Best phones under Rs 75,000 (June-July 2022): Apple iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S22 5G to Xiaomi 12 Pro

It is time to look at the best smartphones one can buy in India under Rs 75,000 this month. Some phones from our previous list have managed to retain their place in this list and most of them are more affordable now. We also have a couple of new additions that offer some exceptional features and power, and at least one of them needs no introduction for sure. Enough of small talk, let’s meet them.

Best phones to buy under Rs 75,000 in India

Apple iPhone 13
Let’s start with the newest addition to this list, and it doesn’t have a Mini suffix either. The 128 GB storage variant of the Apple iPhone 13 can now be purchased comfortably in this budget. Though not as small as the Mini, the Apple iPhone 13 is quite compact, and feels great in hand. It has IP68 rated ingress protection and runs the latest iOS 15, with more OS updates to follow over the years. Though it looks quite similar to its predecessor, there are quite a few minor enhancements here and there other than a smaller notch.

The Apple iPhone 13 has a brighter 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels, and is compliant with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. At its core is the latest A15 Bionic chip that powers the entire iPhone 13 series. The two 12MP cameras at the back are similar to those found on the iPhone 12 with a different alignment and minor enhancement to the image quality. Battery capacity has also been bumped up from 2815 mAh to 3240 mAh which translates into a noticeable jump in battery backup.

Apple iPhone 13 price in India: Rs 70,990 for 128 GB storage

Apple iPhone 12
The Apple iPhone 12 isn’t too different from the 13 and offers better value thanks to a further price drop. You can now purchase its 256 GB storage variant under 70K. This phone too has just the right size for single-handed operation. You get a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display that is compliant with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. A ceramic glass with an oleophobic coating protects it against scratches and smudges. It also has an IP68 rating for dust and fluid resistance.

The iPhone 12 is powered by Apple’s previous flagship A14 Bionic chip that is still amply powerful and with good headroom for the future. The photography department consists of two 12MP cameras at the back with the primary lens offering OIS (optical image stabilisation), while the secondary is capable of capturing ultra-wide shots. The performance in photography and videography is top-notch, as one expects from iPhones. The Apple iPhone 12 launched with iOS 14 and is upgradeable to iOS 15.

Apple iPhone 12 price in India: Rs 68,999 for 256 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
Just like the iPhones above, the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G too is graced with an IP68 rating. The phone sports an aluminium frame and has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ at the front and back. It has a 6.1-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1300 nits, HDR10+ compliance and 120 Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Qualcomm’s fastest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, and you get 8 GB RAM and a choice of either 128 GB or 256 GB internal storage. The phone runs Android 12 with Samsung’s One UI 4.1.

Photography department on the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G consists of three cameras at the back starting with a 50MP primary camera with dual pixel PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Super Steady video support and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom. The camera performance is flagship grade; no surprises there. This phone can record videos up to 8K resolution. A 3700 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for a day of moderate use and supports 25W fast charging as well as 15W fast wireless charging.

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G price in India: Rs 64,900 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage; Rs 67,199 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage

Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G
The top variant of the Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G is currently selling on Amazon India for Rs 62,999 making it a great buy. The phone is loaded with high-end features starting with its display. It has a 6.73-inch LTPO 2.0 10-bit AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a QHD resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels. The HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant screen can display a billion colour shades and get up to 1500 nits bright. It is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. 

The rear camera department has a trinity of 50MP cameras with the primary module offering OIS, an ultrawide shooter with 115 degrees FOV and a telephoto camera that offers 2X optical zoom. The 32MP front camera is quite impressive too. The Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, and you can get the top variant of this phone with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage comfortably in this budget.

It further boasts of a quad-speaker system tuned by Harman Kardon and superfast charging. Its 4600 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 120W charger promises to take it from 0 to 100% in just 18 minutes. The phone also supports 50W fast wireless charging. The phone runs Android 12 with MIUI 13.

Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 62,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage

iQOO 9 Pro 5G
Last but not the least, we have another fully loaded device with several flagship features. Just like the two Android phones above, the iQOO 9 Pro 5G too is powered by Qualcomm’s top of the line Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, and you get 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage to go with it. It has a sharp 6.78-inch HDR10+ compliant AMOLED display with 3200 x 1440 pixels resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and can display over a billion colours. The phone runs Android 12 with FunTouch OS 12 out of the box. The rear camera department here is quite impressive too.

You get a 50MP primary camera with Gimbal OIS, accompanied by another 50MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus and 150-degrees FOV. They are joined by a 16MP telephoto camera with OIS that provides 2.5X optical zoom. Not to forget the 16MP front camera for selfies and video calls. The iQOO 9 Pro 5G’s 4700 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use. And this phone too packs a 120W fast charger that claims to charge it fully in just 20 minutes. It supports 50W fast wireless charging too.

iQOO 9 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 62,990 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage

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ISRO set to launch 3 Singaporean satellites on indigenously developed PSLV-C53 rockets

The Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO is all set to launch three passenger satellites from Singapore in a big mission on June 30. The PSLV or Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle that ISRO will be using for the launch will lift off at 6:02 Pm from the Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

NewSpace India Limited or NSIL is the corporate arm of the Department of Space or DOS and is responsible for establishing India’s space sector as a viable and budget-friendly space logistics organisation. ISRO is launching the mission under NSIL’s agreement with Singapore in what is the second commercial mission for the body. This bodes well for India, as the demand for safe, secure and affordable space travel and logistics solutions go up in the future

The spacecraft, a PSLV-C53 rocket will deploy the three satellites or missions in Low Earth Orbit or LEO, at an altitude of 570 kms, measured from the equator. This is the 55th mission of India’s PSLV and the 15th mission using the PSLV-Core Alone variant. It is the 16th PSLV launch from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

The countdown for the launch began on Wednesday, nearly 25 hours before the mission, indicating a healthy system and a launch vehicle on the pad. 

The PSLV in its launch fairing is carrying three satellites, the DS-EO satellite and the NeuSAR, Singapore's first small commercial satellite carrying a SAR payload, which is capable of providing images day and night and under all weather conditions.

Isro in a statement said that the DS-EO weighs about 365 kgs and NeuSAR weighs 155 kgs. While both the spacecraft belong to Singapore, they have been built by Starec Initiative in South Korea. The Third satellite is a 2.8 kg Scoob-1 of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

A major experiment headed onboard is the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM), which will perform in-orbit scientific experiments using the spent PS4 stage as an orbital platform. It is the first time that the PS4 stage would orbit the earth as a stabilized platform.  

