Continuing the theme of 'Made in India' through smartphones and hardware
Indian phones and tablets take on global names with a canny mix of top specs and friendly price tags. We try out two of this month's good buys:
Karbonn Titanium Mach Two: Features over frills
If your smartphone buying decisions are solely based on hardware and software quality, with no marks for frills or fancy design, the Karbonn Titanium Mach Two could be your choice. Karbonn has given more thought to usability than aesthetics.
The Mach Two is light and sleek at 112 grams and 6.3mm thick. Pictures are sharp and clear on the 5-inch HD screen with 720x1280 pixels resolution and IPS display. There are a few gesture-enabled operations such as the Smart Eye option, which pauses video when you are looking away. The Swipe & Shake feature for the music player changes the music track with the swipe of your hand. You can also customize the lock screen to notify important updates.
Unusually, both front and rear cameras are equally good, at 8MP and they have image-enhancing features such as beauty mode, smile and face detection. An octa-core processor with an Android 4.4, KitKat OS, with 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM are fairly standard, on much pricier phones. At an MRP of Rs 10,490 (around Rs 9500 online) the Titanium MachTwo is a bargain.
Zebronics Zebpad 7t500 3G
Chennai-based Zebronics has been around for nearly 20 years offering PC enclosures, keyboards, loudspeakers and other accessories. Last month they ventured into tablets and in keeping with their business ways, the Zebpad 7t500-3G picks the sweet spot in tablet sizes, 7-inch and throws in everything on the average buyer's wish-list, at an aggressive price.
Dual cameras - 2 MP and 5 MP - dual 3G SIM slots for calling and surfing;1 GB RAM and 8 GB storage expandable to 32GB; Bluetooth and on-the-go USB slot; a decent enough1024 by 600 touch screen; FM radio, Android Kit Kat OS and WiFi, the Zebpad , unlike many pricier tabs we have tried, has speakers that let you listen to music or watch movies without needing headphones.
Some thought has gone into the default apps - Gaana, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, anticipating aam janatha needs, instead of loading the memory with a lot of over-hyped sites. Admittedly this device is not manufactured in India, but it seems made to an Indian design. The MRP is Rs 7,490, but the best buy online is around Rs 6000. If one aspired for a full featured dual-SIM, dual-camera calling tablet, but was challenged by the typical asking price, the Zebpad will seem like a steal.
Classy bike noise!
You still drive a good old Yezdi bike,only because you can't afford a Harley, a Triumph, a Ducati or a KTM. Robert Bosch Engineering in Bangalore will soon help you get half way to your aspiration. A bulbous attachment to the exhaust pipe will allow you to emulate the characteristic noise made by any of these cool bikes, at the touch of a switch.
You can also invoke active sound enhancement to make your exhaust sound sportier. If you can't look it sound like it!
