Google Pixel 7 & 7 Pro review: Peak Android but only one storage variant

This has been a big year for Google smartphone fans in India — the tech giant first released the very capable Pixel 6a (review) in July and, barely three months later, released its next-generation flagship phones — the Pixel 7 and the 7 Pro — powered by Google’s in-house second-generation G2 Tensor chips.

The phones were launched on October 6 in India — the Pixel 7 starts at Rs 59,999 and the Pixel 7 Pro goes for Rs 84,999.

The specifications
Google Pixel 7

• Display: 6.3-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz
• Camera setup: 50 MP wide-angle lens, 12 MP ultrawide lens
• Battery: 4335 mAh with 20W fast charging, 20W wireless fast charging and reverse wireless charging
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 128GB
• Rated IP68 for water and dust resistance

Google Pixel 7 Pro

• Display: 6.7-inches LTPO Quad HD+ AMOLED display with a variable refresh rate of up to 120 Hz
• Camera setup: 50 MP wide-angle lens, 12 MP ultrawide lens, 48MP telephoto lens
• Battery: 5000 mAh with 23W fast charging, 23W wireless fast charging and reverse wireless charging
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 128GB
• Rated IP68 for water and dust resistance

We had both smartphones for just under two weeks, and here are our thoughts.

It is very clear right from the outset just how similar the 7 and 7 Pro are to their predecessors — barring a few physical changes, such as the camera housing which is made of metal this time instead of glass. The Pixel 7 is slightly smaller than the 6, and sports a 6.3-inch screen, while the Pixel 7 Pro has similar dimensions to the Pixel 6 Pro, but instead of the sharply-curved screen of last year’s flagship, the curve is less pronounced this time.

We can’t help but feel that this is what Google intended for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro to be — the new smartphones are more a refinement of last year’s lineup than a radical new upgrade. That said, it is odd that Google offers both phones in just one storage variant — 128GB — leaving potential buyers who need more storage with no choice but to look at other brands.

We received the Obsidian variant of the 7, which is essentially black, and the Hazel variant of the 7 Pro, which is olive green with gold accents. Despite it being a fingerprint magnet, we absolutely loved the stealth black of the 7, which sports a matte black unibody aluminium sides and camera housing, and a glass back. 

But even prettier is the Hazel 7 Pro — the olive green of the back is brilliantly complemented by the polished gold aluminium frame and looks every inch a flagship.

Now that the looks are out of the way, how do the phones perform? 

As with every smartphone, we tested five aspects — screen, camera, battery life, user experience and software, the last two of which have significant overlap.

Screen
The Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch full HD flat display that’s absolutely gorgeous to look at, though one could argue that a sharper resolution could not have hurt. The colours are accurately reproduced on the screen, videos are rendered well, and we were able to view the screen’s contents in bright daylight without too much trouble.

The Pixel 7 Pro predictably kicks things up a notch. The 6.7-inch display is a stunner, and at peak brightness, absolutely sails through any lighting condition. Overall, it is a superior display to its smaller sibling.

Battery life 
This was the most impressive part about both these phones. Both handsets easily lasted me a day of moderate-to-heavy use, with the 7 Pro crossing the 40-hour mark before it died on me. The Pixel 7 just made it to 27 hours before it needed charging— colour me impressed.

Your mileage obviously will vary but not by too much. Google has been knocking it out of the park with the battery life on its phones this year — the Pixel 6a too held up quite well during testing.

Both phones support wireless charging and reverse charging, so imagine the kick we got out of wirelessly charging the Pixel 7 using the battery share feature on the 7 Pro, which effectively turned the Rs 85,000 flagship phone into a wireless charger.

Camera
Now we come to the meat of this review. The cameras have always been the standout feature of Pixel devices, and the 7 and 7 Pro do not disappoint. Though we spent most of our time testing the beefier camera setup on the 7 Pro, we can attest that the 7 is no slouch. In fact, for reasons we will list out later in the review, the 7 is a better package overall.

So, how did the 7 Pro do? The phone comes with a triple-lens camera array. Of course, we played with the setup quite a bit. More than the physical specifications, it’s always Google’s computational prowess that stood out. And, even on a cloudy morning, the camera took some impressive photographs. The colours are saturated just right, with all three lenses — primary, ultrawide and telephoto — maintaining colour consistency while capturing the same subject.

The camera has other fun features, such as 360-degree photographs (which would be impossible to reproduce here), fisheye mode, wide-angle, vertical and horizontal ‘Photo Sphere’ modes.

Also making its debut this year is the cinematic video mode, but the 7 Pro is a little too aggressive on the blur effect, making the final video feel a teensy bit artificial. Apple didn’t hit the target either on its first attempt at cinematic video capture on the 13 series last year but refined it on the 14 series. Expect Google to do no different in the 2023 lineup.

Overall, using the camera app is super fun with all the different modes, and the results are reliable, making for a smooth photography experience.

User experience and software
This is where Google absolutely crushes it. Google is the most natural bet to take on Apple by virtue of it making the operating system (Android) and hardware (Pixel phones). The company’s strategy, however, has wavered in previous years with some truly puzzling decisions, such as not bringing any flagship phones to India for a couple of years.

But with the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, the company is slowly catching up to the iPhone maker. For the first time in many years, the hardware and software designs are absolutely in sync, and that makes for a delightful experience.

That is not to say it’s all smooth sailing — there are a few rough edges. The odd bug pops up to ever-so-slightly mar the experience, but overall, it’s refined, well-packaged and more importantly, smooth as butter.

Android 13 runs like a charm on these devices and Google’s special touches, such as live captions and live transcribe, have made our life as journalists that much easier. I’ll admit it — the Pixel experience is, for our money, one that is very practical and extremely useful.

In conclusion
The Pixel 7, thanks to its compact size, matte aluminium side rails and lower asking price, is the better value of these two devices, but the 7 Pro is definitely more eye-catching. If you can spare the extra Rs 25,000 and absolutely need the larger screen size and that extra camera, go for the Pixel 7 Pro.

But if you want a bang-for-buck, quintessential Pixel experience in a delightful little package, buy the Pixel 7. Either way, at least from our experience, you can’t go wrong.

