podcasts – Just Android: Recent Episodes
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iPhone 14 series — comprised of the purported iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max — are expected to make their debut at Apple’s ‘Far Out’ launch event scheduled for September 7. The company is rumoured to do away with the ‘mini’ form factor, in favour of a larger […]
Just Android © 2019, All Rights Reserved
Android 13 is out now and it is rolling out Pixel smartphones globally. Recently, Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 6a in India also got the latest software. It brings fresh features, performance improvements, some visual upgrades as well as some cosmetic changes in the user interface. The Android 13 update also fixes several bugs and […]
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Chromecast with Google TV — the company’s solution to turn your regular television into a smart TV — was launched in India in July. While users in the US and other countries had access to the device two years ago, when it first made its debut, those of us in India could pick from devices […]
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 — the company’s latest foldable smartphones — were launched on August 10 and are set to hit stores in the coming weeks. With the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung’s next generation of foldables have brought iterative upgrades over the previous […]
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Realme Buds Air 3 Neo, Realme Watch 3, and Realme Pad X were launched in India recently. The Realme Buds Air 3 Neo TWS earphones have support for Dolby Atmos audio and the Realme Watch 3 comes with Bluetooth calling functionality. The wearable also gets a blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitor, IP68 rating, and is […]
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Is Pixel 6a the Best Camera Phone Under Rs. 50,000? Google Pixel 6a — the company’s first smartphone to debut in India in nearly two years — finally made its debut in India last week. A toned-down version of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, the handset will miss the powerful cameras found on […]
Just Android © 2019, All Rights Reserved
Google Pixel 6a — the company’s first smartphone to debut in India in nearly two years — finally made its debut in India last week. A toned-down version of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, the handset will miss the powerful cameras found on its more expensive siblings. However, the phone is equipped with […]
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Oppo Reno 8 and Reno 8 Pro were launched in India as the latest flagship smartphones from the Chinese company. The phones have a lot of similarities with the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G and the OnePlus 10R 5G, respectively. It is to be noted that OnePlus and Oppo are both owned by China-based BBK Electronics […]
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Nothing Phone 1 is available to everyone next week, but we’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on the phone leading up to the launch and have been testing it since. Before we go straight on to discuss what the phone actually offers and our initial experience with it, let’s take a look at […]
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Noise has been making a lot of “noise” — sorry, I had to — lately by offering a huge variety of smartwatches at various price points in the India market. It recently launched ColorFit Pro 4 and ColorFit Pro 4 Max flagship smartwatches. And as per a recent report by IDC, Noise was second in […]
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Buying a tablet today can be a challenging task and depends on what you need from the device — are you looking for a laptop replacement? Whether you need a device for education, for work, or entertainment, there are several factors to consider when picking a tablet. Pricing for these devices can also vary, based […]
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Poco F4 5G debuted in India on Thursday as the brand’s latest model. The smartphone comes with features including ... Read More
Sony is launching its new PlayStation Plus in India next week. The update brings the service in four tiers, ... Read More
iOS 16 to New MacBook Air: The Most Exciting Announcements by Apple at WWDC 2022 Apple hosted the WWDC ... Read More
Best Phone Under Rs. 50,000: Is It Worth Getting a Value Flagship Phone Over a Premium Model? Nowadays, you can find flagship phones that are priced at over Rs. 1 lakh. But at the same time, there are some models that appear to have a list of high-end features under the Rs. 50,000 price segment. […]
Crypto profits — over the past few years — have encouraged Indians to start investing in digital assets. However, in the latest Union Budget, the Indian government has made crypto profits subject to tax deductions. A 30 percent tax has been taken into consideration to charge on all income from digital assets in the country. […]
Vivo X80 Pro and Vivo X80 — launched in India this week — aim to take on some of the most popular premium models in the smartphone market. Vivo’s new flagships continue the X-series legacy of offering top-notch camera experiences. That means not only do both Vivo X80 Pro and Vivo X80 come with Zeiss […]
Google hosted its I/O 2022 consumer keynote this week, where it showcased its new hardware developments, including the Pixel 6a and Pixel Watch, as well as software innovations, including an ‘immersive’ view on Google Maps. While the Pixel 6a is confirmed to launch in India, the Silicon Valley giant has not yet provided any details […]
How Amazon Alexa Continues to Learn About India Amazon Alexa has been in India for over four years now. The voice assistant, which initially debuted on Amazon Echo speakers, is currently available across a range of third-party devices including smart TVs, smartphones, and wearables such as smartwatches, as well as truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds […]
Xiaomi 12 Pro Is Littered With Features, but Is That Enough? Xiaomi 12 Pro price in India starts at Rs. 62,999 — the new Xiaomi flagship phone debuted in India this week to take on the likes of the OnePlus 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22. It offers features including a 120Hz E5 AMOLED display, […]
India’s smartwatch market has grown to a new level in the last few months — but that depends on how you look at it. While some smartphone makers are already in the market with their offerings, several Indian brands recently entered the race with their range of affordable smartwatches that start as low as Rs. […]
With 5G expected in India before the end of 2022, smartphone manufacturers nowadays are busy making the market — in the budget segment — more confusing for consumers by launching new models in both 4G and 5G options. This has made it difficult for customers to understand whether they should pick a 5G phone today […]
Harry Potter is a household name — and has been since the ’90s. The character has led both the eponymous fantasy movies and novels written by J.K. Rowling. Shortly after the success of the first edition of its novel, Harry Potter managed to grab the attention of the kids of its generation. That success translated […]
OnePlus 10 Pro has now been launched in India — with the price starting at Rs. 66,999. The new OnePlus flagship phone comes with a number of upgrades, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, as well as an improved display that delivers dynamic refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. The OnePlus 10 Pro also […]
Can iPhone SE (2022) Compete with Older iPhones and the Army of Android Phones? iPhone SE (2022) price in India starts at Rs. 43,900. The new iPhone model packs in a build that looks quite familiar — especially if you have seen the iPhone 8 or iPhone SE (2020). Inside, it carries few upgrades to […]
Asus has been a known name in the laptop market in India for some time now. The company is known for selling slim and high-performance laptops that come in a variety of shades and sizes. While the PC maker has its ZenBook models to deliver a premium experience, it also has ROG and TUF laptops […]
Apple hosted its first product event of the year on Tuesday, where it unveiled the anticipated iPhone SE (2022) — alongside the iPad Air (2022), Mac Studio, and the Studio Display. While the Mac Studio is the showstopper here, the iPhone SE might be the most important announcement for both Apple and its audience at […]
MWC 2022 took place this week as a physical event in Barcelona, Spain — almost a year after its mostly online-only presence and a couple of years after the cancellation of its original on-ground version due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception back in 1987, Mobile World Congress (MWC) is known for mobile phones and related technologies. The conference this year not only had many mobile devices but also tablets, laptops, and more. TCL also showcased new foldable phones at MWC 2022 that carry distinct designs and experiences. Additionally, this year’s conference brought ultra-fast charging technologies from companies including Realme and Oppo that we’ll get on commercial devices later this year.
