHz Cortex A9 Processor
• TZ200                    1.2 GHz Cortex A8 Processor
• TZ100                    1.2 GHz Cortex A8 Processor

(The Faster the Processor, the Better it is, specially for applications which use more ‘Processor Resources’ and during ‘Multi-Tasking’. Implementations of Cortex A8 Processors are also used in popular Apple products. Processors (CPUs) inside most Tablets and Smartphones are built inside Multi-Function/Multi-Processor (CPU+GPU+VPU+DPU+CIS +TPC) Packages also known as ‘System-on-Chip or SOC. Before purchasing any Chinese re-branded or unbranded Android Tablet or Smartphone, you should verify the ‘Maximum Speed’ of its Processor using popular Benchmarking Software like Quadrant and AnTuTu, available free-of-cost at the Google Play Store.)

Important Consumer Alert: Importers like LAVA International Ltd. are misleading Consumers of Tablets by misrepresenting and wrongly advertising the Processor Speed of their E-Tab Z7H Tablet as 1.2GHz whereas it is actually just 1GHz. Lava has not only printed the wrong and misleading Processor Speed of its E-Tab Z7H Tablet on the Tablet’s Retail Box Packaging and its Downloadable User Manual, but is also wrongly advertising and selling it on the websites of online retailers like Flipkart, Ezoneonline, Snapdeal, Infibeam, etc.

Check-out the following wrong and misleading Processor Specifications and Advertisements/Offers of the LAVA E-Tab Z7H Tablet. All these Advertisements/Offers carry a wrong and misleading Processor Speed. The Actual Processor Speed of 1GHz of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet is also shown below. If you own a LAVA E-Tab Z7H, ask your Retailer for a Refund. A “Detailed Product Review” and “Video Review” of the Lava E-Tab Z7H Tablet is coming soon on this Site, stay tuned.

Click on Pictures above for an enlarged view.

(PANTEL uses a 1 GHz Cortex A8 Processor in the T-Pad IS-701C and is available for Rs.4999/-)

Screen and Touch Screen Type

• TZ100                    7”LCD Multi-Touch Capacitive Touch Screen
• TZ200                    7”LCD Multi-Touch Capacitive Touch Screen
• TZ300                    7”LCD Resistive Touch Screen

(A multi-touch Capacitive Touch Screen offers a better ‘Touch’ and ‘User Experience’ in comparison to a Resistive Touch Screen.)

Screen Resolution

• TZ100                    1024*600
• TZ200                    800*480
• TZ300                    800*480

(The Higher the Resolution the Better it is, with low resolution displays, tiny grains are visible in pictures. 800*480 is the resolution in most entry-level Tablets. Don’t expect the Display Quality of a Samsung Tab 2 or an iPad in any brand of low cost Tablets.)

Camera

• TZ100                    Front Camera: 0.3MP for Video Call. Rear Camera: 3MP
• TZ200                    Front Camera: 0.3MP for Video Call, Rear Camera: Not Available
• TZ300                    Front Camera: 0.3MP for Video Call, Rear Camera: Not Available

(Don’t expect a very good quality picture/video quality from a 0.3MP Camera in any Tablet. Your Mobile phone’s Camera would take better Pictures than most Tablets.)

Battery

• TZ100                    4200 mAh
• TZ200                    3000 mAh
• TZ300                    3000 mAh

(The Higher the capacity of the Battery in mAh or mili-ampere-hours, the more run time you will get from your Tablet. Batteries of 3000 mAh or up to 15% lower capacity are found in most entry-level Tablets.)

GSM/EDGE/WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA CONNECTIVITY AND SIM SLOT

• TZ100                    Yes. Also with Wi-Fi and 3G USB Dongle Support. SIM locked to MTNL Network.
• TZ200                    Not Provided. Wi-Fi and 3G USB Dongle Support
• TZ300                    Not Provided. Wi-Fi and 3G USB Dongle Support

(A SIM slot is not provided in Wi-Fi only Tablets. Being MTNL branded Tablets, SIMs of other Mobile Operators will not work with the TZ100 Tablet.)

WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY

• TZ100                    IEEE 802.11 b/ g/ n compliant
  
• TZ200                    IEEE 802.11 b/ g/ n compliant
• TZ300                    IEEE 802.11 b/ g/ n compliant

(Almost all Wireless Tablets are IEEE compliant today. However, some Tablets and other Devices may not be compatible to your existing Wireless Router.)

BLUETOOTH

• TZ100                    Yes. Version 2.1
• TZ200                    Not Provided
• TZ300                    Not Provided

(Bluetooth is not provided in entry level 7” Wi-Fi only Tablets.)

HDMI

• TZ100                    Yes
• TZ200                    Yes
• TZ300                    Not Provided

(Port Type Information Not Available)

(Useful for viewing High Definition Multimedia Content a TV equipped with a HDMI Port. Practical utility varies from user-to-user. Can be used only if your TV is equipped with an HDMI Port.)

SENSORS

• TZ100                    GPS, Digital Compass and 3-D Gravity Sensor
• TZ200                    3-D Gravity Sensor
• TZ300                    3-D Gravity Sensor

(GPS and Digital Compass are not provided in entry level 7” Wi-Fi only Tablets. Useful for Travelers and for Geo-tagging.)

USB Connectivity

• TZ100                    Yes. USB 2.0
• TZ200                    Yes. USB 2.0
• TZ300                    Yes. USB 2.0

(Port Type Information Not Available)

(Very Useful Interface for connecting 3G Dongles, Pen Drives, Mini Keyboards, Webcams, Card-readers, etc.)

[PANTEL offers a Full Size USB Port in T-Pad IS701C.]

Multimedia Support

• RM/RMVB, MPEG, MKV, AVI, FLV, VP8, file format up to 1080P in All Models

(The more is the type/number of File Formats supported by the Manufacturer, the better it is for Cross-Platform Multimedia Playback. Otherwise, you will have to download and install CODEC packs from the Google Play Store)

[PANTEL offers support for playback of more Multimedia File Formats in T-Pad IS701C.]

Memory

• RAM                                      512 MB in all Models
• Internal Memory                4 GB in all Models
• External Memory               Up to 32 GB using a Micro SD Card in all Models

(The more the RAM, Internal Memory and External Memory, the better it is. The above mentioned Memory Specifications are common in most entry-level Tablets in the price range of over Rs.5,000/-.)

Dimensions

• TZ100                                    190*120.5*10.8 mm
• TZ200                                    195.8*122.8*12.6 mm
• TZ300                                    192*121*12.37 mm
  

Are these Products Current?

• TZ100                                    Yes
• TZ200                                    Yes
• TZ300                                    The Resistive Touchscreen is a let down.

Do these Products offer Good Value?

• TZ100                                     Yes
• TZ200                                    No. The Price is on the Higher Side
• TZ300                                    No. The Resistive Touchscreen is a let down.

Pre-Sales, Technical and After-Sales Support?

Too early to comment.

Build Quality and Performance Review

Have not tested or reviewed these Tablets yet.

Price Prediction

To successfully compete with entry-level Tablets of other brands like PANTEL, MICROMAX, KARBONN, ZYNC, etc. the prices of TZ200 and TZ300 may come down soon.

Is this the right time to buy these Tablets?

Prices of entry level 7” Wi-Fi only Tablets are dropping every day due to growing demand and competition. Buy a 7” Capacitive Touch Screen based Branded Tablet in the price range of Rs.4,000/- to Rs.5,000/-. Don’t consider unbranded Chinese Tablets with Resistive Touch available in the market for Rs.2,000/- to Rs.3,500/-.

Before purchasing any budget 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 and Linpack for the same.

For more informartion on TERACOM-MTNL Tablets

Visit http://teracomstore.in

Featured Image: MTNL-TERACOM Tablet TZ100. Image Credit: Teracom website

Coming Soon, Detailed Reviews of :

LAVA ETAB Z7H Tablet, LG Optimus 4x HD Smartphone and LAVA XOLO Smartphone

You may also like: Helpful Tips on Buying Electronic Gadgets

The post MTNL and TERACOM launch Android 4.0 Tablets appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

There are times, when we regret an ‘Impulse Purchase, a ‘Purchase in a Hurry‘, a ‘Purchase due to Pressure by the Sales Person at the Retail Store’, ‘Shortage of Time’ or a ‘Limited Period Discount Offer at a Retail Store/ Online Shopping Website‘.