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India has the second-highest number of internet users in the world. Here are the top 10 for 2022

Around 5.07 billion people use the internet around the world at present, which is equivalent to 63.5 per cent of the world’s total population

With a penetration rate of 47 per cent of the total population of the country, India is one of the leading countries with the highest number of Internet users. In January 2022, India had 658 million Internet users, according to the World Population Review.

China has the highest number of Internet users. India ranks second in the number of Internet users, although only 20 per cent of its population uses the Internet. The penetration rate of countries like the UK and the US is more than 90 per cent.
On International Internet Day, here’s a look at the top 10 countries with the highest Internet users in 2022.

On International Internet Day, here’s a look at the top 10 countries with the highest Internet users in 2022.

China

China had 1.02 billion Internet users as compared to its population of 1.45 billion in January 2022.

India

While the World Population Review said India had 658 million users in January 2022, a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)-Kantar in July revealed that there were 692 million active Internet users in the country at present.

United States

There were 307.2 million internet users in the US in January 2022. The country has an Internet penetration rate of 92 per cent of the total population.

Indonesia

As compared to the total population of 277.7 million in January 2022, Indonesia had 204.7 million Internet users.

Brazil

Brazil had 165.3 million Internet users at the beginning of the year. The country has an Internet penetration rate of 77 per cent of the total population.

Russia

There are 129.8 million internet users in Russia in January 2022, while the total population of the country is 145.9 million. This means that 16.04 million people in the country were not using the Internet at the start of 2022.

Japan

Japan has 118.3 million Internet users and a 94 per cent penetration rate.

Nigeria

Among African countries, Nigeria has the highest number of Internet users at 109.2 million.

Mexico

Mexico’s total population stood at 130.9 million in January 2022, while the number of Internet users in the country was 96.87 million.

Germany

Germany had 78.02 million Internet users in January 2022. The country has an Internet penetration rate of 93 per cent of the total population.

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Oppo Enco Buds2 Review: Lively sound and very good battery backup on a budget

Pros:
– Lively and loud sound output
– Useful sound presets
– Lightweight and comfortable fit
– Compact and pocketable charging case
– Good battery life
– IPX4 splash resistance
– Programmable touch controls including volume control

Cons:
– Below-par call quality
– Sounds a bit too bright at high volume
– No multi-point support

Price: Rs 1,999

Rating: 3.8/5

Not too long ago we reviewed the Oppo Enco X2 TWS earbuds, the company’s flagship product, and totally relished them. While that caters to a different set of users, what we have for you today is targeted at the masses, given its attractive price tag. The Enco X2 managed to raise the performance bar around the Rs 10,000 mark. Can the Oppo Enco Buds2 do the same in the sub-2K segment? Let’s find out.

Oppo Enco Buds2: Design and Comfort (8/10)
The design of the buds is not very different from some of Oppo’s previous products, but drastically different from its predecessor. They look a lot like the Oppo Enco Air 2 Pro rather than the Enco Buds. Having said that, it doesn’t look bad at all if you like TWS earbuds with stems. You only get the black variant at the moment, and it largely sports a matte black finish with just a hint of gloss on the buds as well as the case. The inside of the case has a pleasant light blue shade, which looks cool.

The circular charging case is quite slim and easily pocketable. Despite its slim profile, it hosts a sizable 460 mAh battery and weighs just 38 grams. A charge indicator LED and a USB-C charging port are located at the bottom of the case. The earbuds are fairly light too and weigh just 4 grams each. They are extremely comfortable to wear for long hours and snug enough to not pop out of the ear during a workout or a jog. 

The right-sized silicon tips offer very good passive noise isolation. Two extra pairs are bundled in the package but a USB charging cable is absent. The touch-enabled zones are present at the top of the stems, and the area is flattened out to give you an idea of where to tap. The touch sensitivity is good and the buds produce a small click every time you tap in the zone. It supports single tap, double tap, triple tap and ‘touch and hold’ gestures.

Oppo Enco Buds2: Features and Specifications (7/10)
The Enco Buds2 are IPX4-rated splash resistant, but not dust resistant as well like its predecessor. Having said that, a special mention for the fluid resistance of these Oppo buds. I had a small mishap on a flight and spilled coffee all over the buds. Two weeks later, they are still functioning perfectly fine with no change in sound quality. Thankfully, the charging case was not involved in this coffee-tasting session as that does not have any ingress protection.

Each earbud is fitted with a 10 mm Titanized dynamic driver and a microphone for calling and ‘AI Deep Noise Cancellation’ for calls. There is no active noise cancellation (ANC) or wear detection sensors here, which is acceptable in this budget. These earbuds are Bluetooth 5.2 compliant and support SBC and AAC codecs. There’s support for Dolby Atmos too when paired with compliant phones. The latency can supposedly go as low as 94 ms in Game mode.

You don’t need to install any app if you use these buds with a OnePlus, Realme or Oppo phone. You get access to a bunch of customisations for the buds in the Bluetooth settings itself. For all other phones, you will need to install the HeyMelody app and sync the earphones with it to tweak certain features of this product. The app lets you alter the sound profile, configure the controls and update the firmware. The use of double tap as a camera shutter is limited to Oppo phones only, I suppose, as it did not work on the OnePlus phone I was using.

You can allocate functions to a single tap, double tap, triple tap and ‘touch and hold’ gestures for the left and right earbuds. You can assign play/pause, previous/next track, voice assistant, Game mode or nothing to the first three gestures. Not all functions are available for each gesture. Volume control can only be assigned to a ‘touch and hold’ gesture, but it’s great to have that option on the earbuds itself so that you don’t have to reach for the source device to alter the loudness.

Oppo Enco Buds2: Performance (8/10)
These buds are among the loudest around, and the volume level mostly stayed between 40 to 50% during the course of my testing. That is sufficiently loud indoors as well as outdoors. I wouldn’t advise taking them beyond 70% as they sound a bit too bright and harsh on the ear. Oppo offers you three sound profiles for these TWS earbuds – Original sound, Bass boost and Clear vocals. Interestingly, all three are usable, though I preferred the default Original sound profile over the other two.

The default sound signature is reasonably balanced for a pair of budget wireless earphones. The bass is punchy but tight and doesn’t majorly impact the midrange frequencies. The vocals sound sharp and lively. The highs have a good presence too but could have been tempered better, especially the S sounds that tend to sound a tad harsh in certain tracks. While I found the bass adequate, some may crave more. That’s where the Bass boost preset comes in handy. 

