HyperX Pulsefire Haste is a mouse that will put most gamers in the same doubt, is lighter indeed better? Well, the answers might differ; but everybody who has experienced the mouse will agree on one thing: lighter is faster!
First impressions:
The mouse fits in the hand like it has been customised for the player. With a black matte colour on a hexagonal comb shell, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste is a sleek and minimalistic mouse. The cover exposes the internals too, which is an interesting touch. However, that’s not the only purpose it serves. The shell primarily helps to shed off a considerable amount of weight while retaining its strength and durability. The box it comes with also has extra rubber grips for the buttons and the sides. It also has an extra set of PTFE skates that can keep the mouse running smoothly for longer. Since the honeycomb shell design extends to the mouse buttons, the rubber grips provide much-needed functionality.
Usage:
Being customisable up to 16000 dpi, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste is lightning fast. It also has six programmable buttons, including the left and right clickers, to increase the accessibility on-screen. However, since the mouse has a compact design, the buttons can feel too clumped-up and a little cumbersome to use. The mouse also features RGB colours only under its scroll wheel, which makes it look slightly underwhelming. Nevertheless, it is a nifty indicator of the mouse’s position if you are playing in darkness and lift your hand off the mouse. The HyperFlex cable also ensures zero entanglements no matter how you jerk or pull the mouse. Being lightweight and petite, it does not tire the hand, and I could use it effortlessly for hours on end. The open design also massively supports airflow and ventilation, preventing the mouse from overheating at any point.
Verdict:
The mouse will ensure long hours of use without exhaustion and add slight flair to your setup. However, its compactness proves to be a hurdle for people with rigid palms or oversized hands. Not that it is a drawback, but that is where its bigger competitors will hold ground better. With a price tag of Rs 3,890, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste might not be the cheapest option on the market, but it is indeed the sleekest. It will be available on Amazon from March 22nd.
This is our new section, where we will pick up a few gadgets and live with it for at least a month or longer, the first one in our “Exhibit Lab” is the Samsung Z fold2. It indeed is a fascinating smartphone and usually gets all the attention, even from Apple fanboys who all have loved the “Screen Presence” and the touch and feel of the device, and then they shrug it off, with an “oh, Android” sigh. Initial few days will take some time to carry the weight around, but once you get used to it and if you are on the go, there isn’t a better device. I did not touch my iPad at all. Right from my morning newspaper to Kindle reading before I hit the bed in the night. Ok even Netflix binging is very immersive on the screen with a near bezel-less, and the screen gets wholly optimized with an end-to-end viewing experience.
It did fall off from my desk a few times, but the “shock absorbers” built-in absorbed it and ensured that the screen did not get any crack. The Aluminium frame and the Corning Gorilla glass do act as shields for these accidental drop-offs. My work requires me to check designs, compose long emails, and you can do that easily with both finger typing and folding out. Yes, for WhatsApp texting, the screen from the outside does feel at times a shade smaller. Battery life is decent to live by. Speakers are quite loud; loud enough to get your hotel room or suite noisy and a small party can continue. The camera is not the best, and S21 and S20 Ultra will do a better job than the Apple iPhone12, but Z Fold2 never thumped its chest on the camera front.
The only worry was always to take it for a run. If you are the sort who would usually hold it in your palm and run, you are sorted. You can’t tuck it in your tracks and shorts and expect to complete a marathon, nor can you take it for biking.
All in all, fold2 is a great phone to live with and live by. On the downside, missed having a stylus, missed a larger battery life and I would strongly recommend Samsung that in its next iteration they should think of a sleeker and squarer phone with a wider outer screen. The device’s length is perfect, and when it folds out at 7.6 inches, it looks dapper. But if you ask me, an ideal fold3 should fold out to an 8.2-inch screen and weigh less than 225gm. The fold2 currently weighs 282 gm and puts things in perspective, the Samsung S21 ultra weighs 169 gm.
