Lenovo Tab A7-50 3G Review: More Tablet Than Phone

There definitely is a market for tablets which can be used as phones. They might not fit in a pocket or be comfortable to hold for very long, but you can browse the Web and enjoy movies on a large screen without having to carry multiple devices around. Lenovo's offering is budget-minded and competes with the likes of tablets from local as well as international brands. Its street price of Rs. 13,999 puts it roughly in the middle of the price range as far as this segment is concerned.

Lenovo's Tab A7 series is available in a variety of configurations. We have the A7-50 3G with us for review, which is also known as the A3500-HV. The HV suffix indicates that this model supports 3G data as well as voice calling - other variants listed online, which might or might not necessarily be available, do not support 3G voice. The front of the box only says Lenovo Tab A7, so make sure you check the labels on the back.

Look and feel
There isn't very much you can do to make a tablet stand out - its shape and size are, after all, determined by the screen. Still, Lenovo has managed to put its own spin on this device. It's available in "midnight blue", a deep shade that isn't distracting but is still very identifiable. The blue plastic shell frames the black glass front, continuing in smooth curves across the sides and back. In bright light, you'll notice a speckled texture to the blue plastic.

The shell is not removable, and the battery is sealed inside. There's a flap covering the SIM and microSD card slots on the left, with the power and volume buttons on the opposite side. The plastic coating feels like soft-touch rubber in the hand - this is the sort of texture that can get oily very quickly and will also start to peel in patches.

The front is mostly plain, apart from a typically oversized Lenovo logo right on top. This actually helps us orient the device which is otherwise mostly symmetrical. The earpiece grille on the top has a twin on the bottom - we assumed the symmetrical look meant that these were stereo speakers, but more on that later.

Overall, the device looks pretty good and feels well-built too. We're not sure how long the finish will last, though a cover would go a long way in keeping it protected.

Lenovo includes only a charger and USB cable in the box. These aren't particularly high quality. We're surprised by the lack of a wired headset, considering how awkward this tablet is to use as a phone.

Specifications and software
Unsurprisingly, Lenovo's low-cost tablet uses a MediaTek SoC. It's the quad-core 1.3GHz MT8382, which integrates the ARM Cortex A7 design along with a Mali-400 MP2 graphics block and GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 hardware. There's also 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage onboard which can be expanded using the microSD card slot.

The screen has a respectable resolution of 800x1280 pixels, which is standard in this price class. You get a 5-megapixel camera without flash on the rear, and a 2-megapixel one in front. There's a hefty 3,450mAh battery which is rated to last for up to two weeks with the device in standby.

The A7-50 runs Android 4.2 and the company's website specifies that a free update to Android 4.4 will be released, though no release date has been announced. Lenovo's custom Android UI merges the homescreens and launcher, so you only have to swipe left or right to get to all your app icons and widgets. This means apps and widgets tend to get mixed around, and sorting them later becomes painful. Most of the icons have been reimagined, but other than that, the interface is pretty standard Android fare.

There are quite a few preloaded apps, but their usefulness is debatable. There's Skype, AccuWeather, Evernote, Norton Mobile, Kingsoft Office, Route 66 Navigate, UC Browser, Chrome and TxTr Ebooks, most of which are removable. There's also Lenovo's own SHAREit app, which lets you exchange files between devices; Power Manager HD which lets you choose power saving options and usage by app; a pointless Lenovo Tab app which is just a promotional video; an app for pairing Bluetooth keyboards and mice; and a Bluetooth proximity monitor app.

Performance
Benchmark scores were unremarkable - the A7-50 managed18,778 points in AnTuTu 5 and 5,945 overall in Quadrant. Graphics scores were weak, and we only got 6.5fps in GFXbench and 2,926 points in 3DMark's Ice Storm test. The A7-50 performed slightly better overall than Lenovo's own Yoga Tablet 8 (Review | Pictures).