On this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host Akhil Arora speaks with Counterpoint Global Content Manager Ritesh Bendre and our Deputy Reviews Editor Roydon Cerejo to discuss MWC 2022 that took place between February 28–March 3.
Ritesh was on ground to cover MWC this year, while Roydon has a long history of visiting the conference in Barcelona. One of the biggest differences between this year’s MWC over its past versions was the fewer number of attendees. The conference used to have thousands of people attending different keynotes simultaneously. But the coronavirus restrictions, which are still in place to some extent, resulted in a cut in the number of physical attendees to the MWC.
The attendees were also required to wear face masks. Similarly, sanitisers were placed at all booths to let people sanitise their hands before touching any demonstrating devices.
In terms of major highlights, TCL grabbed eyeballs with foldable phones — the TCL Fold ‘n Roll and TCL Ultra Flex. Both phones let users transform them into tablets by unfolding their flexible displays. The Fold ‘n Roll comes with an ability to extend the screen from one side to up to 10 inches. In contrast, the TCL Ultra Flex features a 360-degree hinge mechanism that enables the phone to be folded both inward and outward.
Both new foldable phones from TCL are currently available for showcasing and not for commercial purposes. However, the company may bring them to the market in select regions later this year.
TCL Ultra Flex to 150W Fast Charging: Most Interesting Phones and Tech Announced at MWC 2022
Alongside the foldables, TCL showcased its new smartphone models that aren’t unique but do give more choices to consumers.
Huawei this time introduced the MatePad Paper as its first e-reader. The device comes with a 13.3-inch E-ink display that supports touch inputs and works with a bundled stylus. It also includes 64GB of onboard storage.
The Chinese giant also came with its new Windows 11 laptops at the MWC. These announcements were essentially aimed to retain the customer base — despite losing the smartphone business.
Realme and Oppo — the two subsidiaries of China’s BBK Electronics — joined this year’s MWC with their 150W fast charging technologies. Both companies claim that their new technologies are capable of charging a regular battery of 4,500mAh from zero to 50 percent in five minutes.
The 150W charging will debut on the Realme GT Neo 3 later this year. Oppo, on the other hand, announced that its 150W charging tech will be a part of OnePlus phones in the second quarter of this year.
Realme and Oppo seem to give a tough fight to Xiaomi that introduced its 120W fast charging on phones earlier this year. Oppo also showcased its 240W charging tech that is currently available only as a concept.
We talk about what all would be the use cases of the new fast charging technologies in detail. We also speak on some other announcements that were a part of this year’s MWC.
You can listen to all this and more in our over 40-minute conversation by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
In case you’re visiting our site for the first time, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital on your favourite platform — be it Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow the Gadgets 360 podcast wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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How Spotify, Gaana Are Navigating India’s Unique Music Streaming Landscape
Music streaming industry in India has grown to new levels in the past few years. Players including Amazon Music and Spotify entered the industry a few years back. Local competitors such as Gaana and JioSaavn also introduced new features to their platforms in the recent past to stay relevant against their global counterparts. The expansion of the industry has brought new local artistes and podcast creators to the market. But, there’s still a long way to go for the industry, as the special guests for this week’s episode of the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital — Gaana CEO Sandeep Lodha and Spotify Head of Market Operations in India Akshat Harbola — tell Orbital host Akhil Arora.
Spotify entered the Indian market in February 2019 and is currently celebrating its three years of journey in the country. The platform claims that it has brought more than 6,000 local artistes on board through its creator education programme called Masterclasses over the last three years.
Since its launch, Spotify says the number of Indian artistes on its platform has grown by 13 times. The Stockholm, Sweden-headquartered streaming giant also has programmes including EQUAL, RADAR, and Fresh Minds to bring new artistes from the country to its global audiences.
Spotify also claims that the number of cities and towns in the country where it has streamed music in 2021 has grown to over 7,500. Harbola tells us that English, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, and Tamil are amongst the popular languages in which the music has so far been streamed through the platform.
Similar to Spotify, Lodha says that Gaana has seen growth in both its listenership and content. The Indian platform will celebrate its 12th year later in 2022.
Lodha states that both music and podcasts are the core to Gaana. He mentions that the platform recently started offering suggestions to users on the basis of their listening patterns to make the experience more personalised and appealing. This is a feature that its competitors have long had. The personalisation touch has helped grow user retention on the platform, Lodha says, without detailing any particular numbers.
Growth aside, both Spotify and Gaana believe that India is a different market altogether for audio streaming over the US and other western markets. Harbola said: “India still records the highest rates of piracy in the world when it comes to music. So, here, the market context in which we’re operating is very, very different.”
One of the key challenges for platforms including Spotify and Gaana is to convince users to pay for their subscription. A lot of their potential users are listening to music via YouTube — if not through any pirated sources.
Spotify is trying to persuade people to buy for its paid subscription through a sachet-pricing model called Premium Mini. Introduced in December 2020, the Premium Mini model offers ad-free music streaming and the ability to download songs on one mobile device at Rs. 7 a day.
Harbola tells us that Spotify took Premium Mini to markets including Indonesia after experimenting with it in India. However, he does consider that there is still a lot to research to grow paid subscriptions in the Indian market.
Similar to Harbola, Lodha also believes that market players including Gaana need to figure out new ways to grow subscriptions in the country.
“I think the next three, four years, as the economy is developing, and you see this across developing economies that subscription rates do grow, as the economies become more and more mature as the industry becomes more mature,” he says.
Having said that, both Harbola and Lodha tell us that the growth in the pay tier of music streaming platforms in the country is faster in the last few months than the previous two years.