PRICE: ₹ 149,998
Specs: DIMENSIONS
Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mm
Folded: 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 mm
Weight 282 g
DISPLAY TYPE Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+
Size: 7.6 inches
Resolution: 1768 x 2208 pixels
Cover display: 6.23″, Super AMOLED, 816 x 2260 pixels (25:9), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Motorola recently announced its latest budget smartphone and the newest addition to the Moto e family, the e7 Power. While it was embargoed before launch, I got a chance to spend some time with the smartphone and test out some of its capabilities. While it does not pack a benchmark-setting performance, it has its share of pros and cons. Here’s my review of the Moto e7 power.
First impressions
Simply holding the phone is sufficient to remind you it is a Motorola. Sturdy build quality, sleek aesthetics and flashy colours: everything that defines Motorola is present in the e7 power. Coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the smartphone offers decent performance via its MediaTek Helio G25 octa-core SoC. However, it could do better if provided with higher specs, at least as an option.
The Moto e7 power displays all its contents on a 6.5-inch HD+ screen with 720 x 1600 pixels. It runs on Android 10 OS that offers a smooth and intuitive interface as usual. It offers a Panda glass for protection, which somewhat compromises the viewing angle and overall brightness of the phone.
Usage
The 13 MP primary rear camera is assisted by a 2 MP macro camera that works in tandem to click decent photos. The 5 MP selfie camera also surprisingly offers a wide array of options, including a manual mode, something that most smartphones lack. As mentioned before, the phone should have gotten a higher-spec variant than the 4GB + 64GB variant that it comes with. Instead, Motorola offers a lower variant with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The phone also uses eMCP type flash storage instead of the conventional eMMC format, implying a faster and more responsive interface.
The most significant parameter of this phone, however, is its massive 5000mAh battery. As per company claims, the phone can easily last for two whole days on a full charge. Realistically, the phone lasts almost two days, but the reduction in time is acceptable considering the way I used it for testing. However, there is no doubt that the Moto e7 Power will be a serious competitor when it comes to battery life.
Verdict
The phone is neither too heavy to handle, weighing in at 200 gms, nor is too bulky, being 9.2mm thick. The matte finish also ensures that the phone does not become a fingerprint magnet, while the buttons are easy to locate and use. I like the Google Assistant button since it is placed out of the usual holding position. This means you won’t tap the button unnecessarily, though a few mistaps might take place inside that tight jeans pocket. Nevertheless, the Moto e7 power is a pretty promising option at Rs 8,299.
When I received a soundbar from one of the leading PC audio component manufacturers in India, I knew I was in for something good. Creative’s Stage V2 Soundbar promised to offer an even better output than its already good predecessor. But did it live up to its name? Here’s what I think.
First impressions:
Creative has taken an effort to make the Stage V2 soundbar even more compact, and it shows. Knocking off a considerable portion, it is now just 68 centimetres wide. That makes it eligible to fit in most spaces under TVs, regardless of the crampedness. It sports an all-black body with a metal grille at the front accompanied by the company logo on its left. Creative has also equipped Stage V2 with a wired subwoofer with a 5.25-inch driver. It is hardly 12 centimetres wide, making it slimmer than most of its competitors. Users can also wall-mount the soundbar with a pair of screws, though it could be inconvenient for some as all the input ports are at the back of the soundbar. Though they face sideways instead of facing the wall, they can be tricky to locate and slot in. Nevertheless, it is a manageable setup and is not difficult to the point of dissuasion.
Usage:
The soundbar can be operated with a power button, volume control keys, and the Bluetooth button, all of which are placed on the soundbar’s right side. A white 7-segment LED display shows all the relevant data on the soundbar. Stage V2 also displays the volume, bass, and treble levels along with the input mode, among other things, which is quite nifty. The soundbar can also be operated via a full-function wireless remote that comes in the package.
Speaking of the input ports mentioned above, Creative has provided Bluetooth 5.0, a 3.5 mm Aux jack, Optical input, USB, and HDMI ARC. Surprisingly, Creative has opted for a Type-C USB instead of the standard USB-A. Though a Type-C to USB-A cable is added to the bundle, the USB-A port is a male connector, implying you cannot connect to a pen drive. However, considering its available connectivity options, I did not find that to be much of a hindrance.
