Best smartphones of 2022 – A listicle of the best phones from INR 10k-100K

Smartphone launches have been a never-ending epidemic for the past few years. Smartphones have become so good that most phones, irrespective of their price tag, are sufficient for most users. The number of smartphone users is still astounding in China at 865.04M. India is the second largest smartphone market in the world, with 606.57M active users. This makes smartphone manufacturers value our shores more than ever. Here is a list of all recommended smartphones under each price category.

Under INR 10K

Redmi A1

Performance

Quad Core, 2 GHzMediaTek Helio A22 2 GB RAM

Display

6.52 inches (16.56 cm)269 PPI, IPS LCD

Camera

8 MP Primary CameraDual LED Flash5 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhMicro-USB PortNon-Removable

Realme C33

Performance

Octa-core (1.82 GHz, Dual Core + 1.8 GHz, Hexa Core)Unisoc T612 4 GB RAM

Display

6.5 inches (16.51 cm)270 PPI, IPS LCD60 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 0.3 MP Dual Primary CamerasLED Flash5 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAh Micro-USB Port

Infinix Note 12

Performance

Octa-core (2.4 GHz, Dual Core + 2 GHz, Hexa Core) MediaTek Dimensity 810 6 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)393 PPI, AMOLED60 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 2 MP Dual Primary CamerasQuad LED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAh Fast Charging USB Type-C Port

Moto G32

Performance

Octa-core (2.4 GHz, Quad Core + 1.9 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 680 4 GB RAM

Display

6.5 inches (16.51 cm)405 PPI, IPS LCD90 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhTurbo Power ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Samsung F13

Performance

Octa core (2 GHz, Quad Core + 2 GHz, Quad core)Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 850 4 GB RAM

Display

6.6 inches (16.76 cm)400 PPI, PLS LCD60 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash8 MP Front Camera

Battery

6000 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Poco M5

Performance

Octa-core (2.2 GHz, Dual Core + 2 GHz, Hexa Core)MediaTek Helio G99 6 GB RAM

Display

6.58 inches (16.71 cm)401 PPI, IPS LCD90 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash8 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Under 20K

Redmi Note 11Pro+

Performance

Octa-core (2.2 GHz, Dual Core + 1.7 GHz, Hexa Core)

Snapdragon 695

6 GB RAM

Display

6.67 inches (16.94 cm)

395 PPI, AMOLED

120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

108 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary Cameras

LED Flash

16 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAh

Turbo Charging

USB Type-C Port

Realme 9 Pro

Performance

Octa-core (2.2 GHz, Dual Core + 1.8 GHz, Hexa Core)Snapdragon 695 6 GB RAM

Display

6.6 inches (16.76 cm)400 PPI, IPS LCD120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

64 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhDart ChargingUSB Type-C Port

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite

Performance

Octa-core (2.2 GHz, Dual Core + 1.7 GHz, Hexa Core)

Snapdragon 695

6 GB RAM

Display

6.59 inches (16.74 cm)

401 PPI, IPS LCD

120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

64 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary Cameras

LED Flash

16 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAh

Super VOOC Charging

USB Type-C Port

Moto Edge 20 Fusion

Performance

Octa-core (2.4 GHz, Dual Core + 2 GHz, Hexa Core)MediaTek Dimensity 800U 6 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)393 PPI, OLED90 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

108 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhTurbo Power ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Samsung Galaxy M53

Performance

Octa core (2.4 GHz, Dual Core + 2 GHz, Hexa Core)

MediaTek Dimensity 900

6 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)

393 PPI, Super AMOLED Plus

120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

108 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP Quad Primary Cameras

LED Flash

32 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAh

Fast Charging

USB Type-C Port

Under 30K

Poco F4

Performance

Octa-core (3.2 GHz, Single Core + 2.42 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 870 8 GB RAM

Display

6.67 inches (16.94 cm)395 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

64 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash20 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAhSonic ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Redmi K50i

Performance

Octa-core (2.85 GHz, Quad Core + 2 GHz, Quad core)MediaTek Dimensity 8100 6 GB RAM

Display

6.6 inches (16.76 cm)407 PPI, IPS LCD144 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

64 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

5080 mAhTurbo ChargingUSB Type-C Port

iQoo Neo 6

Performance

Octa-core (3.2 GHz, Single Core + 2.42 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 870 8 GB RAM

Display

6.62 inches (16.81 cm)398 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

64 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

4700 mAhFlash ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Samsung A52S

Performance

Octa-core (2.4 GHz, Single Core + 2.2 GHz, Tri core + 1.9 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 778G 8 GB RAM

Display

6.5 inches (16.51 cm)405 PPI, Super AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

64 + 12 + 5 + 5 MP Quad Primary CamerasLED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

OnePlus Nord 2T

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.6 GHz, Tri core + 2 GHz, Quad core)

MediaTek Dimensity 1300

8 GB RAM

Display

6.43 inches (16.33 cm)

409 PPI, AMOLED

90 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary Cameras

Dual LED Flash

32 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAh

Super VOOC Charging

USB Type-C Port

Moto Edge 30

Performance

Octa-core (2.5 GHz, Single Core + 2.2 GHz, Tri core + 1.9 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 778G Plus 6 GB RAM

Display

6.5 inches (16.51 cm)405 PPI, P-OLED144 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 50 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual LED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery

4020 mAhTurbo Power ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Bonus (Sale prices)

Samsung S20FE

Performance

Octa core (2.84 GHz, Single Core + 2.42 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)

Snapdragon 865

8 GB RAM

Display

6.5 inches (16.51 cm)

405 PPI, Super AMOLED

120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 8 MP + 12 MP Triple Primary Cameras

LED Flash

32 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAh

Fast Charging

USB Type-C Port

iQoo 9 SE

Performance

Octa-core (2.84 GHz, Single Core + 2.42 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 888 12 GB RAM

Display

6.62 inches (16.81 cm)398 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

48 MP + 13 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual-color LED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAhFlash ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Under 40K

Xiaomi 11T Pro

Performance

Octa-core (2.84 GHz, Single Core + 2.42 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 888 8 GB RAM

Display

6.67 inches (16.94 cm)395 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

108 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual-color LED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Realme GT Neo 3

