iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 First Impressions: Bigger Screen, but Not Much Else Has Changed

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September 9, 2022

iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 First Impressions: Bigger Screen, but Not Much Else Has Changed

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It seems that for the past year, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has been the second-most popular of all its siblings despite being priced the highest. Now, Apple is targeting those who want a bigger display but don’t need (or don’t want to pay for) all the premium features of the Pro models. The new iPhone 14 Plus is a clear upsell, intended to tempt iPhone buyers and upgraders to spend a little more than they might have otherwise. Android phones with screens larger than 5.5 inches now make up more than 50 percent of the market in some countries, so it makes sense for Apple to hit lower price points with a big phone. This is one of the ways that Apple has lagged behind the Android world, going back as far as the iPhone 5.

iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus price in India

Apple has launched the iPhone 14 at the same price as the iPhone 13 (Review) last year, which is unusual because the iPhone 14 Pro siblings have become more expensive and other models have just had upward price corrections as well, thanks to international exchange rate changes. You’ll pay Rs. 79,900 for 128GB of storage, Rs. 89,900 for 256GB, or Rs. 1,09,900 for 512GB. The iPhone 14 Plus costs Rs. 10,000 more per tier, so the prices follow the same pattern: Rs. 89,900, Rs. 99,900 and Rs. 1,19,900 respectively.

There’s no replacement for the iPhone 13 mini, but given that not much has changed between generations and the fact that it has now had a price cut, it still serves the same target audience just as well. iPhones usually get software updates for more than five years and this way entry-level buyers and those who just want something small because they’re used to older phones are still satisfied.

The new Purple colour option is subtle and soft, but will stand out

iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus: What’s new?

We’re at a point where there isn’t much that smartphone manufacturers can do to make them feel fresh and exciting. The iPhone 14 is a competent iterative step beyond the iPhone 13, but it doesn’t break any new ground and won’t make anyone rush out to buy it. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Plus represents a whole new offering and if you can afford it, you might be tempted to upgrade.

The most appealing aspect of the iPhone 14 Plus for me is the fact that it’s quite a bit lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, at 203g compared to 240g. If you were put off by how bulky and unwieldy the flagship models are, you might find this new option a pleasant middle ground. The iPhone 14 continues to be one of the lightest in its class and is easy to handle.

What’s also interesting is that the iPhone 14 Plus promises the best battery life of any iPhone ever. It can outperform its premium siblings in this regard thanks to its less demanding display and other hardware.

The camera system is improved, with a larger sensor and f/1.5 aperture for the new 12-megapixel main camera. The biggest news is that the front camera now supports autofocus so you can get more creative with self portraits. Low-light performance is said to be at least twice as good across all cameras, and it was already great with the iPhone 13 series. Between the camera hardware, processor, and iOS, there’s a new set of capabilities that Apple is calling its “Photonic Engine”. This basically means that HDR processing, in which details from multiple exposures are combined to arrive at the final shot you see, now happens much earlier in the capture and processing pipeline. By working on uncompressed data, Apple says locking focus is quicker, colours come out truer to life, and detail is improved significantly. Action Mode is a new video stabilisation option that uses the sensor area beyond the frame of what you’re shooting and then crops each frame to compensate for motion, achieving results that Apple says are comparable to using a gimbal.

Crash detection is a new feature based on the more advanced accelerometer and gyroscope that all this generation’s iPhones have. It can detect sudden deceleration and recognise sounds, triggering a call to emergency services and your trusted contacts to get you help if ever needed. Satellite-based emergency SMS communications is currently limited to the US and Canada, and also uses Apple’s hardware and software to locate satellites without a bulky antenna. It’s extremely slow and limited in functionality, but could be a lifesaver if you’re ever stranded without cellular network coverage. It will be a paid service, but we don’t know the cost yet, and the first two years are free.

The Starlight and Midnight colour options continue from last year, and there’s a much brighter (Product) Red option. This year’s new colours are a light, denim-like Blue and a very faint lilac Purple.

The larger iPhone 14 Plus (right) gives Apple a new way to compete with today’s mainstream Android phones

iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus: What you don’t get

Apple feels that last year’s core hardware is still good enough to go into the latest iPhones. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus make do with the A15 Bionic SoC, though it’s the slightly more capable version that last year’s Pro models had, with one extra GPU core, so there’s still a bit of an upgrade. This marks the first time that Apple is stratifying its Pro and non-Pro models with entirely different SoCs – this might be because of supply chain and manufacturing issues, or it’s a sign that we really have reached a point of diminishing returns in terms of CPU power for phones.

One big disappointment is that the 120Hz ProMotion display feature hasn’t trickled down from last year’s Pro models to this year’s iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The resolution, brightness, and colour capabilities are exactly the same as last year. Of course you don’t get the cool new Dynamic Island functionality or always-on display either. Apple has also reserved its 48-megapixel main camera sensor and second-gen sensor shift stabilisation for the premium models.

In the US, you don’t get a SIM tray at all since Apple is now going all-in on eSIMs. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, but it’s likely that Android manufacturers will follow. Other than being slightly thicker, the physical design of the iPhone 14 is pretty much identical to that of the iPhone 13 with a glass back, Ceramic Shield front, and aluminium frame. There are no new claims about durability, no improvement to MagSafe or wired charging speed, and no USB Type-C port.

The iPhone 14 Plus will probably sell well just because it’s a larger iPhone that isn’t as expensive as the Pro Max models. The vanilla iPhone 14 though is likely to have a smaller audience largely because it doesn’t offer anything significantly new.

Disclosure: Apple sponsored the correspondent’s flights and hotel stay for the launch event in Cupertino.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

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iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max First Impressions: Lots to Like, but Prices Keep Rising

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hitesh

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September 8, 2022

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iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max First Impressions: Lots to Like, but Prices Keep Rising

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The brand new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have just been launched and Gadgets 360 is on the scene at Apple Park in Cupertino to bring you your first look at them. We can finally put all rumours and speculation to rest, which is interesting because the devices that I have with me are not quite what I’d been expecting – or perhaps dreading. Beyond the obvious new “Dynamic Island” front camera design there’s quite a bit to talk about. If you like always having the latest and greatest iPhone, or if you’ve been waiting a while to upgrade, read on.

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max price in India

Thanks to a stronger US dollar, both of Apple’s new Pro phones are more expensive than their predecessors in India even though the price levels in the US have not changed. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at Rs. 1,29,900 for 128GB, Rs. 1,39,900 for 256GB, Rs. 1,59,900 for 512GB and Rs. 1,79,900 for the 1TB option. The larger iPhone 14 Pro Max costs Rs. 10,000 more at each level, so the prices are Rs. 1,39,900, Rs. 1,49,900, Rs. 1,69,900, and Rs. 1,89,900 respectively. It’s still unclear why the gap between iPhone and iPhone Pro prices is so much wider in India than in other countries – Apple should be using the same multiplier across its products, but that isn’t the case.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max (Review) are officially discontinued but should continue to be available from third-party retailers for some time, hopefully at discounted prices.

The new 48-megapixel main camera is said to allow for more flexibility and better low-light shots

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max “Dynamic Island”

So, all the leaks and rumours were accurate, but it turns out that what we knew before this launch was only a tiny fraction of the whole story. This is a fantastic reminder that we shouldn’t all get on the hype (or hate) train based on leaks alone, and it’s also an example of how we can still be surprised and delighted by tech. I think Apple must have quite enjoyed knowing that it can still surprise people, and as a spokesperson said during the keynote, it’s Apple’s unique dedication to designing hardware and software together that makes things like this possible.

Multiple leaks and renders based on technical specifications, over the course of several months, all seemed to agree that Apple had settled on a weird pill-and-hole camera cutout design. Although it seemed so obviously awkward and distracting, it wasn’t hard to imagine Apple going with it just to be different – this is after all the company that brought us the idea of the notch, tried and failed to make the Touch Bar catch on, and even once convinced itself that a buttonless and screenless iPod was a good idea.

The latest leaks before this reveal were somewhat on the right track. While there is space between the pill and hole, it isn’t going to be visible to users because the hole has actually been expanded using software, so you get used to seeing a black patch. It’s integrated into UI elements for notifications and status indicators, and it’s interactive. Apple has worked on a set of fluid animations and transitions that all turn this distraction into an asset.

I’m glad that full-screen video won’t play around two holes – I still dislike having even one – and I’m actually intrigued to see how Apple is using its hardware and software expertise together to turn this into a useful UI element. The active display area expands into a notification popup when needed, and will otherwise show things like a tiny version of album artwork when music is playing, a charging or payment indicator, etc. Apps can use it to show ongoing activity status, such as your next turn-by-turn direction, ongoing sports scores, or updates about the status of a delivery. In fact you can see two activities at once – the secondary one appears in a little circular bubble to the right of the “island”. This is where I’m convinced Apple is just trolling the leakers – it looks exactly like the leaked “pill and hole” arrangement.