Informal usage was generally pleasant. There's a tiny bit of a lag when swiping between pages and launching apps, but the UI is fluid and there are no usability issues. We encountered one random restart and the Google Play app quit unexpectedly a few times during our test period.

We were pleased with the A7-50's battery life - it lasted for in our video loop test which means you could probably use it for a full day of entertainment

The screen is good, though not sharp. It also isn't all that legible in direct sunlight. If you're used to a high-res smartphone screen, you'll definitely notice that text looks more jagged. Only the grille below the screen is a loudspeaker; the one on top is only an earpiece for making calls with. We found it a little jarring to watch videos knowing the sound was only coming at us from one side of the screen. The speaker isn't loud enough at all, which masks its distortion to a certain extent.

Video files played well enough; we didn't expect our heavy 1080p clips to play at all, and therewas heavy artefacting in all but the lightest ones. 720p didn't seem to present any such problems.

(Click to see full size)

We tried both cameras and were not very impressed. The camera app offers very few options and it isn't even possible to tap around the screen to set the focus and exposure. Photos look decent on the tablet's screen if they were taken in good light, but the quality deteriorates instantly when you see them at full size. Distant objects look like cartoon blurs. Video is recorded at 720p by default and is not very good at all. The front camera is adequate for close-up shots and video chatting. 

Verdict
The Lenovo Tab A7-50 looks smart and works well enough. It offers great battery life and reasonably good performance. However, the market is crowded with 7-inch "calling tablets" and there are multiple options, including the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, the dual-SIM Asus Fonepad 7, and various low-priced models from Digiflip, HCL, iBall and other local brands.

We would advise potential buyers to weigh their needs very carefully - 3G data is a very useful feature, but if you aren't going to use your tablet as a phone and don't want to pay for a second SIM card, you might as well buy a regular tablet with better features. Even the first-generation Wi-Fi iPad mini sells for around Rs. 14,500 now.

Asus Fonepad 7 Review: Affordable and Capable

In the past two years, Asus has released at least four different versions of the Fonepad 7. We saw a Fonepad 7 (3G) release last year, followed by the Fonepad 7 Dual SIM and the Fonepad 7 (FE375CG) in the first quarter of this year. On top of that, the Fonepad 7 (FE170CG) launched just recently, and we have it with us for review.

This Fonepad 7 is Asus's attempt at creating a low-cost tablet for the masses. While the spec sheet may not be impressive, Asus's intended target audience might approve of the Dual-SIM functionality and voice calling features.

Look and feel
The refreshed Fonepad 7 doesn't look too different from the Fonepad 7 we reviewed last year but it looks like Asus has tweaked the design slightly to make it better. Gone is the plain slippery back, which is now replaced by a nice textured finish. This aids in gripping the device. The entire body is made of good quality plastic and feels sturdy in everyday use. Moreover, Asus has shaved 28g from the previous iteration and the weight of the new Fonepad 7 is 290g. This reduction is immediately noticeable since the device is easier to use with one hand. We received the black version for review but the tablet is also available in red, blue and white.

Asus has decided to replace the dual front-firing speakers with a single one on top of the screen. Below the speaker is a front-facing camera. The 7-inch screen is surrounded on all sides by fairly wide bezels. The edges curve inwards and on the right are the volume rocker and power button. The left edge has a flap that houses two slots for Micro-SIM cards and a slot for a microSD card. A 3.5mm jack and a Micro-USB port are on the top of the Asus Fonepad 7. The primary camera is on the rear along with a metallic Asus logo.

Specifications, software and cameraThe Asus Fonepad 7 SoC is an Intel Atom Z2520 dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz with an integrated PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU. The device also has 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage space, which can be further expanded by 64GB using a microSD card. Asus also bundles 5GB of space on Web Storage, its very own cloud platform, which is valid for life. You also get an additional 11GB of space for the first year. There is a 2-megapixel primary camera and a 0.3-megapixel front camera.

