tech2touch

Category: Smartphones

  • Nokia 6 Cons-5 Reasons not to buy

    Nokia 6 is the first Android smartphone launched in India by HMD Global. Good 5.5 inch full HD display screen, promised timely Android updates and more importantly Nokia branding is the key strength of this smartphone.  Though it is one of the best feature-rich smartphone, it lacks in some areas. So here is the list of Nokia 6 Cons according to us.

    Nokia 6 Cons

    Nokia 6 Cons-5 Reasons not to buy

    Average performance: Indian variant of Nokia 6 is powered by Snapdragon 430 SoC with 3GB of RAM. This SoC is announced way back in September 2015. Some of the popular smartphones powered by this SoC are Redmi 3s, Redmi 3s Prime, Lenovo K6, Moto G5, Zenfone 3 Max, Zenfone 3 Laser to name few. As you might have already noticed, most of them are launched in 2016. The successor to this SoC, Snapdragon 435 powered by smartphones such as Redmi 4, LG Q6 etc are available in the market now.

    Snapdragon 430 SoC with full HD display screen, struggles a bit in performance. We have faced UI lags many times. Gaming performance on the high-end game also not impressive. Graphics-intensive games are slow and we felt regular frame drops while playing.

    No LED notification: The variant of Nokia 6 which was initially launched in China had LED notification light. The Indian variant does not features LED notification. As it does not have always on screen, it is mandatory to wake the phone to check the notifications.

    No OIS or EIS: Nokia 6 has some impressive camera hardware and intuitive camera app. However, it lacks optical image stabilization. It also misses on the electronic stabilization. Hence, while taking photos in low light, the hand should be sturdy. Otherwise, pictures will come out shaky. Even in video recording, lack of stabilization will be felt.

    Lacks fast charging support: Nokia 6 does not support fast charging. In our review period, it took close to 3 hours for full charge from zero.

    Price: Nokia 6 price in India is Rs.14,999. At this price, there are many smartphones which offer much better performance. Smartphones like  Redmi Note 4, Mi A1, Moto G5 Plus etc are available at around same price and packs better internals.

    These are the main Nokia 6 Cons according to us based on our experience with the device. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

  • Honor 9i FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    Honor 9i is a higher midrange Android smartphone which is more focused towards the camera enthusiasts. The biggest USP of the device is 2 dual camera setup. One in the front for selfies and another one in the back. Full View display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and full HD plus resolution is the another worthy feature.  Here is the quick info in the form of Honor 9i FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons.

    Honor 9i cons

    Honor 9i FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    What is the price of Honor 9i in India? Where to buy?

    This is a Flipkart exclusive smartphone. The device will available starting 14th of October. The price of Honor 9i in India is Rs.17,999.

    What type of sim cards does it support? Does it has dedicated microSD card slot?

    It has hybrid sim card slot. You can either use dual nano sim cards or 1 nano sim with a microSD card. No dedicated microSD card slot.

    What are the key specifications of Honor 9i?

    The specification summary of the device is as follows.

    • Kirin 659 SoC with 4GB of RAM.
    • 5.9-inch full view full HD Plus IPS display screen.
    • 64GB of internal storage and optional microSD card support(with the compromise on 2nd sim card).
    • 16MP+2MP primary dual camera.
    • 13MP+2MP secondary dual camera.
    • 3340 mAh battery.

    What are the cons of Honor 9i?

    It is not a complete list of demerits of Honor 9i. In the detailed review on Honor 9i, we will cover all the pros and cons. Here is the list of Honor 9i cons based on our first impression.

    • No USB-C port.
    • No 4K video recording option.
    • Lacks fast charging.
    • No dedicated microSD card slot.

    How to take a screenshot on Honor 9i?

    To take a screenshot, there are many options available. The simplest method is using the screenshot button which you can access from the quick access menu. If you are interested in all the method of capturing screenshot on Honor 9i, please refer to our post How to take a screenshot on Honor 8.  The Same method works here as well.

  • 5 Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017

    Samsung Galaxy S7 has launched almost a year and a half ago. The successor to this smartphone, Galaxy S8 is already available in the market. In the high-end price segment, there are many other smartphones available from various manufacturers. So is buying Galaxy S7 in 2017 worth?. It is a kind of subjective to user requirement. So we thought of listing main 5 Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017 according to us. We have considered the price of Galaxy S7 as Rs.30,000(In Flipkart sale, the price was Rs.29,999).

    Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017

    5 Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017

    1. One of the best Camera smartphone:

    Galaxy S8 camera performance is slightly better. However, Galaxy S7 camera performance still one of the best in the price segment. It is an all-round performer.  It provides fast autofocus, optical image stabilization, good low light photography etc. Comparing the price difference between Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 has the edge.

    2. Gorgeous Display screen:

    Galaxy S7 sports 5.1 inch Super AMOLED display panel with QHD (1440 x 2560)  resolution and 577 PPI pixel density. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection.  Overall it is one of the best displays available in a smartphone even on today.

