This week (31 March - 6 April), the mobile industry witnessed a handful of tier-1 brands like Nokia, Samsung, Gionee and Motorola launching smartphones for both global markets and some select regions.
First up, Gionee, one of the top Chinese smartphone makers, launched the company's flagship phone Elife S5.5 in India on 31 March.
Touted as the slimmest smartphone in the world, Elife S5.5 measures just 5.5 mm thickness, and despite boasting a metallic chassis, it weighs a meager 130g.
Key features of Gionee Elife S5.5:
- 5.0-inch energy-efficient super AMOLED screen with full HD (1920x1080p) resolutions having pixel density of 441 ppi (pixels per inch)
- 1.7GHz MediaTek True Octa-core CPU with 2GB RAM
- 13.0-megapixel camera with LED flash, auto-focus and a 5.0-megapixel wide-angle (95-degree) camera on the front
- 2300 mAh battery
[For more information on Gionee Elife S5.5 specifications, click here]
Nokia Lumia 930, Lumia 635, Lumia 630:
Finnish handset maker Nokia unveiled three smartphones - one high-end Lumia 930 and two budget devices Lumia 635 and Lumia 630 - at the recently concluded Microsoft BUILD 2014 Developers Conference in San Francisco (2-4 April).
Key features of Lumia 930:
- Boasts aluminum chassis giving premium outlook and features 5.0-inch full HD (1920x1080p) display with pixel density of 441 ppi
- Runs on the latest Windows Phone v8.1 OS which boasts of voice-assistant, Cortana (a persona inspired from multi-role playing game, Halo), which Microsoft claims has an intelligent of its own, capable of learning owner's behavior over time and store information (with permission) to use it to make recommendations and suggestions tailored specifically for the user
- 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series quad-core CPU with 2GB RAM
- 20.0-megapixel PureView camera with 2X zoom, Zeiss optics, ½.5-inch sensor, dual-LED flash, 26 mm camera focal-length and a 1.2-megapixel front camera with f/2.4 aperture
- 2450 mAh non-removable battery (up to 18 days under standby mode)
Key Features of Lumia 635 and Lumia 630:
- Boasts time-tested hard polycarbonate body and features 4.5-inch FWVGA (854x480p) ClearBlack LCD screen with pixel density of 221 ppi (protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 shield)
- 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 series quad-core CPU with 512MB RAM
- 5.0-megapixel camera with 4X zoom, ¼-inch sensor, f/2.4 aperture (only downside, no front camera)
- Phones can run up to 25-27 days under standby mode
[Note: Only difference between Lumia 635 and 630 is that the former supports 4G-LTE network]
[For more information on Lumia 930, Lumia 635 and 630, click here]
Motorola Moto G Forte:
Buoyed by the huge success of Moto G across the world, Motorola on 3 April launched a new variant, Moto G Forte, with rugged shell providing additional grip and impact-absorbing capability. But it does not house any other enhanced features. It packs pretty much the same specifications seen inside the original Moto G.
Key features of Moto G Forte:
- Ships with rugged 'Grip Shell' made of rubber frame for the user's hand have better grasp over the phone and also absorb impact during accidental dropping.
- 4.5-inch HD (720x1280p) LCD display with pixel density of 329 ppi
- 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM
- 2,070 mAh battery (24 hours under mixed usage)
- Special water-repellant nano-coating inside and outside which enables user to make/answer calls in rain. (Users are advised not to take the phone for a dip in the swimming pool).
[For more information on Moto G Forte specifications, click here]
Samsung Ativ SE:
After months of rumors, Samsung finally unveiled the new Windows Phone OS powered flagship smartphone Ativ SE in USA on 4 April.
The only downside is that the new phone does not ship with the newly introduced Windows Phone v8.1 OS, featuring voice-assistant Cortana, which Microsoft claims is an application that is as close to having a personal assistant, thanks to artificial intelligence software which can improve over time by itself.
[On the bright side, the Microsoft has promised to release new 'Lumia Cyan' update with all the new features in a few weeks time]
Key features of Samsung Ativ SE:
- 5.0-inch full HD (1920x1080p) resolution display
- 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series quad-core CPU with 2GB RAM
- 13.0-megapixel camera 13.0-megapixel camera with LED flash, auto-focus and a 2.0-megapixel camera with full HD video-recording ability
- 2600 mAh battery (20 days under standby mode)
- Ativ Beam app, NFC, WatchON app (InfraRed blaster to control smart TV) dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other value added features
[For more information on Samsung Ativ SE specifications, click here]
