App Review : Listonic - A very smart shopping list app for Windows Phone

Are you a Shopaholic? Do you often take a shopping list with you or use some note taking app for managing your shopping list? If yes, then you must be frustrated in managing those lists! Well, Look no further, Listonic is a very smart shopping list app available for Windows Phone. Its not like some other normal app where you just create a list of items on your own and then manage it. 

In Listonic the main shopping items like Egg, Bread, Milk etc. are already given so you don't have to write them in your shopping list just a tick will do all the work. You know what's the best part? It syncs across devices that means you can share your shopping list with your family and friends and that's really cool! Something I loved the most about this app. 

- Featured as "Best Mobile app" on The Next Web Startup Awards.

The app is very simple and easy to use. Let's take a look at the app:

• When you open the app it shows you the main screen where you can manage(add/edit/delete) your shopping lists. Below that there is a "Log In" button which lets you login through Listonic or facebook.

• Swype will take you to another screen which consists of Trash, Settings and Suggestions. Under Trash you have an option of getting back your deleted list! Under settings you can choose the language of the app, Manage notifications, Live tiles, Tips settings etc.

List Making :

 

You can give a name to your shopping list, Delete it, Duplicate it, Change name, Pin your list to start for quicker access and share it. Now, after you name your list it asks you add items which you can by adding it manually or Use the quick list already available in the app where you have loads of items like Milk, Chicken, Chocolates etc. where you can add the items to your list by just clicking the "Tick" icon and add it to favorites by clicking "Heart" icon.

After done adding the items to your shopping list you will start getting tips about the items(see the screenshot below), you can see the price of the items, share, sort etc.

This is a very useful app for people who often go for shopping.

Get the app from store for free here or scan the QR code below.

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Review: Nokia Lumia 730, a phone with a promise

Nokia Lumia 730 is one of the most recent launches by Microsoft in the mid range segment of Lumia smartphones. Powered by a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 Quad Core chipset, the device features 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage which can be expanded upto 128 GB using Micro SD Card. The device has a 4.7 inch OLED display with a HD 1280 x 720 Pixels resolution. Named as the selfie phone, the device features a 5 MP front camera with wide angle lens for perfect selfies and a 6.7 MP rear camera. Other features include Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, Double-tap to Wake, Sunlight Readability Enhancements and Brightness Control. The phone weights 130 grams.

Looking at the specs sheet will make anyone a big fan of the device. The phone rocks on the specs sheet but the real test is, does the phone impresses us. For this, we decided to pick one for ourself made some categories for the device. Head below as we reveal the real life tests of this device and see if this is the device which will give Nokia/Microsoft a big boost in the Windows Phone department.

Design:

Nokia Lumia 730 follows Nokia's legacy design. The phone feels really bold and solid. The design matches with the Lumia 920 though it is not that thick. The phone feels great in hands and has a good glossy work on the back which makes it as good as glass. But picking the glossy design features its own drawbacks. The device is slippery is we do recommend our users to use covers to protect it from accidental falls.

Coming to the front, the device has a 4.5 inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The device don't have any physical navigation keys so you need to rely on the on-screen keys. The device also don't have a dedicated camera key so if you are upgrading from a older Lumia device, then you might face problems. Overall the device is solid in terms of design department.

Software:

After seeing legacy design, we have a new OS for the device. The Lumia 730 is one of the first device in the market which comes pre-loaded with Lumia Denim software update. The new update has plenty of new features for everyone. Microsoft's Nokia unit has added a few of its own apps, but the Windows Phone 8.1 software is largely the same we have seen in earlier phones.

Performance:

Nokia Lumia 730 is powered by a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 Quad Core chipset and features 1 GB of RAM, making the device buttery smooth to run. Windows Phone has been a resource-optimized software from the start and the latest version is no different. Lumia 730 is a very fast smartphone that can give Rs 25,000 Android phones a run for their money.

We tried our hand at Asphalt 8, and it played like a breeze. Lumia 730 shows no lag or jittering while handling the game, and 1 GB RAM once again proves sufficient to power this resource hungry game.

Though Lumia 730 is not a big-screen phone, it is a decent multimedia device. The rich, vibrant colours make for a good video viewing experience, and the media player can run all the common file formats without a glitch. The audio quality, however, is not as good since the loudspeaker exhibits as sound starts breaking a little at high volumes.

Camera:

One of the biggest power of Lumia 730 is the camera. The phone is the first Selfie oriented device made by Nokia/Microsoft. The device exhibits a 5 MP front camera with the Wide angle lens for clear and crisp selfies and for Video Calls over Skype. The 5MP camera has 24mm focal length, f/12.4 aperture and wide-angle capabilities, making it the most well equipped camera unit at this price point. However, the soft flash in front is missing. The phone also has a 6.7 MP rear facing camera which enables you to take amazing shots both indoor and outdoors. The device is also equipped with a rear flash for night shots.