POEM carries six payloads including two from Indian Space Start-ups M/s Digantara and M/s Dhruva Space, enabled through IN-SPACe and NSIL

To stabilize the stage after deployment, it will use a dedicated NGC system. The system will derive the power from the solar panels mounted around the PS4 tank and a Li-Ion battery and navigate using four sun sensors, a magnetometer, gyros & NavIC. It carries dedicated control thrusters using Helium gas storage. It is enabled with the telecommand feature.

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Xiaomi 12S Ultra uses a 1-inch Sony camera sensor. Here’s why it is a massive moment for smartphone photography

Sony has some of the best camera sensors in the market. That is the reason why most smartphone manufacturers use sensors from Sony in their smartphones. While Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has been developed in a collaboration with Leica, the smartphone manufacturer has decided to go for a camera sensor that was developed by Sony.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra will be using Sony IMX 989, the same sensor that Sony uses in their RX100 Mk 7 point-and-shoot cameras. The RX100 Mk 7 is one of the best point-and-shoot cameras in the market right now and is massively popular among budding YouTube celebrities and content creators.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Xiaomi 12S Ultra features the Sony IMX989, Sony’s largest image sensor to date. The 1&quot; ultra sensor captures a greater amount of light, allows for faster focus speed, and better dynamic range. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Xiaomi12SUltra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Xiaomi12SUltra</a> officially ushers in a new era in imagery technology. <a href="https://t.co/45lza1N1vQ">pic.twitter.com/45lza1N1vQ</a></p>&mdash; leijun (@leijun) <a href="https://twitter.com/leijun/status/1542073468929187840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Xiaomi’s decision to use a properly developed, large camera sensor for their upcoming flagship is a huge moment for smartphone photography, provided they calibrate the sensor properly. Here’s why.

More data to play with
Most smartphone camera sensors are barely half the size of a 1-inch sensor. It does not matter how many pixels a manufacturer shoves inside a sensor. Samsung’s 200MP camera sensor may sound impressive on paper, but had it not used some sort of pixel binning to group the individual pixels and make a larger pixel, images taken on the ISOCELL HP1 or HP3 sensors would have a lot of artefacts and noise, thus making the image grainy and ultimately unusable.

More than the number of pixels, it is the size of pixels that matter. A larger pixel will be able to capture more light and therefore more data. This means that a camera’s processor has more data to work with and will eventually be able to put out a better image.

This is one of the reasons why, for a long time, smartphone cameras have been almost as good as proper full frame cameras, but also lacked some basic functionalities that professional photographers rely heavily on. If Xiaomi calibrates the sensor properly and uses quality glass elements for lenses, photos and videos taken in the dark should be phenomenal. This is where Xiaomi messed up with their Mi 11 ultra, which had a 1/1.2-inch camera sensor.

A better dynamic range
Another advantage of having a bigger sensor is that the camera has a naturally larger or better dynamic range. 

Dynamic range basically refers to the ratio between the maximum and minimum signal that is acquired by the sensor. At the upper limit, pixels appear to be white for every higher value of intensity (saturation), while pixels appear black at the lower limit and below. 

What this means is that in the same photo or video, the sensor is able to handle a varied level of brightness and darkness in such a manner that there is very little or preferably no distortion of the colours.

Better depth of field or bokeh
The most visible difference that a large sensor makes for amateur photographers is the bokeh or “blur” in a photo. Smartphone camera sensores have always been little, because of which no matter how wide an aperture you use, there simply isn’t enough space for background and foreground separation. That is why smartphone cameras have had to process their images and create a fake bokeh effect. This won’t be a problem with a larger sensor.

Having said all of this, it really depends on how Xiaomi and Leica have calibrated the Sony sensor. Also, it would be foolish for anyone to say that smartphone cameras have become better than proper, full frame or medium format cameras; they haven’t, and for the foreseeable future, they won’t at least for a couple of decades. What Sony and Samsung with their sensors have been able to do, is pushing smartphone manufacturers ever so close to the ultimate goal that they all have been aiming for, by some distance. 

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OnePlus Nord 2T Indian launch is set for 1st July, check out the leaked specs and prices

OnePlus has finally confirmed the India launch of its upcoming Nord series phone. The company has revealed that the device will be launched in India on 1st July. The launch event in all likelihood will be live streamed on OnePlus’ website, as well as across their social media platforms.

The OnePlus Nord 2T was launched in the international market approximately 2 months ago. Back then it was confirmed that the device would be launched in India. What wasn’t spoken about in that event, was whether there would be any differences in the specs between the international version and the Indian version. 

Having observed all sorts of leaks and reports, what we can tell is that the specs between the two versions are identical. We get the same 6.43-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED display, with a punch-hole cutout and a refresh rate of 90Hz. Powering the device is MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The mid-range device has stereo speakers as well as an alert slider.

It has a quirky-looking triple rear camera set up, with the main shooter being a 50MP Sony IMX766s sensor, with OIS. We also have an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide system and a 2MP depth sensor. At the front, we get to see a 32MP wide system for selfies.

As for the battery, we get a 4,500mAh battery, instead of the usual 5,000mAh unit that one gets on most mid-range phones these days. The OnePlus Nord 2T supports 80W fast charging.

In terms of pricing, the OnePlus Nord 2T is expected to come in the mid-range category and can therefore be priced somewhere around Rs 28,000 for the base, 8GB+128GB variant. There is also a strong possibility that as a part of their launch event, OnePlus might announce a special discount scheme for early adopters. The device will be available for buyers starting July 5 in India.

OnePlus will also be launching the OnePlus TV 50Y1S Pro, which will be available from July 7. OnePlus will also release new colours for the Bullets Wireless Z2 and Nord Buds at the launch event.

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Philips TAT2206BK TWS Earphones Review: For better vocal clarity, not for bassheads

Pros:
- Good build quality and in-ear fit
- Impressive vocal clarity and detail in audio
- Suitable for podcasts
- Good call quality
- IPX4 water resistant
- USB-C charging port

Cons:
- Low bass may not appeal to a vast majority
- Placement of physical buttons could have been smarter
- No volume control on the earbuds
- Buds occasionally reconnect with the phone even when in the case

Rating: 3.5/5

Price: Rs 2,499

Whenever we discuss true wireless (TWS) earphones under Rs 2,500, the first name that comes to mind is the Realme Buds Q2. In terms of overall features and value, it is still unbeatable in this budget. Given the number of features it packs, the Realme pair is more of an exception rather than a norm in this segment. And audio is a territory that can never have a ‘one shoe that fits all scenario. Some people like extra bass, some don’t, and some may not even care about features like active noise cancellation (ANC).