The next big wave in the world of audio streaming is coming from podcasts. But India is not that mature when compared with western markets, including the US and UK. Still, there are promising signs.
“We’re already seeing sort of fairly decent traction, so one in four podcast listeners out there or Spotify listeners out there are listening to podcasts on a regular basis, and especially Gen Z” says Harbola. “Youngest users are adapting to the new media in a new, pretty big way.”
Lodha points out that the choice of podcasts among their listeners is mostly based on their music listening preferences.
“We have a lot of people who listen to crypto or listen to autobiography stuff,” he says. “And there are a lot of people who will listen to, you know, Ramayana, and Mahabharata, and, or romantic or horror stories.”
Platforms including Spotify and Gaana are also looking for ways to monetise creators to boost both number and quality of podcasts in the country.
“We are moving into a more marketplace kind of setting like a YouTube,” says Lodha.
Spotify has its offering called Anchor that podcasters can use to distribute their podcasts to a variety of listening apps including Spotify itself, as well as access tools such as analytics. It also lets podcasters monetise their podcasts with different ads, podcast subscriptions, and regular donations from their listeners.
“There’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation,” underlines Harbola. “A lot of creators need monetisation. There’s no question about it. But at the same time, brands want audiences.”
We talk more about all that and more — including the 2022 roadmap for both Spotify and Gaana. You can listen to all this and more by hitting the play button on the Spotify player above.
If you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital on your favourite platform — whether it is the aforementioned Gaana and Spotify, or Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, JioSaavn, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow the Gadgets 360 podcast wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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Just Android © 2019, All Rights Reserved
Can Realme 9 Pro+ Give Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge a Run for Its Money and Battle the OnePlus Nord 2?
Realme 9 Pro+ 5G and Realme 9 Pro 5G — launched in India this week — are designed to appeal to young smartphone users, with their colour-changing back panel that shifts from Sky Blue to Red under direct sunlight or ultraviolet light. Plus, it’s got triple rear cameras, one of which has optical image stabilisation (OIS). That’s very rare in the under Rs. 30,000 segment. On top of that, the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G has a 90Hz AMOLED display, 60W fast charging, and stereo speakers — all very good under Rs. 30,000 where phones such as the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge and OnePlus Nord 2 are mostly ruling the market.
On this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host Akhil Arora speaks with Senior Reviewers Sheldon Pinto and Aditya Shenoy to talk about the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G and Realme 9 Pro 5G — and to understand what the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G offers against the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G and the OnePlus Nord 2.
Realme 9 Pro+ price in India starts at Rs. 24,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. The phone also comes in an 8GB + 128GB model that is priced at Rs. 26,999 and the top-end 8GB + 256GB option at Rs. 28,999. The Realme 9 Pro 5G, on the other hand, starts at Rs. 17,999 (introductory pricing) for the 6GB + 128GB model and goes up to Rs. 20,999 for the 8GB + 128GB option.
Both phones come with a “Light Shift Design” that is exclusive to their Sunrise Blue colour option and is responsible for offering the colour-shifting back panel. It is, however, not that valuable if you prefer covering the phone with a case. Naturally.
Realme is also not the first brand to offer the colour-changing back as its sibling Vivo — under the same parent company BBK Electronics — offered a similar experience on the launched Vivo V23 Pro 5G last month. That said, it does make both models stand apart on design from the competition.
Realme 9 Pro+ Review: Excellent Value for Money
The Realme 9 Pro+ 5G is also equipped with an upgraded camera setup that features a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 primary sensor, with an f/1.8 lens. As I said previously, the primary sensor is also equipped with OIS to provide better stability. Further, it is paired with a proprietary lightning technology called ProLight Imaging as well as AI Noise Reduction Engine 3.0 that both are touted to help deliver an enhanced camera experience — especially in low-light photography.
Apart from the camera side of things, the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G carries a heart rate sensor within its in-display fingerprint sensor that is claimed to help provide heart rate detection and recording. The technology has not been medically approved, though it could help Realme to deliver some uniqueness over the competition.
The feature is, though, not turned on by default as users need to enable it by going to the Realme Lab from the phone. Also, it takes some seconds to detect your heart rate and is not as instant as recognising your fingerprints.
The Realme 9 Pro+ 5G, as well as the Realme 9 Pro 5G, are also available with Android 12 out-of-the-box, with Realme UI 3.0 on top. The latest Android version brings a list of software features that you would not get on the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge and OnePlus Nord 2 — owing to the fact that both are currently running on Android 11. Both phones are, though, upgradable to Android 12 in the future.
That said, Realme’s fast charging on the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G is not as quick as the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge that supports whopping 120W charging. However, 60W support is good too — given the likes of Apple and Samsung don’t go over 45W on their flagship phones.
We also speak about how the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G and Realme 9 Pro 5G perform against models including the Vivo T1 5G and Google Pixel 4a. This is to find out whether the new Realme phones can potentially be your preference if you were looking to buy any of those models.
You can listen to all this and more by play button on the Spotify player above.
If you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital on your favourite platform — whether it is Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow the Gadgets 360 podcast wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday — this week is an exception. So, make sure to tune in each week.
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Just Android © 2019, All Rights Reserved
Samsung Galaxy S22 series debuted this week as the company’s most advanced and powerful smartphone lineup. The series comprises the regular Galaxy S22 as well as the Galaxy S22+ and the top-end Galaxy S22 Ultra. Among other models, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes in a more Galaxy Note-like design where you have a dedicated room to keep an S Pen. The phone also carries a curved-edge display and top-notch cameras. In addition to the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung brought the Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+, and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as its three new tablets at the Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event. Samsung’s products can clearly take on their iPhone and iPad counterparts — but where is the Android competition?
Host Akhil Arora talks with Deputy Reviews Editor Roydon Cerejo and Senior Reviewer Aditya Shenoy on this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital to understand how well the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Tab S8 series stand out against the competition.
Samsung Galaxy S22 price in India is yet to be announced, though the phone is coming to the US at a starting price of $799 (approximately Rs. 60,200). The Samsung Galaxy S22+, on the other hand, begins at $999 (roughly Rs. 75,300) and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra starts at $1,199 (roughly Rs. 90,400).