Overall, it’s undoubtedly an improvement over the notch, and it makes the premium iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feel very fresh. It’s still distracting when watching full-screen video but that’s something we live with anyway now. In my brief hands-on experience, it seemed that while the cameras still interrupt the display area, no part of the island is a dead zone for touch, so swipes work no matter where in the island your finger moves.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max might be hard to distinguish from their predecessors at a glance

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max design

This year, the new signature colour is Deep Purple and it’s quite subtle. The colour is dark and desaturated so it actually looks grey with a slight tint. If the past two years are any indication, a new colour option could be introduced mid-cycle, early next year. The other options are Space Black, Silver, and Gold. The frames of both phones are still made of polished stainless steel. The iPhone 14 Pro weighs 206g while the iPhone 14 Pro Max comes in at a hefty 240g.

In terms of shape and proportions, not much has changed since the iPhone 12 Pro series was launched. You still have a flat back and frame that runs around all four sides – the MagSafe accessory ecosystem does constrain Apple a bit in this regard. The camera module on the rear has grown yet again so unfortunately cases for last year’s phones won’t fit. If you’re in the US, you’ll notice the complete lack of a SIM tray – this is a goal that Apple has been working towards for a while, but it has its downsides and India has been spared for now.

There’s still a lightning port on the bottom – rumours now suggest that next year will be the year that Apple finally goes all in on USB Type-C. This might become required by law in many countries but it also just makes a lot of sense.

New display, battery and SoC technology all work together to enable the Dynamic Island and always-on ] mode

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max display and specifications

The Dynamic Island is exclusive to the Pro iPhones because of the display technology that Apple can take advantage of at these prices. The Super Retina XDR display is now slightly taller and has narrower borders. Apple claims a massive 1600nits peak brightness for HDR and these panels are rated to hit 2000nits outdoors. The refresh rate can go down to 1Hz to save power.

The always-on display is a first for iPhones and it’s a huge change. In typical Apple fashion, there’s a very particular visual style to its implementation. Rather than the plain text or simple graphics on a black background that you might expect on Android phones, the new iOS 16 always-on display is simply your lockscreen, but dimmed. Apple uses machine learning to adapt your wallpaper image to reduce brightness but preserve detail. Your lockscreen widgets continue to be visible.

Apple claims 29 hours of battery life with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and 23 hours with the iPhone 14 Pro. There’s a new A16 Bionic SoC with improvements across the board. It has 16 billion transistors and uses a 4nm manufacturing process. Apple claims industry-leading performance and power efficiency with its six CPU cores, five GPU cores, 16 neural engine cores, and various other subsystems.

Deep Purple is the new signature colour for this launch

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max cameras

Of course there’s also a brand new camera setup, with a 48-megapixel camera and quad-pixel binning for the first time. Apple claims the sensor is 65 percent larger than the one in the iPhone 13 Pro. In most cases, the camera will be optimised for light capture, with four pixels grouped into one, resulting in 12-megapixel photos. Low-light quality is said to be 2X better and subjects can be in sharp focus even with blurred motion behind them. On the other hand, you can optimise for detail using pixels individually, which lends itself to more creative options for shooting and editing. There’s even a new 2X zoom option which effectively crops the middle of a 48-megapixel shot to give you a 12-megapixel result with high detail. You can shoot ProRAW 48-megapixel photos too. Action Mode is a new video feature that also crops video so motion can be compensated for, effectively stabilising video like a gimbal would.

Then there’s a new 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera sensor with more focus pixels for sharper macros and better low-light shots. The front camera gets autofocus for the first time, and an f/1.9 aperture for much better low-light shots. The flash at the back is now adaptive, with nine LEDs and intelligent pattern and intensity adjustment. We’ll see how all of this works when we review all the new iPhones.

Other new features include crash detection and satellite-based emergency messaging (only in the US and Canada for now). The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will ship with iOS 16 which also introduces a bunch of new capabilities.

It seems as though the new Pro iPhones are fresh enough to motivate people to upgrade, and the gap between these phones and their non-Pro counterparts is the biggest it’s ever been. However, prices will keep them out of reach for many buyers. To decide whether you should take the plunge, check out the full Gadgets 360 reviews, coming up soon.

Disclosure: Apple sponsored the correspondent’s flights and hotel stay for the launch event in Cupertino.

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OnePlus 10T 5G Review: Speed Above All Else

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hitesh

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September 7, 2022

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OnePlus 10T 5G Review: Speed Above All Else

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If you care only about price, specifications and performance, the OnePlus 10T 5G stands out. It’s one of the few phones on sale in India with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, and there are only a few compromises on the spec sheet. The starting price of Rs. 49,999 in India is reasonably good value, considering that it competes with true flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 series (and even the OnePlus 10 Pro). On the other hand, if you’re happy and familiar with an older OnePlus phone and are looking for an upgrade in terms of features as well as performance, the 10T 5G might fall short of your expectations.

In this review we’ll look at both perspectives – this is an objective evaluation of the OnePlus 10T 5G‘s performance, cameras, battery life, software, features, and design. However for you to decide whether to buy it or not, you’ll have to consider whether the usage experience is right for you.

OnePlus 10T 5G price in India

The OnePlus 10T 5G has been launched in India in three variants: prices start at Rs. 49,999 if you want 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is pretty standard for this price level. You could also choose the variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for Rs. 54,999 – this option is exclusive to India. However, just Rs. 1,000 more will get you the top-end option with 16GB of RAM and the same amount of storage. Even 12GB of RAM is likely overkill for most people, but the price difference is so minor that it seems pointless not to go all the way to the top.

OnePlus 10T 5G design

Perhaps the most controversial thing about the OnePlus 10T 5G is the lack of an alert slider, so let’s talk about that first. Android phones have become pretty homogenous over the past several years and the slider has been one brand differentiator for OnePlus since its very first model. It was understandable that we’d lose it on some of the value-focused Nord models, but here the company is clearly showing that it’s willing to abandon something its longtime users really like.

The slider lets you quickly switch between alert profiles, much like on iPhones and BlackBerrys in the past. If you use it a lot, you’ll miss it – however, I have my phone on silent almost all the time and so I’ve never really had much use for it. OnePlus says the removal was necessary to make room for things like better antennas and the 150W charging circuitry, but this stretches credulity considering how tiny a surface-mount switch is. The company even acknowledges that this is a polarising decision and says the slider isn’t dead for good.

The large screen of the OnePlus 10T makes one-handed usage a bit challenging

Other than that, there are a few things to talk about. The 10T is available in two very different finishes – Moonstone Black and Jade Green. The former has a rough texture that was apparently inspired by volcanic rock. It’s pretty easy to grip and looks quite smart from a distance. On the other hand, the Jade Green version is completely smooth and extremely reflective. It’s not too slippery, but fingerprints are quite visible.

The camera module looks a lot like that of the OnePlus 10 Pro (Review) but the way it’s designed is completely different. Instead of the metal frame being extruded and wrapping around the back like a finger, this phone’s camera module is part of the glass rear panel, just raised and contoured a bit. Even if you run a finger across it, you won’t feel any seam. On my Jade Green review unit, the black patch seems like it’s rising out of a still body of water.

The 10T 5G is 8.75mm thick and weighs 203g which are both a bit above average for premium phones. This isn’t the easiest phone to work with but at least the rounded frame and contoured rear make it comfortable to hold. The front and rear are both made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. A matte rubber case is included in the box and a screen protector is pre-applied.

A small power button is on the right, and there’s a volume rocker on the left. You’ll find a USB Type-C port, speaker, and dual Nano-SIM tray on the bottom. The top has a speaker cutout and mic hole. There’s no 3.5mm jack. The front camera and fingerprint sensor are embedded in the display. OnePlus has managed to achieve slim borders all around the screen. You don’t get rounded sides, like with the 10 Pro, but that isn’t a bad thing at all.

You won’t find the familiar alert slider on the side of the OnePlus 10T 5G

OnePlus 10T 5G specifications and software

The star of the show here is Qualcomm’s mid-cycle flagship SoC refresh, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. It should deliver minor improvements in speed as well as power efficiency, better graphics and AI processing, and a newer cellular modem. All this should translate to better battery life for devices such as the 10T 5G. The CPU features one “prime” Cortex-X2 core running at up to 3.2GHz, three more “big” Cortex-A710 cores and four “small” Cortex-A510 cores. OnePlus says it has developed its biggest and most elaborate ever cooling system, which makes it apparent that gamers are a huge target for this phone.

Another major highlight is the 150W charging speed (125W maximum in countries with 110V AC power). The 4800mAh battery is divided into two physical cells which are charged in parallel at up to 75W each. You will of course need the proprietary SuperVOOC Endurance Edition charger and the specific Type-C cable that come in the box. This charger is USB-PD compliant up to 45W so it will also work with some mainstream laptops and other devices.

Charging safety and battery longevity are of course big issues that might concern potential buyers, and OnePlus touts a huge list of measures it has taken in these areas such as smart charging algorithms, fine-grained current and voltage monitoring, multiple temperature sensors, and even special customisations made to the battery’s chemistry. OnePlus claims 26 hours of usage per charge cycle, a full charge in under 20 minutes, and at least 80 percent capacity retention after 1,600 cycles (which it says is equivalent to four years of usage).

OnePlus has used LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The company says over 35 apps can stay in memory with the 16GB variant, which means super-quick multitasking without having to reload anything. You can also assign a small amount of storage to be used as extra RAM, though this is not likely to have any impact over and above having 12GB or 16GB.

