Friday, November 22, 2013

Google Nexus 5 in Black vs White

The Nexus 5 launch in India is probably one of the quickest launches for any Google device here. With quick launches come quick and tough purchase decisions, and one of the major questions that arise if you are looking to get a Nexus 5 is, which colour? Should one go for the Nexus 5 in white or the Nexus 5 in black? Are there really any other differences between the two apart from the colour? We find out exactly that in a quick video comparing the two Nexus 5 variants, immediately after getting the black version, 
But the Black variant has its own problems too. As you can clearly see from the image above, the back attracts fingerprints and palm-grease more than any recent phone we can remember. It’s super nice to touch and grippy but it does have the caveat of getting glossier over prolonged use of the phone. Constant wiping is deemed necessary to make the phone not look old and used up.
But there is also another important change that comes with the colour. The sides on the white variant are made of glossy black plastic while the black version is the same soft touch one. This is a massive difference of feel between the two, and makes the black one so much more premium. The glossy sides of the White Nexus 5 attracts fingerprints and grease more than the soft touch black back, so much that it’s almost impossible to wipe it off. We also noticed a few dents on the sides of our unit, which made the device looks really cheap. So, when it comes to the sides, the black one has the upper hand and makes the device feel more premium.
The last difference between the white Nexus 5 and the Black is the dotted ear piece on the front. The White Nexus 5 has it in white, and the black one has it in black and that’s about it. But in terms of looks, it makes a decent difference. The black one looks “stealth” while the white one looks flashy. It will end up in a personal preference debate, but if you ask us, we prefer the black one.
So, in the end, which one should you get? The White Nexus 5 or the black one? Lets quickly summarize them in terms of advantages of each one over the other -



Advantages of black Nexus 5 over the white -

  1. Better grip
  2. Better finish on the sides
  3. Stealthier look on the front
  4. Overall higher build quality

Advantages of white Nexus 5 over the black -

  1. Doesn’t gather finger prints or grease on its back
  2. Two Tone colour setup
  3. White dotted ear piece on the front

Disadvantages of the Black Nexus 5 -

  1. Attracts grease and finger prints on the back, might become glossy over the period of time
  2. Looks normal

Disadvantages of White Nexus 5 -

  1. Smooth finish back is less grippy, sometimes slippery
  2. Has potential to show off dirt and scratches
  3. Glossy sides attract too much of grease and finger prints
  4. Feels cheaper in terms of build quality than the black one

So, there you go, folks! The differences are right there, choose wisely.

Nexus 7 Shipping Started India

After a very long wait, Google has finally started selling the 2013 edition Nexus 7 tablets in India. The tablets have been priced rather competitively and start at just Rs. 20,999 for the 16GB variant. The 32GB WiFi only model will be available for Rs. 23,999 while stepping up to the LTE variant will bump up costs to Rs. 27,999. Shipping estimates suggest that the tablet would leave the warehouse by 26th November and we’re expecting supplies to be a bit limited initially. 
We’ve broken down the pricing structure in an easy to glance format:

  • 16GB WiFi only Nexus 7 – Rs. 20,999
  • 32GB WiFi only Nexus 7 – Rs. 23,999
  • 32GB WiFi + LTE Nexus 7 – Rs. 27,999
Google’s Nexus 7 tablet runs a stock build of Android and brings with it the promise of guaranteed updates for at least 18 months. The Nexus 7 has an absolutely stunning 7 inch Full HD display and powering it is a 1.5Ghz APQ8064 Snapdragon processor paired with 2GB of RAM. Given the size and aspect ratio of the tablet, it is particularly well suited for multimedia consumption on the go. In our Nexus 7 review, we found battery life to be less than stellar owing to the smaller pack 3,950 mAh battery pack used. The tablet includes all standard connectivity options as well as Qi wireless charging. Lacking a microSD card slot, you’ll be limited to the built in storage.

HTC One Max-A Massive Phablet

HTC has launched the One Max, the company’s latest flagship smartphone in India. It was announcedlast month and packs a 5.9 inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display, powered by a 1.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor and runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with the new HTC Sense 5.5 UI that brings updated HTC BlinkFeed that bring customisable topic categories, Instagram and Google+ integration. It also has a built-in Fingerprint Scanner on the back of the smartphone that lets you lock or unlock the phone. It also lets you launch up to three applications by assigning an individual finger to each.http://images.fonearena.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/HTC-One-Max-7.jpg
It has an UltraPixel camera on the back with LED Flash and a 2.1MP HD front-facing camera with 88 wide angle lens similar to the HTC One. It has a Metal Unibody Design, Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers, dual microphones and has Infrared remote control with HTC Sense TV app program guide.http://images.fonearena.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/HTC-One-Max-1-2.jpg
HTC One Max Specifications
  • 5.9-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display at 373 ppi
  • 1.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor
  • Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with Sense 5.5 UI
  • Single micro SIM
  • HTC Zoe, HTC BoomSound
  • UltraPixel rear camera with LED Flash, BSI Sensor,F2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens
  • Full HD (1080p) video recording with HDR Video
  • 10.29 mm thick and weighs 217 grams
  • 2.1 MP HD front-facing camera
  • Infrared remote control
  • 3.5 mm headset jack
  • 2 GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expansion card slot (microSD up to 64GB)
  • 3G HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps, WiFi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX codec, DNLA, MHL, GPS with GLONASS, NFC
  • 3300 mAh battery
The HTC One Max is priced at an MRP of Rs. 61,490, while the MOP (Best Buy) price would be Rs. 56,490. Check out the One Max Unboxing and the Benchmarks.