Here are a few Tips on buying Gadgets like Laptops, Mobiles, Tablets, Digital Cameras, Consumer Electronics, Large Home Appliances, etc.

I believe using the below mentioned Tips , you will be able to ‘buy the right product, get more value for your money, get better after sales service and shall not regret your purchase decision’.

• DO NOT BUY high value Consumer Electronics, Laptops, Mobiles, Tablets, Digital Cameras, Large Home Appliance, etc. ‘on Impulse’, ‘Under Pressure’ or ‘in a Hurry”.

• Select the right Manufacturer. For better after-sales-service/ technical support, prefer a manufacturer who has a manufacturing facility or a proper distribution and after-sales-service setup in India (more specifically in/ around the location of the usage of the product).

• Visit the website of the manufacturer of the desired Product and go through the

Features,
Pictures,
Videos,
Specifications,
Warranty,
Owner Reviews (if available),
Technical Support Section

of the desired Product.

• Check, if the desired product is listed in the ‘Discontinued Products’ on the Product Manufacturer’s website. The websites of HP, Intel and other leading companies have pages with a list of discontinued products. You can easily search for discontinued products by typing “discontinued products” (without the quotes) in the ‘Search Section’ of the Product Manufacturer’s website.

• Check for ‘New Products’ at similar prices that are ‘Coming Soon’ or already ‘Available’. New or other Products might be having more features or some features, which you might have missed out on.

• Check for ‘Promotional Offers/ Combo Offers’ for the desired product on the Product Manufacturer’s website.

• Check for ‘Extended Warranty Offer(s)’ for the desired product on the Product Manufacturer’s website. Currently most Laptop manufacturers are offering Free! Extended Warranty for a period of 1-2 years. A few LCD/LED TV manufacturers were also offering Free! Extended Warranty for 1-2 years.

• Go through the

Reviews,
Defects,
Known Issues and
Complaints

of the desired Product on Internet. An easy way to do this is to Google or search for the same, by typing the Brand and Model of the Product followed by the Keywords: “Defects, Complaints, Known Issues, Reviews and pressing Search” (without the quotes).

• Once you have selected the Product, check its lowest online price on a Price Comparison Website like junglee.com.

• Check-out the desired Product at its Manufacturer’s Brand Store or a Large Format Retail Store like Croma, Reliance Digital, Big Bazaar, Digiworld, Vijay Sales, Ezone, etc. Almost all Brand stores and Large Format Retail Stores have all the products on display, and you can see and try them before your purchase. Large Format Retail Stores now try to match or better the prices offered by leading Online Retailers. In Large Format Retail Stores In Delhi/NCR, for Laptops, Tablets, Digital Cameras and Mobiles, I have found Reliance Digital’s prices to be the ‘highest‘ (even after Discounts). The Attitude of the Sales Staff at Reliance Digital towards the Buyers is also ‘indifferent’. The Sales Staff at Croma is better trained and more responsive. Currently, for popular models of Mobiles and Tablets, Snapdeal.com and Homeshop18.com are offering the Lowest Prices.

• Check-out the Discount/ Cash-back/ Interest-Free EMI offers provided by your Credit/ Debit Card Provider on its website, at Large Format Retail Stores and on the websites of Online Retailers. Currently, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Citibank are offering attractive Cash-back and Interest-Free EMI Offers at select Large Format Retail Stores and select Online Retailers.

• Buy your desired Product from your Preferred Retailer or place your order at an Online Shopping Website, where you are most comfortable based on your prior purchase experience in terms of Pricing, Packaging, Delivery and After-Sales-Service.

• When buying from any Retail Store insist on a ‘Factory Sealed Unit‘. Do Not Accept a Repacked Unit. Online Retailers normally ship Sealed Units. Do Not Buy Used or Demonstration Units, as these are generally handled carelessly by Visitors, Staff and the Cleaning/ Housekeeping Staff of the Store. If you like a particular Used/ Demonstration Unit, the Retail Store would normally extend an Additional Discount on that Unit.