It does boost the bass at the cost of certain lower midrange frequencies but doesn’t overdo it. It gives you a more traditional V-shaped sound that the masses prefer. The Clear vocals preset is better suited for podcasts and other voice-heavy content, and not so much for music. The soundstage here is not too broad, but that’s what you generally get in this segment. We faced no latency issues with no perceptible lag between the video and audio when watching videos on my phone. The wireless range is pretty standard with a strong connection of up to 10 metres with a clear line of sight. 

Oppo Enco Buds2: Call quality (6/10)
The call quality on the Enco Buds2 is not very impressive. It is decent indoors, and while the vocals aren’t the sharpest, people on the line did grasp what I was saying without much effort. When outdoors, the ‘AI Deep Noise Cancellation’ didn’t really work for me with people complaining of too much background noise being audible to a point that it would impact the conversation. Generally, Oppo TWS earphones are pretty good for calling. This one needs more work, especially the noise cancellation algorithm.

Oppo Enco Buds2: Battery life (8.5/10)
The battery backup of the Enco Buds2 is quite impressive. The company claims 7 hours for the buds and 28 hours overall with the charging case. Given the battery specs and that there is no ANC here, these numbers seemed doable. With the loudness mostly between 40 to 50% during testing, the earbuds managed to go on for close to six and a half hours, and the case could recharge them thrice over. 

That translates into an overall battery backup of close to 26 hours for the buds and case combined, which is quite impressive. They also support fast charging, but the numbers are modest at best. A 10 minutes charge promises an hour of playtime, which is handy, not spectacular. The product can be fully charged in a couple of hours, while the buds alone take about 90 minutes to charge. The battery level of each earbud and the charging case is visible in the Bluetooth settings of the synced device or in the HeyMelody app. 

Oppo Enco Buds2: Price and verdict
The Oppo Enco Buds2 is priced at Rs 1,999 with a one-year warranty, and can often be spotted for 10% lower online. For that price, you get a pair of TWS earphones with a neat design, lively sound output, multiple sound profiles, configurable controls and impressive battery backup. That makes it one of the best TWS options in this segment.

Of course, there is competition in this segment, but there’s only one option that can truly give these Oppo buds a run for their money. The Realme Buds Q2 which sells for a similar price offers most of the features that the Enco Buds2 do as well as comparable sound output. In addition to that, it also offers functional ANC, something quite rare in this segment. However, the battery life is at least 25% lower. Both are excellent products that offer great value, and neither would disappoint you if you have a budget of 2K.

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Twitter plans to charge users $20 per month for Blue Ticks for verified users, starting November 7

With Elon Musk now in charge of Twitter, we are bound to see some major changes to the platform. People who are still working with the social media platform have informed reporters that they have been asked by Musk to introduce paid verification on Twitter.

According to a report by The Verge Musk has ordered Twitter employees to expand the scope of Twitter’s Twitter Blue subscription. Currently, Twitter Blue subscribers pay $5 dollars a month for an exclusive list of features, such as editing tweets, access to new features earlier, and a few other exclusive features. Musk wants the subscription charges to be increased to $20 per month for every Twitter Blue subscriber. For that $20, users will also be getting the highly coveted Blue Tick or verified badge from Twitter.

So basically, instead of verifying whether a user is actually important or a significant user who uses the platform, Musk wants the feature to be accessible to all, who are willing and ready to pay to have a verified profile.

Existing users who already have had their accounts verified will also have to subscribe to the new and higher-priced version of Twitter Blue, if they want to keep their Blue Ticks. Under the current plan, verified users would have 90 days to subscribe or lose their Blue Ticks.

Twitter employees who have been assigned to the project the project were told on Sunday that they need to meet a deadline of November 7th to launch the feature or they will be fired. So there is a very good chance that the feature will indeed be launched next week. Consequently, several engineers and managers associated with the project have been working late into the night and also over the weekend.

Musk has been clear in the months leading up to his acquisition that he wanted to revamp how Twitter verifies accounts and handles bots. “The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” tweeted Musk recently.

Twitter started their Twitter Blue subscription last year to let viewers have an ad-free experience on the platform and read ad-free articles from certain publishers. In the few quarters that Twitter reported earnings as a public company after that debut, advertising remained the vast majority of its revenue. Musk has stated that he plans on growing subscriptions to become half of the company’s overall revenue.

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Explained: How Elon Musk is trying to avoid paying $122 million severance to Parag & other fired Twitter execs

One of the first things that Elon Musk did after taking over Twitter was to fire its top brass. This included CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and General Counsel Vijaya Gadde and a number of other executives. Furthermore, several reports have emerged that he plans on terminating a number of other people before November 1, so that he can avoid giving stock grants that are due to all employees of Twitter, on November 1.

When Parag was made CEO, he was replacing Jack Dorsey, the founder & CEO of Twitter at that point. Parag’s contract stipulated that Agrawal is entitled to get $42 million from Twitter if he were terminated within 12 months of a change in control as a severance package, some component in the form of a bonus, and all of his wages that were accrued to him.

Similarly, other top executives who were to be fired were owed some handsome severance packages. All in all, just the executives who were terminated were supposed to receive about $122 million as severance.

However, Elon Musk is now looking for ways to avoid paying those severance packages, as per a report by The Information.

A person familiar with the matter told The Information that Musk, while dismissing the executives had cited the reason “for cause” in order to try and avoid severance payouts and unvested stock awards, suggesting he had justification for their termination. Two people with knowledge of the subject told The New York Times the executives were now considering their options.

Basically, what Musk is saying is that his move of terminating Parag, and all other executives, was justified because they had given him the reason to do so, by act or omission and not doing their jobs properly. Often in such cases, employees usually approach the court and file cases of wrongful termination. 

If Parag and other Twitter executives who have been fired indeed go to court, and file a case of wrongful termination, Musk will again be embroiled in a long and lengthy legal battle over their severances. It will also be a testament to Musk’s team and their powers of persuasion if they can make this sound justifiable to a group of jurors. 

In other news, Musk has apparently asked the remaining executives and VPs of various departments to come up with a list of names of all the people that need to be terminated. Even before musk took over, there were rumours that he would terminate about 75 per cent of the people at Twitter. 

Musk hopes to terminate most of these employees by November 1, the end of business hours. This way, he will be able to avoid giving stock grants and stock options to employees that will be accrued to them by the end of November 1. 

