If there is a brand synonymous with variety, it has to be Samsung. Right from bank-breaking technological marvels to pocket-friendly mobiles, the Korean tech giant has something for everyone. Its latest offering is the Galaxy M32, which we recently got our hands on. With a price tag comfortably below the 20k mark, let’s see if this smartphone is yay or meh.
First impressions:
The box it comes in is quite simplistic and not extravagant, which is evident for a smartphone in this price range. Apart from the smartphone, users will also get a charger, ejector pin and manual.
The phone itself is Light Blue and gets 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage. Although it has a 16.21 cm display, its rounded corners reduce the overall size to 15.87 cm. Not that it is terrible, but it is still a compromise. That said, the Super AMOLED Display does ensure all details are vividly seen.
Usage:
Holding the phone is a breeze due to its ergonomic design. That said, I have always been against fingerprint sensors on the lock screen, but that’s just my personal opinion. The phone doesn’t make its weight felt despite being packed with intensive hardware.
The Galaxy M32 gets a quad-camera setup at the back, with a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, a 2-megapixel macro shooter, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. A 20-megapixel front camera ensures the most explicit selfies with bright colours. The camera quality is not the best-in-class, but it offers everything to desire in its segment.
Verdict:
Samsung Galaxy M32 packs a 6,000mAh battery claimed to deliver up to 130 hours of music playback, 40 hours of talk time, or 25 hours of video playback on a single charge. The phone also supports 25W fast charging, though it is bundled with a 15W charger in the box.
With a starting price tag of Rs 13399, the phone seems like a good offer. But we’ll have to use it for a while before passing the final verdict!
People were and still are crazy about foldable smartphones, which is why top smartphone manufacturers are risking to join the segment. The latest one comes from the Chinese smartphone brand Vivo, which reportedly plans to release a rollable, slidable, and foldable smartphone by the end of 2021, under the trademark NEX Roll, NEX Slide, and NEX Fold.
Earlier, Samsung kicked off the foldable smartphone segment with the Galaxy Fold, and the Korean brand is now on the third generation of its foldable smartphones. Along with Vivo, 2021 is expected to witness the launch of Xiaomi, Oppo and Google’s foldable smartphone. LG was also preparing a rollable smartphone, but it failed to survive in the smartphone market, and the company shuts down its smartphone manufacturing section.
On May 24, Vivo has trademarked these three NEX devices, but the real journey began when Vivo launched the world’s first smartphone, Vivo APEX, with a full-screen design and a pop-up camera mechanism. Later on, APEX turned into Vivo NEX, which marked the trend of smartphones with a full-screen design and pop-up cameras.
The upcoming NEX smartphone lineup will bring cutting-edge design and innovative features. Last year, OPPO showcased it’s Oppo X 2021 as the world’s first rollable smartphone, and we all know how Oppo and Vivo are linked to each other as they’re part of BBK electronics. So, it’s not hard to presume that they both are working together to create more innovative smartphones somewhere down the line.
Earlier, a report said that Vivo filed a design patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), where the company registered a patent for a new foldable smartphone design with a stylus. Also, the report said, the smartphone will feature an inward folding screen that unfolds into a tablet. Unfortunately, there’s no official statement from Vivo, but hopefully, more details will appear soon.
When ASUS sent the ROG Phone 5 for review, there was something that said it wasn’t a typical gaming phone. Be it its suave packaging or its sheer presence; the ROG Phone 5 enamoured us even before we booted it up. Having experienced ROG Phone 3 prior to this, we knew we were in for a treat. Nevertheless, after thoroughly examining it and testing its limits, here’s our review of the ASUS ROG Phone 5:
First impressions:
The phone reeks of performance, and it is made clear right from the get-go. It is equipped with heavy-duty machinery explicitly designed for gaming. It gets a 6.78” HDR10+, 144Hz, AMOLED display custom made for ROG Phone 5 by Samsung. It is one of the fastest displays available. The display is 23% brighter than the previous ROG Phone while allowing a minimum brightness of only five nits. The ROG Phone 5 gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform paired with up to 16GB of RAM. It is accompanied by an overclocked Adreno 660 GPU that delivers 35% better performance than the last generation of the ROG Phone.
Performance:
As if those specifications didn’t speak for themselves, the phone is a monster in gaming. It utilises an MMT design consisting of two 3000mAh batteries that allow for 65W charging while discharging will produce less heat during demanding tasks such as gaming. The 2-cell design also makes it possible to position the motherboard in the middle of the frame, creating a perfect weight balance and superior cooling solution. This ensures extended hours of gaming without the phone becoming a microwave oven!