If you want to make the best use of the selfie camera, then using the Lumia Selfie app is the best choice. Microsoft actually has preloaded the Lumia Selfie app in the smartphone, which allows you to edit the selfie once it's taken. You can not only add filters but also brighten the teeth, soften the skin tone etc. It even puts your face on magazine covers, which is a little gimmicky to be honest. The Lumia Selfie app lets you enhance photos, and here we have used one filter that makes the photo appear livelier than the original shot. Moreover, it reduces the bluish tinge making it appear a little more natural.

 Let's not forget the 6.7MP rear camera that's used on the back of Lumia 730. The camera setup is same as that of Lumia 720, which was launched nearly two years ago: f/1.9 aperture, 1.3.4-inch aperture and Nokia's PureView technology. Though it's not much of an upgrade, it is still pretty good.

Battery Life:

This is one of the areas where most of the smartphones failed to score but when Lumia 730 is concerned, you don't have to worry as a owner. The 2,200mAh battery lasts over a day with moderate usage and a day with moderate-to-heavy usage. We played videos stored on the microSD card, streamed songs online, played games and accessed the internet during this battery test.

Now that we have covered all the aspects of the device, lets's move to the part which is going to make purchasing this device a bummer. Like every gadget, Lumia 730 also has some of the drawbacks making it a deal breaker. We are going to highlight those points below.

• Glance – No (Yes, you read right. No Glance support)
• Dedicated camera button – No
• Dolby Digital sound – No
• Dolby Audio levelling – No
• Dolby Dialog enhancer - No
• Earphones are only good for calls, nothing extra ordinary. Better get a new one for music.
• No data cable in the box.

For the Lumia 730, the biggest omission is Glance and Dolby audio support. The Dolby stuff is a big cost due to licensing, and it makes sense to cut that where possible, but the lack of Glance is a real bummer, especially since the Lumia 720 did have it. Still, users get double-tap to wake, Motion Data, ClearBlack display and lots of other perks making the Lumia 730 and Lumia 735 great values.

Final Verdict:

Now that, we covered everything regarding this device, it's time for the final verdict which is no doubt the positive one. If you are in the market for a selfie phone at a budget, then Lumia 730 is a sureshot choice. Plus, it's a well rounded smartphone that can be used as a multimedia device as well as a decent camera for casual shots. The overall package of Lumia 730 is more than enough for a person looking for a device under 15k INR.

We highly recommend this device. This is one of the best Lumia device available in the market with a price tag of 15,000 INR. The device though lacks some features but the overall package more than makes up for it.

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Video: Unboxing and First Impressions of GOQii Fitness Band

It was two days ago when GOQii landed on our Review Desk and unfortunately I was out for some work. Today I got time to upload the unboxing video. I am pretty excited about this one as GOQii is the first Indian OEM to launch a fitness band. Also they launched a Windows Phone app a couple of days ago so that too is not a problem. Here we present the unboxing video of GOQii band.

Also we have a good deal for you. You can get 20% off on these bands if you use our promo code- anmol715.
Also GOQii is providing 50% off on these bands so you can get them at half price. You can buy them Here or from Amazon India Here.
Do let us know your opinions. Also if you have any questions regarding this, you can comment here or on my Twitter ID. I will include them in my review.

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Lumia 920 to Lumia 830..Upgrade?

Not able to decide weather 920 or 830? Well, our host also has the same confusion.Jashan is looking to buy 830,(perhaps he owns 920) but still following are the main features that attracted him.

• Quad core processor over dual core processor
• Improved Camera
• Gorilla Glass3 instead of gorilla glass
•  Size 5 inch from 4.5
• Already updated to Lumia Denim
• Passive voice activation to cortana
• a micro SD Slot whereas 920 has limit of 32 GB.
• More battery life(2200 mah)

So What are you upto?

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Review: First look at 1Mail Mailing Client for Windows Phone

When it comes to Mailing Clients then we find shortage of them on Windows Phone. We have a few Mailing Clients which a useful than the stock inbox on Windows Phone. Today, we are getting our hands on a beautiful Client which is under development for Windows Phone. The app is still in Beta state and supports only Gmail now but it is worth to look at. So let's head down and take a brief look at 1Mail for Windows Phone.

As said above the app is a Mail Client and supports Gmail at the current time. The app is based on the Windows Phone interface and uses various gestures (Trust me, I felt in love with how neatly the gesture are placed in the app). The app has various lanes (Folders) which sorts the Emails. You can also add multiple accounts (Currently only Gmail supported) and manage them. Being in Beta state, the app lags a bit but it is tolerable. The design of the app is something to fell in love with. You can customize the app by selecting the lanes (Folders), you want to see. Also, you can define the colors of different lanes. The app also supports lockscreen and transparent live tiles for the best experience.
This was a quick review of the new app for Windows Phone. We hope to see more services added to it soon. Check the store description below:

Fly through your email with 1Mail.  This redesigned inbox is light, fast and mobile-friendly.  Organize your messages across customizable lanes, and we’ll provide the intelligent previews.  Easily stay on top of your inbox using swipe gestures to archive or delete.  Navigating lanes and emails has never been simpler, just swipe from the bevel.
Features:
* Full support for Gmail (other providers coming)
* Multiple accounts with single click to switch
* Pinnable accounts with live tile updates
* Intuitive navigation paradigm, swipe along the bevel to switch lanes and read through emails
* Lane support (we provide defaults, however give you the power to customize adding label-backed lanes or providing advanced IMAP filters)
* Lane look and feel (change the color, order, and headers)
* Unlimited scrolling for each lane
* Message sender profile pictures, and intelligent email thumbnail previews
* Support for managing threads
* Search support for local stored and online messages
* New email experience, leveraging your contacts
* Share integration to easily send content

Find the screenshots after the break:

Liked the app? You can download the Beta from Windows Phone Store Here

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Review: Hands-On with the Nokia Lumia 630

Nokia Lumia 630 is the first device to hit the stores with Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box. The device was announced by Nokia with its high end brother Lumia 930. While the Lumia 930 still awaits to go in the hands of customers in various regions, we got a Lumia 630 from Nokia Store for review purpose. Believe me or not but I had many request from my colleagues and many of my readers here too. So I decided to get a Lumia 630 for review. Firstly before detailing each section of the device, below is a brief look at the pros and cons of the device.

   PROS:                                                       CONS:

1. Packaged in the attractive                           1. No Front Facing Camera.

    Lumia style body.                                       2. No LED Flash.   

2. Surprisingly nice battery life                       3. 512 MB RAM is a problem.

    for a dual SIM smartphone.                       4. No headset or USB cable

3. Aggressively Priced.                                        included in the retail

4. Impressive Specs.                                            package. 

                               

     OUR RATING: 8/10

The Nokia Lumia 630 is the first Windows Phone 8.1 based device and also the first Dual-SIM smartphone powered by the Windows Phone platform. It also comes in single SIM version which is priced at Rs 10,500 while the Dual SIM Lumia 630 carries a price tag of Rs 11,500.

Here we take a closer look at the Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM model.

Design & Physical view:

In terms of design, it follows the same legendary solid design found on Nokia Lumia series. The Lumia 630 is numerically the true successor of the Lumia 620 but it differs so much in terms of physical design. However, from the side view, one can easily see the rectangular mono-block design approach taken. The back cover has a flat edge - almost like a smaller rectangular phone standing behind the Lumia 630.

The most important change one can notice is the absence of camera key. The Lumia 630 has only 2 solid buttons, one for volume controls and the other is the power button. On the rear, the Lumia 630 has a 5 megapixel camera in the top center, equidistant from top and both sides. In the right corner is the loud speaker. A standard audio port rests on the top of the phone while the micro USB 2.0 port is at the bottom. The front glass is protected by third generation Gorilla Glass to protect scratches and falls. Underneath, we have a two micro SIM slots, along with a microSD card slot. The 630 supports cards up to 128GB. Only SIM 2 is hot-swappable while the others aren’t. Lumia 630 feels really comfortable on the palms and can be easily operated with single hand. The Lumia 630 package includes the phone, battery, the charger and the quick start guide. Indeed, the Lumia 630 does NOT pack pair of earphones and micro USB data cable in the bundle.

Software:

Nokia Lumia 630 comes pre-loaded with Windows Phone 8.1 with the Cyan firmware update from Nokia. For the end users, the Windows Phone 8.1 offers several new features than the older version that makes the Windows Phone devices interesting and almost at par with other Android devices. We have discussed the features of Windows Phone 8.1 so we will focus here on the exclusive features in Lumia 630. The features exclusive to Lumia 630 are:

• SensorCore
• Miracast Support
• Dual SIM
• Latest Lumia Cyan firmware from Nokia
• Imaging Enhancements

Do note that all of these features will come to all the Lumia devices after Lumia Cyan release but many features like SensorCore and Miracast may not support older Lumia devices. The Lumia 630 also happens to be first Windows Phone platform based Nokia device. Lumia 630 makes a debut with a new Smart Dual SIM feature. Forward your calls between two SIM cards just so that you do not miss out on any important calls. The Smart Dual SIM also offers a toggle switch to be selected before making a call or put a call on hold to talk/make call from other SIM. Do note that the Smart Dual SIM feature has also been promoted as Lumia Dual SIM.

The Home Screen shows two separate coloured ties for each SIM - Dialer and SMS. Users can always merge the Phone and Messages tiles to see notifications on a single tile with numerical representation. Interesting bit is that from the Mobile+SIM settings in the Settings app, the user can always define the SIM card to be used for data connection. Not only that, User can also assign name to each SIM card instead of viewing the Operator names on it.

Microsoft and Nokia added an experimental like feature dubbed SensorCore which basically consists of a software layer that collects data from the sensors on the device. The data is basically collected to aid the new Health and Fitness oriented breed of applications set in store to arrive in Windows Phone store.

Only thing missing in the Lumia Cyan is the Cortana, Microsoft's own personal digital assistant. As of now, Microsoft has no plans of making it available for the Indian consumers. Several other improvements like battery Saver mode are worthy and much deserving for those who have been bearing Windows Phone platform since the Windows 7.5 update.