Performance

Octa-core (2.85 GHz, Quad Core + 2 GHz, Quad core)MediaTek Dimensity 8100 12 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)394 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAhSuper Dart ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Nothing Phone (1)

Performance

Octa-core (2.5 GHz, Single Core + 2.4 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 778G Plus 8 GB RAM

Display

6.55 inches (16.64 cm)402 PPI, OLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 50 MP Dual Primary CamerasLED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAhQuick Charging 4.0USB Type-C Port

iQoo 9 series

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.42 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 888 Plus 12 GB RAM

Display

6.56 inches (16.66 cm)398 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

48 MP + 13 MP + 13 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual LED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

4350 mAhFlash ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Moto Edge 30 Fusion

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.42 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 888 Plus 8 GB RAM

Display

6.55 inches (16.64 cm)402 PPI, P-OLED144 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 13 MP + 2 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery

4400 mAhTurbo Power ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Samsung S21 FE

Performance

Octa core (2.91 GHz, Single Core + 2.81 GHz, Tri core + 2.2 GHz, Quad core)

Samsung Exynos 2100

8 GB RAM

Display

6.4 inches (16.26 cm)

403 PPI, Dynamic AMOLED

120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 12 MP + 8 MP Triple Primary Cameras

LED Flash

32 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAh

Fast Charging

USB Type-C Port

Under 50K

Vivo X80

Performance

Octa-core (3.05 GHz, Single Core + 2.85 GHz, Tri core)MediaTek Dimensity 9000 8 GB RAM

Display

6.78 inches (17.22 cm)388 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Xiaomi 12 Pro

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.5 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 8 GB RAM

Display

6.73 inches (17.09 cm)521 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 50 MP + 50 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual-color LED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery

4600 mAhHyper Charging 4.0USB Type-C Port

Google Pixel 7

Performance

Octa core (2.85 GHz, Dual Core + 2.35 GHz, Dual core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Tensor G2 8 GB RAM

Display

6.3 inches (16 cm)418 PPI, OLED90 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 12 MP Dual Primary CamerasDual LED Flash10.8 MP Front Camera

Battery

4355 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Samsung S22

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.4 GHz, Tri core + 1.7 GHz, Quad core)

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

12 GB RAM

Display

6.8 inches (17.27 cm)

501 PPI, Dynamic AMOLED

120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

108 + 12 + 10 + 10 MP Quad Primary Cameras

LED Flash

40 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAh

Fast Charging

USB Type-C Port

Apple iPhone 12

Performance

Hexa Core (3.1 GHz, Dual Core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Apple A14 Bionic 4 GB RAM

Display

6.1 inches (15.49 cm)457 PPI, OLED60 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 12 MP Dual Primary CamerasDual LED Flash12 MP Front Camera

Battery

2815 mAhFast ChargingLightning Port

Under 60K

Apple iPhone 13

Performance

Hexa Core (3.23 GHz, Dual Core + 1.82 GHz, Quad core)

Apple A15 Bionic

4 GB RAM

Display

6.1 inches (15.49 cm)

457 PPI, OLED

60 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 12 MP Dual Primary Cameras

Dual LED Flash

12 MP Front Camera

Battery

3227 mAh

Fast Charging

Lightning Port

iQoo 9 Pro

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.5 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 12 GB RAM

Display

6.78 inches (17.22 cm)518 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 50 MP + 16 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual LED Flash16 MP Front Camera

Battery

4700 mAhFlash ChargingUSB Type-C Port

OnePlus 10 Pro

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.5 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 8 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)526 PPI, Fluid AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

48 MP + 50 MP + 8 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual LED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhSuper VOOC ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Samsung S22+

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.4 GHz, Tri core + 1.7 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 8 GB RAM

Display

6.6 inches (16.76 cm)390 PPI, Dynamic AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 12 MP + 10 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash10 MP Front Camera

Battery

4500 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Under 80K

Apple iPhone 14

Performance

Hexa Core (3.23 GHz, Dual Core + 1.82 GHz, Quad core)Apple A15 Bionic 6 GB RAM

Display

6.1 inches (15.49 cm)457 PPI, OLED60 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 12 MP Dual Primary CamerasLED Flash12 MP Front Camera

Battery

3279 mAhFast ChargingLightning Port

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Performance

Hexa Core (3.23 GHz, Dual Core + 1.82 GHz, Quad core)Apple A15 Bionic 6 GB RAM

Display

6.1 inches (15.49 cm)457 PPI, OLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual LED Flash12 MP Front Camera

Battery

3095 mAhFast ChargingLightning Port

Samsung Galaxy Flip 3

Performance

Octa core (2.84 GHz, Single Core + 2.42 GHz, Tri core + 1.8 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8888 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)426 PPI, Dynamic AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 12 MP Dual Primary CamerasLED Flash10 MP Front Camera

Battery

3300 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Samsung S21 Ultra

Performance

Octa core (2.9 GHz, Single Core + 2.8 GHz, Tri core + 2.2 GHz, Quad core)Samsung Exynos 210012 GB RAM

Display

6.8 inches (17.27 cm)516 PPI, Dynamic AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

108 + 10 + 10 + 12 MP Quad Primary CamerasLED Flash40 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Vivo X80 Pro Plus

PerformanceOcta core (3.2 GHz, Single Core + 2.75 GHz, Tri core + 2 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 18 GB RAM

Display 6.8 inches (17.27 cm)516 PPI, AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera 50 + 48 + 12 + 8 MP Quad Primary CamerasLED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery 4700mah Flash ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Under 100K

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Performance

Hexa Core (3.46 GHz, Dual Core + 2.02 GHz, Quad core)Apple A16 Bionic 6 GB RAM

Display

6.1 inches (15.49 cm)461 PPI, OLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

48 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash12 MP Front Camera

Battery

3200 mAhFast ChargingLightning Port

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Performance

Hexa Core (3.23 GHz, Dual Core + 1.82 GHz, Quad core)Apple A15 Bionic 6 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)457 PPI, OLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP Triple Primary CamerasDual LED Flash12 MP Front Camera

Battery

4352 mAhFast ChargingLightning Port

Samsung Galaxy Flip 4

Performance

Octa-core (3.2 GHz, Single Core + 2.75 GHz, Tri core + 2 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 18 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)426 PPI, Dynamic AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