Philips has recently launched a pair of TWS earbuds that does not flaunt any fancy features and simply focuses on comfort and sound output. The company hasn’t even bothered with touch controls or a companion app. Will such simplicity work in this day and age when competing brands are bombarding users with a plethora of features in this budget too. Let’s get to know more about the Philips TAT2206BK wireless earphones.

Philips TAT2206BK TWS Earphones: Design and Comfort (7.5/10)
The Philips buds look good in the black matte finish and the build quality is quite solid too. The same finish extends to the case, which is not too big and almost pocketable. It isn’t nearly as slim as the Realme Buds Air series but a lot more compact than that of the OnePlus Nord Buds. It has a USB-C charging port at the base and a charge indicator LED at the front. 

The angled buds with silicone tips fit snugly in the ears without any discomfort, while the short stems stay out. The preinstalled medium-sized silicone tips offer decent passive noise isolation (in my case), and there are two more pairs of different-sized tips in the bundle to try out. The buds stay put during jogs or workouts and I didn’t need to adjust them frequently. However, there seems to be an issue with the magnets in the case that are meant to hold the buds in place when in there. 

No, the buds don’t pop out if you turn the case upside down but the buds tend to reconnect with the phone sporadically even when inside. At times they don’t disconnect immediately when you put them in the case. This may be a fault specific to our review unit but it shouldn’t happen. Firstly, it unnecessarily wastes battery, but the more irritating part being your calls are routed to the earphones without your knowledge and you don’t hear a thing in the phone’s earpiece until you manually switch to it. 

Philips TAT2206BK TWS Earphones: Features and Specifications (6/10)
As I mentioned in the intro, the Philips TAT2206BK has nothing fancy in this department to report, not even touch controls. The company has opted for physical buttons instead. While I have no issues with that, the placement is not ideal; a common error from two years ago. With the buttons placed right at the back of the buds, you tend to push the earbuds deeper into the ear every time you press them. Thankfully, it has a soft press and one doesn’t need to exert much pressure. 

You do not get a companion app here to reconfigure the inputs or alter the sound profile. You get to play/pause the audio, jump to previous/next tracks and summon the voice assistant using a single click, double click and click-and-hold gestures. There is no option to adjust the volume from the buds. Each earbud is fitted with a 6 mm driver and a microphone. These earphones are Bluetooth 5.0 compliant with support for AAC and SBC codecs. 

The earbuds have an IPX4 rating for moisture resistance. So you can take them along for a workout or a jog as they can survive a bit of sweat or a light drizzle, but don’t wash them under a tap. The wireless range is good with the buds maintaining a strong connection up to 10 metres with a clear line of sight, and half of that with a concrete wall in between. Each earbud is equipped with a 55 mAh battery, and the charging case has a 350 mAh one. 

Philips TAT2206BK TWS Earphones: Performance (7/10)
This is where things are a little different from the competition. The majority of the earphones in this segment are predominantly bass-heavy, but that’s not the case with this pair. Philips hasn’t bothered taking the popular route, and instead chosen to focus on midrange frequencies. Instead of an abundance of bass, you get a mids-forward sound profile here which provides good vocal clarity and sharper instrument sounds. The highs are crisp and well tempered without sounding sibilant.

However, the earbuds do not produce sufficient bass to lend an ideal warmth to the output. It is probably because of the smaller drivers used here. They don’t sound flat and certainly aren’t totally bass deficient, but the audio may not please the masses. The output sounds fairly balanced when indoors, but the bass feels inadequate when in noisy outdoor environments. If you do not prefer bass-heavy sound, you will like the sound profile here and will appreciate the extra detail in the audio. Bassheads should simply avoid this pair.

The buds get loud enough at 50 to 60% volume. The soundstage is reasonably broad for the segment. Watching videos wearing these Philips earphones is a good experience, and the mids-centric sound provides better dialogue clarity. Though the company hasn’t mentioned the latency figures, there was no noticeable lag between video and audio when streaming content from OTT platforms. This pair is a good option for listening to podcasts too. 

Philips TAT2206BK TWS Earphones: Call quality (7.5/10)
The Philips TAT2206BK has a solitary microphone on each of the buds and does not advertise features like ENC, yet the call quality is quite good. And the ambient noise is kept in check too. Both parties on the call were clearly audible to each other irrespective of whether I was indoor or outdoor. The voice sounds slightly on the softer side but it is clear. Occasionally one needs to adjust the direction of the earbud stems for the listener to hear you more clearly. 

Philips TAT2206BK TWS Earphones: Battery life (7/10)
The battery backup on these Philips earbuds is not spectacular but above average. The company states figures of 6 hours for the earbuds and 18 hours for the buds and case combined. In my tests, the earbuds lasted close to 5 hours on a full charge at 50-60% loudness. And the case could recharge them twice over, taking the overall battery backup close to 15 hours. 

The case takes about two hours to charge fully with a standard USB-C charger. You do get a bit of fast charging here but the figures aren’t flattering for today’s standards. A 15 minutes of charge can give you close to an hour of playtime on this product. 

Philips TAT2206BK TWS Earphones: Price and verdict
Like most Philips audio products, there is a vast difference between the MRP and the actual selling price. The Philips TAT2206BK TWS earphones were recently launched at an MRP of Rs 6,999, but one can purchase them for as low as Rs 2,499 on Flipkart and some other retailers with a one-year warranty. The selling price is way more sensible than the MRP for what the product offers. While the product will not appeal to bassheads, it is a good option for those looking for better vocal clarity and detail, and also for calling. 

Barring midrange reproduction and call quality, it cannot come close to the Realme Buds Q2 that sells for the exact price, and at times another Rs 500 lower in online sales. The Buds Q2 offers a more balanced sound with a good amount of bass along with configurable touch controls, multiple sound profiles and a companion app. Did I mention functional ANC? Such a combination is quite rare in this segment.

Another option to consider in this budget is the OnePlus Nord Buds that offers a unique design, more than decent sound quality thanks to a custom equaliser, configurable controls, a companion app and much better battery backup with faster charging. As you can see, there are plenty of good options under Rs 3,000 in India. Choose one that offers the features and sound output that suits you best.

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Nothing Company may partner with Reliance Digital for Phone 1’s retail sales in India

Carl Pei-led Nothing Company is currently taking pre-orders for their first smartphone, the Nothing Phone (1). Although the priority, for the time being, is to cater to online orders for now, Nothing also plans to sell their smartphone through offline channels.