The highlight of the phone is the AirTrigger 5 – Invisible ultrasonic buttons and Motion sensor trigger. It offers better sensitivity, better positioning (closer to edge for smaller hands) and plenty of new motion control gestures. Up to 18 specific touchpoints on the screen can be mapped (with the AeroActive Cooler 5 and ROG Phone 5 Pro or Ultimate). Owners can even use the AirTrigger 5 system outside of games to activate beneficial actions or apps with a simple squeeze motion while in portrait mode.
Verdict:
While the phone demands a respectable starting price tag of Rs 50,000, it is undoubtedly one of the best gaming devices available on the market. Although it has drawbacks such as a heavy body and an average camera, an ardent gamer would be more than happy with the performance that the ROG Phone 5 offers!
Who doesn’t like to have time to time updates for their smartphones? With every software update, your phone gets better. Last year Samsung announced that it would provide three generations of Android OS updates to its devices and hand over a list of about 40 devices that are eligible under its three-year updates’ pledge. Later, in the past month, HMD Global promised to offer two years of Android OS updates and three years of security updates to its Nokia X phones. The client inclined decision by Samsung and HMD Global gathered attention, which helped them gain more buyers.
With that aim and target, Vivo recently announced in a press statement its plan to offer three years of major Android OS updates for the future X series smartphones, an excellent move by Vivo to attract buyers. The update cycle includes three major Android updates and minor security upgrades for select Vivo X smartphones launched after July 2021. The company said in a press statement, the update thread will comprise the European, Australian, and Indian markets.
“Featuring top-of-the-line hardware, the X series flagship phones are built to last and we want to make sure that our customers get software support that lives up to their expectations. We always innovate with the user in mind. With this pledge, we are making a promise to our customers that they will be able to enjoy a premium smartphone experience for an extended period and continue to benefit from the latest software features” Yujian Shi, Senior Vice President and CTO of Vivo, said in a press meet when asked about the latest move by the company.
However, Vivo hasn’t disclosed the complete list of eligible models for the extended software updates, but the non-eligible ones will continue to receive regular Android security updates as planned. Three years of OS updates is a major improvement over the previously designed standard updates of two years. All the top smartphone manufacturers could extend it as much as four years in the future to stay up in the market and enhance the competition.
The announcement will undoubtedly create pressure on Oppo and OnePlus to follow Vivo’s example as all three of these smartphone manufacturers yield massive competition to each other. Currently, the OnePlus policy offers two years of Android version upgrades and three years of security updates, while Oppo provides two years of security updates and two generations of Android OS updates.
Furthermore, Vivo is yet to reveal details about its new X series phones. Although, the rumours suggested that the Vivo X70 Pro+ could be one of the forthcoming models. The smartphone is rumoured to have a 1/1.28-inch sensor supported by Zeiss optics and include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, the successor to the Snapdragon 865-series chipset.
The iPhone 13 is expected to launch in the second half of 2021, and we can’t wait anymore. Like always, there are a number of rumours about what Apple has in store for us, which gives us an overall rough idea about what to expect from the upcoming iPhone 13.
Apple’s chief Tim Cook revealed that the iPhone 12 was the most sold and popular smartphone in the series so far, which unquestionably raises expectations for the iPhone 13. Last year’s iPhone 12 family brought 5G connectivity, a refreshed design and a new powerful chipset. We’ve heard from the rumours that iPhone 13 will feature a trimmed down notch design and an in-display fingerprint sensor as the company focuses on refining the design and improving the internals. Apart from these, Apple is supposed to bring more powerful cameras that capture sharper photos and a bigger battery.
There are possible chances that Apple could name the 2021 iPhone lineup either the iPhone 12s or iPhone 13, but till all these things befall to us officially, let’s call it iPhone 13 and here’s everything we’ve heard from all different types of sources about the forthcoming iPhone 13.
Design, Touch ID & Ports:
After a substantial number of changes to design and features in the iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 will likely remain nearly the same, but we can expect changes like a shrunken notch and Touch ID-based in-display fingerprint scanner in Apple’s next flagship phone. According to the Japanese site Mac Otakara, Apple will continue offering four iPhones in 2021 with the same size structure as the iPhone 12 family, but the thickness and weight could increase a little due to larger batteries.
We could see significant changes in the camera lens position, like lenses arranged diagonally instead of a vertical design, but the device will continue to offer the same Wide and Ultra-Wide lenses along with powerful updates. Leaked dimensions have also shown that iPhone 13’s rear camera system will be considerably larger.
The iPhone 13 models could feature a different matte finish on the outside and come in a matte black colour and stainless steel coating that reduces fingerprints marks.