We believe the Lumia Cyan or Windows Phone 8.1 is not a complete update but a stop-gap solution to let you enjoy the most basic and competitively intrinsic features.

Hardware:

Putting Lumia 630 in straight comparison with Lumia 620, we can find many changes in the physical appearance of the device. The Lumia 630 has a 4.5-inch IPS LCD touchscreen display with 480x854 pixel resolution. This display has been constructed using the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to protect against normal wear-tear. For the display, Nokia has placed its ClearBlack technology to make it least reflective.

Though the physical size of the display has been bumped, something seems really off with the color production of the display. The display of Lumia 630 offers 218 pixels per inch compared to the 246 pixels per inch of Lumia 620. Yet again, we emphasize that bigger display does not necessarily mean better; resolution of the display and the panel are equally important.

Under the 9.2 mm thick chassis, Lumia 630 houses a quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 mobile chipset with Adreno 305 GPU for graphics. The quad-core CPU is always a welcome while the native GPU graphics support remains the same as the Lumia 620 - Adreno 305. Hence, do not expect a vast difference in the gaming performance.

By default, the Lumia 630 packs 8 GB on-board storage out of which only about 5 GB is actually available for the users while rest is reserved for the mobile operating system and the updates.

At the rear, it has a 5 megapixel camera but it has neither an LED flash nor a front camera - your dreams of clicking selfies chucked out of the window. Lumia 630 offers FM Radio, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP and there are no other fancy sensors other than the accelerometer. The lack of proximity sensor, compass and even ambient light sensor surprised us. Only the makers can justify the call to remove them from the package.

Location based services are powered by the GPS chip with the aid from Assisted-GPS and GLONASS support. There is no NFC or Infrared port and the phone offers microUSB 2.0 support. In the most competitive budget segment, Lumia 630 does not offer any hardware that is out of the ordinary and can make it stand out. Nevertheless, the hardware packed is just enough to get the things done whenever you want it.

Connectivity:

The Nokia Lumia 630 is available in three different model versions: single SIM, dual SIM, and LTE. The latter is the Lumia 635 - it sounds like a separate phone but the only difference is 4G network support. Here's the list of supported bands by model:

• Quad-band GSM (across all models)
• Dual-band 3G with 21 Mbps HSDPA (Lumia 630, Lumia 630 Dual-SIM)
• Tri-band 3G with 42 Mbps HSDPA (Lumia 635)
• Tri-band LTE Cat3 with 100 Mbps download (Lumia 635)

If you opt for the dual-SIM Lumia 630 model, you'll get two microSIM beds with dual stand-by. Of course, once you're in a call on one of the cards, the other SIM becomes inactive.

The rest of the connectivity features available across all models include single-band Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with GLONASS, and an FM radio with RDS. There is a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data connections. Mass storage mode is supported for access to the phone's built-in memory and microSD card.

There is no TV-out functionality under any form - neither wired, nor wireless. Also currently, there are no Windows Phones that support USB On-the-go, so that's missing, too.

Camera:

The phone does not have a dedicated camera key to capture images. Yet another decision that leaves us clueless because the lately launched Lumia 525 offers the same.

Nokia camera app is the native camera app and integrates the software lens - Cinematograph. Other lenses can be easily downloaded from the Windows Phone Store. The Nokia camera app brings in the Pro Cam features to fiddle with the Sliders for adjusting the focus, exposure, aperture and other settings. Considering the price, the camera performs really well outdoors with ample lighting. However, the quality quickly drops with low lights and ambient lighting indoors.

The lack of LED flash clearly makes your phone unusable post dawn for decent quality images.

Performance:

The Lumia Cyan indeed feels wee bit faster and optimised for the hardware. However, we did face some lags while switching between applications such as switching between Email and Twitter app. Meanwhile the native User Interface is as snappy as ever. While games such as Asphalt were easily playable on the phone, it did not offer the visual punch and graphics feel - probably because it has the same Adreno 305 GPU chip.

In terms of voice call, the clarity was as intact as other budget Lumia devices. However, we did find the Loud Speaker lacking the punch and bass for enjoying music. Quite possible because we are used to the loudness and clarity lacking loudspeaker units.

One can easily glorify the Live Tiles with a wallpaper like background image to appear different and also try out the different Tiles arrangements. Yet again, Windows Phone platform is catching up with the most popularly used mobile applications and games which get announced for other two platforms first. Those who wish to try out a game or new app every second day, will not be happy with the pace of such developments.

Battery Life:

One of the biggest concern of the dual-SIM configuration offering smartphones is the battery life. For Lumia 630, Nokia has packaged 1830 mAh Lithium-Ion battery in a removable mode. That means, if you are a heavy user, you can buy an extra battery to keep your phone number active.

The Lumia 630 is capable of lasting half a day on call, but this is possible only if the clever ear-sensing tech inside the screen has detected your ear and has turned itself off. Since the phone doesn't come with a proximity sensor the display doesn't go off unless you touch it with your face or you turned it off manually. If the screen is kept on during your calls, you should probably expect significantly lower talk time.

