# Karbonn A18



## shuhailnp (Aug 31, 2012)

Hi,
This is my new karbonn A18 , bought it 3 days back for Rs 9700..
*www.facebook.com/groups/174015199402317/


*img443.imageshack.us/img443/8467/20120831091454.jpg
*img42.imageshack.us/img42/344/20120831091501.jpg
*img401.imageshack.us/img401/8608/20120831091842.jpg
*img801.imageshack.us/img801/8034/20120831091849.jpg
*img221.imageshack.us/img221/5930/20120831091859.jpg
*img571.imageshack.us/img571/4649/20120831091919.jpg

pros-

4.3 ics screen is awsome !!!
Cheap .
512mb ram
ics
super smooth performance
plays 720p video with little lag (in mxplayer)
5mp with 720p , burst mode , face detection , smile shot etc
mediatek 6575
powervr gfx531
 Quadrant 2100 (average ) max (2349)
 Antutu – 3718
 Nenamark – 44.4fps
 Nenamark 2 – 22.6


cons -

Instead of 1gb just 512 mb ram!!
not dual core.
micromax a90 is better in looks .
low quality 720p recording .
Secondary mic not utilized for stereo audio recording for  video..


benchmarks 
*img849.imageshack.us/img849/8225/screenshot2012083023232.png
*img253.imageshack.us/img253/1816/screenshot2012083023295.png
*img89.imageshack.us/img89/8703/screenshot2012083023331.png
*img201.imageshack.us/img201/9881/screenshot2012083016401.png
*img163.imageshack.us/img163/6200/screenshot2012083016492.png

*Video ...*




*camera* 




*Test 720p video recording*



*
Stll camera and front cam samples*

*img155.imageshack.us/img155/3731/img20120901164419.jpg
*img32.imageshack.us/img32/4594/img20120901173140.jpg


*front cam*

*img36.imageshack.us/img36/6782/img20120901170517.jpg


More details 
*www.karbonnmobiles.com/product_a18_detail.php


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## Pranav19 (Aug 31, 2012)

from were you got it for 6700.. its vfm for such a price..  neways congrats on your purchase. please do a full review of possible


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## randomuser111 (Aug 31, 2012)

Very nice performance at that price. Congrats


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## shuhailnp (Aug 31, 2012)

sorry its rs 9700


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## duke123 (Aug 31, 2012)

can u run some games and hows the camera....


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## pramudit (Aug 31, 2012)

congrats for new mobile and the benchmark of the device are pretty good considering its price...


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## kool (Sep 1, 2012)

shuhailnp said:


> sorry its rs 9700




hey is this big in size? 
can u make skype vid call?
howz battery life?


I m planning to buy Micromax A100


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## Siddique (Sep 1, 2012)

Hows the battery back up? And camera quality?? Is it upgradable to android 4.1?


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## shuhailnp (Sep 1, 2012)

Updated with video ....

Battery life is ok , but have to test fully ...
skype i didnt check
its big ...


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## donnydarko (Sep 1, 2012)

Hi SHUHAILNP,

Can you please tell more about this device, I am interested in buying this device and I have been trying to decide between this and Micromax A90. But, Karbonn A18 seems like a better option. Please answer a few questions for me,


1) how is the call quality ? It the in-ear speaker good, loud and clear ? and also the loudspeaker, is it also loud during the calls and it is loud while playing video and music ?

2) Is the touchscreen responsive ? how many multi touch does it support  ? 2, 3, 4, 5, .... ?

3) As the confusion about the RAM has cleared now that it is 512 MB and not 1 GB as stated at some places. Does it make the User interface lag  ? Do you see considerable lag while going through UI and after running memory heavy applications and games  ?

4) Has Karbonn done any modifications to the UI  ? Because as it is evident from the video you posted that it is not a stock Android user interface, so what is it  ? is it a UI theme you installed or is the device is having some sort of UI given by Karbonn ?

5) the phone seems to be a bit thicker than Micromax A90, but does it feel heavy too after holding for long time ? 

Over all what are your impressions about the Karbonn A18 as a product ? does it feel like a quality product or does it feel that its a cheap product for a cheaper price ? Also, please try and test the maps and GPS performance on the device and post your opinion about the same.

