Mobilink Posts Fairly Flat Revenues During Q3, 2013

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0U232G9H0axtJfKNKI0dkAoow-oJoVn1_AJrYo92GCTNksB139U2AS2aIFx1sCnurxJls0SWv6LsA0ZlFgF1EHNDw7GImkXHI9K3UlN_0uH6dUj1nRhF8OKM5wdgWHRRSVWbmnoqMvdY/s1600/Mobilink-Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0U232G9H0axtJfKNKI0dkAoow-oJoVn1_AJrYo92GCTNksB139U2AS2aIFx1sCnurxJls0SWv6LsA0ZlFgF1EHNDw7GImkXHI9K3UlN_0uH6dUj1nRhF8OKM5wdgWHRRSVWbmnoqMvdY/s1600/Mobilink-Logo.jpg" /></a></div> Mobilink has posted a 4 percent YoY growth in revenues during the first nine months of ongoing fiscal year when compared with same duration last year, said an earning report published by VimpelCom, the parent group of Mobilink.<br /> Group’s Pakistani arm, the report said, generated Rs. 82 billion as revenues during the first three quarters of 2013, slightly up from Rs. 79 billion it had earned during the same duration last year.<br /> Report said that the sluggish growth in revenue was mainly driven by several government-forced cellular network closures and a severe power blackout.<br /> Mobilink said that EBITDA increased by merely 3 percent to Rs 35 billion during first nine months, up from Rs 34 billion during the same period of last year.<br /> EBITDA margin during the third quarter of 2013 stood at 43.1 percent, just up from 43 percent during the corresponding quarter last year, mainly due to higher CAPEX.<br /> <div class="adsxpls" id="adsxpls1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"> </div> Mobilink reported an increase of 19 percent in CAPEX in US dollars, mainly due to one-off rebranding of company, increased electricity tariff, and devaluation of Pakistani currency.<br /> Mobilink reported a 4% YoY gorwth in subscribers which stood at 37.4 million by the end of Q3, 2013, said to be driven by continued management of churn coupled with a focus on reactivation offers, the launch of <br /> competitive bundles and data products. <br /> Company’s ARPU declined to Rs. 229 per user per month, down from Rs. 249.2 a quarter ago. Monthly average minutes consumed per user remained 222, down from 233 minutes per user month recorded a quarter ago.<br /> Here are financial highlights of Mobilink:<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSx2U3J8fIE5yB6yvCwYdypUy773z4iGoinHcgp2MDvcFfZ9E3WW7lezj2LFuQP5qllXibtoqRFwRJNk1-0xhSnqtmWQDvslamkF-VnqQtEMpboQbUAvSZ4b-3cdSKEn3i09aVval2TA/s1600/Mobilink_Report.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSx2U3J8fIE5yB6yvCwYdypUy773z4iGoinHcgp2MDvcFfZ9E3WW7lezj2LFuQP5qllXibtoqRFwRJNk1-0xhSnqtmWQDvslamkF-VnqQtEMpboQbUAvSZ4b-3cdSKEn3i09aVval2TA/s1600/Mobilink_Report.jpg" /></a></div> </div>

Mobilink Posts Fairly Flat Revenues During Q3, 2013

Mobilink has posted a 4 percent YoY growth in revenues during the first nine months of ongoing fiscal year when compared with same dura...

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Samsung Will Make Foldable Display Smartphones by 2015

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxt_WfmaPyhcVa5_kJk8CZivxpCZMyPzLnU9R-MbdW1N6dYUT8tlr02iGdK2LQz2IEbpjAiFrf_FQd0SP3O6nvv3-8vUMG-oN5z0MxgOp4eLwrNby5ZD3831neb_7tlD9LBtY0xBooB88/s1600/bend-flex-disp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxt_WfmaPyhcVa5_kJk8CZivxpCZMyPzLnU9R-MbdW1N6dYUT8tlr02iGdK2LQz2IEbpjAiFrf_FQd0SP3O6nvv3-8vUMG-oN5z0MxgOp4eLwrNby5ZD3831neb_7tlD9LBtY0xBooB88/s1600/bend-flex-disp.jpg" /></a></div> Samsung has announced that by 2015-16, it will grab another first in the smartphone industry, in the form of ‘foldable displays’. <br /> <div class="adsxpls" id="adsxpls1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"> </div> Until now, we’ve seen foldable smartphones such as the Kyocera Echo but when it comes to displays, the consumer use of the technology is still virtually non-existent.<br /> The revelation was made by Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh Hyun at the Samsung Analyst Day in Seoul. According to his plans, the company will also be offering bendable smartphones by next year. Hyun also maintained his statement regarding the company’s <a href="http://rexhacker.blogspot.com/2013/09/samsung-galaxy-gear-gets-official.html" target="_blank">Galaxy Gear smartwatch</a>, saying that it’s not up to the mark. <br /> New innovations in other technologies such as image sensors and APs were also discussed which should be making an appearance in the company’s mobile devices by 2016. <br /> The Korean company already has a bit of a <a href="http://rexhacker.blogspot.com/2013/10/samsung-ranks-second-in-list-of.html" target="_blank">reputation for betting their money on new and ground-breaking ideas</a> but will those foldable and bendable displays prove to be practical and actually useful, instead of taking the word ‘gimmick’ to an all new level? Looking at Samsung’s recent history that’s tough to tell.</div>