In India, the offline sale of the Nothing Phone (1) is likely to take place through Reliance Digital stores. The Nothing Company is planning to collaborate with Reliance Digital to sell the Nothing Phone (1) in India.

Talking about the pre-booking, the customers will have to pay Rs 2,000 as a deposit while registering themselves for the pre-order pass. Once the registration is done, Nothing will share the invite on the registered email ID and the customers will be able to track their order as well.

The Phone (1) will officially be launched on July 12. The launch event is scheduled to be live streamed on Nothing Company’s YouTube channel and other social media platforms. 

The Phone (1) will be delivered to the consumers on an invite-only basis which means that they will have to pay Rs 2,000 in advance to book the device which will be adjusted in the final bill.

The Nothing Phone (1) will apparently be offered in three variants. There is an 8GB + 128GB unit, an 8GB + 256GB unit, and a12GB + 256GB unit. 

Pricing for the upcoming smartphone has also leaked online. Apparently, the base variant 8GB + 128GB variant will be be priced at $397 which is approximately about Rs 31,300. Next up, the 8GB + 256GB unit will be priced at $419 or roughly Rs 33,000. Finally, the top tier 12GB + 256GB variant will be priced at $456 or Rs 35,900.

In global markets like Middle East and Europe, the Nothing Phone (1) is tipped to go on sale two weeks after its launch date. Consumers in India, however, will be getting their hands on the Nothing Phone (1) before people from other regions. 

The Nothing Phone (1) has apparently been equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC and will come with a 6.55-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. On the back, the phone will be getting a 50MP sensor as the main shooter along with a 16 MP sensor as the secondary camera.

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India's new VPN policy delayed by 3 months but major providers are already planning to leave

A few weeks back, India’s Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology or MeitY had decided to implement new cybersecurity regulations. 

These regulations were meant for VPNs and cloud storage service providers and required them to store all user-centric data on their servers for a period of five years. They were also required to share this data with regulatory and law enforcement agencies during investigations.

Although the new regulations were set to take effect from June 27, after much backlash CERT-In has decided to delay the new VPN policy by three months and push the timeline by a period of 3 months.

CERT-in has now announced that the new VPN policy will now come into effect, starting September 25, thus, giving VPN providers more time to comply with the new rules. However, there would be no changes to the policies themselves.

In a statement, CERT-IN has stated, “MeitY and CERT-In are in receipt of requests for the extension of timelines for implementation of these Cyber Security Directions of 28th April 2022 in respect of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Further, additional time has been sought for the implementation of a mechanism for validation of subscribers/customers by Data Centres, Virtual Private Server (VPS) providers, Cloud Service providers, and Virtual Private Network Service (VPN Service) providers.”

Meanwhile, a number of VPN and cloud service providers have already exited the Indian market and many more are contemplating moving their servers out of India. 

ExpressVPN and SurfShark VPN, two of the most widely used VPN services had recently announced to remove their servers from India as they could not comply with the new VPN rules. Although both of them will continue to work for Indian users via virtual servers in India, they will not be hosting any servers in the country.

The new regulations, required VPN and cloud service providers to store user data like their names, IP addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers for at least five years, even if the user does not continue with their services. Furthermore, ISPs and all data centres, including the ones that VPN services use are required to keep a log of all activities from an ISP for a period of 180 days, for national security and cybersecurity purposes.

Because this flies straight into the face of any VPNs terms of services and their basic agenda, VPN providers who host their servers in India are faced with a dilemma. That is why most of these providers are planning to shift their servers out of India and into other areas that are safe havens. 

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Explained: What is Hermit, the new Pegasus-like spyware and how to protect yourself from it

While there are still a number of unanswered questions about the Pegasus spyware, a new spyware has turned up that is wrecking even more havoc. Developed by an Italian vendor called RCS Lab, the new spyware called Hermit is believed to have targeted both iPhone and Android users in Italy, Kazakhstan, and according to some sources, Syria as well.

From a technical standpoint, Hermit is actually way more dangerous than Pegasus was. Hermit is part of a sophisticated malware attack that's actively being used in the wild. Attackers are using zero-day vulnerabilities or vulnerabilities that haven't yet been patched and a number of other dangerous exploits in Android and iOS code to deploy malware that can take control over someone's iOS or Android device.

When implemented properly, Hermit can launch a sophisticated attack that could fool nearly anyone. One tactic that the attackers have employed, as per Google’s Threat Analysis Group or TAG, is to work with the target's ISP to disable the target's mobile data connectivity and send them a malicious link via SMS to recover connectivity, which then installs a data mining and data collecting malware.

As of now, it is unclear whether ISPs in the afflicted areas actively participated in facilitating these attacks or were they compromised to carry these attacks out. In either case, things are not looking for ISPs in afflicted areas.

Another tactic was to send links to convincing, rogue versions of popular apps such as Facebook and Instagram which, again, resulted in the target's phone being infected.

When infected, an attacker can deploy more malware that's hard or impossible to detect or remove. Moreover, these malware can literally do anything -  eavesdropping on your phone conversations, reading your messages including banking OTPs, accessing your camera and microphones etc. And yes, a malicious actor can even plant stuff onto your device.

With Pegasus, we at least had an assurance that the spyware was used by government agencies and law enforcement agencies only. There was no evidence to suggest that third party or independent actors had any access to it. That is not the case with Hermit. There are cases where it has been alleged that criminals and other malicious parties have used Hermit to target certain people.

In a statement, RCS Lab, the software development and security firm have stated that it only works with governments providing technological solutions and technical support to the lawful Enforcement Agencies across the world. 

In an ideal world, it would mean that these malwares are used only against criminals and terrorists. However, as the Pegasus spyware case has shown us that governments across the world, have targeted journalists, political opponents, prominent lawmakers and judges in their countries, and human rights activists, using malware such as Hermit.

As deceptive as things are with the Hermit, there are some basic safety precautions that can go a long way. Follow these religiously, and there is a good chance that you never get afflicted by these kinds of spyware and malware.

• Keep your device’s software and apps updated. Ensure that you install all security updates promptly.
• Never click on a suspicious link that you’ve received on an SMS, even if it is from your service providers, Google, Facebook or any other service that you might be using.
• Always install the apps you need from an authorised app store. Never let any other app download and install some other app.
• Reboot your device daily. That way if there’s anything suspicious going on, you will get to see clear evidence of that.
• Use third-party browsers like DuckDuckGo and Vivaldi instead of any bundled browser.