The borders all around the screen are equally narrow

The display measures 6.7 inches and has a full-HD+ 1080×2412 pixel resolution with a 120Hz maximum refresh rate. It’s an AMOLED panel with a 10-bit colour depth, 950nit peak brightness rating, and HDR10+ support. The 1000Hz maximum touch response rate is another spec that gamers might find interesting.

Other specs worth mentioning are the stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC. However there are also things that you might expect from a phone at this price level but don’t get – there’s no IP rating (except for units sold in the US), no wireless charging, and no eSIM support. Another little detail is that the USB Type-C port only works at USB 2.0 speed.

As for software, OnePlus announced OxygenOS 13 at the same time as the OnePlus 10T 5G, but this phone doesn’t come with it. An update will be available later this year. For now, OxygenOS 12.1 will have to do. While it’s quite feature-rich, it isn’t quite as slick or minimalist as older versions used to be, thanks to the merger with Oppo and its ColorOS development team.

In terms of features you get a customisable always-on display, plenty of UI customisation options, quick launch shortcuts for the fingerprint sensor, app cloning so you can use messaging apps with multiple SIMs, and many other little touches. OnePlus Scout is supposed to be a more powerful search tool, and OnePlus Shelf is a space for widgets. It appears when swiping down from the upper right of the screen, when you’d expect your notifications or quick settings, but this can be disabled. You’ll find a few OnePlus apps and Netflix is the only preloaded third-party one. There’s a Zen Mode app in addition to the new Work Life Balance setting which is somewhat like iOS’s Focus modes.

OnePlus says it has developed an elaborate cooling system for the top-end SoC

OnePlus 10T 5G performance

There’s no doubt that everyday performance is fantastic on the OnePlus 10T. This phone has way more than enough power for basic use. I wanted to test OnePlus’ claim about being able to switch between multiple apps with ease, and on the 12GB RAM variant that I have with me, I found that I could have about 10-12 everyday apps and a heavy game or two open. This could be a huge deal for anyone used to a phone that’s three or four years old, with only 3-4GB of RAM.

OnePlus is quite obviously targeting gamers with this phone, and that’s not a small audience. You’ll be happy to know that this is where the 10T 5G truly excels. I played quite a lot of Call of Duty Mobile, Asphalt 9, and several casual games for quite a while and not only was performance smooth throughout, but the device only got slightly warm and battery drain was also quite reasonable. The screen refresh rate appears to be capped at 60fps in most games but the experience was still enjoyable.

As for general benchmarks, the AnTuTu score of 788,961 was among the highest we’ve seen but well below early leaks that showed this phone breaking the 1,000,000 mark, which might be down to a difference in test environments. Geekbench 5’s single-core and multi-core tests returned scores of 653 and 3,067 respectively. 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme graphics test managed a score of 2,790 and GFXBench’s most demanding Aztec Ruins scene maxed out at 60fps which means the screen refresh rate was capped at 60fps.

Of course everyone will want to know how fast the 150W charging system is, and frankly, it’s incredible. Just watching the percentage readout rise as I charged this phone was a shock. Like many people, I’m used to seeing my phone nearly dead and plugging it in for a few minutes before having to rush somewhere, but instead of just being able to fill the battery enough to last through a commute, I’d find it nearly full. In my tests, the OnePlus 10T 5G went from zero to 10 percent in two minutes, 20 percent in three minutes, and 35 percent in five minutes. At the 15 minute mark it was at 54 percent, and when I checked after the standard half hour, it had been full for a while.

The two available finishes have extremely different textures but both are made of glass

This of course assumes that you always use the included 160W charger and OnePlus’ own USB cable. The charger is quite bulky and heavy, so unless you carry it around everywhere with you, you might not be able to charge quickly when you need to the most – but you’ll also never have to leave this phone plugged in all night either.

Battery life was also quite strong. I had at least 15 percent left after a full day of casual use which included a lot of Web surfing, camera use, and an hour or so of gaming. Our HD video loop test took 21 hours, 1 minute to run.

The fingerprint sensor is placed quite low and I didn’t always manage to place my thumb exactly where it was needed, but it was otherwise quick. The large camera bump on the back can sometimes make holding this phone in landscape a bit awkward. The speakers are fairly loud and clear but sound isn’t as rich as I would have liked.

I found the display to be bright and vibrant, even outdoors. It doesn’t have the highest resolution you can get, but it’s crisp enough to make most apps and content look great. In fact, colours might be too bright and saturated for some people but you can switch from Vivid to Natural in the display settings. OnePlus claims full DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and a 10-bit colour depth but you’ll have to switch to Pro mode and then select ‘Brilliant’ to push these settings to the max. The always-on display is quite convenient and not too distracting at night.

The macro camera is not very useful and only pads the spec sheet

OnePlus 10T 5G cameras

The OnePlus 10T 5G is newer and more powerful than the OnePlus 10 Pro, but is still positioned below it – and you’ll see why when it comes to the cameras. There’s no Hasselblad branding here and the cameras themselves are pretty basic. The 50-megapixel main camera boasts of optical stabilisation and a Sony IMX766 sensor but the 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide camera and 2-megapixel macro camera are disappointing. There’s no optical zoom or anything interesting or new.

The camera app has a few interesting options. You can choose to enable 10-bit photo captures and also use the HEIF photo format which can save space but isn’t widely used. You can choose which modes appear on the carousel above the shutter button, and which stay in a spillover menu. The rear of the phone did heat up a bit when recording video.

OnePlus 10T 5G daytime photo samples: primary camera (above); ultra-wide (below). Tap to see full size.

Photo and video quality is fine, but maybe not what you’d expect from a phone at this price level. Tricky exposures weren’t always handled well and sometimes the bright sky would result in foreground subjects appearing too dull. Detail is fine when shooting with the primary camera but photos can look a little over-processed, especially landscapes with objects at a distance. The ultra-wide one does introduce some perspective skew and colours aren’t quite as true to life.

OnePlus 10T 5G daytime photo samples: primary camera (above); ultra-wide (below). Tap to see full size.

When shooting macros, a message in the viewfinder tells you to hold the phone 4cm away from your subject for best results, but there’s no indication of how far you actually are. Macro shots are just as good or bad as anything you’d get with a sub-Rs. 15,000 phone today and it’s not likely that you’ll get much use out of this camera.

OnePlus 10T 5G low-light photo samples: primary camera (above); ultra-wide (below). Tap to see full size.

Nighttime shots are also just about okay, and the ultra-wide camera is noticeably weaker than the main one. Night mode is triggered automatically but you can also select it yourself if you want to be sure. Photos at night don’t come out dull or dark but don’t expect a
whole lot of detail.

As for video, daytime performance is good with both the primary and ultra-wide cameras, though the latter is barely of use at night. Footage is stabilised fairly well at 1080p but you can expect a little jitter when walking especially at night. The ultra-wide camera can’t record 4K video.

Selfies are pretty crisp and portrait mode does a good job with background separation, even at night. Thankfully, face retouching isn’t on by default.

OnePlus 10T 5G daytime photo samples: macro (above); portrait selfie (middle); low-light portrait selfie (below). Tap to see full size.

Verdict

OnePlus is not a plucky little startup anymore and can’t survive selling just one phone model per year. Unfortunately, that means the brand doesn’t exactly stand for what it used to, which was delivering enthusiast-class hardware and software at rock-bottom prices. The OnePlus 10T 5G is a good choice for certain niche buyers – those who want bragging rights, those who are crazy about gaming, and those who suffer from severe battery-level anxiety. It will also be a solid upgrade from an older OnePlus phone if you want to stay within the family.

The company has promised three years of major Android updates and an additional year of security updates which is a decent duration. There’s more than enough performance to keep this phone relevant for at least that long, and if you buy the 12GB or 16GB RAM versions you shouldn’t have any trouble at all even with heavy upcoming games.

If you don’t need the SoC power though, you could easily look elsewhere. Plenty of phones priced under Rs. 50,000 in India offer better cameras, an IP rating, and/or wireless charging.

Disclosure: OnePlus sponsored the reviewer’s flights and stay in New York City to cover the launch event.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

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Redmi 11 Prime 5G First Impressions: Unlocking 5G at an Affordable Price

By

hitesh

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September 6, 2022

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Redmi 11 Prime 5G First Impressions: Unlocking 5G at an Affordable Price

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Xiaomi has launched two new budget smartphones under the Redmi 11 Prime series – Redmi 11 Prime 4G and Redmi 11 Prime 5G. The latter is the first smartphone in the Prime series to come with 5G network support. The 11 Prime 5G is also currently Redmi’s most affordable 5G smartphone to date. With 5G rollout around the corner in India, Redmi is hoping to target the customer base that wants to experience the next-generation network without having to spend a lot.

The Redmi 11 Prime 5G comes with typical budget 5G smartphone hardware. The company has launched its new 5G smartphone with two storage options. The base variant offers 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage and is priced at Rs 13,999. Those who want the 6GB RAM option can get it for Rs 15,999. This particular variant offers 128GB of internal storage. With a Rs. 1,000 discount on ICICI Bank credit and debit card transactions, the Redmi 11 Prime 5G gets even more affordable starting at Rs 12,999.

