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EU Proposes Draft Rules Under Cyber Resilience Act to Assess Cybersecurity Risks on Smart Devices

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EU Proposes Draft Rules Under Cyber Resilience Act to Assess Cybersecurity Risks on Smart Devices

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The European Union (EU) has announced a set of draft rules to make it mandatory for all smart devices connected to internet to assess their cybersecurity risks. The step has been taken amid growing concerns about cyberattacks. Under the newly proposed law, known as the Cyber Resilience Act, the European Commission can also levy fine of up to EUR 15 million (nearly Rs. 120 crore) or up to 2.5 percent of their global turnover on all companies who fail to comply with the rules.

The EU has made it strict for all smart devices connected to internet — including laptops, fridges, smartwatches — to assess the cybersecurity risks. In case of any errors, the companies are also compelled to fix them under the new Cyber Resilience Act. EU digital chief Margrethe Vestager, in a statement released earlier today, said, “It (the Act) will put the responsibility where it belongs, with those that place the products on the market.

The act was initially announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September 2021. The step has been taken in direction to make digital products more secure for consumers across the EU. Failing to comply with the laws can invite a fine of up to EUR 15 million or up to 2.5 percent of the total global turnover for the companies.

Vestager also encouraged companies to comply to these rules of assessing cybersecurity risks as it could save them as much as 290 billion euros annually in cyber incidents.

Under the new law, manufacturers will have to assess the cybersecurity risks on their products. In case of any faults, the companies need to take appropriate procedures to fix problems. Moreover, they are also bound to inform EU cybersecurity agency ENISA of cyber incidents within 24 hours as and when they get aware about it.

The draft rules, before becoming a law, will need to be agreed with EU countries and EU lawmakers.

Buying an affordable 5G smartphone today usually means you will end up paying a “5G tax”. What does that mean for those looking to get access to 5G networks as soon as they launch? Find out on this week’s episode. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Google Pixel Buds Pro Review: The Android-Focused Flagship TWS

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hitesh
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Google Pixel Buds Pro Review: The Android-Focused Flagship TWS

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Many brands which make both smartphones and audio products tend to engineer them to work slightly better with each other, in the hope that this tight integration would keep buyers locked into their ecosystem. Some examples include the Apple AirPods Pro, OnePlus and Oppo’s true wireless headsets, and Samsung’s range of Galaxy Buds headsets, all of which tend to have a bit of an edge in terms of features or capabilities when used with smartphones from the same respective brands.

Google’s Pixel Buds lineup has taken a similar approach, with its usability and features geared towards Android smartphones and tablets. However, what has been lacking in the past is the presence of a proper flagship true wireless headset from Google. That has now changed, with the launch of the Google Pixel Buds Pro which is priced at Rs. 19,990 in India.

With active noise cancellation, wireless charging, and hands-free access to Google Assistant, the Pixel Buds Pro is a feature-filled TWS option that looks to challenge flagship true wireless headsets from brands such as Apple, Samsung, and Sony, among others. Is this the best flagship true wireless headset for Android users? Find out in this review.

Google Pixel Buds Pro design and features

Google is consistent with its design and styling for the Pixel Buds series, and the Pixel Buds Pro stick to the script in terms of look and feel. That said, the earpieces are considerably larger and bulkier than the Pixel Buds A-Series, but the shape means that the earpieces don’t stick out quite as much as you’d think. In fact, all of that bulk not only ensures a secure and fairly comfortable fit, but also excellent passive noise isolation.

Each earpiece has three microphones — one on the inside and two on the outside — along with a Google logo on top of the touch-sensitive zone for the controls. Only the touch-and-hold gesture is customisable on the Google Pixel Buds Pro, and can be set to toggle active noise controls (cycling between ANC and transparency mode), with separate functions assignable to each earpiece. Tap gestures control playback, and swipe gestures control volume adjustments.

The touch controls were usually precise, but there were occasions when the swipe gestures registered as taps, which was a bit bothersome. I had the customisable function set to cycle between the noise control modes, since invoking Google Assistant could be done hands-free with the ‘Hey Google’ or ‘OK Google’ voice commands.

Google Assistant itself worked very well on the Pixel Buds Pro. The wake phrase worked reliably, and it’s possible to do a lot with the voice commands, including searching for information and controlling IoT devices linked to your Google account, as well as controlling functionality such as playback and volume on the earphones themselves. Voice assistant functionality on the Google Pixel Buds Pro was as good, if not better, than on the Google Nest Audio smart speaker.

google pixel buds pro review open case Google

The case of the Google Pixel Buds Pro has USB Type-C and Qi wireless charging

 

The charging case of the Google Pixel Buds Pro is quite similar to that of the mid-range Pixel Buds A-Series in design, with an egg-like shape, and contrasting colours for the outside and inside (on the white variant). The USB Type-C port is at the bottom, the pairing button is at the back near the bottom, and there is a single indicator light just below the lid which is otherwise hidden when not illuminated.

It’s a convenient shape and size, and is easy to store in clothing pockets or small handbags. Notably, the charging case of the Pixel Buds Pro supports Qi wireless charging. The sales package includes a total of three pairs of silicone ear tips of different sizes, but no charging cable, which is a bit disappointing given the price of the headset.

In India, the Google Pixel Buds Pro is available in just a single colour variant — black earpieces and white charging case. The earpieces are IPX4 rated for water resistance, while the charging case also has an IPX2 rating. The headset also has sensors for in-ear detection and opening or closing the case to ensure faster connectivity.

Google Pixel Buds Pro app and specifications

Just as the Apple AirPods range needs an iOS device to be used to its full potential, the Google Pixel Buds Pro requires an Android device to make the most of its features. This includes the Pixel Buds app, which is only available for Android. As such, you can use the earphones with an iPhone if you want by simply pairing the headset to the iOS device, as you would with any other pair of Bluetooth earphones.

The Pixel Buds app is quite well put together with a neat home screen that lists all the key functions efficiently. When connected, the top portion of the app shows a visual display of the battery levels of each earpiece and the case separately. Android OS will also push a drop-down notification for the battery levels by default, when the headset is connected.

Other options include specifics for Google Assistant on the headset, a guide for the touch controls, sound modes, ear-tip seal check, in-ear detection, audio switching for compatible devices linked to your Google account, and multi-point connectivity. You can also carry out firmware updates for the Pixel Buds Pro using the app.

google pixel buds pro review app Google

Although excellent, the Pixel Buds app is only available on Android right now

 

Disappointingly, there are no detailed equaliser settings, beyond a control to increase the lows and highs at low volume levels. There is also no customisability for the ANC as you only get a single level, but you can do an ear-tip seal check in the app to ensure that the noise isolation is optimised for the ANC.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro have 11mm dynamic drivers, and use Bluetooth 5 for connectivity, with support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. Given the focus on Android source devices, I found the lack of support for advanced Bluetooth codecs quite a let-down. Competing devices such as the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 both support advanced codecs, and are available for roughly the same price as the Pixel Buds Pro.

