Moto G72 Review: The Odd One Out

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November 2, 2022

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Motorola has been one of the most active smartphone brands in India, in 2022. The company has launched several phones in its budget and mid-range G series and the premium Edge series in India. Most Motorola smartphones today, priced above Rs. 15,000, offer 5G support and it totally makes sense as 5G has officially launched in India and telcos are working on a nationwide rollout as you read this. Meanwhile, an odd phone in Motorola’s portfolio of devices under Rs. 20,000 is the recently launched Moto G72. The phone does pack premium hardware for the price but lacks 5G support. In comparison, other Motorola phones launched recently in India around this price do support 5G.

The Moto G72 offers a MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, which is also found in the likes of the Poco M5, Redmi Pad (Review), and the Redmi 11 Prime. The phone also features a 120Hz AMOLED display, a 108-megapixel triple-camera setup and a beefy 5000mAh battery. With the kind of hardware on offer, should you consider buying the Moto G72? Here is our full review to help you decide.

Moto G72 price in India

Motorola has launched the Moto G72 in India in a single storage configuration. The phone packs 6GB of LPDD4X RAM and 128GB of uMCP storage. It is priced at Rs. 18,999 and can be purchased via Flipkart.

Moto G72 design

The Moto G72 is available in two colours — Meteorite Grey and Polar Blue, which is the one we have. I usually prefer phones which have dark colours such as any shade of black, and with a matte finish. The Moto G72 is one of the exceptions for me as I really like the Polar Blue colour, which has a shiny texture on top of the matte finish. Motorola calls it a PMMA acrylic glass-finish design and although the back is still made of polycarbonate, the colour scheme itself makes the phone look a lot premium.

The Moto G72 also feels very good to hold in the hand. It is fairly light at 166g and measures just 7.9mm in thickness. The weight distribution is also quite good and the curved corners make it a lot easier to hold the phone.

Moto G72 in its Polar Blue colour

The camera module design on the Moto G72 is similar to the more premium Moto Edge 30 Fusion (Review). You get a square-shaped module which houses three camera sensors on the back. The LED flash is also located inside this module.

At the bottom, there is the USB Type-C port sandwiched between the 3.5mm headphone jack and the primary speaker grille. The dual-SIM slot is on the left, whereas the power and volume buttons are on the right side of the phone.

The front of the Moto G72 houses a flat 6.55-inch pOLED display with a full-HD+ resolution. The 120Hz screen supports up to a billion colours and comes with an HDR10+ certification. However, some apps such as Netflix wasn’t able to detect this capability, so it couldn’t stream HDR content. The display produces good details and colours even when you are consuming full-HD OTT content. It also has a peak brightness of 1300 nits, which makes the phone ideal to use even in outdoor lighting, during the day. The Moto G72 can be used even when there is a slight drizzle outdoors as the phone offers an IP52 rating for splash resistance.

Moto G72 sports a fairly thin chin at the bottom

The bezels around the display are also fairly thin, including the chin at the bottom. The Moto G72 also features an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is quick to authenticate fingerprints and unlock the device. This feature is a nice bonus, as not many phones in this price range offer it. That being said, I would have liked it if it was positioned better under the display as I found it to be too low down.

Moto G72 specifications and software

The Moto G72 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, which is among the few new 4G SoCs launched in 2022. The SoC is based on a 6nm process and comes with performance upgrades over the Helio G96. The G72 also packs a 5000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. While the battery size is not an issue, some phones such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro offer quicker 67W fast charging for the same price. Connectivity-wise, the Moto G72 supports Wi-Fi ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz), GPS, Bluetooth 5.1, and the usual suite of sensors.

The phone runs on the Android 12-based MyUX skin from Motorola. While your choice could vary, I personally like MyUX as it offers a good mix of clean, near-stock Android experience along with a bunch of customisation options. The Moto app is a one-stop destination to check all the personalisation options available. You can not only customise the fonts and icons, but also the system UI colours based on the wallpaper.

Like most Motorola phones, the Moto G72 also supports Moto gestures such as twisting your wrist twice to open the camera, three-finger screenshot, flipping the phone to enable the Do Not Disturb mode, etc.

Moto G72 offers a clean and near-stock Android experience

The software experience on the Moto G72 was pretty good but there were some instances where apps crashed or froze, especially the default camera app. Motorola has also promised to provide the Android 13 update along with support for security patches for up to three years.

Moto G72 performance and battery life

The MediaTek Helio G99 SoC in the Moto G72 is quite capable of handling basic, day-to-day tasks and casual gaming. We played games such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9 Legends along with lighter but popular games such as Subway Surfer. Call of Duty: Mobile averaged around 40fps with ‘Medium’ graphics and ‘High’ frame rate settings. The game’s battle royale mode worked smoothly on most occasions but there were minor stutters here and there. Asphalt 9 Legends was also quite fun to play on the phone and there was no sign of any lag.

In the AnTuTu benchmark test, the Moto G72 scored 3,34,803 points. While the score was lower than the more affordable iQoo Z6 Lite 5G (Review), most users should not notice any major performance differences with regular use on a day-to-day basis. The Moto G72 scored 533 and 1736 points in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.

Moto G72 features a 120Hz display

The dual speakers on the Moto G72 come with Dolby Atmos enhancement. While the speakers are loud, the earpiece (which doubles as a secondary outlet for audio) produces a much lower sound output compared to the primary speaker.

Battery life is also pretty good. Based on my use case, which included social media scrolling, playing games, filming content, etc., the Moto G72 offered about nine hours of screen-on time (SoT) on average. In our battery loop test, the G72 lasted for 14 hours and 10 minutes. You get a 33W fast charging adapter in the box, which takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to charge the phone from zero to 100 percent.

Moto G72 cameras

The Moto G72 features a triple-camera setup on the back. There is a 108-megapixel Samsung HM6 primary camera along with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. For selfies, the phone has a 16-megapixel camera on the front.

Moto G72 gets a new camera module design

The main camera produces good details but the reds and blues look slightly oversaturated. The dynamic range performance is also quite good on this one. In low light, the main camera manages to bring out fairly good details in the shadows when using Night mode. There is noise and some artificial smoothening to curb that, but I would not expect anything better from a mainstream smartphone. The highlights are also not overblown, which is very good to see.

Moto G72 main camera sample

Low-light camera sample taken with the Moto G72

Moto G72 Night mode camera sample

I cannot say the same about the ultra-wide camera though as the colour temperature is slightly different compared to the main camera. The details are also not on par and there is some distortion around the corners. I also noticed some colour-fringing in some shots. It took me some time to get used to the focal length of the macro camera but once I got the hang of it, the sensor produced fairly okay images. I would rather recommend using the ‘Ultra-res’ mode in the ‘More’ menu of the camera app and then crop the image further to get similar results.

Ultra-wide camera sample shot on Moto G72

The Moto G72 does a good job with selfies. The skin tone is close to natural but the software tends to smoothen textures a bit. There is also a hint of pink hue in skin tones, which we also experienced in the Moto Edge 30 Fusion. Although, the pink cast is not as significant in the selfies taken with the Moto G72.

Front camera sample shot on Moto G72

Portrait Mode shot on Moto G72

The phone supports 1080p video recording at 60fps using the main rear camera. If you wish to vlog using the front camera, you must know that the video recording is capped at 1080p and 30 fps. While the camera produces good colours, the footage feels a bit shaky due to the lack of optical image stabilisation. The dynamic range performance is also quite average. In low light, there is noticeable noise in the darker areas but the primary camera captures fairly well-exposed footage.

Verdict

The Moto G72 offers everything that one would want to have in a smartphone under Rs. 20,000. The phone offers a good multimedia experience, decent camera performance, and a processor that can also handle casual gaming. Battery life is not disappointing either as it can last for a full day with medium to light usage. On top of all this, there is the near-stock Android 12 goodness with a touch of customisation in the form of MyUX. Design preferences are subjective but if you ask me, I think the Moto G72 looks quite good.

That being said, the phone comes with a huge asterisk — lack of 5G support. The Moto G72 is the only phone in the company’s portfolio of phones priced above Rs. 15,000 to not offer 5G network support. Those who want 5G support will obviously have to look at something like the Moto G82 5G (Review) for a couple of thousand rupees more. The latter offers better performance, the same multimedia experience, and all-day battery life while staying future-proof with 5G network support.

Alternatively, if you want a no-compromise budget smartphone and don’t want to jump on the 5G bandwagon, then the Moto G72 could certainly be considered. If near-stock Android experience is not your priority and you want to consider other options, you can check the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Review) or even the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G (Review).

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Vivo X Fold First Impressions: Better Than the Samsung Galaxy Fold?

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hitesh

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November 1, 2022

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Vivo X Fold First Impressions: Better Than the Samsung Galaxy Fold?

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With the X Fold, Vivo has made its debut in the foldable smartphone segment. The phone was released in April 2022 solely for the Chinese market at a price of CNY 8,999 (about Rs. 1,02,600). If we directly compare this pricing to the foldable options in India such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (Review), the X Fold definitely has a more tempting price. Sadly, as of now, Vivo doesn’t have any plans of launching the X Fold in India, but considering the sizeable market share it enjoys in our country and the fact that it does sell high-end phones such as the Vivo X80 Pro (Review), the X Fold could be an interesting addition to its premium smartphone portfolio here.

We did get to spend some time with the Vivo X Fold at the company’s first Tech Day event in New Delhi, where Vivo talked about its partnership with Jio for 5G, its smartphone camera innovations, and more.

The Vivo X Fold is priced at CNY 8,999 (about Rs. 1,02,600) for the 256GB variant, and CNY 9,999 (about Rs. 1,13,900) for the 512GB variant. Both variants feature 12GB of RAM. The foldable smartphone comes in three colour options, Red, Mountain Blue, and Black. In September 2022, Vivo refreshed the X Fold with a new model called the Vivo X Fold+, which features the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, a slightly larger battery, and quicker 80W wired charging.