12 MP + 12 MP Dual Primary CamerasLED Flash10 MP Front Camera

Battery

3700 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Samsung S22 Ultra

Performance

Octa-core (3 GHz, Single Core + 2.4 GHz, Tri core + 1.7 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 12 GB RAM

Display

6.8 inches (17.27 cm)501 PPI, Dynamic AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

108 + 12 + 10 + 10 MP Quad Primary CamerasLED Flash40 MP Front Camera

Battery

5000 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Moto Razr 2022

Performance

Octa-core (3.2 GHz, Single Core + 2.75 GHz, Tri core + 2 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 18 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)393 PPI, P-OLED144 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 13 MP Dual Primary CamerasLED Flash32 MP Front Camera

Battery

3500 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Above 100K

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Performance

Hexa Core (3.46 GHz, Dual Core + 2.02 GHz, Quad core)

Apple A16 Bionic

6 GB RAM

Display

6.7 inches (17.02 cm)

460 PPI, OLED

120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

48 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP Triple Primary Cameras

LED Flash

12 MP Front Camera

Battery

4323 mAh

Fast Charging

Lightning Port

Samsung Galaxy Fold 4

Performance

Octa-core (3.18 GHz, Single Core + 2.7 GHz, Tri core + 2 GHz, Quad core)Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 12 GB RAM

Display

7.6 inches (19.3 cm)373 PPI, Dynamic AMOLED120 Hz Refresh Rate

Camera

50 MP + 12 MP + 10 MP Triple Primary CamerasLED Flash10 MP + 4 MP Dual Front Cameras

Battery

4400 mAhFast ChargingUSB Type-C Port

Canon Maxify 6070-The real DOER

Canon’s latest super tank printers have been a favourite amongst small & medium-sized business users. Keeping this demography as the main focus point, Canon has introduced its MAXIFY GX6070 series with a lot of ink, enough for around 6000 mono and 14000 colouring pages.

Moreover, this printer can print on various textures and print surfaces and ensures businesses do not need to buy different printers when there is a need to switch between envelopes, labels, glossy paper, and banner paper. Equipped with an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder), it can easily hold up to 100 documents at a time to process. Also, the convenience of not just printing but even scanning, copying and faxing makes it a versatile all-rounder printer to have.

How are the overall Design and Build quality?

Weighing close to 11.6kgs, it definitely isn’t a small device which restricts its portability, knowing that a printer’s placement is hardly changed in a corporate environment. The white boxy look is pretty contemporary with room for 250 sheets in the main paper tray, 100 sheets in the tray at the rear and another 100 sheets in the ADF.

It is sturdy and well-built with a tiltable touchscreen to control all its functions. The translucent ink tanks are large enough to hold a substantial amount of ink, which eliminates downtime as compared to its cartridge alternative. Even the paper output tray is comparatively larger than usual and is capable of holding 100 sheets of paper.

How well is the Connectivity?

A USB Host port has been given for walk-up printing from a flash memory drive, which is a convenient option, but this printer has built-in Wi-Fi, broadening its connectivity horizons. It misses out on an NFC module but is compatible with all of the popular wireless protocols such as Apple AirPrint, Wireless Direct, Mopria and of course Canon’s own PIXMA Cloud Link. It also works with Google Assistance and Amazon Alexa, but the most I enjoyed most was by printing directly using my smartphone and being connected via wi-fi to the printer. What makes the Canon Maxify, even more, user-friendly is the tilting touchscreen which offers quick and easy access to the printer’s host of features.

What’s the Performance like?

The Canon MAXIFY GX6070 surpassed our expectations without any paper jams or misprints. It’s printing speed is quite quick when printing just in black and white. It functions quietly too at just 49dB. Printing monochrome pages like that of a textbook, look consistently sharp and crisp.

Colour documents and photos on photo paper also appear clean and unblemished by horizontal lines or any other disturbances. However, higher resolution images with too much detail, colour and shadows can look grainy, even at the highest print quality.

Should you consider it?

There’s not much to pin-point about the Canon MAXIFY GX6070. It is well built, user-friendly, comprehensively feature packed and has an all-rounded performance which packs enough for domestic or business purposes. The icing on the cake is those big refillable ink tanks which can store a generous amount of ink, which eliminates the need for you to buy more for a long time. And when you do happen to excruciate every drop of it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the cost of the bottled ink and the price you pay per print. For its price, yes, it’s high for an inkjet printer in today’s scenario, but you’ll end up saving money in the long term.

Reasonable: Cost of printing and connectivity

Bad: Form factor is obsolete

Ugly: High price for an ink tank printer

Rating: 3.5 star

Price: Rs.48,000 /- ( Approx as online )

Specifications :

Print, Scan, Copy
ISO standard print speed (A4): up to 24.0 images per minute black / 15.5 images per minute colour
Wireless, Wired LAN, Mopria, AirPrint, Direct Wireless
Recommended monthly print volume: 300 to 2 500 pages (A4 (21.0 x 29.7cm))

Pixel 6a – A good phone, hard to recommend-Best of Google Pixel ‘a series

The Pixel ‘a series is one of Google’s most loved products. The last Pixel ‘a series from Google in India was the Pixel 4a, a good value proposition back then. Thanks to our overall population, India is one of the world’s largest smartphone markets. Companies value this market to a point where midrange smartphone categories introduce flagship-level features and more. Google takes a safe calculated approach with their latest Pixel 6a, hardware that has stood the test of time paired with the newest Tensor processor optimised for the phone and the latest Android software. Our test results are a mix of impressive and unimpressive opinions.

Cut to curve

The Pixel 6a is unmistakably a Pixel, thanks to similar design choices as the elder siblings Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The front is protected with a tried and tested Gorilla Glass 3 coupled with matte finish metal edges, while the back of the phone is good quality multi-tone plastic. The camera bump is less pronounced thanks to older sensors used on earlier Pixels. Thanks to the clever choice of materials, with a comparatively mid-size 6.1-inch FHD+ 60Hz OLED display, this phone can be wielded in one hand with ease. Don’t let the images fool you. This may look like a rectangle but holding the phone reveals neat curves around the edges, making it pleasing.