Google Pixel Buds Pro performance and battery life

The Google Pixel Buds Pro goes up against some capable competition in the premium TWS segment, including the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Apple AirPods Pro. However, its positioning is fairly different from those two options given that its feature-set is positioned towards Android smartphone and tablet users.

While direct comparisons against the AirPods Pro wouldn’t be entirely fair, the Pixel Buds Pro does definitely fall a bit short of the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3, both of which are device agnostic with regards to app support, and have advanced Bluetooth codec support.

Objectively though, there’s a lot to like with the Google Pixel Buds Pro, and I quite enjoyed my time with the earphones thanks to the rich, warm, and melodic sound. The Pixel Buds Pro have been tuned well, and the sound gives the earphones a different character which is quite refreshing compared to the more analytical and detail-oriented sonic signatures of competing options.

Listening to Stay With Me from Calvin Harris’ latest album, I loved the warmth in the sound. The lows in the deep, mid-tempo beat had a distinctly powerful grunt, giving the sound a strong sense of fun. The sonic signature is a classic U-shaped one, giving the lows and highs an audible boost. Fortunately though, the mid-range didn’t drop off too much; Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, and Halsey’s widely varied vocal styles sounded great through the track, despite the definite warmth in the sound.

Turning the volume up and listening to Coldplay and Beyonce’s Hymn For The Weekend was rather enjoyable, with the track sounding significantly different on the Google Pixel Buds Pro as compared to my current reference-point for true wireless earphones, the Sony WF-1000XM4. While the latter delivered more detail, the former offered up more character, and sense of aggression. The sound felt more engaging and energetic, although the Pixel Buds Pro did seem to struggle a bit with the busier parts of the track with the volume turned up.

Although the soundstage did feel fairly wide and clean, it sometimes sounded like far too much was going on, with the earphones unable to adapt as quickly to the track’s nuances as competing options. It’s here that the Google Pixel Buds Pro falls a bit short, and this is its only real drawback. Slower, gentler tracks such as Bambro Koyo Ganda by Bonobo sounded reasonably detailed and cohesive on the Pixel Buds Pro, while fast, busy music seemed to cause the earphones to struggle, with the lack of advanced codec support being the obvious reason for this.

Active noise cancellation on the Google Pixel Buds Pro is decent, with a good amount of noise reduction both indoors and outdoors. It seems to be particularly effective against low frequency sounds, cutting out the whirring of a ceiling fan when at home and much of the noise from a nearby railway line when outside.

I did hear a faint hum with the earphones on and with no music playing, that strangely could not be heard with the earphones off. However, this pretty much went away when music was playing, so I didn’t think much of it. On the whole, active noise cancellation on the Pixel Buds Pro is fairly effective both indoors and outdoors.

google pixel buds pro review earpieces Google

Although the sound is fun and energetic, the lack of advanced Bluetooth codec support holds the Pixel Buds Pro back

 

Placing and receiving calls on the Google Pixel Buds Pro was a breeze, and Google Assistant’s excellent hands-free mode made it possible to do much of this without even holding my phone. Call quality itself was decent both indoors and outdoors, and ANC made a significant difference in improving the sound.

Battery life on the Google Pixel Buds Pro is decent on the earpieces, which ran for a little over six hours on a single charge with ANC operational and at moderate volume levels. The charging case added two additional charges, for a total runtime of around 18 hours per charge cycle. The overall figure isn’t exceptional, but it isn’t too bad either.

Verdict

Although the Google Pixel Buds range has existed for a while as the company’s ‘ecosystem’ play, it’s been missing an all-important flagship device, until now. The Google Pixel Buds Pro delivers exactly what you’d expect from a flagship headset, with useful features such as active noise cancellation, app support, and responsive hands-free access to Google Assistant.

While the sound quality is fun and full of character, the Google Pixel Buds Pro only falls short in terms of detail and cohesiveness, as compared to competing options such as the Sony WF-1000XM4, which come across as more insightful and analytical. That said, this is a good pair of true wireless earphones that I had a great time reviewing, particularly for its reliable and capable hands-free Google Assistant access.

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Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2024 hub.

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GoPro Hero 11 Black First Impressions: Unlocking New Possibilities

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hitesh
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GoPro Hero 11 Black First Impressions: Unlocking New Possibilities

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GoPro has launched two new action cameras as part of its Hero 11 series. They are the Hero 11 Black and the Hero 11 Black Mini. The latter is a more compact version of the Hero 11 Black, minus some of the advanced features. GoPro sent me just the Hero 11 Black, so today we’ll be taking a look at what’s new and improved over the Hero 10 Black. The older model will continue to be on sale in India  at a reduced price. The Hero 11 Black is priced at Rs. 51,500, which is still expensive but is lower than what the Hero 10 Black launched at. 

In terms of design and physical dimensions, the new GoPro Hero 11 Black is nearly identical to the Hero 10 Black. Apart from the ’11 Black’ inscription on the side of the camera, it’s impossible to tell the two apart. The new camera has the same rugged design and is waterproof up to 10m. You get a 2.27-inch touchscreen display on the back, and a smaller, non-touch colour display on the front. The lens cover is removable and the 11 Black also supports the Max Lens Mod. The camera has collapsable mounting fingers on the bottom, and a flap on the side protects the battery and the USB Type-C port.

gopro hero 11 black mini creator edition first look design gadgets360 ww

The GoPro Hero 11 Black looks identical to the Hero 10 Black

 

The Hero 11 Black ships with GoPro’s Enduro battery, which was earlier sold separately for the Hero 10 Black. It promises up to 38 percent longer recording time compared to the Hero 10 Black (Review) with a standard battery. The Hero 10 Black introduced a brand new processor called GP2 last year and this year, the big addition in the Hero 11 Black is a new sensor. It’s larger at 1/1.9 inches (vs 1/2.3 inches) and while the horizontal resolution is the same, you get more vertical resolution since it’s taller and it supports a new 8:7 aspect ratio.

The larger sensor enables the GoPro Hero 11 Black to capture 27-megapixel stills and there’s a new HyperView lens for video recording that produces an even wider field of view compared to the SuperView lens. The Hero 11 Black also supports 10-bit colour and a slightly higher 120Mbps video bitrate, which can be enabled in the ProTune settings. The new model also gets the latest version of HyperSmooth 5.0, support for 5.3K resolution when shooting Timewarp videos, and new presets for vehicle light trails and star trails in the Timelapse menu.

