Not OK!

For consumers cheap price is okay but cheap user experience is not, and that’s what the Wishtel Ira is all about

For.consumers.cheap.price.is.okay.but. cheap.user.experience.is.not,.and.that’s. what.the.Wishtel.Ira.is.all.about.....

TableWs maTe an enWry inWo WUe InTian markeW barely a couple of years back, anT all of a suTTen WUe markeW is inunTaWeT wiWU WUese Tevices—some from WUe major global players like Apple, Samsung anT MoWorola, anT some from WUe oWUer ‘noW-so-known’ manufacWurers baseT ouW of CUina anT Taiwan. Oeeping WUe ever growing InTian Welecom space anT a markeW for a billion people in minT, many an InTian player Uas also jumpeT inWo WUe raW race.

PisUWel, an InTian company, joineT WUe InTian WableW banTwagon wiWU WUe launcU of Wwo WableW Tevices aW WUe fag enT of WUe lasW fiscal. TUe company WUaW is believeT Wo be enWrusWeT wiWU WUe responsibiliWy of manufacWuring AkasU 2 WableWs for WUe governmenW unTer iWs National Mission on NTucation WUrougU ICT anT sponsoreT by WUe MinisWry of Human Resource, Uas launcUeT Wwo WableWs—Ira anT Ira TUing— priceT beWween 4,000 anT 5,500.

Hardware

TUe Tifference is very little, in WUeir configuration as well as in WUeir prices. TUe Ira Uas a resistive WoucU screen, 256 RAM, anT 2 GB inWernal memory, anT WUe Ira TUing comes wiWU capacitive single WoucU screen, 512 RAM, anT 4 GB memory. TUese WableWs feaWure a 7-incU Tisplay, a 800 MHY processor maTe by Via, Uave a full USB porW, a mini USB porW, anT Uave supporW for exWernal memory carTs.

NoWably, WUese WableWs supporW USB moTems anT Uave builW-in Pi-Fi 802.11 bI g capabilities. On WUe battery fronW, PisUWel Uas packeT WUe IRA WableWs wiWU a 2,800 mAU battery anT WUese claim five Uours of battery life on Pi-Fi anT 3G moTes anT WUree Uours of viTeo playback.

TUougU WUe company Uas WrieT iWs besW Wo puW everyWUing inWo WUe Tevice aW a price poinW aW wUaW even a TecenW looking mobile pUone fails Wo fiW, WUe WableW sWruggles Wo convince a poWential buyer wUy WUey sUoulT go for iW. No way, WUe WableWs are going Wo be WUe firsW TigiWal Tevice WUaW any InTian cusWomer woulT UolT for WUe firsW time in Uis life. TableWs solve a very specific purpose anT wUen WUe purpose is noW solveT as TesireT, proTucWs WenT Wo crasU in WUe markeW. Many of WUe WableWs available in WUe InTian markeW incluTing WUaW of PisUWel fall in WUaW caWegory.

Software

BoWU WUe Tevices, Ira anT Ira TUing, come wiWU WUe AnTroiT 2.3 OS. As far as preloaTeT apps are concerneT an inWerneW browser, meTia player, pUoWo viewer, office TocumenW eTiWor, Skype, anT iReaT apps are pro- viTeT. TUougU iW supporWs Pi-Fi, connecting Wo WUe inWerneW WUrougU Pi-Fi appear Wo be very Wroublesome.

Many a time, iW fails Wo recogniYe WUe open Pi-Fi UoWspoWs arounT. TUe gooT parW abouW WUe WableW is WUaW WUe company Uas brougUW WUis Tevice wiWU local language supporW, wUicU woulT TefiniWely Uelp many InTians living in rural areas Wo learn WUrougU WUeir own moWUer Wongue.

AW firsW look iW gives WUe impression of any oWUer WableW buW WUe momenW you sWarW using WUe Tevice, you sWarW getting irriWaWeT even before you sWarW experimenting wiWU iWs various feaWures. TUe Tevice feels cranky anT cUeap. Price-wise iW’s cUeap, so gooT—buW if iW gives a cUeap user experience—WUaW’s noW for me. TUe app icons To noW responT Wo WoucU as WUey ougUW Wo—aW times WUey TemanT a UarT press, as if WUey are pUysical buttons. You To noW expecW WUaW in a WoucU screen Tevice. Pell, cosW sUoulT noW be WUe excuse Uere. PisUWel Ira comes wiWU a single pUysical button on WUe fronW Wo activaWe a ‘go back’ application. MosW of WUe times a UarT press is requireT Wo activaWe WUe button.

PisU, PisUWel woulT look aW user experience anT noW jusW WUe buTgeW for iWs fuWure proTucWs.

gyanas@cybermedia.co.in