The design is no doubt spectacular and sleek. It feels rigid and weighs around 511 grams, which does make it slightly heavier than the iPad 9th gen, but it doesn’t feel much heavy. This tablet has a polycarbonate back, though at first glance it certainly doesn’t look and feel like one. This does not mean that the build quality is compromised in any way. All in all, with its sharp edges and curves, it does feel premium to hold. The leatherette keyboard, which is an added accessory, turns into a nice case for the pad, which accentuates the overall appeal of the pad 5.
Functionality
The Xiaomi Pad 5 comes with quad speakers at the top and bottom, there’s a Type-C USB port, and a magnetic pin on one side to connect it with the keyboard. The Xiaomi Smart Pen can be attached to the side where the volume buttons are placed. There’s no headphone jack. Xiaomi is also limiting the Pad 5 to just WiFi-only variants in India. There’s no cellular option, and presumably, those would have cost extra as well.
In terms of controls, you’ll only find a power button and volume rocker on two sides of the same frame corner. Elsewhere there’s a USB-C port and a POGO connector for Xiaomi’s accompanying keyboard.
Display
This is a panel with a meaty 2.5K resolution (1600 x 2560).
The tablet has a 10.95-inch LCD and this is a 2.5K resolution with a 16:10 format. Although it’s IPS LCD – rather than OLED – you still get excellent colour range and support for both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The maximum refresh rate is 120 Hz, though you can also stick with the base 60 Hz.
Audio
The entertainment use case is further helped by the loud and rich audio churned out by the quad speakers – two on each side. These speakers support Dolby Atmos, and what’s more, they can even map and adjust stereo sound automatically as you switch tablet orientation between horizontal and vertical. All this might look pointless for a tablet, but these tiny details at the end of the day all add up and help make a difference to the overall experience.
Software
The Xiaomi Pad 5 comes with the Snapdragon 860 processor, 6GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage version. In terms of daily performance, there were really no complaints as such. Yes, this tablet is powerful enough to run your daily quota of games, productivity or casual browsing and entertainment. But wait, it still runs an android OS, which makes it have its own limitations.
Keyboard and Stylus
Xiaomi is also offering a stylus pen and a keyboard folio cover as optional accessories in a bid to add functionality and increase the Pad 5’s appeal. The keyboard is sleek and the leatherette texture surely feels premium to hold, but considering the size of the keyboard, it just fulfils its dire need. The Xiaomi Smart Pen is an active stylus that connects with the tablet over Bluetooth and attaches magnetically with the slate on its top spine. Attaching it to the tablet also charges its built-in battery. The use cases are as expected – the pen can be used to scribble notes, draw, annotate etc. The only drawback to which is that the two buttons on the pen cannot be customized, but rather have predefined functionalities.
Verdict
If you are looking for an Android tablet that offers a good display and performance while fulfilling daily entertainment and basic productivity needs, the Xiaomi Pad 5 delivers well. The Xiaomi Pad 5 is an exceptional Android tablet – but it is still an Android tablet, which has many limitations. But, considering the cost it is available, it really does serve a purpose.
Rating: 4 star
Good :
Capable display
Smooth performance
Audio output
Bad :
Misses out on the 3.5mm headphone jack & fingerprint scanner
What brings a smile to every Mumbaikar’s face? Of course, BAARISH – the season of romance. You must have met at least one person (non-Mumbaikar) in your life who has talked about visiting the city of dreams during monsoon season, especially to witness the magic of the iconic curved coastal road, the “Marine Drive”. The famous promenade is lined with palm trees and has vibes that offer a refreshing break from mundane routine, though it is always packed like sardine.
Being one of the most congested cities in the world, over the years, people have adopted the Bombay lifestyle, where they have learned the art of staying within their small worlds even though they’re surrounded by people all the time. The city blooms differently when clouds full of rains hit the seashore. One can not describe the beauty of Bombay in monsoon in words unless you’re Javed Akhtar. Let’s look at some of the memorable Bombay, Baarish & Bollywood happenings.
The Wake Up Sid Legacy
Do you remember the climax of the Wake Up Sid, where Sid (Ranbir Kapoor) realises that he has an intense love for Aisha (Konkana Sen Sharma) while taking a look at the magazine photographs? At the same time, the first rain hit the parched city, and he decides to take a shot and drive towards the marine drive in the hope of seeing his lady love. Since then, people have gone more crazy about marine drive and the song Iktara.