The maximum video recording resolution on the GoPro Hero 11 Black is the same as the Hero 10 Black, which is 5.3K at 60fps or 4K 120fps. There are plenty of variations for framerates and resolutions to play with and we will be exploring all of them in the full review. GoPro says shooting in the new 8:7 aspect ratio has its benefits as you can export the video later with the Quik app in a 4:3 or even 9:16 aspect (vertical videos for social), without losing any quality.

gopro hero 11 black mini creator edition first look screen gadgets360 ww

There’s a new 8:7 aspect ratio for recording videos

 

The user interface of the new GoPro Hero 11 Black should be familiar if you’ve used any recent GoPro, but the settings menu has now been better organised. The new Video Mode setting allows you to switch to an Extended Battery mode, which changes the default video recording presets to a lower resolution and disables the 8:7 aspect option. You can still customise each video preset, but switching to this mode gives you quicker access to video presets that won’t drain the battery very quickly. The new Controls toggle button allows you switch to an Easy mode which gives you a single, uneditable preset for video, photo and timelapse, for those who just want to point and shoot.

A 27-megapixel photo captured by the GoPro Hero 11 Black

 

I’ve haven’t spent a lot of time using the GoPro Hero 11 yet but so far, the image and video quality seem pretty good. GoPro’s have always had excellent stabilisation and with the Hero 11 Black, there’s something called Auto Boost, which only engages stabilisation when needed so the frame is not permanently cropped in for the duration of the clip. One cool feature that I really like is the new Horizon Lock for a full 360-degree rotation, which means the horizon stays constant even if the camera rotates 360-degrees. This was one of the core features of the Max Lens Mod and the GoPro Max 360-degree camera, but the Hero 11 Black now supports it natively.

If you skipped the GoPro Hero 10 Black, then the Hero 11 Black should be an interesting choice as it’s a bit cheaper at Rs. 51,500. However, other than the new taller aspect ratio, does the new sensor offer any other improvements in terms of image quality for casual users over last year’s model? We will be testing the GoPro Hero 11 Black in the coming days, so don’t forget to check back for the full review.

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Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2024 hub.

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iQoo Z6 Lite 5G First Impressions: Affordable Performance

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hitesh
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iQoo Z6 Lite 5G First Impressions: Affordable Performance

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5G rollout is just around the corner in India and smartphone manufacturers have now switched gears to focus on more budget 5G smartphones. The Redmi 11 Prime 5G (First look) was among the most recent budget 5G smartphones to have launched in India. The likes of Realme, Poco and Motorola have also launched 5G smartphones for around Rs. 15,000. Joining the race is iQoo with the latest Z6 Lite 5G, its most affordable 5G smartphone in India. 

The iQoo Z6 Lite 5G sits at the bottom of the Z6 series in India. It has been launched with two RAM and storage options. The base 4GB RAM variant with 64GB of internal storage is priced at Rs 13,999, whereas the variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at Rs 15,499.

Although the retail box is as big as any other iQoo smartphone, it is surprising to see that the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G does not come with a charger in the box. The company has included a note instead, thanking customers for “contributing towards the planet by reducing carbon emission.” Users will have to use a compatible fast charger that supports 18W charging or purchase one separately from iQoo to charge the 5000mAh battery. You don’t get 3.5mm wired earphones in the box either but you do get a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable, a transparent case, and a SIM ejector tool along with the phone.

iQOO Z6 Lite 5G 6 iQoo Z6 Lite 5G

iQoo Z6 Lite 5G comes in two colour options, Stellar Green (pictured above) and Mystic Black

 

Our iQoo Z6 Lite 5G review unit is the Stellar Green colour. Those who want a less flashy looking phone can opt for the more subtle Mystic Night colour option. Although the Stellar Green variant has a glossy finish, fingerprints are not easily visible. 

The phone has a flat frame and is 8.25mm thick. On paper, the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G might seem heavy at 194g but in reality, it does not feel as much. The top edge of the phone has the dual-SIM tray, whereas the bottom edge houses the 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type-C port and the single speaker grille. On the right side of the phone are the power and volume buttons. The power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which is quick at detecting fingerprints and unlocking the phone.

The Z6 Lite 5G has an all-plastic build but thanks to the gradient colour palette, it does not look cheap. In fact, a couple of my friends mistook it for a much pricier premium device. However, the water-drop notch on the front gives it away that the phone is actually a budget device. It does make it look a little dated but it’s hard to complain at this price.

iQOO Z6 Lite 5G 3 iQoo Z6 Lite 5G

iQoo Z6 Lite 5G comes with an 8-megapixel front camera.

The phone sports a 6.58-inch IPS LCD display with a full-HD+ resolution. The typical characteristics of an LCD tends to limit the Z6 Lite 5G’s brightness levels and colour vibrancy. While the display brightness is enough for indoor use, you might want to push the brightness bar to the max when outdoors. 

The iQoo Z6 Lite 5G’s display also supports 120Hz refresh rate for a smooth scrolling experience. Compatible games should also be able to take advantage of this, and I will be testing this in the full review. iQoo claims that the phone should also offer very good performance compared to others in this segment, courtesy of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. This is the world’s first smartphone to feature this SoC, and according to iQoo, users can expect higher AnTuTu benchmark scores compared to competing phones. We will test this claim in the review, and also run other performance tests to see if these higher numbers actually have any meaningful impact in real-world use.

While the phone offers 5G, it only supports two bands (n77 and n78) in India. The iQoo Z6 Lite 5G uses LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 internal storage. There is also support for storage expansion up to 1TB via a microSD card. 

iQOO Z6 Lite 5G 4 iQoo Z6 Lite 5G

iQoo Z6 Lite 5G’s camera module design is similar to other Z6 phones in the series

On the back, there is a rectangular camera module housing two large circular cutouts for the 50-megapixel primary camera and 2-megapixel depth sensor. The water-drop notch on the front features an 8-megapixel camera for selfies. We will test the camera performance of the phone in our full review.

Lastly, the software. The iQoo Z6 Lite 5G runs on the Android 12-based Funtouch OS 12 out of the box. The software has a fair bit of third-party apps preinstalled, along with Vivo’s first-party applications. You can choose to uninstall the unnecessary apps.

iQOO Z6 Lite 5G 1 iQoo Z6 Lite 5G

iQoo Z6 Lite 5G runs on the Android 12-based Funtouch OS 12

With a starting price of Rs 13,999, the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G competes with the newly launched Redmi 11 Prime 5G, Samsung Galaxy M13 5G, Realme 9i 5G, Redmi Note 11, and other smartphones priced under Rs 15,000. We will be testing the device to see how it fares against the competition, so stay tuned for our full review of the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G only on Gadgets 360. 

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Motorola Edge 30 Ultra First Impressions: Checking All the Boxes

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hitesh
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Motorola Edge 30 Ultra First Impressions: Checking All the Boxes

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Motorola has just launched its first ‘Ultra’ smartphone in India. The Edge 30 Ultra packs some really interesting hardware and is the first smartphone in India to include a 200-megapixel primary camera. A quick glance through its spec sheet and it seems to be all about big numbers, but does it have what it takes to compete with similarly priced smartphones in this segment? Here are my first impressions of it.