Happy Buying!

The post Helpful Tips on Buying Electronic Gadgets appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

‘HomeShop18’, India’s leading provider of on-air shopping services, is fast emerging as a leader in the online retail space in India.

A venture of the Network 18 group and GS Home Shopping, Korea (Third largest home shopping company in the World), ‘HomeShop18′  started its 24 hour home shopping shopping channel, ‘HomeShop18’ in 2008 and offered a few brands of Home Appliances, Kitchenware, Mobiles, Cameras, Sports Shoes, Apparel, etc. The company also ventured into the online retail space with its website homeshop18.com.

The original website had a limited number of products and was not the best on all fronts.

I have observed that since early 2012, the site has not only has increased the number of products in its existing product categories  but has also expanded into new and diverse categories like Books, Computers, Office and Stationery Products, Health and Beauty Products, etc. The appearance of the website has also become more attractive and user-friendly.

Helpful ‘Product Demonstrations’ shown on HomeShop18’s round-the-clock TV channel (which airs on DTH platforms, Cable Networks and select TV channels) also provide help to buyers visiting the site in ‘Product Selection’ and ‘Decision Making’.

With new players entering the online retail space every day, new Benchmarks are being set on Product Pricing, Product Quality, Packaging, Delivery and Customer Service. With every online purchase, Customers expect better value for their money and good quality service, which they rightfully deserve.

Homeshop18 is working hard to become the largest player in the online retail space in India by:

• providing ‘Lowest or Competitive Prices’ for most products sold on its website,
• providing ‘Brand, Product, Repeat Order and Festival/Season specific Discounts and Gift Vouchers’ on a regular basis,
• maintaining a ‘Large Catalogue’ of thousands of products across multiple product categories along with millions of titles of books,
• weeding out ‘Inferior Products’,
• adding ‘New Products’ on a regular basis,
• upgrading its website for a ‘Better Customer Experience’,
• providing its Customers ‘Prompt Updates’ of their Orders and Deliveries via SMS and emails,
• providing ‘Better Quality of Product Packaging’ for damage-free delivery,
• improving the ‘Customer Service’ on its 24*7 Call Centre and
• reducing the ‘Delivery Time’ with self-owned and managed warehousing across multiple locations.

In a nutshell, during 2012, homeshop18.com has appreciably improved its services across multiple fronts, is improving its services further and has become a ‘Recommendable Online Shopping Destination’ for select products.

Most Offers across multiple categories on homeshop18.com get better with the ‘Additional Discount/Gift Coupon Codes’ mentioned on the ‘Product Description Pages’.

To receive the Additional Discount,  upon Check-out, DO NOT FORGET to ‘Apply’ the ‘Discount/Gift Coupon Code’ mentioned on the Product Description Page, wherever applicable otherwise you will lose the Additional Discount.

In my opinion, offering a straight forward discount or automatic application of the discount, wherever eligible is a better idea, as the customer may forget to apply the ‘Discount/Gift Coupon Code’ mentioned on the Product Description Page.

I recommend purchase of the following Products from HomeShop18 :

• Books,
• Small Kitchen Appliances, Kitchenware, Cookware, Cutlery, Kitchen Storage Products, etc.
• Entry Level Point and Shoot Cameras
• Camera Accessories like Tripods, Camera Cases and Memory Cards
• Entry Level Mobiles, Select mid-range and high end Mobiles
• USB Flash/Pen Drives, External Hard Disks and PC Peripherals like Webcams, Speakers, Mouse, Keyboards, Printers, etc.
• Entry Level Tablets with ‘1 GHz or Higher Processor, Capacitive Touch, Android 2.3/ICS’ costing between Rs.5000/- to Rs.7,000/-.  (For multiple reasons, I am of the opinion that the entry level Tablets available on the market today, do not offer good Performance or a good Display and a long Battery. Most of these Tablets are not good value-for-money products. Good after-sales-service, specially post-warranty service and availability of spares for these Tablets should not be expected. Most of these Tablets would actually end-up as use and throw gadgets like the cheap unbranded Chinese ‘Touch and Dual SIM’ mobile phones available a few years ago.)
• Select Audio Accessories like Panasonic Headphones and Cables
• Select Health Care Products from Omron and Citizen
• Pens, Stationery and Office Supplies

