Author: Ritwick Jaiswal

OnePlus Nord 2T- A Small Package

Something today is making me nostalgic. Yes, it takes me back to those simple days when phones used to be smaller, compact and useful. I am talking about the new OnePlus Nord 2T, which is just 6.43 inches long and stands out immediately with its design, size, and aesthetics when all the other brands focus on larger and bulkier devices.

OnePlus Nord 2T 5G comes almost a full year after the release of Nord 2 5G, so you must expect a significant upgrade, which isn’t the case. We witness a slightly altered appearance around the back, with new colours and finishes. A new MediaTek Dimensity 1300 processor has been introduced for this model, and the fast charging has been upgraded to 80W. 

What is the first thing that you look for in a mid-range smartphone? Probably a camera. 

The camera module now has two large circular cutouts, one of which houses the primary camera and the second houses the ultra-wide and monochrome cameras. It has a hole-punch cavity for the selfie camera in the top-right corner. Nord 2T has a big Sony IMX766 flagship sensor with OIS on the 50MP primary camera.

The phone is powered by a 4,500mAh battery and can be charged using the 80W charger in the box. The charging speed is another big change compared to the Nord 2, which had 65W fast charging. The fast charger takes around 30 minutes to fully charge the 4500mAh battery, which is also one of the best seen in this price segment. The phone lasts for almost the entire day of heavy usage and does not drain since you can juice it up easily and conveniently.

The phone runs OxygenOS 12.1, which is based on Android 12. The gaming performance was quite good, and the phone did not get too hot while playing taxing games. I tried Call of Duty and Apex Legends, high-end games, and the phone performed well under default settings. However, a nominal frame rate was dropped once the settings were set to high.

You get an AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, so if you are used to a 120Hz refresh rate, too bad for you. The display mainly produced saturated colours at the default Vivid colour profile. Switching to the Natural mode made more accurate colours. The display seemed sufficiently bright outdoors, but the phone’s ambient light sensor always dimmed the display a bit too much when using it indoors, forcing me to increase the brightness bar after unlocking the phone. Another exciting feature of this phone is the video colour boost option that gives your videos more vibrant colour profiling and increases your battery usage, as it clearly states.

Nord 2T is one of the best looking phones out there and even at this price range it feels no less than a premium phone double its price. It is extremely comfortable to use with one hand and feels quite light and well-balanced despite packing Gorilla Glass 5 on the front as well as the back panel. 

The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G at Rs 28,999 delivers everything most users would ever want in a mid-range smartphone, and that’s about it. It does not go above and beyond to deliver something more or add exceptional value. The design is slick with tapered edges and feels premium on the outside. Also, the size of the Nord 2T gives you the confidence to hold and flaunt the smartphone.

OPPO A77 4G Launched In India

OPPO has expanded its affordable A-series smartphones with the launch of OPPO A77 4G in India. This mid-range smartphone has a 6.56-inch IPS LCD, Helio G35, and a 50MP main camera.  Oppo launched its A77 5G in June, which features a Dimensity 810 chipset and 90Hz refresh rate screen.

A77 4G Specifications

The phone is IP5X dust resistant and IPX4 water resistant. MediaTek’s Helio G35 sits at the helm, aided by 4GB RAM, while storage comes in at 64GB and is expandable via the microSD card slot. The smartphone houses a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging support. It is based on the company’s own ColorOS and runs on Android 12.

OPPO A77 4G sports a dual rear camera setup with a 48 MP main sensor and a 2MP secondary camera. You have an 8MP selfie shooter on the front with an f/2.0 aperture. You can also shoot 1080p videos at 30fps. 

The smartphone comes in two colour options- Sky Blue and Sunset Orange. 

The Oppo A77 is priced at Rs 15,499 for the sole 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant and can be purchased from the OPPO online website or other authorised stores.

WhatsApp New Feature: Group Admin Will Be Able To Delete Members’ Messages

WhatsApp occasionally comes up with new features that engage its users and keep the platform safe. A recent update suggests that the social media app is getting a new feature that is exclusively for group administrators.  The admin of any group will now be able to remove any message sent by the members of his group. 

The feature will be rolled out to users all around the world, but the company has not yet officially revealed the feature and that it is only available to beta testers. The members will be able to see that the administrator deleted the message, and you will be able to see the ‘You deleted this message as admin’ note after removing the sent text. 