The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra sits above the Edge 30 Pro (Review) which launched earlier this year in India at a very competitive price. The Edge 30 Ultra is available in a single variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and is priced at Rs. 59,999. The phone is available in two finishes – Starlight White and Interstellar Black.

The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra uses Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and rear panels. The anti-glare back panel is curved around the sides but appears flat near the top and bottom. It has a unique texture which is good at rejecting fingerprints, similar to the Vivo X80 Pro (Review) with its shimmery appearance when exposed to bright light.

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra back design ndtv MotorolaEdge30Ultra Motorola

The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra’s front and rear panels are made of Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5

 

The screen on the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra has curved edges on either side that flow into the skinny metal frame. The bezels around the display are thin all-round and thanks to the flexible nature of the pOLED panel. The metal frame has a matte-finish and feels quite slippery. The volume rocker and power buttons are placed on the right side of the phone.

While the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra’s form factor is similar to most other smartphones available in this segment, its chiselled look (8.39mm thin) makes it stand out and is also quite light to handle at 198.5g. It does feel a bit tall for one-handed use. The phone has an official IP52 rating for dust and water resistance, which is better than most of the competition at this price point. However, it is still a bit disappointing given that smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Review) offer an IP68 rating at a lower price point.

The 6.67-inch full-HD+ display on the Edge 30 Ultra offers a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz, which should be useful while gaming, but it also makes the software feel fluid to use. The display is also HDR10+ certified, although this ability isn’t detected in some streaming apps such as Netflix at the moment. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC which is also found on similarly priced smartphones from OnePlus and iQoo.

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra front display ndtv MotorolaEdge30Ultra Motorola

Motorola’s Edge 30 Ultra has a 6.67-inch curved-edge pOLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate

 

The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra runs a near-stock version of Android 12 called MyUX and Motorola claims to offer three generations of Android updates (till Android 15), along with four years of security updates, which is nice. The software appears quite stock with the usual Motorola customisations (Peek display, Quick capture, etc) and no additional third-party apps, which is surprisingly rare for smartphones in the premium segment today.

As for the software experience, I found it to be a bit of a mess. The firmware on my unit has been pretty unstable so far, causing frequent reboots from the time I set it up. I noticed this mainly while using the camera app and charging the smartphone, but there were times when it randomly rebooted when it was just sitting idle. Motorola says it’s aware of this issue, although it’s still undetermined if this is limited to only some of the review units sent out in India or if it’s more wide-spread.

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra back cameras ndtv MotorolaEdge30Ultra Motorola

Motorola’s Edge 30 Ultra has a three rear cameras

 

Motorola has gone with a triple rear camera setup which includes the 200-megapixel primary camera with OIS, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera which doubles up as a macro camera (similar to the Edge 30 Pro), and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with 2X optical zoom. Selfies are handled by a 60-megapixel camera which is also available in the Motorola Edge 30 Pro (Review).

The phone supports HDR10+ video recording at 4K resolution which is something I will be testing in the full review. As for the battery, Motorola has managed to fit a 4,610mAh battery into the Edge 30 Ultra’s slim body. The phone can be charged up to 125W using the bundled charger. There’s also a 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra side design ndtv MotorolaEdge30Ultra Motorola

The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra has a metal frame and offers an IP52 rating for dust and water resistance

 

The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra’s competition currently includes smartphones such as the iQoo 9T 5G and the OnePlus 10T 5G (Review), both of which also use the same Qualcomm SoC. We also have slightly older devices from this year such as Xiaomi’s 12 Pro (Review). The Edge 30 Ultra manages to hold its own thanks to some unique features that aren’t available on other competing devices such as the 200-megapixel camera, a 144Hz OLED display, and an official IP rating.

At the Rs. 59,999 sticker price, Motorola appears to have given everything one could hope for in the Edge 30 Ultra, on paper anyway, but can all of these features deliver a better flagship experience? Stay tuned for my full review which will be out soon on Gadgets360. Motorola also launched its new premium mid-range smartphone, the Edge 30 Fusion, and you can read our first impressions of it right here.

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Motorola Edge 30 Fusion First Impressions: A New Flagship Killer in Town

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hitesh
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Motorola Edge 30 Fusion First Impressions: A New Flagship Killer in Town

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Motorola has launched a new premium smartphone, the Edge 30 Fusion. The latest ‘flagship killer’ from the company sits between the Motorola Edge 30 (Review) and the Edge 30 Pro, which were launched earlier this year in India. The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion aims to strike the right balance by providing a premium, thin and lightweight design along with  flagship-grade performance. It packs last year’s flagship Qualcomm SoC, the Snapdragon 888+. 

Motorola has introduced a new eco-friendly retail box for the Edge 30 Fusion. The box is fairly big in size, which means that there should be a charger bundled inside. Motorola has sent me the Cosmic Grey colour of the Edge 30 Fusion, which certainly looks very neat and premium. There is also a Solar Gold colour option for those who want a more shiny finish.

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion 5 Motorola Edge 30 Fusion

The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion has a glass body

The box contains a charging adapter, which charges the phone at 68W. There is also a USB Type-C to Type-C cable inside and a transparent case, which should offer some basic protection but dilutes the premium look of the phone a little.

Coming to the device itself, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion uses glass on the front and back along with an aluminium frame which offers a premium in-hand feel. The phone, despite featuring  glass back and a decent-sized 4,400mAh battery, feels very light to hold. It weighs 175 grams and is only 7.45mm thick. Motorola claims that the device can offer a full day’s worth of charge with 10 minutes of charging using the 68W TurboPower adapter. The phone also has a IP52 rating for splash resistance.

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion 6 Motorola Edge 30 Fusion

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is among the very few phones in the segment to offer a curved-edge display

At the front, you get a tall 6.55-inch pOLED display with a hole-punch cutout at the top. Like most of Motorola’s recent premium phones, the Edge 30 Fusion’s display supports a 144Hz refresh rate. The screen is also slightly curved on the sides, and with very thin bezels overall, the display does offer an immersive viewing experience. It also gets adequately  bright for both indoor and outdoor conditions. Motorola claims that the Edge 30 Fusion’s display has a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. It also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for scratch and shatter protection.. 

The power and volume buttons are on the right edge, whereas the SIM tray, USB Type-C port, and the primary speaker grille are at the bottom. The phone’s earpiece doubles up as a secondary speaker for stereo sound.

Coming to the performance, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion packs a Snapdragon 888+ SoC. The phone is offered in a single variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. In the little time I’ve spent using the phone, I haven’t noticed any  heating issues but we will be running our performance and gaming tests in the full review to see if it can handle intensive tasks, so stay tuned. 

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion 8 Motorola Edge 30 Fusion

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion features a 50-megapixel triple-camera setup on the back

What we will also be testing are the cameras. The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion has a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera that can also shoot macros, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, there is a 32-megapixel front camera. The camera interface is fairly clean and offers many features such as Portrait Mode, Video, Night Vision, Auto Smile Capture, Timelapse, etc. 

