Spice M-515 Coolpad Double SIM Android Mobile Phone-An Independent User Experience !

For almost a month, I have been researching to buy a new mobile phone as a replacement to the one I have been using for almost 2 years. 

Not that this one had any problem. It was a Micromax A-75 Superfone Lite which I had purchased for about Rs.8500/-. It was a cute looking black touchscreen mobile with double SIM and a 3.5 inch screen.

Before that I was a satisfied user of another double SIM mobile from the same company which looked like a replica of a famous international brand, but costing only one-tenth. I took the decision to go for a touch screen one from the same Indian mobile phone company, just to prove to some one in my family about the wastefulness of spending high amounts of money for these kinds of electronic gadgets, especially for those expensive models, when cheaper versions having almost the same functionality and better features are also available in the market. The world is now in a fast forward mode with thousands of people engaged in designing and marketing electronic gadgets having various features. The gadget you purchased a few months ago spending a good amount of money would soon become obsolete and cheap when some better designs get released. Those who are rich and have surplus money resources are in a position to buy all these things spending much and throw away those when newer things appear in the market. But it is simply a foolish idea for those who do not have that kind of resources to mimic the rich and waste their scare monetary resources.

But it is the weakness of the majority human beings to mimic those who are famous and rich. Hero worship comes from this inferior mindset. I said inferior, because they lack the ability to analyze situations and take independent decisions that might not be aligned with the thoughts of the majority. So, weaklings are easily brainwashed through advertisements and today's marketing management gurus give much stress to this when they train young marketing managers. An obvious outcome of this hero worship in today's world is the rise of high end brands in the case of marketable products and services and celebrities in the case of marketable human beings. Both these have the followers or fans in millions.

Anyway, that is the status of our world today and there is no escape from this reality. 

And I could not convince the brand fan in my family and I had to keep my new acquired mobile to myself and the brand fan purchased the liked brand having the same technical functionality by paying double the money I paid for my A-75. The expensive brand failed in a few months time while my cheaper brand kept working without any such problems. The brand fan got fully satisfied when the failed gadget got repaired by the company after some prolonged, not-much-cordial customer-supplier exchanges!

But it would not be true if I say that my A-75 was perfectly alright. In the beginning it did not bother me much when the phone took a  second or so to respond to my touches. But later I began to feel it as some thing not so desirable when I compared it with the newer versions having faster processors. Yet that was not enough reason to get it replaced and spending money for another mobile. 

In the mean time, finding some problems with some mobile network caused me to have more Subscriber Identity Modules , popularly known as SIMs,  from all possible mobile phone companies in my locality. These SIMs are some sort of micro-liabilities now-a-days. You have to keep it in safe custody as it is registered in your name. You cannot afford to miss or lose them. If these miniature micro computer embedded metal-plastic combination get into some unauthorized hands, my life could become a nightmare. The law-enforcers of the country could indeed make my life miserable.So, these extra SIMs that I got during these years almost free  now needs to be kept installed in some cell phone, rather than keeping them in some purse pockets! Moreover, I do not have the skill of hand, as some of the younger generation, to keep the phones opened now and then to interchange the SIMs as per needs! Of course this compels me to incur some recurring expenditure as I have to pay these telecom companies regularly whether I use these or not.

And lastly, my better half too began to have a fancy towards this touchscreen in the recent days. That fancy got migrated towards a compulsion when her non-touch screen mobile showed some charging hitches once or twice.

So, the time was nearing for purchasing another mobile, adding the functional mobiles in my household to four. My wife readily and very kindly agreed to be satisfied with my old A-75.

So, I had to do the research for selecting the new one that I am going to procure.

Luckily, the internet is full of information about mobile phones. You can know all the technical specifications, reviews from various novice users and expert mobil-o-holics, price quotes, comparisons, images and the like by just doing a few clicks. [try it yourself here!] 

Only problem, is that you need to be a bit tech-savvy to select from these the most ideal one for you.