The audio output is handled by two 2.25-inch drivers that deliver 40W RMS combined and take care of high and mid-range frequencies. I was impressed with the combined 80W RMS of power that the soundbar gives, including an additional 40W RMS from the 5.25-inch subwoofer.
Verdict:
One downside is that the speaker isn’t Dolby-certified which lowers its value-for-money parameter. Consequently, a price tag of Rs 9999 means it will have to be a well-thought-out investment. Nevertheless, Creative offers a solid package with Stage V2, and there are hardly any aspects to criticise it over.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra represents the best of the Korean tech giant. But is it the best one overall? In this detailed review, we finally tell you our verdict of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the answer burning question on everyone’s mind, “is it worth its high price tag?”
Today we will unbox the much-awaited Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. This is a top-spec smartphone from Samsung and comes with a host of features including a 120 Hz screen, a quad-camera setup and a lot more.
Hewlett Packard, known in the computing world as HP, has always been keen on providing maximum performance at a minimal price. Well, minimal if you consider the value on offer and the competition. When Intel came up with the latest 10th series mobile CPUs, HP jumped on the bandwagon to upgrade its offering in the gaming industry.
While the baseline HP Pavilion Gaming gets a 16-inch model as an update, the flagship Omen series has undergone considerable changes. While the Omen X acts as the top boss in the lineup, I will be exploring the Omen 15 in detail, which I got a chance to review. Here are my thoughts.
First Impressions:
If the Omen had to mean what it is named after, it would be a rather good omen. Not that it doesn’t have its share of drawbacks and shortcomings, but more on that later. A glance at the laptop defines its purpose and HP has done a fantastic job keeping it straight, sophisticated, and subtle. The lack of RGB lighting on the exterior gives the laptop an understated look, but probably that’s where its stealth factor comes in. Displaying its logo in a shiny diamond background is the only telltale sign of what lies underneath. The new update has made the laptop sleeker and stealthier, making it more powerful and purpose-oriented.
As I opened the lid, I was greeted by the ‘015’ branding on the keyboard deck. This is the first sign of the laptop being a gaming-oriented machine. Its chassis has a metal finish and a matte black colour. While it does look appealing, it tends to attract a lot of smudges. The shiny logo will immediately start to look worn and used if not taken proper care of. The lid itself is quite flimsy and was unable to hold its position as I moved and jerked the laptop around. Not that it was a pressure test, but HP Omen 15 could use a bit better build quality.
Another parameter that seems unnecessary is the 180-degree flat hinge. It appears useless as there would be hardly any ardent gamer who would lay the laptop flat on the table to play. Add to that a weight of 2.36 kilos, and you have a good “chunky” laptop at your disposal.
According to HP, the Omen 15 gaming laptop has the smallest footprint in the 15-inch gaming laptop segment. However, it is in no way lightweight and will give you a decent arm workout should you choose to carry it around in a handbag. However, carrying it on your back is relatively easier.
Display
The unit I reviewed displayed all its content on a Full-HD (1920×1080) resolution, with 144Hz refresh rate screen (though it can scale up to 300Hz as per the model) compatible with Nvidia G-Sync. The IPS panel offers 300 nits of brightness, 72 per cent NTSC, and 90 per cent sRGB colour gamut coverage.
While it isn’t the best offering for gamers, it is a pretty solid deal for the price tag it commands. Narrow bezels surround the display on three sides, which offers a decently immersive experience. Continuing the “matte finish” theme, the laptop also features a non-reflective display which is great for gaming.
Connectivity and Hardware
HP does not like to comprise on connectivity and it shows. Armed with three USB-A ports, a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3 support, an HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, and a 3.5mm connector for your headphones or microphone, the laptop can connect to practically anything you throw at it. It also gets an SD card reader, should any content creator or photographer wish to unload the data onto its super-fast 1 TB SSD, more on that later.
The laptop charges via a standard barrel charging pin and can sustain light to medium use for 6-8 hours a day on a full charge. However, for heavy gaming, it is recommended to keep the charger plugged in as AAA games will drain the battery otherwise.