Lastly, the software. The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion runs on the Android 12-based MyUX skin out of the box. The smartphone offers a near-stock Android experience and adds a layer of custom features such as Moto gestures, wallpapers, fonts, etc. Motorola is promising two major Android updates and three years of software support for the Edge 30 Fusion. 

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion 2 Motorola Edge 30 Fusion

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion runs MyUX based on Android 12

With all that’s on offer, we will be testing Motorola’s latest ‘flagship killer’ smartphone to see if it’s a worthy contender. Priced at Rs 42,999, the Motorola  Edge 30 Fusion faces competition from the likes of the iQOO 9 5G, Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G (Review), OnePlus 10R 5G (Review), Realme GT Neo 3 (Review) and other premium smartphones around Rs 40,000. Our review of the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion will be coming soon on Gadgets 360, so stay tuned.

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Moondrop Chu Wired Earphones Review: Budget Audiophile Excellence

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hitesh
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Moondrop Chu Wired Earphones Review: Budget Audiophile Excellence

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Audiophiles on a budget are spoilt for choice thanks to plenty of excellent, affordable IEMs from various brands based in China, that are available in India. A lot of these ‘Chi Fi’ brands come and go, but one particular brand has stuck around for a while and has consistently produced excellent, value-driven products. Moondrop is popular for its budget and mid-range audiophile IEMs, and its most recent launch is the Moondrop Chu, which has been the subject of some hype in audiophile circles.

Priced at Rs. 1,999 for the variant with an in-line microphone and remote in India, the Moondrop Chu is a good-looking pair of in-ear monitors with 3.5mm wired connectivity, 10mm dynamic drivers, and a promise of neutral tuning and detailed sound. Is this the best affordable audiophile-friendly pair of earphones you can buy right now? Find out in this review.

moondrop chu review kit Moondrop

The Moondrop Chu comes with ear hooks and a small fabric carry case

 

Moondrop Chu design and specifications

Like many of the niche, audiophile products from China, the Moondrop Chu should not be judged by its unusual name. The earphones look rather nice for a product priced under Rs. 2,000, with the metal earpieces sporting an interesting leaf-like pattern. The only product logo on the headset is on the plastic Y-splitter module on the cable, while the earpieces have markings only to indicate the left and right channels.

The Moondrop Chu has a transparent, fixed cable with an in-line remote and microphone, and a 3.5mm plug for connectivity to the source device. The three-button remote has controls for volume and playback. You can opt for the variant without the in-line remote and microphone if you prefer, which costs a bit less at Rs. 1,799.

I found the fit of the Moondrop Chu to be a bit tricky, because of how long it takes to get the fit right. The silicone ear tips offered a decent seal and hold, and the ear hooks (included in the box) let the cables slip in and stay in place for security, but it always took some effort and time to adjust the cable length below the ear hooks and fit them in place.

It got a bit quicker to do over time, but it definitely isn’t as easy as on the similarly priced Final Audio E1000C and KZ Audio ZSN Pro X. However, the Moondrop Chu feels a lot more solid and premium than the Final Audio and KZ headsets, and also looks a lot nicer.

The Moondrop Chu has 10mm dynamic drivers, a frequency response range of 10-35,000Hz, an impedance rating of 28Ohms, and a sensitivity rating of 120dB. The specifications make it easy to drive with even basic source devices such as budget smartphones, and can be comfortably driven by the Shanling UA2 portable DAC. The sales package includes three pairs of silicone ear tips, rubber ear hooks, and a small fabric carry case.

moondrop chu review mic remote Moondrop

The Moondrop Chu comes in two variants — one with an in-line remote and microphone, and one without

 

Moondrop Chu performance

With Bluetooth headsets becoming more affordable in the past few years while simultaneously improving in audio quality, many prefer the convenience of wireless connectivity to wired headphones and earphones. However, wired listening has the key benefit of offering much better sound quality, and the Moondrop Chu delivers sound that is convincingly better than even the best true wireless earphones you can buy right now.

For this review, I had the Moondrop Chu connected to a OnePlus 9 Pro (Review) with a Shanling UA2 DAC in the middle, and used Apple Music to stream high-resolution audio tracks. I also used an iPad mini (2019) as an alternate source, connecting the earphone directly to its 3.5mm headphone jack.

In both cases, I found the Moondrop Chu to be very loud; I found the 60 percent volume level on the iPad to be sufficient generally, while I didn’t dare to go past the 50 percent level with the Shanling UA2 DAC driving the earphones. The sound felt rich and tonally excellent, with the earphones managing to keep up with the powerful input signal without any audible issues. With a good fit, the sound was engaging, revealing, and full of energy.

With Hold Back Love by Dutch funk trio Kraak & Smaak, the beat sounded deep and impactful, thanks to the tight, responsive bass on the Moondrop Chu. The mid-tempo pace of the track allowed for plenty of detail to be heard, including the faint instruments in the background, and particularly in the vocals which sounded clean, cohesive, and realistic beyond what I’ve heard on any other entry-level audiophile earphones.

Switching to more melodic genres, I listened to a cover of Psapp’s Cosy In The Rocket by The Chillout Airlines Crew. The sound was detailed, while the soundstage was spacious and rich, offering the kind of precise, immersive sound that only a good pair of IEM can. Everything in the track from the gentle vocals to the playful tune sounded rich and full of character on the Moondrop Chu. Although the tight bass tended to capture my attention, I found the mid-range to be refined as well.

At times, I found the treble a bit harsh on the Moondrop Chu, particularly at higher volumes where the earphones were already pushing hard. At the same time, the aggressive bass also tended to cause a bit of listener fatigue in certain bass-focused tracks, such as Take A Look Around by Limp Bizkit. Like many IEMs in the audiophile-focused category, the Moondrop Chu has a tendency to get overwhelmed by fast, overpowering tracks, and performs best with melodic, progressive music, particularly the house and soft rock genres.

The Moondrop Chu is a musical pair of earphones at its core, but the microphone did give it a bit of flexibility with use. Performance on calls was decent indoors, and I even used the earphones to record a lengthy audio clip on one occasion in a quiet room, to good effect. Strangely, using the Shanling UA2 DAC seemed to disable the microphone and in-line remote entirely, but these worked fine when the earphones were directly connected to my iPad.

Verdict

There are quite a few decent options for audiophile-grade IEMs at under Rs. 2,000, but none that I’ve had a chance to use have been as much fun as the Moondrop Chu. Although the process of putting them on is time-consuming and tricky, this is a well-built pair of earphones that more than makes up for its shortcomings with its performance, particularly when paired with a good DAC and high-resolution audio tracks.