Samsung Will Make Foldable Display Smartphones by 2015

Samsung has announced that by 2015-16, it will grab another first in the smartphone industry, in the form of ‘foldable displays’. Unt...

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Appoint Permanent Chairman PTA Immediately: Chief Justice

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7abc3UdanZGwod57DPNvJHkbeBn_FfyVfyD6sGVKnxO-AUMYM7NxYnxzxoiNFfhTdSqXog6eP11G9gsET7jPpKDQnoO8OIxrve9BxiPVCN8iPt52mS6xf8E68tCWukMCZC5CLHeTOiw/s1600/Supreme-Court-of-Pakistan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7abc3UdanZGwod57DPNvJHkbeBn_FfyVfyD6sGVKnxO-AUMYM7NxYnxzxoiNFfhTdSqXog6eP11G9gsET7jPpKDQnoO8OIxrve9BxiPVCN8iPt52mS6xf8E68tCWukMCZC5CLHeTOiw/s1600/Supreme-Court-of-Pakistan.jpg" /></a></div> Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed the federal government to appoint permanent chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority immediately. <br /> A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed this during a hearing of the petition for early auction of 3G technology in the country.<br /> It maybe recalled that Supreme Court had accepted a petition for earliest auction of third-generation telecom licenses (3G, 4G, LTE). During the process, Supreme Court had directed the government to appoint PTA Chairman and members as auction of 3G was not possible without these appointments.<br /> Federal Government, while complying with the directions, had appointed Dr. Ismail Shah as Acting Chairman PTA and Tariq Sultan as Member Finance. The slot of Chairman was termed “Acting” despite the fact that Dr. Ismail Shah was hired properly while fulfilling all mandatory requirements.<br /> <div class="adsxpls" id="adsxpls1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"> </div> Market experts say that interim nature of Chairman is beyond comprehension as selection was properly made after undergoing the entire hiring process. Some believe that Government appointed Dr. Ismail as Acting Chairman only to keep a check on him to make sure that he doesn’t go beyond the federal control.<br /> The glitch is now caught by the Supreme Court, which remarked that under Section-3 of PTA laws there was no concept of an acting chairman.<br /> Supreme Court in its order said that Federal Government must appoint permanent Chairman of telecom regulatory body at earliest and to auction the 3G license without any further delay.<br /> It won’t be out of place to mention here that PTA has already published an advertisement for the hiring of consultants for 3G auction. PTA said that it will finalize the hiring of consultants by third week of November, after which preparation of IM for 3G will get started.<br /> Auction of 3G licenses – if everything goes as per plan – is likely to happen around February 2014.</div>

Appoint Permanent Chairman PTA Immediately: Chief Justice

Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed the federal government to appoint permanent chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority imm...

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Pakistan Idol Receives Over 10K Entries through Mobilink Mobile Auditions