This feature is expected to allow group admins to moderate their group more effectively. WABetaInfo reports that the ‘admin delete’ feature is now rolling out with the WhatsApp beta for the Android 2.22.1.7 update.

Besides this, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a feature called ‘Kept Messages’, which will allow you to keep the disappearing message by converting it to a standard message.

Tech Launches – August 2022

Technology is ever changing and every month or so we come up with advances to the already intelligent gadget that we left with amazement and awe. Here are the tech launches for the month of August.

Motorola Razr 2022

Motorola is set to launch a new smartphone in China on August 2. It’s none other than the long-rumoured Razr foldable smartphone that was reportedly a commercial failure when it first came out. The new 2022 Razr model is a game-changer with a new design and better specifications. The Moto Razr 2022 will be the first foldable phone to come with the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and will roughly be priced at around EUR 1,149 (Rs 94,000). 

Specs

Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Design: Foldable
Display: 6.7-inch pOLED
Refresh rate: 120Hz

Samsung ZFlip 4

The Samsung 2022 Unpacked event is scheduled for August 10 2022, and we can witness the launch of quite a few new devices. The event will likely include announcements for upcoming Samsung foldable, wearables, and more. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 will be targeted directly against the Motorola Razr 2022, released at the same time. Samsung has confirmed that the main focus of the Unpacked event would be the foldable devices to make the technology more mainstream. 

Specs

Display: 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED
refresh rate: 120 Hz
Battery: 3700mAh
Colors: Graphite, Pink Gold, Bora Purple, Blue

OPPO Watch 3

OPPO has confirmed that it has secured the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 wearable platform for its 2022 flagship Watch. OPPO watches are the closest thing to Apple watches in terms of look, if nothing else, and the new Snapdragon Wear 5 processor can get these square-faced wearables closer to the giant. The OEM has not mentioned any new or updated health-tracking attributes for the Watch 3, although it is now touted to “delight” consumers with its improved performance from next month onward.

Specs

Display- 1.91-inch
PPS- 326 PPI
Resolution- 402 x 476 pixels
Connection- Bluetooth 5.1

Samsung Watch 5

The South Korean giant is set to launch two new models in the new Smartwatch lineup, which includes the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro. Both these smartwatches are expected to have the same design as their predecessors, with round dials, and will pack several sensors for tracking and health-related details. The wearables will be running Wear OS out-of-the-box, and a 572mAh battery will power the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

Specs

Size- 44mm, 46mm
Color- Graphite, Silver, or Pink Gold

IQOO 9T

iQOO 9T has been confirmed to launch in India on August 2. The smartphone will feature the updated, more power-efficient Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 processor, and the prices could go up to Rs 60,000, given significant upgrades. Based on the sources, the base variant will have a price tag of Rs 49,999 and will be available in Legend and Alpha colors. The display could be a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and comes packed with a 4700 mAh battery. 

Specs

Chipset- Snapdragon 8+ Gen1
Storage- 8GB RAM + 128GB
Battery- 4700 mAh
Display- 6.78-inch AMOLED

OnePlus 10T

OnePlus is gearing to launch the OnePlus 10T globally on August 3. The company tweeted, “incredible things happen in incredible places. Don’t miss your chance to watch the unveiling of the OnePlus 10T, this august”. It also confirmed that the premiere for the smartphone launch would be held in Bangalore. The device is expected to run on Android 12. The smartphone features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, 12 GB RAM, and 256 GB internal storage. 

Specs

Display- 6.7-inch AMOLED
Chipset- Snapdragon 8+ Gen1
Storage- 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM
Battery- 4800 mAh

Music in Numbers: Facts and Figures

  1. A study on 12,665 pop musicians who passed away between 1950 and 2014 found that they tend to die at younger ages than the average American. They also have higher rates of death by homicide and accidents. 
  2. The most watched music video on YouTube is Despacito which has more than 7 billion views.  
  3. According to the New York Times, each Grammy Award trophies take 15 hours to make and is made of a special metal called grammium. 
  4. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in 2019 that users add around 40,000 new songs to the streaming music platform every day.  
  5. A Goldman Sachs report from May 2020 estimated that the global music industry suffered a 25% drop in revenue during the pandemic. 
  6. Americans spend more than 4 hours a day listening to music. 
  7. It takes an average of 220 streams for an independent artist to make $1 on major streaming platforms. 
  8. Lil Pump’s “Gucci Gang” is the shortest song to crack the Billboard Top 10 in 40+ years. 
  9. Three major labels make up more than 80% of music industry revenue. 
  10. Only 9.3% of people nominated in the last six Grammy ceremonies were women.