Small shortcomings in the sound are present, but these are entirely forgivable given the price of the Moondrop Chu and its reasonable capabilities as a hands-free headset. On the whole, this is perhaps the best starter IEM that I can recommend right now, and is an impressive demonstration of just what can be achieved on a tight budget, in terms of sound quality.

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House of the Dragon Episode 4 Review: Double Standards Cause a Royal Scandal

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hitesh
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House of the Dragon Episode 4 Review: Double Standards Cause a Royal Scandal

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House of the Dragon episode 4 — out now on HBO Max and Disney+ Hotstar — is all about how quickly fortunes can change. By midway through episode 2, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) had made an enemy of his brother, King Viserys (Paddy Considine), for stealing a dragon egg and styling himself Lord of Dragonstone. Daemon further angered him in episode 3 by starting a war in the Stepstones and dragging the Crown into it. Yet, at the start of episode 4, thanks to a victory he secured, Daemon is back in the king’s good graces. Publicly, at least. BUT—by the end of House of the Dragon episode 4, Viserys despises his brother and banishes him, thanks to his part in a royal scandal that has engulfed Viserys’ heir and daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock).

Speaking of the future potential Queen, Rhaenyra ends up in a much bigger quagmire by the time House of the Dragon episode 4 wraps. All seemed to be well between father and daughter when we last saw them together. In the intervening time — Aegon II has turned three, we are told, which suggests about a year has passed — Viserys has organised a tour of potential suitors for Rhaenyra. It’s how House of the Dragon episode 4 opens, with men (and boys) of all ages making a verbal PowerPoint presentation on why they are best suited to be her husband. But Rhaenyra swipes left on all of them, and cuts the tour short two months early. Viserys is “frustrated” that she has returned without picking anyone, Rhaenyra’s best friend Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) tells her.

“It’s rare for a woman to get a choice between two suitors, let alone two scores,” Alicent notes to the heir of the Iron Throne. “They only want my name and my Valyrian blood for their offspring,” Rhaenyra objects, to which Alicent replies on House of the Dragon episode 4: “I think it’s rather romantic.” The Targaryen teenager retorts near instantly without thinking: “How romantic is it to be imprisoned in a castle and be made to put out offspring after offspring?” Rhaenyra has inadvertently neatly summarised Alicent’s situation, and when she realises the unintended jab, she comforts her best friend by squeezing her hand.

House of the Dragon Episode 3 Review: Baby Boy Aegon II Changes Everything

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Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower, Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon episode 4
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

But it’s also clear that while Alicent is happy with her position, Rhaenyra cares more for adventure. That has always been her. So later that night in House of the Dragon episode 4, when Rhaenyra finds a note and a bag full of commoner’s clothes in her chambers, she jumps at the opportunity. Slinking through a secret entrance in her bedroom, Rhaenyra finds Daemon waiting for her, who subsequently introduces her to the nightlife of King’s Landing. First up, they see a play — Game of Thrones did this very nicely, so I’m happy to see the prequel spin-off continue in that vein — that Rhaenyra doesn’t take kindly to. Largely because they are mocking her female credentials (A girl heir?! Will she be feeble?), while noting that baby Aegon II has a conqueror’s name and a penis. How does that count for anything?

The next section of the Flea Bottom tour is much more risqué. For Daemon though, it’s just another Tuesday. The Targaryen prince takes his niece into a pleasure den on House of the Dragon episode 4, opening Rhaenyra to a range of sexual gratification she has never witnessed before. Daemon then takes off her headgear — the very thing that aided in her disguise, keeping her unmistakably white Targaryen locks hidden — as they head deeper in. It’s like he wants everyone to know she was here.

And then, in full view of everyone, Daemon makes a move on his niece. “Marriage is a duty,” he says to Rhaenyra, as House of the Dragon episode 4 intercuts with Queen Alicent silently taking her husband, who woke her up on a booty call in the middle of the night, “but that doesn’t stop us from doing what we want.” As he undresses her, Daemon turns her around and pushes her against the wall, but when she turns around to face him and repeatedly tries to kiss him, he runs off. Clearly, the rogue prince has gotten too used to paying for sex, and doesn’t like it when someone else takes control.

House of the Dragon Episode 2 Review: Old Makes Way for the New

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Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon episode 4
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

When Rhaenyra gets back to her chambers, she’s still in a playful mood. She teases her bodyguard Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) by snatching his helmet, before kissing him as he tries to take it back. The Kingsguard take a vow of chastity, so Criston is naturally conflicted. He pauses to consider what he’s getting into, before giving into Rhaenyra’s very obvious desires. What follows is one of the most tender moments in the history of Game of Thrones as a franchise. Though admittedly, that’s a very low bar considering most sexual activity is either violent, gratuitous, or both. It’s been mere minutes since the Queen was essentially forced into sex on House of the Dragon episode 4 itself.

In the morning though, there’s no time for Rhaenyra to bask in the afterglow. The Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower’s (Rhys Ifans), spies woke him up during the night to tell him what the Princess was up to. And Otto’s first action in the morning is to barge into the King’s chambers and spew everything he has been told. Engaging in “behaviour unbecoming of a maiden”, Otto tries to put it respectfully on House of the Dragon episode 4, while still clearly punching down at Rhaenyra. But Viserys doesn’t react nicely — he thinks this is a plot on Otto’s behalf. Still, Otto gets what he wants, because the inquisition begins the moment he leaves.

A hungover Daemon is dragged into the Great Hall — his star has fallen quickly, considering where he was at the start of House of the Dragon episode 4 — where Viserys launches at him. The King is even more furious for how easily the Prince accepts his actions, and then has the gall to propose that he will take Rhaenyra as his wife if no other lord would. Viserys has no interest in his wishes. After all, it’s not the Princess he wants, but the Iron Throne. Also, Daemon already has a wife he’s ignoring, Viserys points out, and tells him to go to the Vale with the little shred of respect and dignity he has left. What a rollercoaster for Daemon — he has gone from outcast to being accepted to being thrown out.

Everything You Need to Know About House of the Dragon

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Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon episode 4
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

First, Alicent confronts Rhaenyra who denies that Daemon even touched her. Though she’s unhappy that her best friend is accusing her of things she “overheard”, the Targaryen heir does admit that she went frolicking about Flea Bottom with Daemon. “It was foolish of you to place yourself in a position where your virtue could even come into question,” Alicent ultimately says to Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon episode 4. This would be unsettling coming from anyone, but it’s even more so when it’s uttered by a woman and one of her closest companions. Alicent is clearly not one to challenge internalised misogyny. No one would even bat an eye if Daemon was spotted in pleasure dens — he’s done it a thousand times, in fact — but we can’t have Rhaenyra lurking about such corners.