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXP6vA3i6E2g1C102zvMB-awCgzSz2UzQFh_WaLyMhXIgoOj50nKaxOZmvYxqH6uZsWx24uFBHwtFA3AZA7C07sCMBEAr0LbyGyl4VyvU0Iu8gdggG3X7c3tQWBeKyVGDaPnzu9ohw5zc/s1600/Mobilink_Mobile_Auditions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXP6vA3i6E2g1C102zvMB-awCgzSz2UzQFh_WaLyMhXIgoOj50nKaxOZmvYxqH6uZsWx24uFBHwtFA3AZA7C07sCMBEAr0LbyGyl4VyvU0Iu8gdggG3X7c3tQWBeKyVGDaPnzu9ohw5zc/s1600/Mobilink_Mobile_Auditions.jpg" /></a></div> Mobilink’s mobile auditions have received 10,861 entries from participants aspiring to participate in Pakistan Idol. <br /> The Mobilink mobile auditions mark the first time in the history of the global reality show that participants have been able to send in their nominations using call-ins. <br /> As the official cellular partner of Pakistan Idol, Mobilink took on the responsibility of empowering 37 million subscribers on its network by providing them access to Pakistan Idol through their mobile phones. The resulting call-in nominations were received from over 850 cities, towns and villages from across Pakistan. <br /> Farid Ahmad, Vice President Marketing, Mobilink said, “Our support for Pakistan Idol is part of our belief in the inherent talent of the people of Pakistan. As Pakistan’s telecom industry leader, Mobilink understands its responsibility to provide an equal opportunity across the length and breadth of the country to participate in the world’s largest music reality show. Mobilink takes great pride in having increased the outreach of ‘Pakistan Idol’ to over 850 locations across Pakistan.” <br /> Pakistan Idol will follow a similar pattern as the international ‘Idol’ series. A total of 100 participants are to be finalized in the first round, based on in-person and mobile auditions. 40 will be further short-listed to reach the ‘Theater Round’ where they will compete in group and individual performances. The ‘Piano’ round will be the final stage of the competition, with 13 contestants performing over several weeks for the coveted title of ‘Pakistan Idol’.</div>

Pakistan Idol Receives Over 10K Entries through Mobilink Mobile Auditions

Mobilink’s mobile auditions have received 10,861 entries from participants aspiring to participate in Pakistan Idol. The Mobilink mobile...

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FBI offering $100,000 reward for information on Most Wanted Cyber Criminals

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdEEFgH7xIGR_qR5inmaZh1naGlu9o5jRzApf0gTJcB_4r1KAD1pZbKrn2e0ztkwVm-ufCuBNl1biaMBYqoch0itGN10QTrWPMibf5reSTRyp9GpfNfg-LxaAlbf_0tzZkZLC1qmABtA/s1600/FBI+offering+100000+reward+for+information+on+Most+Wanted+Hackers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdEEFgH7xIGR_qR5inmaZh1naGlu9o5jRzApf0gTJcB_4r1KAD1pZbKrn2e0ztkwVm-ufCuBNl1biaMBYqoch0itGN10QTrWPMibf5reSTRyp9GpfNfg-LxaAlbf_0tzZkZLC1qmABtA/s640/FBI+offering+100000+reward+for+information+on+Most+Wanted+Hackers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="google-src-active-text" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has added five new hackers to its Cyber most wanted list and is seeking information from the public regarding their whereabouts.</div> <div class="google-src-active-text" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> The new fugitives on the FBI's Cyber Most Wanted list are:<br /> <ul> <li>Pakistani nationals Farhan Arshad and Noor Aziz Uddin, wanted for their alleged involvement in an international telecommunications hacking scheme. Between 2008 and 2012, the pair gained unauthorized access to business telephone systems, resulting in losses exceeding $50 million. Arshad and Uddin are part of an international criminal ring that the FBI believes extends into Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Spain, Singapore, Italy, Malaysia and elsewhere.</li> </ul> <ul class="unIndentedList"> <li> Carlos Perez-Melara, wanted for a variety of cyber crimes-including running a fraudulent website in 2003 that offered customers a way to "catch a cheating lover." Those who took the bait downloaded spyware that secretly installed a program on their computers that allowed scammers to steal the victims' identities and personal information.</li> <li> Syrian national Andrey Nabilevich Taame, wanted for his alleged role in Operation Ghost Click, a malware scheme that compromised more than four million computers in more than 100 countries between 2007 and October 2011; there were at least 500,000 victims in the United States alone.</li> <li> Russian national Alexsey Belan, wanted for allegedly remotely accessing the computer networks of three U.S.-based companies in 2012 and 2013 and stealing sensitive data as well as employees' identities.</li> </ul> Others already on the FBI's list include:<br /> <ul> <li>Peteris Sahurovs is wanted for his alleged involvement in an international cybercrime scheme that took place from February of 2010 to September of 2010. The scheme utilized a computer virus that involved the online sale of fraudulent computer security programs that defrauded Internet users of more than $2 million.</li> </ul> <ul class="unIndentedList"> <li> Artem Semenov is wanted for his alleged participation in an Eastern European cyber crime ring, operating out of New York, which is known for recruiting money mules to open bank accounts, cashing out money received through unauthorized money transfers, and then transferring the money overseas. An arrest warrant was issued for Semenov in the Southern District of New York on September 29, 2010, after he was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud; conspiracy to possess false identification documents; and false use of passport.</li> <li> Shaileshkumar P. Jain, along with his co-conspirator, <a href="http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cyber/bjorn-daniel-sundin/view">Bjorn Daniel Sundin</a>, is wanted for his alleged involvement in an international cybercrime scheme that caused internet users in more than 60 countries to purchase more than one million bogus software products, resulting in consumer loss of more than $100 million. It is alleged that from December 2006 to October 2008, through fake advertisements placed on legitimate companies' websites, Jain and his accomplices deceived internet users into believing that their computers were infected with "malware" or had other critical errors in order to encourage them to purchase "scareware" software products that had limited or no ability to remedy the purported defects.</li> <li> Alexandr Sergeyevich Bobnev was indicted in the Southern District of New York on November 26, 2008, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Bobnev was indicted for his alleged participation in a money laundering scheme involving unauthorized access to the accounts of a major provider of investment services. Bobnev allegedly accessed compromised accounts and wire transferred funds out of these accounts to money mules in the United States. These mules were then responsible for transferring the money back to Bobnev. Between June of 2007 and August of 2007, Bobnev allegedly wired or attempted to wire over $350,000 from compromised accounts.</li> </ul> </div> </div>