HomeShop18 needs to further upgrade its site by adding more ‘Product Selection Filters’ and ‘Product Comparison Options’ for Consumer Electronics, Computers, Laptops, Mobiles, Cameras and Tablets. Multiple Product Filters and Comparison Tables of Product Features and Specifications help buyers in Product Selection and fast Decision Making. These tools would also lead to more sales for HomeShop18.

For hassle-free purchase of items like Apparel, the site should also offer Fit Guides/ Size Selection Guides and ‘Product Selection Filters’ on Colors, Size, Type, etc.

Few Customers write reviews of the products purchased from homeshop18.com. HomeShop18.com should encourage their customers to write ‘reviews’ about the products purchased and their overall ‘purchase experience’. This would not only help other Buyers but also homeshop18.com in improving its services.

Happy Shopping!

The post Homeshop18.com : A Quick Review appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

LG Electronics, a global giant in modern technology and mobile communications, has launched an innovative campaign by the name ‘Smartphone Idea Camp’. This campaign is a ‘consumers connect’ initiative which would be conducted online. During the campaign, LG would invite consumers to submit unique app, feature, concept, service, design, UI ideas that they desire in their phones. The best ideas would get incorporated in LG’s future smartphone line-up and also win prize value of Rs. 15, 00,000.

The 2 month long campaign, which kick-starts today encourages tech enthusiasts to share their innovative app feature concept, service, design, UI ideas on the Smartphone Idea Camp page.The contest would be open to all Indian residents, and the entries would be evaluated on the basis of imagination, creativity and utility.

 “We at LG firmly believe in constant innovation and this contest allows our consumers to showcase their creativity and talent. The Smartphone Idea Camp is an excellent way to gain inspiration from the imagination of the mobile phone users and tech enthusiasts. It helps us gain a better understanding of the demands and desires of our consumers and gives us a first-hand insight into their minds. For dynamic products like mobile phones, it is extremely important for us to be in direct contact with our consumers in order to understand what exactly they are looking for and, therefore, add value to their lives”, says Sanjay Maheshwary, Business Head, Mobile Communications, LG India.

Today, smartphones have come a long way from where they started out. The hi-tech smartphones allow consumers to multi-task with unbelievable ease. Quad core processors, cloud gaming and GPS enabled search engines are the latest rages in the mobile world. Near Field Communications is another technology that is all set to take the mobile market by storm by this year. The umpteen features and innumerable apps that come pre-loaded with the smartphones also help make consumers’ lives easier.

The consumers too have changed rapidly, with more people now opting for a smartphone than a basic feature phone. The smartphone market is growing at an incredible pace, and a large chunk of the consumers now use their smartphones to surf the net, book air tickets, play games and watch 3D videos. The changing perceptions and the rising consumer demands is a constant motivation for smartphone makers to innovate.

The advent of social media has completely shifted marketing trends and it is getting increasingly important for companies to have better connect with consumers through such platforms rather than simply spending millions on mass media. Consumer connect initiatives help companies reach out to a wider set of audience in an intimate way and keep pace with the fast changing demands and needs of the consumers.

Today, a brand is judged not only by the services offered by them but also by the initiatives taken by them to bond with their consumers. LG understands that as a company it cannot confine itself to its corporate space but must reach out to their consumers. Smartphone Idea Camp is one such initiative by LG to fashion a bond with their consumers, and take their help in developing something unique.

The post LG India launches Smartphone Idea Camp Contest appeared first on TalkAboutTech.

HP Inkjet Printers use Print Heads which are built inside the Color and Black Cartridges of the Printer. Upon replacement of an Ink Cartridge, its Print Head changes automatically. However, the replacement of ink cartridges in an HP Printer is generally an expensive affair. The cost of replacement of Original HP cartridges can exceed the cost of a new Inkjet Printer itself.

