Latest Tech Reviews Online Only on

Mi Band 6 Overview: Enhanced Health Indicators

It’s MY band. A band that can keep me health conscious. The way health consciousness has captured the world is interesting. And, why won’t it be considering that one single virus and its constant and notorious mutation has clearly brought frustrations? Now, you just can’t open an e-Commerce store and order some heavy machines to use at home. Hence, you need something lightweight and easy to carry and track your health profile. For this purpose, the new Mi Band 6 can help you out. To know more about this new wristband, Exhibit is ready to take you on a Mi Band 6 overview.

Color Funk & Display

Jony Ive’s perception about colors in the movie JOBS and bringing them into the real world was correct. And, Mi Band 6 correctly follows this principle. This new band can offer you a wide range of color variants (a total of six). So, you can choose the choice that renders the funk quotient through olive, black, blue, orange, yellow, and ivory. All these colors comply with the latest styles. In addition to this, Mi Band 6 has a larger AMOLED display of 326 PPI (50% more than Mi Band 5). This display helps you to set a background theme. Pick a picture that you want to see every day whenever you wear this smart band.

SpO₂ Tracking

Economics tracks inflation in the form of demand and supply. The price of anything can go up if the demand increases or the supply goes down. And, humanity never thought that oxygen could become a part of economics. The way the second wave hit and brought the gigantic catastrophe, you would have understood the importance of oxygen. But, the new Mi Band 6 has taken care of this by providing appropriate biological sensors that can track SpO₂ is commendable.

Breathing When You Sleep

Breathing is important. Don’t you think? Ask Hrithik Roshan, who survived scuba diving in ZNMD. Well, Mi Band 6 has worked a lot on your breathing monitoring. Even when you are sleeping? What? Yeah, this new band can track your breathing during your sleep and evaluate your breathing score.

I Know When My Heart Rate is Pumping More

That’s just amazing, considering how the sensors and other equipment in this gadget can check out what you are doing. Before going to bed, you can check when the heartbeat rate was more compared to other times when it was low. For all these things, you can give credit to its activity intelligence feature.

MY Band is MY Trainer

Ohh Yes. If this is what you are looking for, Mi Band 6 is the perfect option. This new band has acquired the power of 30 fitness modes. If you think of Zumba, HIIT, pilates, etc., you get them here apart from normal exercises. Mi Band 6 can shrink the world of many trainers who are there out on YouTube and other platforms. In addition to this, the technology inducted in this gadget can automatically track your six fitness modes.

Stylish Design, Advanced Health Monitoring System, and Sophistication are the most crucial elements of Mi Band 6.

Water Resistance & Stroke Recognition

Al Pacino, you are no more El classico. Why? Mi Band 6. This new band has a 5 ATM waterproofing rating. What does it mean? It means if you are in Goa, Florida, or Gold Coast, buy this band and get ready for your swimming experience on beaches. Apart from this, it helps to track your swimming time as well due to stroke recognition.

Magnetic Charging

Mi Band 6 comes with magnetic charging. In addition to this, the battery that Mi has added to it is simply commendable. It is because it can have a battery life of 5 days after heavy use. That’s a whopping figure for sure. Get ready to give a standing ovation to this 125mAh Lithium polymer battery.

Launch Date & Price

If you are not a curious cat but a human, you must have started opening a new tab in your browser to check its release date. Well, hurry up. Set a reminder on your smartphone for tomorrow. Ohh! Great. 12 July is the date when this new band will hit the Indian market. But wait? Can price hit you badly? No, not at all. It’s just INR 4490/-.

Mi Band 6 Overview – Conclusion

That is something cool coming out. Well, such a rich set of features can enlarge the eyes of this band’s competitors. So, till the time, nothing new comes out, Mi Band 6 will have the monopoly due to features and traits.

Qualcomm Launches $1500 ‘Smartphone For Snapdragon Insiders’

US-based chip making giant Qualcomm, which manufactures Snapdragon processors and modems for almost every primary Android device, is now launching its Flagship. Qualcomm and Asus have collaborated on a custom device called ‘Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders.’

As the name suggests, Qualcomm will sell the $1500 phone directly to members of its Snapdragon Insider Fan Community, which was launched earlier this year. It is much of a token of appreciation for the community keen on learning about Qualcomm’s developments before anyone else.

