LG’s Gram series of laptops was always known for its insane lightweight laptops. Not only did they defy their perception of weight, but they were also excellent productive machines. Continuing their legacy, LG has improved their Gram series for 2022. This laptop tends to defy physics at 1.4kgs for the LG Gram 17-inch. We test the LG Gram 17, and an additional Type-C powered 16-inch WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS View Display.
Productivity perfected
LG Gram 17 weighs a mere 1.4 kgs and comes with a relatively small 65W Type-C charger. The minimal bezels and bright IPS panel dominate the display area with WQXGA (2560×1600) resolution. Sharp enough for a display this size. Complementing the Gram 17 is a WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS panel called View Display. In an era of a multi-monitor setup, the Gram with View Display makes for an attractive matte-finish mobile workstation. The styling is subtle, with a gram logo on the lid and LG branding below the massive display. The gram logo on the LHS below the keyboard and subtle Intel Evo logo keep things minimalistic yet classy.
LG Gram 17
Above the display sits a 720P camera alongside an IR camera. LG has done some software trickery with the Glance feature. More on that later. The keyboard is a full-fledged backlit chiclet keyboard with three levels, off, low and high. Ports include an HDMI 2.0 port, two Thunderbolt 4 (type-C) ports, and a headphone jack on the left. There’s a Micro-SD card reader, two USB Type-A 3.2 ports and a Kensington lock on the right. A pair of stereo speakers are placed facing the bottom and could easily get blocked on soft surfaces but sound decent for the laptop size.
Lightweight chassis with heavyweight performance
Powered by the latest 12th generation Intel Evo i5-1240P octa-core processor with 16 threads, a blazing fast 5200Mhz 8GB DDR5 RAM, quality 1TB SSD, Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 powered by an 80Wh battery, the LG Gram 17 is a beast wearing a well-fit suit. Everyday productivity is handled like a breeze. Iris(R) Xe graphics unit does a decent job when required. The hardware is more than capable of running Windows 11 Home edition efficiently and comes bundled with Office applications for easy productivity.
The key press is satisfying on the laptop, and a sizeable gesture-supported touchpad makes the right moves. The View Display is 16-inches and super styled with a brush metal finish; it supports the exact same resolution as the laptop and has seamless connectivity through its thunderbolt 4 ports. The Gram 17 and View Display is configured in a 16:10 ratio, making them apt productivity combinations. The laptop has some additional features and applications to make it ready to use immediately.
LG Gram 17
The most exciting feature is Glance, a privacy tool that uses LG Merametrix hardware and software to blur the display when someone else is peeping at your display or when you are not looking at your laptop. It’s an interesting take on privacy and security. There are other features in Glance, including Smart Pointer that tracks your eyes to bring the pointer where you’re looking, Snap Window that moves your privacy to the display you are staring at, smart player to pause media when you’re not paying attention and many other smart features. Considering this series is usually preferred as productivity machines, this is an excellent tool for professional and personal use. The View Display gets an Alcantara finish case that doubles as a stand.
Verdict
LG’s latest Gram series brings better hardware, software and design in a similar yet fantastic lightweight package with updated ports. Couple that with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a slim, stylish View Display with sturdy built, and this combination is a perfect multi-monitor mobile setup.
OnePlus is releasing its new flagship, the OnePlus 10T. OnePlus was once known as the value brand, but their phone costs were soaring thanks to recent partnerships. This time, they’ve dropped the price on the OnePlus 10T and seem nostalgic. Here is our first impression of this new flagship offering from OnePlus.
Design
The OnePlus 10T follows the same burdenless, unified, and stylish design language as the OnePlus 10 Pro, complete with a unibody rear glass cover made with industry-leading technology. The OnePlus 10T is available in Moonstone Black and Jade Green colourways. The smooth glass delivers a ceramic-like finish that looks and feels premium. The significant difference in design between the 10Pro and 10T is the exclusion of an alert slider in the latter. The display has no curvature and is flat like the OnePlus phones of the past.
Display
The OnePlus 10T has a 6.7-inch FHD+ HDR 10+ AMOLED display, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 950 nits. The OnePlus 10T’s display has an adaptive refresh rate, meaning it can adjust between 120 Hz, 90 Hz, and 60 Hz depending on the content consumed to save battery life. Both 10Pro and 10T’s display has native support for 10-bit colour depth, delivering richer and more realistic colours with better detail reproduction. But, the 10T display is not curved on its side and presents a flat design, a more acceptable approach. It also misses out on the 1440p LTPO display without compromising on the display quality.
OnePlus 10T
Battery
OnePlus touts the complementary high-wattage accessory and 4,800mAh 10T battery capable of superior stability, reliability and thermal control, thanks to new OPPO charging technology.SuperVOOC charger allows 150W charging from the 160W charger inside the box. Unlike the Pro series, this one misses out on wireless charging, but the ultra-fast charger does compensate. 0-100% charge in less than 20 minutes!
Processor
To recall, the OnePlus 10 Pro featured the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and was already a potent but costly device. The new processor – Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 – powering the OnePlus 10T 5G provides 10 per cent better CPU performance and 30 per cent improved power efficiency over its predecessor. And gamers will be pleased to know that there’s a 10 per cent increase in GPU clock speeds and a 30 per cent reduction in GPU power consumption.
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset is paired with up to 256GB of internal storage and up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM. The two-lane UFS 3.1 storage brings significantly faster write speeds into the picture, leading to a drop in power consumption levels. The 10T processor is a definite upgrade over the 10Pro.