Heart of the matter

With the elimination of the 3.5mm headphone jack, the new Pixel 6a brings better SOC in the form of a 5nm Tensor chip. Consider this to be equivalent to Snapdragon 860, if not better. The processor performs decently with 6GB RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 ROM. Android 13 promises to optimise the processor further, but as with Android 12, the 6a is not the best ideal napper. It drains the battery like everyday light use when idle. The battery performance is average but could have been better, considering this phone only supports 60Hz or 60FPS display refresh rate on an OLED that can do decent HDR content viewing.

Apart from pure Android OS with regular fixes and security updates, the highlight of using the Pixel algorithm-based camera sensors and added features in Google apps like a magic eraser, an AI-powered erase and fill tool in Photos. It uses the reliable 12MP sensor used in the past Pixels and another 12MP ultra-wide sensor. Like in the past, these sensors are ultra-reliable when taking a shot and 9/10 times, you will get a perfect shot with mindboggling software trickery that converts noisy night shots into miracle light captures. The pictures and videos with OIS and software stabilisation are one of the best. Colours, contrast, details, saturation and brightness are spot-on and absolutely social-media or memory worthy.

The gaming performance is decent, but the software lacks optimisation on Android 12. The phone’s metal circumference dissipates heat evenly but can get uncomfortable over 45mins of continuous gaming. The display may be 60Hz, but the colour reproduction, contrast at all brightness levels and viewing angles are apt for regular users. If you’re using a 90Hz or above display, it might feel stuttery at first until your brain retrains itself. Call quality is good, and speakers perform better with crisp audio quality. Also, charging a 4410mAh battery with a maximum of 18W charge capabilities is not fast charging in this era. The compatibility issue adds to the frustration, where the Pixel 6a refuses to charge with most smartphone chargers or after-market chargers and cables. Haptic feedback and physical button presses have fantastic feedback.

Verdict – If you are looking for a good camera phone or a significant decent additional phone apart from your iPhone, the Pixel 6a is a timeless pick. With nineteen 5G bands and support for years to come, this is an excellent midrange phone from Google.

Rating = 4/5

5nm Octa-core Tensor SoC with TPU

6GB DDR5 RAM

128GB UFS 3.1 Storage

Android 12 (Android 13 Update)

12MP Primary and 12MP Ultrawide cameras

8MP Front camera

4410mAh battery (18W charging)

Hyundai Tucson – A premium SUV with an impressive set of features│Hyundai Tucson – First Drive

The SUV craze has spread like wildfire across territories. They offer practicality, space, comfort, a sense of achievement and in some cases more features than your yearly grocery list. The number of SUVs sold in 2020 was close to 25000, amounting to 22% of the Indian automotive industry. In 2022 this number will come up to 49,000, nearly double the amount in 2020. Currently, the SUV market share is over 41%, and estimated growth is up to 65,000 units by 2025. Catering to the skyrocketing demand for SUVs and premium SUVs in the Indian automotive market, Hyundai has launched their flagship premium SUV in India, known as the Hyundai Tucson. This one is a global bestseller product for Hyundai, and we explore this premium SUV in Nandi Hills, Bangalore. Our drive was made exciting as we drove through windy scenic roads in both the trims offered by Hyundai.

Lightweight yet strong chassis

Hyundai claims a strong body structure with the hot-stamping application. The body is made of 26.4% mild steel, 17.7% high-strength steel, 15.6% hot stamping, 40.3% advanced high-strength steel and extended application of as high as 74% overall. This rigid, lightweight chassis is aided by HTRAC – All Wheel Drive System with Multi-Terrain modes. Modes include SNOW, MUD, and SAND. While this global bestseller is offered in multiple drivetrains globally, including a hybrid, India gets two options. The first one mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission is a 2.0L petrol engine that produces 156 ps and 192 Nm torque. And finally, a much more robust 8 Speed Automatic Transmission operated 2.0L Diesel engine produces 186 PS and an enthusiastic 415 Nm torque. India gets the LWB – long wheelbase version as standard.

Handsome or pretty – Choice is yours

Hyundai Tucson has been in the international market for some time, but there is nothing in its price range in India that looks alike. The front smiling large grille with dark chrome design neatly integrates with nickel chrome metallic semi-deposition inside the 5-point Parametric hidden LED and DRL lens. With the DRLs off, the entire unit looks like a single piece of design mimicking a significant smile. At 4,630mm, the new Tucson has grown significantly more than its predecessor. The wheelbase is more extensive at 2,755mm and is a considerable upgrade from its 2016 avatar. Camouflaging this large SUV is a series of design choices by the Hyundai design team and engineers to make Tucson look premium yet sporty. Complementing the design is the choice of multi-toned elements like a matte silver window sill that ends in an aerodynamic style at the rear. The design makes this large SUV feel more friendly and compact with visual illusions created by sharp lines.

The most appealing section of this beauty is the connecting rear-LED with unique diamond-cut elements making this SUV prettier in real life. It extends on both sides of the car and makes this rear element a timeless piece of design which will age well. There’s a subtle Tucson batch with a hidden rear wiper under the spoiler. Matte grey skid plates and boxed-out wheel arches add character to the Tucson. Many design elements with creases, lines and cuts make this car feel true to a concept design. The sharp-cut design elements also translate into the large 235 section 18-inch dual-tone diamond-cut alloys, with a full-size spare alloy wheel in the trunk. The powered tailgate liberates 540L of cargo space with three levels of gate adjustments. It can be extended to 1860 litres with dedicated levers in the trunk to enable 60:40 split-folding second-row seats. The boot gets a guidance light and extra 12V sockets for added functionality.

Technophile inside, sharp outside

Hyundai always offers its customers top features, and the flagship hits the ball right out of the park. Onboard computers in Tucson provide innovative features like Home to Car (H2C), where simple vocal commands to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant can operate your car. Voice commands could include, “Alexa, turn on my car’s AC”, “Alexa, turn on my car’s AC, “Alexa, find my car”, “Alexa, check my car’s fuel level”, and “Alexa, lock my car doors.” Advanced connectivity also allows Smartwatch connectivity with TIZEN, iOS and Android.

Bluelink app offers 60+ connected features, and the car infotainment setup can improve with time thanks to OTA – Over-The-Air updates for the system and map. Tucson also gets Hyundai’s most advanced Voice Control for Seat Ventilation, Sports (Cricket, Soccer), Sunroof, and climate control, while the Voice Assistant has 104 embedded voice commands.

