Sony HT-A3000 Soundbar Review: An enjoyable experience at a stiff price

Pros:
– Solid sound output
– Good dialogue clarity, punchy bass
– Modular approach for components is a good idea
– Easy to set up, 360 Spatial Sound mapping
– Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect built-in
– Dolby Atmos and DTS: X compliance
– Support for LDAC codec over Bluetooth

Cons:
– Expensive
– Only one HDMI port
– Can drive cost further up for true Dolby Atmos surround sound

Price: Rs 57,990 (soundbar only), Rs 99,980 (soundbar + SA-SW3 subwoofer + SA-RS3S surround speakers)
Rating: 4/5 (for the full setup)

Sony HT-A3000 is an entry-level model from the company’s premium series of soundbars, with more emphasis on premium. Yes, you may read that again. Sony has taken a very interesting approach here giving the potential buyers a choice of buying just the soundbar first and adding components like a wireless subwoofer and surround speakers later if they wish to. But can the soundbar deliver on its own or is the additional cost of add-ons unavoidable? Let’s find out.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Sony HT-A3000 Soundbar: Design (8/10)
Sony gives you the option of keeping things simple and clutter-free by connecting just the soundbar – no subwoofer, no surround speakers. This HT-A3000 bar is a shade over 3-feet long and hosts quite a few components. You get the left, right and centre channels, and then you also have two bass units that Sony prefers to call ‘subwoofer’ for some reason; we will stick to bass units. Despite the Dolby Atmos compliance that this bar flaunts, there are no height channels here. More on that later.

The bar has an all-black body with a matte finish, a metal grille at the front and curved edges that make it look premium. The construction is sturdy, and the bar weighs over 4.5 kilos. It can be wall-mounted or placed on a desk. The top of the soundbar has touch controls and the connectivity ports are present at the back. There is a small LED display at the front behind the grille, which is always handy. It displays the input mode as well as volume among other things. All the necessary cables are bundled, along with a fairly long HDMI cable.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

While these aren’t a part of the default package and sold separately, Sony India also sent across the SA-SW3 subwoofer and SA-RS3S surround speakers for review. Buyers also have an option of pairing this soundbar with the more powerful SA-SW5 subwoofer and the more versatile, and of course more expensive, SA-RS5 surround speakers. You can mix and match the components too, which is an approach I like as it caters to broader needs and budgets.

The aesthetics and finish of the additional components match that of the A3000 bar and they feel like a part of the same family. While setting up surround speakers is generally a cumbersome exercise, that’s not the case here. The SW3 subwoofer as well as the RS3S speakers are completely wireless, but you do need power sockets wherever you plan to place them. Setting them up was a breeze, and all the components talk to each other as soon as they are powered with minimal involvement of the user.

Sony HT-A3000 Soundbar: Specifications and Features (8.5/10)
Continuing on the topic of setup, the HT-A3000 supports 360 Spatial Sound mapping which gauges the shape of your room and creates multiple phantom (virtual) speakers to give you a more immersive surround sound experience. However, you can take advantage of this feature only if you opt for the rear speakers. Otherwise it operates in a 3.1 channel mode, with or without the subwoofer, with all the sound coming from the front. All the popular connectivity options are present on the A3000 soundbar. You get a 3.5 mm Aux input, Optical in, USB and as well as HDMI eARC.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Given that this is a premium soundbar, I would have preferred at least one more HDMI port with a passthrough option. Frankly, I was quite surprised and disappointed to see it missing. You have Bluetooth 5.0 for wirelessly streaming audio to the soundbar. What’s even better is the presence of LDAC codecs in addition to SBC and AAC for much better bandwidth. Speaking of wireless, this soundbar also has dual-band WiFi, and once you connect to a local WiFi network, you can make use of the built-in Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect to stream audio directly to the soundbar. This is a more than handy feature to have.

The HT-A3000 is compliant with several popular sound standards like Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS HD, DTS: X and more. The soundbar has a total rated output power of 250 Watts RMS. The SA-SW3 subwoofer can pull another 200W, while the RS3S surround speakers add another 100W, thus taking the overall output to 550 Watts if you opt for all the components. Sony hasn’t provided details about the size of the drivers used in different components of this setup barring the subwoofer, which has a 160 mm driver.