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Racial slurs on Twitter increased by 500 per cent after Elon Musk took over, platform blames trolling campaign

Elon Musk finally took control of Twitter last week after buying it for a record $44 billion, one of the highest amounts anyone has ever paid in a tech acquisition. When Elon made the original offer to buy Twitter, Musk said that he is a free-speech absolutist. Musk and his fans had positioned him as an entity that would safeguard free speech at all costs. Well, it turns out, people really put that theory to the test.

As per a report by The Washington Post, the use of certain derogatory epithets for African-Americans, Jews, and East Asians increased by up to 500 per cent on the platform, once news broke of Elon Musk taking over Twitter and firing most of its executive command, including CEO Parag Agarwal.

The Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), a research group based out of Princeton, that analyzes social media content to predict emerging threats, said that the use of the N-word on Twitter increased by nearly 500 per cent in the 12 hours immediately after Musk’s deal was finalized.

Responding to the increase in such racial occurrences, Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of safety and integrity, on Saturday evening posted a thread blaming the hateful conduct on a “trolling campaign.”

According to Roth, over the previous 48 hours after Musk took control of the company, Twitter had seen “a small number of accounts post a ton of tweets that include slurs and other derogatory terms.” He said that more than 50,000 tweets repeatedly using the derogatory term for an African-American came from just 300 accounts, most of which were “inauthentic.”

Roth also said, “Twitter’s policies haven’t changed. Hateful conduct has no place here. And we’re taking steps to stop an organized effort to make people think we have.”

Basketball legend LeBron James had tweeted that he had serious concerns about the spike in hate speech on Twitter. 

“I don’t know Elon Musk and, TBH, I could care less who owns Twitter. But I will say that if this is true, I hope he and his people take this very seriously because this is scary AF. So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech,” James wrote.

While replying to James, Musk pointed to Roth’s thread on the subject. Roth noted that Twitter does not have “a list of words that are always banned. Context matters. For example, our policies are written to protect reclaimed speech.” Twitter’s rules prohibit “hateful conduct,” which includes “targeting people with dehumanising content and slurs,” Roth wrote.

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Best phones under Rs 10,000 (Oct 2022): Samsung Galaxy F13, Motorola G22 to Redmi 10

The festive sales are finally over, or so it seems. There were some great deals on smartphones across various budgets over the past month or so. For some reason, if you missed the sales or didn’t have a need or reason to buy a phone then, but now you do, worry not. We have you covered as we look to refresh our smartphone lists starting with the best on offer under Rs 10,000. We have five options for you with at 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage, good display and more than decent cameras. Take your pick.

Best phones to buy under Rs 10,000 in India

Samsung Galaxy F13
Surprise surprise! A Samsung phone at the top of the list in this budget! The Samsung Galaxy F13 offers some real good features for its selling price. It is amongst the few phones under Rs 10,000 that flaunts a Full HD+ display. Its 6.6-inch screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. This phone is powered by Samsung’s Exynox 850 chip, and comes with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded further up to 1 TB with a microSD card.

The photography department is quite varied here for a budget phone with three rear cameras comprising a 50MP primary camera, 5MP ultrawide shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. You also get an 8MP front camera to handle selfies and video calls. A big 6000 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for close to two days of moderate use, and also supports 15W fast charging. The Samsung Galaxy F13 runs Android 12 with One UI 4.1. 

Samsung Galaxy F13 price in India: Rs 9,499 for 4GB RAM/64GB storage

Infinix Hot 11
The Infinix Hot 11 retains its place in our list courtesy of a well-rounded feature set. It is another phone in this bunch with a Full HD+ screen, and sports a  6.6-inch IPS display. This phone is powered by a Mediatek Helio G70 SoC, which is not a bad option in this budget. This too bundles 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage that can be expanded further using a microSD card. The camera department is modest with a 13MP primary camera assisted by a depth sensor. The 8MP front camera is decent enough for selfies and video calls.

This smartphone has a 5200 mAh battery that keeps it running for well over a day and a half of moderate use. The Infinix Hot 11 runs XOS 7.6 based on Android 11. You do get a 2022 variant of this phone for the same price that offers a slightly larger 6.7-inch screen and a Unisoc T610 processor. The battery capacity is marginally lower at 5000 mAh. Rest of the specifications are the same as its previous iteration. We still prefer the older variant though, while the stocks last.

Infinix Hot 11 price in India: Rs 8,999 for 4GB RAM/64GB storage

Micromax IN Note 1
The Micromax IN Note 1 remains a very good option in this budget. It has a 6.67-inch screen with a Full HD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels and a tiny punch hole at the top that hosts a 16MP selfie camera. This phone is powered by a Mediatek Helio G85 chip, which is a pretty decent option for the segment, and you get 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card.

The X-shaped pattern at the back of the phone is eye-catching and adds a bit of style. The Micromax IN Note 1 has four rear cameras consisting of a 48MP primary camera, 5MP ultrawide shooter, 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. A 5000 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for over a day and a half of moderate use, and supports 18W fast charging. The phone launched with Android 10, and an Android 11 update was expected this year.

Micromax IN Note 1 price in India: Rs 9,990 for 4GB RAM/64GB storage

Motorola G22
The Motorola G22 is a neat little option in this budget. Some of its features are quite interesting for this budget category. Let’s start with the photography department that has a 50MP primary camera, accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The 16MP front camera should please the selfie enthusiasts. The phone has a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, a rare feature in a phone priced under 10K.

The Motorola G22 is powered by a Mediatek Helio G37 chip, and you get 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage that can be expanded further up to 1 TB with a microSD card. Its 5000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to two days of standard use, and even better, it supports 20W fast charging. The phone runs Android 12 out of the box, and like all Motorola phones, you get a near-stock Android user interface. Long story short, this is a great all-round phone under Rs 10,000.

Motorola G22 price in India: Rs 9,499 for 4GB RAM/64GB storage

Redmi 10
Though not better than some of the phones above, the Redmi 10 from Xiaomi is a good budget smartphone for those looking for decent processing power, a large display and long battery life. It has a 6.7-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1650 x 720 pixels protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC which is a very good option in this budget. You get 4 GB RAM here too along with 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded further. 