 

ASUS Launches New ROG Zephyrus and Flow X Series Laptops

ASUS India, Republic of Gamers (ROG) today strengthened its Zephyrus and Flow lineup with the launch of the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16, Zephyrus G14, and Flow X16 alongside the refreshed editions of Zephyrus G15, and Flow X13, packed with power and upgraded performance. The laptops feature AMD Ryzen 6000 series mobile processors and a MUX Switch to deliver uncompromising, powerful gaming performance. The laptops are an addition to ASUS’ extensive gaming portfolio and are designed to uplift the competitive edge of the gamers with state-of-the-art technology. Resonating the philosophy of ‘Compact is the new Impact’, the latest gaming lineup offers versatility to the gamers by bolstering the gaming experience. The product pricing for Zephyrus Duo 16 starts from INR 249,990, Zephyrus G14 – INR 146,990, and Zephyrus G15 – INR 157,990 and will go on sale online and offline. While the pricing for ROG Flow X16 starts from INR 171,990 and Flow X13 – INR 121,990 onwards and will be available online and offline.

In conjunction with the launch, ASUS ROG also introduced the #BeYouWithROG campaign, which encourages users to explore their creative side by staying true to their authentic selves. The brand’s objective with this campaign is to inspire consumers to believe in themselves, be brave and fearless, and follow their passion, no matter what! 

ASUS ROG introduced the powerful Flow X16, which is a 16-inch ultra slim device with XG Mobile compatibility that fits in an ultra-compact 15-inch chassis and speeds through most demanding tasks, thanks to cutting-edge processors, with up to an AMD Ryzen™ 9 6900HS. Its ultra slim frame is equipped with up to an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070Ti Laptop GPU to let you game with complete confidence. Built on NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, the latest GPU options combine new streaming multiprocessors with enhanced RT and Tensor cores to provide unparalleled realism with Ray-Traced graphics. 

For the first time, ASUS has included a revolutionary tri-fan setup called the Frost Force cooling system to achieve great cooling in such a thin and slim form factor. It is combined with Pulsar Heatsink, which redirects the airflow towards the GPU. This results in exceptional cooling and superior performance. 

Another powerful addition to the Flow family is the new Flow X13. It comes with Windows 11 Home, which has never been as flexible, powerful, or portable. This Ultra slim 13” 1.3kg chassis, speed through gaming and go beyond with up to the latest Ryzen™ 9 6900HS CPU and GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti GPU. With a choice of 4K UHD or 120Hz FHD display option, go wherever your creative flow takes you. The X13 has a 360-degree hinge and a multitude of different viewing configurations. The display is touch-enabled and outfitted with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass for added durability. Set it to the clamshell mode for everyday work and play, or switch to stand mode to share your screen in small spaces easily. A low-profile design helps it slip easily into crowded bags, leaving more room for your favourite gaming gear. The side-mounted power button has an integrated fingerprint sensor, allowing you to log in 3x faster and more securely than a password.

The Zephyrus lineup is ramped up with The Zephyrus Duo 16, enabling you to experience true multitasking with a seamless dual display design. The second 14.1” touchscreen display supports resolutions of up to 4K and is equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU and up to NVIDIA RTX 3080Ti series GPUs with MUX Switch and blazing fast speeds and low boot times with 2 TB PCIe Gen 4 X4 SSDsand 32GB of Dual Channel DDR5 4800MHz RAM. To cool all the high-end hardware, there’s ROG Intelligent Cooling system with 84-blade Arc Flow fans and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal compound on the CPU for up to 15° lower temperatures compared to the traditional thermal paste. 

