Tech PIVI

HTC made a big splash at the Mobile World Congress this year when it showcased three new devices under its HTC One umbrella, namely the One X, One S and One V. The One V is the second device in the series to be launched in the country. Priced at Rs. 19,399, the smartphone draws attention thanks to its protruding chin design, which is reminiscent of the HTC Legend. Unlike its elder siblings the One S and the One X, the device sports a comparably smaller 3.7-inch display, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But is the device worthy of all the attention? We take a look. Hardware/ Design The HTC One V has a unibody aluminium chassis that gives it a premium look. The curved back edges make the device quite conformable to hold. Drawing on inspirations from the HTC Legend, a prominent design feature is its kinked chin bottom that certainly differentiates it from the rest in its category. With a 3.7-inch Gorilla Glass display, the One V is about the same size as th...

Until I started watching videos on Samsung's new Galaxy S III phone, I never thought of the iPhone's display as small. The Galaxy's screen measures 4.8 inches diagonally, compared with 3.5 inches for the iPhone. That translates to a display area that's nearly twice the size. Yet the Galaxy is thinner and lighter. Apart from that, the Galaxy shares the iPhone's curvy and shiny design, along with a center button that wakes up the device from power-saving mode or takes you from whatever you're doing to a home screen. Unlike the iPhone, the Galaxy runs on faster 4G cellular networks (AT&T markets its iPhones as 4G, but the network is based on older technology). The Galaxy also comes with a new wireless technology called near-field communications, which can be used to share files and make purchases. Pictures taken with the Galaxy were sharper and had better light balance than those with the iPhone, based on a handful of test shots I took. Th...