Additional features
OnePlus 10T comes with the in-built Zen Mode app created by the One-Plus community to help users break away from their device and concentrate on other tasks without the constant distraction of the subsequent notification, ping or ring. It acts like a meditation app, and you can set a timer for how long you want the Zen Mode to go on, and you are complimented with meditation songs.
Camera
Talking about the camera, the OnePlus 10T has a 50MP primary camera, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro sensor, with a 16MP camera in the front. 10Pro has a Hasselblad colour science 48MP primary camera with a 32 MP front camera, so 10Pro goes heavy in camera. We captured the images from both these phones, and the 10T performs like most upper mid-range phones with its primary Sony IMX766 sensor, the same found in Nothing Phone (1). The colours are decent but lack the Hasselblad post-processing, a boon in some lighting conditions.
OnePlus 10T
The phone is equipped with OnePlus’s largest and most advanced cooling system. HyperBoost Gaming Engine will aid gamers in getting the best gaming experience on current OnePlus devices. Priced sanely starting at 50k INR with top-tier SOC, super-fast charging, decent cameras, and an attractive design, the OnePlus 10T seems like a thoughtful approach from OnePlus to gain back its lost audience.
Xiaomi has enjoyed a significant market share in both the smartphone and smart television markets. Adhering to their penetrative marketing strategy, they popularised the smart television market with their absolute value for money approach. In 2022, Xiaomi is an established brand in Indian markets and time for them to improve its offerings in all the market segments. When it comes to televisions, OLEDs always have the top-tier approach. We test Xiaomi’s first-ever OLED Vision TV. At INR 85,000/- for the 55-inch 4K OLED Vision TV, it is also a newer approach in a budget premium viewing category competing against the top dogs of the television market.
OLED beauty
The OLED Vision is only 4.6mm at its thinnest panel size, which dominates the front panel area. It makes the television seem much more premium than its asking price but the bulk with LHS ports is neatly hidden behind the main panel. Its matte finish black on the circumference with a subtle Xiaomi branding upfront and an LED light with a power button below it keep the design clean. There are three HDMI 2.1 ports with ARC, two USB Type-A ports mashed into one socket, an ethernet port, an AV composite port, an optical port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Basics and new-gen console done right! The display is OLED, looks amazing with good picture software support. The remote supports Google Assistant speech to command button right below the power button.
The remote buttons have been updated, and now this television gets 14 controls with a volume rocker. These also include popular OTT applications Netflix, amazon prime video, Disney+ Hotstar and a dedicated apps button to access all the apps quickly.
OLED + Picture Software Goodness
The 55-inch display is the first 4K OLED technology used in a Xiaomi smart TV. A new vivid picture engine 2 powered by a new age A73 quad-core processor, 3GB RAM, and 32GB ROM, make the display brighter and more vibrant. The internal memory too is ample for occasional downloads and extra apps. The overall feel, bezel-less design, and OLED picture quality with a vibrant engine allowing IMAX enhanced HDR content make the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV a worthy competitor in a nascent OLED TV market. The TV comes loaded with Android TV 11 based on Android 11 and thus supports all modern apps available on Google Play Store for Android TV.
The video experience is enhanced with picture modes – HDR standard, vivid, Movie and IMAX. But the main highlight is the vivid picture engine 2 that makes the contrasts, brightness and colours look spot on with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) and 98.5% DCI-P3 colour gamut. The most significant thing apart from the stellar display with good viewing angles comes from 30W dual-speakers with Dolby Atmos and DTS-X software enhancements.
The audio quality of the television is further improved with options like DTS-X bass enhancement, surround virtualizer and dialogue clarity. If that wasn’t enough, there is a DAC-4 dialogue enhancer with three levels of settings. Technicals aside, the television sounds above average in its segment and is enough to fill a small room easily. This is a really good visual and audio experience from Xiaomi.
A budget option in a crowded market
The 55-inch 4K OLED TV market is buzzing with good options from all brands. Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is an excellent addition to Xiaomi’s TV line-up aiming to get some of top-tier premium smart TV market share. Android 11, running on good processing hardware and ample internal storage for a smart TV over and above the brilliant audio-video experience make the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV a compelling option in the OLED television space. HDMI 2.1 support also enables newer consoles to display the best of AV experience for gaming albeit at 60Hz. Nonetheless, this Xiaomi television is a worthwhile indulgence if you are looking at a budget 55-inch 4K OLED experience.
Good – OLED with IMAX, HDR10+, Dolby Vision IQ, Android TV 11
Bad – Does not support all video file formats natively
Ugly – Looks average
Specs
55-inch OLED Panel + IMAX enhanced + Doly Vision IQ
Time machines exist! They’re popularly known as telescopes. NASA’s new space telescope can see through time, and we just got our first images from billions of years ago. These are the very first images captured by the James Webb space telescope, the deepest we’ve seen into the universe with alien planets, far-off galaxies, and the birth and death of distant stars, but this is just the start. We are going to break down everything you need to know about the James Webb space telescope. From those first images to how it uses infrared light to see the past and what it could teach us about the universe? On the 12th of July NASA released the first five images from the James Webb space telescope showing us the most profound and most detailed look into our universe ever. The first big reveal was Webb’s first deep field, an image of thousands of galaxies 4.6 billion light years away. This is the furthest into our universe we’ve ever seen, and all that detail is in an area of sky as big as a grain of sand. Next up, we saw science data spectroscopy from an exoplanet captured when it passed in front of a distant star. This data shows us evidence of water on an alien planet a thousand light years away. Our third image was the stunning southern ring nebula. A dying star 2500 light years away captured by two instruments on the telescope NIRcam and MIRI (Mid-infrared instrument). It shows shells of gas and dust ejected from a dying star. Next was a group of five galaxies called Stephan’s Quintet. This is Webb’s largest image yet, with more than 150 million pixels showing us what NASA calls a cosmic dance of galaxies, stars being born and even outflows from a black hole. And finally, the most phenomenal image of them all, the cosmic cliffs of the Carina nebula. This stunning vista reveals new details about this vast stellar nursery for the first time.