Just like the Galaxy S22 series, the India pricing of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series has not yet been revealed. The Galaxy Tab S8, though, starts at $699.99 (roughly Rs. 52,700) in the US. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ carries an initial price tag of $899.99 (roughly Rs. 67,800) and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra starts at $1,099.99 (roughly Rs. 82,900).
One of the most distinctive models in this year’s line-up is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. This new offering comes as the successor to last year’s Galaxy S21 Ultra, though it has a list of significant changes. These include the bundled S Pen along with the dedicated compartment as well as the curved 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display. The phone also has quad rear cameras, with a 108-megapixel primary sensor.
The arrival of the Galaxy S22 Ultra has also brought the end of an era for the Galaxy Note series, which was known for supporting productivity.
Samsung has tweaked the hardware for the vanilla Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ as well. Both models — alongside the Galaxy S22 Ultra — come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC in the global markets. The phones also have a few software tweaks and glass back design.
We discuss that by bringing the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung has once again defeated all other Android contenders in the premium market. The South Korean company has also this time announced an expansion in giving Android OS upgrades for up to four years. This would enhance the longevity of the new flagships. Moreover, the phones come with Android 12 out-of-the-box, along with proprietary One UI 4.1 on top.
Alongside the Galaxy S22 models, Samsung has the Galaxy Tab S8 series to counter Apple’s iPad mini and iPad Pro. The series this year also brings the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as the new flagship model. This seems to be particularly aimed at countering the iPad Pro with M1 that Apple launched last year.
The Galaxy Tab S8 series has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC on board — just like the Galaxy S22 models. There is also Android 12 with a tweaked One UI Tab 4 on top. Further, the tablets come in 5G options alongside their regular Wi-Fi models.
We delve into whether one has any Android competition to browse through when looking at the Galaxy S22 series — save Samsung’s own predecessors in the Galaxy S21 models. We also discuss what value addition you might get with the Galaxy Tab S8 models if you already have a laptop.
You can listen to all this and more by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
If you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital on any of your favourite platforms — whether it is Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow the Gadgets 360 podcast wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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Just Android © 2019, All Rights Reserved
Will Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G, Reno 7 5G Face the Heat From Their Homegrown Contenders?
Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G and Reno 7 5G have debuted in India as the company’s latest models in the Reno series. Both new Oppo Reno phones come with a fresh list of features to attract smartphone buyers. The Reno 7 Pro 5G is also designed as a flagship model by the Chinese company to offer specifications including the top-of-the-line MediaTek Dimensity SoC, high-end primary camera, and a thin design. Similarly, the Reno 7 5G is aimed to appeal to people looking for a new phone under the Rs. 30,000 price segment.
On this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host Akhil Arora speaks with Deputy Reviews Editor Roydon Cerejo and Senior Reviewer Aditya Shenoy to understand what all are the USPs of the Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G and Oppo Reno 7 5G.
Oppo 7 Pro 5G price in India is set at Rs. 39,999, while the Reno 7 5G comes with a price tag of Rs. 28,999.
Although the design of the new Oppo phones appears fresh at first glance, Oppo has actually gone for a role reversal and used the same design aesthetic for the Reno 7 Pro 5G as the Reno 6 from last year. And vice versa. The Reno 7 5G’s design is similar to what we had on the Reno 6 Pro a few months back.
Nevertheless, Oppo has claimed that it has used a Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) technology for designing the exterior of both new phones. This brings angular micro scratches on the entire back glass to reduce fingerprints and smudges.
Oppo Reno 7 First Impressions: A Lukewarm Upgrade
The hardware of the Reno 7 series is also different from last year’s models. The Reno 7 Pro 5G comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 1200-Max SoC that is a custom-designed version of the original Dimensity 1200 SoC. Oppo claims that the new chip comes with AI Deblur and AI-PQ algorithms to deliver a distinct media experience. The former is designed to reduce blur in images captured using the selfie camera, while the latter is claimed to help improve HDR video content when playing back on the phone.
Apart from the chipset, the Reno 7 Pro 5G includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage as the standard option. This combination brings ample space for multitasking and storing content on the device.
However, the Reno 7 Pro 5G lacks features including an Ingress Protection (IP) rating for dust or water, wireless charging, and even a higher refresh rate of 120Hz. All this makes it an inferior choice when you put it against the competition: the likes of Xiaomi 11T Pro, Realme GT, OnePlus 9RT, and the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G.
Similar to the Reno 7 Pro 5G, the Reno 7 5G has a MediaTek SoC — the MediaTek Dimensity 900 to be precise. The phone also comes with a 90Hz display — just like the Reno 7 Pro 5G — but in a slightly smaller size over the flagship model. The Reno 7 5G also lacks the features that would make it a compelling contender, including a higher refresh rate.
The Reno 7 5G seems to face a tough fight from models including the Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge, Vivo V23, and the OnePlus Nord 2.
Having said that, both Reno 7 Pro 5G and Reno 7 5G work well for capturing photos and recording videos. The phones also deliver a decent battery life.
We talk about whether the Reno 7 Pro 5G and Reno 7 5G can are worth looking at in the price segments they are available. We also touch upon the fact that Oppo has stopped bringing attractive offerings in India over the past few years, whereas its siblings including OnePlus, Realme, and Vivo seem quite active and rigorous to take on the competition.
You can listen to all this and more in our nearly 40 minutes conversation. Hit the play button on the Spotify player above to listen to our complete discussion.
You can also find the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital on your favourite platform — whether it is Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow the Gadgets 360 podcast wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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Just Android © 2019, All Rights Reserved
5G in India is still a dream as its rollout has been delayed for a while now. At one point, Jio claimed it will offer 5G in 2021 — but then we never heard from it again. However, the industry stakeholders are optimistic to finally see 5G networks begin to roll out later in 2022. The next-generation cellular technology is already live in some parts of the world. Countries including South Korea and the US have had 5G networks for some time. But thanks to the arrival of new chips, smartphone manufacturers starting from Apple to Samsung and Xiaomi have also started bringing their 5G phones to India — despite the fact that we are yet to see 5G networks in the country.
On this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host Akhil Arora and Reviews Editor Jamshed Avari are joined by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Director General Lt. Gen. SP Kochhar and Telecom Sector Leader at Deloitte Peeyush Vaish to talk about 5G in India.