Thanks and best regards.


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## Siddique (Sep 2, 2012)

Thanks for the video


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## Siddique (Sep 2, 2012)

Is smile detection option in camera?


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## shuhailnp (Sep 2, 2012)

1> Call quality is good , in ear and speaker quality is good but not so loud ...
2> touch screen is capacitive and it has  very good performance . multitouch is 3 .
3> I didnt face any lag .
4> it had stock ui , i cahnged it to custom.
5> Its not heavy , i felt lighter than i imagined .
overall its good , at this price this is best . only concern is the back cover so plasticky..
i will test the gps performance later...


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## HE-MAN (Sep 2, 2012)

well according to benchmarks this seems fast and more powerful then mmx a100 but can u personally suggest this over a100


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## Silakidum (Sep 2, 2012)

Dude one thing I wanted to know on A18..

1) Did the screen goes blank after we pick a call or dial a call? In A9 I have seen this problem.. Is this appears in A18 also.. Please advice..

In A9 i have seen this often.. When we Pick or dial a call, the screen goes blank(Black screen) and it doesn't switch on for some times even after we cut the call..

2) And in A9 when we click on galary, it takes time to go into the galary.. Is this same in A18?

This two things stopping me from buying this phone.. Please do answer me.. Also tell me about the 3G experience in this Phone..

Thanks in Advance!!!


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## shuhailnp (Sep 2, 2012)

Yes the screen goes blank only if we place near ear , and it switch back immediately when its not near ear .
it doest take much time to go to gallery ..

Well a100 is for those who wants just big screen , or else a19 is better in all aspects ..


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## naikwadisd (Sep 2, 2012)

Dude first of all thanx for helping us out with the video... A few more questions to ask for....

1. Is this active dual sim standby? Or switched?
2. How about Battery life?
3. How about build quality of the phone?
4. Does the phone can be Rooted?
5. How about Default video player performance?
6. And Does Karbonn provides good technical service support?


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## shuhailnp (Sep 3, 2012)

1> active dual standby . 
2> not bad 
3> average
4> dont know 
5> 480p works fine . 720p struggles
6> no idea


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## ibex33 (Sep 3, 2012)

shuhailnp said:


> 1> Call quality is good , in ear and speaker quality is good but not so loud ...
> 2> touch screen is capacitive and it has  very good performance . multitouch is 3 .
> 3> I didnt face any lag .
> 4> it had stock ui , i cahnged it to custom.
> ...




Hello, Can you please tell me which custom rom you have used for ur phone?
Also how is the battery life and GPS performance.
Thanks.


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## shuhailnp (Sep 3, 2012)

Its stock rom , not custom ....


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 3, 2012)

I checked gta 3,shadow gun,amazing spiderman,temple run works very well

It had powerful gpu (mt6575) compare aderno

Everything good except i feel it little bit heavier

how much weight of this mobile and also mmx a90,a100
Is all smartphone heavier when screen size big??


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## Silakidum (Sep 4, 2012)

Thanks For the Info Dude


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## Siddique (Sep 4, 2012)

how many point multi touch is there in the phone?


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## shuhailnp (Sep 5, 2012)

multi touch points = 3


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 5, 2012)

Can you use  mobile during charge without any problem?

I cannot use mobile smooth touch during charging ..If i click one application it open other application similar like that

i face only this when during charging


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## shuhailnp (Sep 5, 2012)

Ya it happenes in this mobile also , even my htc hd7 , funbook is having this problem...


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 5, 2012)

Is it heavier weight to hold in hand compare htc hd7(Weight 162 g)

HTC HD7 - Full phone specifications


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 5, 2012)

Is it heavier weight to hold in hand compare htc hd7?

Today smartphones are lesser weight why it be heavier?


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## naikwadisd (Sep 6, 2012)

Hye All,
Bought this phone 2 days back for 9600/-with screenguard(company's provided screenguard doesn't appeal long lasting) + velvet pouch in Pune.
Shuhail has mentioned most of the things and i have to tell something more over it...