With respect to cellular connectivity, this voice-calling tablet can connect to the 850/900/1800/1900/2100MHz frequency bands. There is Bluetooth v4.0 and Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity as well. The battery specification is not mentioned anywhere but Asus claims that it can play videos for 10hrs. We shall test this claim in our performance section.

The 7-inch screen has a resolution of 1024x600. Asus' specification sheet states that the screen has an anti-fingerprint coating. We think this is a cruel joke since the screen attracts fingerprints like Ryan Gosling attracts women. Also if you ever need to set your hair, the screen can work as a mirror. Under sunlight, even the slightest tilt makes the screen not viewable. Now we know where Asus cut corners to keep the cost of the tablet down.

The tablet runs Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with no word on an update yet. The moment we fired it up and connected it to the Internet, it started downloading a number of updates including the Google Services Framework. Post this, things started getting weird. The launcher would not work properly and every time we restarted the tablet, it tried to install more updates and crashed. We think this has something to do with ZenUI and the new updates not talking to each other properly. We continued without updating the framework and everything worked fine. 

For first-time users, ZenUI takes a little getting used to. The lockscreen has direct-access icons for the Camera, Phone and Messaging apps. Asus has something called What's Next which lines up nicely beside these icons on the lockscreen and is a unique take on literally displaying what's next on the user's schedule. 

The colourful icons and subtle screen turn animations make ZenUI look much better than a lot of other custom skins on top Android do. Just like what we saw in the Asus Zenfone 5 (and Zenfone 4 and Zenfone 6), Asus bundles a few third-party apps and some proprietary apps including AudioWizard, Omlet, Power Saver, SuperNote, Web Storage and Splendid. All the apps are quite useful in some form or other. However, if for some reason you want to uninstall these apps Asus doesn't allow that. Other than an extra row of number keys on the default keyboad, Asus hasn't made much use of the greater screen real estate to allow apps to run in split-screen mode or any similar feature that some other tablets have. 

(Click to see full size)

The 2-megapixel primary camera and 0.3-megapixel front-camera tried really heard to take good pictures but failed. In all testing conditions, we found that the rear camera is mostly pointless. We think Asus could have skipped the cameras on this Fonepad 7 and spent a little more on a better quality screen. In any case, it is not a patch on the 5-megapixel camera we used on the Asus Fonepad 7 Dual-SIM.

Performance
Apart from the initial software hiccup that we mentioned, the Asus Fonepad 7 didn't present any problems in use. It's smooth and works like a charm for most part. Even a few high-end games like Asphalt 8 worked well.

In the AnTuTu and Quadrant benchmark tests, this tablet scored 18,029 and 6,800, respectively. We also ran our graphics benchmarks and the Asus Fonepad 7 scored 13.1fps in the GFXbench test and 5,148 in the more intensive 3DMark Ice Storm sequence. The tablet also played all our test videos. Our heavily encoded 40mbps 1080p video file also didn't trouble it too much. The decision to move to a single speaker on this year's Fonepad 7 does not affect sound quality - sound is adequately loud and clear as well.

Asus' claim about battery performance seems to be true since in our test it lasted us around 10 hours, 22 minutes, which is actually on the high side. There is a fairly powerful Power Saver function that works really well too.

Verdict
The Asus Fonepad 7 is available for as little as Rs. 7,299 on e-commerce platforms, which is a really good price for a tablet that performs so well. Yes, the software was slightly iffy in the beginning, but that could have been a problem with our review unit. The screen is not too great and the camera is a joke, but the cost had to be managed somehow.

There are other options in the form of Flipkart's own Digiflip Pro ET701, which has a similar set of specs and is priced much lower than the Fonepad 7. It is missing the voice-calling capability though. The Digiflip Pro XT801 on the other hand has much better specifications but once again doesn't have voice calling features. At this price, the Fonepad 7 hits the sweet spot by offering voice-calling. Just make sure you always carry a cloth to wipe fingerprints with. 

iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3: First Impressions

If I've seen you taking photos with a tablet computer, I've probably made fun of you (though maybe not to your face, depending on how big you are). I'm old school: I much prefer looking through the viewfinder of my full-bodied, single-lens reflex camera, even though it has a large LCD screen.

