A Review Of Your Top Five Android Handset Choices For Dusserah/Diwali!

With the market now being flooded with a number of Android phones, you may find it a bit difficult to decide on the one you should ultimately go for.

We seek to reduce your problem by presenting you the names of arguably the best five handsets in terms of features, specifications and utility. However, instead of just making a blunt narration of the features, utilities, etc, we also share with you some user feedback, which will help you to take the final decision about which handset is the most appropriate for you.

HTC Salsa

• Dimensions: 109.1 x 58.9 x 12.3 mm
• Weight:120 g
• A 3.4 inches TFT capacitive touchscreen, boasting 16M colours and a pixel resolution of 320 x 480
• Operating system: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
• 800 MHz processor
• An internal memory of 512 MB ROM and 512 MB RAM
• An external memory expandable up to 32GB through microSD card
• microUSB v2.0
• Adreno 205 GPU
• Qualcomm MSM 7227 chipset
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• microUSB v2.0
• Integrated Facebook features with a dedicated button
• A 5 MP primary camera, equipped with autofocus and LED flash, boasting a pixel resolution of 2592 x 1944
• A secondary VGA camera
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• A 3.5 mm audio jack
• A Li-Ion 1520 mAh standard battery
• Stand by time: Up to 445 hrs in 2G, and up to 530 hrs in 3G
• Talk time: Up to 9 hrs in 2G, and up to 7 hrs 50 mins in 3G
• Price- Approximately INR 14,449/-.

The dedicated Facebook button is undoubtedly a strong attraction of the handset, given the fact that the social networking site is getting so increasingly popular with both the youths as well as the middle aged Indians. In fact Facebook has now become a key tool or medium to keep touch with one another, often facilitating crucial communication or exchange of data rather than just casual or friendly chat. Therefore having Facebook features integrated in your handset, with a dedicated button for the same, will certainly be a key attraction for Indian users.

However, there are perceptions that the price of the handset is a bit higher for its features, especially if the Facebook features are not counted among the core features of the handset.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

• Dimensions: 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm
• Weight: 117 g
• A 4.2 inches LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, boasting 16M colours and a pixel resolution of 480 x 854
• An internal memory of 320 MB
• 512 MB RAM
• An external memory expandable up to 32GB through microSD card
• Operating system: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
• 1GHz Scorpion processor
• Adreno 205 GPU
• Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon
• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• DLNA
• v2.0 microUSB
• An 8 MP primary camera, equipped with autofocus and LED flash, boasting a pixel resolution of 3264×2448
• Li-Po 1500 mAh standard battery
• Stand by time – Up to 430 hrs in 2G, and up to 400 hrs in 3G
• Talk time – Up to 7 hrs in 2G, and up to 7 hrs in 3G
• Price – Approximately INR 26,650/-.

Some users feel it is the fastest smart phone powered by single core processor. A special attraction of Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc lies in its soothing design, which reflects the taste of the user. For example, the exterior of the phone is constructed mainly out of glossy metal-flake-textured plastic. Apart from the powerful features, this ‘aesthetic’ touch also significantly adds to the market appeal of the handset. If you perceive your handset as your status symbol, then Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is probably a good choice for you.

Its screen has touched many users’ heart because of its crystal clear display. Users are also satisfied with its camera, with some users feeling that the handset camera is one of the best among cameras found in all handsets.

However, some users feel that while the DLNA server option offers a quality wireless streaming of content to mirror screen display on an HD TV, it is odd that it can not act the other way round. And therefore the user is not able to access any music/video from his home server, and then play it on his phone or TV.

Besides, some users have complained about inconveniences while changing the volume levels. There are also complaints about changing the message tone for in-coming messages.

There are negative views about its battery life, as well.

Samsung Google Nexus S

• Dimensions: 123.9 x 63 x 10.9 mm
• Weight: 129 g
• A 4 inches super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, boasting 16M colours and 480 x 800 pixel resoltuion
• Operating System: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
• 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor
• v2.0 microUSB
• Bluetooth: v2.1 with A2DP
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• WIMAX
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• DLNA
• A 5MP primary camera, equipped with autofocus and LED flash, boasting a pixel resolution of 2560 x 1920
• A VGA secondary camera
• An internal memory of 16GB
• 512 MB RAM
• A 3.5 mm jack
• Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery
• Stand by time: Up to 713 hrs in 2G, and 428 hrs in 3G
• Talk time: Up to 14 hrs in 2G, and up to 6 hrs 40 mins in 3G
• Price – Approximately INR 26,093/-.

While its features are quite impressive, a complaint against it is that its Google Voice integration is limited, which allows the user to just use his existing cell number as his Google Voice number. And, while the Google Voice comes preloaded, that preloaded version does not offer any extra function or feature than the application that can be downloaded from the Android Market by any Android user. The lack of expandable memory may also be counted as a weak point for the handset.

LG Optimus Black

• Weight: 109gm
• A 4 inches Bright Nova Capacitive, Multi-Touch Display
• Android 2.2 Froyo with Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade capability
• Bluetooth v3.0
• Wireless 802.11n Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi Direct
• A 5MP camera
• A 2MP front-facing camera
• An internal memory of 32GB
• 512MB ROM/512MB RAM
• 1500 mAh Li-Ion Battery
• Price – Approximately INR 19,990/-.

It has been appreciated for its battery life, while its display has also left users impressed. On the flip side, the absence of Gingerbread has left some users disappointed. Some users are not happy with the lack of the driver to use LG PC Suite, and have suggested the downloading of LGUnitedMobileDriver. One thing that may leave you a bit worried is that there are also complaints of the screen getting blank.

HTC Wildfire S

• Dimensions: 101.3 x 59.4 x 12.4 mm
• Weight: 105 g
• A 3.2 inches TFT capacitive touchscreen, boasting 256K colours and 320 x 480 pixel resolution
• Operating system: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
• 600MHz Snapdragon MSM7227 CPU
• Adreno 200 GPU
• Internal memory: 512 MB ROM, 512 MB RAM (418 MB user-available)
• An external memory expandable up to 32GB through microSD card
• microUSB v2.0
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, EDR
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• A 5 MP primary camera, equipped with autofocus and LED flash, boasting a pixel resolution of 2592 x 1944
• Video boasting VGA at the rate of 24fps
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• A 3.5 mm audio jack
• A standard battery of Li-Ion 1230 mAh
• Stand by time: Up to 360 hrs in 2G, and up to 570 hrs in 3G
• Talk time: Up to 7 hrs.10 minis in 2G, and up to 5 hrs 50 mins in 3G
• Price – Approximately INR 12,999/-.

You will like the elegant design sported by the handset. Users also feel that the handset is notably easier to grip in comparison to other handsets. You may find it a bit small for watching a video, and may also feel uncomfortable while typing.

So now hopefully you have some clear idea about the pros and cons of the handsets. You can now just analyze the same, and decide which handset is the one that you feel you will be most comfortable with.