The telecom sector is hoping that 5G will start rolling out in India in the middle of August this year. All leading telcos, including Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vi, are at present testing their 5G networks under different trials. At the same time, the government is discussing with telcos and other stakeholders on the spectrum auctions that will set the final phase for the 5G rollout in the country.
Interestingly, the development around 5G rollouts is going on at a time when the telecom sector is facing losses of several crores. The operators have already increased their tariffs and streamlined benefits on their low-cost plans to maintain their average revenue per user (ARPU).
Market experts including Vaish, however, forecast that a lot of uptakes of revenue perspective in 5G will come from the business-to-business segment. This is unlike the previous generations of cellular technologies including 4G LTE where a large amount of revenues has been generated through end consumers.
“Operators will make revenue from the subscribers, but I think the initial uptake will be significantly coming in from the industrial segment,” Vaish says.
5G Services to Roll Out in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, More Cities in 2022
With 5G in place, the telcos are believed to no longer be limited to offering just telecom services to consumers. Some applications are also likely to be offered from telcos to consumers and a few of them initially could be around cloud gaming and surveillance.
“The telecom companies as they exist today will have two hats,” says Kochhar. “One is to provide a telecom network of 5G with all the versatility available. And the second one will be to really use this versatility and become application providers.”
Telcos showcased different 5G use cases by partnering with various technology companies and equipment makers back in 2018. But nonetheless, the exact experience of those use cases are yet to be available to end users.
How Ericsson’s Centre of Excellence Hopes to Localise 5G Use Cases for India
For the last few months, companies including Samsung, Realme, and Xiaomi are quite actively introducing their 5G phones in India. The arrival of new 5G phones, however, doesn’t guarantee that all of their owners will be able to get the real 5G experience on day one.
“The rollout of 5G networks is not going to be across the country at the same time,” says Kochhar.
One of the major reasons why 5G is not going to be available to all users at one go is the available infrastructure. Kochhar and Vaish both mention that the current equipment with telcos is not adequate in terms of quantity to deliver the next-generation cellular connectivity on a pan-India basis.
Kochhar points out that there is a requirement of about eight lakh additional towers against the 1.5 lakh towers available at the current stage to support 5G services.
Jio Says 5G Coverage Planning Completed for 1,000 Cities
Telcos are also yet to decide at which rates they are going to offer 5G to consumers. The exact pricing is expected to be available once the spectrum of airwaves for 5G connectivity is given to the operators.
Nevertheless, Kochhar and Vaish both suggest that India could bring new and unique applications to 5G. These would not just be limited to mobile devices but also cater to sectors including healthcare, automotive, and even defence.
We also talk about the conspiracy theories around 5G rollouts around the world, and how the telecom sector in India is preparing to counter them before 5G launches in India. You can listen to all this and more by hitting the play button on the Spotify player above.
If this is the first time you’re visiting our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Finding the best pair of headphones these days has become a tough job — thanks to a large number of new entrants in the market. Existing brands and known names including Audio Technica and Sony are also bringing their new models on a regular basis to stay relevant among customers. The headphones market has additionally been expanded with new form-factors and technologies. Similarly, the swift growth of smartphones — and the disappearance of the 3.5mm jack — has made truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds the leading category in the market for a large number of young people.
To make things easier, on this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, we talk all about headphones and what’s best in your particular budget and requirements. Host Akhil Arora speaks with our in-house audio expert Ali Pardiwala and Founder and CEO of Mumbai-based Headphones Zone Raghav Somani who tell us how to go about picking the right headphones for you.
For people looking for a decent audio experience under Rs. 2,000, the market is full of TWS earbuds to go with. Audio lovers, though, can also look at some wired options including the KZ ZSN Pro X that are aimed to provide a compelling sound quality in their price segment.
Companies including Realme and Xiaomi (Redmi) as well as their Indian counterparts such as Boult, Boat, and Noise also have their budget TWS earbuds for about Rs. 2,000–2,500 that can be a pick for people looking to get the new form-factor without spending a few more thousands. Realme also has the Buds Q2 as its TWS earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC).
KZ ZSN Pro X Wired Earphones Review: Audiophile Sound on a Budget
It is, however, important to note that most TWS earbuds don’t have batteries that can last for years. In most cases, you need to switch to a new model just months after using the last option.
Nevertheless, there are on-ear wireless headphones that you can get after spending Rs. 6,000–7,000. Brands including Jabra and JBL also have their wireless options in that segment that are worth looking for if you don’t want to go with a Chinese or Indian brand.
If you don’t want to go with the traditional headphones in the price segment of under Rs. 10,000, companies including JBL, Jabra, and Sony have TWS earbuds for you to look for. Newcomers including Nothing are also in the market of ANC-enabled TWS earbuds to compete against established names.
Nothing Ear 1 Review: It’s About Nothing
However, for people who have an iPhone or Mac, Apple has the AirPods (2nd generation), AirPods (3rd generation), and the AirPods Pro as its best TWS earbuds in different price segments.
Audiophile-focused brands such as Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, and AKG have some of the worthy options around the Rs. 10,000 price segment that can be your choice. But it is worth noting here that you are not likely to get a pleasing sound experience if you are planning to use any of these options with your phone or PC. They are mostly meant to be used with a sound card, keyboard, or guitar amplifier.
Smartphone vendors including Oppo and Samsung also bring their ANC-supported TWS earbuds around the Rs. 10,000 price bracket. These include the Oppo EncoX and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro that you can get for your regular music listening.
Best Headphones and Earphones of 2021 in India
If your budget isn’t limited, the market has models including the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose 700 that are known for delivering a high-quality audio experience. Audiophiles also have options such as HiFiMan Sundara and Sennheiser HD650 full-size open-back headphones that are specifically designed to please you with their top-of-the-line audio output.
We also talk about the things you should keep in mind while looking for a new pair of headphones. Additionally, the discussion touches upon the fact whether you need hi-res music to get a mesmerising experience from your headphones or your audio device should have a specific hardware feature to deliver a decent audio experience, irrespective of the audio file you have.
You can listen to all this and more by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
If you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow/ subscribe to Orbital wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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Do Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, OnePlus 9RT Define What the Best Value Flagship Phone Can Be in 2022?