Redmi 11 Prime 5G in its Meadow Green colour

Now that the price is out of the way, let’s look at what the Redmi 11 Prime 5G has to offer. I have used the phone only for a few hours and my first impressions of it is that the phone looks good. I have the Meadow Green colour variant here, which surely looks refreshing. Xiaomi has recently launched many Redmi phones in shades of blue and white and the addition of this green colour variant does look good. The textured back also has a matte finish, which helps keep fingerprint smudges at bay. If you are not a fan, you can choose between the Chrome Silver or Thunder Black options.

The body is made completely out of plastic, which is quite common for phones in this price range. Continuing the trend that we see in most phones launched in 2022, the Redmi 11 Prime 5G has a flat frame design. The rear panel though, is curved, which makes it easy to hold. The power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner and is located below the volume buttons on the right edge. You also get a USB Type-C port and a single speaker at the bottom edge. For those who want to connect their wired earphones, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top. Redmi is also offering a dedicated microSD card slot, which can be found in the dual-SIM slot on the left edge.

Redmi 11 Prime 5G features a plastic frame

The phone is slightly on the heavier side at 200g and is also fairly thick at 8.9mm. Redmi has added a silicone protective case in the box. You also get a 22.5W fast charger and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C charging cable. The phone, however, supports 18W fast charging only.

The front of the Redmi 11 Prime 5G features a 6.58-inch IPS LCD display. At 400 nits, the screen is not among the brightest out there but I did not experience any issues while using it indoors. There is a waterdrop notch at the top of the display but it is the thick chin at the bottom that is a lot more noticeable. There is a single speaker setup though, which takes away from the multimedia experience. Xiaomi has added a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top of the screen for added protection against accidental scratches and drops.

The Redmi 11 Prime 5G also comes with a 90Hz AdaptiveSync Display. This means that the screen will automatically switch between 50, 60 and 90Hz, depending on the on-screen content.

The Redmi 11 Prime 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC, which aims at offering an affordable 5G experience. Xiaomi also states that the Redmi 11 Prime 5G supports seven 5G bands. Also, both SIM slots support 5G, which means that you can have 5G services enabled on your two SIM cards. We will share more details about the phone’s day-to-day performance in our Redmi 11 Prime 5G review.

Moving to the cameras, the Redmi 11 Prime 5G has a dual-camera setup on the back. The phone has a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, along with a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, there is an 8-megapixel front camera inside the waterdrop notch.

Redmi 11 Prime 5G runs Android 12-based MIUI 13 out of the box

In terms of software, the Redmi 11 Prime 5G runs Android 12-based MIUI 13 out of the box. MIUI is known to be feature-rich but is also infamous for the bloatware that comes along with it. Users can uninstall most of the third-party apps. Since it is a budget offering, we do not expect the Redmi 11 Prime 5G to get multiple software updates in the future, but maybe Xioami will surprise us. We hope that the phone gets at least Android 13 in the coming months. Xiaomi has not announced any details about the software support.

The Redmi 11 Prime 5G finds itself in the crowded budget smartphone segment, which includes the likes of the Moto G32, Moto G42, Realme 9i 5G, Infinix Note 12, etc. While some of these phones are targeted at offering better value-for-money hardware with a 4G processor, others, such as the Redmi 11 Prime 5G aims to offer a 5G experience at an affordable price. We will test the phone to see if the Redmi 11 Prime 5G is the best 5G smartphone under Rs 15,000 to buy in India. Stay tuned for the full review coming soon on Gadgets 360.

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Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT Wireless Headphones Review: An Old Favourite, Now Wireless

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hitesh

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September 5, 2022

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Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT Wireless Headphones Review: An Old Favourite, Now Wireless

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Before Bluetooth and wireless headphones became a big deal, Audio-Technica was a popular name in the business of wired consumer headphones. That’s not to say that the Japanese brand has lost its relevance, but some of its new products seem to rely heavily on nostalgia and the proven credentials of some of its popular models from the past decade, such as the M-series of monitor-grade studio headphones. The product I’m reviewing here is exactly that — a refreshed, Bluetooth-powered version of an old favourite.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M20x has been around for years, and was once a very popular pick for its then-novel studio monitor sound at a reasonable price. The company’s latest product is the wireless version of it. The Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT is priced at Rs. 13,500 in India, giving nostalgic buyers a chance to experience the unique sonic signature, but with the convenience of wireless connectivity. With a promise of 60 hours of battery life, multi-point connectivity, and optional wired connectivity, is this the best wireless over-ear headset you can buy at around Rs. 15,000 right now? Find out in this review.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT features Bluetooth 5 for connectivity, but can also be used as a wired headset

Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT design and specifications

The Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT is, quite literally, a wireless version of the classic (and wired) Audio-Technica ATH-M20x. It looks and feels the same for the most part, with a proper over-ear fit, comfortable padding around the ears and on the headband, and a metal frame connecting the two ear cups. The design similarities also include the ‘ATH-M20x’ etched into the sides, the gentle swivel for fit adjustment, the telescopically adjusting headband, and the exposed audio wires near the headband.

Available in a single black colour (for now), the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT benefits from the incredibly familiar design and fit of its predecessor. At 216g, the headphones don’t weigh as much as you’d expect given the size, and feel light and comfortable to wear with the padding around the ear cups completely covering my ears.

I wasn’t too impressed with the quality of the passive noise isolation, with the padding simply not doing enough to stop outside sound from getting in. The upside of this was that I didn’t need to take off the headphones to get some air as often, with the fit allowing a reasonable amount of air flow to my ears.

There are, of course, small differences in the design to accommodate the controls and buttons. These include the stereo socket for wired listening, a USB Type-C port for charging, and three buttons to control playback and volume, all placed on the left side. Included in the sales package are a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable and a stereo cable for wired connectivity, but unfortunately no carry case for the headphones.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT uses Bluetooth 5 for primary connectivity, with support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. The headphones have 40mm dynamic drivers, a frequency response range of 5 to 32,000Hz, a rated sensitivity of 100dB, and an impedance of 36Ohms. There is a microphone on the M20xBT, so you can use it as a hands-free headset.

The on-device buttons control power, volume, and playback on the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

Usefully, there is multi-point connectivity, so you can pair and connect to two devices simultaneously, with the headphones switching intelligently between the two based on content playing or calls received. There is no active noise cancellation or app support on the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT, and no wear-detection sensors as well, making it somewhat under-equipped compared to competing options from brands such as Sony, JBL, and Sennheiser.

Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT performance and battery life

Although the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT is definitely a bit low on features, it promises a lot when it comes to the most important aspect — sound quality. Pitched as the wireless version of the ATH-M20x, Audio-Technica claims to offer the same sonic tuning, but with the convenience of wireless connectivity. I won’t go as far as to say that the M20xBT sounds as good as the M20x for the obvious reason that wired connectivity will always sound better than Bluetooth, but the M20xBT does come fairly close.

Where the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT definitely offers a familiar listening experience is in the sonic signature. It’s the same neutral, studio-friendly sound that made the M-series so popular, giving frequencies across the range plenty of room to shine. This made for a fair amount of audible detail in the sound, and the ability to pinpoint faint elements in tracks that tied in well with the idea of studio monitors.

This was the case across genres and tracks, but the sonic signature and tonality of the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT particularly suited slower, more detail-oriented tracks. Listening to the excellent Truth by Kamasi Washington, the ATH-M20xBT headphones was revealing and insightful beyond what most wireless headsets in this price range can achieve.

The slow progression of this jazz track was engaging, with the headphones delivering every gentle hit of the drums, the saxophone riffs, and the occasional piano elements with superb precision for a wireless headset. This combined with impressive timbre and growl in the lows, a clear mid range for the orchestral vocals, and sharp highs that occasionally felt a bit too sharp.

Although the sound is a lot like the original ATH-M20x in terms of sonic signature, the M20xBT comes across as expensive and under-equipped for the price

With Arambol by Astropilot, I had a change to listen more closely to the stereo separation of the headphones, as well as specific elements across the frequency range. The bass naturally did not sound as calculated and tight as on the far more impressive (and expensive) Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT, with the focus more on delivering the neutral, flat sound, rather than on the polish and refinement that is found on more expensive wireless headphones.

The obviously different tuning of the M20xBT tended to show cracks when things got too busy and too much was going on in the track, and this is perhaps where advanced codec support might have aided the overall sound. With support for just the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT felt a bit overwhelmed at times.

On the whole, though, Bluetooth itself seems to be the problem here; the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT is too true to its roots as a wired headset, and simply isn’t tuned for the inferior wireless input signal of Bluetooth. Indeed, plugging in the cable and listening the old-fashioned way seemed to make up for some of the shortcomings in the sound, but this isn’t what you’re paying Rs. 13,500 for.

Call quality was decent indoors, with the loud sound making a difference in my ability to hear the person on the other end of the call. Connectivity was stable as well, with the Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT working well at distances of up to 4m from the source device. Battery life on the headphones is excellent, with the headset running for around 48 hours on a single charge with music playing continuously at moderate volumes.

Verdict

Audio-Technica is a noteworthy name in the consumer headphones and earphones space, and the ATH-M20xBT is itself from an iconic product lineup. However, this doesn’t quite help too much here. Although it has the same monitor-grade sound as its wired version, is fairly revealing and insightful, and has excellent battery life, it’s held back by a few issues. These include its lack of support for advanced Bluetooth codecs, and the high price.