Smartphone For Snapdragon Insiders Specifications

The flagship smartphone runs Android 11, Snapdragon 888 chip, has 16 GB of Ram and 512 GB of storage, a 6.78-inch, 144 Hz Samsung OLED panel with Gorilla Glass Victus, and offers a rear fingerprint scanner.

However, the Snapdragon 888 processor feels like an odd choice for a device this expensive since the company has already launched a more powerful 888 plus model. Although there is very little difference between the vanilla and the Plus variant, the latter is supposed to handle graphics better. The smartphone offers a 4000 mAh battery, which is again not the biggest we have seen in a smartphone.

Snapdragon Insider features a three-camera setup at the back, with the main one featuring a Sony IMX686 64- megapixel image sensor. There is also an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The front camera offers a 24-megapixel lens. The phone can shoot 8K at 30 frames per second and 4K at 30 or 60 frames per second.

What stands out in Flagship is Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Sound classification, which other Android devices have not yet offered. It promises a hi-fi music playback at up to 24 bit 96 kHz. Also, it includes some Master & Dynamics earbuds, which eventually appears to be MW08 earbuds with Snapdragon Logo on them. These earbuds sell in the market for $299 if that makes you feel any good about the $1499 price tag!

Snapdragon also boasts of offering the most comprehensive support for all key 5G wavebands in a single device. The device also supports Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.

In addition, the phone also includes a 65W Quick charge 5.0 charge, USB C to USB C, and USB C to USB A cables.

Biggest Setback

The major setback for the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders is that the device does not feature the company’s latest processor. Neither does it push the technology any further than what most powerful smartphones have to offer. OnePlus 9 Pro and Galaxy S21 Ultra provide the exact specifications for far less money.

The glowing Snapdragon logo at the back doesn’t make the smartphone worth the premium price tag.

Launch

The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders will be first available in the US, China, UK, and Germany by August. It will launch in India soon, and the price could nearly equal 1,12,200, although no official data is available about the release.

Samsung Galaxy M32 review: M-azing or M-bitious?

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!

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite Review: To Tab Or Not To Tab?

Samsung recently launched a bunch of Galaxy products, albeit in the budget segment. Among the lot was the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, which is expected to fall in the mid-range tablet segment. While we are yet to explore it fully, here’s a quick review of what we have learnt so far:

First Impressions:

The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite comes in a simple white box. Apart from the tablet, its contents include a travel adaptor, a data cable, an ejection pin, and a manual. Samsung has also provided a book cover for the Tab, though I doubt it will be offered as a standard accessory. The cover itself is priced at 2199, which is still considerable, should a potential customer opt for it.

The model we received gets 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage. There is also a higher version available with 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage. Both models share an 8.7-inch HD Display that might not be the best in class, but it does its job flawlessly. The tab gets an 8MP camera at the front and a 2MP unit at the rear. Neither are excellent for photography, but a tablet isn’t supposed to be used for severe photography either!

Usage:

Being equipped with just 3GB RAM means the tablet is rather sluggish. Honestly, I felt a slight lag right from the time I booted it up. The interface is typical Samsung with nothing to admire, though Samsung loyalists will find no fault. The usual Samsung paraphernalia is included in the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, while it also gets an optional e-educator. It’s a nifty addition, especially in current times.

The tablet is not bulky to hold and feels more like an enlarged phone. However, its awkward dimensions mean that fluent operation is more of a habit than intuition. The display, however, is classic Samsung and shows all colours in vivid beauty. However, the lack of a suitable processing system and supporting hardware means that the Tab’s potential might be untapped, should it have any.

Verdict:

Samsung has given the Tab a 5100mAH battery. While it is not monstrous, it should suffice for a day’s worth of light or medium usage. It is clear that Samsung aims to market this Tab as a jack of all trades, and it is doubtful that it will be a master of any. That said, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is a suitable pick for anyone looking for a multi-purpose utility tool without too high expectations and while also being reasonably priced. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is available in 3GB + 32GB and priced at Rs 14,999 for LTE and Rs 11,999 for WIFI model.

Asus Vivobook review: Larger than life!