Coming to the keyboard, it is a pleasant sight to look at. With full-sized arrow keys, it took us straight back to the time when I used to play 8-bit games with blocky controls. The keyboard has RGB lighting, though the one present under the keyboard isn’t the best of the lot either.
I found it best to use a single light, or switch it off altogether. The keyboard misses out on the Numpad, though it compensates for it with a few handy shortcut keys.
Typing on the keyboard for prolonged periods would have been easier if it wasn’t for the laptop’s jagged edges, starting digging into the wrists after some time.
HP has sent me the Omen 15 with a 10-gen Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB of RAM and GeForce GTX 1660Ti with 6GB VRAM. Since I had to use the laptop for general office work, it neither took load on itself nor gave me trouble.
For the average office-goer, the laptop will be a boon as it will be lag-free and sustainable for as long as you would like. Ardent gamers, however, will be slightly underwhelmed by the hardware. However, this should be the perfect pick for someone running on a budget.
The heat dissipation was also remarkable, and the laptop managed to stay cool as I enjoyed hours of gameplay! The fan did become slightly noisy and could be heard over the keyboard, but it wasn’t too intrusive or distracting. Bang and Olufsen have provided a sound system for the laptop, which sits under a somewhat quirky design on the keyboard’s top.
While the sound output is decent, I didn’t use the speakers a lot as my headphones were almost always plugged in. Overall, I’d like to say that HP Omen 15 is a compelling package at its price point if you overlook its few drawbacks.
Verdict
Priced well above the Rs 1 lakh mark, the Omen has to be a well-researched and thought out pick for someone looking for a good gaming experience. While it does its job well, its shortcomings might dissuade some buyers who have a higher budget. Nevertheless, it is a value for money machine that’ll be capable enough for your productivity and gaming needs.
HyperX recently sent us its premium live streaming microphone, the QuadCast. While it was an eyecatcher and served its purpose flawlessly, it was also rather bulky and complicated to use. Luckily, HyperX soon followed up with its more compact and user-friendly version, the SoloCast. While the SoloCast might seem minuscule compared to the bigger QuadCast, it packs a powerful punch nevertheless. Here is how my experience with SoloCast was:
First Impressions:
Right off the bat, the Cast, as I like to call it, makes its presence and its intention of being a streaming microphone quite clear. With a plain black body with the HyperX insignia embossed and a simple LED indicator at the front, the SoloCast is a pleasant and simple piece of equipment to look at. Nothing too fancy, nothing too gaudy. But that is where HyperX scores over the rest. Despite having minimalistic aesthetics, SoloCast is powerful and competent hardware and a considerable option for streamers looking to set up their streaming equipment on a tight budget.
Usage:
Since capturing voice and audio as clearly as possible is the goal, HyperX has kept that in focus. Akin to other HyperX aural devices such as headphones, the SoloCast takes the “sound over everything else” approach.” It utilises a single cardioid polar pattern as its name suggests (QuadCast uses four!). It also skips out on some fun parameters in the QuadCast, such as a headphone jack, gain control, shock mount, internal pop filter and complete RGB lighting inside. While the SoloCast does its job perfectly, the lack of these manual controls means you will have to fine-tune its settings using software like OBS or XSplit. If not, a simple plug-n-play also works perfectly well.
Standing almost half as tall as the QuadCast, the SoloCast has a rather compact and easy-going design. Apart from the stand it comes with, it also features a slot for a boom arm, should you wish to mount it so. For other connections, a USB Type-C connection does the job seamlessly. It also has a tap-to-mute sensor on top, allowing the user to quickly mute the microphone if the need arises. The aforementioned LED indicator also displays the status of the mic, so that it isn’t accidentally muted.
Verdict:
HyperX says that it has been certified by TeamSpeak and Discord and there is no doubt about it. The SoloCast is not only versatile, but it is also quite flexible and can be adjusted to fill any spot the user wishes. With a price tag of Rs 5,790, it might seem pricey but it is a pretty value for money deal. Well, that is if you are looking for simplicity and ease of use. It will go on sale on Amazon from January 28th.