But as I tested out Apple's new iPad Air 2, I see why people like to shoot pictures with a tablet. Images look great on the large screen, and there's less guesswork about whether or not small details, such as lettering on a sign, will be in focus.

And what you see - and get - with the iPad Air 2 is a better camera. The rear one now matches the iPhone's 8 megapixels, up from 5 megapixels, and incorporates features such as slow-motion video. Packed with a faster processor, the 9.7-inch tablet is also 18 percent thinner and 7 percent lighter than the previous model, at about a quarter of an inch and just under a pound.

Apple is also updating its 7.9-inch iPad mini, though the cameras, processor and dimensions haven't changed.

The tablets go on sale this week, starting at $499 for the iPad Air 2 and $399 for the iPad mini 3. Both now have fingerprint ID technology to expedite online purchases through Apple Pay. Gold joins silver and grey as color choices, and pricier models have twice as much storage as before.

Improved camera
The iPad Air 2 takes sharper images. I can tell even before snapping the shot because I see all that detail on the screen. I'm able to read the small name tag on a baby bottle. Lettering on a van across the street looks clearer.

Last month's iOS 8 software update brought panorama and time-lapse features to the iPad. With the iPad Air 2, you can snap 10 shots per second in a burst mode - great for restless kids, as you can choose the best shots later. You also get slow-motion video, though only at 120 frames per second. The new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus offer 240 frames per second as well, so motion looks even slower.

The new Air's front camera gets a burst mode, too, and the front sensor is better than before at capturing light for indoor and night selfies.

Unfortunately, the iPad still doesn't have a flash. Although I prefer taking shots with natural light anyway, a lot of people like the flash. My advice is to light subjects with the iPhone's flashlight.

Better viewing and sound
An anti-reflective coating reduces glare on the iPad Air 2. It's a first for Apple and possibly a first for any consumer mobile device. I was dubious until I watched video with light shining in through my window. The coating didn't eliminate glare completely, but made video viewable. The glare was too distracting on last year's Air.

The coating also promises to improve contrast. However, I had to look hard to notice differences in some dull-color scenes in Showtime's "Homeland." In many cases, the quality of the video stream makes a bigger difference.

To me, the iPad Air 2 also has better speakers. With the volume cranked all the way up, sound is louder on the new model. Apple says there shouldn't be a difference, though I'm not complaining. (My neighbors might, though.)

Other changes
I'm glad to see the fingerprint ID sensor for unlocking both new tablets. Passcodes seem so last century, not to mention inconvenient.

That fingerprint can now be used to authorize Apple Pay purchases in apps. Unlike the new iPhones, the iPad doesn't have a wireless chip needed for in-store transactions. Then again, I'd probably mock anyone who tried to wave a giant device over a cashier's payment terminal. But I can see myself choosing a tablet over a phone for online shopping, and the fingerprint with Apple Pay will work nicely for that.

For the iPad Air 2 only, there's a faster Wi-Fi technology called 802.11ac, though you need new home-networking equipment to take advantage of it. The Air also gets a barometer sensor to track elevation in fitness apps.

The bargain
Last year's iPad Air was a huge improvement over the 2012 iPad, so this year's update seems small by comparison. The improvements might not be enough for existing iPad Air owners to upgrade, but there's enough there for those who have older models or are getting their first tablets.

The update in the iPad mini is less pronounced. That makes it less tempting to save $100 by going for the mini. For the same price as an iPad mini 3, you can get last year's full-size iPad with similar technical specifications. Bargain hunters should consider previous versions of the mini, including the original model for $249, the cheapest iPad yet.