The Vivo X Fold looks like the X80 Pro at first glance, at least from the back. The resemblance is uncanny, with the circular glass camera housing and Zeiss branding. However, it’s a completely different story when you look at the sides of the X Fold, which is when you realise it’s a foldable smartphone. But, before we get into the details, one thing that stood out to me was how slim this foldable smartphone is. The Vivo X Fold can easily be mistaken for a regular non-folding smartphone.

The Vivo X Fold looks and feels very premium

Starting with the back panel of the Vivo X Fold, you get a leather-finish along with the rear cameras and the Zeiss branding. The Vivo branding is at the bottom-half of the back panel, which is similar to what we’ve seen in the brand’s X-series smartphones. The back panel does not attract fingerprints, but I found the leather material to be overly soft and it could get easily scuffed with everyday use.

The right side of the Vivo X Fold features an alert slider, as seen on OnePlus phones, and the left side has the power and volume keys. The phone has a heft to it as it weighs 311g, and feels a lot heavier compared to my daily driver, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The X Fold is the first foldable smartphone that I’ve seen with an in-display fingerprint sensor for both the cover display and the inner foldable display. The phone does feel very premium when you hold it.

The Vivo X Fold sports a 6.53-inch E5 OLED panel with a full-HD+ resolution, a refresh rate of 120Hz, HDR10+ playback capability, support for 100 percent DCI P3 colour gamut, and a 21:9 aspect ratio for its cover screen. The main display consists of a 8.03-inch E5 OLED (LTPO 3.0) display with ultra-thin glass, a refresh rate of 120Hz, 2K resolution, and a 4:3.5 aspect ratio. It also has HDR10+ and supports a colour gamut of 113 percent of the DCI P3 colour space.

The cover display of the Vivo X Fold itself is enormous, and it can be used as a regular smartphone without needing to unfold the main display. The main foldable screen is larger than the one in the Galaxy Fold 4, so viewing movies or multitasking in general should be fantastic. One thing to keep in mind is that the Vivo X Fold still cannot be used with one hand comfortably, mainly because of its larger-than-usual dimensions.

The Vivo X Fold gets a massive 8.03-inch folding display

The flagship Vivo X Fold, according to the company, is the result of 150 technological patents. It aims to eliminates the most common customer complaint about a folding phone: the crease. In my opinion, the crease is barely visible and the phone folds completely flush, leaving no gaps in between the two halves, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Vivo seems to have learned from the experiences of other companies and user feedback about foldable phones.

Vivo also boasts about the unibody structure of the hinge in the X Fold and claims that six aerospace-grade materials are used in the construction of the phone. The Vivo X Fold has matte-finished sides, including the hinge, that’s made from aluminium. This ensures the phone doesn’t pick up fingerprints easily. The Type-C charging connector, speaker grille, SIM slot, and noise cancellation microphones are all located on the bottom of the Vivo X Fold. Another speaker grill and two noise-cancellation microphones are located on the top.

Talking about the cameras on the Vivo X Fold, the rear gets a 50-megapixel Samsung GN5 main sensor, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel portrait camera (2X optical zoom), and a 5-megapixel periscopic-style telephoto camera with a 5X optical zoom and up to 60X digital zoom. This camera setup comes equipped with the Zeiss T* coating for the lenses. For selfies, there are 16-megapixel cameras in the cover screen and the foldable display.

The rear camera module of the Vivo X Fold looks a lot like the Vivo X80 Pro

The Vivo X Fold is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, and runs on Android 12 with Vivo’s OriginOS Ocean (not Funtouch OS) skin. It comes equipped with a 4,600mAh battery that claims to be able to charge fully in just 37 minutes owing to the 66W wired charging. It can also charge wirelessly at 50W and supports reverse wireless charging at 10W.

Despite the X Fold being Vivo’s first-generation foldable phone, it is a well-crafted piece of technology that seems very sophisticated. Most of the big concerns that come with a foldable smartphone seem to be addressed here such as the cameras, hinge mechanism, and a premium appearance and feel. While Vivo has no plans as of now to launch the X Fold in India, it would be fantastic if it did as it would mean more choices for the consumer, which is always a good thing.

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OnePlus Nord Watch Review: A Basic Fitness Tracker for the Masses

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hitesh

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October 31, 2022

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OnePlus Nord Watch Review: A Basic Fitness Tracker for the Masses

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The OnePlus Nord Watch is the brand’s first entry-level smartwatch in the Nord series. OnePlus Nord smartphones are typically budget to mid-range devices, so it’s no shocker to see an entry-level OnePlus smartwatch from the Nord ecosystem. We have plenty of choice in the sub-Rs. 5,000 smartwatch segment in India, both from local and Chinese companies, so what makes the Nord Watch special, and is it worth the asking price? Let’s find out.

OnePlus Nord Watch price, design, and specifications

The OnePlus Nord Watch is available at Rs. 4,999 and comes in two finishes – Midnight Black and Deep Blue. I received the Midnight Black variant for review which ironically has a deep shade of blue when seen at certain angles. It comes paired with black silicon strap, and a black stainless steel pin and buckle for fastening. The IP68-rated watch case of the Nord Watch is similar in size when placed alongside a 45mm Apple Watch Series 8 (Review).

The case of the OnePlus Nord Watch is made from zinc alloy which makes it quite light at 35.6g, and weighs 52.4g with the watch straps on. The case has a rounded appearance and skinny lugs which hold the replaceable silicon strap in place. Its mirror-like finish catches fingerprints easily but the display glass, which is flat, does a good job of rejecting them. The back the case (underside) is made of polycarbonate and has all the necessary sensors in place along with two contact points for the magnetic charger. On the right there’s one button which is also made of metal but its functionality is limited to opening the app menu. A second press of the button from the app menu takes you back to the watch face.

OnePlus does not sell the Nord Watch’s 20mm straps separately, so you will have to replace them with any third-party ones if and when they get damaged. The straps are made from a hypoallergenic material which feels soft and is quite comfortable for all-day use.

The OnePlus Nord Watch comes with replaceable 20mm silicon straps

The 1.78-inch AMOLED display (368 x 448 pixels) on the OnePlus Nord Watch has thick bezels, although these are barely noticeable thanks to the deep blacks produced by the display and the software interface, which has black backgrounds. The device has no mic or speakers, so there’s no Bluetooth calling functionality. This also means that all interface-related alerts (alarms, notifications, etc) work using nudges from the vibration motor.

The watch packs an optical heart rate and blood-oxygen sensors, and a 3-axis accelerometer for tracking health and fitness. Connectivity is limited to Bluetooth 5.2 and the watch does not have a built-in GPS receiver either. The Nord Watch comes with 256MB of storage (none of which is accessible to the user), and has a 230mAh battery.

OnePlus Nord Watch software, performance, and battery life

The OnePlus Nord Watch runs a customised version of RTOS which is very light and runs fluidly most of the time, only with a few random instances of lag. The interface is as basic as it gets. Swiping left or right from the watch face shows widgets for the various preinstalled apps such as Sleep, SpO2, Stress, etc. A swipe upwards from the watch face shows unread notifications in a list view, and a swipe down reveals the quick toggles. A swipe to the right take you back to the app menu. There are a handful of preinstalled apps and they all show the relevant data that you’d expect. There is no app store or access to third-party apps though, so the Nord Watch mostly ends up being the equivalent of a fitness band and not a real smartwatch.

What I did not like about the interface of the OnePlus Nord Watch is the manner in which the notifications are displayed. Save for the basic apps such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook and Instagram, the watch will not display app icons for individual notifications, which makes it extremely difficult to identify whether the alert is an email (from Gmail) or a message from Slack. The notifications themselves are also truncated, so it’s not possible to read long messages (or forwards) directly on the watch.

The OnePlus Nord Watch works well when paired with the N Health app which is available for both iOS and Android platforms. The setup process is quick and simple, and it asks for most permissions in one go on iOS. On Android, this requires a few extra steps (to enable notifications, incoming calls and auto-health tracking features), which wasn’t a hassle.

The Android version of the app also has a ‘Background permissions’ settings section which provides instructions on how to keep the app running in the background. This was a bit difficult to set up as the Settings app usually looks different across smartphone brands. I used the Nord Watch with Google’s Pixel 7 and faced no issues post setup. During the entire review period I experienced no additional battery drain on the smartphone because of the app either, which was good.

The OnePlus N Health App interface on Android has a clean and simple layout

The N Health app is designed well with a well-spaced out interface and minimal clutter, which is good to have. It makes the app easy to use when paired with both iOS and Android smartphones. The app has three sections – Home, Exercise and Me. Home gets you a neatly laid-out preview of all activities and health readings. Exercise lets you start an outdoor workout (with GPS tracking using a connected smartphone), and the Me tab lets you change and access the settings of the app and the connected watch. Despite being fairly easy to set up and use, I did encounter a bug where the alarm did not let me set the time using a 12-hour clock, even though the watch was set to it.

Coming to tracking performance of the OnePlus Nord Watch, the results were a mixed bag. As mentioned above, the watch does not have a GPS module. This only lets it track fitness-related data (using the onboard sensors) during an outdoor workout. Carrying your smartphone along when running or walking outdoors adds GPS tracking to the mix and gets you accurate GPS tracking, but for this to work, I had to start the workout from the N Health app and not the watch.

As for health tracking, heart rate monitoring was quite accurate when compared to a pulse oximeter, but the SpO2 tracking kept fluctuating and was not stable. Step tracking was spot-on when I counted to a 1,000 steps, and the fitness tracking data came close to the Apple Watch Series 8. Sleep tracking was also quite accurate but was limited to preset hours (post 6PM only), meaning it did not track short naps.