It might make sense for fans of the Audio-Technica M-series lineup who want the benefit of wireless connectivity, but the ATH-M20xBT feels a bit under-equipped for the price, with no active noise cancellation, app support, or anything beyond Bluetooth connectivity for that matter. Objectively, this is a good pair of headphones in itself, but should have cost considerably less than Rs. 13,500.

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

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hitesh

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September 5, 2022

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

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House of the Dragon episode 3 — out now on HBO Max and Disney+ Hotstar — is occupied with male privilege and marriage proposals, for the most part. While Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) spent a bulk of the second episode asserting herself, a literal two-year-old is now overshadowing the heir. It’s Prince Aegon, the first child of King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and now Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), who’s pregnant with a second. (Given the boy’s age, you can tell it’s been roughly three years since episode 2.) A feast and a hunt have been organised in Aegon’s honour, which is good for the audience as the Game of Thrones prequel series finally leaves King’s Landing for nearly a full episode — we only get so far as the Kingswood though — and it feels good!

This gives House of the Dragon episode 3 the opportunity to craft a mini-getaway for two characters, Rhaenyra and her bodyguard, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), as the crossed Princess runs into the Kingswood. (This was arguably the best part of Game of Thrones, as characters at times with polar opposite views paired up for unexpected journeys.) Rhaenyra is not okay with the attention being poured on Aegon, especially because like everyone else, she expects her father to name the infant the new heir as he’s the firstborn son. Even the episode 3 title belongs to him, “Second of His Name”. A gender-neutral naming might’ve been smarter, in my opinion, as it would’ve signalled how Rhaenyra feels right now.

She might be first in line to the Iron Throne, but there’s a feeling around court that Aegon now has the stronger claim simply because he has a penis. And for Rhaenyra, it’s a triple blow of sorts. She hasn’t just lost her hold on the crown, but also Alicent and her father. Viserys and Rhaenyra haven’t seen eye to eye ever since he married her best friend — I mean, that makes sense — and that gap further widens on House of the Dragon episode 3 after she learns that the King is also shopping her around.

House of the Dragon Review: Game of Thrones Prequel Is a Thing of Beauty

Jefferson Hall as Jason Lannister, Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon episode 3
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

“You must marry,” Viserys shouts at her daughter in front of everyone on House of the Dragon episode 3, soon after Rhaenyra discovers that the arrogant and self-serious buffoon Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall) — he’s the Lord of Casterly Rock, but they do not hold as much power in this era as the Lannisters we’ve known from Game of Thrones — was only engaging her in conversation because he wants to “take” her as his “lady wife”. That, in combination with the rest, is enough to send Rhaenyra into the woods.

While the first proposal was sanctioned by the King himself, the Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), is bold enough to present the second on House of the Dragon episode 3. Otto tells Viserys that he should get Rhaenyra married to Prince Aegon, the babe. (While this might seem odd given they are step-siblings, marrying within your family was pretty common for the Targaryens, as it was royals of old in our world. It was done in the name of maintaining the purity of their blood.) But the sheer age difference — Aegon is two while Rhaenyra is 17 — is enough to send Viserys into fits of laughter. Otto clearly has ulterior motives, as that would make his grandson King Regent, or even King.

And hence, when a third marriage proposal comes from Viserys’ Master of Laws and Lord of Harrenhal, Lord Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes), the fed-up Viserys believes he’s in it for himself too. Let me guess, you’re going to suggest Rhaenyra marry your own son, the King says in as many words on House of the Dragon episode 3. But turns out, that is not the case. Lyonel proposes that Rhaenyra be paired with Ser Laenor Velaryon (Theo Nate), the son of Princess Rhaenys “The Queen Who Never Was” and Lord Corlys “Sea Snake” Velaryon, who’s briefly seen when we shift to the Stepstones in House of the Dragon episode 3. Building on his ignored advice from episode 2, Lyonel posits this would help bridge the gap between the two old Valyrian houses.

The visibly-inebriated Viserys gives Lyonel a pat on the shoulder as he walks away, suggesting bigger things in store for the man who isn’t solely interested in raising his station.

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

Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon episode 3
Photo Credit: Gary Moyes/HBO

As Viserys steps outside, his young wife Alicent joins him. And for a brief moment, he breaks. Though he’s taken up and reiterated the public position that Rhaenyra will be his heir — he reprimands Jason Lannister for “assuming” that Aegon would take her place, and strongly notes that he didn’t pick his daughter on a whim — Viserys confesses to Alicent that it was at a time of weakness, when he thought he had lost everything. “What if I was wrong?” Viserys wonders to himself. Later in House of the Dragon episode 3, as he swears to Rhaenyra that she won’t be supplanted, the King admits that he wavered at one time.

Still, Viserys has essentially given Alicent ammunition for later, I might argue. And Alicent has a stake in it too. As her father Otto points out on House of the Dragon episode 3, if Rhaenyra gets on the throne, it’s not going to be a nice life for the challenger (Aegon) and his mother. Alicent’s cause — or rather Otto’s, for now — is helped by the fact that everyone around Viserys either assumes or expects him to name Aegon as his heir sooner rather than alter. But Viserys clearly desires to stick by his choice. While Rhaenyra felt he was spurning Daemon and not choosing her, as she confided to Alicent on episode 2, it now seems she was wrong to think so of her father.

Viserys even cares for Rhaenyra’s happiness, as he first tells Otto, before reiterating in as many words to the daughter. Everything that’s been happening all episode in “Second of His Name” — the widening gap between the King and his heir — comes to the fore as Rhaenyra walks in and confronts her father, just as he’s sending off men to help Daemon and Corlys in the Stepstones (on the Queen’s advice). Rhaenyra believes that Viserys wants to marry her off for a watchtower or a fleet of ships. The King notes that he wants her to marry to shore up her succession. But when Rhaenyra points out that he didn’t re-marry for advantage, Viserys admits it before telling her to seek her own man out, the person who will keep you happy and strengthen your claim.

In that moment, the broken bridge between father and daughter is seemingly restored on House of the Dragon episode 3. A smiling Rhaenyra, comforted by the fact that the King is not going to replace her and cares for how she feels, walks away.

Everything You Need to Know About House of the Dragon

Wil Johnson as Ser Vaemond Velaryon, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Theo Nate as Laenor Velaryon in House of the Dragon episode 3
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

Speaking of strengthening one’s claim, the last section of House of the Dragon episode 3 is devoted to Daemon (Matt Smith). It’s been three years since the troubles in the Stepstones began. Daemon the Rogue Prince has been laying siege to the Crab Feeder with the help of his dragon Caraxes, but the caves are keeping them safe. What began as an attempt to make Daemon look worthy in the eyes of Westeros lords, is starting to look like a failure. On top of that, Viserys’ meagre helping hand comes as an affront to Daemon. He wanted this war to stand as his own victory, and not something that the Crown could claim for itself.

With troop morale at a low, Daemon’s new strategy — first brought up by the bickering Velaryons — is to surrender himself to the Crab Feeder (Daniel Scott-Smith) on House of the Dragon episode 3. The disfigured Prince-Admiral knows that this might be a tactic: to get his men to leave the caves in a false sense of security. That’s why he watches for dragon movement before ordering his troops to bring in Daemon. But he didn’t wait long enough, it seems. Just as the Crab Feeder feared, Caraxes shows up at the very last minute, with a Velaryon riding it. With the help of the dragon and the Westerosi forces, the Crab Feeder’s men are laid to waste — before he himself pays the ultimate price at Daemon’s hands.

The Rogue Prince may have conquered an enemy in battle, but how will he deal with the twin threats of the heir and the firstborn son?

House of the Dragon episode 3 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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Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch Ultra-HD LED Android TV (55PUT7906/94) Review: Quite the Show

By

hitesh

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September 2, 2022

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Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch Ultra-HD LED Android TV (55PUT7906/94) Review: Quite the Show

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Televisions tend to be more about the core functionality and less about the design and other aesthetics but every once in a while, we’ll see something flashy and pleasantly over-the-top. One such concept is Philips’ Ambilight technology, which interestingly and rather astoundingly, adds to the viewing experience particularly in dark rooms where the LED lights at the back of the TV can really shine. Philips’ latest television in India brings back the concept in a big way, and at a much more accessible price than before.

Priced at Rs. 99,990 for the 55-inch 55PUT7906/94 variant, the Philips Ambilight 7900 series is a fairly standard Ultra-HD LED TV, but with the added feature of a three-sided Ambilight LED lighting at the back. There is also support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and Android TV OS for smart functionality, among other useful features. Is this the most unique and interesting 55-inch TV you can buy for around Rs. 1,00,000 in India? Find out in this review.

The Philips Ambilight 7900 series TV runs on Android TV 10, with the improved stock Android TV user interface

Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch Ultra-HD LED Android TV (55PUT7906/94) design and specifications

The Philips Ambilight 7900 Series is available in three sizes — 55 inches, 65 inches, and 75 inches — with prices ranging from Rs. 99,990 to Rs. 1,89,990. All three sizes have similar specifications and features including the three-sided Ambilight LED lighting at the back of the televisions.