The large 10.25″ HD infotainment system is India-specific yet global UI supports -10 regional + 2 international languages, including English, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Punjabi, Malayalam, Telugu, Oriya, Gujarati and Korean. Apart from these, the 8-speaker premium Bose sound system can accompany your drive with six built-in ambient nature symphonies, including an open-air café, rainy day, snowy village, warm fireplace and calm sea waves. There’s Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but Hyundai has missed the mark by not making these wireless. With OTA updates, these wired features may go wireless in the future.

The minimalistic cabin feels classy with soft-touch plastic, textured soft-touch fabric and multi-toned colours. The seats on our cars were light beige, making the cabin feel roomier. A smart one-touch panoramic sunroof accentuates the roof-line of the cabin. Apart from the usual wireless phone charger, the large 10.25-inch touchscreen and touch-sensitive controls keep the central dashboard neat. The overall cabin feels like a cockpit with the large 12.3-inch floating MID displaying ample information, including TPMS. The gear Knob is chunky and yacht-inspired, while the steering feel is perfectly round, chunky enough to get a sense of this large vehicle and also comes with ample buttons to control the MID and infotainment setup. The soft lid of the central arm-rest reveals open enough space to house your smaller pets.

Both the front seats get electric adjustments, with the driver seat getting 10-way adjustments while the co-passenger seat is getting 8-way adjustments and two memory seat functions. There is also a chauffeur mode on the front passenger seat walk-in device that enables left rear seat passengers to recline and adjust the front seat to their liking from the rear with the help of electric buttons on the front left seat. Overall the design is ergonomically designed to aid the driver. Even the front ventilated and heated seat controls are integrated into the central arm-rest. Advanced climate control technologies ensure a remarkably comfortable cabin atmosphere with dual-zone climate control with Multi-Air Mode and a hidden type AC vent with diffuse mode. This feature is inspired by aircraft. A diffuse button sits in the centre console along with drive select modes – Eco, Normal and Sport. All the buttons feel tactile and perceive a sense of quality associated with a premium feel.

The rear seat experience of the Tucson is excellent with rear AC vents, Type-A illuminated USB ports, deep recline angles on the seats and a large arm-rest with cup-holders. Thanks to bright leather seats, the premium feel of the multi-toned cabin with minimalistic yet functional design approaches, and one of the most prominent panoramic sunroofs, the Tucson interiors are a great abode on wheels.

Hyundai SmartSense

Hyundai has included level 2 ADAS driver assistance on their flagship. They call it Hyundai SmartSense. It’s a combination of a front camera, front radar and rear radar. Overall, there are 19 ADAS level 2 features enabled by Hyundai SmartSense. Some of these features include – Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Car/Pedestrian/Cyclist + Junction Turning, Front collision warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW), Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM), Safe Exit Warning (SEW), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), Smart Cruise Control with Stop & GO (SCC with S&G), Lane Following Assist (LFA), High Beam Assist (HBA), Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning (RCCW) and Surround View Monitor (SVM). The 360-degree cameras are sharp at resolution and enable dynamic parking assist lines for added convenience.

Drive impressions

Petrol trim: Hyundai Tucson gets a 2L petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission churning 156PS and 192Nm. The power delivery on the petrol trim is linear, and power builds gradually as the revs build. The lightweight steering feedback makes manoeuvring this car in the city a child’s play while the steering satisfactorily weighs up as speeds rise. Eco mode dulls down all the responses and almost feels like the valet mode in the car. Normal is the best of both worlds, while Sport mode makes responses a bit tighter, including the heft on the steering wheel. Impressive bits include good insulation on the engine bay, keeping engine NVH levels to their minimum and overall cabin NVH levels as silent as physically possible. Suspensions perform at par for Indian road conditions, and the car manages to gulp most road undulations. Ride quality is supple and further enhancing the confidence are non-intrusive ADAS features.

First seen in the Alcazar, the turn indicators work in tandem with the 360-degree cameras to give a real-time side view on the MID console. The ambient lights are soft and offer tons of customizability. Vanity mirrors with individual light buttons and extended sunshades bring versatility to an overloaded technophile Hyundai Tucson. The Bluelink app makes remote car operations, real-time usage information, GPS features, remote unlock, and engine controls. The only thing missing here is the summon feature we see on Teslas. The gear shifts are seamless and refined, but the car’s responses take a while to get going with sudden throttle responses. Drivers sit with a commanding view of the road, and the large front windshield with large door windows enables a massive point of view. On the go, the 18-inch wheels perform great and four disc brakes with a big safety net brake on a dime. Tucson manages to lose its sense of weight when on the go, thanks to clever engineering, which enables a straightforward approach and ease of driving a premium SUV.

Diesel trim: Most of our overall feel of the chassis, body weight and minimum body roll with excellent body control remain the same on the diesel trim. But, we guess this to be the bestseller among the two trims thanks to a healthy 400+ NM torque accessible from the lower rev range and throughout all rev bands enabling 186PS of power. This added power is managed by an intuitive 8-speed AT transmission, which is smoother and more responsive than the petrol version. The diesel feels enthusiastic when driven, accentuating with Sport mode. Even in Normal mode, the diesel is peppy to drive in comparison. The NVH levels on the diesel are as impressive as the petrol trim. Almost no vibrations are felt inside the cabin, even when revving and driving this car at triple-digit speeds.

Hyundai Premium Assurance

Hyundai offers an unlimited kilometre 3 Years warranty with 30 000 km complimentary maintenance. They also assure 3 years of roadside assistance with 3 years Bluelink / Map subscription and 1 Shubhaarambh (Home Visit).

Verdict

In our brief drive, this car managed to hide its volume with excellent engineering. It’s easier to drive than its competition. Hyundai Tucson is Hyundai’s flagship model in India, making a bold statement for itself with the plethora of features offered. Both the trims offer great value to the end consumer and assure a car that shall stand the competition of the time. If you are in the market looking for an upgrade to your existing car or want a chunk of the insanely growing SUV market, the Hyundai Tucson is one attractive option with enough tech to keep your next generation happy. The ADAS is non-intrusive and the overall package exudes a sense of sporty premium appeal.