The OnePlus Nord Watch comes with a magnetic charger in the box

Being more of a fitness band than a watch, battery life of the OnePlus Nord Watch was quite good. I managed to use it for an entire week with all the health-tracking features enabled, notifications, and fitness tracking for short outdoor walks every day. The watch takes about 1hour, 45 minutes to fully charge.

Verdict

The OnePlus Nord Watch is a good first attempt at diversifying the ecosystem of products in the Nord series. While the Nord branding was earlier limited to just smartphones, it now includes wireless earphones, and finally, a smartwatch. The Nord Watch works like it’s supposed to but is clearly not meant for serious smartwatch users as it lacks an app ecosystem and its software is quite basic. It feels more like a fitness band in the shape of a smartwatch and for some users, this may be well be enough. For those who expect more features at this price, there’s the Realme Watch 3 which has built-in-GPS, a speaker and mic for Bluetooth calling and a bigger battery, but lacks an IP rating.

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Garmin Venu Sq 2 Review: Function Over Form

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hitesh

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October 28, 2022

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Garmin Venu Sq 2 Review: Function Over Form

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Garmin has launched the Venu Sq 2 as its new affordable smartwatch in India. The Garmin Venu Sq 2 comes as a successor to the original Venu Sq which launched in 2020. The Garmin Venu Sq 2 has a bunch of upgrades over its predecessor that are not only limited to hardware but also software, as the watch gets many new workout modes.

Garmin has also launched a Music Edition variant of the Venu Sq 2 in India. This lets users sync up to 500 songs on the smartwatch via Amazon Music or a Spotify playlist. The company sent us the standard Venu Sq 2, which, except for the offline music playback via headphones, has the same set of features as the Music Edition variant.

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 has a starting price of Rs. 27,990 in India. The price range is close to the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), which can be bought for Rs. 29,900 in India. There is also the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series (Review), which has a starting price of Rs. 27,999 in India. With that in mind, should you consider buying the Garmin Venu Sq 2? We help you find out.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 price in India

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 comes in a single 40mm size and is priced at Rs. 27,990. It is available in Cool Mint, Shadow Grey, and White colours. There is also the Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music Edition, which is priced at Rs. 33,490. The Music Edition variant is available in Black, Ivory, and French Grey colours. Garmin sent us the Cool Mint colour of the Venu Sq 2.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 design and specifications

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 gets a few, yet key, design upgrades. The screen is bigger than the outgoing model and is now 1.4 inches in size. I wasn’t too happy with the 40mm dial size, since it looks very small on my wrist. I have been an Apple Watch Series 7 (Review) user for a while and prefer the 45mm size. I wish Garmin offered more sizing options for the Venu Sq 2.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 gets a bigger and brighter AMOLED display

Compared to its predecessor, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 gets a brighter AMOLED display. The text on the screen is also larger, making it easier to read, even outdoors in daylight. There’s a fairly thick aluminium bezel around all four sides of the square display. The rest of the case is mostly plastic. There is also no built-in speaker which means you cannot answer phone calls or listen to voice messages that you receive on instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram, directly on the watch.

Garmin continues to offer two buttons on the right side of the Venu Sq 2. Both these buttons offer support for single and long-press menus. It might take some time to get used to the overall functionality of these buttons, especially if you are a first-time Garmin watch user. You can single-press the top button and set one of the multiple workout modes as your favourites.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 features two buttons on the right side

The bottom button can be used to go back to the main or the previous screen. Long-pressing this button will open another menu for changing the watch faces, opening the clock app, etc. The Garmin Venu Sq 2’s touchscreen also lets you go through some of the health and fitness data — which the company calls Glances — by swiping up or down on the main screen.

The watch also supports Always-On Display (AoD) but I preferred using it without the battery-consuming feature. The display is supposed to wake up as you raise your wrist but for some odd reason, my review unit failed to do this on multiple occasions and I had to rely on the buttons to activate the display. This also happened during workouts, which kind of got annoying.

The underside of the Venu Sq 2 has Garmin’s new fourth-generation heart rate sensor, and above it are the charging pins. There is no inductive charging support here like you get on an Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and a bunch of other smartwatches in this range.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 gets a new heart rate sensor

The silicone strap is interchangeable. You can simply move the tiny pin to pull the strap from one side and swap it with any other 20mm alternative. Lastly, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 has a 5 ATM rating for water resistance.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 software and app

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 works with any Android smartphone or iPhone. Users need to download the Garmin Connect app, which can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. While the watch itself offers some basic options for customisation, I found that the app offers a much better experience. For instance, your phone’s larger screen will help you navigate through the list of workout apps much better, while adding them to your favourites. The Garmin Connect app also offers the option to customise the Glance screen or set up Garmin Pay.

Other than customising the smartwatch, the Connect app also gives a detailed overview of your health metrics. You can access the basic details on the watch but I found the app’s interface a lot easier to understand and intuitive.

The Garmin Connect app is feature-rich and easy to use

I also preferred the app over the watch’s UI as the latter is not as smooth or easy to explore. Apple’s watchOS feels a lot smoother in comparison and the touch controls too offer more features. I feel Garmin really needs to work on improving this watch’s UI. The Garmin Venu Sq 2 also supports some third-party apps, which can be installed via the Connect IQ Store app.

While the watch’s user interface might not be the best one out there, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 did impress me with some of its features. Health Snapshot is one such feature where the watch creates a log of your key stats, which can be accessed in one place. The log includes key data of your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress levels, heart rate variability, and breathing. The log can be accessed via the Garmin Connect app or by simply swiping up or down on the main screen of the watch.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 performance and battery life

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 has more than 25 built-in indoor and GPS workout modes. It offers the basics, such as cycling, running, walking, to more intense workout modes such as High-interval intense training (HIIT), pilates, etc.

The step count of the watch is very close to being accurate. I manually counted 1,000 steps to test the accuracy of the Garmin Venu Sq 2 and the Watch counted 12 extra steps over the 1,000 actual steps that I counted. In comparison, the Apple Watch Series 7 counted 16 extra steps. The Garmin Venu Sq 2 does a decent job of differentiating between slow movements in a vehicle and actual walking. That being said, it is not fool-proof and I did notice that the watch added about 300 steps when on an 11km drive. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, mistakenly recorded the moving car as walking and added about 550 steps.

Garmin claims that the new fourth-generation heart rate sensor is improved to offer accurate results and to my surprise, it is almost as good as a pulse oximeter device. The same goes for SpO2 readings. That being said, I would only recommend relying on the Garmin Venu Sq 2 for reference purposes when it comes to heart rate monitoring or measuring your blood oxygen levels. It is always best to trust a medically-approved device for accurate readings.

The readings on the Garmin Venu Sq 2 were almost similar to a pulse oximeter

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 also supports sleep tracking and gives you a score once you wake up. The watch did not mistakenly assume my lying on the bed as sleeping when I was mindlessly scrolling on social media. Instead, the sleep and wake-up time was fairly accurate (yes, I was trying my best to record the time and cross-check).

If your sleep score is too low, the watch offers suggestions to improve your routine like going early to bed. The sleep score is not limited to the number of hours you sleep but also the time you go to bed. For instance, this one time when I slept for eight hours but went to sleep at 2am, the watch suggested that I go to bed earlier the following day.

Coming to the battery life, I will rate the Venu Sq 2 very highly. The company claims that users can get up to 11 days of runtime on a single charge and with the battery saver mode on, it can be extended up to 12 days.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 claims to offer up to 11 days of battery life

The excellent battery life also allowed me to go to bed and test the sleep-tracking feature without having to worry about the battery dying soon. I also recorded multiple logs of the Health Snapshot and recorded about an hour of some form of workout. Combined, the battery life, with the display brightness set to maximum, lasted for about nine days. While this might not be the best out there, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 certainly offers more backup time compared to the Apple Watch Series 7 or even the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.

Verdict

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 is among the most affordable smartwatches launched by the company in 2022. It does not compromise on the quality of features being offered, especially the accuracy of the new heart rate monitoring sensor and the blood oxygen measuring system. Features like Health Snapshot give you a good idea about your key health metrics without having to measure each of them individually. There are a bunch of preset workout modes and to make it more intuitive, users can sign up for coaching sessions on the app for free. The battery life is also very solid as the Garmin Venu Sq 2 lasted fairly long on a single charge, considering the number of activities that I performed wearing it on a day-to-day basis.

With what’s on offer, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 feels more of a smart fitness tracker than a smartwatch. While the watch scores high points for its battery, health and fitness activities, it loses out on the overall software experience. The UI needs an overhaul and Garmin should maybe take a page out of Apple or Samsung’s playbook. The Venu Sq 2 also does not look very premium for the price you pay. The minimalist look might attract some but I have a feeling many would be a little underwhelmed. Also, the one-size-fits-all approach of the single dial size restricts someone like me from purchasing the Garmin Venu Sq 2, despite liking its features so much.

Overall, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 is a good option for those considering buying a smartwatch that focuses on accurate health and fitness metrics along with good battery life. Others might want to look at the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series. *

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14 Review: Sophisticated Power

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hitesh

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October 27, 2022

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HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14 Review: Sophisticated Power

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The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is the company’s premium laptop designed for a mix of productivity and entertainment. It boasts of an all-metal body, a high-resolution display, premium speakers, and Intel’s latest 12th generation mobile CPUs. Moreover, HP says that the Pavilion Plus 14 is its slimmest Pavilion laptop yet, which makes it attractive to those who have to carry their laptop around often. Should this be your next work laptop? Find out in this review.

HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14 price and variants

HP currently has a limited variety of pre-configured Pavilion Plus models in India. The variant I’m reviewing is the Pavilion Plus Laptop 14 (eh0021TU) which is priced at Rs. 79,999 on HP India’s website. It features an Intel Core i5 CPU, integrated graphics, a 512GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM. It is available in silver and there’s also a warm gold (eh0025TU) option. If you want a higher-end configuration, the only other option in India is the Pavilion OLED 14 (eh0024TU) which has an Intel Core i7 CPU, a 2.8K display, onboard graphics and a 1TB SSD, and is priced at Rs. 93,999.