We’re seeing brand-new stars that were previously completely hidden from our view. In this view, we see some great examples, of the hundreds of new stars that we’ve never seen before. We see examples of bubbles and cavities and jets that are being blown out by these newborn stars. We even see some galaxies sort of lurking in the background. Up here, we see examples of structures that, honestly, we don’t even know what they are! What’s going on here? The data is just so rich! These spectacular images really represent the dawn of a new scientific era, one powered by the world’s most powerful telescope.
What is the James Webb space telescope?
Well, it’s essentially a giant observatory orbiting the sun a million miles away from earth that examines space through infrared light after decades of development by NASA’s Goddard space flight centre, the Canadian space agency and the European space agency. It was launched from French Guiana on Christmas day in 2021. It’s on a decades-long mission to look at our whole universe. This telescope was initially designed to look back in time and see the very first galaxies that were born after the big bang. We’re talking about looking back in time over thirteen and half billion years into the past. It will study how galaxies change throughout cosmic history. We’ll learn more about how stars and planets are born. We’ll learn about exoplanets, planets orbiting other stars, and then we’ll also learn about objects within our own solar system. This fantastic new telescope is really going to be able to study our universe from our sort of own cosmic backyard of the solar system all the way out to the most distant objects in the universe and everything in between space and time.
The telescope orbits the earth around the sun in a fixed position on the dark side of our planet; staying away from the sun which is very important for its mission. Its sensitive instruments are on the hunt for infrared light, which is essentially heat energy; that’s the reason behind that massive diamond-shaped sun shield the size of a tennis court. The telescope collects infrared light from space using its giant honeycomb-shaped mirror, which is covered in actual gold! Why infrared light? Well, infrared is the key to seeing distant parts of our universe, and that’s because of the way those light waves travel through space. The fact that the universe is expanding all the time and accelerating, thereby as light travels through space, that expansion of the universe literally stretches the light waves. Light waves that are longer in length stretched out show different waves and so are the most distant galaxies, the ones we’ve never seen at all. They’re so far away, their light has been stretched so much that it no longer appears in the optical at all. It’s all in the infrared. Hence, to see into deep space we need to observe those infrared light waves. The light waves that James Webb can see have travelled a long way from 13.6 billion light years away, to be exact in deep, deep space.
This is where it starts to get very cool because the universe is so large by the time this light reaches us from that distance, it’s taken billions of years to get here. When we see the light from that far away, we actually see 13.6 billion years into the past. As astronomers often say, telescopes are time machines, and that’s actually true. We’re able to see into the past with telescopes, and the reason for that sounds very dramatic and sci-fi, but it’s actually based on the straightforward fact that light takes time to travel through space in the same sense light from the sun takes about eight minutes to get to the earth. So you’re seeing the sun as it was about eight minutes ago, and it’s because of this simple nature of the way light works that we’re able to look back in time and see how the universe was in the distant past. And by that, we can sort of put together a story of how the universe has changed over the last 14 billion years of cosmic history.
How far can we look back into our past?
How does this telescope time machine actually capture this ancient light? Well, the primary way is with the near-infrared camera or NIRcam built by Lockheed Martin Space in silicon valley. It’s like any other camera, except it’s way more complex and it sees invisible light. The whole optics to collect that light is quite a bit of departure from a little lens that we would have on a regular camera. It’s more based on lenses that let the light through and then modify the light in a particular way. Navcam has several different filters. So it doesn’t look at just infrared or just one wavelength; it is a range. We have a number of filters that allow you to look at the different regions of this spectrum to extract even more information than just a simple image. One of the big benefits of measuring infrared light is that NIRcam can see through clouds of dust and space things that would normally block visible light from reaching us. This helps scientists find whole galaxies that might otherwise be hidden.
We saw that with James Webb’s predecessor, the Hubble space telescope, and now we’ll be able to see even more. NIRcam can also do what’s known as Coronography. Essentially blocking light from bright stars to get a better view of the planets orbiting them, and it can measure the way the light from stars passes through the atmospheres of alien planets. All of this could potentially help us find habitable planets. Coronography is all about what’s the composition of these planets, and what’s in their atmosphere. Potentially can we find carbon or water traces and so on, which don’t prove that there’s light, but these are the building blocks for life. There are three other instruments alongside NIRcam on the telescope – MIRI captures longer wavelengths of infrared light. Then there’s NIRspec (Near-infrared spectrograph) which has tiny mechanical shutters that open and close to collect data on things like the temperature composition and mass of distant objects. Finally, there’s NIRISS (Near-infrared imager and slitless spectrograph) and the FGS (Fine guidance sensor). NIRISS observes planets around bright stars by diffusing the light of the stars over a lot of pixels while the fine guidance sensor keeps Webb perfectly steady in space.