If you can afford it, though, spend more for added storage. For $599, you get an iPad Air 2 with 64 gigabytes, compared with 16 GB in the $499 base model. For $699, you get 128 GB. You'll be surprised how quickly your iPad fills up with photos and video - especially now that I won't mock you.

Notion Ink Cain Review: The Born-Again Tablet

The name Notion Ink brings up a lot of memories. Four years ago, when the original iPad was brand new and every hardware company in the world was rushing to produce a marketable alternative, one plucky Indian startup arrived on the scene all of a sudden with its own, apparently revolutionary new product. It didn't take the Notion Ink Adam long to become a sensation - its unusual design, custom user interface and dual-mode Pixel Qi screen were just some of the features that stood out compared to everything else available at the time.

Excitement and anticipation ran high for what seemed like years, and hordes of people were willing and eager to buy an Adam. Blogs and forums dedicated to it lit up the Internet, while even mainstream news outlets praised the tiny startup, its vision and ambitions.

None of it really materialised. The Adam was plagued by delays and setbacks. The final shipping product was a massive disappointment and was widely panned for failing to deliver on its promises. A quick Web search for Notion Ink Adam now shows results ranging from ridicule to fury - even the company's most enthusiastic fans have long since forgotten about it.

But Notion Ink has not disappeared altogether. It's back on our radar with a new tablet named Cain - the son of Adam. We're interested in seeing what the company has managed to come up with after learning its lessons the hard way.

Look and feel
First of all, the Cain is a perfectly ordinary Windows 8 tablet. There are no creative design elements when it comes to the size, shape or materials this product is made of. The included keyboard case can be used to prop up the Cain tablet, turning it into a pseudo-laptop. This is a low-cost way to offer both tablet and laptop functionality. In particular, the Cain functions much like the Croma 1177 (Review | Photos) we reviewed a little while ago - both products are promoted by Intel, which likes to call them 2-in-1s.

That said, the Notion Ink Cain is a little more refined than Croma's offering. Its construction quality is pretty good, and it feels quite sturdy, if not exactly premium. There is a large metal plate on the rear, though the body itself is plastic. The body is an unusual deep brown colour, which we quite like.

When not docked, the Cain is easy enough to carry around. At 630g, it's heavier than most tablets but lighter than most laptops. All the ports are lined up along the left: you'll find a standard USB 3.0 port and a Micro-USB port, a microSD card slot, a DC power inlet, Mini-HDMI video output, and headset socket. The Micro-USB port can be used to charge the Cain, which is really convenient, and also to connect USB devices via an OTG adapter (native Micro-USB storage devices are also available).

There's also a power button and barely visible charge indicator on the left. The volume buttons and speakers are on the top, and the right edge is totally blank. On the bottom is a custom connector for the keyboard dock and two notches to help the dock fit securely.

The keyboard is surprisingly comfortable. It's cramped and the layout has its quirks, but it really does make the Cain a lot more versatile. Windows 8's on-screen keyboard is not exactly easy to use and winds up blocking too much of the screen. There's also a functional trackpad on the keyboard dock, tough we found it far too rough, and its buttons too mushy.

We did have some problems with propping up the Cain tablet using the keyboard dock. The folding flap never felt stable enough, and in fact it did collapse quite often. We had to be very careful when repositioning the Cain on a table, as the magnetic clasps often just gave way, sending the tablet down with a thud. We also never managed to balance it upright on our laps. The Croma 1177 had exactly the same design but used more material for the clasp, which didn't look so good but did work better. One of the plastic dock tabs holding the Cain upright also broke off within a day or two of perfectly ordinary usage. (Update: Notion Ink pointed out to us that the cover can be folded in a different, less obvious way, which we tried and found to be more stable though also more cumbersome. Retail boxes will apparently have a leaflet explaining this, though our review unit did not come with any such instructions).

Specifications and software
Notion Ink's website is overflowing with exuberant descriptions of extremely ordinary things, such as the fact that the Cain runs Windows 8.1. There are also several rather questionable claims, for example that the Cain is the "first Ultra-book that transforms into a tablet" and that "memory can be extended to any size you want" (which apparently only refers to the fact that external hard drives can be plugged in). 