Life in a Metro
The local train has always been and will be the first love and lifeline of the people who live in Mumbai. About 35-lacs people commute through a local train on a daily basis, and a lot can happen over a regular journey. We have seen a few of such amazing stories in Anurag Basu’s Life in a metro, and that’s why you couldn’t resist yourselves from playing In Dino when someone beautiful crosses your path while you are running to catch a train.
Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya
The economic capital of India offers endless opportunities for everyone and, at the same time, teaches you how to deal with failure in life. The city of dreams has witnessed many stories of rags to riches and has become a home to many legends. The city makes sure you live your life with a never give up attitude, but when it gets out of your hands (waterlogging vibes), just take a deep breath and sing Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya and start again.
Taxi No. 9211
Bombay is incomplete without its Kaali Peeli (Taxi), and the people who travel in these taxis regularly at least have one memory to share. Kaali Peeli drivers are full of life, and most of them will not hesitate to share their Bombay stories with you. So, next time you’re stuck in traffic due to baarish, initiate a conversation with them to recreate the Taxi No. 9211 vibes. Warning – Please don’t overdo it, otherwise, you know what a simple-looking Kaali Peeli driver can do!
Ae Dil Hai Aasaan Jeena Yahaan
We all are big fans of the legendary payback singer Mohd. Rafi, who has recorded over 25,000 songs. However, his Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahan from the CID movie has a massive fanbase. The lyrics depict life in Mumbai in a very decent way, even though the city has changed drastically over the last few decades. Sadly, people only remember the lines of Mohd. Rafi, just like they focus on the sad moments instead of Geeta Dutt’s line – Ae Dil Hai Aasaan Jeena Yahaan.
Last month was one of the most adventurous months of my life when I went on a road trip from Los Angeles to Mexico; yes, you read it right, MEXICO!
I was a little hesitant when I picked up this location, but they said, “if the partner is up to the mark then you don’t have to worry” for the unchartered territory ahead, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon gave me company and gobbled over 1000+ km in a three-day trip… This was not the end of my road-tripping. Immediately after the US, I went to UAE and was welcomed by the McLaren 720S Spider for another three days. On both the trips, I only had one issue: the Tech, Wrangler has a relatively smaller infotainment console with a smaller display, so watching navigation is a little troublesome, especially when you are driving in foreign locations at high speeds where every turn is essential. McLaren 720S Spider, with all its power and performance figures, did not have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, that’s an option you have to buy separately, and the car I drove, unfortunately, did not have it. Driving around Dubai with my smartphone in one hand was a nightmare since built-in navigation is always outdated as the city changes so fast. Finally, I had to buy a smartphone holder and mount my smartphone to make my life easier. Just like uber drivers do, in my case, it was the McLaren.
This year, rain gods are showering more love than anticipated. Monsoons and music are a match made in heaven. The temperatures are soothing, and people spend valuable time consuming their favourite tunes stuck in long traffic hours or enjoying the serene backdrop of rain. In this edition, we celebrate music. Have you ever wondered how big is the Indian music industry? Read along as we explain what different music genres mean and how music affects your brain and mental health. Music and rains have existed since times unknown. Music may be beyond language, while some languages weirdly sound like music. Did you know that music doubles as therapy? Wondering where to head this monsoon, read our top picks for a spectacular monsoon destination right here in India.
The evolution of rap music, an ancient musical art form, is just as fascinating as rap song lyrics. Music is heard in nature and manufactured marvels. We list the most awesome-sounding car exhausts and expensive audio systems that cater to the richest of the world. We also have premium sound systems in cars, costing as much as regular cars! Adhering to the theme, we also mention some classic monsoon playlists. And, if you thought music was all, get ready to feel puny as we dive into the vastness of space. James Webb Space Telescope is our new pair of eyes exploring space as we’ve never seen before. From the vastness to the nothingness of Nothing, a new tech company with new products seems promising. My team tests Acer Aspire 5, Asus Tuf Dash 15 and MSI’s gaming laptops alongside the popular Nord 2T, Poco F4, a successor to the fan-favourite F1 and OnePlus 10R. Did I mention the wearable purifier, a crazy innovation
from LG?