Game changer?
The big question is, why is the James Webb space telescope such a game changer? Well, unlike Hubble JWST can see further and dig deeper into the origins of space. Its light-collecting mirror is six and a half meters wide compared to Hubble’s two and a half meters. All that light collecting power means it can look further back in time seeing fainter and more distant objects capturing more data, and taking us closer to the very origins of our universe. As for what’s next, well, the first batch of images took just five days to capture, and NASA says the telescope could have enough fuel to last for 20 years.
So, this is just the beginning. We can expect more discoveries, more unknown galaxies and more beautiful images, letting us peek deeper into the universe and learn more about the very dawn of time. This first look data that we’re getting shows us the power of this incredible instrument in terms of really our next big step in our search for life in the universe. We think the most exciting thing about this incredible new telescope is the idea that there are surprises in the universe. To say that this is a pivotal moment in the history of science is an absolute understatement. We are about to look into the past further than we’ve ever seen before and that thrill itself makes up for this $10 billion gold-clad space telescope.
Instagram is an addictive yet entertaining app. TikTok and other apps popularised the vertical short-form video format. Instagram soon followed as an update to keep up with the consumer demands of our generation. Instagram calls this feature Reels. Reels are arguably one of Instagram’s most consumed forms of video content. Long-term Instagram users may know that Instagram was a picture-sharing platform, but as nerds call it, each video is either 24/30/60 frames of pictures per second.
Instagram influences music trends
Instagram reels are all about trending music and music suitable for content uploading. Adhering to the needs of Instagram users, reels have a built-in music selection for your video content on Instagram. TikTok is no longer available in India, so many content creators have switched to what is available, Instagram. A new trend is emerging involving music consumed by the masses in the form of short video content on Instagram.
Maximum reach is achieved when one selects music on the Instagram app for reels. Reels allow user content audio to play alongwith trending music for the reels, followed by many people hopping on the latest trending music to make their content. A new trend witnessed due to this approach is how the selection of music on trending reels influences consumption of that particular song or music on other streaming and download platforms.
Anatomy of music trends
The song that trends on Instagram as a story or reels directly impacts the song’s consumption in other apps like Spotify, Gaana, Saawan, YT Music, etc. This is a recent phenomenon and is genuinely impacting the music industry. What was once possible for products and services as a form of entertainment through influencer marketing now applies to the music industry. For example, Duke & Jones, Louis Theroux – Jiggle Jiggle song was released on 13th May 2022 and was introduced by the duo as a form of music on TikTok on 14th May 2022. Thanks to the platform, this music saw 2.6 million views on just one platform by 17th May 2022. As the world trend followed, it was soon popularised on Instagram, and millions of views are pouring in as you read this article. A direct influence has this song trending on top charts across music streaming platforms. We believe that as the short form of video consumption popularises new and old music, it will shape and transform the music industry.
Smartphones have replaced a lot of things in our arsenal, and almost everyone who desired a full-fledged camera can still do a lot with your pokemon in your pocket. We are going to explain the tiny hole or holes behind your phone and how smartphone cameras work? Cameras require a few things to capture time in visual memories. The smartphone camera sensor is the most important part, followed by the lens or lenses.
Computational photography
It’s like an autopilot functionality for your camera sensor controlled by an algorithm. You are selecting what to shoot, but the phone camera does not just click one picture. In fact, some phones like the Google Pixel series, Samsung flagships, and even the iPhone capture footage from all the sensors while clicking a single photo or video. It is post-processing that really matters more than the number of cameras. But today’s computational algorithms and processors are competent enough to use more cameras for more information and better end-user content.
Understand that each manufacturer designs this according to their test conditions. Thus a picture looks different on different phones. Do not be fooled by how the photo looks on your smartphone, especially editing images. It may look different to someone viewing the same picture on a SAMOLED vs IPS panel.
GCam for Android phones is Google Pixel’s open-source algorithm that can be enhanced for pixel-like image processing on most phones. Try it out by searching on the internet; it will also drastically improve image processing on your phone. It’s a mix of 50-50% hardware and software.
Does size matter?
Have you ever considered that a Redmi phone with 108MP still fails to compete against the same shot taken by a 12MP iPhone camera? Does the megapixel size even matter? Short answer – Nope, it is the algorithm that matters, and as we all have studied, the software runs better on better hardware, so the main SOC (system on chip) also matters. More processing power equals better image processing and finer details retained. If you enjoy colour grading or post-processing, most phones allow for RAW image capture, but most of us do not like such large image files on limited storage, do we?
Pixel binning
Pixel binning made things better. Pixel binning technology is when adjacent pixels are grouped or binned together to form one super-pixel with the information of neighbouring pixels, making it easier to process the image faster while also improving the low light performance of your smartphone. In 2022, almost every phone does pixel binning. Better phones just do it better.
OIS vs EIS
OIS is optical image stabilization, while EIS is electronic image stabilization. OIS shifts the lens to compensate for shaky hands or blurry focus, while EIS shifts through captured images digitally to reduce the blur. OIS is a hardware-level mechanism which involves physical moving parts on your lens, while EIS is a software algorithm. Most phones without OIS do EIS processing; some can do both simultaneously to improve camera performance.
What’s the suitable FPS?