2.0L Petrol – 156PS | 192Nm | 6-speed AT

2.0L Diesel – 186PS | 415Nm | 8-speed AT

ADAS level 2 – 19 safety features

360-degree cameras

60+ Bluelink features

3 years unlimited warranty

Price: INR 27.70L Ex-showroom

LG Gram 17 + View Display – Weight? What weight!

LG’s Gram series of laptops was always known for its insane lightweight laptops. Not only did they defy their perception of weight, but they were also excellent productive machines. Continuing their legacy, LG has improved their Gram series for 2022. This laptop tends to defy physics at 1.4kgs for the LG Gram 17-inch. We test the LG Gram 17, and an additional Type-C powered 16-inch WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS View Display.

Productivity perfected

LG Gram 17 weighs a mere 1.4 kgs and comes with a relatively small 65W Type-C charger. The minimal bezels and bright IPS panel dominate the display area with WQXGA (2560×1600) resolution. Sharp enough for a display this size. Complementing the Gram 17 is a WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS panel called View Display. In an era of a multi-monitor setup, the Gram with View Display makes for an attractive matte-finish mobile workstation. The styling is subtle, with a gram logo on the lid and LG branding below the massive display. The gram logo on the LHS below the keyboard and subtle Intel Evo logo keep things minimalistic yet classy.

Above the display sits a 720P camera alongside an IR camera. LG has done some software trickery with the Glance feature. More on that later. The keyboard is a full-fledged backlit chiclet keyboard with three levels, off, low and high. Ports include an HDMI 2.0 port, two Thunderbolt 4 (type-C) ports, and a headphone jack on the left. There’s a Micro-SD card reader, two USB Type-A 3.2 ports and a Kensington lock on the right. A pair of stereo speakers are placed facing the bottom and could easily get blocked on soft surfaces but sound decent for the laptop size.

Lightweight chassis with heavyweight performance

Powered by the latest 12th generation Intel Evo i5-1240P octa-core processor with 16 threads, a blazing fast 5200Mhz 8GB DDR5 RAM, quality 1TB SSD, Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 powered by an 80Wh battery, the LG Gram 17 is a beast wearing a well-fit suit. Everyday productivity is handled like a breeze. Iris(R) Xe graphics unit does a decent job when required. The hardware is more than capable of running Windows 11 Home edition efficiently and comes bundled with Office applications for easy productivity.

The key press is satisfying on the laptop, and a sizeable gesture-supported touchpad makes the right moves. The View Display is 16-inches and super styled with a brush metal finish; it supports the exact same resolution as the laptop and has seamless connectivity through its thunderbolt 4 ports. The Gram 17 and View Display is configured in a 16:10 ratio, making them apt productivity combinations. The laptop has some additional features and applications to make it ready to use immediately.

The most exciting feature is Glance, a privacy tool that uses LG Merametrix hardware and software to blur the display when someone else is peeping at your display or when you are not looking at your laptop. It’s an interesting take on privacy and security. There are other features in Glance, including Smart Pointer that tracks your eyes to bring the pointer where you’re looking, Snap Window that moves your privacy to the display you are staring at, smart player to pause media when you’re not paying attention and many other smart features. Considering this series is usually preferred as productivity machines, this is an excellent tool for professional and personal use. The View Display gets an Alcantara finish case that doubles as a stand.

Verdict

LG’s latest Gram series brings better hardware, software and design in a similar yet fantastic lightweight package with updated ports. Couple that with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a slim, stylish View Display with sturdy built, and this combination is a perfect multi-monitor mobile setup.

Rating – 4.5/5

12th Gen Intel Evo i5-1240P

5200Mhz DDR5 RAM

1TB reliable SSD

Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211

80Wh Battery, 65W Type-C charging

How does Instagram influence music trends?Trending reel music starts trending on music streaming platforms

Instagram is an addictive yet entertaining app. TikTok and other apps popularised the vertical short-form video format. Instagram soon followed as an update to keep up with the consumer demands of our generation. Instagram calls this feature Reels. Reels are arguably one of Instagram’s most consumed forms of video content. Long-term Instagram users may know that Instagram was a picture-sharing platform, but as nerds call it, each video is either 24/30/60 frames of pictures per second.

Instagram influences music trends

Instagram reels are all about trending music and music suitable for content uploading. Adhering to the needs of Instagram users, reels have a built-in music selection for your video content on Instagram. TikTok is no longer available in India, so many content creators have switched to what is available, Instagram. A new trend is emerging involving music consumed by the masses in the form of short video content on Instagram.

Maximum reach is achieved when one selects music on the Instagram app for reels. Reels allow user content audio to play alongwith trending music for the reels, followed by many people hopping on the latest trending music to make their content. A new trend witnessed due to this approach is how the selection of music on trending reels influences consumption of that particular song or music on other streaming and download platforms.

Anatomy of music trends

The song that trends on Instagram as a story or reels directly impacts the song’s consumption in other apps like Spotify, Gaana, Saawan, YT Music, etc. This is a recent phenomenon and is genuinely impacting the music industry. What was once possible for products and services as a form of entertainment through influencer marketing now applies to the music industry. For example, Duke & Jones, Louis Theroux – Jiggle Jiggle song was released on 13th May 2022 and was introduced by the duo as a form of music on TikTok on 14th May 2022. Thanks to the platform, this music saw 2.6 million views on just one platform by 17th May 2022. As the world trend followed, it was soon popularised on Instagram, and millions of views are pouring in as you read this article. A direct influence has this song trending on top charts across music streaming platforms. We believe that as the short form of video consumption popularises new and old music, it will shape and transform the music industry.

LG Puricare Wearable Air Purifier The future of face masks ?

What is it all about?

Since the onset of the pandemic, facemasks have become the new norm when going out in public but donning them represents its own sets of challenges.

The new LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier is a literal breath of fresh air as it aims to resolve all these conundrums while adding a modicum of technological chic. The LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier is an electronic face mask and has a number of updates compared to the last version.

The second-generation LG PuriCare comes with added tech, in addition to being smaller, lighter at 94g, and a much more efficient motor. It features dual fans that control airflow automatically by sensing the user’s breathing patterns to enable easy breathing. According to LG, the mask can be worn comfortably for up to 6-8 hours, while its 1,000mA recharges in 2-3 hours with the included Easy Charge USB cable.