The world also lost Leonardo Del Vecchio, the man behind almost every popular sunglasses brand. A tribute to the businessman with shady ideas. From Bombay, Baarish and Bollywood to the merger of two Japanese giants, Sony and Honda, to make electric vehicles, this monsoon enjoy a diverse musical edition and happy monsoon to one
and all. Enjoy the Monsoon!
Fashion is an industry that spans the world and inspires people to find their voice and approach. However, it is crucial to consider the tremendous environmental impacts of fashion on our planet. From Fast Fashion declining the lifespan of garments to trends taking over social media, consumerism has increased, and the industry desperately needs sustainable practices.
Reusing, recycling, renting and thrifting to increase the lifespan of garments is essential in the fight to tackle the existential threat of risen carbon footprint and climate change. It is time to hit the brakes on fast fashion and mindless shopping and work towards creating a fashion industry that supports ecological practices and addresses overconsumption.
More importantly, brands must adopt ethical practices, use eco-friendly packaging, and strive to be more sustainable to defend the planet and help consumers in their slow fashion journey. Throwing a spotlight on three homegrown indie brands that are socially and environmentally responsible and will help you build a greener wardrobe.
Okhai offers handcrafted apparel created by rural artisans across the country. These artisans are gifted with the skill to craft exquisite designs, and the pieces transcend trends by giving classics a fresh twist. Embroidery, patchwork, and mirror work emphasize handloom and are a vibrant expression of culture. The brand has helped improve the economic conditions of women artisans.
Ritu Kumar believes in slow fashion and uses soybean and banana fibres to create her signature crafts and embroideries. The brand is rooted in sustainability and is devoted to reducing its carbon footprint by using natural fibres. The collection celebrates bandhini, aari work, geometric patterns, florals, patchwork, and dyed prints with a promise to stay true to their vision of transparency.
Bareek is a sustainable and green menswear brand specializing in light and breathable clothing. Bareek strives to lessen its impact by using handwoven fabrics such as khadi and handloom cotton and ensures that each piece is sourced mindfully and responsibly. The fabrics increase the longevity of the pieces and promise modern, sensible use and reuse of the collection. The heritage crafts such as jamdani and ikat are their bestsellers.
Who wakes you up in the morning? Now, don’t say your parents or sibling(s), for heaven’s sake! Yeah, they like turning off the air conditioner, fan and our MOOD every time they see us sleeping after specific hours. Jokes apart, but every morning or perhaps, every afternoon (cheers and more power to night owls), for most of us, an alarm clock does the job of waking us up with a piece of music we have set up beforehand.
Basically, from waking up in the morning with a favourite alarm tone to trying to sleep while listening to your favourite songs, we’re surrounded by the term MUSIC. We live on a planet where music plays a vital role in almost every ceremony, be it a marriage or a funeral; we pursue relief in the presence of music. Being a solitary person, I’ve heard all types of popular music, but my heart only beats for the Indian melodies.
An ode to the Indian music
It is said that the art of music was introduced to Earth by Narada Muni, and since then, music has been an inseparable part of Indian culture and tradition. Back in the days (when the Gharana system was present), the students would spend many years with their guru to learn the music, and over time they used to share a spiritual bond and principles with their teachers, which further shaped their life.
Originated in South Asia and the identity of the Indian subcontinent, Indian classical music is one of the oldest music forms in history. It is divided into two major traditions – the North Indian classical music known as Hindustani and the South Indian classical music known as Carnatic. It was formed 6,000 years ago from sacred Vedic scriptures and is closely connected to nature.
Note: Hope you’ve heard the stories of Megh Malhar Raag, which has the power to bring out rains in the area where it is sung.
Bollywood Music Vs Classical Music
We all love (or used to love, thanks to the remixers) Bollywood music even though it doesn’t have a specific style. In comparison, Indian classical music has a rich history and numerous types as it is influenced by the natural elements of the earth. Indian classical music is the primary vocal training genre of Indian music, while Bollywood music is just a type of music we hear in the Bollywood movies.
Bollywood music or songs consists of different types of music and has every element of music from traditional to folk, classical to western. The primary and most noticeable difference between these two music genres is that Bollywood is commercially very profitable, while Indian classical music helps enlighten the soul. Classical music has a limited audience, while we can see all age groups grooving to Bollywood music.
Why are Indian Musicians still struggling to have a global presence?