At the front and back (for the most part), the Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch television looks like just about any modern budget or mid-range television. There are slim borders around the screen, a small Philips logo at the bottom, a module for the IR receiver, indicator light, and a multi-function physical button to control the power and volume without the remote.

The TV is moderately thick but slightly slimmer at the edges, which leaves enough space to access the left-side ports when the television is wall-mounted. The 55-inch variant weighs around 14.2kg without the stands, and is compatible with VESA wall mounts (not included in the box). The table stands are included in the box and fix onto the TV near the corners, so you’ll need a large table or TV unit to place the Philips Ambilight 7900 series TV on.

While the television seems rather ordinary-looking at first glance, the key feature shows itself only when you turn the Philips Ambilight 7900 series TV on. There are LED lights built into the frame of the TV all along the left, top, and right edges, projecting multi-coloured light onto the wall behind the TV. The lights can get quite bright, and are effective regardless of whether you have the TV wall-mounted or on the table stands slightly away from the wall.

The Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch television has most of its ports in the square cavity at the back and facing downwards, so you’ll have to ensure that you’ve attached most of these connections before wall-mounting the television (if that’s the case for you). The ports at the back include Digital Audio-out (Toslink), one USB Type-A port, RJ45 Ethernet port, antenna socket, and three HDMI ports.

The LED lights at the back project colour onto the wall behind, depending on the colours on the screen

The ports on the left side are much easier to access even with the TV wall-mounted. These include one HDMI port (with ARC support), 3.5mm headphone jack, and one USB Type-A port. I’d have ideally liked at least one more HDMI port on the side, as well as the Toslink port. That said, having the ARC-enabled port on the side is a sensible decision by Philips.

The Philips Ambilight 55PUT7906/94 LED TV has an Ultra-HD (3840×2160 pixel) screen, with support for the HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision high dynamic range formats. There are two full-range bottom-firing speakers with a total sound output of 20W, and support for various audio formats up to Dolby Atmos. Bluetooth 5 and dual-band Wi-Fi are supported on the TV, and there is 8GB of internal storage for apps and app data, along with an unspecified quad-core processor to power the software and interface.

Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch Ultra-HD LED Android TV (55PUT7906/94) remote and features

Philips has typically included a full-size remote with its televisions, and it’s no different with the Ambilight 7900 series LED TV. The remote is arguably a fair bit larger than it needs to be, and has buttons to control navigation on the Android TV UI, playback controls, input selection, and a classic number pad, among others. There are hotkeys for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube, as well as a Google Assistant button and microphone to listen to voice commands.

A couple of useful additions include an ‘info’ button which shows resolution and Internet speed, and the Ambilight button. The latter provides quick access to the Ambilight menu, which can be used to turn on or off the Ambilight effects, or modify the settings including the modes and lounge lighting presets. It’s useful to quickly adjust this, particularly if you’re finding the glare too much or the lights a bit distracting.

The remote initially worked fine, but after a few weeks I found that I had to point it directly at the IR receiver for it to work; this seemed to happen overnight with it working fine the previous day. Changing the batteries and resetting the TV made no difference, and Bluetooth connectivity only worked for Google Assistant and not the rest of the remote’s functions, which continued to rely on IR. Strangely, the remote began working normally a couple of days later, so it’s hard to pinpoint the issue here.

Apart from Ambilight, the Philips 55PUT7906/94 TV is pretty ordinary when it comes to features. There is built-in Chromecast for content casting, and Google Assistant for voice commands, both of which are standard to all televisions running Android TV software.

Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch Ultra-HD LED Android TV (55PUT7906/94) software and interface

The Philips Ambilight 7900 series 55-inch LED TV runs on the Android TV 10 operating system, with the updated user interface with the refreshed, Google TV-like appearance. Of course, this isn’t the same as the Google TV user interface, but the core experience is the same as what you get on most Android TV-powered televisions. This includes access to the Google Play store, which now claims to have over 7,000 apps and games specifically designed for use on a TV screen.

The remote of the Philips Ambilight TV is a full-sized one and has hotkeys for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Google Play

Some key apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Youtube are preinstalled on the Philips Ambilight 7900 series television, and the new user interface is able to curate and push certain content recommendations using these and other major streaming services. While it is a step below the much more polished and capable Google TV UI, the stock Android TV user interface is still a pretty good option given that the app experience is the same reliable one that the platform has worked hard to get right.

My issues with the remote aside, I found the UI performance on the Philips 7900 series TV to be a bit sluggish at times. There was often a noticeable delay in the reaction time when navigating the UI, along with visible lag in the picture. Fortunately, this didn’t extend to when actual content was playing, but I did find it a lot easier to switch to the Chromecast with Google TV which was a lot less frustrating to use.

Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch Ultra-HD LED Android TV (55PUT7906/94) performance

It’s now possible to get a good quantum-dot or OLED television for less than Rs. 1,00,000, so spending that much on an LED television such as the Philips Ambilight 7900 Series 55-inch TV might seem a bit silly. However, the Philips television’s key feature — and indeed its most impressive party trick — is the Ambilight effect which enhances the viewing experience in its own unique way.

Now, it’s possible to set up aftermarket LED lighting for just about any television, with brands such as Govee and Philips offering such solutions. However the undeniable convenience and ease of use of the Philips Ambilight television, as well as the fact that you can switch it off easily with the television remote, makes it a superior option for anyone looking at rear adaptive LED lighting. That said, I’m left wondering whether that alone justifies the considerable premium of the Philips 7900 series TV.

The Philips 55PUT7906/94 television has an Ultra-HD resolution LED screen with support for HDR up to the Dolby Vision format. Performance was decent with high-quality content, and the picture was definitely as sharp as it could be, but there were a few drawbacks that I wouldn’t typically expect to see on a 55-inch television priced at Rs. 1,00,000.

Colourful content such as Into The Spiderverse looked beautiful on the Philips TV, particularly with the Ambilight effect on

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse seemed like the best movie to start with given the bright colours and trippy comic-book style visuals that I expected to play well with the Ambilight functionality on the Philips TV, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The truly impressive bit here was how the Ambilight worked with with the film, with the bright lights reacting intuitively to the continuously changing colours on screen, giving me the feeling of the television and picture being a bit bigger and more vibrant that it actually was. The Ambilight effect was quick to read colours on the edges of the screen and flowed well, making for a particularly good effect with fast-moving, colourful content.

With gentle motion and muted colours, such as the many monochrome scenes in the final season of Better Call Saul, the Ambilight effect on the Philips 7900 series LED TV often had very little to do or add, and was best switched off. I also found that the effect worked best when the lights projected onto a white wall, since this allowed them and the colours to be seen clearly. Against a textured blue wall for instance, the effects were largely lost, save for blue light itself.

Fortunately, controlling the Ambilight settings on the Philips 7900 series TV is an easy process, thanks to a dedicated Ambilight button on the remote which opens the quick access menu on the Android TV user interface. You can control the intensity through Ambilight presets, or set it to lounge lighting which sets a single colour for the rear lighting.

Although the picture was sharp on the Philips Ambilight 7900 series TV, the black levels weren’t very good

The picture was sharp and detailed with the animation of Into The Spider-Verse and even bright, colourful shows such as Masaba Masaba. The colours looked good too, although not anywhere near as punchy and defined as on the more affordable Xiaomi OLED Vision TV. With the dark scenes in shows such as Better Call Saul and Obi Wan Kenobi, the poor black levels of the Philips 7900 series LED TV were quite the setback.

The backlighting of the LED display tended to create a ‘whitewash’ effect during dark scenes, making blacks appear dark grey. This was visible even with bright and colourful content, but the whitewash effect looked particularly prominent and distracting with dark visuals. This is typically something I expect to see on a much more affordable LED TVs, so I was disappointed with this on the Philips 7900 series TV.

The Philips Ambilight 7900 series television is fairly bright thanks to its LED display panel, and as a result is easy to watch even in a relatively bright room. That said, making even a small effort to darken the room, such as drawing the curtains, goes a long way in making the picture look better. Quantum-dot LED TVs such as the Hisense 55U6G are considerably brighter and are priced lower.

Although HDR up to the Dolby Vision format is supported, the Philips Ambilight 7900 series television didn’t benefit significantly from this. While there was a slight bump in brightness and somewhat improved colours with HDR content as compared to SDR content, it wasn’t quite as effective as I’ve seen on a lot of televisions, such as the Sony X75K which did a better job despite being only HDR10-capable.

Where the Philips Ambilight 7900 series TV does perform reasonably well is with upscaling lower-resolution content. HD and full-HD movies and TV shows looked decent on the Philips TV in terms of sharpness, and there were no significant issues with motion, colour, and contrast that weren’t already visible with Ultra-HD content.

Sound quality on the Philips 55PUT7906/94 isn’t exceptional, but it isn’t too bad either. Although the 20W output may sound a bit underwhelming, I found the TV to sound reasonably good in a smaller room, with the acoustics of the room making the television sound a bit louder than it actually was. In a larger room, this was usually fixed by turning up the volume a bit. Dolby Atmos didn’t really add much to the sound apart from give the impression of the soundstage being a bit wider. On the whole, the sound is decent enough to use on its own if necessary.