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How Intel is planning to use AI, ML and Telematics to make Indian roads safer & reduce accidents by 50% by 2025

As fast as the Indian roadways network is growing, safety continues to be one of the biggest issues for India, We have one of the highest rates of traffic accidents in the world. We are responsible for nearly 11 per cent of all road fatalities across the globe even though we have just 1 per cent of the world’s vehicles. 

If estimates are anything to go by, there are about 17 deaths every hour and an accident every minute on Indian roads. Six out of 10 accidents involving commercial vehicles can be prevented with timely driver interventions. 

Moreover, accidents are bad for the economy. It is estimated that the commercial fleet industry suffers efficiency losses of up to INR 48,000 crore every year due to accidents and fleet breakdowns. 

To counter this, Intel is planning to develop and deploy their Onboard Fleet Services an array of smart telematics and AI & ML enabled monitoring systems. Not only will these systems help improve driving conditions and driver behaviour, but will also help identify bad patches of roads which may turn out to be accident hotspots.

This in turn will help union minister Nitin Gadkari and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways achieve their target of reducing the number of road accidents and fatalities by 50 per cent by 2025 and eliminating them altogether by 2030. 

Improving Driver Behaviour
Most accidents happen on Indian roads because of driver behaviour. Not wearing seat belts, not paying attention to the road or the traffic, using mobile phones, driving when fatigued or even driving under the influence. Using an array of telematics devices and sensors, driver behaviour can be recorded, studied and analysed which can then be used to retrain drivers so as to improve a driver's behaviour.

This way, drivers who drive attentively and while following the law to the T, can also be rewarded with better insurance premiums, or even better performance scores and bonuses.

Safety Analytics and ADAS
During their pilot programmes of implementing their Onboard Fleet Services, Intel found that alerting a driver just two seconds prior to an immediate impact gave the driver enough time to react and avoid an accident.

To that effect, Intel is developing safety analytics and other ADAS systems that would alert drivers in a better manner, and give them more time to react. 

Improving vehicle health management
Vehicle health management especially for fleet operators can work wonders, not just in terms of saving them cost from their vehicles breaking down, but also by helping operators avoid accidents. Preventive health management systems can alert operators about what parts of a vehicle need immediate attention and needs to be replaced or repaired.

Thanks to IoT or the Internet of Things, it can send real-time data and analytics, which can then be used to alert the driver of an impending failure. This way, drivers can address the issue, without compromising their safety.

Identifying grey spots on roads
Nivruti Rai, Country Head, Intel India, and Vice President, Intel Foundry Services, said that Intel actually carried out a pilot program in the city of Nagpur. Intel attached several buses in the city with an array of sensors and studied telematics from those sensors to identify parts of the city’s roads which were accident-prone, as well as grey spots, or unidentified areas where the probability of an accident taking place is very high. 

Not only can these findings be used to improve the infrastructure around such spots to help avoid an accident, these findings can also be used to create models which would ensure that such grey spots are never made in the first place. Something as basic as putting up a sign saying that an area is prone to accidents made drivers take note, and drive more carefully in those areas.

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Asus ROG Phone 6 is set to launch in July. Here’s what we know about the device so far

Asus is all set to launch the new ROG gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone 6, in July. The ROG Phone 6. The ROG Phone 6, which succeeds the ROG Phone 5 and the ROG Phone 5S is going to be one of the first devices to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip to actually get launched. 

The ROG 6 series is expected to launch on the 5th of July, although no official date has been announced as of yet.

Like all previous ROG devices, the ROG 6 is touted to be one of the best mobile gaming devices on the market, and like always, it is supposed to have a design that draws heavy attention.

While the design will be somewhat similar to the previous ROG phones, it will be somewhat more symmetrical this time around. The camera hump on the back of the device will be sharing space with a secondary screen along with the ROG logo. 

The smartphone has been spotted online on Geekbench, 3C, and TENAA, which revealed most of the key specifications of the device. Asus is going to launch the device in two versions, the ROG Phone 6 and the ROG Phone 6 Pro and both the devices are going to be powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip.

The non-Pro model is expected to come with a 6.78-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution and will have a refresh rate of 165Hz. The Pro-model ROG 6 is also going to come with either 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 1TB storage. Both the variants will come with the same, 4nm octa-core Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC from Qualcomm.

Both the variants will get a 64MP main camera on the back, along with a 16MP sensor with an ultrawide lens, and a 5MP sensor with a macro lens.

Powering the device will be a large 6,000 mAh battery with 65W fast charge support. The devices are expected to have two USB Type-C charging ports, one on the bottom, and one on the side to charge the device even while in landscape mode.

Also, Asus recently announced that the ROG Phone 6 and the ROG Phone 6 Pro are both going to be splash-resistant when they shared a tweet that called the devices the “world’s 1st IPX4 gaming phone.”

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Explained: Gmail now works without internet connection, albeit with limited functionalities. Here's how

Google’s Gmail is one of the most used email services on the planet, and for good reasons. There probably isn’t anyone with a smartphone who does not have a Gmail account.

Sure, if you have an Android device, you need to have a Google account and thereby Gmail, but even on the other side of the aisle, you will find plenty of people who prefer using Gmail, over anything that Apple or Microsoft provide.

One of the biggest pet peeves that Gmail users had to put up with is the fact that the service simply stops working the moment your internet gets interrupted or a weak signal. In order to counter that, Google has now added the ability to use Gmail without an active internet connection.

Here’s how it works and what all users can do with Gmail when they have a weak connection.

Email services like Gmail or any other service require an active internet connection to enable users to check their mail inbox, get new mails, and respond to them. 

However, with the offline mail mode enabled for Gmail, users will be able to access more or less every feature of Google’s email service without any internet. 

They will be able to check their inbox, open up unread emails, and even send new emails to recipients.  

So, if you want to use the offline mode for Gmail, follow the steps below to get started right away.

• Open your Gmail account on a PC and navigate to the in-app settings menu. This will be under Settings>See All Settings.
• From there, go to the “Offline” tab at the top of the navigation bar.
• Here, check the box for “Enable offline mail” to switch on the offline mode for Gmail. If you want to, you can tinker around with the options and settings for the feature.
• Once you’re done, just click on “Save Changes,” at the bottom, and you’re good to go.

When the offline mode is turned on, Gmail will automatically sync your latest emails for offline access and keep them for a certain period, ranging from 7 days to 90 days.

When you send someone an email in offline mode, it will not actually send the mail to the recipient but will save it in an Outbox folder.

The moment your system has an active internet connection, no matter how unstable it is, Gmail will send all your emails in the Outbox and download a light version of your incoming email. Do keep in mind that it won’t download any attachments, for that, you will need an active and stable connection.