HP also has non-Plus Pavilion models in India, which are slightly more affordable due to their full-HD resolution displays, but have otherwise similar configurations as the Pavilion Plus equivalents. In other countries, the Pavilion Plus series can be configured with discrete GPUs up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050.

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is a handsome-looking laptop

HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14 design

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is a very professional-looking laptop, especially in this silver colour. Build quality is superb thanks to the aluminium used for the lid, base, and keyboard area. The display is also well protected against external forces and I didn’t notice any pixel warping when applying pressure to the back of the lid. However, all this metal makes the lid a bit heavy, and it tends to wobble easily when open, even if you’re using the laptop directly under a ceiling fan.

The display on the HP Pavilion Plus 14 is one of its highlights. It’s a 14-inch IPS panel with an anti-glare coating and a resolution of 2240×1400 pixels, making images and text appear a lot sharper and clearer than on a conventional full-HD display at this size. The refresh rate is the standard 60Hz. You get slim bezels on the right and left sides, and slightly thicker ones on the top and bottom. There is a 5-megapixel webcam above the display.

The keyboard on the HP Pavilion Plus 14 laptop has white LED backlighting

The keys on the keyboard are spaced out well and have good, clicky feedback. The function (Fn) keys are a bit smaller than the rest, but I didn’t find that to be an issue. What I didn’t like was the last column of keys for Delete, Home, Pg Up, etc, that are placed towards the right edge, beyond important keys such as Backspace and Enter. I often found myself accidentally hitting the Pg Dn key instead of Enter and Home instead of Backspace when typing, which was annoying. HP could have left a bit more space between the last two columns of keys.

The trackpad is generously wide, and to its right is a square cutout for a fingerprint sensor. The HP Pavilion Plus 14 has a good selection of ports too, for a 14-inch laptop. The right side has two SuperSpeed USB Type-C ports (10Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4), an HDMI 2.1 video output, and a USB Type-A (5Gbps) port. The left side has another full-sized USB Type-A port, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot. On the bottom of this laptop are cutouts for the Bang & Olufsen speakers (one on each end) and a large perforated air vent running along almost the entire breadth of the base. The exhaust vents are situated in front of the display’s hinge.

HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14 specifications and software

The Intel Core i5-12500H CPU in the HP Pavilion Plus 14 has a total of 12 CPU cores, which include four performance cores and eight efficiency cores. This H-series CPU should be more powerful than its P-series equivalent due to a greater amount of L3 cache and a higher base TDP of 45W (vs 28W). Indian variants of the Pavilion Plus 14 are limited to the CPU’s integrated GPU, which is based on the Intel Iris Xe graphics architecture.

The 16GB of DDR4 RAM is soldered to the motherboard, which means it’s not swappable or upgradable. HP seems to have done this in order to make this laptop as thin as possible, which is fine, but it does affect ease of repair should the RAM develop issues in the future. Thankfully, the 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD is upgradable. The Pavilion Plus 14 also features 2X2 MIMO antennas for the Wi-Fi 6E module, and Bluetooth 5.2. The laptop has a built-in 3-cell, 51Wh battery and ships with a 90W USB Type-C power adapter. The latter is quite compact and easy to travel with. HP says the Pavilion Plus 14 weighs 1.4kg but I found the actual weight of my unit to be slightly under this.

HP includes some useful software on the Pavilion Plus 14

The laptop ships with Windows 11 Home and some bundled software such as Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 and McAfee LiveSafe (30 days trial). HP also bundles its own software such as HP Command Centre, Omen Gaming Hub, HP Pallete, HP Audio Switch, and HP Smart. These programs are functional, and allow you to monitor and tweak various aspects of the laptop. There’s even a dedicated key (F12) to quickly access HP’s main programs.

HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14 performance and battery life

I used the HP Pavilion Plus 14 for a couple of weeks on and off as my work laptop, and also used it to watch a lot of movies and TV shows. Overall, my experience was very good. The laptop runs fairly cool and silent all the time, making it comfortable to use on my lap even for prolonged durations. The lid can be opened to a fairly wide angle, making the laptop easy to use in a number of positions. The high resolution also makes everything appear sharper and crisper than a standard full-HD resolution. The brightness and colours of the display are also very good. The letters and symbols on the keys of the keyboard are a little hard to decipher at the lowest backlight setting during the day, so it’s best to either have it at the highest setting or turn it off.

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 performed well in benchmarks, at times even scoring better than a laptop with a P-series Core i7 CPU. It scored 631 and 4,103 points in Cinebench R20’s single and multi-core tests, respectively. In PCMark 10, the Pavilion Plus 14 scored 5,443 points. Graphics scores were a bit lower as expected, even compared to the Iris Xe GPU in the LG Gram 14 (Review) which had a Core i7-1260P CPU.

You get a good set of physical ports for a 14-inch laptop

The Pavilion Plus 14 scored 1,357 and 12,974 points in 3DMark’s Time Spy and Night Raid test suites respectively. The laptop’s SSD performance was top-notch too. In SiSoft Sandra’s File System test, the Pavilion Plus 14 returned sequential read and write speeds of 5.85GBps and 1.75GBps. Random read and write speeds were lower, but still above average.

In real-world tests, the HP Pavilion Plus 14 took 2 minutes, 43 seconds to compress a 3.24GB folder of assorted files. Rendering the BMW test scene in Blender took 5 minutes, 28 seconds which was a lot quicker than the LG Gram laptop, and encoding a full-HD AVI file to 720p MKV took 49 seconds. Since this laptop isn’t really designed for gaming, especially the configurations sold in India, I didn’t attempt playing any intensive games. If you wish, casual titles from the Microsoft Store such as Asphalt 9: Legends, etc, should run just fine.

The 5-megapixel webcam on the HP Pavilion Plus produces good image quality with little to no visible noise even in poorly lit environments. You can record videos at up to 1440p resolution, which is nice. HP’s Enhanced Lighting app is a handy tool which creates a virtual ring light on the display and lets you tweak the intensity and colour temperature. The stereo speakers produce decent sound and this can be tweaked using the B&O app.

Battery life is the only real weak link on an otherwise well-rounded laptop

HP claims that the Pavilion Plus 14 is capable of achieving more than 11 hours of battery life on a single charge, but I found this to be much lower with actual usage. I was only able to get around five hours of use on average with a mix of work (Slack and Chrome), play (streaming videos from Netflix in Chrome), and some standby time. This isn’t very good, and I struggled to get through even a full work day on one charge. Battery Eater Pro didn’t produce very promising results either, as the benchmark ran for just 1 hour, 31 minutes. I did test the Pavilion Plus 14 a bit with Windows 11’s latest update which promises battery optimisations, but I didn’t notice any difference to actual battery life, or any change in the Battery Eater Pro result.

Verdict

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is a good-looking and well built laptop for general work and could even be suitable for creative professionals. Its crisp display, compact body, comfortable keyboard, and reasonably powerful specs are some of the main reasons you might want to consider it. The Rs. 79,999 price tag is not too bad considering the overall package, however if you don’t really need the high-resolution display then you could also look at the Pavilion 14 models which have nearly identical specs but a full-HD display, for a lot less. Battery life is really the only main weak point of the Pavilion Plus 14 laptop, and some might also find the fixed RAM to be a dealbreaker.

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Amazfit GTR 4 Review: A Feature-Packed Smartwatch That Offers Good Value

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hitesh

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October 26, 2022

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Amazfit GTR 4 Review: A Feature-Packed Smartwatch That Offers Good Value

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Amazfit’s line of smartwatches may not offer all the bells and whistles of an Apple Watch or Samsung’s Galaxy Watch models, but they do offer incredible value given their competitive price tags. The latest model in Amazfit’s stylish GTR line-up aims to repeat the success of its predecessor, the GTR 3, but with a different approach to design, improvements to tracking , a bigger display and a bigger battery. Are all these changes worth upgrading to a GTR 4, and how well does it work with both Android and iOS smartphones? Read on to find out.

Amazfit GTR 4 price in India

The Amazfit GTR 4 is available in three variants that come with their individual watch straps, but all have the same dial size. There’s the standard option with a grey case and a black fluoroelastomer strap called Superspeed Black. A second variant with the same grey case but with a leather strap called Vintage Brown Leather, and a third variant called Racetrack Grey which has a black case and a weaved nylon strap. Surprisingly, all three cost the same at Rs. 16,999. I received the Superspeed Black unit for review.

Amazfit GTR 4 design and specifications

The design of the Amazfit GTR 4 is a big departure from the GTR 3, but it does retain the navigation crown and workout button. The curved and rounded design of the previous model which looked more like a classic traditional timepiece has now been replaced with a design that looks more like a smartwatch, with sharp lines and a noticeable black bezel which surrounds the glass display. Unlike before, the tempered glass on the display does not merge with the case but rather, sits inside a bezel, giving the watch a slightly rugged appearance.

The display’s cover glass on the Amazfit GTR 4 is flat, unlike the GTR 3’s glass, which was rounded around the edges and appeared more premium in comparison. Like before, the GTR 4’s display glass has an oleophobic coating which is good at rejecting fingerprints and smudges.

The Amazfit GTR 4 has two buttons, one of which is the digital crown which offers vibrational feedback

The GTR 4’s chunky appearance is accentuated by its thick lugs which hold the 22m fluoroelastomer straps in place. These can be replaced easily with the quick release mechanism. Amazfit does sell three optional 22mm straps (silicone and leather) separately, but it’s just as easy to find similar alternatives online. The fluoroelastomer strap can be worn using the classic pin buckle, has a soft touch and feels quite comfortable.