1.The phone is pre-rooted and with apps+ADB access.(Install superuser simply and use root apps)
2.Locked bootloader doesnt help to overclock the CPU but still u can downscale and use CPU governors.
3.Adobe flash player not pre-installed and is also unavailable on market. 
   Google it and install and find your browser playing flash video websites(Youtube, Metacafe). 
   Experienced some lag while zoom, pan and rendering while playing flash stuff.
4.I found the phone charging time a longer than the phones i used earlier (??big question mark!!)
5.Ambient light sensor of A18 sometimes fools around (when i compared to nokia ambient light sensor )but doing best of its job.
6.I didn't find any problem while opening the app during charging the phone.
7.Music quality using ear-in earphones is awesome!!(Tried it using samsung earphones 200 rs. one)
8.With such a price tag I would ask all the android "multimedia"ers to go ahead and check the potential of Karbonn A18!!!! Worth the price....

Any questions...Feel free to ask!


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 6, 2012)

1.I find problem in touch during charge like that if i click one application or word in  keyboard it comes other

its this happen only charging

isit my phone problem or all other mobile also same

2.Is it heavier weight mobile


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## Silakidum (Sep 6, 2012)

@naikwadisd:

Dude, I have checked in Karbonn Site and it says no for Java.. That means we cannot java supported sites like bank payment sites?

@naikwadisd:

Dude, I have checked in Karbonn Site and it says no for Java.. That means we cannot java supported sites like bank payment sites?


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## naikwadisd (Sep 7, 2012)

Silakidum said:


> @naikwadisd:
> 
> Dude, I have checked in Karbonn Site and it says no for Java.. That means we cannot java supported sites like bank payment sites?
> 
> ...




Dear Silakidum,

As per the site it does not support JAVA applications(Though i didn't get where it is mentioned nor I have tried JAVA apps). Websites use javascript and flash (requires downloading of adobe flashplayer) and the stock browser supports it well. I tried 4-5 sites and it supports the same(didn't tried online payment thing coz i dont have any ), just found some lag while zooming.

I have no problem of misapplication start while charging the phone. The phone doesn't seem heavier compared to its size. I had galaxy 551 comparing to it phone seems in perfect weight-size ratio!!!


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 7, 2012)

galaxy 551 only 117g is it heavy compare karbonn a18 according to its size??
Are you sure didn't find touch problem during charging?(may u tried type some messages in keyboard during adopter charging not usb charging)

when i tried above if i click one word then it typed other words during charging 


It support adobe flash player 11 very well ..works any site flash well in 3g (initially it dnt worked me i try flash player 10 then install flash player 11 finally worked 


Hd games(works fine without any lag)
1.gta 3
2.shadow gun
3.amazing spiderman

4.angry birds space
5.fruit ninja
6.temple run

i dnt use chainfire if i will install it may support many games


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## HE-MAN (Sep 7, 2012)

Hd games(works fine without any lag)
1.gta 3
2.shadow gun
3.amazing spiderman

4.angry birds space
5.fruit ninja
6.temple run

i dnt use chainfire if i will install it may support many games[/QUOTE]

man really it plays gta 3 without any lag can show us a video running it.... if thats true i am buying it straight away
also one more thing what is chainfire? is an app?


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 8, 2012)

yes it works fine

google it chainfire(it need root so i dnt install it]


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## HE-MAN (Sep 8, 2012)

this phone is pre rooted just install superuser and you will see


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## comp@ddict (Sep 8, 2012)

For 10k this phone is phenomenally good


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## HE-MAN (Sep 8, 2012)

yes it is.. the backcover is plastic and makes a squeaking sound if pressed


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 8, 2012)

yes its but not feel heat when using internet but i cant use it duringcharging because  of touch not responsive


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 9, 2012)

when install superuser it's possible to install root apps.it worked fine on chainfire3d and adaway apps


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## naikwadisd (Sep 10, 2012)

Dear zxcvbn1,

I faced no problems for AC as well as USB charging!! 
Back cover having a squeaking sound!! Not a big concern though!
After i checked my screen on a white background found a small bright dot!! Seems to be a pixel burn problem!!
But as far i am using it no problems!! Yeah HD games work superb,tested with MAXPAYNE.... 
I have bought this cell to test ICS  and to my surprise its a phone with features above a test phone 
RomToolBox Pro and Titanium Backup are worth root apps to use!!