A full-function infrared wireless remote control is also bundled in the package along with a pair of AAA batteries to power it. The remote is nice and compact and gives you access to a lot of functions that include master as well as subwoofer and surround speakers volume control, input selection, playback controls and more. The soundbar is also compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa, and certain functions can be controlled using voice commands.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Sony HT-A3000 Soundbar: Performance (8/10)
I tried using different inputs of the soundbar, but focused mainly on the HDMI input and wireless streaming. Also, let’s start just with the soundbar without the additional speakers. Audio playback was pretty crisp and clear, and while the bass units provided noticeable warmth to the sound, they couldn’t deliver the punch that a dedicated subwoofer can, especially in action sequences. Streaming music over WiFi, as well as Bluetooth (with LDAC codec), actually sounded quite pleasant on the soundbar without the sub in play.

Bringing the subwoofer into the equation changes the game, especially when watching web-series or movies, which is what this soundbar is primarily meant for. The SW3 subwoofer delivers a punchy yet fairly tight bass and elevates the experience quite a few notches. The dialogue clarity remained good and the additional warmth to the sound was absolutely welcome. So buying the A3000 without a sub makes little sense; probably applies to a majority of the soundbars out there.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

While this true 3.1 channel experience is quite pleasant, all the sound still comes from the front of the listener, and you do not get a true surround sound experience. For that you need to add the surround speakers. There is a lot of content encoded with 5.1 channel audio on OTT platforms like Netflix and Prime Video, and the A3000 with all the add-ons can take advantage of that and provide you with a near theatre-like experience in your living room. The surround sound experience with the right content was quite impressive with the RS3S speakers connected. Loudness wasn’t an issue at all in a mid-sized room.

I am not sure you get the optimal Dolby Atmos experience with this setup as it lacks the height channels (upward-facing drivers). For that, you may need to purchase the SA-RS5 surround speakers that have the height channels and convert this system into a 5.1.2 channel setup, which should be able to handle a Dolby Atmos stream better. However, that will drive the cost up by another 17K.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

There is another requirement for Dolby Atmos – your TV or player needs to have an HDMI eARC port. A standard HDMI ARC can deliver 5.1 channel audio but in Dolby Digital Plus mode. Always keep that in mind before you choose to buy a Dolby Atmos-compliant sound system.

Sony HT-A3000 Soundbar: Price and Verdict
The Sony HT-A3000 soundbar launched at Rs 69,990 and can be purchased for Rs 57,990 with a one-year warranty on Amazon India and several offline stores. Mind you, that is the price of the soundbar alone. If you choose to add the SA-SW3 subwoofer, which you should if you intend to purchase this soundbar, the total cost jumps to Rs 83,980. And lastly, the addition of SA-RS3S surround speakers will take the cost of this setup Rs 20 short of a lac. Keep all these factors in mind before taking the plunge.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

All things considered, the Sony HT-A3000 with the subwoofer and surround speakers is an impressive sound system for Rs 99,980 that delivers a detailed sound output with ample punch. Features like built-in support for Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect as well as voice assistants are great to have. Support for LDAC codecs over Bluetooth is another big plus.

The only major drawback is the lack of at least one more HDMI port which would have added more versatility to this device. Of course, the price is on the higher side too and may go even higher depending on the choice of add-ons. But if you have the budget, this is one of the better near-wireless surround sound systems available under a lac Rupees in India.

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Tecno launches the Camon 20 series in India, with a starting price of Rs 14,999, check details here

Tecno Mobile has recently unveiled its latest smartphone lineup, known as the Tecno Camon 20 series. This series includes three models: the Camon 20, Camon 20 Pro 5G, and Camon 20 5G Premier.