FBI offering $100,000 reward for information on Most Wanted Cyber Criminals

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has added five new hackers to its Cyber most wanted list and is seeking information from the publ...

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Nokia Lumia 720 Review And Price

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbFQ_K7ol618fA3N9ffSSyJPPsYKVq7G3va7OUT7F9tHFX5Rq59DMz-e4xu8UEYZBMYSIgdImsZkZrkKscDsOqIWj0AAWwBpXLeXWJuNjLo49bTmy3N2wm8DS3itJQHUsGuACS1E4E_s/s1600/nokia-lumia-720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbFQ_K7ol618fA3N9ffSSyJPPsYKVq7G3va7OUT7F9tHFX5Rq59DMz-e4xu8UEYZBMYSIgdImsZkZrkKscDsOqIWj0AAWwBpXLeXWJuNjLo49bTmy3N2wm8DS3itJQHUsGuACS1E4E_s/s320/nokia-lumia-720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_HTStoryPageControl_Para1">Ever since the Finnish company decided to join forces with Microsoft, Nokia has been steadily releasing a slew of Windows Phones into the market covering various price points. We have seen devices like the Lumia 920 and the Lumia 820 in the past, which took care of the high-end of the market and</span> <span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_HTStoryPageControl_Para2"> phones such as the Lumia 520 and the Lumia 620, which are covering the low-end. </span><br /> Today we have the Lumia 720 with us, which sits bang in the middle of Nokia’s Lumia range and is a mid-range device with enough features to attract those who don’t want to spend too much but want something more than a budget device. Let’s see how well it performs. <br /> <b>Design</b><br /> Nokia has history of making great looking and the Lumia 720 is no different. The phone takes on the appearance of the more expensive Lumia 920 and looks really good, particularly the red version pictured here. Unlike some of the other Lumia models, the 720 has a unibody construction and the polycarbonate on the back fuses effortlessly with the glass on the front. <br /> <div align="center"> <img align="middle" alt="image1" src="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/popup/2013/7/Lumia-720-1.JPG" /></div> The front has the Gorilla Glass 2 stretching from top to bottom and housing the display roughly in the middle. As with the previous Lumia phones, there is a sizable bezel around the screen, particularly below with the three keys, and it does tend to make the display look smaller than it is. Above the display are the earpiece and the front facing camera. <br /> <div align="center"> <img align="middle" alt="image2" src="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/popup/2013/7/Lumia-720-2.JPG" /></div> On the right, the phone has the volume control keys, power keys and two-step camera shutter key. Having the power key on the side instead of the top is convenient but having it on same side as the volume keys means you often end up pressing one when you want the other. Having it on the other side would have reduced the confusion. <br /> On top is the 3.5mm headphone jack. Since the phone has a unibody design, the card slots are on the outside, with the micro SIM slot on top and microSD slot on the left, both operated using the provided tool. On the bottom is the micro USB port. <br /> <div align="center"> <img align="middle" alt="image3" src="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/popup/2013/7/Lumia-720-3.JPG" /></div> On the back is the 5 megapixel camera with an LED flash. A secondary microphone can be seen just above the flash. Near the bottom are the connectors for the snap-on wireless charging cover and loudspeaker. The snap-on cover is a separately sold accessory and not part of the standard equipment. It adds extra size and bulk to the phone, not to mention makes it look worse, for the convenience of wireless charging. <br /> The hardware has a nice feel and fits well in your hand. The matte red unit we received looked nice but was a tad slippery, which was exacerbated by the curvy body. The phone, however, feels rock solid despite the plastic construction and should be able to take a few drops without any issues. <br /> Overall the design and build of the Lumia 720 are very impressive and although it is only a mid-range device it has a premium feel to it that surpasses that of many expensive phones. <br /> <b>Display</b><br /> The Lumia 720 has a 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 resolution ClearBlack LCD. The ClearBlack technology improves outdoor visibility by employing a polarizing filter that makes the display easier to see even under direct sunlight. <br /> The 720 also uses a couple of software tweaks to improve the visibility under bright light by changing the color and brightness