This phone has a 6000 mAh battery that powers it for well over two days of moderate use. You get two rear cameras with a combination of 50MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. A 5MP selfie camera is located in a drop notch at the top of the screen. The Redmi 10 runs Android 11 with a layer of Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 on top. 

Redmi 10 price in India: Rs 9,499 for 4GB RAM/64GB storage

 

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OnePlus Nord Watch Review: There’s a lot to like despite a few quirks

Pros:
– Cool design, sturdy build, IP68 ingress protection
– Comfortable around the wrist
– Excellent AMOLED display
– Very good battery backup
– Simple and elegant user interface
– A bunch of useful features

Cons:
– No built-in GPS, REM sleep tracking
– Steps and distance tracking is erratic
– Not swim-proof

Rating: 3.5/5

Price: Rs 4,999

OnePlus Nord, which started off as a budget smartphone series for the company, now has a third product category under the series. After a couple of Nord-branded TWS earphones earlier this year, the company has added a fitness watch to its portfolio. The OnePlus Nord Watch doesn’t promise the world but aims to do the key things right at an affordable price point. After having spent a couple of weeks with the watch, let’s see if it earns our recommendation.

Cool design, rugged build, comfortable to wear

The OnePlus Nord Watch design lacks a wow factor but it’s quite pleasant. The design is polished with a rectangular frame and no rough edges. A solitary physical button allows you to access different functions of this watch along with the touchscreen display. The display has curved edges that blend into the frame. The frame has a glossy finish, while the base of the watch has a matte finish. The watch comes in two shades – Midnight Black and Deep Blue, and they both look cool. 

Either the black variant has a bluish frame or I somehow got a mix of the two variants with a dark blue frame and black straps. Either way, that combination looks good. The default silicon straps have a nice texture similar to the one you get on the OnePlus Watch, with a simple and standard locking mechanism with a stainless steel buckle and hoops. And yes, the straps are replaceable.

The watch weighs a little over 50 grams with the straps, which is a bit on the heavier side, but doesn’t feel that way once you wear it. Wearing it for long hours does not cause sweating or skin irritation. The build quality is quite solid and has IP68 dust and water resistance. While that makes the watch rain-proof and splash-proof, it is not enough to make it swim-proof. So it would be advisable to take it off before you dive into the pool.

Excellent AMOLED display but limited watch faces on the watch

The OnePlus Nord Watch has an excellent 1.78-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 368×448 pixels, 500 nits brightness and 60Hz refresh rate. The images and text look extremely sharp on this screen thanks to the 326ppi pixel density, and the colours are vibrant. There is no mention of any scratch-resistant glass or anti-fingerprint coating for the screen, but I couldn’t spot any scuff marks on the screen even after 3 weeks of use. The smudge marks and fingerprints were also a lot lower than usual, and I didn’t have to wipe the screen frequently.

The screen has auto and manual brightness controls and is perfectly legible outdoors even under bright sunlight at a little over 75 per cent brightness. When indoors, even 50 per cent is good enough. One thing to note is you get a proper brightness control slider as you get on smartphones rather than the 5 predefined levels that you see on most budget fitness watches; this gives you more granular control. You need to flick your wrist or press the physical button to turn on the screen. Flick gesture works well most of the time, which can also be turned off during your sleep hours. 

You get close to a hundred watch faces for the OnePlus Nord Watch in the companion app with a fair mix of digital, analogue, data-heavy and animated faces. The transfer process is fairly brisk, but you can store only four faces of your choice on the watch in addition to the default option that cannot be replaced. I did not see an option to manually remove or replace a particular watch face in the app, and it happens on a ‘first in first out’ basis on the watch. 

Smooth user interface, basic but uncomplicated companion app

OnePlus has opted for a new companion app for the Nord Watch. You need to download the N Health app and sync your device with it over Bluetooth (the watch is Bluetooth 5.2 compliant). The process is fairly smooth. While several settings of the device can be accessed from the watch itself, there are a few that are available only in the app. Things like fitness goals, reports and watch faces are available in the app in addition to a few more. 

The N Health app is fairly basic, but uncluttered and easy to understand, which is exactly what the target audience of the Nord Watch would prefer. It shows a synopsis of your daily/weekly/monthly activity, workouts and sleep patterns along with certain health parameters like heart rate and blood oxygen level. Tapping certain modules give you a further breakdown of that activity, but not an in-depth analysis. While the user interface of this watch is quite easy to grasp even for a novice, it also happens to be the most polished I have come across in watches under 5K. 

I am not sure if Amazfit has anything to do with it at some level, but there are a lot of similarities, which is not a bad thing. The UI is smooth with lively colours, cool animations and transition effects. You can swipe down on the home screen for quick settings, swipe up for notifications and swipe left or right to browse through various widgets like daily activity progress, heart rate, sleep data and more. The physical button acts as a shortcut for all the watch functions from the home screen and doubles up as a back button on all other screens. 

Generally reliable fitness tracking, but misses out on a couple of key features 

Before we head to fitness tracking, let’s take a quick look at the other useful functions this watch offers. For starters, it does not support Bluetooth calling that you get these days on several watches, but you can silence or reject calls from the watch screen. You can choose to receive notifications and messages from most of the popular apps present on your phone. The messages are clearly legible on the watch screen, but you cannot reply back from there.

You also get music playback controls, a remote camera shutter, a calendar, a calculator and a handful of other utilities on the Nord Watch. As for sensors, you have a heart rate monitor, SpO2 sensor and a 3-axis accelerometer. If you wear the watch right and keep your hand steady, you get an accurate oxygen score (comparable to an over-the-counter oximeter) in less than 30 seconds. You also get one tap measurement for three health parameters in 75 seconds. It measures your heart rate, oxygen level and stress level in one go. 

This watch can track 105 different activities and sports that include your usual walking, running, cycling, swimming, free training and their variations. It also claims to monitor popular sports like cricket, football, table tennis, badminton etc., along with a few dance forms. I did try walking, running and some strength training wearing this watch but not the rest. The Nord Watch lacks a built-in GPS module and as a result, the distance tracking is not all that accurate. 

The number of steps recorded during an outdoor walk was still in the usual ballpark but the distance reported was a good 10-12 per cent lower than the actual. That’s a bit on the higher side with 5-7 per cent considered tolerable. Also, this watch reports a few false steps occasionally, especially when travelling in a train or car. So at times, it downplays your achievements and sometimes makes you believe that you have been more active than actual.