Rhaenyra points out those exact double standards to her father. “If I were a man, I could father a dozen bastards and no one in your court would blink an eye,” she says, after she’s summoned to his chambers in House of the Dragon episode 4. Viserys notes that she’s right, but “you were born a woman.” The King is effectively saying that the universe dealt her a bad hand — and now she must live with it. Rhaenyra’s late-night escapades have also blown apart the goodwill she had earned. Viserys has decided that she will marry Laenor Velaryon — the son of Princess Rhaenys “The Queen Who Never Was” and Lord Corlys “Sea Snake” Velaryon, just as Viserys’ adviser told him on episode 3 — to solve what he notes has become his “political headache”.

In return, Rhaenyra sets out an ultimatum to her father. Otto must go, she says, for he’s too devoted to his personal interests: to put his grandson Aegon II on the throne. And just like that, one main cast House of the Dragon member is out, it seems, as a blindsided Otto is stripped of his Hand of the King position.

And though I’m sure there will be more to this royal scandal, House of the Dragon episode 4 puts a note on it at the end, as Rhaenyra is served a “special tea”. The King had it brewed, to ensure there are no “unforeseen consequences,” the Maester tells Rhaenyra. What he’s trying to avoid saying is that the tea acts as a morning-after pill. It’s useful for the Princess too — she may not have had sex with Daemon, but she did take her bodyguard to bed.

House of the Dragon episode 4 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India, and HBO Max wherever available. New episodes release every Monday at 6:30am IST/ Sunday at 9pm ET.

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EU to Announce Cyber Resilience Act Aimed at Risky Smart Devices on September 13

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hitesh
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EU to Announce Cyber Resilience Act Aimed at Risky Smart Devices on September 13

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The EU is reportedly preparing to announce a new proposal that is aimed at smart devices with cybersecurity risks, in order to cut the cost of cyber incidents in the European Union. Manufacturers of smart devices that are connected to the Internet will have to ensure their devices are secure, or risk their products being banned and face fines as high as EUR 15 million (roughly Rs. 120 crore) or up to 2.5 percent of their total global turnover.

On September 13, the European Union executive will announce the Cyber Resilience Act, a proposal that could eventually become law, according to a Reuters report. The proposed regulation covers Internet connected devices such as smart TVs, refrigerators, and smart speakers, proposing stringent rules requiring manufacturers to shore up their security.

According to the report, the EU’s proposal will expect smart device manufacturers to assess the cyberscurity risks of their products and ensure that flaws and issues are resolved, and notify the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) of cybersecurity-related incidents within 24 hours.

The proposal also recommends that companies who do not follow the proposed rules be fined as much as EUR 15 million (roughly Rs. 120 crore), or up to 2.5 percent of their total global turnover, whichever amount is higher. As per the report, this fine could be reduced for smaller offences.

Similarly, the proposed Cyber Resilience Act also allows national surveillance authorities to restrict a product from the European market by ordering that it be withdrawn or recalled, if it does not comply with the rules. The proposed legislation could eventually become law once EU countries provide input, according to the report.

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Nothing Phone 1, Google Pixel 6a Flipkart Big Billion Days 2022 Sale Prices Announced: Offers, Specifications



Puma Launches Its First Metaverse Experience With NFTs Redeemable as Real Sneakers



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Google Pixel 6a Review: Get It for the Cameras

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hitesh
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Google Pixel 6a Review: Get It for the Cameras

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Google’s Pixel line of smartphones never really took off in India. Prior to the recently launched Pixel 6a, the last smartphone to reach India was back in 2020, which was the budget Pixel 4a. Prior to that, there was a massive gap with the last devices being the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3XL, which were launched in India back in 2018. Therefore, customers in India who wanted Google’s premium Pixel smartphones never got anything beyond the Pixel 3 series.

Google has now decided to bring its Pixel 6a to India, which is the successor to the Pixel 5a 5G. Compared to the humble Pixel 4a (Review), the Pixel 6a is a big leap forward. There are new features, plenty more power from the flagship-grade processor, and a bigger battery. Its design even looks like it belongs to the more premium Pixel 6 and 6 Pro family.

What’s worrisome though is its price tag in India, along with some strange hardware choices (display, RAM, and more) that don’t really fit into the premium mid-range segment here. I’ve used the phone for several weeks and even made it through the milestone Android 13 update, and here’s what I think about it.

Google Pixel 6a price in India

The first thing about the Pixel 6a that gets your attention is indeed its price tag, which is Rs. 43,999 for the lone 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. It’s a big leap from the Pixel 4a (Rs. 31,999) which was more of a mid-range device when it launched. Thankfully, the Pixel 6a’s design has improved. It does not look as basic as the Pixel 4a did, and is even available in two finishes – Chalk and Charcoal – in India. Unfortunately, the Sage (green) colour isn’t available here.

Google Pixel 6a design

The Google Pixel 6a’s body is not as premium as the Pixel 6 or the Pixel 6 Pro, but it still has good build quality and an IP67 rating which is good for a smartphone in this price segment in India. The display glass is Corning Gorilla Glass 3 while the rear panel is made from plastic, with an aluminium alloy frame holding all of it together.

While the display of the Google Pixel 6a remained smudge-free during the review period, the rear panel was a smudge and dust magnet and was also susceptible to scratches. The raised camera module, thankfully, has a glass lens covering the two rear cameras, but the rest of the strip which is also plastic is prone to fingerprints. While the raised camera strip looks cool, the dust which keeps gathering above and below it is really annoying and hard to clean. Indeed, this phone is best used with a case.

Google Pixel 6a design side ndtv GooglePixel6a Google

The Google Pixel 6a looks very similar to the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro

 

There’s a hole-punch cutout in the display and the phone has reasonably thin bezels, save for the bottom edge which is quite thick. Despite being a smudgy mess when using it, I liked the in-hand feel of the Google Pixel 6a as it’s small and light (178g) enough for one-handed use. Those upgrading from the Pixel 4a might find it a bit bigger and heavier, but I feel this larger display is a welcomed change.

Google Pixel 6a specifications and software

The Pixel 6a has the same Tensor processor found in Google’s premium Pixel 6 and 6 Pro handsets. This SoC has been designed by Google and has a maximum clock speed of 2.8GHz. It also has Google’s Titan M2 security co-processor. Unlike most smartphones in this segment that offer multiple RAM options, there’s only 6GB of RAM in the Pixel 6a, and storage is also limited to 128GB with no room for expansion.

Communications standards include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC and support for the usual satellite navigation systems. The phone is powered by a 4400mAh battery and can charge up to 18W, but it doesn’t ship with a charger in the box. Compared to the Pixel 4a, the 3.5mm headphone jack is missing in the Pixel 6a. The phone thankfully has retained the stereo speakers which sounded fine and balanced but were far from best in class.

I used the Google Pixel 6a with both Android 12 and Android 13. The Android 12 experience was a stuttery mess with random bugs that you would not expect on a premium smartphone, least of all a Google smartphone. The Android 13 update brought some new features to the Pixel 6a, but overall, felt more refined and stable compared to 12.