What's even more questionable is that Notion Ink advertises the Cain's Atom Z3735 as a 1.83GHz CPU, when in reality this is only its Turbo Boost frequency (the words "burst frequency" appear alongside in the specs list, but not on the homepage or the official Snapdeal listing). The base frequency, according to Intel documentation, is 1.33GHz. The integrated Intel HD Graphics is also creatively described as a "Gen7" GPU. All of this is misleading, and certainly not in line with standard industry practises.

The screen is a 10.1-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 1280x800 and 10-point multitouch input recognition. The front and rear cameras are both 2-megapixel units.

The Cain has a decent 2GB of RAM but a paltry 32GB of internal storage space of which only 24GB is user accessible. At least it's solid-state storage, which results in fast boot times and snappy program loading, but you're going to run out very soon if you install more than a handful of programs.

Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 are supported, and there is a slot for a Huawei Ultrastick 3G adapter. The Croma 1177 had the same provision, and we had pointed out at the time of reviewing it that the adapters themselves were not easily available in India. Notion Ink sells an optional Ultrastick adapter via Snapdeal for Rs. 2,990, though it was out of stock the few times we checked the listing.

The Notion Ink Cain comes with a 32-bit edition of Windows 8.1 (a low-cost edition with Bing services set up by default). You get a handy one-year Office 365 subscription, but no other software beyond the built-in Windows utilities. You can of course choose from the hundreds of apps in the Windows Store, or install your choice of the thousands of commonly available Windows programs. The screen size is not ideally suited for working with traditional Windows desktop programs, at least not without a keyboard and mouse. Luckily, users will receive a free update to Windows 10 when it is released late next year.

Performance
We were not surprised at all with the performance of the Notion Ink Cain. Its specifications are essentially identical to those of the Croma 1177, and the two devices' benchmark scores were just within a hair's breadth of each other. Boot times were quick - not the promised 5 seconds, but still satisfactory enough.

We were limited by the 32-bit OS and weak graphics capabilities, but achieved reasonably good performance in most tests. POVRay took 25 minutes, 24 seconds to render its built-in benchmark scene and SunSpider ran in 534.3ms. 3DMark did not run, but PCMark 8 gave us scores of 1446 and 2566 in the Home (Accelerated) and Work test runs respectively. SiSoft SANDRA 2014's CPU and multimedia tests gave us good scores too, with everything including the memory and storage subsystem tests lining up perfectly with the Croma 1177. Based on performance alone, the Notion Ink Cain had a very slight edge over its sibling device.

The Battery Eater Pro test lasted 3 hours, 2 minutes before the Cain ran out of juice. This is a decent score for a tablet, but you won't want to leave home without the charger if you're anticipating a full day's work.

We were quite impressed with the Cain's screen and speakers - our audio and video test samples were very enjoyable. Videos were crisp and vibrant, while music of multiple genres was loud enough and mostly clear.

Our main problems stemmed from extremely basic things - the Cain tablet seems not to be aware of when it is and isn't plugged into its keyboard case, which means the on-screen keyboard keeps popping up and blocking the screen, and needs to be dismissed manually. The tablet also cannot automatically go to sleep when you flip it down or close the cover over the screen - you'll have to remember to hit the power button each time you're done. Notion Ink claims the screen has a wide brightness range but there is no ambient light sensor to adjust brightness automatically (and there are no brightness shortcuts on the keyboard, for some reason), so you'll be blinded if you turn on the Cain at night after having used it during the day.

Verdict
We aren't experts in theology, but Wikipedia tells us that Cain, the Biblical character, did not have a very pleasant life and was generally not the sort of person anyone would want to name anything after. We're not sure what Notion Ink was aspiring to when it named its comeback product after the first murderer and first man to be cursed. Maybe it's just a clever reference to the Adam, though the products have nothing at all in common. Whereas the Adam failed for being unrealistically ambitious and unnecessarily different, the Cain is a generic, mass-manufactured commodity product. Notion Ink has evidently shelved its own hardware and software development ambitions, though we hope to see it build itself up again and resuscitate those ideas in the future.