We have about 22 major languages and 19,500 dialects in India as mother tongues, which obviously creates a linguistic barrier. However, in India, most artists write lyrics for the music/song in Hindi or respective major/regional languages. The language barrier among the people creates a downpour into the popularity, and that’s the sole reason Indian music reaches the outside world but fails to make a mark.
In western countries, musicians usually produce their records/albums and are open to exploring the art form. Whereas, in India, musicians are more into being a part of Bollywood and singing a song or two for a particular movie. Independent musicians from western countries gain recognition under their name, which helps them to have a worldwide audience. Also, they do frequent concerts making them popular among the youth.
Top 5 instruments used in Indian Music Industry
Sitar – The instrument has a long neck with twenty metal frets and seven cords.
Renowned Sitar Players – Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Abdul Halim Zaffar Khan
Flute – A cylindrical instrument which provides vitality to the mind and soul.
Renowned Flute Players – Pt Pannalal Ghosh and Pt Hari Prashad Chaurasia
Shehnai – A double-reed instrument with a tapering bore progressively increases towards the lower side.
Renowned Shehnai Players – Ustad Bismillah Khan
Tabla – Everyone knows what is Tabla? A pair of drums – one is called Tabla and the other one is called Bayan.
Renowned Tabla Players – Zakir Husain
Harmonium – The harmonium is also called Reed Organ. It has a free-reed keyboard of over two and one-half octaves and works on a bellows system.
Renowned Harmonium Players – Late R. K. Bijapure
Top 5 Music Companies in India
T-Series
T-Series is an Indian music record label and film production company run by Bhushan Kumar, son of the founder and music producer Gulshan Kumar. On YouTube, it has a multi-channel network of over 29 channels and over 390+ million subscribers.
Saregama India Limited
Saregama India Limited is an Indian music company, formerly known as the Gramophone Company of India. The company was founded in 1901 and is India’s oldest music label, currently owned by the RP – Sanjiv Goenka Group of companies.
Universal Music India
Launched in 1999, Universal Music India is a part of the Universal Music Group, an American-based, Dutch-listed multinational music corporation. The worldwide revenue of the Universal Music Group is over $6 billion, and it is one of the youngest music companies in India.
Tips Industries Limited
Tips Industries is one of the renowned film production and film distribution company. The company was founded by Kumar S. Taurani and Ramesh S. Taurani in 1975, and over the 3 decades, it has grown to become a leading entertainment company.
Times Music
Times Music is the number 1 music label in the spiritual music genre. The company started operations in 1998, and since then, it has produced over 60,000 tracks in all languages and genres. In India, the company is more famous for its spiritual music releases.
Valuation
After engineering, medical and MBA, music is the only career or perhaps the only acceptable art form in the society in which Indian parents believe. Otherwise, parents are very precise about their children’s career choices, especially in our country. Once called “The Global Music Industry’s Sleeping Giant”, – The Indian music industry has topped the charts for the third time in a row with annual revenue of over ₹1,500 crores.
The pandemic caused a big hole in the earnings of the Indian music industry as 70% of recorded music in India is film-based. However, many people bought memberships and paid the charges on several apps, which helped the industry stay intact. Currently, the Indian music industry is ranked 17th in the world, and it is valued at around 19 billion Indian rupees at the end of 2021 and is expected to cross 28 billion rupees by the end of 2024.
Musical Records
Aap Kaa Surroor, a debut album by Himesh Reshammiya, released in 2006, is the highest-selling album ever released in India, with over 55 million copies sold.
Asha Bhosle is the most recorded artist in music history. She has recorded up to 11,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs in over 20 Indian languages since 1947.
Rahul Dev (RD) Burman is known as the King of Bollywood Music and is one of the influential music directors in the Indian film industry.
Shree Hanuman Chalisa by Hariharan is India’s most viewed music video, with over 2,486,720,895 views. The video is on the T-Series Bhakti Sagar channel.
Lut Gaye, a song starring Emraan Hashmi, composed by Tanishk Bagchi and sung by Jubin Nautiyal, has become the fastest Indian single to reach 1 Billion views on YouTube.
You can’t help but feel joy when scrolling through your Instagram feed full of zingy colours and vibrant pieces, precisely what Dopamine Dressing does! As we emerge from the pandemic and break free from isolation, we drench ourselves in neons and hot pinks to brighten our spirits and feel upbeat. With the return to normalcy, the world is celebrating in cheery Fuchsia hues and bold corals.