Google Pixel 6a software Android 13 ndtv GooglePixel6a Google

The Google Pixel 6a has already received its Android 13 update

 

Android 13 on the Google Pixel 6a introduces some nice cosmetic additions, like a revamped media player with a cleaner layout, themes icons that now extend to third-party apps, and plenty of colour options to choose from when theming your device. In terms of security, all apps now have to request permissions before posting a notification, and access to photos can now be limited to a few photos instead of granting access to the entire Photos app. Android 13 also adds the ability to assign a specific language to a specific app, which is handy especially for users in India.

The new clipboard feature has a nice visual representation of what’s being copied and what’s saved in the phone’s memory, while you go about daily tasks. Simply select and copy text and the same shows up in a preview as a small block at the bottom left corner of your display. Tapping on it even lets you edit text before copying it to another app, which is nice to have. The same applies to images, where copied images can be edited in markup before sharing it elsewhere.

Google claims that its Pixel smartphones will receive updates for at least five years from when the device first became available. Google promises guaranteed Android software updates until July 2025 and security updates until July 2027, which is good to have.

Google Pixel 6a performance

The Google Pixel 6a’s display produced saturated colours when used with the default Adaptive setting but was toned down quite a bit with the Natural colour setting. With a full-HD+ resolution, the display seemed quite sharp with text and images and I did not have any problems viewing it outdoors under direct sunlight. The 6.1-inch OLED panel also supports HDR10+ and did a good job of showcasing the same when viewing supported content. Unfortunately, it’s only 60Hz which is a big drawback for a premium mid-range Android smartphone.

The software performance, in terms of overall smoothness, improved drastically after the Android 13 update. Multitasking with 6GB of RAM was also not a problem. Still, the software did not feel as fluid compared to the experience you get on other similarly priced smartphones thanks to their high-refresh rate displays.

Google Pixel 6a display front ndtv GooglePixel6a Google

The Google Pixel 6a’s OLED display has a standard 60Hz refresh rate

 

The fingerprint sensor on the Google Pixel 6a had a major security bug when we first received the phone back in July. We were able to unlock the phone even with an unregistered finger. This was later fixed with a software update. I did have some trouble unlocking the phone once Android 13 was installed, but re-registering my fingerprints solved the issue. However, it wasn’t always reliable as it refused to unlock at times, despite repeated attempts, forcing me to key in the security PIN.

The Google Pixel 6a scored 7,07,603 points in AnTuTu along with 1,047 and 2,923 points in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests, respectively. In terms of graphics performance, the phone managed 60fps and 52fps in GFXBench’s T-Rex and Car Chase tests. These results are on par with most premium smartphones that the Pixel 6a will compete with, including the the Xiaomi 11T Pro which did perform better in graphics benchmarks.

While synthetic benchmarks did paint a pretty picture, the Google Pixel 6a did take a hit with real-world gaming performance. Call of Duty: Mobile worked best at the High graphics and High framerate settings. Performance took a hit after playing the game for about 15 minutes on the Very High settings, after which the game began to lag and stutter. The Pixel 6a fared better with more casual games. The phone did not heat up much while playing, but did get quite hot when recording video outdoors. Serious gamers should steer clear of this one.

The Google Pixel 6a lasted 13 hours and 12 minutes in our HD video loop battery test, which was a bit lower than what I expected keeping in mind its standard 60Hz refresh rate display. I managed to get about a day’s worth of battery life with heavy use which included about an hour of gaming, and around 30 minutes of camera usage.

Avoiding gaming or camera use entirely got me about a day and half of battery life. This seemed pretty good for a casual user but not for power users. Since the phone does not come with a charger, I plugged it into a 61W USB PD charger, which took the phone one hour and 50 minutes to fully charge. This was quite slow compared to devices like the Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) and the OnePlus 10R 5G Endurance Edition, which support 150W charging.

Google Pixel 6a cameras

The Google Pixel 6a packs in a modest camera setup compared to the other smartphones in this segment. There’s a 12.2-megapixel primary camera (with OIS) and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera at the back, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The camera interface remains similar to what we have seen on previous Pixel smartphones, with quick settings hidden under a gear icon.

Thanks to the Tensor processor, we have software features like the Magic Eraser tool that lets users erase or camouflage unwanted objects in an image. The results aren’t perfect, but the feature is handy when you really need to clean up that perfect Instagram-worthy shot.

Google Pixel 6a Magic eraser ndtv GooglePixel6a Google

The Camouflage option in the Magic Eraser tool seemed to do a more subtle job compared to the Eraser option

 

Photos captured in daylight were sharp and clear with good dynamic range and the usual contrast-heavy look that Google’s Pixel smartphones are known to deliver. I liked that I could adjust the white balance and exposure of the photos using the sliders in the viewfinder before taking the shot, but these only showed up when I tapped the screen to focus.

Google Pixel 6a daylight camera samples: (top to bottom) Primary camera, ultra-wide-angle camera, selfie camera (tap to see full size)

 

Google’s decision to go with tried and tested sensors (the primary camera comes from the Pixel 3), along with its heavy machine learning optimisations, manages to capture a lot of details. This applied to both the primary and the ultra-wide-angle cameras. The ultra-wide camera was definitely one of the more usable ones I’ve seen on a smartphone at this price point and captured quality images with good dynamic range in all kinds of lighting conditions.

Selfies came out sharp and clear in daylight but appeared a bit soft and with less detail in low light. Edge detection was spot on in Portrait mode and so was the dynamic range.

Google Pixel 6a low light camera samples. (top to bottom) Primary camera, ultra-wide-angle camera (tap to see full size)

 

In low light, the primary camera captured sharp images with good dynamic range. By default, it automatically switched to Night Sight, taking longer exposures when needed. Videos captured at 1080p were average at best with a cropped view and mild purple fringing. 4K videos had the best details and dynamic range. Low-light video quality was average and 60fps footage had a lot of noise.

Verdict

At Rs. 43,999, Google’s Pixel 6a sure gets the job done for casual users and mobile photography enthusiasts. Google’s gamble of going with a high-end processor but cutting corners in some areas such as design, display, and system memory seems to have paid off.

However, power users looking for premium build quality, solid gaming performance, faster charging, and a fluid software interface will need to look at competing smartphones instead. The Xiaomi 11T Pro (Review) (starts from Rs. 39,999), the Oppo Reno 8 Pro (Review) (at Rs. 45,999), and the OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition (Review) (Rs. 39,999) are all excellent alternatives to the Pixel 6a.

There’s also the Google Pixel 6 which is currently available unofficially (without warranty) at around Rs. 43,500 and is definitely better value than the 6a thanks to a 90Hz display, an IP68 rating, 8GB RAM, 50-megapixel primary camera, and a bigger battery along with wireless charging.

The Google Pixel 6a is by no means an all-rounder, but it is still a very unique offering that should appeal to buyers who are willing to put good camera performance and timely software updates above everything else.

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