Today we will unbox the Oppo Enco X, the upcoming True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Earbuds. We will also compare them to the top-spec Apple Airpods Pro and the Realme Buds to see which one comes out on top in our first impression.
Realme continues to expand its presence in the domain of smartphones as well as smartwatches. The Chinese tech manufacturer took advantage of the fact that a smartwatch is no longer a luxury but a necessity and successfully introduced its own product dubbed the Realme watch last year. Following the success of their first wearable tech product, Realme released its second smartwatch series, Realme Watch S and Realme Watch S pro, in late December 2020.
I tested the watch over a period of three weeks and here’s my detailed review of the Realme Watch S.
Realme Watch S
What’s In The Box?
Inside the box, you get the Realme Watch S, a Magnetic charging base and a user guide.
Design
The first thing you notice after wearing the watch is that it’s extremely lightweight as it only weighs 48 grams. After a few hours of use, you will forget it is even on your wrist. The Realme Watch S has a 1.3-inch LCD which is a decent size for a smartwatch.
I have slim hands and the watch does not look bulky or huge on my wrist, your experience may vary if you have a bigger wrist. Fitness tracking works very well and the watch has 16 different sports mode that comes in handy if you’re into fitness.
Realme Watch SSetup
Realme has an app called Realme Link which connects all of its smart wearable devices. The app is quite intuitive and can be used to simultaneously connect to multiple Realme smart devices.
To set up your smartwatch
– Download the app – Fill in your details and create your account. – Scan the QR code on the smartwatch and you are good to go.
Specifications
Display: 1.3-inch display with 360 x 360 pixel IPS LCD with auto-brightness and a 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3
Straps: Silicon straps, 22mm width, 164-208mm adjustable length with 3 colours Black, Orange, and Green
Performance And Usage
The Realme Watch S has a better and responsive screen than its predecessor. It automatically adjusts its brightness levels, furthermore, you can also manually set it between 5 levels, which is a major improvement over its predecessor. For better protection, the screen is made up of Gorilla Glass 3.
A swipe from the top will bring up your notifications, while a right swipe will give you access to the quick toggles menu. Meanwhile, the left swipe gives you information about weather, sleep data and daily exercise statistics.
As mentioned, the Realme Watch has 16 sports modes, which in my opinion, are aplenty. I used all the sports modes but I was most impressed by the Cycling mode as it helped me to analyse my workout routine quite thoroughly.
The watch’s GPS tracking has a tiny margin of error, but it can easily be overlooked, especially at this price range. One noticeable con is that you cannot switch from any sports mode before ending the workout to check notifications.
Realme Watch S sometimes disconnects from the Realme Link app, as a result, I stopped receiving notifications until I reconnect it again. I also noticed a slight lag with messages being shown on my phone vs the watch. I had to manually sync through the app to get all the notifications.
You can read each message individually and then scroll to the bottom to delete all received notifications. You cannot reply to the notifications but Realme is working on a quick reply function. I tested the sleep tracking and it too has some issues. Mostly, the watch was unable to detect when I fell asleep and woke up accurately.
On the bright side, the music control feature impressed me a lot. You can use it to pause and play YouTube videos without reaching for your phone, as it’s all there on your watch.
The Power saver mode switches off all unnecessary features leaving only the display time ON. It saves a ton of battery life, especially when I am travelling.
The battery life of Realme Watch S exceeded my expectations. The Watch has a claimed 14 days worth of battery life and during my use, I went without charging for 16 days with 2% charge remaining.
Verdict
For Rs. 4,999, The Realme Watch S packs with a lot of features. It does everything right from tracking your workouts, heart rate, etc. The Watch’s data lacks accuracy but it is still within a small margin of error.
The Watch also has a sleek, stylish and premium look with an easy to use UI which is best in the segment. The 14 days worth of battery life is impressive. The Realme Watch S is certainly better than its predecessor, the Realme Watch, and offers a lot more exclusive features at this price point.