What’s new?

The wearable air purifier is Bluetooth enabled, which allows you to connect it to the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier app for Android. Once connected, the app allows you to adjust voice volume and airflow, view respiratory data reports, manage filter duration and replacement cycle, check real-time battery information, turn the unit ON/OFF and perform firmware updates. The LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Gen 2 uses the same H13 HEPA Filters and professional-grade filters found in all other premium air purifiers.

What’s in it?

The new LG PuriCare comes in a compact form package. Inside the box are two PuriCare HEPA filters, a packet consisting of 15 inner covers and a face guard packed in separate packaging.

The design of the wearable air purifier is cleaner and more streamlined and makes it comfortable to wear. The smart, ergonomic design was designed to fit any face. It fits and seals the face, comfortable for everyday wear while minimizing air leakage. It also uses medical-grade silicone that has been checked for safety. However, you’ll start to feel the strain of wearing the purifier after an extended period of time.

Usability

Using the air purifier requires a little bit of assembling. First, you need to open the filter case on the left and right sides to place it in the PuriCare filters. Then you insert the inner cover and finally the face guard by just sliding it into place and the built-in magnets hold the face guard in place. The magnets are strong enough to hold the face guard in place while wearing it, yet it’s easy enough to pull off when you have to remove it.

The LG PuriCare needs to be charged before you can start using it. It takes about two to three hours to fully charge up the device’s 1,000mAh battery. LG says that you can use the PuriCare for eight hours on a single charge, and based on real-world usage, we got about six hours of usage before plugging in to recharge.

Once the assembly is complete, the PuriCare can be turned on using the power button at the bottom. The fan inside the mask starts to kick in only when you inhale, as there is a respiratory sensor. It detects the cycle and volume of the wearer’s breath and adjusts the dual three-speed fans accordingly. The fans automatically speed up to assist air intake and slow down to reduce resistance when exhaling to make breathing effortless. You can even change the fan speed via the mobile application.

Verdict :

From a purely functional standpoint, the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier makes for a highly effective solution that directly addresses several of the traditional pain points seen when wearing normal surgical or fabric masks. Its application is more suited for individuals who suffer from breathing problems as it aids in purifying the polluted air. It makes breathing easier and is more comfortable to use while the VoiceOn feature helps with social interactions but the cost of expendables and the initial high cost of entry may be daunting factors. If your budget permits, this is definitely something worthy of consideration.

Star Rating: 3.5

Specs : ( Choose and pick any )

Colour	Ocean Black Creamy White
Operation Noise (dB)	35dB (Min) ~ 52dB (Max)
Bluetooth	Yes (BLE 5.0)
Fan	Dual Inverter Fan
Air purifier Filter	HEPA13 (2EA) (99.95%)
Sensor	Respiratory Sensor
Usage time	8hr (Max)
Recharge Time	approx. 2 Hours
Battery	Built-in Li on Rechargeable (1000mAh) / USB C Type
Air Volume(LPM)	10~55 (Max)
Dimensions	142 × 109 × 52mm
Weight	94g (112g, including L size Face Guard)

Good :

Smaller and quieter Dual Fan motor.
VoiceON Technology
H13 HEPA Filters

Bad: 1000 mAh battery lasts less than 8 hours before having to be recharged.

A little bulky over the face

Ugly: Expensive

July 2022 – Top 10 releases of the month

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Madhavan has risen from being a cute romantic hero of the early 2000s to being the first A-list actor to make an OTT debut, and now he has added one more star on his shoulder by writing and directing the upcoming film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. The biographical film is based on the life of Nambi Narayanan, a former scientist and aerospace engineer of the ISRO, who was falsely charged with espionage and arrested.

Release: 1st July (in theatres)

Genre: Biography

Directed by: R. Madhavan

Stranger Things S4 Volume 2

Stranger Things S4V1 revealed a few new characters, two of whom are quite brutal, the villains of the story – Vecna in the upside-down and number ONE in the laboratory. At the end of the S4V1, we saw Nancy fall into a new dimension while trying to climb the rope of the new world. Volume 2 of the Season 4 consists of two episodes of about 2 hours each called ‘Chapter 8 – Papa’ and ‘Chapter 9 – The Piggyback’, respectively.

Release: 1st July (Netflix)

Genre: Science Fiction Horror

Created by: The Duffer Brothers

Thor: Love and Thunder

The Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are going crazy over the release of Thor: Love and Thunder. The 29th superhero film in the MCU is based on the Marvel Comics character Thor and is the direct sequel to Thor: Ragnarok (2017). The film shows the story of Thor returning to action after spending a brief time looking for inner peace. In the process, he recruits Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster to stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all gods.

Release: 8th July (in theatres)

Genre: Superhero

Directed by: Taika Waititi

Boo, Bitch

We have seen Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, and now she’s returning with yet another mind-boggling character. Her upcoming mini-series – Boo, Bitch is a supernatural comedy which depicts the story of a high school student who lives a life of a wallflower and wakes up one morning only to find out she’s a ghost. The series is labelled as a mini-series, and it will have eight episodes.

Release: 8th July (Netflix)

Genre: Comedy

Created by: Tim Schauer, Kuba Soltysiak, Erin Ehrlich and Lauren Iungerich

Jaadugar

Jeetu Bhaiyya is back again with another movie, and this time he plays the magician’s character. His recent release, Panchayat 2, is already breaking the records and the audience across genres appreciates his performance. With Jaadugar, the actor is looking forward to expanding his movie resume. In the film, Jitendra Kumar plays a role of a Jaadugar with no athletic skill and must win a football trophy to marry his love interest.

Release: 15th July (Netflix)

Genre: Sports Comedy

Directed by: Sameer Saxena

Shabaash Mithu

We have seen films/documentaries based on many cricketers, be it an MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar or the most recent one, Kabir Khan’s 83, but what about the female cricketers? Yes, we have two films in the pipeline based on the female cricketer’s life journey, and one of them is Shabaash Mithu, based on the life of former Test and ODI captain of the India women’s national cricket team, Mithali Raj, and it stars Taapsee Pannu in the titular role.