Apple is working on a Touch ID-based in-display fingerprint scanner, which would be made available in addition to Face ID, a convenient option for iPhone users who struggle to unlock their iPhones with facial recognition while wearing masks. Also, there were reports that Apple would introduce a portless iPhone in 2021 with no external ports or buttons, but it looks like that’s not going to happen very soon, as future iPhones are expected to continue the conventional lightning ports.
Display:
Multiple rumours suggested that the iPhone 13 lineup could feature a 120 HZ display, but only on two of the four iPhone 13 models. The two models with 120 Hz are expected to be the Pro models, which are the ones that are claimed to adopt ProMotion technology.
The rumours also said that Samsung and LG would be the suppliers of LTPO OLED displays that will permit Apple to implement the 120Hz refresh rate in the 2021 iPhone models. Another major rumour in the pipeline is that the iPhone 13 screen might feature an Always-On display that will show a clock and battery charge level on a lock screen.
Chipset & Storage:
We can expect an A15 chip in the upcoming iPhone lineup, a successor to the very powerful A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12. The A15 chip will boost the overall performance and efficiency of the phone. On the storage front, we can expect the iPhone 13 to range from 64GB and 512GB, though some rumours suggested that Apple might skip the 64GB storage option in the iPhone 13 lineup and upgrade the maximum storage from 512 GB to 1 TB. Furthermore, the iPhone 13 is tipped to come with Wi-Fi 6E, an upgrade on the Wi-Fi 6 standard that will support even faster wireless speeds.
Price:
Current leaks do not provide any information about the iPhone 13 pricing, but it may come at a starting price of around Rs. 80,000, a slight increase compared to its predecessor. The second half of 2021 is yet to come, so expect many more leaks about the new iPhone until its launch.
Bridging the gap between the world of affordable and fully loaded feature-rich smartphones is a tough task, but for our readers, we’ve made it simple. Our list of top 10 smartphones under Rs 15000 offers a solid mix of devices with top-notch performance and value for money. The following list will give you a detailed look into the best smartphones on the market under Rs 15000.
The Redmi Note series family has been massively popular in India. Their new addition Xiaomi Redmi Note 10, is one of the best smartphones under Rs 15000 price range. The compact phone doesn’t get the 108MP camera or the 120 Hz refresh rate. Still, it offers overwhelming features along with decent looks and stable performance, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 SoC and 6GB RAM.
Realme Narzo 20 Pro is the first device in the Narzo series that gets a Pro shield. Equipped with an aspect ratio of 20:9 and a screen resolution of 1080 x 2400 Pixels, the phone features a stunning design. It is available in two attractive shades: Black Ninja and White Knight. If you’re looking for a budget gaming phone, then Narzo 20 Pro deserves to be in your cart, as the phone is targeted at gamers and comes with a 65W Super Dart charger.
The pocket-friendly smartphone Xiaomi Poco M3 128GB flaunts a sleek design, high-resolution screen, big battery, and good camera performance. The smartphone comes with a textured leather cover coating at the back that offers a nice grip and makes the smartphone fingerprint-resistant. Also, The smartphone boasts a best-in-class pixel density of 395 ppi along with a 60 Hz panel. Needless to say, it is the best smartphones under Rs 15000.
The Galaxy M series helped Samsung re-establish its name in the market. With a 90Hz screen, Samsung Galaxy M12 has turned out to be a great choice for budget smartphone buyers The phone is powered by a 6000 mAh battery that features a 15W fast charging support and a bezel-less display. The smartphone is available in 2 variants, 4GB RAM-64GB storage and 6GB RAM-128GB storage. Samsung M12 competes against some of the strong offerings from Xiaomi and Realme.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro is a solid smartphone available for under Rs 15000. The value-for-money phone comes with a stunning camera setup on both sides and a massive battery with 18W fast charging. The phone has Perfectly adequate performance courtesy of the Snapdragon 720G chipset featuring an octa-core processor. The phone comes with 3 variants – 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage, 4GB RAM and 128 GB storage, and 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage. However, the 6 GB RAM version costs you about Rs 16,999.
Xiaomi Redmi 9 Power 6GB RAM is midway between the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi 9 Prime in terms of price point. The smartphone arrives with an extensive number of features and specifications. The stellar battery life and dual stereo speakers’ inclusion help the phone stand out from the rest in the given price range. It is a suitable option for users looking for exceptional cameras, massive battery life, and a great processor set up.
The OPPO A53 is one of the best budget smartphones under Rs 15000 smartphone, and what makes it to our list is its 90Hz display and great battery life. However, the device’s pixel density and screen resolution are relatively less compared to other smartphones within the same range. In addition to the above, the phone offers a punch-hole display, a 13MP triple camera setup, Snapdragon 460 SoC, and a 5,000 mAh battery.