Dopamine dressing is dressing to find happiness in clothes. With fashion being the perfect vehicle for self-expression and inspiration, dressing to boost your mood and feel good is the current trend. This trend has taken birth in a generation obsessed with breaking the monotony and making a statement, and what is a better way to stand out than to sport eye-catching colourful outfits?
Millennials believe in dressing for themselves and steer away from external validation. This freedom of celebrating a unique style of expressing emotions is a dopamine trigger. Clothing has a more profound impact on our mood than we think. In fact, it can lead to increased confidence and pleasure. The rise of colour in fashion is steeped with meaning.
Neons are definitely the new Black. Fashion’s embrace of celebrating personal style and playful dressing has made wardrobe a powerful means of communication. Mass brands like H&M and ONLY have included bold hues like neons, glowing scarlets, shimmer, and a plethora of bright colours in their collections to keep up with the latest fashion trends, focusing on spreading optimism and happiness.
Dopamine dressing isn’t all about dressing up in colours, prints, textures, and hues but rather pieces that make you happy and uplift your mood. It could be an oversized T-shirt or your favourite joggers. There are no rules and regulations: it’s all about using clothing to induce joy and pleasure! The happiness hormone is not just associated with flashy colours but is about fashion which brings you a better mood.
Our Top Dopamine Dressing Tip:
Get creative, get out of your comfort zone, wear what truly excites you, and don’t feel afraid to add a pop of pink or look like a disco ball!
Nothing in tech is interesting anymore; these are the words of Carl Pei, the visionary behind many successful companies, products and now his own company, Nothing. Before we understand the company, we need to know about the journey of Carl Pei and how everything in his life leads to Nothing. Carl Pei is a master entrepreneur. He was one of the core members when OnePlus came into being. OnePlus as we all know, is a technology brand with many portfolios and SKUs catering to customer technology. The man and his missions Carl Pei and marketing strategies
Awareness of a problem
Carl Pei was the man behind the first “flagship killer” campaign. His modus operandi has been a three-stage approach. First is awareness of a problem – Technology is not fun anymore. His presentations with the OnePlus One, his involvement with the OnePlus Nord series and now his own company, Nothing, presented a similar problem. According to him, technology in consumer products is stagnant and lacks innovation to make things interesting.
The Nord series was the approach to meeting the expectations of the youth. The awareness created for the Nord series was the lack of colours, good affordable products and making tech interesting for the youth. Has that problem been solved? Maybe the teal colour was the solution? Despite not completely eliminating the problem, the Nord series was an absolute success.
Nothing ear (1) followed the same approach of creating awareness of a problem. ANC at an affordable price but also an innovative solution in the form of design. Something similar is being approached with the Phone (1). Carl Pei had a seventeen-minute video teasing the problem of smartphones becoming mundane and boring. He also approached the problem that nothing new is happening in the smartphone space. Earlier phone launches were exciting, but not anymore.
Opportunity – Solution to the problem
In a world filled with consumer products that all look alike, the OnePlus One was considered revolutionary. His strategy involved creating a comprehensive new phone that would challenge the best of its time. The product had to be affordable enough to wide-spread that flagship experience among people who were sceptical about buying a flagship product or just did not find value in most flagships. The phone delivered when it arrived, and almost every person looking for a phone to buy was considering the OnePlus One despite the lack of stores, service networks and enough units to call it a success.
Nord series did something similar but catered to a younger audience. The teal colour for the Nord series was an iconic hit. It was not the complete solution as it was offered in an iconic colour that stood as the brand image colour for a long time. Carl Pei insisted on affordable 5G solutions, keeping costs less and offering more at a given price increased the Nord value. A subsidiary of the brand OnePlus, Carl Pei’s Nord, was able to provide a solution to loyal OnePlus customers while keeping the core OnePlus One strategy. OnePlus was acquired by the giant parent company of many other brands like Realme, Oppo, Vivo, etc., BBK electronics. Thus, Carl Pei focused on Nord as his visionary project of the time.
Carl Pei moved on from OnePlus for reasons unknown, but his vision and mission were alive with Nothing, a new company under his leadership. The first product launched was the Nothing ear (1), promising to promote ANC and features much above its competitor’s market price. A solution for people who want to enjoy music whilst gaining a reality check on his dream to create a new fan base for his upcoming products from Nothing.