Asus is a brand synonymous with extravagance. Be it smartphones or laptops; the brand always offers something extra. But is it always good? We got a chance to answer that question when we reviewed the Asus VivoBook 17 M712. Here’s how it went:

First impressions:

With a 17.3-inch Full HD NanoEdge display, the laptop ensures an immersive and crystal clear visual experience. That, coupled with SonicMaster audio technology, translates to a theatre-like experience in a closed room. It also has an 85 per cent screen-to-body ratio that could have been better, but it looks good.

Usage:

The laptop functions fantastically as a professional device. After all, with the AMD Ryzen 5 Processor and AMD’s integrated Radeon graphics equipped, it is sure to offer smooth performance. However, it is more of a generalist than a specialist and can be best used for productive multitasking, multimedia editing, or casual gaming. It gets 16GB RAM and a PCIe SSD storage that offers quite substantial storage and run speeds. Asus also provides additional storage alongside the SSD, with 1TB SATA HDD.

However, the downside of its enormous size is its keyboard. Although it is a full-size backlit keyboard, it is relatively far from the base of the laptop. Probably because the mouse tracker occupies significant space, but that pushes the keyboard further towards the screen. This makes it slightly cumbersome to use over extended periods, and prolonged usage is almost guaranteed to cause wrist pain. The keys have 1.4mm of travel, which allows feather-touch typing, but their proximity and flatness can lead to frequent mistype under speed.

Connectivity options are plentiful in the VivoBook, with one USB Type-C port, featuring an any-way-up design that makes connecting devices as easy as possible. In addition, there is one USB 3.1 Gen 1 and two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 output, and a microSD card reader. All these options ensure that the user can opt for multiple inputs for the laptop.

Verdict:

A starting price tag of Rs 62,990 might make the user consider other options, but anybody who opts for the VivoBook 17 with a generalist approach will not be disappointed. However, it would be nice if Asus could update the keyboard design in its future models to increase the comfort level of using its laptops.

Asus ROG Phone 5 review: Gaming redefined

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!

Fossil Gen 5E Smartwatch Review: Modernized Fossil

Fossils are usually considered to be reminiscent of the past and a gateway into the yesteryears. However, with technology evolving rapidly every day and with novelties being put up on the table almost incessantly, it is acceptable to redefine many erstwhile notions. One of them is the perception of fossils, or rather the word fossil. Deviating from the dust-filled bones and rocks of the past, American company Fossil has offered unique yet relatable items in the fashion industry. Recently I got a chance to explore the Fossil Gen 5E smartwatch, which I will be talking about in this article.

First impressions:

Fossil is a brand synonymous with style, and Gen 5E is fiercely loyal to its heritage. Featuring a sleek, jet-black design on a stainless steel body, the smartwatch reeks of suavity and elegance. The 44mm dial does a fantastic job of displaying all the content clearly, though it can be slightly cumbersome to operate beyond its set purpose. That being said, the watch has a plethora of features to offer, making it a solid competitor in its segment.

Usage:

Gen 5E connects to your smartphone via the Wear OS via the Google app. It syncs almost all phone data to the watch, diminishing the need to operate simultaneously. Right from controlling music playback to sending messaging and making calls, Gen 5E has everything available at the touch of a button. However, these features can make the watch feel cluttered and getting to a specific app can mean incessant swiping on the screen, which can get irritating after a while.

The watch offers almost unlimited customisation and personalisation, meaning that you can make your watch stand out in whatever way you like. Be it watch faces or battery duration; the watch can adapt fluidly to meet user demands. Speaking of battery life, Fossil is nifty enough to specify the three modes of Gen 5E’s battery usage. Users can alter the watch between four primary modes, of which three are preset, and the fourth is a custom mode.

Verdict:

A price tag of Rs 18,495 immediately puts the Fossil Gen 5E smartwatch in the luxury fashion category, meaning potential buyers cannot compare it with the FitBits and Amazfits of the world. Nevertheless, it is a solid offering for its price tag and will fulfill all its user requirements, no matter how complex the demand.

OPPO F19 Pro review: A strong mid-ranger or a nominal update?

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.

HyperX Pulsefire Haste review: Hasty Jerry

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.

Living With: Samsung Z fold2

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

PLATFORM
OS: Android 10, upgradable to Android 11, One UI 3.0
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+ (7 nm+)
CPU: Octa-core
GPU: Adreno 650