The Amazfit GTR 4 has a large 46mm aluminium alloy case which weighs 34g. The back of the case is made from polycarbonate and apart from the sensors, also has two magnetic pins for connecting the charger. According to Amazfit, the watch can withstand up to 5 ATM (or 5 bars) of pressure which means you should have no problem wearing it while swimming in a pool, washing your hands, or showering.

The Amazfit GTR 4 has a soft silicon strap which can be easily detached and is comfortable to wear

The Amazfit GTR 4 has a slightly bigger 1.43-inch AMOLED display with resolution of 466 x 466 pixels, compared to the GTR 3. It also supports always-on capability and there’s a 475mAh battery inside. The watch comes with Amazfit’s Bio-tracker PPG biometric sensor, which enables features such as heart rate monitoring and SpO2 tracking. There’s a dual-band GPS system with support for six satellite positioning systems. Other communication standards include Wi-Fi 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.

In the box, Amazfit provides a cable with a USB Type-A port on one end and a magnetic charger on the other.

Amazfit GTR 4 performance

The Amazfit GTR 4’s display is quite bright and legible outdoors when using it during the day. I also liked the always-on functionality which retained most of the important details from the selected watch face, meaning I could glance at the time and date from an angle without flicking my wrist towards me to wake up the display. The 326ppi pixel density also ensured that text and watch faces looked sharp.

The Amazfit GTR 4 received several software updates during my review period which improved the software experience drastically compared to when I first began using it. At the time of writing this review, the watch was running version 3.8.5.1 of Amazfit’s Zepp OS, which I tested with both iOS and Android smartphones.

The always-on display (right) makes it easy to glance at the time and date

The setup experience of the Amazfit GTR 4 on iOS and Android are similar. However, it was far from seamless as it required me to extensively explore the Zepp companion app and keep granting the necessary permissions in order to activate and use a particular feature. Unfortunately, it’s a learn-as-you-go experience and it took me a few days to completely setup the watch and use all of its features after a bit of trial and error. The initial setup and user experience definitely needs some streamlining.

There is a section in the Zepp Android app dedicated to permissions, but getting to it takes some effort. It’s available under the profile tab and it basically lets you know which features have all the necessary permissions (from your smartphone) in place to make things work. While it may not appear too difficult to access, I found it annoying to jump back and forth to that section in order to get features to work. It’s much easier to get this done on iOS.

The layout of the companion app is also a bit tricky to navigate. There are three tabs which include a Homepage tab which lets you glance through all fitness and health-related data, a Health tab which shows health and fitness-related data along with your goal setting, and a Profile tab which lets you add a device, accounts, and other miscellaneous settings. If you need notifications on your watch from apps that were installed after setting up the watch, you’ll need to manually enable this within the Zepp app.

Three sections of the Zepp app (Home, Health, Profile) and Sleep Tracking data (Left to Right)

Thankfully, Zepp OS on the Amazfit GTR 4 is not as complicated as the companion app. The operating system ran smoothly whether browsing through the app menu, settings or individual apps. I like how Zepp OS lets you multi-task, letting you run and switch between two apps by showing a flashing icon of the app running in the background on the watch face. It lets you switch between two apps running in the background (for eg., timer and stopwatch running simultaneously) but will not let you check notifications or multi-task when a workout is in progress. As for the apps, there are plenty of built-in native apps (Calendar, Weather, Cycle Tracking, Barometer, etc.) that are quite detailed and useful, but the app selection in the store (accessible via the companion app) is very limited.

Health and fitness related tracking was quite good. GPS tracking (once locked) was close to accurate (using just the watch) and the step count was spot on. Sleep tracking with sleep stages also seemed accurate and the watch can also track short naps, which is useful. Heart rate tracking and SpO2 monitoring were also close to accurate when compared to a pulse oximeter. However, the sit and stand detection did not work well, as the watch often prompted me to stand up even though I had been standing for about 20 minutes (albeit without walking around).

The Amazfit GTR 4 smartwatch is powered by Zepp OS

The Bluetooth calling feature when connected to an Android smartphone worked well and I was able to clearly hear the caller and be heard on the other end without any problems. Getting this feature to work was a painstaking process and while it worked on Android, I wasn’t able to do the same on my iPhone, probably due to iOS 16.

Battery life of the Amazfit GTR 4 was stellar when compared to even premium devices such as the Apple Watch. The GTR 4 easily lasted two weeks with all the health-tracking features, always-on display enabled, and light workouts on some days. Charging the watch took about 1 hour, 45 minutes using the magnetic charger.

Verdict

The Amazfit GTR 4 may not feel as premium as the GTR 3 did, but it’s still a good looking watch in its own right. You can still purchase the Amazfit GTR 3 at Rs. 9,999, which in my opinion, is the better-looking smartwatch among the two. The features between the two aren’t far apart either, although I can’t comment about the GTR 3’s tracking accuracy since we haven’t reviewed it.

The Amazfit GTR 4 is a solid smartwatch at around Rs. 16,999, thanks to its large display, good software, and excellent battery life for health and fitness tracking. It also works well with both iOS and Android smartphones, which is a nice bonus.

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Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702) First Impressions

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hitesh

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October 24, 2022

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Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702) First Impressions

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Asus is no stranger to experimenting with various shapes and sizes for its devices – this is after all the company that came up with the PadFone series, Transformer Book series, ROG Mothership, and Taichi. Some designs, such as the Project Precog dual-screen laptop, never made it past the prototype stage, while on the other hand the ZenBook Duo has spawned several similar models and has been refined over several generations. Today, we have the chance to check out another potential game-changer, the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702), and it isn’t just a concept; it’s going on sale in India very soon.

Does the market really need a foldable laptop? Does a product like this solve any problem or serve any need that normal laptops cannot? These are questions that can only be answered with use over a very long period. What I can bring you today are my first impressions, after having spent just a few hours with the new ZenBook 17 Fold. Read on.

Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702) Price in India

The official launch price for the Asus ZenBook 17 Fold is Rs. 3,29,000 which is of course a huge amount, but not entirely unreasonable considering that plenty of gaming laptops and even a decently specced MacBook Pro could easily cost as much or more. Only one hardware configuration will be available in India, and we’ll get into that shortly.

Asus has announced a set of pre-book offers including up to Rs. 40,700 off in exchange for a qualifying laptop, and Rs. 5,000 instant cashback, so you could bring that price down to Rs. 2,84,290. You’ll also get a 500GB portable SSD free, and a warranty extension (which covers the OLED panel as well as folding mechanism) plus accidental damage protection, which could be quite worthwhile. Pre-booking will be open till November 9, and open sale begins November 10 through Asus’ own website.

Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702) design, specifications and features

The ZenBook 17 Fold comes in an upright wedge-shaped box, and opening it up for the first time is meant to feel dramatic. You’ll see the tablet itself placed upright, and there’s a compartment below it for the included 65W USB-PD charger. The separate Bluetooth keyboard, a protective sleeve, and an included USB Type-A to Type-C adapter are also nestled inside.

When unfolded, you get a 17.3-inch 2560×1920-pixel 4:3 screen. The tablet’s borders are somewhat thick but this is good for grip. Asus also says this discourages people from folding the device by pressing inwards on the screen with their thumbs while bending the body – and once that was pointed out, I immediately became aware that I needed to consciously avoid doing so. The screen surface does feel a bit soft and pliable, but that said, I was less anxious of causing damage than I have been when using a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, for instance.

The keyboard unit snaps in place over the lower half of the display, and Windows 11 resizes its active area automatically

There are multiple ways to use the ZenBook 17 Fold. It could be a huge tablet, but I’m not sure how comfortable that would be long-term especially since it does need a cooling fan. It’s a better idea to flip out the kickstand (that’s integrated into the hinge shroud) and place the Bluetooth keyboard in a comfortable spot. You can also bend the screen slightly and hold it like a book. Then there’s the “standard” laptop mode, with the keyboard snapped in place magnetically over the lower half of the screen, leaving you with a roughly 12.5-inch, 1920×1280 display area (though the bottom of that curves downwards and forwards). If you prefer, pull the keyboard off and use the entire screen in a curved portrait orientation, with a virtual keyboard popping up when needed.

The ZenBook 17 Fold weighs 1.5kg (1.8kg including the Bluetooth keyboard) which is not too bad by today’s standards, if you consider you’re getting a device with a 17-inch screen to work on. The keyboard layout is quite standard and key travel and spacing are decent, but its position and height might be awkward long-term. The trackpad is quite usable. I’m concerned about the keyboard unit flexing though, and it’s a pity that it needs to be charged using a USB Type-C cable – there are no contact points. I’m also surprised that a stylus isn’t included.

There’s no doubt that the ZenBook 17 Fold is a thick, chunky device when closed – not like any of the wide, slim laptops on the market today. It feels like carrying a leather-bound encyclopedia volume or a really hefty planner. The hinge housing wraps around the outside like an extra protective shell, but asus has used glass and metal for the actual rear surfaces (or bottom surfaces, depending on how you use this device). The screen curves in the middle and doesn’t fold completely flat, but if you place the Bluetooth keyboard in between, you get a neat sandwich with no gaps – which is also great for avoiding damage.

Asus says the hinge has been tested for 30,000 open-and-close cycles which exceeds even military toughness standards. The ZenBook 17 Fold is also designed to withstand vibrations, shock, humidity, and extreme temperatures. Yes, the crease down the middle is visible when the 17.3-inch OLED panel is fully unfolded, but it’s only distracting at some angles and will depend on what you’re doing.

The 17.3-inch OLED panel has a 2.5K 1920×1280 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio, plus Dolby Vision and DisplayHDR True Black certification

On the inside, you get a 12^th gen ‘Alder Lake’ Core i7-1250U CPU which has two performance cores and eight more efficiency cores, plus integrated Iris XE graphics. A fan is required for active cooling but the vents are placed such that they’ll never be blocked in tablet or laptop mode. In fact, the quad speakers and two Thunderbolt ports are also positioned so that they’re always accessible.