There is no proper FPS to shoot, but a normal high-definition standard (normal-time) video is shot in 60FPS as of this era. FPS is frames per second of data captured by your sensor, and the more you have while shooting a video, the better image, video and audio data you have for post-processing. Do understand that FPS drastically impact the file size of any video recording. 4K and higher video recording strain your phone processor, and thus some phones get hot when shooting 4K videos for too long or limit 4K video recordings with a set time. Fun fact – Any camera over 8MP can theoretically shoot at 4K resolution.
What’s with the 2MP depth and 5M telephoto?
Yes, you guessed it right, most of these smaller cameras are a part of the overall picture algorithm and have been designed as a data collection task. Most of our main smartphone cameras are high resolution enough to do both normal and telephotos by cropping the main image digitally. In the same way, most ultra-wide sensors can also double up as excellent macro cameras. Thus, when the low-end hardware is not used as a primary camera, it acts as a secondary camera capturing essential data to improve the overall image quality. Most manufacturers will not tell you, and that’s fine with us as long as the final image or video looks good.
AI and ML
Artificial intelligence and machine learning have come a long way. Today, they are solely responsible for your smartphones’ incredible low-light images and beautiful cinematography. Not only do these algorithms act seamlessly in the background to make image processing an instant task but they also learn and improve with updates. The best AI and ML algorithms are researched by the smartphones makers and thus results vary as per different phones.
Explained – Smartphone cameras
Now that you know how most smartphone cameras work, welcome to the knowledgable side. Thanks to physical size restraints and minima moving parts, smartphone cameras have evolved using various software black magic fuckery to improve your photos and videos. And just like most technology, when the top dogs are rewarded, the reward trickles to lower price brackets with time. Who knows what future technology will bring to the table? All we hope are timeless memories become crisp, clear, dynamic and inordinate with time.
Smartphones have replaced a lot of things in our arsenal, and almost everyone who desired a full-fledged camera can still do a lot with your pokemon in your pocket. We are going to explain the tiny hole or holes behind your phone and how smartphone cameras work? Cameras require a few things to capture time in visual memories. The smartphone camera sensor is the most important part, followed by the lens or lenses. Who knows what future technology will bring to the table? All we hope are timeless memories become crisp, clear, dynamic and inordinate with time. Learn how smartphone cameras work and subscribe for easy learning.
Nothing in tech is interesting anymore; these are the words of Carl Pei, the visionary behind many successful companies, products and now his own company, Nothing. Before we understand the company, we need to know about the journey of Carl Pei and how everything in his life leads to Nothing. Carl Pei is a master entrepreneur. He was one of the core members when OnePlus came into being. OnePlus as we all know, is a technology brand with many portfolios and SKUs catering to customer technology. The man and his missions Carl Pei and marketing strategies
Awareness of a problem
Carl Pei was the man behind the first “flagship killer” campaign. His modus operandi has been a three-stage approach. First is awareness of a problem – Technology is not fun anymore. His presentations with the OnePlus One, his involvement with the OnePlus Nord series and now his own company, Nothing, presented a similar problem. According to him, technology in consumer products is stagnant and lacks innovation to make things interesting.
The Nord series was the approach to meeting the expectations of the youth. The awareness created for the Nord series was the lack of colours, good affordable products and making tech interesting for the youth. Has that problem been solved? Maybe the teal colour was the solution? Despite not completely eliminating the problem, the Nord series was an absolute success.
Nothing ear (1) followed the same approach of creating awareness of a problem. ANC at an affordable price but also an innovative solution in the form of design. Something similar is being approached with the Phone (1). Carl Pei had a seventeen-minute video teasing the problem of smartphones becoming mundane and boring. He also approached the problem that nothing new is happening in the smartphone space. Earlier phone launches were exciting, but not anymore.
Opportunity – Solution to the problem
In a world filled with consumer products that all look alike, the OnePlus One was considered revolutionary. His strategy involved creating a comprehensive new phone that would challenge the best of its time. The product had to be affordable enough to wide-spread that flagship experience among people who were sceptical about buying a flagship product or just did not find value in most flagships. The phone delivered when it arrived, and almost every person looking for a phone to buy was considering the OnePlus One despite the lack of stores, service networks and enough units to call it a success.
Nord series did something similar but catered to a younger audience. The teal colour for the Nord series was an iconic hit. It was not the complete solution as it was offered in an iconic colour that stood as the brand image colour for a long time. Carl Pei insisted on affordable 5G solutions, keeping costs less and offering more at a given price increased the Nord value. A subsidiary of the brand OnePlus, Carl Pei’s Nord, was able to provide a solution to loyal OnePlus customers while keeping the core OnePlus One strategy. OnePlus was acquired by the giant parent company of many other brands like Realme, Oppo, Vivo, etc., BBK electronics. Thus, Carl Pei focused on Nord as his visionary project of the time.
Carl Pei moved on from OnePlus for reasons unknown, but his vision and mission were alive with Nothing, a new company under his leadership. The first product launched was the Nothing ear (1), promising to promote ANC and features much above its competitor’s market price. A solution for people who want to enjoy music whilst gaining a reality check on his dream to create a new fan base for his upcoming products from Nothing.
A prime example of the same was when he announced Nothing Phone (1), a phone supposedly making smartphone space enjoyable again. He presented the problem that most smartphones are not exciting; they have become mundane yearly. His solution is their first phone from Nothing. A phone teased about being interesting in design with a transparent back loaded with innovative notification LEDs, 40% less bloatware than the competition and a near-stock Android experience with dot-matrix-inspired Nothing UI.