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and OnePlus 9RT are two hotly-anticipated smartphones that debuted in India this week. While the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has been launched as the successor to last year’s Galaxy S20 FE 5G, the OnePlus 9RT has come as an upgrade to the OnePlus 9R that the Chinese company introduced in the country to deliver an affordable yet flagship-like experience. Despite being positioned differently by their makers, both new phones have some major similarities that make them comparable. So, are they the best value flagship phone you can buy today?
We discuss this and more on this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital. Host Akhil Arora speaks with Deputy Reviews Editor Roydon Cerejo and Senior Reviewer Sheldon Pinto to talk about the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and OnePlus 9RT. Roydon has review units of both models for testing, while Sheldon reviewed the predecessor of the Galaxy S21 FE — the Galaxy S20 FE 5G last year.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE price in India starts at Rs. 54,999 for the 128GB storage variant. The phone also offers a 256GB model that is priced at Rs. 58,999. Samsung is currently running a cashback offer under which customers using an HDFC Bank card can get a Rs. 5,000 discount on the Galaxy S21 FE price — irrespective of the variant they pick. It effectively brings the phone to as low as Rs. 49,999.
In contrast, the OnePlus 9RT has debuted at Rs. 42,999 for the base 8GB + 128GB model and Rs. 46,999 for the 12GB + 256GB option.
Specifications-wise, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is not a significant upgrade over the Galaxy S20 FE 5G. The phone comes with a 6.4-inch full-HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display with a 120Hz refresh rate and is powered by an octa-core Exynos 2100 SoC, along with 8GB of RAM as standard. It carries a triple rear camera setup that has a 12-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.8 wide-angle lens, along with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter and an 8-megapixel telephoto shooter.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G First Impressions: Riding the Wave
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE packs a 4,500mAh battery that supports 25W Super-Fast wired fast charging and 15W wireless fast charging. There is also reverse wireless charging support. Furthermore, the phone has an IP68-certified dust- and water-resistant build.
All this sounds similar if you look at the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G. Last year’s phone, in fact, had the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC that practically delivers performance at par with the latest Exynos chip. That model also came with a slightly bigger 6.5-inch AMOLED display.
In the case of the OnePlus 9RT, the smartphone has a couple of most notable upgrades over the OnePlus 9R. It comes with the Snapdragon 888 SoC that is an uplift over the Snapdragon 870 chip available on the last year model. The new chip is also the one that is powering the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro.
The OnePlus 9RT also has an upgraded primary sensor in its triple camera setup when compared with the OnePlus 9R. It is essentially the 50-megapixel sensor that was available as the secondary camera on the OnePlus 9 Pro.
OnePlus 9RT First Impressions: A Beautifully Crafted Powerhouse
It is worth noting here that the OnePlus 9RT has arrived in India just days after the company launched the OnePlus 10 Pro as its next flagship in China. The new model is also expected to debut in India in the near future.
Similarly, Samsung is currently busy preparing the launch of the Galaxy S22 series as its new top-end offering. It would come to India shortly after the global debut.
We discuss whether the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and OnePlus 9RT are worth the price they are available at. We also touch upon the fact that since the Galaxy S20 FE 5G and OnePlus 9R are still available in the market, are these better over the new models? You can catch this all by hitting the play button from the Spotify player embedded above.
If you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow/ subscribe to Orbital wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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Is Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G to Offer More Than Its 120W Fast Charging? We Speak With Xiaomi India Team
Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G — launching in India this week — has 120W fast charging. You read that right. The company claims that with its proprietary technology, the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G will be (easily) the fastest charging smartphone in the country. In addition to fast charging, the smartphone is confirmed to have features including a full-HD+ AMOLED display and Dolby Atmos support. The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G will also come with triple rear cameras.
To speak about the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G, the company’s overall performance in 2021 and its plans for 2022, host Akhil Arora and Reviews Editor Jamshed Avari speak exclusively with Xiaomi India Chief Business Officer Raghu Reddy, Senior Product Marketing Manager Sandeep Sarma, and Product Marketing Manager Rahul Dubey on this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital.
The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G is claimed to offer zero to 100 percent charge in 15 minutes. The phone includes a dual-cell battery that works with dual-charge pumps and a custom circuitry. This setup splits battery charging like filling up two empty vessels in one go, Xiaomi spokespersons explain on the podcast.
Xiaomi has also equipped the phone with 34 different protection features that are claimed to help provide protection from instances such as high temperature charging and discharging, overheating, and shutdown. Additionally, the bundled charger of the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G is teased to have overcurrent protection and over voltage protection.
The smartphone also has nine effective real-time thermal monitoring sensors. These are claimed to help monitor the system and protect from issues including sudden explosion due to overheating while fast charging.
In addition to fast charging, the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G will have triple rear cameras, with a 108-megapixel primary sensor. The phone will also have features including a dual native ISO for low-light shots. Further, the company recently confirmed that the phone will have MediaTek Dimensity 920.
The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G will come alongside the regular Xiaomi 11i that is not expected to have 120W fast charging — but will have some similarities. On the Gadgets 360 podcast, Xiaomi spokespersons underlined that the plan with launching two separate models is to give customers the choice with regards to the charging and metric combination.
Xiaomi 11i series launch in India is taking place on Thursday, January 6. The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G in the series is speculated to be a rebadged Redmi Note 11 Pro+ that was launched in China in October. However, the Xiaomi 11i could be a rebranded version of the Redmi Note 11 Pro.
We also talk about the overall performance of Xiaomi in the Indian smartphone market in 2021. The Chinese company launched six Mi-series phones in the year. The growth of Xiaomi’s smartphone shipments in India is also claimed to have grown more than nine times in 2021 compared to 2020. Of course, 2020 was a year badly damaged by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
You can listen to our over half-an-hour conversation by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
If you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow/ subscribe to Orbital wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday — usually, this week is an exception — so make sure to tune in each week.
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The year 2021 was both exciting and interesting for gamers as we saw a list of titles coming to keep us engaged. A lot of us got a chance to play some of the latest titles this year — thanks to the culture of staying indoors and avoiding physical activities. From Epic Games to Sony Interactive Entertainment, all major publishers brought new games this year. But the growth of titles launching in the year has also made it quite difficult to name the best games of 2021.
On this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host Akhil Arora joins Chief Sub Editor and in-house game enthusiast Shayak Majumder and veteran Indian game journalist and our former Gaming Editor Rishi Alwani. The trio talk about all things games and speak about which were the best ones of 2021.