There’s also a 75Wh battery, and the ZenBook 17 Fold can be charged using a 65W USB-PD power bank if needed. The 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM is soldered. Surprisingly Asus has used a standard 1TB PCie 4.0 M.2 SSD module, though you certainly should not attempt to open up this device to upgrade it yourself. There’s also Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Finally, the 5-megapixel webcam is worth mentioning.

There’s plenty more to talk about, including Asus’ software tweaks. The most important thing, though, is how it will feel to actually use the ZenBook 17 Fold long-term as a laptop for everyday work and entertainment. Handling it will take some getting used to, but I do see the appeal. When out and about with my 13.3-inch laptop, I’ve often wished I could see more spreadsheet columns or work across two programs side by side. Then there’s also its potential for entertainment – catching up on shows while on long flight, for example.

Will all laptops eventually go the way of smartphones and ditch physical keyboards? Is the ZenBook 17 Fold the best of both worlds, or is it just another niche toy? If you do choose to be an early adopter just because it’s cool, will you be able to get all your work done? We’re going to explore all of this in our full review, plus of course we’ll put the ZenBook 17 Fold through all our usual tests. Stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for a full examination, coming up very soon.

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Vivo V25 Pro Review: A Capable Mid-Ranger With a Worrisome Price Tag

By

hitesh

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October 21, 2022

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Vivo V25 Pro Review: A Capable Mid-Ranger With a Worrisome Price Tag

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The Vivo V23 Pro 5G was a mid-range smartphone that was laser-focussed on design alone. Apart from being really slim and lightweight, it also introduced the colour-changing rear panel as a unique selling point for the series. What it also brought along was a noticeable jump in price, which was a lot higher than the Vivo V20 Pro 5G that it succeeded. The Vivo V23 Pro 5G offered mid-range hardware but at Rs. 38,990, was priced closer to devices that had much better specs.

With the V25 Pro, Vivo has made some subtle changes to the design, but has added some much-needed improvements when it comes to battery life and cameras. So, are these improvements worth the asking price, and does the Vivo V25 Pro succeed in offering something different?

Vivo V25 Pro 5G price in India

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G is available in two variants. There’s the base variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage that is priced at Rs. 35,999, and a second variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage that is available at Rs. 39,999. I received the 12GB RAM variant in the colour-changing Sailing Blue finish. The phone is also available in a matte-black finish called Pure Black, which doesn’t change colour.

Vivo V25 Pro 5G design

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G has a design that reminds me of its predecessor, the V23 Pro 5G. However, the new phone is not as slim and a bit chubby at a thickness of 8.62mm. The chrome-finished mid-frame is made of polycarbonate with a glossy texture, and gathers fingerprints easily. However, it adds some grip to the otherwise slippery rear panel which is made of glass. The sides of the mid-frame are curved with the curved edge display and the rear panel seamlessly blends into the mid-frame, giving the phone a very premium feel.

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G’s curved-edge display is a rare sight among mid-range smartphones

The colour-changing rear panel of last year’s model surely caught everyone’s attention, but the trend did exactly catch on. The only other phone I reviewed that offered this feature was the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G, but I was not a fan of the choice of colours. With the Vivo V25 Pro 5G, the colour-changing trick is hard to make out, mainly because transition is more subtle, going from a lighter shade of blue to a darker one. It’s not as impactful as the gold to green transition of the Vivo V23 Pro 5G, so most users might not even notice that the feature exists.

Party-tricks aside, the V25 Pro 5G does not feature an IP rating, nor does it have wireless charging. The rear camera module retains the metal frame from the V23 Pro, but has been redesigned with a glass inset to fit in the slightly altered imaging system. The 6.56-inch full-HD+ pOLED display has a thin and uniform bezel all around that curves on the left and right sides, giving the phone a premium look.

Vivo V25 Pro 5G specifications and software

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G packs MediaTek’s Dimensity 1300 SoC. The chipset is commonly found in mid-range smartphones and is also available in the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G and the Oppo Reno 8 5G. The phone uses LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, but does not offer storage expansion. Communication standards include support for several 5G bands, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and support for the usual satellite navigation systems.

The phone is powered by a 4,830mAh battery and comes with an 80W charger in the box. Other box contents include a Type-C to Type-A USB cable and a transparent TPU case. The phone does not support NFC and the charging speed is limited to 66W.

The novelty of the colour-changing back is starting to wear off after last year’s Vivo V23 Pro 5G

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G runs Vivo’s Funtouch OS 12 which is based on Android 12. Everything feels typically Vivo, and this also applies to the superior customisation options that the operating system offers. Vivo has added a new colour palette picker which lets users pick between a basic preset colour or a multi-colour theme, based on the applied wallpaper. While the UI colour changes in the Settings app and the keyboard, the colour of the widgets failed to change and needed a system restart to take effect.

Keeping in mind its premium price, I was surprised to see so many pre-installed apps on the smartphone. Thankfully, most of these could be uninstalled. Spammy notifications are a problem as well. While I saw notifications from the usual suspects, it was a bit shocking to see so many notifications (news, promotions, etc) from the native browser app, even though I never used it since unboxing the smartphone.

I feel the software experience is something Vivo needs to work on, more so, given the price of this smartphone. An upgrade to Android 13 should hopefully pull the plug on these annoying notifications.

Vivo V25 Pro 5G performance

Software performance on the Vivo V25 Pro 5G was quite fluid. I faced no lag or stuttering when multitasking and everything worked buttery-smooth thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate display. The pOLED display gets bright outdoors but produces heavily saturated colours at the default ‘Standard’ screen colour setting. The curves on the sides of the display are not too excessive, so it is not distracting when viewing movies or playing games in full screen.

Vivo finally got rid of the dated-looking display notch which was present even on last year’s V23 Pro 5G. There’s now a hole-punch cavity for the selfie camera which does not get in the way of the viewing experience. There’s no stereo speaker setup, and the single bottom-firing speaker sounded a bit tinny and distorted at high volumes. The phone’s display is HDR10+ certified and content appeared as expected.

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G’s anti-glare glass rear panel did an excellent job of resisting fingerprints

As for benchmarks, the Vivo V25 Pro performed on par with the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G but fell a bit short when it came to devices such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G and the iQoo Neo 6, both of which pack in premium hardware. The phone scored 7,04,304 points in AnTuTu, and 678 and 2,770 points in Geekbench’s single and multi-score tests, respectively.

Gaming performance was quite good on the Vivo V25 Pro 5G. Most games ran smoothly at default settings and did so without heating up the phone. I tried out Call of Duty: Mobile and the phone managed to run the game smoothly at the ‘Very High’ frame rate and graphics settings. The phone’s frame rate priority mode helps make the gameplay appear smoother but it comes at the cost of resolution, which is lowered in order to achieve that steady frame rate.

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G has a vibrant 120Hz pOLED display

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G performed a lot better than the slimmer V23 Pro 5G when it came to battery life. It was my major gripe with the previous model and I am happy to say that the V25 Pro does a much better job, easily lasting a full day with heavy use. This included an hour of gaming, some photography and a couple of hours of streaming, apart from the usual work-related messaging and scrolling through social media apps.The phone also managed to run for a good 19 hours and 32 minutes in our standard video loop test.

Despite packing an 80W charger in the box, Vivo limits the charging to 66W, which was fast enough to get the phone from an empty battery to 100 percent in an hour’s time.

Vivo V25 Pro 5G cameras

The Vivo V25 Pro 5G has three rear cameras. There’s a 64-megapixel primary camera with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2-megapixel fixed-focus macro camera. Selfies are handled by a 32-megapixel front-facing camera which has autofocus.

In daylight, photos looked out a bit sharp but with good detail and dynamic range. Colours were oversaturated and almost appeared as though a filter had been applied to them. Photos from the ultra-wide-angle camera looked soft with lots of barrel distortion and purple fringing. These were also quite low on detail.

Vivo V25 Pro 5G daylight camera samples. Top to bottom: Primary camera, ultra-wide-angle camera, selfie camera (Portrait mode) (tap to see full size)

Portrait photos taken outdoors by the rear camera appeared sharp, but appeared soft when captured indoors. Selfies looked a bit overexposed, but selfie portraits had blown-out backgrounds in brighter shooting scenarios. Results from the macro camera were oversharpened at best and it was quite difficult to get an object in focus.

In low-light scenarios, photos captured in auto mode had average details in scenes with good light. The Night mode managed clearer images with reduced noise and slightly improved dynamic range, but also appeared a bit softer. Overall, photos shot in low light weren’t consistent and this changed drastically from scene to scene, depending on the available light. Photos from the ultra-wide-angle camera lacked detail with blotchy textures.

Vivo V25 Pro 5G low light camera samples. Top to bottom: Auto mode (Primary camera), Night mode (Primary camera) (tap to see full size)

Videos recorded by the V25 Pro 5G looked average in terms of quality but showcased good dynamic range in daylight. At the same time, recorded videos just like the photos, appeared oversaturated. Footage shot at 1080p had a heavily cropped frame, which did translate to better stabilisation. Videos recorded at 4K 30fps managed the best quality with a wider frame but had a dream-like effect. The phone also shoots HDR video at various resolutions, but is limited to 30fps. The results were not too great with some flickering and added noise. Low-light video was average at best, the Night video mode did not make much of difference in dimly lit scenes.