Hype marketing
Carl Pei is a man of value offerings. He does not believe in flagship offerings at a flagship price. His years of experience and approach have always been to hype the launch of something that could be innovative through various popular means of marketing. Hype marketing seems to create a buzz around the social media audience, and potential buyers are raising expectations. Carl Pei is a master of creating hype with selective marketing tools strategically used to reach maximum reach.
OnePlus One
In 2014, Carl Pei announced the launch of the OnePlus One with a strategy similar to his 2022 product, Nothing Phone (1). It involved showcasing products of 2014 with brand names up front on the bezels of the phone, hardware and software that was lacklustre from most brands available in the market. Like the Nothing series on YouTube, the OnePlus One launched with several videos that involved research about the problems of that era, the making process of the OnePlus One and how exactly the product solved the issues presented with a viral tagline – Flagship killer. The phone was a massive internet sensation when it launched.
Influencer marketing was successful enough post the hype. Most YouTube channels with millions of subscribers were the first to unbox this flagship killing product. Numerous videos compared it to the flagships of that era, showcasing the prowess of a visionary and his hype marketing that resulted in positive success for the brand overall. With interchangeable backs, one in sandstone, one in wood finish and another in white matte, this phone was considered different in design and hardware. The most disruptive feature was the amount of value it promised at a given price. It was launched with Cyanogen Mod, a custom operating system that was a first at its time. It provided the enthusiast with custom firmware to tinker, something most enthusiasts do to date. No one had done this before.
OnePlus Nord series
Later in 2019, Carl Pei was also heading the Nord series and its marketing. This time, the problem served was something for youth and you in general. Carl was seen in multiple videos across the Nord series’ making process. The team researched and provided a teal-coloured solution for all the OnePlus loyalists lost due to OnePlus penetrative marketing strategies. Penetrative marketing is when something launches at a disruptive price, sells in quantity, and, upon successful market reach, increases the cost slowly but steadily to gain market share.
Nothing is similar
Carl Pei is all hype about Nothing with a track record of successful marketing campaigns. He has successfully marketed his reach and selective information to create a non-stop social media hype about his upcoming product, the Nothing Phone (1). This strategy does seem to work in this time and era of online marketing. People all around the world have easy access to online media. Like his earlier strategies, Carl Pei has strategized the online marketing hype for his newest offering, launching on 12th July 2022, Nothing Phone (1).
Capturing the best of social media engagement, endorsing along with the best channels with millions reach and strategically hyping one segment after the other of an innovative product. For example, with the OnePlus One to Nothing Phone (1), Carl has always provided production-ready units to YouTube celebrities like MKBHD, etc. They never reveal their genuine opinions as a part of an embargo designed to release after the product launch event. A hype train ridden with hours of teaser content for an actual product that isn’t ready is a new world strategy by Carl Pei. Similar to the OnePlus One, the Nothing Phone (1) will only be available through invites shared by owners of the device. This is a traditional marketing technique of word-to-mouth or barter since most people will be exchanging those invites for some temporary gratification.
Nothing Phone (1)
The Nothing Phone (1) hardware was leaked online despite the hype train. It may be the device’s growing popularity or the intuitive and innovative back of the phone. Thousands of people highly await the Nothing Phone (1). The strategy is tried and tested. The founder shared awareness of a problem that phones are boring while someone or their Phone (1) intends to change that scenario. As mentioned, Carl Pei, the founder of Nothing, is a man who loves to provide value to his end consumers.
Thanks to this era of technology booming amid a chip shortage and a global pandemic, providing something similar to the OnePlus One was impossible with the Nothing Phone (1). Carl and his team thus scouted the best solution and researched the market for a sweet spot among smartphone buyers. We already have a smartphone (or two), and the upgrade cycle is a constant spinning wheel. Rumour mill churns the Nothing Phone (1) to come powered with one of Qualcomm Snapdragon’s gems – Snapdragon 778+ SOC.
If you are unaware of the Snapdragon 778+ SOC, this is the same one used by Motorola in the Edge 30. The 778+ is not only powerful when it comes to gaming at high resolutions and high frames per second but also is one of the most efficient current generation SOCs. This 5G capable chip supports multiple 5G bands and most newer WiFi standards and performs excellent at camera post-processing. Couple that with the rumour of 8GB fast RAM and UFS 3.1 configured multiple internal storage options; this phone seems similar to most phones.
The phone might also get OIS on its primary 50MP camera and the ultra-wide sensor. There are innovative features like notification LEDs on the back that light up as alert combinations based on user preferences. There’s also a 4500mAh battery with wireless and reverse wireless charging with NFC capabilities. If the hardware sounds fine, the software promises to offer what they call human warmth. Innovate Nothing OS, and UI pledges to bring freshness to the evolving Android 12 software. This shall improvise with OTA updates in the future.
An ecosystem of Nothing
Nothing UI promises to integrate hardware and software level recognition for its ecosystem of devices alongside support for third-party accessories. The phone is the hub for all we know as of now, and with a disruptive price like the OnePlus One back in its time, the Nothing Phone (1) is nothing but hype waiting to come true. We wish nothing but the best to a visionary and Nothing. Invites only!
Research has found that 43-inch televisions are the most sold television size in India. Thanks to the predecessor of the unit we review below, 43-inch television prices became competitive. In 2022, getting a new television is not that big deal. Infact there is now a paradox of choice. Most options are so good that it is almost impossible to go wrong when selecting a 43-inch television. I own the Xiaomi Smart TV 4X, and this is how I feel the newer 5A TV has improved over the years.