Release: 15th July (in theatres)

Genre: Biographical Sports Drama

Directed by: Srijit Mukherji

Hit: The First Case

The remake of 2020 released Telugu-language action-thriller film with the same name, which starred Vishwak Sen and Ruhani Sharma in the lead role. The Bollywood remake of the movie stars Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra in the lead role and follows the same plot where the lead character Vikram Rudraraju (Rao), a police officer of the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) who is tasked to investigate the missing case of a young girl.

Release: 15th July (in theatres)

Genre: Action Thriller

Directed by: Dr Sailesh Kolanu

Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi

Recently, Netflix India declared they are on the other side of the success and trying to rise from their current situation in India. However, the company has done great homework over the course and observed what the Indian audience wants to watch! After “House of Secrets – The Burari Deaths”, now they’re all set to release their next true-crime documentary “Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi.” In the end, Netflix realised good documentaries could prevent them from drowning.

Release: 20th July (Netflix)

Genre: True Crime Documentary

Directed by: Ayesha Sood

Shamshera

June was all about Ranbir Kapoor. We witnessed the actor being the part of the two trailer launches (Brahmastra and Shamshera) and, of course, the pregnancy announcement with his wife, Alia Bhatt. When people experienced the trailer for Brahmastra, they were in awe, but when they saw the trailer for Shamshera, they hailed him like a king. The period drama film is set in the 1800s and tells the story of a dacoit tribe and their fight for independence against British rule.

Release: 22nd July (in theatres)

Genre: Period Drama

Directed by: Karan Malhotra

Vikrant Rona

Since the theatres opened after the pandemic South Indian movies are going on another level. With every new release, they’re coming up with a masterpiece, be it a Pushpa, KGF, Vikram or 777 Charlie. Vikrant Rona is a fantasy action-adventure film which stars Sudeep in the title role alongside Nirup Bhandari and Neetha Ashok. The movie is based on incidents in which people from a remote village start witnessing a series of unexplainable supernatural events.

Release: 28th July (in theatres)

Genre: Fantasy Action

Directed by: Anup Bhandari

Enabling the Smartphone Future

The global pandemic has triggered digitization at an unprecedented rate in India, with the country becoming a leading mobile-first consumer economy1. As smartphone prices cease to be prohibitive, the smartphone user base is expected to reach 829 million in 2022, accounting for 60% of the population, which will represent 38% of all networked devices in India this year2. Today, India ranks second in the world for the number of smartphone users.6

Smartphones are playing a pivotal role in bridging the divide between urban and rural India and improving digital literacy- they are offering access to education, healthcare, banking, and other vital services. In fact, during the most severe lockdowns, smartphones and internet access were central to keeping children connected and educated, especially in rural and remote parts of the country. People are turning to their phones both for enrichment as well as entertainment.

The Photographer in Us

Smartphones have dramatically changed our lifestyles and have become our go-to devices. People in India spend around five hours a day on these devices on average, and are one of the world’s highest data consumers per day—even surpassing China3. After all, digital natives turn to smartphones for work, play, and nurturing hobbies. Phone cameras offer rich 4K resolution today, and several new devices bring 8K video recording. These innovations have turned many people into amateur photographers and content creators, capturing and documenting our lives. However, at the same time, this means that unless we have the right level of storage, we have to make the debilitating decision of deleting our memories in order to create new ones.

Today, dedicated storage devices are developed especially for mobile content creators, such as SanDisk® Dual Drives, which can be used to enhance mobile storage by up to 1TB5 and offer ease of moving content between various compatible devices. Moreover, dedicated storage is available both for AndroidTM and iOS devices. This simple plug-and-play device allows us to continue the pursuit of the best picture and capture our precious moments without worrying about the lack of storage space. Other options are available too, such as microSDTM cards and external SSDs, that offer phenomenal transfer speed and can be plugged directly into smartphones that feature a card slot.

1 InMobi’s Annual Mobile Marketing Handbook 2021

2 https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/m/en_us/solutions/service-provider/vni-forecast-highlights/pdf/India_Device_Growth_Traffic_Profiles.pdf

3https://www.nokia.com/about-us/company/worldwide-presence/india/mbit-index-2021/

4 https://go.inmobi.com/gaming-report-2021-india/

5 Add footnote: 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user storage less

6 https://newzoohq.medium.com/the-india-opportunity-tapping-into-one-tenth-of-the-worlds-gamers-3d9248f6fea9

Booming Mobile Gaming

Thanks to the smartphone penetration in the country, mobile gaming has also become a mass phenomenon and is competing with other popular entertainment categories, such as short-form video, streaming services, and social networks for user attention. With one out of ten gamers across the globe being in India, it is the fifth-largest mobile gaming market globally4. Even an entry-level smartphone today comes packed with more power and features. As a result, affordable yet powerful smartphones are one of the critical enablers of this massive boom in mobile gaming. Additionally, easy access to various game titles has also aided the popularity of mobile gaming. For example, many casual games are ‘Pick Up and Play’, usually available as a free download and monetized by ads. These also attract casual gamers looking for no-obligation games to pass the time.

Hardcore gamers can easily access the games of their choice from almost unlimited title options and play immersive multiplayer games, which are gaining traction. While immersive and graphically taxing titles are becoming popular, these take up a lot of space on the device, which can hamper the gameplay in the absence of the right storage. The storage should be designed to avoid the lagging graphics that can slow the game down. For example, the microSDTM card, in addition to offering ample space, should also offer high-performance speeds to support demanding game graphics and 4K ultra-HD video.

Smartphones have changed our world and have become a crucial part of our lives. However, these devices will become inhibited without storage.

iOS 16 Not available for iPhone 7 or lower

In the recent WWDC 2022 event on June 6, Apple inc finally announced its iOS 16 update, which will be released in September 2022. Although this is excellent news for all the tech followers and smartphone enthusiasts, this is also bad news for some previous iPhone users.

https://twitter.com/AslanMarius/status/1533950503243096064?s=20&t=Xgp590wZ3lX5IWP2Je0ZPA

With iOS 16, Apple also announced that some devices wouldn’t be receiving these updates, specifically the iPhones starting from 7 Plus to the bottom will not be receiving these updates. The announcement shocked many people because the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were released in September 2016, which isn’t a long time for smartphones not to receive further updates.

Like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 16 is not to be released for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, among other devices. Following Apple’s WWDC event on June 6, iPhone 7 customers rushed to Twitter to voice their frustrations over the lack of an update for their phones.