Using the phone on the single SIM mode certainly offered longer run time compared to the dual-SIM mode. The phone had some battery juice even after watching three two-hour long movies back to back. For those who bank on the phone to watch videos when bored, should totally add this to their checklist.

The Nokia Lumia 630 turned out quite the poor stand-by performer. Instead of the promised 600 hours, our unit lasted about 200-210. And we've tested it three times just to be sure. In the end, acknowledging the low stand-by score, the Lumia 630's overall endurance rating came at 55 hours. It is an average endurance and means your phone will last 2 days and 7 hours if used it daily for an hour of video playback, calling over a 3G network and web browsing.

Final Words:

The Lumia 630 has the same winning combo as the Lumia 520 that sold in millions: a simple, yet durable design, a good balance of features at a bargain price. We wouldn't be surprised to see it repeat the feat of the former and become the Lumia line's next rising star.

Nokia has done a good job designing the Lumia 630 - the boxy design of the Ashas and X-series looks neat, the right blend of fresh and familiar. You can choose between a wide range of paintjobs for the exchangeable rear covers.

Nokia Lumia 630 certainly brings the best possible Dual SIM management experience on the Windows Phone platform. For those who clearly want a device that gets their work done, sends messages, let you post on social networks, and enjoy music - this is the device for you with a promising battery life. However, if you love trying out latest games and always updated with new apps released for other platforms, kindly evaluate other options.

Nokia Lumia 630 is possibly the company's best Dual SIM device as yet that offers great battery life.

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First Impression with Surface Pro 3 by Microsoft

Some of the changes includes .. Battery life of up to nine hours, performance has increased, weight is down and viewing angles have increased.

Thanks to wpcentral for the video demostration of the same.

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Nokia Lumia 930 vs Nokia Lumia 920 (Features Comparision)

With many Nokia Lumia 920 two year contracts running out around the same time as the Nokia Lumia 930 becomes available, I suspect many if our 920-owning readers will be upgrading to that handset.
Below find a comparison of the specs of the two devices, which reveals that the new handset is thinner, lighter, and only slightly wider, and somewhat taller.
Two years is of course an eternity in technology times, and the 930 offers a much denser 1080P screen and super-fast quadcore processor which puts the 920 to shame.
See the full specs comparison after the break.
 

	Nokia Lumia 930	Nokia Lumia 920
Size	137x71x9.8 mm	130x70x10.7
Weight	167g	185g
Screen size	5 inch	4.5 inch
Screen Res	1080P	720P
Screen glass	Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3	Corning® Gorilla® Glass
PPI	441	332
Glance Screen	No	Yes
Processor	Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 800 at 2.2 ghz	Dual-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 at 1.5 ghz
RAM	2 GB	1 GB
Storage	32GB	32GB
microSD	No	No
Battery	2420 mAh, fixed	2000 mAh
Battery Life	18 days standby, 9 h WIFI browsing	19 days, 9 h WIFI browsing
Wireless charging	Yes, Qi	Yes, Qi
Camera – Rear	20 megapixel with OIS, f2/4	8.7 megapixel with OIS
Camera –Front	1.2 megapixel wide-angle, f/2.4	1.2 megapixel wide-angle, f/2.4
Flash	Dual LED	Dual LED
Miracast	Yes	No
Audio	4 Rich Recording Microphones with Dolby® Digital Plus	3 Rich Recording Microphones
Colours	Green, Orange, White and Black	Yellow, Red, White, Grey, Black

Will our 920-owning readers be upgrading? Sound off below.

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First Hands On with Boxcryptor for Windows Phone

If you remember, few days ago we reported that Boxcryptor is searching for Beta Testers to try the app for Windows Phone. The app is currently in private beta so you can't get it from the store directly. I got that app from Boxcryptor and after using it, I want to share my first impression for the beta app.
Not familiar with Boxcryptor? Actually, Boxcryptor is a software optimized for cloud based services. It provides extra protection to your files stored on the cloud storage. It supports almost all the cloud service providers such as OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox. With Boxcryptor your files go protected to your cloud provider and you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your information cannot fall into the wrong hands. To protect your files, Boxcryptor uses the AES-256 and RSA encryption algorithms.
The layout is simple. You need to sign in or create account for the first time. After login, you need to select services. Here, I encountered a problem. In the Beta app we can only sign in to one service at a time. I hope the public version sorts out this and we can sign in into more than one service at a time. But rest is just like a normal cloud storage app. We get options to browse our folders and files. We can create a new folder, upload files and sort them. One thing to note is, though it is still in beta and in the initial stage but I didn't faced any bug or any crash. The app works very smoothly and is well integrated. Again there is no option available to remove the cloud storage. You have to uninstall and install it again to do so. You can check the screenshots of the app below.

So, this was the first look at the beta app. I am testing it more, so if you have any particular question then mention them in the comments section. I will try to reply them. If you want to join the beta app, then you can Sign In Here. We will be keeping a close eye on this app and let you know new improvements. Till then, stay tuned.