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## HE-MAN (Sep 10, 2012)

thats what i was saying earlier the phone is pre rooted so root apps work

bought the phone today for 9400... screen is very good and crisp.... so happy


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## naikwadisd (Sep 11, 2012)

To my surprise!!!!!!!! The phone has super capacitive LCD display and u can operate it using fingernails and even with hands inside glove!!! 
The same is in lumia 910 which is yet to be launched!!! LoL on that!!!


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## dakshdhamal (Sep 11, 2012)

*Re: Karbonn A18 - Battery life*

Hi,
As u ppl already have the handset, can one of u do a heavy usage and one moderate usage battery review of this handset and share the comments?

This would help a lot of aspiring buyers as battery life is one of the utmost priority for almost all Android users


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## HE-MAN (Sep 11, 2012)

in my opinion battery life actually depends on how you use it... i personally make sure that i kill all apps in the background screen brightness also is a factor... one thing i did notice is that it takes a long time to charge the battery to full and the last i have seen is 99% did anyone got it to 100


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## dakshdhamal (Sep 12, 2012)

@ HE-MAN

No offence dear but majority of us out here are pro smartphone users by now .... so, we can cut out those simple battery saving tricks and zero down to the standalone quality of the battery provided with Karbonn a18.

It would be more helpful if u could share ur daily usage stats and the corresponding battery performance with us.


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## HE-MAN (Sep 12, 2012)

pro smartphone user looking for karbonn a18 no offence taken.... also i did not mention any tricks for battery saving read the post properly.... to the point normal usage my internet was on for a whole day, played some games, did some calling and clicked lots of photos and video recording the battery last one day after full charge


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## sushovan (Sep 15, 2012)

zxcvbn1 said:


> 1.I find problem in touch during charge like that if i click one application or word in  keyboard it comes other
> 
> its this happen only charging
> 
> ...



a guy on flipkart suggested to change the charger and use a branded one to solve this problem.


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## sarvodaya (Sep 15, 2012)

Hey, I was considering Karbon A 18 for its native video calling feature.  Karbon website mentions that A18 can make native video calls (Not the Video Calls through Application Skype, Tango).  Can you confirm this.  And how about battery life and build quality.  The Pictures are good.  With a little bit tinkering in Photoshop, the photos will be nice.  The front cam appears decent for video calls only or for small photos.  But I am not interested in the Camera.  My main requirement is front camera with native video calling.

There is no other touch screen phone which supports this feature under 10,000.  Most of the phone have front cameras just for video chats or for skype.  Except Samsung Primo, Nokia C5, there is no other native video calling phones under 10,000.  Other option is Samsung Omnia (Windows Phone) and Samsung Wave III.  Both are priced @ 15,000 which is out of my budget.  But stretching the budget to 18,000 you will get samsung galaxy tab 2 (3100) which has calling and video calling feature.  But you cannot carry a tablet in your pocket.


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 17, 2012)

are you use official karbonn a18 charger??
are you checked with keyboard typing during charging?


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## HE-MAN (Sep 18, 2012)

native video calling works flawlessly without any lag tried with bsnl sim....

I am also facing touch problems while charging one thing i noticed when i charge it my pc using usb connection the touch problem doesnt occur only when i use the charger from the socket it does give random touch


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 19, 2012)

me too it happen only charger not usb 
you may try other samsung charger


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## comp@ddict (Sep 19, 2012)

^^ Same with Funbook. I use USB only to charge. The charger sucks


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## deepaksharma (Sep 19, 2012)

i heared the battery is just 1500 mAh.. thats very less i guess ... is it true.. i just read the specifications on snapdeal...  Karbonn A18 (Black) - Buy Mobile Phones Online at Best Price | Snapdeal.com


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 19, 2012)