The latest Realme 8 smartphone looks good, well finished, and overall like a great device to get your daily operations streamlined, with its powerful chipset and 8GB RAM. The phone is loaded with a 64MP Primary Camera, an 8MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera, 2MP Macro Camera, and another 2MP Depth Lens on its rear side. The device has good battery life that easily lasts for more than a day, even after several hours of gaming, a casual photography session, and a bit of social networking.
Samsung recently introduced its new Galaxy F series with the Galaxy F41 to compete in the budget smartphone segment. The phone has a triple camera setup on the rear side. A 32MP selfie shooter on the front is capable of taking good snaps under any lighting condition. The Galaxy F41 comes with a huge battery and a Super AMOLED display. Also, the Dolby Atmos speakers of the device making it one of the best smartphones under Rs 15000 for music lovers.
Relying heavily on the Made in India factor, Micromax’s comeback phone the In 1 offers exceptional features in the budget segment. The smartphone is equipped with a triple camera setup on its rear with a 48MP primary lens accompanied by a 2MP macro lens and another 2MP depth lens. Along with all the features, Micromax promises guaranteed Android updates for two years and monthly security patches.
OPPO has been generous in its offering for the mid-range segment, with many options covering various features. While the OPPO F19 Pro+ is 5G ready and also ready to set benchmarks, I got a chance to test its vanilla cousin, the F19 Pro. Is it a worthy competitor or a professional failure with a price tag crossing the Rs 20k mark? Here’s what I think. First impressions: The F19 Pro is built for style, and it shows. The highly vibrant back looks fantastic, and being a sucker for gradients, it caught my attention immediately. The grey (or Crystal Silver as OPPO calls it) smoothly transitions from light to dark from top to bottom, and the clear PTFE cover that is provided in the box flawlessly serves its job of keeping the phone spot-free. The 160mm height and 172g weight make this a decently sized phone. While it won’t be a burden on your pocket (literally and figuratively), it will still make its presence felt in hand. That said, the OPPO F19 Pro has its set of shortcomings. Being aesthetically too similar to its lineage, it does not stand out as a new offering and can be confusing to identify for some. It also has a similar screen size and feature as the F17 Pro, further adding to the confusion. The F19 Pro gets a 6.4-inch FHD+ (2,400 x 1,080) AMOLED display. Eagle-eyed enthusiasts will notice that the pill-shaped dual punch-hole camera has been replaced by a single corner cut out on the left side. Usage: OPPO has only given the F19 Pro an AMOLED panel but not a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate in a somewhat surprising turn of events. That said, only a screen is not sufficient to provide an immersive audiovisual experience. This is where the F19 Pro lacks, as there are options in its price range that offer better speakers and, consequently, a better media experience. OPPO has also carried forward the MediaTek Helio P95 chipset found in the F17 Pro. It is stuck with a somewhat outdated chipset, which acts as a big disadvantage for the new phone. Its benchmark score is not only way behind its competition, but it also fails to offer a fresh experience as its predecessor. That said, the phone gets 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, though a beefier 256GB storage variant is also available. Operating on the Android 11-based ColorOS 11.1, the F19 Pro offers a unique experience from other standard Android devices. However, that also implies that the phone is burdened with pre-installed apps such as Snapchat, Soloop, Flipkart, Facebook, OPPO browser, and more. Adding to the disappointment is the inability to uninstall some of these apps, thus occupying some storage space. The primary contributor to the F19 Pro’s weight gain is its bigger 4310 mAh battery pack. Well, relatively bigger, as it is an increase of only 310mAh. That said, the phone comes with a 30W fast charger that can fully juice up the phone from a dead battery in a little over an hour. With a full battery, the phone lasted almost half a day with moderate use. I expect its battery life to decrease as its use gets more intense. The phone also heats up under use, and playing graphically heavy games for extended periods can get uncomfortable. The camera quality is pretty decent and offers a range of options to customise the image further. What’s more, the F19 Pro also comes with dual-shooting mode, allowing you to shoot from both cameras while recording videos. This gives the resemblance of a video-call recording, albeit with HD quality. However, this proves to be more of a gimmick than a regularly usable feature. Verdict: The F19 Pro cannot be considered an upgrade for existing OPPO users since there are hardly any updates from the F17 Pro. It would be wiser to opt for the F19 Pro+ as it gets 5G support, something the Pro misses. OPPO has given the F19 Pro a base price of Rs 21,490, increasing with the increase in storage. What you get for that kind of money is a solid and good-looking phone, but something that considerably falls back from its competition.
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.
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?”