As I have hinted earlier, I am not in favor of paying more just for a product's brand equity. Perhaps, the so-called MNC brands might be doing some better inspection and testing and may be paying more to their personnel than those manufacturers at the lower ends. But, some customers should be there to promote the products of the smaller players as well.

Considering all these and my requirements, after about two week's internet survey, I zeroed in to the model which I purchased. And this is SPICE M-515 Coolpad ! 

I have been using this now for the last few days.

The following is my independent review of this phone as a satisfied user. 

1. Its 5 inch screen which allows me to read word and pdf documents easily and watch photos and videos comfortably.

2. It has a 1.2 GHz processor with enough 1 GB RAM, 4 GB Phone Memory and slot for 32 GB memory card, quite enough for any normal user. It is really swift with regard to the its touch response. It has never hanged so far. I have installed many android apps easily and also uninstalled some without any difficulty. Connection to my PCs through the USB cord was also much easier.

3. The rear camera of 5 MP is reasonably good, with the VGA front camera just for that occasional video calls. Image and video qualities are good.

4.It has some very useful factory installed apps which I find as useful.

5. The pack contains the mini user manual, 2000 mA battery, screen guard, USB cord and charger.

6.The battery lasts comfortably with normal use. It lasts over two days for me, a minimum user. Even with heavy use the battery should last a day.

7. Most important is its price, under Rs.10000/- together with the external memory card of 16 GB.

Perhaps, the only disadvantage that I find with this phone now is the company's inability to supply the flip cover which I find as a very essential thing for touch phones of this size. It is a bit difficult to take it out from the shirt pocket as it could slip from your hands if you are not careful. It could also get damaged by accidental hits! But I hope, this company would soon be able to market the cover!

But remember, this phone is in the market for only for a few months now. It would not be possible to assess its long time usability, customer service from the company in case of problems and its life.

It would be perhaps better to purchase the phone from a local mobile shop, if one reliable one is available, as I have done, instead of ordering it online. The local dealer would perhaps be of better help in commissioning the phone and pasting the screen guard and giving you some better demonstrations!

Added Later:
I am happy that my local dealer could provide me the flip cover for the phone in a week's time as he had promised. With this genuine factory made cover with an MRP of Rs.1000 (the local dealer gave it for Rs.800!) made the phone complete in all respects as far as I am concerned.

Respect Seniority : A Divine Mandate for Longevity !

In the book of Exodus in the Old Testament Bible, the Ten Commandments that God gave to the descendants of Abraham are given. Out of these ten commandments, only one commandment is with a promise. It is the verse 12 of Chapter 20 of the Book of Exodus. It reads like this:

" Honor your father and mother that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you" 

In the Old and New Testament Bible, this commandment is stressed many times.

It is a divine mandate that each and every one in this world respect and honor their parents. If they obey that divine wish, they would have a long life in this world. That is an assurance from God. 

Thus, for longevity, one of the main requirements is that one should honor his or her parents.

Since parents are seniors to us by a generation, I would extrapolate that commandment a bit further. I would say, that the divine mandate to us is that we should respect all our seniors for receiving divine blessings.

I have been privileged to read and know about the divine organization that governs the whole of the Universe. The revealed knowledge provided in my favorite book of life guidance (The Urantia Book: about which I have written many times in my previous blogs) has been the source of that privilege.

In this book too, I remember reading a divine mandate that is given to the celestial or spiritual personalities who exist and work in different capacities in the Universal Administration of God. 

There are innumerable orders of personalities who are normally invisible to us humans, but are doing innumerable tasks in the innumerable worlds in the vast universe. They talk of the divine injunctions that the higher orders of spiritual personalities have. 

They talk about just three such injunctions that they have from God and the following are the first two:

1. They should always show adequate respect for the experience and endowments (God given powers) of their seniors and superiors.

2. They should always be considerate of the limitations and inexperience of their juniors and subordinates.

The above are applicable to each and every living being in this universe.

From the above, I presume that it is God's will that we give due respect to our seniors and superiors. 

It is also God's will that we give due consideration to the limitations and inexperience of our juniors and subordinates.