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Updated: Lumia Black available for Lumia 620 in Finland, India & Netherlands. Rolling out to Lumia 925 on T-Mobile.

 

Update:

Seems, it is rolling out to Lumia 620 in India, too. Thanks Caspien for the tip. Cheers!!

Great news for Lumia 620 owners, who unfortunately are yet to receive the Lumia Black on their devices. Lumia 620 in Finland and Netherlands have started receiving Lumia Black update and this raises hope of sooner roll-out to other markets as well. Nokia has earlier confirmed that Lumia Black update would hit most of the Lumias by end of January, but we are in the end of February, so that’s bit harsh on Lumia 620 owners!!

Another good news is for Lumia 925 owners on T-Mobile. Lumia Black is rolling out for your devices.

Lumia Black update bundles goodies from both GDR3 OS update and Nokia Firmware update in one. There are some new apps which also become compatible post Lumia Black.

Go to Settings—Phone update to check whether it has become available for your phone. Lumia Black brings some cool new features and important under the hood changes for your device. Check the full changelog here. You can go to official Lumia Black update page to check about availability of the update for your country.

You can also watch our hands-on video of Lumia Black and Apps Folder below to know what all Lumia Black update brings for your phone,

via : Nokiapoweruser

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Windows Phone 8.1 Notification Center Demoed On Video

Upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 will include notification center concept in the name of Action Center. This information was revealed in the past few weeks through various screenshots. Action Center will give access to Quick Settings like Wifi, Bluetooth, Location, etc, on the top followed by notifications from supported apps. You can customize the Quick Settings to your own frequently used options. And you can access Action Center just by swiping down from the top of the screen. Swiping down from top for notification center has become the de-facto standard as top two mobile operating systems iOS and Android follow this same design.

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Nokia Storyteller will now work on your Lumia 520, but causes problems for others

Nokia has updated their Storyteller beta app.. The app would  previously only work on 1 GB RAM  handsets, but after a recent update to 1.8.1.10  it will now reportedly also work on low RAM devices like the Nokia Lumia 520.

Since the update from 2 weeks ago the app also no longer needs  Lumia Black update .

Of note however is that users of higher-end handsets are now complaining of issues with downloading the app and having their location and time line messed up, so this may be one update they give a miss.

Download the app here from Windows Phone Store.

via - wmpoweruser

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Paid version of Instance v 2.0 is live in the Windows Phone Store

Choice rocks. Which is why we’re stoked that there are three solid Instagram apps on Windows Phone. The official app is there, as is 6tag from Rudy Huyn, and Instance from Daniel Gary. Last month Instance hit version 2.0, but at the time only the free version received it. Today the paid version of Instance picked up its new wares.

What was the hold up? Both the paid and free versions were submitted at the same time last month. The free showed up first and we all assumed the paid version would be right behind. Turns out the paid version failed certification. That’s even though the two apps were identical. Riddle me that.

Version 2.0 of Instance is notable for bringing new features like geotagging, comment deletion, improved privacy features, profile editing, theme options, and support for even more social networks like Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare and Pinterest.

Another hold up for the long delay could also be the next project that Daniel Gary is working on. He’s working on QuizIt, a QuizUp client for Windows Phone that I personally can’t freaking wait to play. Check out our tease of QuizIt from earlier this month.

Anyways, if you’re paying customer of Instance and want to grab the newest version head to the Windows Phone Store

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Check out these great shots of a Seattle Seahawks game from the Nokia Lumia 1020

 We make a lot of fuss about how kick ass the cameras are on Windows Phone with devices like the Lumia 920, Lumia 1020 and Lumia 1520. That’s great and all, but it’s the person behind the camera that makes the real difference. So what happens when you take an accomplished and skilled mobile street photographer and give him a device like that? You get some pretty great results, especially when you put him on the sideline of a Seattle Seahawks game at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

Remember We Are Juxt (www.wearejuxt.com)? It’s the community of mobile photographers that we talked about last July when a handful of members (Juxters) were given the Lumia 920. The majority of them shot on iPhones, but the experience helped opened a few of them up to Windows Phone.

One of their co-founders, Brad Puet, recently had the opportunity to photograph the Seattle Seahawks. Brad’s a cool guy that I got to meet this past summer up in Seattle. He’s got a killer passion for mobile photography and it shows in his work. Just check out his Instagram feed (@bradpuet) to see what he’s capable of with a smartphone.

He used the Nokia Lumia 1020 to capture photos of the fans, stadium, and football action. He’s got some great shots over on We Are Juxt. Be sure to head over there and read up on his tips for capturing sports with the Lumia 1020 and his experience on the sidelines. 