Rishi calls Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart his favourite game of the year, while Shayak finds Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island Expansion as his favourite, and Akhil names It Takes Two as his best pick.
One of the prime reasons why gamers found 2021 an exciting year was the launch of several new games for next-generation consoles — the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S | X. It was also the year when the PlayStation 5 debuted in India, though many are still struggling to get their hands on one.
The difficulties in buying the next-gen console aren’t limited to the Sony model as people are not finding adequate quantity of the Xbox Series S | X as well in the market.
Although the supply-side limitation is indeed in place, the availability issue has also grown significantly in the market due to heavy demand for both consoles. COVID-19 restrictions also played their part in the demand, as people are staying indoors and have more leisure time to spend on games.
In 2021, we also saw a large of reports showing different cases of gender discrimination and sexual harassment at various game publishers. The #Metoo moment in the video game industry emerged last year itself. However, the number of complaints increased this year. It not just impacted developers and other people involved in building new games but also manufacturers including Microsoft who started evaluating their relationships with game publishers named in these complaints.
Best Games of 2021: Gadgets 360’s Favourite PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Games
The growth of serious reports coming from different parts of the industry also reflect that game journalism is maturing and moving beyond just new launches and reviews.
We also talk about what all we could expect in 2022 in terms of new titles. Games including Horizon Forbidden West, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Expansion, and the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Weird West are due for next year. Remastered games is a category that will likely grow in the coming future. Life is Strange Remastered Collection will be amongst the key launches coming next year.
You can listen to our complete discussion by hitting the play button on the embedded Spotify player above.
If you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow/ subscribe to Orbital wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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Oppo Find N has debuted as the company’s first foldable phone. The smartphone is claimed to be a result of four years of research and development and the final product coming out of six generations of prototypes. Oppo also touted to have used a list of refinements on the Find N to deliver a better foldable experience. The phone appears to be a strong competitor against the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 that was launched as the third iteration of the Galaxy Fold earlier this year.
To talk about the Oppo Find N and how it is standing against the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, host Akhil Arora speaks with Reviews Deputy Editor Roydon Cerejo and Senior Reviewer Aditya Shenoy on this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital.
The Oppo Find N carries a starting price tag of CNY 7,699 (roughly Rs. 90,700) for the base 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant, while its top-end 12GB + 512GB model is priced at CNY 8,999 (roughly Rs. 1,06,000). The pricing is lower when we put it against that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which starts at Rs. 1,49,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB model and goes up to Rs. 1,57,999 for the 12GB + 512GB option. However, the Find N is exclusive to China at this moment, and there is no clarity on whether it would reach any other markets in the future.
Roydon got a chance to spend some time with the Oppo Find N. He talks about the key features the phone offers. One of the most significant ones is the large-enough OLED cover display that comes in 5.49-inch size and has 18:9 aspect ratio. This makes it a perfect phone to use when folded. It is better when compared with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 that delivers a 24.5:9 aspect ratio and appears more like a pencil box — thanks to the slim and tall appearance.
When unfolded, the Oppo Find N brings a 7.1-inch LTPO display that has a 120Hz refresh rate. The folding display brings a screen-to-body ratio of 90.7 percent. There is also a proprietary Flexion Hinge design that is claimed to leave no gap between the two sides of the folding display.
Oppo Find N First Impressions: Folding It the Right Way
The custom hinge addresses the problem of showing a crease at the centre of the folding display when unfolded. It enables the phone to appear like it is featuring a one flat seamless screen. This is unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 3 — and most of the other foldables available in today’s market — as a crease is visible when you unfold the phone and take your finger somewhere at the middle.
In addition to the new hardware, Oppo has brought a list of customisations to the software side of the Find N to leverage its foldable form-factor. There is gesture support to enhance multitasking on the folding display. You can also split the keyboard into two different parts for easy typing.
The Find N works more like a mini tablet when you unfolded. However, it is thicker and heavier than a regular premium smartphone. This is something that exists with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 as well.
Oppo has packed the Find N with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 33W SuperVOOC wired charging as well as 15W AirVOOC wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging. The phone also packs a total of five cameras, including a triple rear camera setup and two selfie cameras — one on the cover display and the other one on the inner screen.
We talk about the camera experience and other details in our over half-an-hour conversation. You can listen to it by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
In case you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow/ subscribe to Orbital wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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What the Best Phones of 2021 in India Say About the Smartphone Industry
From Apple to Samsung and OnePlus to Xiaomi, all major smartphone vendors brought new flagship offerings to India in 2021 to please customers looking for an upgrade. Some of the prominent options include the iPhone 13 series, the Samsung Galaxy S21 family, and the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, among others. A list of new budget options also entered the market this year to attract the masses. One of the common features that emerged this year — especially in India — was 5G connectivity. Smartphone vendors also opted for higher refresh rate displays and some privacy-focussed software tweaks.
On this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host Akhil Arora speaks with a team of experts that includes Reviews Editor Jamshed Avari, Deputy Reviews Editor Roydon Cerejo, and Senior Reviewer Sheldon Pinto to talk about the best phones of 2021 in India. The team is also joined by Faisal Kawoosa, Founder and Chief Analyst of market research and consulting firm techARC.
The year 2021 saw incremental updates in the smartphone market, with companies including Apple updating their flagships with slight changes. At the same time, there were players including Samsung that have brought upgrades to emerging form-factors such as foldables to make them more common among and useful for consumers.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to see supply-chain constraints that restricted smartphone companies including Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi from adding significant changes to their line-ups this year. That resulted in downgrades at some fronts and ended up bringing compromises for customers especially in budget segments.
As a result of the supply crunch to some extent, major companies also did not pay interest in upgrading their affordable smartphone models — especially the ones between the price bracket of Rs. 10,000–20,000. This has made last year’s options including the Redmi Note 10 Pro and Redmi Note 10 Pro Max remain valid picks for many customers.
Apple to Sell Fewer iPhone Handsets as Chip Crisis Bites, JP Morgan Says
Some brands including Redmi, Poco, and Realme brought 5G phones to budget segments to persuade customers amid the supply-side issues. However, most of these models support the next-generation cellular network at the cost of some features or hardware components. It is also important to note that 5G is yet to be rolled out in India from the telcos side — with the Indian government yet to table a date for when it will auction 5G spectrum.