New age budget package
This time around, the Xiaomi 5A TV features slim and thin bezels. It makes the television seem much more premium than its asking price. It has almost identical TV stands as the earlier models, and nearly all exterior is gloss black plastic, including the stands. A subtle Xiaomi branding upfront and an LED light with a power button below it keep the design clean. There are two HDMI 2.0 ports with one supporting ARC, two USB Type-A ports mashed into one socket, an ethernet port, an AV composite port, an optical port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Basics done right! The display has improved many folds. The remote, too, has seen improvements with Google Assistant speak to command button right below the power button.
The remote buttons have been updated, and now this television gets 14 controls with a volume rocker. These also include popular OTT applications Netflix, amazon prime video, Disney+ Hotstar and a dedicated apps button to access all the apps quickly.
Evolutionary improvements
The 43-inch display now comes with IPS LCD technology. A new vivid picture engine powered by a new age low-end quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, and 8GB ROM, make the display brighter and more vibrant. The overall feel, bezel-less design, and better picture quality make the Xiaomi Smart TV 5A a worthy competitor in a crowded, dynamic TV market. The TV comes loaded with Android TV 11 based on Android 11 and thus supports all modern apps available on Google Play Store for Android TV.
The video experience is enhanced with global dimming controls, local contrast control and adaptive luma control. But the main highlight is the vivid picture engine that makes the contrasts, brightness and colours look better than in previous iterations. The most significant change from the last 4 series must be the new and improved 24W dual-speakers with Dolby Atmos and DTS-X software enhancements.
The audio quality of the television is further improved with options like DTS-X bass enhancement, surround virtualizer and dialogue clarity. If that wasn’t enough, there is a DAC-4 dialogue enhancer with three levels of settings. Technicals aside, the television sounds above average in its segment and is enough to fill a small room easily.
A budget option in a crowded market
The 43-inch TV market is buzzing with good options from all brands. Xiaomi Smart TV 5A is an excellent addition to the budget market and improves on the overall appeal as a feature-loaded budget smart TV. Android 11 over and above the improved audio-video experience. This is a worthwhile investment if you’re looking for a budget 43-inch FHD TV.
The OnePlus 10R feels like it was rebranded, and maybe that’s true. The new age, flat edge design looks neat, but the sharp design with more contemporary looks does feel a stark departure from the traditional curved configurations of the past from OnePlus. It feels relatively lightweight for a 6.7-inch display phone with plastic sides and back along with Gorilla Glass 5 protection up front, weighing 186gms. Buttons are tactile, and the overall sharp edge feels like a love or hate situation. Available in two colours – Forest Green and Sierra Black, we test the latter but opine the former as a choice.
Top-tier hardware but lacklustre software
Our unit features a mind-blowing 160W charger inside the box and a 4500mAh battery. This device’s highlight must be that insane combination of blazing-fast 150W SuperVOOC charging. The phone juices up in less than 10 mins when it comes to charging up to 70+% and thus eliminates charge anxiety in a weird way. A full charge comes in less than 18 minutes, which is mighty impressive. The phone is no slouch either, with Dimensity 8100 Max (custom SOC), 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1, an in-display fast fingerprint sensor and relatively long-lasting battery life.
The AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate feels fast, but the Oxygen OS 12.1 is based on Android 12. Yes, the usual customisations, simplicity, and speed prevail, but there are glitches, and we faced quite a few. For instance, the YouTube app would randomly hang and display over all other apps, including system UI. A long press on the power button triggered the power menu but was not accessible thanks to YouTube recommendations scrolling endlessly on display. This also happened with other apps like GPay and thus was not limited by one app misbehaving.
We did receive two updates during our usage with the phone, but none seemed stable. That said, the hardware and the triple-camera setup are an excellent package. The 50MP primary shooter with f/1.8 and OIS can capture good images and videos even in low light. The 8MP ultrawide manages to match colours, and FOV is quite broad. There’s a 2MP macro shooter lacking details, but weirdly enough, all the rear sensors are capable of shooting in 4K! The front 16MP camera with f/2.4 is wide and clear but can only do EIS 1080p recordings. Mics and connectivity are spot-on, and there were no issues. There is dual-SIM 5G support, with no spectrum to test.
The phone was stable after four non-stop battle-royale games, which was undoubtedly impressive with an astounding 720Hz touch-sampling rate. None of the games supports 90fps yet, but they all easily ran at their max settings. WiFi 6 support is icing on a rather tasty yet simple-looking cake. All OTT apps support FHD resolution and HDR10+ content.
A sleeper phone?
The OnePlus 10R blazed through our tests only to get stuck on any random app requiring a soft reboot. The phone is not only capable of handling this generation of usage but charges faster than most of our bath times. As much as we loved it, we do not wish random software glitches on anyone. If the software experience improves with OTA updates, and you can look past the relatively simple generic look of the OnePlus 10R, it is a great all-around phone.