ALSO I CHECKED SOME OF HD GAMES WORKS FINE WITHOUT LAGGING
1.GTA3
2.SHADOWGUN
3.AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
4.REAL RACING
5.ADVENTURE OF TIN TIN
6.FINAL FANTASY 3
7.MASS EFFECT
8.EARTH AND LEGEND
9.ORDER AND CHAOS
some of game apk in Google play not worked try download apk even
flashplayer apk not suitable in Google play
but it works fine downloaded apk


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## HE-MAN (Sep 20, 2012)

where can i download all this games with sd files and how to make them work can plz tell


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 21, 2012)

Gta 3,real racing2,spiderman downloaded with apk+sd data works  but other games need download sd data manually using wifi or 3g to work
checkout HD Games Collection For PowerVR GPU Phone's (APK + SD Data)

i download 9mm and maxpayne both game open fine(download sd data with wifi) but i dont see any onscreen controls and cant play those games even it opens


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## dharmil007 (Sep 22, 2012)

i HAve few questions :

1. Which one is better micromax A100 or karbonn A18 ?
2. AS it is showing 512mB ram how much actually does it have under system>settings ?
3. AS it has just 500mb internal memory aint it a concern ????


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## shuhailnp (Sep 23, 2012)

Join Karbonn A18 group in Facebook Log In | Facebook


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## *Me* (Sep 25, 2012)

hi guys, the a18 seems an appealing option after mm is failing consistently to fill the shelves with a100s. What I'd like to know is that is there any other budget phone with similar specs but with a bit larger screen than this one. ? Maybe a 4.5 incher or a 4.7??

Thank!!


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## zxcvbn1 (Sep 25, 2012)

karbonn a18 screen size is same as galaxy s2 and mmx a100 got 5 inch


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## sayan8 (Sep 27, 2012)

How is the quality of sound and earphone??


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## HE-MAN (Oct 1, 2012)

sayan8 said:


> How is the quality of sound and earphone??


average earphones are not in ear type...


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## dharmil007 (Oct 1, 2012)

Hey buddy i just wanted to ask few questions about ur mob Karbonn A18.
'coz i m considering to buy 1 myself

1. Did u like the Fone ??like means how is its perfomance ???
2. As it says Dual Sim-Dual Standby, so what happens when 1 is on call & on 2nd sim another call comes ?
3. Actually How much space is therein the phone availabe for Apps ?
4. Did u notice any lags in the phone ??
5. & overall did u like the fone ?


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## hitesh (Oct 1, 2012)

Great Review ! 
Suggestion : Title should be changed to a18 review.


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## zxcvbn1 (Oct 2, 2012)

you refer this site too *www.gogi.in/karbonn-a18-review.html


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## tigersstyle (Oct 2, 2012)

KARBONN A18/NEOBOX 4.3 TUAN STOCK ROM+FLASH SOFT+GUIDE

Download all the 3 Parts,Extract them onto your hard drive ,you will get Drivers,Flashtool,Stock Rom,Zopo Imei and instructions.
PART 1- mediafire.com/download.php?tu85crmn3jd8h5b
PART 2- mediafire.com/download.php?b89hdotb8ptlh5x
PART 3- mediafire.com/download.php?6k49rq7111jl3c1

STEPS-
1.Remove the SIM and battery from the phone(we don't need it for flashing),connect the phone to PC,it will search for the drivers,manually install them from DRIVERS FOLDER.
2.Disconnect the phone.
3.Run Flash tool from Flash Tool_4.0 folder.
4.Click on Download Agent and select MTK_AllInOne_DA
5.Click Scatter Loading and select MT6575_Android_scatter_emmc from the KARBONN_A18 STOCK ROM folder,it will load 13 tracks.

MBR,EBR1,EBR2 and USRDATA doesn't load automatically.

-MBR,EBR1,EBR2-Load them manually,Single Click on them(windows will open),select the respective file from the KARBONN_A18 STOCK ROM folder.
-USRDATA-Don't select it,we don't need it.
(So now you have all tracks ticked except USRDATA)
6.Click on Format,dialog box will open-

Select >Auto Format Nand Flash-
Select >Format whole flash( select it IF YOU HAVE ALREADY FORMATTED IT COMPLETELY AND HAVE LOST NVRAM REGIONS)

OR

Select>Format whole flash except Bootloader and NVRAM region(select if STILL HAVE NVRAM REGION)

NOTE:-NvRAM region contains IMEI,it won't make any difference even if you format whole flash,you can update IMEI after flash.
7.Click>ok,it will start searching for phone,connect phone(without battery),or reconnect if already connected.