Verdict

The Philips Ambilight 7900 series LED TV is unique and unlike anything else you can buy right now for one big reason — the Ambilight system. As unnecessary as it may seem at first, the lights at the back work well to enhance the viewing experience in their own unique ways, making everything seem a bit more vibrant and exciting. However, that aside, the Philips television feels somewhat underwhelming for its asking price of Rs. 99,990, and the lights don’t really justify the premium.

In terms of performance, I found the Philips 55PUT7906/94 to be on par with televisions priced at around Rs. 60,000 or so, such as the company’s own 8100 series 55-inch TV. Issues with black levels and overall brightness didn’t help either, and some odd issues with the remote were also worth noting.

Consider the Philips Ambilight 7900 series television only if the Ambilight system really appeals to you; it works very well and definitely has a role to play in the enjoyability factor of this television. If that’s something you won’t mind skipping, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is definitely worth considering instead, at this price.

Update: Although the Philips 55PUT7906/94 was priced at Rs. 99,990 at the time of publishing our review, the company has just informed us that it is currently available at a temporary lower price of Rs. 64,990. At this lower price, it is a much better value proposition than before. The 65-inch variant is currently available at Rs. 94,990, while the 70-inch option is currently discounted to Rs. 1,09,990.

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Saints Row Review: How Not to Make Open World Games

By

hitesh

-

September 1, 2022

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Saints Row Review: How Not to Make Open World Games

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Saints Row — a reboot of the beloved franchise created by Deep Silver Volition — seemingly had regained the trust of its fans after an initial reveal had them deeply worried. The developer was able to create some buzz through succeeding trailers, which made fans excited for its release. Now, having spent over a week with the game — Saints Row released August 23 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X — I am afraid to say that the initial fears of the fandom have come true. This new take on the descent into a life of crime for the Saints is devoid of all the quirky traits that made it truly stand out and set itself apart from Rockstar’s GTA games back in the day.

The Saints return in a new setting, the city of Santo Ileso. But it would have been better if they had stayed home and thought this outing through. It might have prevented them from falling flat on their faces. Saints Row puts you into the shoes of the Boss. Having been fired from a private military gig and your housemates abandoned by their gangs, you and your crew set out to establish your own criminal empire as the Saints.

Saints Row offers multiple customisation options for the Boss, vehicles, and weapons. I spent a few hours creating a library of custom designs for my character. Vehicle and weapon customisation is also highly detailed. You can spend a fair amount of your time in the customisation menus, which is probably the most fulfilling aspect of the game.

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Saints Row review: campaign and crew

Saints Row kicks off on an intriguing note with the Boss being betrayed and the Saints HQ destroyed. However, we then jump back into the past to experience the events that lead to that moment. This premise could have been captivating had the motivations of your character and your crew not been so shallow. The game also fails to deliver a sense of progression as you expand the notoriety of the Saints. For example, you can set up your Criminal Ventures anywhere in the city, as soon as you get the ability to build them. There is no competition for grounds with rival gangs, which I felt was a missed opportunity.

Sticking just to the main missions, you will be able to complete the Saints Row campaign in about 15 hours. You can also set up several Criminal Ventures throughout Santa Ileso, including the fan favourite Insurance Fraud from the previous games. The remaining, however, either involve clearing a wave of enemies or stealing a vehicle. In fact, most story missions also fall into these two categories, which makes the whole game feel like a grind once you are 4–5 hours into your playthrough.

Accompanying you on this journey is a new crew consisting of Neenah, Eli, and Kevin. Each of these characters possesses a unique trait — Neenah is your getaway driver/ mechanic, Eli serves as the brains of the operation, and Kevin is the party-throwing DJ/ chef that has several connections in Santa Eliso. The Saints Row developer tries to invoke this deep bond of friendship between us and these characters, but never delves deep into our history with them.

Saints Row doesn’t truly explore the characters themselves either. After an introductory mission, they are mostly there to send you to your next mission, or assist you in combat should you choose to call. I never really felt attached to my crew and the game never tried to make me care.

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Saints Row review: graphics and gameplay

Saints Row is not a visually-appealing game. It goes for the on-brand cartoony take on the characters, but the world surrounding them is dull. There are several lighting issues with the game. The draw distance is not that great either, with things popping in and out of your field of view at times. It looks like a game that belongs to a previous console generation.

Disappointingly, it is not just the graphics that feel dated — the gameplay is also stuck in the past. Saints Row just wants you to stand in the open and exchange fire with an AI that is brain dead even on higher difficulties. There are a few varieties of enemies ranging from grunts to armoured mini-bosses, but most can be easily dispatched without any challenge. Furthermore, shooting guns is just not gratifying in Saints Row — even with upgrades, they feel inaccurate and do hardly any damage.

You also get several special moves and an execution metre that fills up during combat. These executions help you regain health, but get old after a few hours and break the flow of combat. In addition, the animation can be glitchy at times that just makes these executions look awkward. This uninspired combat is definitely the biggest hindrance to enjoying Saints Row. I would have gotten behind grinding missions to expand my criminal empire, but the combat is boring, to say the least.

Saints Row is not a polished game either. I have experienced game crashes, artefacts popping up on the screen, allies magically appearing in vehicles — the list goes on. I even had my saved files corrupted after having spent a few hours in the game. There is also a bug that stops your controls from working during missions, which was especially infuriating as it made me lose mission progress several times.

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The most fun I had with Saints Row was in its vehicle combat. Side-swiping cop or gang cars and watching them explode never got old for me. The easy drifting also made me pick cars over a wingsuit or helicopter most of the time. That said, most vehicles handle very similarly to each other and all can drift very easily. So, I never felt interested in building a car collection, as any vehicle can do the job.

Saints Row review: final verdict

Despite calling itself a reboot, Saints Row has not moved on from its predecessors. The game plays like a PS3-era title in every sense of the word. It is not a polished product either — corrupted saves, crashes, visual glitches, and bugs make the experience enraging at times.

The Saints Row campaign starts on an interesting note, but then fails to grasp you with absolutely no tension and stakes. Adding to the misery is an ensemble of drab characters that fail to invoke any real emotion from the player.

There are a few upsides to Saints Row though. You can spend hours in the customisation menu decking out your character, vehicles, and weapons. The ability to store multiple character designs of your Boss and switch them on the fly is a nice touch that most players will appreciate.

Drifting around the desert landscape and city streets of Santo Ileso is mostly fun. The wingsuit also adds an exciting element to traversal on Saints Row. However, most vehicles handle pretty much the same and the vehicle sounds are barely audible.

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The biggest failure of Saints Row is the combat in my opinion. Guns just do not feel accurate and are not enjoyable to shoot. In addition, hand-to-hand combat is just present as an afterthought. The newly-added executions look exciting in the beginning, but become annoying, and constantly break the flow of combat.

I was really hoping to enjoy the life of crime in Saints Row and the few moments where everything clicked were exhilarating. But, overall, it is not an enjoyable experience — not even if you decide to get it on sale. I would recommend that you sit this one out, and save both your time and money.

Pros:

Deep customisation options
Drifting cars never gets old
Quick loading times

Cons:

Uninspired mission design
Drab supporting character
Shooting weapons not enjoyable
Executions break combat’s flow
Game-breaking bugs, visual glitches
Graphics appear outdated

Rating (out of 10): 4

We played Saints Row on a PC with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7GHz, AMD RX570 8GB, and 16GB RAM.

Saints Row can be purchased on PC through the Epic Games Store for Rs. 1,859. It is available on the PlayStation Store for Rs. 3,999 for the PS4 and PS5. Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X users can buy the game for Rs. 3,999 from the Xbox store.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Flippin’ Good

By

hitesh

-

September 1, 2022

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Flippin’ Good

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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 was somewhat of a novelty even though it was a big improvement over the original Z Flip. Samsung managed to make it water resistant, added a bigger cover display, and squeezed in top-tier performance. However, it was far from a usable smartphone, mainly because its battery life was quite weak and that cover display was only good enough for viewing notifications and nothing more.

With the new Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung has not significantly overhauled the design. Most of the changes are internal – the battery’s capacity has increased and so has the charging speed. The design of the hinge has changed, though. After using this phone for a week, I can conclude that it not only looks good but is also practical enough to use every day. Here’s why.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 price in India

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has seen a slight rise in price from the previous model’s Rs. 84,999 starting price to Rs. 89,999 for the base 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. The 256GB storage variant climbs even higher at Rs. 94,999 (from the previous Rs. 88,999). The Bespoke Edition comes in at a little under Rs. 1 lakh, at Rs. 97,999. The phone is available in three finishes – Bora Purple, Graphite, and Pink Gold. I received the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant in Bora Purple.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 design

Samsung has made minor refinements to the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s design. The differences are quite minor, and it takes a trained eye to spot most of them. The metal frame of the smartphone is now less rounded with flatter sides and more defined edges. The frame is now polished instead of matte, which makes this phone less slippery than the Z Flip 3. The glass panels now have a soft matte finish which does a good job of resisting fingerprints.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s hinge design has been improved, compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 3

While the Galaxy Z Flip 4 seems just as thick as its predecessor when folded or open, the metal frame of the rear panels around the hinge has grown noticeably thinner, giving it a more refined appearance. The size of the cover display remains the same as before and so does the glass covering it. The cameras appear a bit raised from the surface, which does not let the phone rest flat on a table.