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Apple AirPods Pro 2 will come with a hearing aid, and a heart rate tracking among other features

Apple is slated to launch a host of new devices this fall, including four models of the upcoming iPhone 14 series. Along with the new iPhones, the Cupertino-based tech giant is also set to release an updated version of the AirPods Pro.

Apart from having features such as fast charging over USB-C, Apple is also likely to add a hearing aid function and heart rate tracking features on the new AirPods Pro 2.

A report on the leaked features of the AirPods Pro 2 suggests that the 2nd generation of Apple’s pro-TWS earbuds will be powered by an H1 chipset and will have support for self-adaptive active noise cancellation or ANC. 

Furthermore, it adds that Apple will include a heart rate tracker and a USB Type-C support alongside hearing aid functions. Users with hearing problems will be able to use the second-generation AirPods Pro as a hearing aid device. 

The AirPods Pro 2nd Gen is also said to come with a heart rate tracker that will analyse the data from the inner ear and will monitor the heart rate and body temperature. Furthermore, features such as self-adaptive equalisation, spatial audio and audio sharing that are also found in the AirPods 3rd Gen will be included in the upcoming AirPods Pro 2nd Gen.

New renders of the AirPod Pro 2nd Gen have surfaced, suggesting that Apple will be offering a USB Type-C port with multiple openings on both sides. Earlier it was tipped that the design of the next generation of AirPods Pro will be similar to the existing AirPods Pro and the stem will also be of the same size. 

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Not just new iPhones and iPads, Apple is set to launch a whole bunch of new devices this fall

Like every year, Apple will be launching their latest iPhone in autumn or fall as the Americans like to call it. The launch event is scheduled to take place sometime in September or early October. However, Apple won’t be only launching the iPhone. Instead, they will be launching a hoard of devices.

To be precise, Apple is planning to launch four new iPhone 14s, a set of new iPads, three Apple Watches, several M2 / M3-upgraded Macs, and a pair of refreshed AirPods Pro buds, a new HomePod, and an upgraded Apple TV model.

Although Apple has already announced 2 new Macs that will feature its latest flagship M2 processor at the WWDC, it also plans to launch several new Macs with a number of variations of the M2 processor. 

This includes an M2 Mac Mini, an M2 Pro Mac Mini, an M2 Pro or an M2 Max 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, as well as an M2 Ultra or an M2 Extreme Mac Pro.

And then there are the rumours surrounding Apple’s mixed reality headset, which is all but certain for an Autumn release this year. And if things weren’t heated enough for Apple fans already, rumours suggest that Apple is almost ready with their M3 SoC, and will launch something or the other by the end of the year, or by early 2023.

For the iPhone 14, there are rumours that only the Pro and Pro Max models are reportedly set to receive the new and more powerful A16 chip, as well as support for an always-on display. The Pro models are also going to get a whole new 48MP camera sensor, and a new notch design, which features a pill and a hole-shaped cutout for Face ID and the front-facing camera, respectively. 

The standard, non-Pro models of the iPhone 14, will have the same A15 chip that comes with the iPhone 13. Also, instead of a Mini model, this year, we will have the iPhone 14 Max, with a 6.7-inch display.

Apple’s also expected to release three new models of the Apple Watch Series 8 this fall. There will be the standard Watch Series 8, a new SE Watch, and a more ‘rugged’ version of the Watch Series 8 aimed at people into extreme sports. 

While the S8 chip present in the upcoming Watch Series 8 will offer the same level of performance as the preceding S7 and S6 chips, the Watch coming next year will reportedly feature an upgraded processor. 

Apple is also likely to discontinue their best-selling smartwatch, the Series 3 Watch this fall, in favour of the new SE, which could also come with the S8 processor.

As for the upcoming iPads, rumours indicate that Apple will launch M2-equipped 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models later this year, in addition to a larger iPad between 14 and 15 inches coming in the next year. There is also a new entry-level iPad that will come with an A14 chip, 5G, and USB-C connectivity.

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Motorola to launch The Frontier, a 200MP camera smartphone next month, with 125W fast charging

Motorola is launching their flagship device, aptly called “The Frontier” sometime next month. Having focused on budget and mid-range phones for years now, Motorola is hoping that their upcoming flagship, the Frontier will go a long way to help re-establish the brand as a player with serious chops.

We had earlier reported that the upcoming Motorola Frontier would feature the world’s first smartphone camera sensor with 200MP, and actually beat Samsung. Motorola Frontier is reportedly using Samsung’s ISOCELL HP1 sensor for its main camera. It will also feature the 50MP ISOCELL JN1 and 12MP Sony IMX663 as secondary and tertiary sensors.

Samsung ISOCELL HP1 uses the ChameleconCell pixel-binning tech that effectively turns a block of 16 pixels into one pixel when shooting in low light conditions. This means that when utilising the tech, the 200-megapixel sensor will actually create 12.5-megapixel images. Shooting in daylight or in well-lit conditions should give you full 200MPs to play with.

Another major improvement that we will see in the Motorola Frontier, would be the charging speeds. Up until now, Motorola has often lagged behind others in terms of charging speeds, having managed a high of 68W in its current Edge 30-series flagship while others such as OPPO forged right ahead with 80W or more. Some upcoming devices from Realme & iQOO are working on fast charging speeds that are near about 200W. With the Frontier, Motorola will be providing users with 125W fast charging and wireless charging with 50W.

As for the other specs, a leak from a Chinese regulatory body named 3C or the China Compulsory Certification, suggests that the Motorola Frontier will have a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC, and will support a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. The leaks also suggest that the Motorola Frontier will have a 60MP front-facing camera.  

Just to be clear, Motorola won’t be selling the device with the moniker Frontier, that is just the codename. In all likelihood, Motorola will be going for something like the Edge 30 Ultra instead. This is because it is expected to improve vastly on its immediate Edge X30/30 Pro/Plus predecessor.

 

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Asus ROG Flow Z13 - What’s all the buzz about?

Asus launched a highly unusual device in India this week, one that has been in the making for a few years now. Yes, we are talking about the Asus ROG Flow Z13. When a bunch of us techies were introduced to the product a few weeks ago, there wasn’t a common consensus about what category the product actually fit in. Some thought it was a tablet, some a laptop, some even called it a portable gaming console and a few thought it was impractical. 

This may remind you of the blind men and the elephant story, but rest assured, we had our eyes wide open and also managed to closely observe the product from all angles. So why such a divided house, you ask? Well, it’s just the way the product has been designed. Either of those observations can be right, and at the same time, it probably doesn’t entirely fit into either of those categories in a traditional way. Enough of the suspense and it’s time for me to tell you everything about the key aspects of the product.