Sleep tracking works well here. The overall sleep duration from the time I fell asleep till I was up seemed correct. It tracks the quantum of light sleep, deep sleep and awake time, but no REM sleep. As a result, the deep sleep figure seems significantly higher than what other watches with REM tracking suggest. You get a sleep score in the app based on the quality and quantity of sleep. Stress monitoring is also available on this watch along with menstrual cycle tracking. You get some assisted breathing exercises as well as sedentary reminders with the coolest of animations I have come across in watches if you are stationary for long. 

Very good battery backup

OnePlus claims a battery life of 10 days on a full charge for the Nord Watch with the following usage scenario – all-day wear, intelligent heart rate detection enabled, Do Not Disturb mode on during nighttime sleep, message notifications enabled (up to 150 messages), the screen waking up to 150 times per day, SpO2 monitored twice a day, and an average of 90 minutes of exercise per week. We believe that’s a conservative estimate. With double the weekly exercise duration, fewer notifications and wearing it to bed alternate nights during the testing period, it went on for a good two weeks, which is impressive.

What’s even more impressive is the standby time, which the company pegs at 30 days. In reality, it only drops by 1 or 2 per cent if you don’t wear the watch at all for a full day. At that rate, it should go on for way more than a month. Of course, one wouldn’t buy this watch to cast it aside for that long like a new year’s fitness resolution, but it’s good to know that you don’t lose the reserves much on days you don’t use it. It takes about an hour and a half to charge its 230 mAh battery fully with the bundled magnetic pin charger. 

Price and verdict

The OnePlus Nord Watch sells for Rs 4,999 in India with a one-year warranty. While it may not be the most feature-rich watch in the segment, it does offer plenty of useful features and a lot of finesse to justify the price tag. At that price, you get a fairly stylish fitness watch with a sharp AMOLED display, simple and smooth UI, generally reliable fitness tracking (barring distance) and very good battery backup. It does miss out on features like built-in GPS, 5ATM water resistance and REM sleep tracking though.

As for competition, there are three options that the Nord Watch will go up against. I don’t think there’s any watch under Rs 5,000 that has all the features that this OnePlus product offers along with the ones it misses. The Realme Watch 3 Pro does come close with built-in GPS but its battery backup is drastically lower, and that isn’t swim-proof either. The Amazfit Bip 3 Pro offers most of the features, and for a few hundred Rupees less, but you will have to make do with a regular LCD screen instead of AMOLED. 

If you increase your budget by a thousand bucks, you can get the newer version of the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini that does have an AMOLED display, though a little smaller, along with built-in GPS, 5ATM water resistance, comparable battery backup and a more detailed Zepp app. The design is a bit more elegant too. Thus spending the extra money would not be a bad idea at all. However, if you wish to stick to the 5K budget or prefer a bigger screen, the OnePlus Nord Watch is a solid option as long as GPS is not a requirement.

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Elon Musk completes Twitter takeover. What changes will the billionaire introduce?

‘The bird is freed’, tweeted Elon Musk shortly after he completed his $44-billion acquisition of Twitter, following months and months of back and forth.

the bird is freed

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

His first piece of business as Twitter chief was the ouster of CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, and head of legal policy, trust and safety, Vijaya Gadde.

With this move, the billionaire behind SpaceX and Tesla brings to a close a saga that saw Twitter go to court to hold the multi-billionaire to the terms of a takeover deal that he had tried to escape.

However, if you think the Musk-Twitter saga is over, you’re sorely mistaken. The real drama is yet to come.

In April while he was still on good terms with now ousted CEO Parag Agrawal and was about to join the board, he had written in a text message to Agrawal, “I have a ton of ideas. I just want Twitter to be maximum amazing.”

So, what ‘amazing’ changes could be coming? How will the eccentric yet genius billionaire change the social media platform?

If you have been following the drama, Musk has been throwing hints at the way he wants to transform the platform. For those who haven’t been following the saga, but are interested, read on.

Make Twitter a ‘free speech’ platform

Musk has consistently stated that his reasoning to buy Twitter is that he wants it to be an open digital town square of ideas, without intervention.

A self-styled “free speech absolutist” who has been critical of Twitter’s moderation policies has said that he would allow anyone to say anything on the platform, as long as it’s legal.

Back in April, he had tweeted his explanation of ‘free speech’.

By “free speech”, I simply mean that which matches the law.

I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.

If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect.

Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 26, 2022

In June, he reiterated his ‘free speech’ stance, saying, “I think people should be allowed to say pretty outrageous things that are within the bounds of the law, but then that doesn’t get amplified, it doesn’t get, you know, a ton of reach.”

How Musk will achieve that through Twitter as of now is unknown. But, on Thursday, he did try to address concerns about his hands-off approach to content moderation in his public memo to advertisers.

He wrote that Twitter “cannot became a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” and added that he wants Twitter to be a place “where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature.”

Reinstate Donald Trump and other suspended accounts

On 8 January 2021, Twitter had permanently suspended the former US president after the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol.

Since then, Musk has been critical of Twitter’s decision and said that he plans to reverse Trump’s ban from the platform even though the former US president said he doesn’t plan on coming back.

When asked about Trump in May, he had said, “I would reverse the permanent ban,” adding that Twitter was “left-biased”.

Speaking to the Financial Times, the SpaceX CEO had said, “I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice. Banning Trump from Twitter didn’t end Trump’s voice. It will amplify it among the right, and that is why it’s morally wrong and flat-out stupid.”

Other suspended accounts such as US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and, in the UK, the rightwing commentator Katie Hopkins could also be reinstated.

Republican’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose personal Twitter account was suspended this year for repeatedly sharing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, could also be allowed back.

***

Explained: How Elon Musk got $44 billion to buy Twitter

From flamethrowers to challenging Putin to combat, why Elon Musk is the king of publicity stunts

Nine things we want from Elon Musk, Twitter’s new owner

***

Getting rid of bots

Through this long saga of acquiring Twitter, Elon Musk has repeatedly shone light on Twitter’s bot issue.

That is why we must clear out bots, spam & scams. Is something actually public opinion or just someone operating 100k fake accounts? Right now, you can’t tell.

And algorithms must be open source, with any human intervention clearly identified.

Then, trust will be deserved.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2022

Musk has said that even though Twitter maintains that bots represent less than 5 per cent of all accounts, the number is much higher — almost 20 per cent or even more.