In contrast, Epson and Canon Inkjet Printers use Print Heads which are fixed inside the Printers. The Ink Cartridge of an Epson/ Canon Inkjet Printer does not have a Print Head inside it. Since the Print Head is fixed inside the Printer itself, its removal and cleaning is not possible by end-users.

For trouble-free printing from Epson Color Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones, I suggest the following:

• To prevent clogging/ blockage of Print Head Nozzles on EPSON Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones, always confirm that when the Printer/All-in-One is not-in-use or is powered ‘Off’ its Print  Head Unit (the black box which holds the Color & Black Cartridges) is in its ‘Home Position’ on the extreme right side of the unit. In the Home Position the Nozzles are capped and prevent drying of Ink in and around the Nozzles. This is similar to a Fountain Pen’s Nib being covered with the Pen’s Cap.

• To prevent clogging/ blockage of the Print Head on EPSON Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones, take Prints regularly; at least twice a Week. Printing regularly helps in the free flow of Ink and does not let the Inks dry/ thicken within the Print Head and on the Nozzles. This is specially important for Users of Compatible Ink Cartridges.

• Users of Epson Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones can SAVE on day-to-day TEXT Printing Costs by using Compatible Ink Cartridges, instead of Originals/Refills. Compatible Ink Cartridges are easily available for most models of Epson Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones. Available at ~15% of the cost of Original Ink Cartridges, the Compatible Ink Cartridges offer TEXT Prints in equivalent Quality & Quantity. The Compatible Ink Cartridges are not recommended for printing High Quality Photographs, as the Print Quality will be Inferior, Photos will Fade Sooner & shall have a lesser Storage Life.

• If you need to take prints at brief intervals in a day, Do Not Power On/Off the Printer repeatedly. Each time the Power is turned “On”, the Printer performs a mini Head Cleaning cycle, thereby consuming a droplet of Ink of every Color. If you Power “On” your Printer many times a day, you are unnecessarily wasting Ink. Epson Printers consume a very small amount of Power in Standby Mode. To conserve Ink it is advisable to leave the Printer in standby use, if you plan to print at brief intervals in a day.

• For trouble-free replacement of Ink Cartridges, always replace Ink Cartridges one-by-one and not together. For even distribution of Ink inside the Cartridge, shake the Cartridge being replaced in its shrink wrapped packaging (before opening the packaging). Remove the “Plastic Tab” on the back of Ink Cartridge. Check the Color of Ink being replaced i.e. Black, Magenta, Cyan or Blue. Tear only the removable part of the Sticker on the Top of the Ink Cartridge. Do Not Remove the Top Sticker completely as it will damage the Ink Cartridge. Th Sticker on the Top of the Ink Cartridge covers the air-flow channels of the Ink Cartridge and helps in even flow of air inside the cartridge. However, if you will not tear the removable part of the Top Sticker of the Ink Cartridge, the Ink Cartridge will not print properly. Do Not Remove the Sticker on the bottom of the Ink Cartridge, otherwise Ink will spill. The sticker on the bottom of the Ink Cartridge will get punctured by the Nozzle upon insertion of the Ink Cartridge.

• For a Printer not connected to the Printer, always replace Ink Cartridges using the Instructions in the Set-Up Guide of the Printer. For a Printer connected to your Computer, follow the step-by-step animated Ink Cartridge Replacement Procedure in the Maintenance Tab of the Printer’s Properties. Ignore the Cartridge Compatibility Warning, when using Compatible Ink Cartridges. The Ink Cartridge  ‘Charges’ the Ink into the Printer before it is ready-to-use. Charging of Ink involves filling of Ink inside the small Ink Tank of the Printer and a brief Head Cleaning Cycle.

Maintenance Tab of Printing Preferences

• The Ink Charging Process takes 2-3 minutes for every cartridge replaced. The Printer first moves the Ink Cartridge to its Home Position and then charges the Ink from the new Cartridge. When the charging of Ink is happening you will hear a whirring sound. The Indicator flashes on the Printer. When charging is complete, the Indicator stops flashing.

Happy Printing!

The post Tips for Trouble-free Printing with EPSON Color Printers and All-in-Ones appeared first on TalkAboutTech.