FORMAT WILL START AND WILL SAY FORMAT OK WHEN DONE(TAKE 5 SECONDS).
8.Disconnect yor phone.
9.Click Download,it will says that not all images are loaded,ignore it and Click>YES,it will start searching for phone,connect your phone(without battery).

DOWNLOAD WILL START AND WILL SAY DOWNLOAD OK WHEN DONE.
10.Disconnect your phone,put battery back in phone but don't turn on the phone yet.

DON"T TURN ON THE PHONE YET.(WE WILL NEED TO CLEAR CACHE AND FACTORY RESET FIRST)for this-
Press Vol Down+Power On Button,Karbonn Logo will appear and phone willl boot into recovery mode.
11.Touch Home Button(1st button on touch screen),Menu will appear(move Up and Down with VOl Up and Vol Down,and select with option button(2nd button on touch screen)
12.Select Wipe cache partition,after clearing cache select Wipe data/Factory Reset(Move to Yes-delete all user data).
13.Select reboot system now.
Phone will restart,it will take some time to start (5-minutes),so wait.........
After 5 minutes,Welcome screen will appear,set it up as usual.

PROCESS IS FINISHED FOR THOSE WHO SELECTED-Format whole flash except Bootloader and NVRAM region,Enjoy.

For those who selected -Format Whole Flash.-
Phone will show Invalid Imei and we will have to update IMEI with Zopo IMEI.-(Note Down the Imei from back of your phone it is written beneath battery)
1.Install the Zopoimei.apk from the Folder.(it will say Install Blocked,click setting and tick Unknown Sources)
2.Run Zopo IMEI,chinese thing will come,zopo phone is selected,just click OK,error will come error_read_imei12,just click ok.
3.Tick Dual Imei and untick Imei no. are same.
4.Select New-imei 1 and New-imei 2 and type repective 15-digit IMEI No.,Click>Write,it will say Write Success and Reboot,click ok and exit the app.
5.Restart the phone.

DONE................ENJOY
I BRICKED MY 3 days old PHONE,LOST IMEIs,SPENT 4 DAYS-NIGHT SEARCHING ABOU IT ,DOWNLOADED 9-10  ROMS FROM VARIOUS MTK6575 CHIPSETS,FLASHING ALMOST 40-50 TIMES,FINALLY IT CAME THROUGH.
I post this tutorial so other don't have to go through such psycho buzz.
GD DAY

Vishal a.k.a tigersstyle


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## AndroidFan (Oct 2, 2012)

@tigersstyle ^^^

Thanks...


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## zxcvbn1 (Oct 4, 2012)

@tigersstyle

is it possible to get jellybean ??


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## shuhailnp (Oct 5, 2012)

Guys some kabonn a18 have different firmware version , see here 

*imageshack.us/a/img15/4351/56446145765440926421544.jpg*imageshack.us/a/img132/918/76565372170413208883475.jpg


If urs is different please post here or Log In | Facebook

does anyone know how to make back up of firmware ?


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## TheMost (Oct 5, 2012)

what about service within india ?

expecting ur reply ... am gonna recommend this to ma sister ...


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## zxcvbn1 (Oct 13, 2012)

real Free File Hosting & Video Downloads, Free File Sharing, Online Friends Network - Ziddu
and frr2drjk15sed.rar (365,70 MB) - uploaded.to
sd data: android/data


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## Tanooj Mehra (Oct 16, 2012)

Please TELL ME If Skype Video Calling Works On It!
It is the only reason I want to shift from a Blackberry to this Phone..
I'm Satisfied with all other specs but just wanted to confirm whether skype works on it..
Please Let Me Know ASAP, I'd be going to buy it by today evening. 

Thanks, Tanooj.


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## zxcvbn1 (Oct 21, 2012)

skype works fine video call also but i dont see much clarity in video call like pc


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