So what exactly is the ROG Flow Z13?
No, I am not opening the debate again! As Asus likes to put it, the ROG Flow Z13 is a detachable 2-in-1 gaming tablet. Detachable because the keyboard is detachable. 2-in-1 because it is a tablet and a gaming laptop rolled into one. I will break it down further. For starters, it runs Microsoft Windows 11 and not Android. Secondly, it hosts some pretty powerful hardware that I will touch upon in a subsequent section. But the design is a little unusual.

Think of it like a reverse laptop where the thin screen side stays horizontal, while the rest of the bulky body is placed vertically. You still have the screen in front of you in the usual vertical position with the processing hardware behind it, while you have an ultra flat keyboard on the table. There is a retractable stand behind the vertical part to support it. If it’s hard to imagine, we have ample images for you to check out. Asus claims that this reverse form factor provides much better airflow and cooling, and hence better performance.

How big and heavy is this device?
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is fairly compact for a laptop but quite bulky for a tablet. It is 12 mm in thickness and weighs close to 1.1 kg. Asus thinks it is a featherweight, but I am not sure about the kind of birds they have near their development centre. Add another 300 grams for the bundled 100 Watts adapter that supports fast charging and claims to juice up 50% of the Z13 battery in just 30 minutes.

What are the key specifications of the ROG Flow Z13?
The Z13 is powered by a 14-core Intel i9-12900H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU. You get 16 GB dual channel DDR5 RAM and 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD. It has a 13.4-inch UltraHD+ IPS display with a resolution of 3840 x 2400 pixels. The touchscreen display has a 60 Hz refresh rate and is compliant with Dolby Vision. It has a built-in 3-microphone array and 2 speakers with Smart Amplifier technology with Hi-Res certification and Dolby Atmos support.

Keeping it powered is a 56 WH 4-cell battery. As for wireless connectivity, you have dual-band WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. As you can see the machine is loaded to the brim. But in case you find the GPU underwhelming, you have an option of upgrading it to RTX 3080 using an external XG Mobile module. Think of it as an external graphics card that you need to pay extra for. You can also opt for an XG Mobile with AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT GPU.

Just like all 2022 ROG models, the Flow Z13 also features the MUX Switch that reduces in-game latencies and boosts performance by up to 10%. It also features two display options (both touch panels) – a 4K 60 Hz display with 85 per cent DCI-P3 coverage, or a Full HD 120 Hz screen with 100 per cent sRGB coverage.

What is the price of Asus ROG Flow Z13 in India?
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is priced at Rs 1,36,990 with a one-year warranty and is now available for purchase in online and offline stores.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 initial impressions summary
While the debate about the category to place it in will continue, I quite liked what I saw and the interesting approach Asus has taken to build it. It may be too bulky for a tablet and probably too expensive for a gaming laptop with an RTX 3050 Ti. But it gives you the option to use it as either, and the compliance with XG Mobile external GPUs can be a game changer. One can also look at it as a portable gaming PC if you have the money to spare.

There is definitely an X-factor in the way the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is built and that little transparent window at the back with LED lighting is bound to catch the eye of gamers. It surely isn’t a product for all, but then this is just the first of its kind at the moment. We are yet to see the best of this approach, and I hope Asus continues on this path longer.

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Instagram testing methods for age verification with video selfies, AI & social vouching

Verifying a user’s age is one of the biggest challenges that social media platforms face today. To counter that, Meta-owned Instagram is now testing a number of new methods for age verification, including having the user upload a video selfie and then letting their own piece of AI software judge their age.

At present, some users when they update their date of birth on the platform to reflect that they are over 18, are required to show upload an ID. Because Instagram has encountered several cases where teenagers have used fake IDs, they had to come up with a new way to verify their age. Instagram also had to face concerned parents and patrons over the fact that people had to upload IDs, given Meta’s coloured history with collecting a user’s data.

While the ID-based system will stay on for the time being, Instagram is developing a number of other ways to verify the age of a user. In a test run, they are asking users to get three mutual friends who can verify their age. They are calling this “social vouching,” although clearly, there is a lot of potential for abuse here.

The most interesting way that they are going about this age verification business is by using AI. Instagram is asking some users to shoot a selfie video and submit it for verification. An AI bot will then study the footage and check for a number of parameters, and then “judge” whether one is indeed over the age of 18 years.

Instagram is using the services of an online verification company called Yoti, a company that uses AI to verify the user's age.

Instagram says that Yoti trains its AI on "anonymous images of diverse people from around the world who have transparently allowed Yoti to use their data and who can ask Yoti to delete their data at any time." And for people under the age of 13, Yoti collected data with parents or guardians giving explicit consent.

Instagram says that once you upload a video selfie and Yoti uses it to confirm your age, the image isn't used for anything else, and is deleted after your age has been confirmed. However, given Instagram’s parent company Meta’s history of misusing user data, one should be cautious to take this approach.

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Samsung officially unveils their new 200MP smartphone camera sensor

Samsung officially unveiled a new smartphone camera sensor that has a resolution of 200MP. The new sensor is actually the third generation of their ISOCELL HP sensor. 

The first sensor in this series, the ISOCELL HP1, was actually the first smartphone camera sensor that was 200MP, but it was never shipped in official phones. However, a Motorola phone is in the pipeline with the ISOCELL HP1.

Samsung has already started shipping samples to vendors and other smartphone manufacturers, and they plan to start mass production and shipping these sensors by the end of this year.

Currently, Sony dominates the smartphone camera market. Leading smartphone manufacturers from all around the world have been using sensors from Sony, and this includes Samsung, as well as Apple. Samsung is looking to disrupt Sony’s stronghold over the market.

Samsung’s first generation ISOCELL HP1 200MP sensor will first appear in a Motorola phone. Samsung had decided that the ISOCELL HP1 sensor did not meet their requirements so they decided to keep improving on it. 

The ISOCELL HP3 is that it features 0.56-micron pixels, allowing Samsung to produce a smaller 1/1.14-inch camera sensor format, while its predecessor, the ISOCELL HP2  offered 0.64-micron pixels that paved the way for a 1/1.22–inch sensor profile.

The advantage that the HP3 has over HP2 is that the smaller sensor surface area takes up less space, which means other manufacturers won’t have much trouble keeping their phones slim despite equipping them with a 200MP camera sensor. 