The large 90Whr battery and USB Type-C 100W Power Delivery Fast Charging support work confidently on the go. The secondary ScreenPad Plus display is offered in 3840 x 1100 (4K) and 1920 x 550 resolutions. Both panel options offer 100% sRGB, 400 nits brightness with Touch and Stylus input. The ROG Nebula Display panel supports Dolby Vision HDR, Adaptive Sync, 500 nits max brightness, and is Pantone validated with 100% DCI-P3 coverage. An IR camera with Windows Hello support enables logging into Windows quickly and taking on any typing tasks with a comfortable 1.7mm travel distance keyboard. Furthermore, a Type-C port on the right edge of the Duo 16 will be USB4 capable with a software update that’s expected to enable the capability later this year.

The Zephyrus G14, compared to the last year’s model, has significant improvements in its overall design and performance. Not only has the platform been upgraded to the new AMD Ryzen™ 6000 Series processors for mobile, but both the up to AMD Radeon RX 6800S and Up to the latest Ryzen 9 6900HS Processor with Radeon™ Graphics offer a considerable uptick in performance compared to last year’s RTX 3060- equipped ASUS G14. Featuring a 14” slim and light chassis, the G14 has been redesigned to cover all of the users’ daily needs, from gaming to content creation, while on the move. 

The Zephyrus G14 now features a 16:10 aspect ratio to accommodate more content on users’ screens. It’s super slim 4.7mm side bezels and a 91% screen-to-body ratio provide users with a truly immersive gaming and visual experience. The improved thermal design allows the new G14 to get additional thermal headroom and achieve up to 105W of total graphics power (with AMD SmartShift Max technology). S. The panel has also gone through a major update and now fulfills all the requirements to be labelled as ROG Nebula Display. It is equipped with Dolby Vision, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage with Pantone Validation for color accuracy. The Zephyrus G14 is a portable powerhouse designed to cover all of users’ daily needs, from gaming to content creation.

The Zephyrus G15 is equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS laptop processor. With 8 cores and 16 threads, the beating heart of the G15 is built on cutting-edge 6nm technology and is paired with the top-of-the-line NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 graphics card. In addition, the new model is configurable with up to 16 GB of DDR5 RAM– 4800 MHz (expandable to 48GB), which provides the bandwidth and speed for all the multitasking you throw at it. For the ultimate visual experience, the Zephyrus G15 is configurable with either a 240Hz or 165 Hz QHD panel, combining the benefits of high-resolution displays with responsive and fast refresh rates. 

Music Therapy : Singing your way to sanity

What does music mean to you? For me, it works as an escape from the tiring outside world and takes me to a more sane and quiet place. Often music takes me through nostalgia, and other times, it makes me dream of things that ‘could have been. It could mean the same to you or something else on these lines, but what we could all agree upon is the fact that music is therapeutic. 

Music as therapy does not just restrict itself to a phrase but actually holds a literal meaning. Music therapy is an evidence-based treatment that helps with a variety of disorders, including cardiac conditions, depression, substance abuse, and autism, and can help with memory, lower blood pressure, reduces stress, improves self-esteem, and much more. 

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy experiences include listening, singing, playing instruments, or composing music but do not need any prior skills or talent to participate. It is a therapeutic approach that uses the natural mood-lifting properties of music to help people improve their overall well-being. Music therapy may help you physically, emotionally, spiritually, cognitively, and socially. 

Formal music therapy was first used by the United States War Department in 1945 to help military service members with occupational therapy, education, recreation, and physical reconditioning.

A list of benefits includes:

  • Lowering blood pressure
  • Improved memory
  • Enhanced communication and social skills
  • Self-reflection by observing your thoughts and emotions
  • Reducing muscle tension
  • Developing healthy skills
  • Managing pain
  • Increasing motivation and joy

Types of Music Therapy

Some therapists use a combined approach of active and passive music interactions for their clients. The variety of approaches include:

Analytical Music Therapy

This type of music therapy encourages you to express your thoughts through musical dialogues such as singing or playing an instrument which you can reflect on and discuss with your therapist afterwards.

Benenzon Music Therapy

This format combines some concepts of psychoanalysis, which includes the search for your musical sound identity, something that most closely matches your internal psychological state.

Cognitive Behavioral Music Therapy

CBT approach is structured, not improvisational, and may include listening to music, dancing, singing, or playing an instrument.

Community Music Therapy

 It focuses on using music as a way to facilitate change on the community level. It’s done in a group setting and requires a high level of engagement from each member.