Verdict

The big question with the V25 Pro 5G is, why is Vivo still charging a premium for it? If it’s for features like the colour-changing back panel or the curved display, then I’m not sure how many buyers would actually be willing to pay a premium for such things. I feel Vivo really needs to rethink its pricing and strategy of its V-series, which up till the V20 Pro, was very appealing. Surprisingly, OnePlus managed to make better hardware choices and squeeze out consistent camera performance from its Nord 2T 5G, which is priced much lower starting at Rs. 28,999. In short, there’s nothing really special apart from that curved edge-display which helps the Vivo V25 Pro 5G stand out. And then, there’s the competition.

Smartphones such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G (Review) and the iQoo Neo 6 5G (Review) run circles around the V25 Pro in terms of raw performance. There’s even the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G (Review) (from Rs. 24,999) which offers excellent value, and the Nothing Phone 1 (Review) (from Rs. 32,999) which offers premium features such as wireless charging and an official IP52 rating.

Despite having some solid improvements over its predecessor, the Vivo V25 Pro 5G is still hard to recommend when you have excellent alternatives in this segment.

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Gotham Knights PC Review: A Technical Disaster, to Say the Least

By

hitesh

-

October 21, 2022

0

Gotham Knights PC Review: A Technical Disaster, to Say the Least

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Gotham Knights — out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X — attracted all kinds of negative attention in the run-up to its release. Starting life as a series of cryptic tweets, heralding the inclusion of the enigmatic Court of Owls was an excellent way to build hype for the next chapter in the Batman: Arkham saga, or so we thought. Later, it was revealed to be a separate arc, focused on the Dark Knight’s motley crew of sidekicks, much to the dismay of avid fans. Initial impressions were cold, as the new co-op component drew parallels to the bloated mess that was Marvel’s Avengers in 2020. With pre-release footage rolling out, that fear grew into contempt, as displays of laggy gameplay and clunky mechanics threw a wet blanket over any prior excitement. Add to that WB Games Montréal cancelling the previously announced PS4 and Xbox One versions five months before launch, and we’ve got a launch overshadowed by complaints.

Gotham Knights PC review: gameplay and controls

The aftermath of Batman and Commissioner Jim Gordon’s tragic deaths has left Gotham City in shambles, begging for a new saviour as an assortment of volatile criminals take over. Restoring order becomes the utmost priority, with the remaining Bat-Family suiting up and operating from the Belfry, hoping to see a new dawn. One of my concerns with Gotham Knights was its open-world system, which seemed to borrow its design philosophy from mundane Ubisoft titles. While this remains true with respect to quests, on-screen icons, and world traversal, there is still a hint of classic Arkham DNA in there.

You’re presented with a near-freeflow combat technique that demands extra attention for timed dodges, and a ton of erratic camera movement as you leap from one opponent to another. The Gotham Knights settings menu recommends that you leave motion blur off for better performance, but I’d say otherwise since a few extra frames won’t solve the issue. To put it bluntly, Gotham Knights is poorly optimised on PC, causing minor stutters, even in cutscenes. Leaving motion blur on, however, helps smoothen movement, avoiding screen tearing.

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Combat feels a bit similar to the Batman: Arkham games
Photo Credit: WB Games Montréal

The Gotham Knights PC control scheme is super RPG-like, with a medley of skills, status effects, and combat options that might seem daunting to newcomers to the genre. However, the biggest hurdle in regard to gameplay stems from general movement, which is super sensitive, and at times unresponsive, causing heroes to bump into objects frequently. This is worsened by the fact that you occasionally get stuck to corners or edges, so instead of simply turning the camera and manoeuvring out of that site, you’re forced to take two steps back and reposition yourself.

For ranged attacks, you can mindlessly spam a button to inflict small doses of damage, as you regain composure. Meanwhile, the auto-aim/ tracking feature from the Arkham games — when manually hurling batarangs — has been removed in Gotham Knights. This can be simplified by visiting the accessibility settings, where you’ll find plenty of options to make gameplay feel like a breeze.

For instance, configuring Precision Aiming to a button tap lets you focus on cursor alignment, instead of holding and dragging your mouse into foes. Likewise, you can take advantage of the colourblind mode, a voice reader that narrates menus, and subtitle backgrounds for those hard of vision. Lodged within the pile is a ‘Movement Smoothing’ option, which does help a bit with the aforesaid sensitive navigation issues. However, when travelling through vents in Gotham Knights, I found characters to be moving in slow motion, requiring me to toggle it on and off, throughout the playthrough.

Gotham Knights PC review: graphics

The graphics are possibly the highlight of Gotham Knights on PC, partly carried by the moody lighting which adds to the helpless tone of the city. But what’s holding me back from fully enjoying this game is the character art design, which is in sheer contrast to its surroundings. It’s clear WB Games Montréal has invested a decent chunk of its time in working on the vigilantes’ suits. In fact, part of Gotham Knights’ marketing campaign involved showcasing unlockable outfits, and the inspiration behind each of them. However, the developer seems to have overlooked how shadows will affect these costumes, and the characters wearing them — for the most part.

Everything You Need to Know About Gotham Knights

Vigilantes’ suits have a weird glow effect to them
Photo Credit: WB Games Montréal

Halogen lights throw proper reflections and tint effects, which are extended onto the tall, menacing shadows behind you. But, when facing away from light in Gotham Knights on PC, or just roaming through some dark alleyway, the suits have a weird glow, which merely exists so you can appreciate their finer details. This is prevalent even during combat, creating some disparity between you and oncoming goons, with flat colours that would be more appropriate in a mobile game.

In my time with Gotham Knights on PC, I only found illumination to be consistent in two places — cutscenes and time spent within the Belfry. That tower of operations is the only place you see daylight, as you link clues and chart the next steps in your course of action. Even on the ‘Low’ graphical preset, you’re greeted with visible dust particles, long shadows from the clock’s mechanisms, and a blinding sun-kissed effect that looks beautiful.

Like most modern AAA titles, upon first launch, Gotham Knights on PC configures graphics settings for you. The results looked disappointing for me, playing on a medium-spec build. The game automatically adjusts the maximum render resolution to the 60s on its sliding scale, creating jagged edges on our vigilantes and a scrambly effect on hair and shadows, which is hard to miss. I would recommend raising this to at least 125, and also tweaking the sharpening level, depending on what GPU you own — AMD’s Fidelity FX sharpening, or Nvidia Image Scaling — to reach an acceptable level of detail. Sadly, visual flair is minimised once you head outdoors, as you’re slapped with lifeless, dated architectural assets such as brick walls and foggy windows, whose textures see nary an improvement even on the Highest preset.

Cruising through the lanes of Gotham City, I noticed several artefacts, streetlights, and entire backgrounds popping in and out of the frame. To the developers’ credit, it was (unintentionally?) clever of them to set the game at night, making it difficult to identify such hindrances — albeit the jarring changes in lighting effects were always a dead giveaway. Switching from the lowest presets to beyond, the most significant change in Gotham Knights on PC has to be reflection quality and quantity. What appeared as a blurry smudge at Medium or lower settings forms a complete mirror image of its parent object at higher presets, with rippled edges that emulate the sense of a downpour.

Gotham Knights to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the Biggest Games in October

Notice the difference in reflection quality, going from Low (L) to High (R)
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Rahul Chettiyar

The effects of rainfall are also seen in character outfits, as water droplets calmly trickle down your suit or dry off when under shelter. It’s such minor details that demonstrate a level of passion behind Gotham Knights on PC. But in the larger scheme of things — the narrative, combat, open world, and overarching shadow of the Batman: Arkham games — a lot of it can go unnoticed, and rightfully so.

Gotham Knights PC review: performance

Even as WB Games Montréal threw a near-endless barrage of unpolished gameplay demos at us in the runup to this game’s launch, I held a positive outlook, for two main reasons. A: It’s rare to see AAA developers being fully honest about their games, giving you a clear idea of exactly what you’re spending money on. Because let’s be real, nobody wants another Cyberpunk 2077 situation. And B: I was hoping that this game’s glaring issues would be fixed by launch time. Having spent about a week playing Gotham Knights on PC, I can now confirm that I was wrong about the second part. This title plays exactly as advertised, featuring wonky gameplay and constant dips in performance, no matter what graphics configuration you set.

My test rig consisted of an AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6GHz processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super GPU with 6GB of VRAM, 16GB of RAM, and a 500GB SSD — a build that’s usually sufficient to smoothly run modern titles at Medium–High settings, at 1080p. Gotham Knights, however, demands a lot more horsepower, setting the baseline at a GTX 1660Ti GPU for 60fps gameplay at the lowest settings. What the developers never say outright is that those numbers are best-case scenarios. In simple terms, Gotham Knights has two main graphics options: Indoors and outdoors. With the former, my PC delivered a solid 50fps average at Medium settings, as I tackled the main campaign missions and interior segments.

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Gotham Knights is prone to heavy stuttering issues when in the open world
Photo Credit: WB Games Montréal

But the story is wildly different on the streets of Gotham City, where riding around on the Batcycle tanked my frames to an average of 30fps, with frequent drops to the 22fps region. This trend continued across all graphical presets, resulting in a sluggish traversal experience that was also heavily impacted by the slightest camera movement. The world of Gotham Knights is far denser than the studio’s previous outing, Batman: Arkham Origins, teeming with lifeless civilians, vehicles in motion, smoke effects, neon lighting, and a lot of rainfall — all of which are responsible for pronounced performance fluctuations in the open world. Even by reducing the environment density and setting everything to low, I could not achieve a stable 60fps on my PC. Combat segments would usually max out at 34fps, while cutscenes with rain were capped at 40fps.

The optimisation here is bafflingly inconsistent. What better way to convey this than take you through one of my personal experiences? Early on in Gotham Knights, you’re tasked with breaking into the Blackgate Penitentiary and meeting with Harley Quinn to follow up on a lead. As you might expect, she sends you on a wild goose chase. This involves a mix of stealth segments and an all-out prison brawl. What’s interesting here is that throughout this whole sequence, at Medium settings, Gotham Knights on PC never dropped below 59fps — it even hit 70fps once (yay?) — but then I got my hands on the quest item.