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Infinite Game Stream, an unofficial twitch client Review

Couple of days back, Infinite Square released a new app on Window Phone Store especially for gamers and Twitch users. Don't know what Twitch is? Actually, Twitch is a online community for gamers to share gameplay videos, development, gaming strategy and news. As for now there is no app available on Windows Phone for Twitch users. Infinite Square has created a unofficial 3rd party app for Twitch users that helps them to stream videos online, join chat rooms on favorite games. The app UI is the first thing, we felt in love with. Earlier the app had too many bugs but it seems that the new update has removed them and the app works very well.
When you open the app, you will see swap interface. The UI is neat with all the latest Games on the first screen. The first swap will take you to the latest streams page. The second swap will give you latest tweets on Twitch's Twitter Account and lastly the third swap towards right will take you to the menu. You can also search for your desired game videos.

We decided to test the app on different connection speed to see the streaming interface. The streaming was very good. It buffered for a while on 2G connection but on 3G and on the WiFi network, the videos ran very well. You can also chat with other users regarding a particular game but for it you must sign in to the Twitch account. Being a big game addict, I can personally tell you that this app is the best one available on the store now. I have seen almost 50-60 videos using the app and didn't faced any issue or any crash. The new update is perfect.
Finally, Infinite Game Stream is not an app that will appeal to everyone.  For those who frequent Twitch.tv, I can see the app coming in handy but if you are not a game addict or a Twitch user, this app is useless.

You can get this app from store Here or Scan the QR Code below.

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Steve Litchfield compares the cameras Nokia Lumia 1520 against the 1020

Steve Litchfield over at AllAboutWindowsPhone has put the Nokia Lumia 1520 against the Nokia Lumia 1020.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 looks great. Seeing what the 1020 can produce however, just shows how good a camera they’ve packed in the 1020. Xenon’s crispness is also a must for me, though I am surprised (as was Steve) how clear the ‘movement’ shot is in Steve’s pic that 500ml in the bottle is readable (for LED). Can you imagine one day should ‘Nokia’ get LED as good as their xenon?

A neat point Steve makes is how the 1520′s camera will be seen in many more models (as per the 920). This would be great as it sees the general Nokia level of cameras rise all over again. Instead of having one super camera phone (e.g. N8 camera and then E7/E6 camera) for that year, you have several fantastic ones ones.

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Nokia Lumia 525 – Unboxing and hands on with the low-cost 1 GB Windows Phone

  Taking a look at Nokia's problem-solving Lumia 525

Last year, Nokia introduced the Lumia 520, a lost-cost solution to those who want a Windows Phone in emerging markets. As it turns out, demand was much higher than anyone anticipated. Nearly a year later and the 520 is one of the best-selling Windows Phones around. It’s a great low-risk way to experience Windows Phone and it opens the door to higher end options. But if the Lumia 520 had one flaw, it was the amount of RAM.

Windows Phone 8 can run easily on 512 MB devices, but some higher end games (and a handful of apps) need some good memory optimization before they can run smoothly. That usually happens, but it can take months after the initial release. Microsoft is confident this will go away as developers target 512 MB devices in the future, but up until now, there hasn’t been a low-cost 1 GB Lumia to get around this problem.

The Lumia 525 fixes that by simply bumping the RAM to 1 GB. So, can lightning strike twice for Nokia? Watch my unboxing and first impressions of Nokia's device to find out.

Lumia 525 Specifications

• Windows Phone 8 with Update 3 (10517) and Lumia Black
• 4-inch IPS LCD display, Sunlight readability, Lumia Color Profile, double-tap to wake
• 8 GB of internal storage (4.5 GB available), micro SD expansion
• 1 GB of RAM
• 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU
• 5 MP rear camera, no flash (no front facing camera)
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE
• 1430 mAh battery

As mentioned above, the Lumia 525 is nearly identical to the Lumia 520. Nearly. There are a few changes, which are all for the better:

• Glossy, interchangeable back covers, instead of matte
• Double-tap to wake is now available (also on the AT&T Lumia 520, but not many others)
• Display seems slicker to the touch

Other notable changes include a non-embossed logo on the back and slightly more recessed side keys.

Although on paper the devices are quite similar, I think the glossy back adds a little more pizazz to the Lumia 525, making it feel more high-end. Due to its size, it’s not slippery and it stays in my hand with ease. The Lumia 525’s display appears less sticky to use when compared to the Lumia 520, and whites are a tad more accurate.

The 5 MP is unremarkable, but in daylight performs quite nicely with pronounced sharpness (see above sample photo). For an entry level phone, users should be pleased.

While I have only spent a few hours with the Lumia 525, my initial impressions are great. If I had to choose between it and a Lumia 520, it’s an easy decision as the former has less restrictions on it for software.

Granted, being able to run high end games has its limitations too, namely storage, which is still capped at just 8 GB. Currently, Windows Phone 8 doesn’t allow storage of apps or games to the storage card, though I’ve heard that the 8.1 update – due later this year as an upgrade – will enable this feature. We’ll have to wait and see though.

I’ll spend a few more days with the Lumia 525 and let you know what I think. Although Nokia’s latest device isn’t expected in the UK or US markets, users can opt to buy it via online retailers. Like the Lumia 520 though, if there is enough demand for it, we may see more carrier pickup in the future.