The Bonny Method

The Bonny method of guided imagery and music (GIM) uses classical music as a way to stimulate the imagination. You explain the feelings, sensations, memories, and imagery you experience while listening to the music to your therapist. 

Vocal Psychotherapy

Vocal therapy makes use of various exercises, natural sounds, and breathing techniques to connect with your emotions and impulses. This practice is meant to create a deeper sense of connection with yourself.

Who Should Visit Music Therapists?

Anybody,, regardless of their background, gender, age, and culture, can respond to music therapy and music therapy. Some of the individuals or groups that therapists help are: 

  • Military service members and veterans often take music therapy to deal with trauma.
  • Music therapy may help with memory loss and stimulate your mind so it helps people with Alzheimer’s. 
  • Music therapy may help people with communication skills, relaxation and decreasing impulsivity, so it’s good for people or groups in mental health facilities.
  • If you have experienced trauma and crisis, music therapy can help you eliminate those experiences and improve your mood. 
  • Music therapy helps decrease your pain, anxiety, fatigue and depression, so it is for people suffering from chronic pain.
  • If you have a history of substance abuse, music therapy will help you big time. 

What happens during Music Therapy?

There are a lot of exercises that go on during a music therapy session.

  • Create music. You might compose music, write lyrics, or makeup music together
  • Sing music. Use your voice to share a piece of music.
  • Listen to music. Enjoy the sound and lyrics.
  • Move to the music. It can be as simple as tapping your toes together or as complicated as a coordinated dance.
  • Discuss lyrics. Read or listen to the lyrics of a song and talk about their meaning.
  • Play an instrument. Use an instrument like a piano, guitar, drums, etc. to share music.

Before your first session, you may want to talk things over with your music therapist, so you know what to expect and can check in with your primary care physician if needed.

Tech Launches You Should Be Looking Forward To

Tech is dynamic and sometimes offers more than what can be consumed. The current market condition begs for the latest products and updates, and brands have been rightly doing so to stay ahead of their competitors. Here are the latest technology launches that you should be paying attention to. 

MacBook Air M2

Apple has released the MacBook Air M2 laptop with a 13.60-inch LED-backlit display. It is powered by Apple’s M2 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM. The device also packs 256GB of SSD storage.  MacBook Air M2 comes with a 30W USB-C power adapter and packs a 52.6Wh lithium-polymer battery. The price of the Apple MacBook Air M2 starts at Rs 1,19,900.

Specs

Four-speaker sound system
8-core CPU with 4 performance and efficiency cores.
2560×1664 native resolution with 500 nits brightness
Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Nothing Phone (1)

With few leaks and rumours, Nothing has already gotten people excited about the device. Carl Pei’s London-based startup will reveal its first Nothing smartphone with new aspects like the new Glyph lightning, the back, and the new NothingOS skin. The company has introduced an invite-based pre-order system for smartphones. The same trick was used for OnePlus smartphones to build the hype. 

Specs

6.55-inch OLED Screen
50MP + 50MP Dual-Rear Camera
Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus chipset
4500 mAh battery

Asus ROG Flow Z13

The Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) launched a detachable 2-in-1 gaming tablet known as ROG Flow Z13 for its Indian consumers. It is the first gaming tablet and packs up to a 14-core Intel i9 and Nvidia up to GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, in the most powerful gaming tablet form factor. The device will be available at a starting price of Rs 1,36,990.

Specs

Up to a 14-core Intel® Core™ i9-12900H processor
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti
Refresh Rate:60Hz
1TB PCIe® 4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD

The Amazfit GTS 2

The smartwatch comes in two colors – Midnight Black and Petal Pink for a retail price of Rs 11,999. The Amazfit features a 1.65 edge-to-edge curved display which is made of 3D Corning Gorilla Glass. It comes with a rotatable display, which means you can wear it on your left and right hands and customize the gestures accordingly.

Specs

Water Resistant
Touch screen with 1.65-inch screen size
AMOLED screen
iOS and Android OS

LG Signature

The world has witnessed its first and only rollable TV with the release of the LG Signature. The television has a rollable OLED design with α9 Gen 4 AI Processor 4K, Dolby Vision IQ, and Dolby Atmos. LG Signature TV seems like a work of art that rolls up and down into a frame. The price of the TV is slightly higher at Rs 79,99,990 in the Indian market.