We are disappointed with Notion Ink's borderline-deceptive promotional tactics, but we aren't letting that cloud our judgment of the Cain tablet. It's a pretty good product and is actually quite good value for money - at Rs. 19,900, you get what is essentially a fully functional touch-capable Windows PC. It's far more flexible and work-friendly than Android tablets and iPads at the same price point, and nothing can beat the sheer power that a fully accessible file system, USB ports and wireless connectivity provide. It also undercuts the Croma 1177 by a decent amount, making it a great option for students or workers on a budget.

There are ultra-budget laptops available for just a little more money, so you'll have to decide whether a tablet form factor is right for you. On the other hand, if you're only going to use it to play games and watch movies on, you'd be better off with a sleek iPad or Android tablet, either of which would have far more apps and be easier to use.

Android's sweet new "Lollipop" flavor brings security improvements and easier ways to view and respond to notifications. The new Google software for mobile devices even lets you lend out your phone without worrying about a friend circulating your naked selfies on Facebook.

I tested Lollipop on Google's new Nexus 6 phone, which comes out this week. I can only hope that as other phones get the upgrade over time, it will be as good as what you get on the Nexus.

It's a shame many phone manufacturers that use Android believe they have to tweak it extensively to make the software theirs and not Google's. Mucking around with it only confuses customers and steers app developers toward working on iPhone versions first, where there is more uniformity - and thus incentive to incorporate the latest features.

Assuming your phone maker is running Lollipop in its purest form, here's what you'll get:

Notifications
You used to have to pull down the notification tray from the top, as you would a window shade. With Lollipop, notifications appear in the center of the lock screen. You can expand messages and reply right from the lock screen.

If you've set up a passcode - more on that in a bit - you'll be prompted to enter it before composing that reply. You also have the option to block all notifications or just those from specific apps if you're worried about privacy. Or you can choose to hide sensitive content. In those cases, you'll see you got an email or text, but you won't see who sent it or what the message says.

You can also choose "priority" mode and get notifications only from apps you mark as priority. In that mode, you can also choose to accept calls and texts only from known contacts or favorites. You still see all incoming calls or messages if you're looking, but you're not disrupted by vibrations or rings.

Security
Too often, I've turned off the passcode on my Android phone because I get tired of entering it every time I pick it up. With Lollipop, you can keep your phone unlocked when it's near a trusted device of your choosing - say, a Bluetooth-enabled car or an Android smartwatch. Bluetooth range can extend 30 feet or more, so be sure you trust your friends if you step away without your phone. Or delete those naked selfies first.

With Lollipop, Android also joins Apple's iOS 8 software in encrypting data by default. This is important if your phone is lost or stolen.

Multiple profiles
If you lend your phone out, or share it with a family member, you'll now have profile options. You can set up to four profiles, each with its own settings, contacts, photos and apps. Each user can be at a different level on "Candy Crush Saga." Or a friend can download it without having it clutter your apps list. Likewise, guests can use their own email and Facebook accounts - not yours.

Some options are disabled if you're not the owner. For instance, your kid won't be able to restore the phone to factory settings and wipe out all your data. But friends or family can update your apps and accept permissions on your behalf. It's your choice whether they can make calls and text, as they would still be using your phone number. The browser and app store don't come with parental controls, so it isn't meant for unsupervised use. And no secondary profile will keep your kid from smearing grape jelly on the screen.

Shortcuts
Lollipop adds several shortcuts above the notification tray. You can get quick access to the flashlight and the setting for airplane mode, something some Android manufacturers have added, but not all. There's also a new "Cast screen" button to send video from your phone to a TV with an Android TV streaming device. Unfortunately, you can't change the options. Those without an Android TV device won't need "Cast screen," but might want a screen-rotation lock instead, for instance.