The hinge seems to have been improved in the sense that it reportedly takes up less space inside the smartphone, which let Samsung’s engineers squeeze in a bigger battery. The hinge also seems a bit more rigid, which is a good thing when it comes to gaming as the old Flip 3 often folded inwards when a little pressure was applied towards the centre of the main display. This also means that it’s a little more difficult to open this phone with one hand. It’s no longer possible at all to flip the top half up with just a thumb, but even previous models were never really meant to do that.

The internal display’s bezels remain the same as before but the groove around the hinge area definitely felt less shallow than on the Z Flip 3.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s (Bora Purple) metal frame has gotten thinner on all sides compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 (Gold)

As much as Samsung has tastefully refined the design of the Galaxy Z Flip 4, the phone is still vulnerable to dust (the IPX8 rating indicates only water resistance), which is still a problem for both foldable models this year. The inner display is still quite delicate and needs the pre-applied screen protector to help prevent damage from nails and sharp objects.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 specifications and software

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 along with Galaxy Z Fold 4, unlike the S22 series launched earlier this year, get the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC which offers slightly better performance along with improved efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. There’s no S Pen stylus support like on the Z Fold 4, and no support for Samsung Dex either. The battery has now grown bigger from the previous 3,300mAh to a much better 3,700mAh and it also charges faster at 25W instead of the previous 18W.

The phone runs Samsung’s One UI version 4.1.1 which is based on Android 12. There aren’t any big changes here compared to what is already available on Samsung’s other premium smartphones. The optimisations that arrived with the Flip 3 are still available, including the ability to open up to five apps in floating windows. However, this seems pointless given the tall aspect ratio of the display that really only lets you work with one floating window (and one app running in the background) at a time. The taller screen aspect ratio works better with the split-screen implementation if you need to multitask. Samsung has introduced Flex mode, which basically lets an app (native or third-party) place its content on the top half of the display while the bottom half can be used as a touchpad or to show controls, among other things. This wasn’t always useful on the Flip 4, since you’re left with a smaller, squarish screen area.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s inner display remains the same as before but is brighter outdoors

While the cover display’s size remains the same, Samsung has added the ability to dictate responses to messages by tapping on the mic button that shows up before the template responses. However, this only works with messaging apps such as Slack, Messenger, WhatsApp, etc. but not for emails. In other ways, the cover screen is still quite limited, and very different from Motorola’s cover screen implementation on the Razr 5G. I did try a third-party app called CoverScreen OS that’s available on the Play Store, which let me run apps and games on the cover screen, and even includes an app drawer. However, the 1.9-inch display size still feels quite restrictive in regular use, dampening the experience. Hopefully, the next Z Flip model will have a bigger and more workable external display, and software that doesn’t force you to open the Flip to complete tasks on the main display.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 performance

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s 6.7-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X primary display seems to be similar to the one used on the Z Flip 3. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is the same as before, but showcased much better touch sensitivity when playing FPS games such as Call of Duty: Mobile. This display worked perfectly well indoors and also appeared legible outdoors in bright sunlight although it is highly reflective, which might interfere with what you’re doing. The display also supports HDR10+ which worked as expected while viewing supported content on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Benchmarks did not disappoint. The phone managed scores of 1,286 and 4,076 in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests respectively, along with 9,21,680 in AnTuTu. The software experience was quite smooth and surprisingly fluid. The phone did not warm up much when playing games (at high settings) or while watching movies. It did get warm while recording videos outdoors, but not as much as the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Note 22 Ultra which run quite hot when using the camera app or when under load. Most of this can be attributed to the new processor which is supposed to run cooler and more efficiently.

The outer cover display’s size remains the same as on the Galaxy Z Flip 3

Battery life was quite impressive for the fashion-forward smartphone that Samsung markets the Z Flip 4 as. The bigger battery and more power-efficient SoC meant that I didn’t need to switch the battery performance profile to Light mode with regular use. This phone often lasted me a whole day including about an hour of gaming. With regular non-gaming use, the phone lasted me a little over a day, which makes it far more usable than the Flip 3, which barely lasted a day even with light usage. Using the Light performance profile definitely increases the battery life by a few hours and this does not hamper performance by much which is a good thing. Charging the phone fully using a third-party 61W USB PD charger took about 1 hour and 55 minutes, which is relatively slow compared to Samsung’s flagships but still quick enough for most people.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Cameras

Another aspect of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 that hasn’t changed much is its cameras. Samsung appears to have retained the same camera setup as before, with two 12-megapixel sensors for the primary and ultra-wide-angle cameras on the back and a 10-megapixel camera embedded into the inner display for selfies. There is one minor change though, and it’s to do with the primary camera – it now seems to have a bigger sensor with a larger pixel size (1.8µm pixels vs the 1.2µm pixels on the Z Flip 3). Samsung has also retained its OIS.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a camera layout which appears similar to what’s available on the Z Flip 3

The primary camera delivered good detail in daylight. Colours were punchy and the dynamic range was quite good provided there was enough light. The ultra-wide-angle camera shot decent photos with noticeable barrel distortion and purple fringing in brighter areas, along with less detail around the edges. Thankfully, the colour tones matched those from the primary camera, so Samsung has worked on its consistency. Close-ups of humans as well as objects came out with good detail, edge detection and blur. Selfies also came out well in all types of lighting conditions, but I preferred using the primary camera for selfies as they packed in more detail and appeared sharper. The camera also captured some crisp macro photos but from a distance.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 daylight camera samples: Primary camera, ultra-wide-angle camera, close-up

When shooting in low light with either of the three cameras, the camera app automatically activated Night mode, and this worked out really well. The primary camera shot crisp photos in street-lit scenes and showcased good detail with good dynamic range in dim lighting as well. The ultra-wide-angle camera managed good quality in street-lit scenes but could not capture much detail in dim light.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 low-light camera samples. Top: Portrait selfie using primary camera, Night mode

Video quality was quite good across the board with good detail and stabilisation at all shooting resolutions. I also tried HDR10+ capture (which is an option in the Labs section) and it came out well save for some stabilisation issues. Low-light video was surprisingly low on noise, with good stabilisation when shooting at 1080p or 4K at auto fps, but 4K 60fps footage appeared noisy and lacked stabilisation.

Verdict

While its camera performance is quite impressive, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 does not offer much flexibility in terms of cameras compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or even the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ (Review). Samsung’s current flagship non-foldable phones do offer better performance across the board at lower prices, but it’s good to see how Samsung has managed to narrow the camera and general performance gaps between the two series this year.

With no competition in sight (Motorola has only launched its new Razr 2022 in China), Samsung has indeed taken it easy with its foldables this year. It has put in just enough effort to change or improve the parts of the previous Flip model that fell short. Everything else pretty much remains the same.

This is not a bad thing, as the Galaxy Z Flip 3 (Review) was a drastically improved version of the original Galaxy Z Flip and was almost there in terms of being a practical everyday smartphone. With most of its issues now fixed, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 sure is a unique foldable offering, not just for fashion-forward buyers but also for the general user who is looking for something unique in the world of Android smartphones.

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The Last of Us Part 1 PS5 Review: Absolutely Gorgeous, but Overpriced

By

hitesh

-

August 31, 2022

0

The Last of Us Part 1 PS5 Review: Absolutely Gorgeous, but Overpriced

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The Last of Us Part I — out Friday on PlayStation 5 — is a retroactive change of name, akin to what George Lucas did back in the day with his first Star Wars movie. What is now known as Episode IV – A New Hope was released simply as Star Wars in 1977. And just as Lucas did with Episode IV, and its sequels and prequels — repeatedly toying with them over the years, before he sold his Lucasfilm empire to Disney — Naughty Dog is tinkering with The Last of Us, first released on the PS3 in 2013. This isn’t even the first time, as the award-winning post-apocalyptic survival horror title got a PS4 remaster in 2014. But The Last of Us Part 1 is a much more extensive undertaking, with Naughty Dog terming it a “rebuilding” from the ground-up. It’s Lucas on steroids, essentially.

And boy, does it look good. The Last of Us Part I now looks, feels, and moves like its 2020 sequel, Part II. (The latter doesn’t have a native PS5 version as yet — it was the last Sony exclusive on the PS4, before the launch of the PS5 — but it plays much better on the next-gen console thanks to mini-updates.) With Part 1 on the PS5, there’s more detail in faces, textures, and everything else around you. And like Part II, The Last of Us Part I now makes use of the DualSense, adding to the scare and eeriness of its zombie-infested world.

If you’re coming off Part 2 though, Part 1 won’t wow you, more so if you played the former on a PS5. But there is a night and day difference here, something you can only realise when put the original and the remake side by side. As I did. Loading up The Last of Us Remastered on a PS4 Pro — I didn’t have a PS3 and The Last of Us disc to truly send myself back to 2013 — I discovered that the environments, their lighting, and the shadows seem rudimentary in comparison. And that’s saying something, considering the PS4 Pro Remastered variant claimed to offer “high-quality shadows” at 4K resolution. I can’t even imagine how much worse The Last of Us must look on the PS3.

The Last of Us Part 1 on the PS5 makes it seem like the PS3 era was 20 years ago. It’s crazy how far video games have come in the last nine years. (To be fair, the PS3 was on its last legs when The Last of Us released in 2013.)

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