Samsung recently showcased the chops of its latest camera sensor by taking cat pictures and printing out a giant canvas that was bigger than the size of a basketball court. The goal was to showcase the terrific levels of detail that the camera can capture.

The ISOCELL HP3 also comes with a number of software tweaks for better results. For example it uses Tetra2 (or Tetra Square) pixel-binning technology that merges 16 adjacent pixels to create a larger pixel capable of absorbing more light data to produce brighter and more detailed photos, especially in challenging situations.

Samsung is also levelling up the auto-focusing game with the ISOCELL HP3 sensor. Samsung’s camera division adopted the new Super QPD tech that arms each pixel with auto-focusing capabilities and relies on a system that puts a single lens over four-adjacent pixels to detect the phase differences in both horizontal and vertical directions.

The end results are more accurate colours and a faster focus lock experience. Samsung is also shifting to an upgraded Smart ISO Pro feature for HDR imaging. Instead of a dual-ISO approach that combines two images captured at high and low ISO settings to produce the final HDR shot, the new version relies on a triple-shot approach for taking a trio of images at three different ISO levels (low, mid, and high) to produce an even wider dynamic range.

Samsung also increased the 10-bit and 12-bit capture all the way up to 14-bit RAW capture. For video recording, the new Samsung sensor is capable of native 8K recording without any cropping, while 4K videos can be shot at a frame rate of up to 120fps. Full-HD slo-mo videos at 480fps.

The new 200MP sensor from Samsung likely won’t appear in a Samsung Galaxy phone this year, as camera upgrades are usually reserved for Galaxy S flagships. The most obvious bet would be the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which will likely break cover in Q1 2023. In all likelihood, Samsung’s new ISOCELL HP3 may be seen in Chinese brands like Vivo and Oppo, in their Find X series and X Series flagships.

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Motorola Moto G42 set to launch next week in India, will feature Snapdragon 680 SoC

Motorola’s next smartphone the Moto G42 will make its Indian debut sometime in the next week if certain leaks and reports are to be believed. The device had already been launched in the Brazilian market earlier this year.

According to noted tipster Yogesh Brar, Motorola will be launching their device in India sometime next week. He didn’t reveal the launch date, however.

The Moto G42 was released in the Brazilian market with an OLED panel and the Qualcomm, Snapdragon 680 SoC. During the Brazilian launch event, Motorola announced that the device will also be launched in certain Asian countries, Latin America, Europe and in the Middle East in a couple of weeks.

As for the specifications for the Indian version of the Moto G42, users are likely to get a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that will have 1080 x 2400 pixels screen resolution and 60Hz screen refresh rate.

For the camera, the Moto G42 will be getting a triple camera setup, with a 50MP sensor as the primary camera along with an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP camera in the rear. The front camera will be a 16MP shooter. The device will have a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging.

The Brazilian variant of the Moto G42 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset so in all likelihood, Motorola will be sticking with the same SoC for the Indian variant as well. The chipset would be backed by an Adreno 610 GPU and it is likely to be paired with 4GB RAM. For storage, the top variant will be getting 128GB storage.

Connectivity options on the Moto G42 include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Users also get the option to expand their storage by up to 1 TB, using a microsdXC cardThe phone packs a 5,000mAh battery that supports fast charging through a 20W TurboPower charger. Besides, it measures 160.4x73.5x7.99mm and weighs 174.5 grams.

As for the pricing, the Moto G42 is set to be priced for about 210 Euros. In India that translates to just over Rs 17,000, so expect the final price to be around Rs 20,000 for the base, 64GB variant.

 

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Poco F4 5G and X4 GT launch: Here’s what to expect and how to watch the launch event

Poco will be launching the Poco F4 5G and the Poco X4 GT today at 5:30 PM IST. While the main highlight of the event has to be the launch of the Poco F4 5G, people are also excited about the launch of the X4 GT. Although there hasn’t been any confirmation regarding its specs and prices as of yet, they have already been leaked online, and on paper, the X4 GT seems to be a power-packed package.

We take a look at a few details around the launch and the specs of the upcoming Poco devices.

Poco F4 5G and X4 GT launch: Where and how to watch
Poco will be live streaming the virtual launch event on YouTube and across its social media platforms at 5:30 PM IST, today, i.e. on 23 June. Users can also navigate to the launch event through Poco’s official website.

Poco F4 5G and X4 GT launch: Pricing and availability
The Poco F4’s base model, the variant with 6GB RAM + 128GB storage is expected to be priced around Rs 28,000. The highest variant, the one with  12GB RAM + 256GB storage, will be priced at around Rs 34000. There is also a mid-level variant, with 8GB RAM + 128GB storage that will be priced around Rs 30,000. Users can expect some hefty introductory offers that will drive all these prices down, quite significantly. 

As for the X4 GT, the top variant 8GB RAM +256GB storage will be priced around Rs 33,000, with the lower variant with 128GB storage will be priced under Rs 30,000.

According to the company, Poco F4 5G will be available for sale from June 27, whereas the Poco X4 GT will go on sale from July 4. The X4 GT will be first available in Europe and will come to India later.

Poco F4 5G and X4 GT launch: Specifications
The Poco F4 5G features a 6.67-inch OLED E4 display with Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and 1,300 nits of peak brightness. It could also feature some form of water splash resistance. The phone has a side-mounted fingerprint reader.

It comes equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor, 6GB/8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 128GB256 GB UFS 3.1 internal storage. It will run Android 12-based MIUI 13 out of the box.

On the front, it has a 20MP selfie camera with Full HD video recording. The rear-facing camera setup of the POCO F4 5G includes a 64MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The rear-facing primary camera can record 4K 30fps videos.

It has a 4,500mAh battery with 67W fast charging. Connectivity features include a dual-SIM card slot, GPS, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. The phone also has a stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos.

The X4 GT on the other hand is rumoured to have a 6.6-inch full-HD+ LCD display with 144Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision. The smartphone will be equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The phone is said to come with LiquidCool 3.0 Technology.

For photography, there is a triple rear camera setup on the Poco X4 GT just like the Poco F4 5G, albeit with some minor differences. It has a 64MP primary sensor paired with an f/1.89 lens along with an 8MP sensor with an f/2.2 lens with 120 degree field-of-view, and a 2MP sensor with f/1.75 aperture lens for macro shots. On the front we find a 20MP sensor with an f/2.45 aperture lens.

Connectivity options are said to include dual-band Wi-Fi 6, 5G, Bluetooth v5.3, and USB Type-C port. The phone will pack a 5,080mAh battery with support for 67W wired charging, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Dolby Audio stereo speakers, and AI face unlock.

 

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