Specs

Rollable OLED design
Self-lighting OLED: Perfect Black, Intense Color, Infinite Contrast
α9 Gen4 AI Processor 4K
High Frame Rate of 4K 120 FPS

LG Gram 12th Gen

LG is refreshing its entire range of Gram laptops and introducing a portable monitor as well. The Gram devices will use Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake core processors. What’s interesting about this device is the inclusion of AI-based software called LG Glance. It allows each laptop to automatically lock the screen if the user steps away and blurs content on the screen if it detects someone looking over your shoulder. 

Specs

Anti-glare Display
LG Glance by Mirametrix
Intel Evo Platform Powered by 12th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors
17″ 16:10 WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS Display

Vastness of Space

“I see only two possibilities – one, that we are alone in this vast universe, and second that we are not. Both sound equally terrifying”. I read this on the internet and cannot stop thinking how accurate this is. Scientifically, you can try and explain every single occurrence, but when we put on the poetic lens, the void between the stars and moon begins to expand.  

In the winter of 1995, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at an area of the sky that was dark and nearly empty. Over ten consecutive days, the telescope took 150 hours of exposure to the same area and what came back was nothing short of spectacular! They saw over 1500 distinct galaxies glimmering in a tiny sliver of the universe. But how large was the image captured? You would wonder. Well, if you were to put a pen and hold it in front of the night’s sky, focusing on its tip. That is what the telescope captured in its first deep field image. Those 3000 galaxies were seen in that speck of the universe. 

To give you a perspective, the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 94 million miles. Again, the nearest star outside our solar system is 4.2 light-years away. But what is a light-year? Or what are the millions of miles we are talking about? It might just be a number for us, but when we talk scientifically, these numbers go beyond our comprehension. 

The universe, if believed, started with a bang. Now, if you see a regular explosion, it starts from nothing to inflating energy and finally deflates after a point. However, scientists have claimed that the universe is expanding or inflating faster than the theories under the Standard Model of Cosmology. This could mean that the standard model needs to be updated and points to an opportunity for discovery. This also puts doubt on the theory that the universe comprises relative amounts of normal matter, dark matter, dark energy and radiation. There can be much more to it. Who knows?

The universe appears to be a time window, and the farther we look, the farther back we go in time. Light moves at a speed of 300 thousand Kms/sec. To use it up for you, suppose you are standing a meter away from your friend. The light from your friend’s face took about 3.336 nanoseconds to reach you. This means you always see your loved ones 3.336 nanoseconds into the past. If you look around, you are not seeing the world as it is, but as it was, the further things are, the further back in time you are looking. 

The idea for this article struck me on my terrace when I looked up at the sky. I wondered what purpose we hold here on this planet which is no bigger than a grain of sand. Like fireflies on a summer night, the dots illuminating the velveteen sky only strengthens my wonderment. When you look at the twinkling stars, you’re looking back in time. You see the stars as they were thousands of years ago, and some might be just dead. Crazy! Isn’t it?

It is not necessary that the vastness of this universe could be captured in numbers. What if it’s eternal? Infinite. The fact that we are living in something so huge yet so tiny that if our planet gets washed up, it won’t make an iota of difference in the universe is scary. 

Apps That Can Get You Started With Investments

After you get out of college, you enter a world which forces you make rational decisions and reconsider your life choices. It is never too late to invest your hard-earned money somewhere you will get fruitful returns in the future.

Why should you be investing in the first place? A proper investment allows you to grow your wealth and at the same time generate inflation-beating returns, often benefitting from the power of compounding. Investments also help you in meeting your financial goals, such as purchasing a house or building an emergency fund or accumulating it for post-retirement plans. 

What I have learned and observed personally from investing is that it instils a sense of discipline over time. You develop a habit of saving a particular amount every month from your salary or business and putting it together for useful purposes. 

How much should you be saving and investing?

You can always invest for short-term goals or make a plan for your retirement. Most of us retire at the age of 60 which means that for the remainder of our lifetime, we will need a proper investment to fund our lifestyle. 

Experts have suggested that you should be saving 20% of your income. You can automate 20% of your paycheck to go directly into the investment account. This might not be viable for everyone but is still the most favourable of all. 

What are the different types of investments?