of the panel. The image no longer looks natural but if you’re just trying to look at text or a map under sunlight then it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. <br /> Lastly, the Lumia 720 also employs the super-sensitive touch that we first saw on the Lumia 920. Once enabled, this lets you use the touchscreen even through gloves or pretty much anything, for that matter. <br /> Speaking of image quality, the display on the Lumia 720 is actually quite good. The colors, brightness, contrast, viewing angles and sunlight legibility are all impressive. Only issue is the WVGA resolution, which makes some of the fonts look rough, especially while scrolling. Still, for most parts the display on the Lumia 720 is quite satisfactory. <br /> <b>Hardware, Software and Performance</b><br /> The Lumia 720 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8227 SoC with a 1GHz dual-core Krait CPU and Adreno 305 GPU. In terms if memory, it has 512MB of RAM and 8GB of storage space, out of which only about 3GB is available to the user. You’ll be glad to know then that the phone also has a microSD card slot. In terms of connectivity, the phone has 3G/HSPA, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ab/g/n, NFC, A-GPS and GLONASS. <br /> The software is the same old Windows Phone 8. Released over a year ago now, the OS is already starting to feel long in the tooth and Microsoft’s glacial pace at updating it isn’t helping matters. In its current version, Windows Phone would have been great four years ago but feels severely out of touch with what’s going on in the rest of the smartphone world. Whatever is the next version it couldn’t come soon enough. <br /> Beyond the core operating system, Nokia has usual has installed its own range of apps and service. There is the excellent Nokia Here maps application, along with turn-by-turn voice navigation with Nokia Drive. Then there is the Nokia Music service for free streaming of Indian and international music, Cinemagraph for taking pictures with moving elements, Panorama for, well, panorama shots, Smart Shoot that takes multiple shots and lets you choose the best one, and a couple of others. Nokia has also installed a few third party apps, such as BIGFLIX, BookMyShow, Cosmopolitan, Hike, TripAdvisor and Zomato. As usual, you can choose to uninstall all of these, if you wish. <br /> Nokia’s applications are what set their Windows Phone devices apart from everyone else’s (that and the fact that every else seems to have pretty much given up at this point). Nokia does a good job of making up for Microsoft’s inadequacies to quite an extent. <br /> Unfortunately, Nokia can’t make up for everything and as before, Windows Phone still lags behind when it comes to third party apps. It’s disappointing that even after three years this is still an issue but that’s just how it is. If you’re not a big app or games person and only need the basic apps to get through your day, you should be fine. More demanding users would still be advised to look at iOS or Android. <br /> In terms of performance, the Lumia 720 is in line with other Windows Phone devices. The UI is as smooth as ever, although occasionally it would hiccup in odd places. The menu in the camera app, for example, always lagged every time it was brought up. <br /> As with other Lumia phones, the 720 comes with additional options in the Settings menu, such as for the display and network settings. These are not part of the core OS and added separately by Nokia through. Due to this, there is a distinct lag when you open them, complete with a loading screen. On surface, they look like any other settings item so the lag is likely to confuse an average user who doesn’t know what Nokia has been up to. It would be better if Nokia works on making the integration more seamless by getting rid of the loading screens. <br /> The Lumia 720 comes with 512MB of RAM, which other than making a handful of apps incompatible with the device also makes it easy to run out of memory during multitasking. It’s not difficult to choke the phone by running a few apps in the background while web browsing. This usually results in the phone either closing the apps or closing browser tabs. <br /> Performance in gaming is a mixed bag. In certain games such as Temple Run there was noticeable lag whereas Asphalt 7: Heat worked fine. It really depends upon the developers and how they optimize their apps. Unfortunately, most of them don’t really bother, which negatively affects the overall gaming performance. <br /> <b>Multimedia </b><br /> The Lumia 720 has a 6.7 megapixel camera, which is a rather odd resolution to have. The main attraction is the camera