Good – Insanely fast charging, good hardware
Bad – Generic looks
Ugly – Software glitches
3.5/5
Processor – Dimensity 8100 Max
RAM – 12GB + UFS expandable
ROM – UFS 3.1 256GB
Charge – SuperVOOC 150W Charging
Charge time – 0-100% – 18 Mins
Touch sampling rate – 720Hz
Display – 6.7-inch AMOLED 120Hz
Cameras – Rear – 50MP OIS, 8MP Ultrawide, 2MP Macro, 16MP front camera
BMW has been on an update spree like most other manufacturers in the year 2022. This time around, it’s the X4’s turn to receive a stealthy yet worthy Shadow edition update, a limited edition! This vehicle is also offered in a standard edition, but the M Sport package amplifies the overall appeal as expected no matter which you choose. On a sunny afternoon, we drove a limited edition BMW X4 Shadow edition wrapped in a nardo grey suit, one of the best colours on automobiles. Rev along.
BMW X4 MSport x30d-Wiser and meaner with time
Launched back in 2014, BMW last updated the BMW X4 in 2019. This year, the BMW X4 gets an updated, versatile chassis shared with older and younger X siblings from the family. The shadow edition accentuates this car’s appearance with all black and nardo grey contrast. BMW equips the X4 in x30i or x30d configurations, both standard in the M Sport package. Visually, both are identical, with sharper fascia and slim M Sport BMW adaptive LED lights front and rear. While the X6 is the original SUV Coupe beauty, the X4 symbolises this design in the midsize SUV Coupe silhouette making it one of the most handsome SUVs for its asking price.
Standing on M Sport dual spoke M light run-flat 20-inch tyres and adaptive suspensions, the X4 looks stunning in proportion. Shadow edition masks all the chrome elements of the standard car in gloss and matte black combinations. First seen on the M4, the adaptive air intakes sit neatly behind the more proportionate BMW grille. Sharper angles make this update feel modern and apt for this year and the future. M Sport batches all around the car, red M Sport brake callipers and wider tyres with 245 section up front and 275 at rear heighten the car’s road presence compared to its predecessor. This time in sharp geometric shapes, the rear black diffuser and M Sport dual exhausts add a sense of sporty appeal to the overall X4 package.
On the inside, our shadow edition featured all-black interiors with red stitching on good quality leather finishes and soft-touch leather on the dash, doors and centre consoles. Nothing much has changed since its last update in 2019, apart from the 12.3 BMW live cockpit touch infotainment system featuring wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and gesture controls with M Sport animated dials to display gravitational acceleration, lean angles and more. M Sport three-spoke steering feels sturdy and acts sharp, making this SUV coupe feel more like a typical coupe than a midsize SUV. There are some misses, like the lack of wireless charging and 360-degree cameras, especially in a day and age when affordable cars are loaded with such sensors and more. The quality of leather and fit-finish levels are one of the best in the premium segment, and everything feels tactile. Being an SUV Coupe, the X4 packs a healthy electric-operated boot space of 525L with a space saver tyre.
BMW X4 MSport x30d-M Sport package as standard
The X4 is offered in twin-turbo combos of a 4-cylinder 252 bhp and 350 Nm petrol x30i engine, and our review (absolute) unit is provided in 6-cylinder 262 bhp and 620 Nm diesel x30d engine. BMW has got rid of other xDrive offerings. We test the better of the two – x30d, and its various drive modes include Eco, Eco Pro, Comfort, Comfort what-not, Sport and Sport Plus, with individual configurations for all settings. Truth be told, our dials were usually red with the Sport plus mode activated for most of our drive. What was surprising was the sheer opulent drive in comfort modes. The diesel engine is engineer-aged like a fine wine and feels refined, and the gearbox is smooth, mated to sophisticated NVH levels on a chassis developed for the X7!
Despite the larger shoes with 20-inch wheels, the adaptive suspension, brilliant chassis with minimal to no body roll, refined diesel engine and class-leading NVH levels give the BMW X4 a duality. It can be calm in comfort modes, and when you are in the mood for some paddle shifting fun, this bimmer can surprise you. A 0-100kmph sprint is achievable in 5.8s! This car is quick, considering the size and volume. To put it in perspective, this midsize mammoth is almost as fast as the newly launched BMW i4, and that is an all-electric sedan! Different modes aside, this car can perform a wheel spin on ECO mode if demanded. SPORT plus modes aggrandise the power, steering feel, suspension feedback and overall responsiveness of the BMW X4. BMW M sport package amplifies this car’s appeal by many folds. In an era dominated by midsize SUVs, this brilliant SUV Coupe does not just stand out with its design but also its mean twin-turbo M spec power.
The BMW X4 does feel like an SUV in all its elements. Still, it drives like a sedan thanks to an enthusiastic engine coupled with a smooth 8-speed Steptronic transmission, sharp steering inputs and M sport black magic on the limited shadow edition. Interiors, too, are sumptuous and accommodating despite the M sport seats with ample lumbar support. The adaptive suspension has made a world of difference to the overall drive quality of the updated BMW X4. There is almost no body roll despite the sheer size of this SUV, and high-speed stability has to be one of the best ammunition in its arsenal, coupled with solid but progressive braking.
BMW X4 MSport x30d- The sporty SUV styled as a Coupe
We drove spiritedly all day long in a limited Shadow edition BMW X4 x30d, and not many will be available in India. The black treatment on the exterior and interior with subtle M Sport badges makes the BMW X4 a handsome car. Newer details make the X4 look sharp and modern, ready to age with poise. Limited editions not just age with grace but sometimes appreciate with time. This beautiful monstrosity is a worthy set of wheels in your garage if you are tired of the ordinary-looking SUVs on our roads. Not only is it sporty in its drive appeal, but also composed in a way. BMW X4 has matured into a stunning midsize SUV Coupe update from BMW.