You have several investment options available based on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon. Some of the popular investment options include:

Direct Equity: 

It is commonly referred to as stock investment and is one of the most preferred investments for investors. You buy shares of the company depending on how the company is performing in the market. Stock trading can earn you possible attractive returns but also involves a lot of risks. 

Mutual Funds

A pool of money is collected from many investors who share a common investment objective. That money is invested in various instruments such as stocks, bonds, money market etc. Mutual funds are way more flexible as you can start or stop investing as per your wish with much lower risks than equity. 

Public Provident Fund

PPF is a government-backed saving scheme that aims to mobilise small savings and provide secure post-retirement life. It has a lock-in period of 15 years and that time frame itself makes you save a lot of money. 

Fixed Deposits

Fixed Deposits are regarded as an ideal investment for conservative investors as they provide a fixed and guaranteed rate of returns.

Apps that help you in investments

Zerodha Kite

Kite is one of the best and the biggest trading apps in India. It offers you a wide range of stocks to trade in and has over 5 million downloads. 

Android Ratings: 4.2/5 stars

Android Downloads: 50 Lakh +

iOS Ratings: 3.3/5 stars

Top Features:

  • The app helps you evaluate the market condition. 
  • Advanced options for placing orders such as Brackets and covers, IMO, and much more.
  • Easy-to-use app.

Pros

  • Can be used in 10 regional languages.
  • Extensive charts to view market conditions.
  • Place limit to orders.

Cons

  • No trading in mutual funds.
  • No price alerts.

Angel Broking

Founded in 1987, it is one of the oldest stock market apps that is used by 1.4 million people in India. You can either get a ready-made portfolio or get it done by experts.

Android Ratings: 4.2/5 stars

Android Downloads: 1 Crore +

iOS Ratings: 3.5/5 stars

Top Features

  • Analyze the market with the help of experts.
  • Maintains your portfolio.
  • Build a classified, low-cost portfolio.
  • International stocks are available for investment.

Pros

  • No brokerage charges.
  • Portfolio management
  • By investing in small cases, you can build a low-cost portfolio.
  • Fractional investment.

Cons:

  • Trading through calling is charged at Rupees 20 per executed order.

Groww

Groww is one of the best trading apps in India that gives you the option to trade in gold, stocks, fixed deposits, and much more and this is the reason why it has become so popular with time.

Android Ratings: 4.3/5 stars

Android Downloads: 1 Crore +

iOS Ratings: 4.5/5 stars

Top Features

  • Invest in gold, field deposit, domestic and international stocks, mutual funds, etc.
  • Withdraw Rs 50,000 or 90% of the total amount invested(whichever is lower) per day.
  • Self-directed trading.
  • Helps you study the market trends with the help of charts.

Pros

  • No account opening charges.
  • No account maintaining charges.
  • ISO certification to ensure that your data is safe.

Cons

  • Advanced order types are not available.

Sherkhan App

Even before I started training I knew of Sherkhan as a trading app. Sherkhan has been running successfully for 21 years now and has over 2 million clients in India. The platform provides a wide range of products for buying and selling and build a diversified portfolio. 

Android Ratings: 3.8/5 stars

Android Downloads: 10 Lakh +

iOS Ratings: 2.8/5 stars

Top Features:

  • Advanced charts to help you do the market research.
  • Research reports help you make better investment decisions.
  • Relationship managers monitor your portfolio and give you guidance.
  • Wide range of products to trade with.

Pros:

  • You can trade anytime and anywhere.
  • Updates you about the market news.
  • Free learning resources.
  • No minimum deposit is required.

Cons:

  • No global stocks to trade with.

5paisa Online Trading App

5paisa Online Trading app has a user-friendly interface with advanced charts, learning resources and auto-investing features. 

Android Ratings: 4.2/5 stars

Android Downloads: 50 Lakh +

iOS Ratings: 4/5 stars

Top Features

  • Trade-in stocks, mutual funds, currencies, commodities, and more.
  • Auto-investing feature works based on your specific goals.
  • Easy to use interface.
  • Single click for buying and selling.
  • Research on the market conditions with the help of advanced charts.

Pros:

  • Research tools.
  • Easy to use.
  • Auto investing.
  • Learning resources.
  • 0 commission on mutual funds trading.

Cons:

  • 100 per call charges for ‘Trade on Call’.
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