aperture, which at f/1.9 is the widest on a mobile phone camera till date. What this should result in is some good low-light photography and shallow depth of field. <br /> <div align="center"> <img align="middle" alt="image4" src="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/popup/2013/7/Lumia-720-4.JPG" /></div> <div align="center"> <img align="middle" alt="image5" src="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/popup/2013/7/Lumia-720-5.JPG" /></div> <div align="center"> <img align="middle" alt="image6" src="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/popup/2013/7/cup.jpg" /></div> In terms of image quality, the Lumia 720 acquits itself quite well. Nokia is one of the best around when it comes to camera quality but it’s good to see the expertise trickle down to mid-range offerings as well. The images from the 720 are fairly detailed and noise-free with natural colors and sharpness. The large aperture doesn’t really result in a particularly shallow depth of field compared to phones with smaller apertures but then that is expected from such a small lens. <br /> In lowlight, the camera once again delivers impressive results, with genuinely usable images, helped no doubt by the wide aperture allowing more light in than on most camera phones. Of course, the aperture alone can’t do much, so it’s good that Nokia has paired the optics with a good sensor as well. Low light images look pretty decent and have a surprisingly low-amount of noise. <br /> Videos were once again quite good. The phone records 720p videos, which, other than the usual wobble associated with a lack of stabilization of any kind, were sharp and smooth. <br /> The audio video performance is on par with other Windows Phone devices. The music player still won’t let you play FLAC files and the video player cannot play anything other than MP3, that too without subtitle support. This barebones experience may have made sense back in 2007 when the iPhone was announced but not anymore. The fact that you don’t even have decent apps to make up for this functionality makes things worse. <br /> The audio quality of the 720 is pretty good, both through the headphones as well as the loudspeaker. The single loudspeaker, despite its position is pretty loud even if you keep it on a surface. The headphone output can be altered as Nokia bundles an equalizer app within the main settings although it’s best to leave them disabled. Nokia also bundles a pair of earphones with the phone but they have to be perhaps the worse I’ve ever heard and don’t ever deserve to be taken out of the box. <br /> <b>Battery Life</b><br /> The Lumia 720 has a non-removable 2,000mAh battery. The battery size is the same as the one in the Lumia 920 and even bigger than what HTC provides with the 8X. Considering the slower processor, this has a profound effect on battery life. With regular usage, the Lumia 720 could get about two days of battery life, which has become incredibly rare these days. Even with heavy usage you’d still get over a day of usage, which is still pretty awesome. <br /> <b>Verdict</b><br /> There is a lot to like in the Lumia 720. The design is absolutely gorgeous and good enough to make you want to buy the phone on that merit alone. The display is also pretty good, despite the lower resolution. The camera is impressive, both indoors and outdoors and the battery life is outstanding. <br /> It’s not without its flaws, however. The first is Windows Phone 8, which is no longer a competitive operating system. It lags behind iOS and Android in both features as well as third party applications. Unless Microsoft gets its game together and releases some significant updates it is bound to fade into obscurity. <br /> Secondly, at <span class="WebRupee"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Rs. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">17,999</span></span>, the Lumia 720 is quite expensive. You are paying nearly twice over the Lumia 520 and not getting a lot in return. Priced below <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="WebRupee"> Rs. </span>15,000</span></span>, the Lumia 720 would have been easier to recommend but not so much at the current price. <br /> All things considered, if you’re someone who doesn’t use a lot of apps and manage to find a good deal, the Lumia 720 is a fine device and one of the best mid-range smartphones on the market today. Others are advised to look elsewhere. </div>

Nokia Lumia 720 Review And Price

Ever since the Finnish company decided to join forces with Microsoft, Nokia has been steadily releasing a slew of Windows Phones into ...

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