The new Android software also removes some of the distinctions between apps and content. Previous versions of Android offered ways to scroll through open apps to pick which goes to the foreground. Now, individual tabs in the Chrome browser and individual documents in Google Docs appear separately, so you can go straight to your content without having to go to that app first. Other app developers will be able to enable this feature, too.

And the rest
Lollipop comes with an updated Calendar app that integrates with your Gmail service so that flight reservations, concert tickets and other confirmation emails get automatically turned into calendar events. The app is also more visually pleasing and fun. Keywords such as "concerts," "dentist" and "brunch" trigger appropriate graphics.

Still missing, though, is the ability to decide whether individual apps can access your location. I might want Google Maps but not Starbucks to have my location. Apple's iOS software lets you choose on an app-by-app basis, but it's all or nothing with Android.

Nonetheless, Lollipop is a worthy upgrade that I hope will come to your Android device - unfettered - soon.

Guru4Tab Team

Amazon Kindle (7th Generation) Review: The Touch Experience

Amazon announced the launch of 7th generation Kindle ebook reader in September. The new entry-level Kindle comes with increased internal storage and a touchscreen display, which means the entire Kindle lineup is now touch-only and devoid of the 5-way controller seen in earlier models.

We reviewed the Kindle Paperwhite earlier this year, and with the addition of a touch screen, the all-new Kindle is pretty much identical in terms of how you navigate across the device, and the software features it offers. If you've never bought or used a Kindle touchscreen device before, we suggest you read that review before continuing. Go on, we'll wait as you do that.

Now that you are all caught up, let's talk about the differences between the Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite. Kindle ebook readers use an E Ink display that differs from conventional LCD and LED displays you see in the likes of mobiles and tablets. LCD and LED displays emit light, which means you'll have no problem viewing them in the dark, but electronic paper displays (like E Ink) reflect light, just like conventional paper. Without the need of a backlight, devices with electronic paper displays can have longer battery life - one of the biggest reasons why your ebook reader's battery life is measured in weeks, while your phone can barely get through a working day.

Electronic paper displays are also easier on the eye, since you don't have to deal with the constant strain of a backlight. This makes it easier to stare at the screen for longer durations, but without a backlight, it's impossible to read in a dark room. Kindle Paperwhite ebook readers solved this by including a built-in light, giving you the metaphorical best of both worlds.

The new basic Kindle, just like its predecessor, comes without the built-in light, which means if you like doing a bit of reading before going to sleep, you'll need to make sure you have a bedside light or any other source of lighting in the room. Alternatively, you could buy a cover with a built-in light, but with the official cover with a light costing around Rs. 3,500 (but not listed on the website as of filing this review), you might as well pony up and buy the Kindle Paperwhite for a little bit more.

The 7th generation Kindle comes with 4GB storage, twice as much as the previous one, which means you can hoard more books. However, it's slightly heavier and bulkier than its predecessor. While some may miss the physical buttons for navigation and turning pages, we like the ability to just tap on screen and switch pages. Connectivity on the entry-level Kindle is limited to Wi-Fi. Like other members of the Kindle ebook readers family, you get weeks of battery life, so that is never a problem.

In terms of UI and software features, the experience is very similar to the Kindle Paperwhite - you did read the review, right? A forthcoming software update will add a few more features - details can be found on the Amazon website. The Kindle remains the best ebook service in India in our opinion, and we hope the Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription service is launched in the country soon with a big enough selection.

The all-new Kindle is available from Amazon India at Rs. 5,999 and it's a great device for anyone looking to dip their toes in the world of ebook readers. The previous generation Kindle is still available at Rs. 1,000 less and may not be a bad pick if you want something that's lighter and without touch controls. However, the Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite 3G remain our favourite ebook readers because they can be used in any lighting conditions.

Guru4Tab Team