The Lumia 525 is currently available (or coming to) China, India, Vietnam and Singapore. There is also a Lumia 526 variant specifically for China Mobile.

Have questions about the Lumia 525? Ask away in comments or head to our dedicated Lumia 525 forums to do some research!

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Nokia Lumia 1520 V/S Lumia 1020: The Differences(Written Review)

Nokia launched two of its very famous flagship devices in 2013. Both of the devices won the hearts of millions of people. The Lumia 1020, on one hand took mobile photography to a new level, while the Lumia 1520 set a milestone in Phablet market. So, what are the differences between the two devices? We got questions from many readers asking what are the differences and which one should be picked. We decided to throw light on the basic difference between them. First lets compare the Specifications of both the devices and then we will compare them on the basis of our Feedback after using both the devices.

Specifications:-

Specification Standards	Nokia Lumia 1520	Nokia Lumia 1020
Operating Frequency	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - RM-937, RM-939, RM-940 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - RM-938 4G Network LTE 800 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 - RM-937 LTE 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 / 2600 - RM-938, RM-940	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - RM-875, RM-877 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - RM-876 4G Network LTE 800 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 - RM-875 LTE 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - RM-877
SIM Type	Nano SIM	Micro SIM
Display	IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors 1080 x 1920 pixels Size 6.0 inches (~367 ppi pixel density) Protection Corning Gorilla Glass2 - ClearBlack display	AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors 768 x 1280 pixels Size 4.5 inches (~332 ppi pixel density) Protection Corning Gorilla Glass3 - PureMotion HD+  -ClearBlack display
Memory	Internal 16 GB (RM-940 only)/ 32 GB,  microSD- up to 64 GB 2 GB RAM	Internal 32 GB / 64 GB (Telefonica exclusive) Card slot No 2 GB RAM
Camera	Primary- 20 MP, Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, autofocus, dual-LED flash Features- 1/2.5'' sensor size, PureView technology, dual capture, geo-tagging, face detection, panorama Video- Yes, 1080p@30fps, video light, stereo sound rec. Secondary- Yes, 1.2 MP, 720p@30fps	Primary- 41 MP (38 MP effective, 7152 x 5368 pixels), Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, auto/manual focus, Xenon & LED flash Features- 1/1.5'' sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size, PureView technology, geo-tagging, face detection, dual capture, panorama Video- Yes, 1080p@30fps, 4x lossless digital zoom, video light Secondary- Yes, 1.2 MP, 720p@30fps
OS Platform/Features	OS- Microsoft Windows Phone8 (Lumia Black Update) Chipset- Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 CPU - Quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400 GPU- Adreno 330 Sensors- Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass GPS- Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS	OS- Microsoft Windows Phone8, upgradeable to WP8 Black Chipset- Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon CPU - Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait GPU- Adreno 225 Sensors- Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer GPS- Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion 3400 mAh battery (BV-4BW) Stand-by- Up to 768 h (2G) / Up to 768 h (3G) Talk time- Up to 27 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 25 h (3G) Music play- Up to 124 h	Non-removable Li-Ion 2000 mAh battery (BV-5XW) Stand-by- (2G) / Up to 384h (3G) Talk time- Up to 19 h (2G) / Up to 13 h 20 min (3G) Music play- Up to 63 h
Colours	Yellow, white, black, red	Yellow, white, black, red (AT&T exclusive)
Data	GPRS- Yes EDGE- Up to 236.8 kbps Speed- HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 50 Mbps UL, 150 Mbps DL WLAN- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot Bluetooth- Yes, v4.0 with A2DP NFC- Yes USB- Yes, microUSB v2.0	GPRS- Yes EDGE- Up to 236.8 kbps Speed- HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL WLAN- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot Bluetooth- Yes, v3.0 with A2DP NFC- Yes USB- Yes, microUSB v2.0

Now we have comparison on the basis of the Feedback we got after using the two devices. It has been a month ago since we used both of the devices. Now, we can easily differentiate between the two device. The first thing you will notice on Lumia 1020 is bulgy camera on the back. Many of the customers didn't liked it as it cause problems while keeping it in jeans pocket or it cause troubles while holding it in hand. On the other part, people didn't face these problems with Lumia 1520 but big 6" screen can cause some troubles. Also, Lumia 1520 has a SD card slot, while 1020 doesn't have it. One more difference is the camera. The Lumia 1020 has a 41-MP camera while the Lumia 1520 has only 20-MP camera. But but the devices performed excellent under outdoor as well as in low light conditions. Now moving to the hardware, Lumia 1520 has Quad-core processor while the Lumia 1020 has Dual-core. It creates a big difference between the performance. We felt the difference between the overall performance of the two device. Also some of the users reported overheating of the Lumia 1020 but we didn't felt that. Regarding the Lumia 1520 users felt, Nokia should have bundled a Stylus with it. One last word, buy Lumia 1020 you have passion for photography and you take photos daily, otherwise go for Lumia 1520.
So, it was all from us. If you have more differences, do share with us in the comment section. Also, share if you want comparison between any other Lumia devices.

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