A prime example of the same was when he announced Nothing Phone (1), a phone supposedly making smartphone space enjoyable again. He presented the problem that most smartphones are not exciting; they have become mundane yearly. His solution is their first phone from Nothing. A phone teased about being interesting in design with a transparent back loaded with innovative notification LEDs, 40% less bloatware than the competition and a near-stock Android experience with dot-matrix-inspired Nothing UI.
Hype marketing
Carl Pei is a man of value offerings. He does not believe in flagship offerings at a flagship price. His years of experience and approach have always been to hype the launch of something that could be innovative through various popular means of marketing. Hype marketing seems to create a buzz around the social media audience, and potential buyers are raising expectations. Carl Pei is a master of creating hype with selective marketing tools strategically used to reach maximum reach.
OnePlus One
In 2014, Carl Pei announced the launch of the OnePlus One with a strategy similar to his 2022 product, Nothing Phone (1). It involved showcasing products of 2014 with brand names up front on the bezels of the phone, hardware and software that was lacklustre from most brands available in the market. Like the Nothing series on YouTube, the OnePlus One launched with several videos that involved research about the problems of that era, the making process of the OnePlus One and how exactly the product solved the issues presented with a viral tagline – Flagship killer. The phone was a massive internet sensation when it launched.
Influencer marketing was successful enough post the hype. Most YouTube channels with millions of subscribers were the first to unbox this flagship killing product. Numerous videos compared it to the flagships of that era, showcasing the prowess of a visionary and his hype marketing that resulted in positive success for the brand overall. With interchangeable backs, one in sandstone, one in wood finish and another in white matte, this phone was considered different in design and hardware. The most disruptive feature was the amount of value it promised at a given price. It was launched with Cyanogen Mod, a custom operating system that was a first at its time. It provided the enthusiast with custom firmware to tinker, something most enthusiasts do to date. No one had done this before.
OnePlus Nord series
Later in 2019, Carl Pei was also heading the Nord series and its marketing. This time, the problem served was something for youth and you in general. Carl was seen in multiple videos across the Nord series’ making process. The team researched and provided a teal-coloured solution for all the OnePlus loyalists lost due to OnePlus penetrative marketing strategies. Penetrative marketing is when something launches at a disruptive price, sells in quantity, and, upon successful market reach, increases the cost slowly but steadily to gain market share.
Nothing is similar
Carl Pei is all hype about Nothing with a track record of successful marketing campaigns. He has successfully marketed his reach and selective information to create a non-stop social media hype about his upcoming product, the Nothing Phone (1). This strategy does seem to work in this time and era of online marketing. People all around the world have easy access to online media. Like his earlier strategies, Carl Pei has strategized the online marketing hype for his newest offering, launching on 12th July 2022, Nothing Phone (1).
Capturing the best of social media engagement, endorsing along with the best channels with millions reach and strategically hyping one segment after the other of an innovative product. For example, with the OnePlus One to Nothing Phone (1), Carl has always provided production-ready units to YouTube celebrities like MKBHD, etc. They never reveal their genuine opinions as a part of an embargo designed to release after the product launch event. A hype train ridden with hours of teaser content for an actual product that isn’t ready is a new world strategy by Carl Pei. Similar to the OnePlus One, the Nothing Phone (1) will only be available through invites shared by owners of the device. This is a traditional marketing technique of word-to-mouth or barter since most people will be exchanging those invites for some temporary gratification.
Nothing Phone (1)
The Nothing Phone (1) hardware was leaked online despite the hype train. It may be the device’s growing popularity or the intuitive and innovative back of the phone. Thousands of people highly await the Nothing Phone (1). The strategy is tried and tested. The founder shared awareness of a problem that phones are boring while someone or their Phone (1) intends to change that scenario. As mentioned, Carl Pei, the founder of Nothing, is a man who loves to provide value to his end consumers.
Thanks to this era of technology booming amid a chip shortage and a global pandemic, providing something similar to the OnePlus One was impossible with the Nothing Phone (1). Carl and his team thus scouted the best solution and researched the market for a sweet spot among smartphone buyers. We already have a smartphone (or two), and the upgrade cycle is a constant spinning wheel. Rumour mill churns the Nothing Phone (1) to come powered with one of Qualcomm Snapdragon’s gems – Snapdragon 778+ SOC.