Every one of us is either a child or a parent or both. Similarly, we are bosses and subordinates at the same time. We are both seniors and juniors at the same time. We are all either elder brothers or sisters or younger brothers or sisters to some others.

So, if we wish to lead a good life and want to ensure longevity, it is necessary that we follow the divine mandate of respecting and honoring the seniors and being considerate to the juniors. 

If this simple rule is followed in the simplest organizational unit of the human society-the family-then we are bound to have happy and prosperous families. Starting from the family, this rule should be extending to our immediate neighborhood and to the whole fraternity of human groups and organizations. 

When we keep this simple divine mandate in our minds and act accordingly, our society would be happy and prosperous. 

In turn our nation would be happy and prosperous. Our business and governmental organizations would have long existence. They are bound to perform well. 

Now, those thinking of the other way are perhaps going against the divine mandate.

Many of our corporate business leaders and management experts think of making quick returns and results by going against this mandate. 

They think it is better bypass seniority in the organizational ladders with dynamic juniors for getting quick benefits. 

Quick benefits they might get. But then longevity of the organization would be the casualty. 

Would it be wise to make the son the head of the family in place of the father just because the former has acquired a university degree the latter did not have ? 

Would it be wise for the son to disrespect his father in such a case? 

In our world today, such things are happening. 

Juniors, sons and daughters are getting too impatient. They want to occupy the seniors' position in the shortest time. 

Respecting the seniors is not an important thing for a good number of people. 

At the same time a good number of seniors do not consider it as important to be considerate to their juniors. 

Same is the case with many parents with regard to their attitude towards their children.

When we do and act this way, we are violating the divine will. 

When we deviate from the divine mandate, we start losing the divine blessings. 

Without that blessing, our life would become more and more difficult. 

We may lose our longevity and the goodness of life!

In my opinion, it is very beneficial to give respect to elders regardless of their social status or position. Similarly, elders too need to learn the art of respecting their juniors. And when this is done, it has to be a sincere effort and not an artificial act.

Those who sincerely know how to respect others reflect a kind of divine aura that envolope them always as an invisible protection.

In reality, respect is nothing but a sincere fraternal love and consideration that is mandated by God.

Blessed and happy are those who know this secret of life!

What is the Supreme Experience of Living as a Human Being ?

My favorite book tells about the untold story of Jesus Christ in detail. The life and teachings of Jesus that is not covered in the New Testament Bible is so touchingly given in part-4 of this marvellous book ever published in human history so far.

Many details hitherto unknown about the life and teachings of Jesus before he chose the twelve well known disciples are covered in this part.

Very interesting in this part is the journey Jesus made in many part of the middle east and Europe working as a language interpreter to a wealthy Indian businessman named Ganod and his youthful son Ganid extending over an year.

During this long journey by these three, Jesus taught many things to his Indian companions. Most of these teachings arose on account of their experiences enroute.

On one occassion, the youth Ganid, whose was of same age as Jesus, was compelled to ask Jesus a question because he found that his Jewish interpreter often interacted with many strangers during his spare time.

He asked, “Why do you occupy yourself so continuously with these visits with strangers?”

And Jesus answered: “Ganid, no man is a stranger to one who knows God. In the experience of finding the Father (God) in heaven you discover that all men are your brothers, and does it seem strange that one should enjoy the exhilaration of meeting a newly discovered brother? To become acquainted with one’s brothers and sisters, to know their problems and to learn to love them, is the supreme experience of living.”

What a great learning the Indian youth had that day !

I keep thinking about these great truths that the Sovereign of this Universe in human incarnation taught his companion from India some 2000 years ago.

The supreme experience of living as a human being on earth !

It is nothing other than to get acquainted with our own brothers and sisters and to know their problems and to learn to love them.

It is the experience of finding God when we discover that all men and women are our brothers and sisters.

Because no man is a stranger to one who knows God !

Would it be possible for you to accept this fact,  my brother (sister) ?

[The bold lines are direct quotes from Paper-130 of my favorite book]

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