In fact, he had used the bot issue as a legal way to get out of the deal, saying that the company had defrauded him and investors on the matter.

On April 21, Musk tweeted if a Twitter bid succeeds “we will defeat the spam bots or die trying!” and “authenticate all real humans.”

Introduce an edit button

Twitter users have long asked for a way to edit their tweets for typos and other problems, but the highly requested feature hasn’t been at the top of the company’s priorities.

Elon Musk has long been in favour of introducing an edit button for all users and on 4 April, 74 per cent of his supporters said they supported adding the edit feature.

In September, the company did introduce the edit option for select users. But Musk may now expedite the process now that he is in charge.

But there are still concerns that the edit feature could be used with malicious intent to spread misinformation or harmful messages.

Transform Twitter into a super-app

Musk wants to make Twitter much more than a social media app: turning it into a “superapp.”

In June, Musk told Twitter staff that the company should emulate WeChat, the Chinese “superapp” that combines social media, messaging, payments, shopping, ride-hailing — basically, anything you might use your phone to do.

“You basically live on WeChat in China,” Musk said in June. “If we can re-create that with Twitter, we’ll be a great success.”

This is by far one of Musk’s most ambitious plans and the closest thing he has to a real business strategy. However, he faces competition from Snap’s Evan Spiegel and Uber, who have also been pursuing the “super-app” idea.

Overhauling Twitter Blue

The billionaire has been critical of Twitter Blue, the company’s subscription service that offers exclusive features like bookmark folders and ad-free articles for $4.99 a month.

In April, he had said that all Blue members “should get an authentication checkmark,” similar but different to the blue checkmark that ‘verified’ public figures receive.

He also said that subscribers should pay $2 per month rather than the $4.99. However, this amount should be paid for 12 months up front.

Cut costs and staffing changes

With Musk taking control, Twitter will also see an internal shake-up. As already reported, the current CEO Parag Agrawal has been asked to leave, fuelling speculation that Musk, who already runs multiple companies, could take the reins himself.

In the run-up to Musk’s takeover, many employees began quitting disheartened by Musk's plans to overhaul the company.

Musk, himself, told Twitter employees on his first visit to the company on 5 October that he did not plan to lay off that many workers. However, he is still expected to make some cuts.

What happens next in the Musk-Twitter saga is unknown, but it’s apparent to all that the next few months will be turbulent for Twitter employees and Twitter users.

With inputs from agencies

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How Parag Agrawal forced Elon Musk to buy Twitter and walked away with $42 million after getting fired

After months of speculation of will he-wont he, Elon Musk finally closed the deal with Twitter and acquired the microblogging site. His first order of business was to clean house – his first act as the owner of Twitter, was to sack some of the top executives of the platform. This included CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and General Counsel Vijaya Gadde.

In all of this drama, it seems Parag has emerged as the real hero, at least for Twitter and the people working there. It would be wise to remember that had it not been for Agrawal and his team, Elon Musk would have walked away from the deal, having tanked Twitter’s stock valuation.

Agrawal himself is walking away with a severance package that may be well over $42 million, just like other top executives who were fired. Reaslitcaly, there is no reason to feel bad for Agrawal and other top executives who were sacked.

When Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s former CEO gave up his position and had Parag take over his position, Musk wasn’t exactly dissatisfied with Parag. However, he did have issues with Parag even back then.

💩

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 16, 2022

Musk found the Twitter management incompetent and his leaked chats were testimony to the fact that he disliked Agarwal and wanted to get rid of him as soon as he acquired him.

Initially, Parag and Elon were on civil terms. However, ever since Musk publicly tried to take over Twitter in a hostile manner, things changed between the two. Musk has often berated Agrawal and even mocked him for holidaying in Hawaii. Musk believed that Agrawal was not the kind of man who could run Twitter, and had conveyed so to Jack Dorsey.

One also has to consider just exactly how the takeover bid was initiated. 

Then, there’s also the fact that there have been numerous occasions where Musk tied to troll Parag brutally. Parag was forced to take a stand against Musk a number of times, and it seems, that in most instances, he emerged victorious.

Agrawal surely must have known that if indeed Musk would acquire Twitter, he would be the first one to be shown the door. And yet, this did not stop Parag to make Musk go through the acquisition process that he had initially started.

Make no mistake about this, but had it not been for the court case and subsequent discovery that was looming over Elon, he wouldn’t have bought the company. Not just that, Elon actually tried to back out of the deal a second time as well, after Twitter and its legal team filed a case against Elon. 

One of Parag’s most significant moves in this entire drama was to get Twitter’s case listed in front of a court which has a history of going tough on people, if they deal in bad faith.

Besides forcing Musk to go through with the merger, Parag also ensured that he bought Twitter at the price that Musk had originally offered, even though, the current value of Twitter is nothing close to the sum. Musk always knew that paying $44 billion for Twitter was a mistake. Many industry insiders believe that Musk’s decision to feign and pull out of the deal was an elaborate ruse to get the board members at Twitter let Musk make a much smaller offer.

In 2021, Agrawal’s total compensation 2021 was $30.4 million, most of which was paid to him in stock awards. When Parag was made CEO, he was replacing Jack Dorsey, the founder & CEO of Twitter at that point. Parag’s contract stipulated that Agrawal is entitled to get $42 million from Twitter if he were terminated within 12 months of a change in control as a severance package, some component in the form of a bonus, and all of his wages that were accrued to him.

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Newly appointed ‘Chief Twit’ Elon Musk opens up about the real reason why he bought, but to advertisers

After months of going back and forth, and calling each other all sorts of names, Elon Musk and Twitter have finally signed the deal to complete Twitter’s acquisition. Musk now officially owns the micro-blogging site. However, one question that a lot of people have and still haven’t gotten an answer to, is why. Why did Elon Musk, really buy Twitter?

People close to the ‘technoking’ have often revealed that Twitter will be the stepping stone upon which Musk will create his “everything” app or a super platform called ‘X.com.’ While that may be true, Musk did not really need to acquire the platform to create his own super app. 

Elon Musk, soon after taking over Twitter, put out a Tweet, clarifying why exactly he bought Twitter, in the manner in which he did. One thing to note is that more than the users of the platform, Musk addressed the people, who he thinks really matter – the advertisers.

Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022

Musk’s appeal comes because there is a fear that now that he owns the platform, it will turn into a cesspool of free-for-all commentary and that many people with extremist views may have a free run on it. Such a platform is sure to put off advertisers and there is a risk that with Musk as boss of Twitter, many advertisers may leave the platform.

He says, 

“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” he writes. “That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do it because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.”

Musk continued, saying 

“In the relentless pursuit of clicks, much of traditional media has fueled and catered to those polarized extremes, as they believe that is what brings in the money, but, in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost.”

He goes on to say, 

“That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do it because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility. That said, Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences! In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature.”

Musk also added,

“I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you; it can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you. For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs. Low-relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content! Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together.”

Musk’s note on why he acquired Twitter gives us an insight into what exactly his plans are for Twitter. While he may be contemplating unrestricting certain users and getting them back on the platform, he is wary that certain advertisers may not be comfortable with a social media company that gives a platform to certain controversial figures.

Moreover, Musk’s note indicates that he will be changing the manner in which Twitter deals with advertising, and envisions in making ads more engaging and interactive with the right users. It will be interesting to see what policy changes Musk makes, especially when we consider advertisers on Twitter.

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Mangalore man receives stone and e-waste from Flipkart, after ordering a laptop

A Flipkart customer from Mangalore who had purchased a gaming laptop during the platform’s annual Diwali sale received a stone and some e-waste instead of his laptop recently.

Sellers on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart sending bricks, stones, soaps or potatoes isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, and yet we don’t see these platforms doing anything concrete from something like this happening. 

Chinmaya Ramana, a Mangalore resident, had ordered the Asus TUF Gaming F15 gaming laptop on October 15, during the Diwali Sale on Flipkart. Ramana, who also claims to be a Flipkart Plus member, received a package on October 20, which he thought would be a laptop. However, upon opening up the box, he discovered that he had received a large piece of stone and some electronic junk. 

Ordered for laptop and recived a big stone and E-waste ! During Diwali sale on Flipkart!@VicPranav @geekyranjit @ChinmayDhumal @GyanTherapy @Dhananjay_Tech @technolobeYT @AmreliaRuhez @munchyzmunch @naman_nan @C4ETech @r3dash @gizmoddict @KaroulSahil @yabhishekhd @C4EAsh pic.twitter.com/XKZVMVd4HK

— Chinmaya Ramana (@Chinmaya_ramana) October 23, 2022

Normally, at this point, people would get flustered and have no clue how to go about things. For them, we have a guide on tackling the situation properly and get a proper resolution. 

From the pictures that Ramana posted online, the junk seems to be components from a server or other enterprise-level computer. Keeping the fact the Ramana could have potentially been cheated out of tens of thousands of rupees, the contents of the package could have been dangerous.

Electronic waste, especially those that have a lot of scrap metal is often dumped haphazardly in dump sites, where it might react poorly against other chemicals. In this instance, Ramana could have been exposed to a number of harmful chemicals.

E-commerce platforms are increasingly providing services like “open box delivery” as a result of the frequent occurrence of such circumstances. The new “open box delivery” method from Flipkart allows customers to verify that they have only gotten the requested item. However, not all products have the option for an open box delivery. 

Ramana says that when he ordered the laptop, he was not given that option. When the customer discovered the stone in the package, they informed the vendor right away and asked for a refund. However, the seller refused.

The seller refused the request, stating that no refund or return could be issued because the item was still in the box when it was sent by him. Ramana alerted Flipkart about the fraud with all the proof the same day. Flipkart told him that they required time to investigate the complaint. He then received an email on October 23 advising him that the seller had declined the return request and that the merchandise had not been harmed in transit. 

He claimed that the product’s barcode was damaged and that the package’s warning labels had been removed. After the incident got significant media attention, Flipkart admitted its mistake and offered Ramana a refund. 

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Nothing Ear (Stick) launched with a cool ‘lipstick’ case, costs Rs 8,499 in India: Check all details

Nothing Co. has launched its Nothing Ear (Stick) in India. The Nothing Ear (Stick) is the company’s third product after the Nothing Ear (1) and the Nothing Phone (1). This is the second audio product that the UK-based tech company has launched, and the second product they have launched this year.

Led by Carl Pei, Nothing Co. has made a name for itself for hyping up its product and marketing it rather well, even before they launch the product. 

The Ear (Stick) is aimed at those who seek good audio with great comfort above everything else, and a case that looks like no other TWS earbuds case. The Ear (Stick) comes in only a single white colour variant.

Apart from eye-pleasing design, these earbuds are claimed to offer up to 29 hours of playtime and a large 12.6mm driver which promises enhanced sound quality.

We take a look at the specifications, pricing and availability of the Nothing Ear (Stick) TWS earbuds.

The Nothing Ear (Stick): Specifications
The Nothing Ear (Stick) is equipped with 12.6mm drivers, which promises to deliver rich depths, clear highs and bold details. The company claims that the sound quality remains consistent at various frequencies.

Each bud weighs only 4.4g, about which the company says, makes the device featherlight. It, however, does not come with silicone tips like the Ear (1), which means the background noise would not be blocked entirely.

These earbuds lack active noise cancellation but come with bass lock technology which measures the user’s unique ear canal shape and the fit of the earbuds, and detects how much bass is lost during the usage.

The Nothing Ear (Stick) is equipped with three high-definition mics that filter out louder background noises and amplify the voice for wind-proof and crowd-proof calls. Moreover, the earbuds press controls that are located on each earbud and work even when users’ fingers are wet. Users can press on the earbud stem to play, pause, skip tracks, activate voice assistance and change volume.

In terms of battery, the Ear Stick promises up to 7 hours of listening time with the earbuds and up to three hours of talking time with the earbuds. The case adds another 22 hours of charge, for faster charging. Users can plug in the charger for 10 minutes and get a listening time of up to two hours.

The Nothing Ear (Stick): Price and availability.
Nothing is positioning the Nothing Ear (Stick) as a premium accessory, rather than a tech product. The Nothing Ear (Stick) has been launched in India at a price of ₹8,499. This, for a pair of TWS that does not even have basic ANC, is certainly expensive.

The earbuds will be available for purchase from November 17, and will be available via Myntra and Flipkart. The earbuds will be available across 40 countries and regions, including the UK, the US and Europe at Nothing’s website and select retailers.

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