Companies including Google and Microsoft also brought models such as the Pixel 6 Pro and Surface Duo 2 to take on the likes of the iPhones and Galaxies of the world. But these new offerings did not enter the Indian market.
Promising Smartphones of 2021 That Did Not Launch in India
Citing internal research, Kawoosa highlights that people are spending as much as 25 percent more than what they purchased previously to upgrade their phones in 2021. He also mentions that better specifications and experience is something that is driving consumers to buy new phones these days.
Some of the best phones of 2021 include the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini — given the value they offer for the prices we pay. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is also a promising option if budget isn’t constrained. Further, Samsung’s foldables — the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 — are amongst the standout options this year.
We also talk about what we can expect next year and what technologies are likely to become mainstream in the coming months.
Top Upcoming Smartphones to Look Forward to in 2022
You can listen to all that and more by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
If you are new to our site, you can find the Gadgets 360 podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow/ subscribe to Orbital wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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Redmi Note 11T 5G went on sale in India earlier this week. The new Redmi phone is positioned as the successor to the Redmi Note 10T that was launched just five months ago in India. Moreover, the Note 11T 5G is essentially a rebadged Redmi Note 11 5G that debuted in China in October. Xiaomi offers features including dual rear cameras and a 90Hz non-AMOLED display on the Redmi Note 11T 5G. These changes have not been impressive. That said, the smartphone comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset that’s made on the 6nm process. That should mean better power efficiency.
On this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, host Akhil Arora talks with Senior Reviewer Aditya Shenoy and Reviews Deputy Editor Roydon Cerejo to discuss all things Redmi Note 11T 5G.
Xiaomi has brought the Redmi Note 11T 5G soon after launching the Redmi Note 10T in the country. The new phone does offer a slightly refreshed design and the MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC. However, it doesn’t have any noticeable changes that make a significant upgrade over the existing model.
Redmi Note 11T 5G price in India starts at Rs. 16,999 for the base 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. The phone also has a 6GB + 128GB storage model at Rs. 17,999 and the top-of-the-line option with 8GB RAM + 128GB storage at Rs. 19,999.
Shenoy spent some time with the Redmi Note 11T 5G — and in his review, he noticed that it offers a decent display and battery life experience. There are, however, some downsides, including the average performance from its dual rear camera setup.
Redmi Note 11T 5G Review: All About Performance?
One of the key selling points of the Redmi Note 11T 5G is its support for the next-generation cellular network. But, of course, 5G connectivity is not yet available in India. We also don’t have any clear-cut timeline on when exactly we will get any support from the operator side.
Xiaomi also seems to have cut some cost on the Redmi Note 11T 5G by not giving features like a dedicated depth sensor or a more advanced 120Hz display. Annoyingly, these were available on the earlier Redmi Note models.
We also talk about whether the Redmi Note 11T 5G still justifies its price — and what phones you might want to consider instead.
You can catch all this and more by listening to our conversation. Simply tap the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
If you are new to our site, you can find Orbital on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow the Gadgets 360 podcast wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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At the annual Snapdragon Tech Summit this week Qualcomm announced a new generation of chips under its Snapdragon branding. The showstopper was Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that is essentially an incremental update to last year’s Snapdragon 888 and is meant for next-generation flagship Android phones coming later this year and next year. The San Diego-based company, however, also brought the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 as two of its new system-on-chip (SoC) models for Windows laptops and Chromebooks, and the Snapdragon G3x as its chip designed for handheld gaming devices.
Host Akhil Arora speaks with Reviews Editor Jamshed Avari and Senior Reviewer Sheldon Pinto on this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital to discuss Qualcomm’s new announcements.
The big launch for phones at this year’s Snapdragon Tech Summit was the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. The chip doesn’t have massive upgrades over the Snapdragon 888 that was launched last year. However, it does have some incremental changes that are claimed to help deliver better processing, faster artificial intelligence (AI) performance, and an upgraded graphics rendering.
The one big change that comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is the new branding that moves away from the existing number series. This was obvious as Qualcomm was running out of numbers — thanks to the launch of various Snapdragon number-series models in the recent past. Qualcomm also seems to now be promoting Snapdragon as a distinct brand by using the new nomenclature.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 carries an all-new branding that sans the company’s number-series title
Photo Credit: Qualcomm
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is also claimed to have some compelling features including an 18-bit image signal processor (ISP) that enables capturing of 8K HDR videos. There is also a new always-on ISP that Qualcomm says will help enable always-on face unlocking, and lock the device when you are not looking at the screen. This particular update may raise some privacy concerns though.
Qualcomm has also developed an on-device AI technology in partnership with health-tech company Sonde Health that is claimed to analyse users’ vocal patterns to determine whether they are at risk of health conditions including asthma, depression, and COVID-19.
The features that come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 may help Qualcomm retain its strong presence in the smartphone market in 2022 and make it an active competitor against Taiwan’s MediaTek that also has its Dimensity range of 5G chips.
Alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 as its new chip for premium Windows laptops and Chromebooks. It comes as the successor to the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 and is built using the 5nm process technology. The chip claims to offer faster performance over competitive x86 platforms. The company also brought the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 chip for affordable laptops and Chromebooks, along with 5G connectivity support.
Both Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 appear to be Qualcomm’s answer to Intel and AMD — the traditional chipmakers in the market of laptops. However, Qualcomm rival MediaTek is also exploring to gain both revenues and popularity in the laptop market with its own chips.
And as a foray into a new market, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 as its first chip for handheld gaming devices. This could be embraced by manufacturers looking to develop dedicated hardware for mobile gamers. Companies including Asus, Black Shark, and Nubia in the past tried to please that audience with their gaming phones. But Qualcomm seems to have taken a different approach this time.
Qualcomm showcased a handheld gaming device concept in collaboration with Razer that it is giving to developers to build games for its new move. We are, though, yet to see how big the chipmaker and partners like Razer could do to make a shift in the gaming industry with their ongoing efforts.
Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Handheld Gaming Developer Kit is a concept of what we could see in the future
Photo Credit: Qualcomm
We discuss all this and more in this episode of Orbital. You can catch it by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
You can also find the Gadgets 360 podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget to follow/ subscribe to Orbital wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.
New Orbital episodes release every Friday, so make sure to tune in each week.
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