If you are unaware of the Snapdragon 778+ SOC, this is the same one used by Motorola in the Edge 30. The 778+ is not only powerful when it comes to gaming at high resolutions and high frames per second but also is one of the most efficient current generation SOCs. This 5G capable chip supports multiple 5G bands and most newer WiFi standards and performs excellent at camera post-processing. Couple that with the rumour of 8GB fast RAM and UFS 3.1 configured multiple internal storage options; this phone seems similar to most phones.
The phone might also get OIS on its primary 50MP camera and the ultra-wide sensor. There are innovative features like notification LEDs on the back that light up as alert combinations based on user preferences. There’s also a 4500mAh battery with wireless and reverse wireless charging with NFC capabilities. If the hardware sounds fine, the software promises to offer what they call human warmth. Innovate Nothing OS, and UI pledges to bring freshness to the evolving Android 12 software. This shall improvise with OTA updates in the future.
An ecosystem of Nothing
Nothing UI promises to integrate hardware and software level recognition for its ecosystem of devices alongside support for third-party accessories. The phone is the hub for all we know as of now, and with a disruptive price like the OnePlus One back in its time, the Nothing Phone (1) is nothing but hype waiting to come true. We wish nothing but the best to a visionary and Nothing. Invites only!
What do you think about the OnePlus’s strategy? The company has launched way too many smartphones in 2022 compared to their previous records. It looks like, OnePlus is the only company that didn’t take a pause and change its working schedules during the infamous COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, they launched another smartphone in their Nord series, the OnePlus Nord 2T. Let’s take a quick look at the 10 things you should know before purchasing a smartphone.
Revamped Nord 2
Have you seen the last year’s OnePlus Nord 2? If you have, you could identify the significant similarities between Nord 2 and Nord 2T, as they’re identical except for the design updates. The revamped Nord 2T is the first Nord smartphone to receive the ‘T’ branding, and it is a decent alternative for you if you’re looking for a solid mid-range smartphone under ₹30,000.
80W SuperVOOC Fast Charging
The 10th NORD device in the series arrives with an 80W SuperVOOC fast charging support, allowing OnePlus Nord 2T to sit along with the OnePlus 10 Pro. The fast charging support takes only 30 minutes to charge the 4500mAh battery of the smartphone fully. When charged fully, the phone lasts almost a day, even after heavy usage.
The Processor – MediaTek Dimensity 1300
The Nord 2T marks the debut of MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC in India as it is the first smartphone launched with the Dimensity 1300 processor. The processor that scored 699,576 on Antutu makes the smartphone capable of handling multitasking operations and ensures the users will not be disappointed while operating day-to-day tasks.
90 Hz FHD+ AMOLED Display
The revamped Nord 2T comes with the same smooth 6.43” FHD+ AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution and 90 Hz screen refresh rate as the OnePlus Nord 2. Also, the company has taken care of your binge-watching practices and has featured the smartphone with HDR10+ support.
Good Looks, Good Looks & Good Looks
The Nord 2T is one of the most good-looking smartphones the OnePlus has ever manufactured, even some of the premium smartphones will fail in front of the 2T when compared on the basis of looks. The smartphone has a slick and velvety texture yet offers an excellent grip. Also, it is secured with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and the back panel.
Camera – Old wine in a new bottle
Just like the rest of the features Nord 2T comes with the same mediocre camera as the Nord 2. It has a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary lens paired with an 8MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP portrait lens. The front or selfie camera of the Nord 2T is 32MP, and like last year, it is limited to 1080p video.
OxygenOS 12.1 out-of-the-box
The smartphone runs on OxygenOS 12.1, based on Android 12 and delivers a smooth user experience without hiccups. The company has also confirmed the smartphone will get three major Android OS updates and four years of security updates. Overall, OnePlus Nord 2T seems to be one of the best mid-range smartphones under ₹30,000.
The OnePlus 10R feels like it was rebranded, and maybe that’s true. The new age, flat edge design looks neat, but the sharp design with more contemporary looks does feel a stark departure from the traditional curved configurations of the past from OnePlus. It feels relatively lightweight for a 6.7-inch display phone with plastic sides and back along with Gorilla Glass 5 protection up front, weighing 186gms. Buttons are tactile, and the overall sharp edge feels like a love or hate situation. Available in two colours – Forest Green and Sierra Black, we test the latter but opine the former as a choice.