    3. Water and Dust Resistant

    There are very few phones which are dust and water resistant with IP68 certification. Even today, in the price range of 35k it is very difficult to find a smartphone with IP68 rating.

    4. Good performance:

    In India, Samsung Galaxy S7 is powered by Exynos 8890 SoC with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. In some markets, it is available with Snapdragon 820 SoC. Though it is not as fast as current Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 835, it still gives a good overall performance.

    5. Dual sim/microSD card support

    Once again, there are very few flagship smartphones which support dual sim. Galaxy S7 has a hybrid sim card slot. This means that you can either use 2 sim cards or 1 sim card with a microSD card.

    Apart from these 5 Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2017, there are many other features which make this smartphone stand apart from rest.  Samsung Pay, Widespread service centers to name few. Never mind offer and a steep discount like we saw on Flipkart big billion day sale, makes this smartphone one of the best option.

  • Mi A1 FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    Starting September 12th, 2017, Mi A1 will be available to the consumer via Flipkart and offline stores. This is the first smartphone from Xiaomi to run on the stock Android. The key attractions of the device are Android One platform and dual camera setup. So planning to buy one for yourself? Here is the quick Mi A1 FAQ, Tips and Tricks, and Cons.

    Mi A1 FAQ

    Mi A1 FAQ Tips and Tricks Cons

    What is the Advantage of Mi A1 running on Android One Platform?

    The main advantage is timely updates. The software updates are handled by Google. Hence there will be a timely security patch updates and future Android updates. Also as it runs on near stock Android, the burden of heavy skin will not be there. So in theory, the device will perform faster.

    What are the key pros or advantages of Mi A1?

    Here is the list of Mi A1 Pros

    • Promised timely Android updates for the next two years.
    • Good performance.
    • Decent battery life.
    • Dual camera setup.
    • Has all the basic sensors.
    • Excellent sound output via the headphone jack.

    What are the cons of Mi A1?

    No phone is perfect. Mi A1 is no exception to it.  We felt below-mentioned departments of this device could have been better.

    • Low light photography is average.
    • No optical(OIS) or electronic(EIS) image stabilisation for video recording.
    • Hybrid sim card slot. 2 sim cards and microSD card cannot be used together.

    What type of sim cards Mi A1 supports?

    The device accepts 2 nano sim cards.

    How to take the screenshot on Mi A1?

    To take the screenshot, you need to press and hold volume down and power keys simultaneously. Alternatively, you can take help with Google Assistant to take the screenshot.

    How to set custom ringtone in Mi A1?

    To set the custom ringtone or MP3 on Mi A1, place the desired ringtone or MP3 in the ringtone folder in the internal storage. Then select the tone from the settings ringtone option.

    What are the different variants of Mi A1 available in India? What about price?

    It is available in one variant. The price of Mi A1 in India is Rs.14,999.

  • Vivo V7 Plus Cons- Top 5 unexciting features

    Chinese smartphone maker Vivo launched the V7+  in India on 7th September. It is a selfie centric smartphone with a massive 24MP front facing camera.   The front facing camera is also assisted with Vivo’s moonlight camera technology which the company claims to help achieve better selfies in low light.  Though this smartphone target audience is selfie loving consumers, for the price of Rs.21,990 we are not happy with some of its offering. So here are some of the Vivo V7 Plus Cons according to us.

    Vivo V7 Plus Cons

    Vivo V7 Plus Cons- Top 5 unexciting features

    These Vivo V7+ Cons are purely based on the specification sheet.

    Entry level processor on a higher mid-range smartphone

    Vivo V7+ is the first phone to launch with Snapdragon 450 in India. It is a good SoC but when comparing with Snapdragon 625, it is slightly under powered. When there are plenty of smartphones available with Snapdragon 625 for a lesser price, it is disappointing to see this SoC on a phone which is priced at Rs.21,990.

    720P HD display screen

    Apart from the selfie camera, a much-talked feature of Vivo V7 Plus is its bezel less display. Though it is not 100% bezel less display, narrow bezels in the top and bottom is a good move.  However, one thing which we are disappointed with the display is its screen resolution. It has a large 5.99-inch display screen with 1440 x 720 pixels resolution and approximate 269 ppi pixel density. Nowadays there are smartphones which are priced less than 10k and features full HD screen. For the price and for such a large display size, we expected at least full HD display panel.

    No USB-C port and No Fast charging

    Vivo V7+ comes with micro USB port for charging and data transfer. USB-C is the latest standard.  This device comes with a normal charger out of the box. We would have liked if it had a fast charger.

    No Dual camera setup

    Being a camera centric phone, we would have liked if it had a dual camera setup. The smartphones such as Moto G5s Plus, Mi A1 etc offer this at the much more attractive price range.

    Value for money

    Apart from selfie camera, when we compare other features and price, we felt it is slightly over priced.

    These are some of the Vivo V7 Plus Cons or the features which we didn’t  like on the smartphone based on the spec sheet. We might be wrong. That we can conclude once we do the in-depth review of the device. What is your thought on the device? Do share in the comment section below.