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Harley Quinn in Gotham Knights
Photo Credit: WB Games Montréal

Presumably, the next course of action would be to simply retrace your steps through the same hallways, and deliver the document to Quinn. But the very second I turned around, Gotham Knights plummeted to 35fps on my PC, even in the following cutscene, up until I made my way back to the Belfry. In fact, as I rode into the subway tunnel leading to the hub area, I noticed a massive lag spike. Performance dropped to 12fps, and completely disoriented my camera positioning. With such abysmal optimisation, it’s not surprising that the console — PS5 and Xbox Series S/X — versions of this game have been locked to 30fps.

Clearly, this isn’t a good look for Gotham Knights on PC. But, if you’re still interested to know how a mid-range system might run this game at higher settings, please refer to the table below:

Gotham Knights PC Performance (all values are in fps ranges)
LOW		MEDIUM		HIGH		HIGHEST
INDOORS	OUTDOORS	INDOORS	OUTDOORS	INDOORS	OUTDOORS	INDOORS	OUTDOORS
51–61	25–37	46–50	18–35	37–48	17–26	31–43	12–25

Gotham Knights PC review: verdict

WB Games Montréal clearly bit off more than it could chew here, resulting in a bloated mess that fails on a technical level. Running on Unreal Engine 4, Gotham Knights on PC can look visually appealing at times, but constant frame drops and high-end PC requirements essentially doom it. At the end of the day, the game itself is tedious to play, and because of that, it’s hard to see players waiting around for months for the performance issues to be resolved. Remember Batman: Arkham Knight on PC?

Pros:

Decent lighting and smoke effects
Indoor segments run smoothly

Cons:

Poorly optimised open world
World assets and textures look outdated
Super-sensitive movement controls
Inconsistent framerate
Weird glow effect on vigilantes’ outfits
Lots of camera disorientation

Rating (out of 10): 5

Gotham Knights is out now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Gadgets 360 played Gotham Knights on a PC with AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6GHz, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super GPU 6GB, 16GB RAM, and 500GB SSD.

Pricing starts at Rs. 2,999 on Steam and Epic Games Store for PC, and Rs. 4,399 on PlayStation Store and Xbox Store.

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Redmi Pad Review: An Obvious Choice

By

hitesh

-

October 20, 2022

0

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Xiaomi has launched its most affordable Android tablet in India in the form of the Redmi Pad. The Redmi tablet aims to strike the right balance by offering a large screen for multimedia consumption along with a performance unit that is no slouch. Xiaomi claims that the Redmi Pad is the right choice for budget Android tablet buyers in India. Priced under Rs. 20,000, it packs good hardware and offers a couple of features which are not even available in the more expensive Apple iPad.

The Redmi Pad came with an attractive introductory price in India, starting as low as Rs. 11,700 for the base variant with all the offers in place. However, the introductory offer was only valid for the first few days of the sale and now, the Redmi Pad is available at a slightly higher premium. With that in mind, should you still consider buying it? We help you find out.

Redmi Pad price in India

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Pad in three RAM and storage configurations. The base variant packs 3GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It is priced at Rs. 14,999. There is a 4GB RAM variant with 128GB of internal storage, that is priced at Rs. 17,999. Our variant of the Redmi Pad packs 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It is priced at Rs. 19,999. These prices could vary slightly based on seasonal sales.

Redmi Pad design

The Redmi Pad, despite being a budget Android tablet, does not look like one. With an all-metal body, it offers a good in-hand feel. The flat frame design and good weight distribution make this Android tablet feel lighter than its actual weight of 465g. It is also fairly thin at 7.1mm. While the sides are flat, the corners curve smoothly to ensure they do not dig into your palms while holding the tablet in portrait or landscape mode.

I also like the Mint Green colour of the Redmi Pad, which has a matte finish. This also means that the tablet does not attract many fingerprints or smudges. If you want something more classic looking or versatile, there are the Moonlight Silver and Graphite Grey colour options.

Redmi Pad in its Mint Green colour

There are no magnetic contact pins on the back of the Xiaomi Redmi Pad like on the Xiaomi Pad 5 (Review), but you can connect a wireless keyboard via Bluetooth if you wish. Xiaomi, at the time of the Redmi Pad India launch, did reveal that there will be folio cases available, however, we are yet to see it on Xiaomi’s website at the time of publishing this review.

The Redmi Pad supports storage expansion of up to 1TB via a slot on the right side (when held vertically). At the top of the right edge of the frame are the volume buttons, whereas the tiny power button is at the corner of the top edge. You also get four speaker grilles — two at the top and two on the bottom. The Redmi Pad does not get a 3.5mm headphone jack, which might be a bummer for some.

On the front, there is a 10.61-inch IPS LCD with a 2K (2000×1200 pixels) resolution. Compared to the competition, the Redmi Pad has a slight edge with its 90Hz refresh rate display and support for up to a billion colours. There is no HDR10 support, which is something I do not expect a budget tablet to have. I did expect the tablet to have some form of an oleophobic coating though, to prevent fingerprints and smudges. Unfortunately, the Redmi Pad does not have one and like me, you too might find yourself wiping the screen every time you use the tablet.

Redmi Pad’s display has 400 nits of peak brightness

The bezels around the display are not too thick but seem about right for a budget tablet. The 10-bit display also comes with a 15:9 aspect ratio and 400 nits of peak brightness. You will get the best viewing experience when the screen is placed right in front of your eyes, but view it from an angle and you will notice some colour shift. The Redmi Pad has a Widevine L1 certification, which means that you can consume full-HD content on Netflix and other OTT platforms. The quad-speaker setup on the Redmi Pad is tuned with Dolby Atmos and for the price, it is quite loud and clear.

Redmi Pad specifications and software

The Redmi Pad features a MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, which is also found in budget smartphones such as the Redmi 11 Prime and the Moto G72 (First Look). The tablet also packs a massive 8000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. Xiaomi bundles a 22.5W fast charging adapter in the box. The tablet supports Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.3, but does not come in a cellular variant.

Redmi Pad offers a clean, feature-rich software experience

On the software side of things, the Redmi Pad runs on the Android 12-based MIUI 13 skin out of the box. The software experience on the Redmi Pad is quite clean and smooth. There was no sign of any stutter across the user interface (UI). I also did not notice any bugs, particularly the automatic portrait/ landscape mode switch, which I have experienced in many tablets across different price points.

MIUI 13 for Pad comes with close to no bloatware, which is very rare to see in Xiaomi products. What is common to see is the number of features that MIUI adds on top of Android. These include split-screen, floating windows, etc. Some apps do not support split-screen natively but Xiaomi has stated that it is working with more developers to enhance the experience on the Redmi Pad.

Apps such as Instagram and Facebook are well-optimised to take advantage of the large screen but certain apps such as Twitter are basically stretched-out versions of the mobile app. MIUI 13 for Pad also has a dock at the bottom of the screen, which hides automatically when you open an app. The dock is dynamic and adds the recently-used apps on the right side in case you want to switch back to one.

Xiaomi has promised to offer at least two major Android updates, and security patches for three years for the Redmi Pad.

Redmi Pad performance and battery life

The Redmi Pad can handle basic day-to-day web browsing and scrolling in apps, fairly well. With a MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, users can also play some of the popular games on the Redmi Pad without having to worry about a poor gaming experience. I played games like Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9 Legends along with lighter titles such as Subway Surfers. Call of Duty: Mobile ran smoothly at ‘Medium’ graphics and ‘High’ frame rate settings, averaging roughly 40fps. There were very minor stutters here and there but overall, the gaming experience on the Redmi Pad was quite good.

Asphalt 9 Legends on the Redmi Pad

In the AnTuTu benchmark, the Redmi Pad scored 3,37,661 points, which is on par with the Redmi 11 Prime 5G’s (Review) MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC. The tablet scored 534 and 1684 points in Geekbench 5’s single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.

The Redmi Pad does not come with a fingerprint scanner and you will have to rely either on AI face unlock or the pattern/ pin unlock system. The front camera, despite being placed on the right bezel (when held in portrait mode), quickly detects and unlocks the tablet when using face recognition.

The Redmi Pad has an 8-megapixel front camera

Coming to battery life, the 8000mAh battery can last a full day without requiring you to charge it. In our battery loop test, the Redmi Pad lasted for 14 hours and 53 minutes. It might seem less for a tablet with an 8000mAh battery but remember that the screen is quite large and has a high resolution, therefore consuming more battery. If you consume video content and scroll through your social media feed for a couple of hours a day, the Redmi Pad would need to be recharged every third or fourth day.

Redmi Pad cameras

The Redmi Pad has an 8-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. The rear camera is useful only for scanning documents as the dynamic range is below average and the colours are a bit washed out for anything else. If you wish to click photos for sharing on social media, then you’d be better off using your phone. The Redmi Pad might not be the right choice.

The Redmi Pad features an 8-megapixel rear camera

The front camera does a decent job with selfies, and because the front camera is placed on the right bezel, you are always looking directly into the camera during video calls. There is an upcoming feature called Focus Frame which is promised in a future update. Similar to Centre Stage on iPads, it is said to be able to adjust the frame according to your movement and will even widen the field of view up to 105 degrees.

Verdict

The Redmi Pad, with all its hardware and software features, is certainly my obvious recommendation for anyone looking to buy an Android tablet under Rs. 20,000. With a capable performance unit, a big battery and a large screen, the Redmi Pad is suitable for a majority of use cases, including gaming.

I would recommend buying the 4GB RAM variant or possibly even the 6GB RAM variant. You not only get more storage but also the assurance of a smoother user experience. Some of the key MIUI 13 for Pad features such as split screen, floating windows, multi-window, etc, are not available on the 3GB RAM variant, so it makes sense to skip it.

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