<div>Phew! The first three months of the year have seen so much action around mobile flagship devices, yet the launch of two devices- the Micromax A116 Canvas HD and the Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos I9082 - has brought the focus back on the mid-range segment. Both these devices pack in 5-inch displays and dual-SIM (with dual-standby) capabilities, run the Android 4.1 Jellybean version, and offer buyers similar specs in terms of camera (8MP), battery and memory specifications. Does the Samsung juggernaut steamroll the more competitively priced Canvas HD, or does the local underdog prevail? I pit both phones against each other on 5 key parameters to see which one triumphs.<br /> <br /><strong>Display:</strong> Score one for the Canvas HD, which features a 1280 x 720 pixel display in its five-inch screen as compared to the lower 480x800 pixels on the Grand. As a result, images, text and videos are sharper, though contrast issues make the experience seem a tad washed out when compared to the Grand. Has to be said that despite the lower resolution, the Grand display isn't bad, per se, but scrimping on a 720p display when a far cheaper handset packs one in seems odd.<br /><strong>Winner:</strong> Canvas HD, by a whisker.<br /> <br /><strong>Build Quality</strong>: While both phones make heavy use of plastic in their design, the Grand felt better and more refined in the hand, not to mention thinner, almost like a budget version of the SIII. While the Galaxy Grand is wider, the Canvas HD is longer, so it sits better in smaller-to-medium-sized hands. In either case, both devices punch above their weight and feel a lot more expensive than their price suggests - especially true with the Canvas HD which feels leagues better in the hand than previous Micromax phones.<br /><strong>Winner:</strong> Galaxy Grand, for its refinement and the extremely handy flip cover that's included in the retail pack.<br /><strong> <br />Performance:</strong> In terms of sheer horsepower, the quad-core chip under the Canvas HD's hood blows the dual-core-based Grand out of the water, even though you really have to push the two devices to see the extra grunt that the Canvas HD packs come into play. That said, the Grand is no slouch, and both handsets breeze through everyday tasks with ease, and you only see the Grand stutter under heavy multitasking and some of the latest graphics intensive games.<br /><strong>Winner:</strong> Canvas HD, for packing in so much more for less.<br /> <br /><strong>Interface:</strong> A thinly skinned, almost-pure Android experience vs. Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz skin? Ordinarily, I'd prefer the former, but in this case, the better social sharing options and neat software add-ons (like the split-screen view and the gesture support that's usually to be found on their more premium devices) tilt the discussion in favor of the Grand.<br /><strong>Winner:</strong> The Grand<br /><strong> <br />Camera:</strong> Both cameras perform well in well-lit conditions, but come evening, the Canvas HD's low light performance takes a massive hit - not so with the Grand. In fact, you could possibly consider the Canvas HD's camera its biggest drawback.<br /><strong>Winner: </strong>The Grand.<br /> <br /><strong>Battery Life:</strong> Battery life for both is middling in that they both last a day (just about), though even with the extra hardware that the Canvas HD packs, it doesn't drain out quite as quickly as the Grand does. Considering that the Grand has a large 2000mAh battery, this is surprising.<br /><strong>Winner:</strong> Canvas HD<br /><strong> <br />Media Playback:</strong> With good playback support in both handsets, playing movies is a cinch on either. Keep in mind though that the onboard storage and expandability on the Grand is double that of the Canvas HD, so if you're a media maven who absolutely must have a bunch of movies and numerous playlists wherever you go, the Grand is a better choice. My out-and-out choice for music and audio quality would go to the Grand, and the great pair of included headphones help its cause a fair bit. Even though the Grand packs in a lower resolution screen, the movie watching experience on the Grand is leagues ahead of the Canvas HD thanks to the great sound quality and high contrast levels.<br /><strong>Winner:</strong> The Grand.<br /> <br /><strong>Verdict:</strong> Things are neck and neck for the moment, but here's the clincher — the Canvas HD is cheaper than the Grand by about Rs. 7,000! Is the Samsung branding and the promise of better after-sales worth that much? Not in my books!<br /><br /> </div><table width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" align="center"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><strong>Back In Action</strong></td></tr><tr><td><img width="600" height="378" align="left" src="/image/image_gallery?uuid=2e049d89-65ed-41dc-9328-672bef558560&groupId=222852&t=1364584545226" alt="" /></td></tr><tr><td><br />Remember Lara Croft, the fictional British archaeologist whose killer looks and propensity for murder wholly overshadowed her little-explored archeological talent? Well, Lara's back in the 2013 reboot of the Tomb Raider series in a game that serves as a retelling of how Lara came to be, a prequel of sorts.<br /> <br />Beware, this game is full on right from the get go. Within the first few minutes, you're already in the thick of things, with Lara having been kidnapped, maimed, tortured and almost killed off. That's just a precursor of things to come — the gore just keep getting even more insane, and the game takes you through the psychological evolution of Lara as she goes from a young researcher to trigger-happy adventurer. Gameplay is fluid, if a little restricted with all those cut scenes. One of the best parts of the game I liked personally was the puzzle solving missions, and not only because they provided a breather from all the gore. All in all, Tomb Raider is a well-executed and beautifully paced game that truly does justice to one of gaming's most iconic characters. Just watch out for the gore.<br /> <br /><strong>Rating:</strong> 9/10<br /><strong>Price: </strong>Rs 2,499 for Xbox/PS3<br /><strong>URL: </strong>http://bit.ly/12QCARM</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br />technocool at kanwar dot net<br />twitter@2shar<br /><br /> </div>