Top-tier hardware but lacklustre software
Our unit features a mind-blowing 160W charger inside the box and a 4500mAh battery. This device’s highlight must be that insane combination of blazing-fast 150W SuperVOOC charging. The phone juices up in less than 10 mins when it comes to charging up to 70+% and thus eliminates charge anxiety in a weird way. A full charge comes in less than 18 minutes, which is mighty impressive. The phone is no slouch either, with Dimensity 8100 Max (custom SOC), 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1, an in-display fast fingerprint sensor and relatively long-lasting battery life.
The AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate feels fast, but the Oxygen OS 12.1 is based on Android 12. Yes, the usual customisations, simplicity, and speed prevail, but there are glitches, and we faced quite a few. For instance, the YouTube app would randomly hang and display over all other apps, including system UI. A long press on the power button triggered the power menu but was not accessible thanks to YouTube recommendations scrolling endlessly on display. This also happened with other apps like GPay and thus was not limited by one app misbehaving.
We did receive two updates during our usage with the phone, but none seemed stable. That said, the hardware and the triple-camera setup are an excellent package. The 50MP primary shooter with f/1.8 and OIS can capture good images and videos even in low light. The 8MP ultrawide manages to match colours, and FOV is quite broad. There’s a 2MP macro shooter lacking details, but weirdly enough, all the rear sensors are capable of shooting in 4K! The front 16MP camera with f/2.4 is wide and clear but can only do EIS 1080p recordings. Mics and connectivity are spot-on, and there were no issues. There is dual-SIM 5G support, with no spectrum to test.
The phone was stable after four non-stop battle-royale games, which was undoubtedly impressive with an astounding 720Hz touch-sampling rate. None of the games supports 90fps yet, but they all easily ran at their max settings. WiFi 6 support is icing on a rather tasty yet simple-looking cake. All OTT apps support FHD resolution and HDR10+ content.
A sleeper phone?
The OnePlus 10R blazed through our tests only to get stuck on any random app requiring a soft reboot. The phone is not only capable of handling this generation of usage but charges faster than most of our bath times. As much as we loved it, we do not wish random software glitches on anyone. If the software experience improves with OTA updates, and you can look past the relatively simple generic look of the OnePlus 10R, it is a great all-around phone.
Good – Insanely fast charging, good hardware
Bad – Generic looks
Ugly – Software glitches
3.5/5
Processor – Dimensity 8100 Max
RAM – 12GB + UFS expandable
ROM – UFS 3.1 256GB
Charge – SuperVOOC 150W Charging
Charge time – 0-100% – 18 Mins
Touch sampling rate – 720Hz
Display – 6.7-inch AMOLED 120Hz
Cameras – Rear – 50MP OIS, 8MP Ultrawide, 2MP Macro, 16MP front camera
Back in CES 2022 in January, Google demonstrated new features to improve their “Better Together” ecosystem experience. Today, with the latest instalment of ChromeOS 103, users can finally experience features such as viewing the camera roll from your phone on your ChromeOS device through the Phone Hub interface, as well as Android’s reply to AirDrop, nearby-share to share Wi-Fi information between supported Google devices.
Beginning with the camera roll sharing, as it stands, the Phone Hub (pretty much the equivalent of the Your Phone app available on Microsoft’s Windows products) can allow the user to keep up with notifications sent to the phone, view recent Chrome tabs, and execute actions such as pinging the phone to locate it, turning on and off the hotspot, and changing the ringer settings on the android device.
Now, however, the application allows users to see their phone’s camera roll through the Chromebook. Sure, you might be thinking photos.google.com does the same thing? However, Google claims that this feature works completely offline as well. Tapping a photo will allow users to download the selected image to the Chromebook.
Google also announced Chromebook support for Google Fast Pair, which is a proprietary device pairing standard using Bluetooth Low Energy to enable the iconic “AirPods Pairing” window to make wireless accessories easier to use, but for a much larger range of devices that can be experienced on modern Bluetooth earphones and accessories on Android.
Furthermore, Google also claims that with the latest iteration of Nearby Share, “sharing is up to 10 times faster.” Finally, Nearby Share also adds a minor yet meaningful feature in the form of Wi-Fi credentials sharing, making sharing Wi-Fi passwords much faster and also much more secure between supported devices.