Tecno Mobile has recently launched its latest smartphone series, the Tecno Camon 20, in India. This series has three models, the Camon 20, Camon 20 Pro 5G, and Camon 20 5G Premier, and starts at Rs 14,999

The Camon 20 is a budget-friendly option priced under Rs 15,000 and offers all the essential specifications. On the other hand, the higher-end variants come with 5G support. The Tecno Camon 20 series is specifically designed for users seeking an aesthetically pleasing smartphone with enhanced camera capabilities and improved performance.

Tecno Camon 20 series: Specifications and features
The Tecno Camon 20 series features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 500 nits. These smartphones also include an in-display fingerprint sensor and have an IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance.

Powering the Tecno Camon 20 series is the MediaTek Helio G85 processor, and the smartphones are equipped with VC liquid cooling and high polymer gel for better thermal management. All models in the series offer an 8GB RAM option, which can be expanded by an additional 8GB using virtual RAM support.

In terms of battery, the Tecno Camon 20 and Camon 20 5G variants are equipped with a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. As for the high-end variant, the Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G, it comes with a 5000mAh battery and 45W fast charging support.

For photography enthusiasts, both the Tecno Camon 20 and Camon 20 Pro feature a triple rear camera setup, consisting of a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel depth camera, and a macro camera.

Meanwhile, the Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G offers a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 108-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. All variants in the series come with a 32-megapixel front camera accompanied by dual-LED flash.

When it comes to connectivity options, the Tecno Camon 20 is compatible with 4G networks, while both the Camon 20 Pro and Camon 20 Premier support 5G network connectivity.

Tecno Camon 20 series: Pricing and availability
In India, Tecno has set the price of the budget smartphone, Camon 20, at Rs 14,999. This smartphone comes in a single variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory, expandable with additional RAM support. It is available in Predawn Black, Serenity Blue, and Glacier Glow color options.

As for the Camon 20 Pro 5G, it offers two variants: one with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory, and another with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of memory. These variants are priced at Rs 19,999 and Rs 21,999, respectively. The Camon 20 Pro 5G is available in Serenity Blue and Dark Welkin colour options.

Regarding the top-tier model of the series, the Tecno Camon 5G Premier, the company has not yet disclosed the price. The prices are expected to be announced in the third week of June 2023. The 5G Premier model is also offered in Serenity Blue and Dark Welkin colour options.

The Tecno Camon 20 will be available for purchase on Amazon starting from May 29, while the Tecno Camon 20 Pro 5G will be available for sale from the second week of June. The Tecno Camon Premier 5G will be available for purchase from the third week of June.

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OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review: More of the same again

Pros:
– Good build quality and design
– Surprisingly good main camera in good lighting
– Android 13 with periodic updates
– 256 GB internal storage option available
– Good battery backup
– 3.5 mm headphone jack, MicroSD card slot, 5G ready

Cons:
– Hardly any substantial changes from the Nord CE 2 Lite
– Camera performance drops drastically even in average light
– No ultra-wide camera, sub-par macro camera
– Charging speed is a lot slower than it should be

Price: Rs 19,999 onwards
Rating: 3.3/5

Typically, OnePlus launches a new Nord series with the top-of-the-line phone from the series with respectable specifications and features. In the subsequent months, the company starts to cut corners and add suffixes like CE and Lite to come up with scaled-down but more affordable versions of the new Nord phone. This year, the company is looking to take a different route. The first of the Nord 3 series isn’t the Nord 3 itself but the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G which target’s the sub-20K segment.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Exactly 12 months ago, we reviewed the Nord CE 2 Lite and were far from impressed. We termed it the most non-OnePlus phone ever as it was underpowered, missed out on certain signature elements of the brand and didn’t offer anything special. If we compare the spec-sheets, its successor doesn’t seem to offer anything drastically different either, barring an 108MP primary camera. Would that be enough to make the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G a viable option that trumps the competition? Let’s find out.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Design (3.5/5)
The Nord CE 3 Lite design, though not striking, isn’t bad at all, especially the new Pastel Lime shade. The phone is constructed out of good-quality plastic with a smooth matte finish on the frame and all-out gloss at the back. The build quality is good but the back does attract smudge marks. There are no rough edges on the phone though. Just like its predecessor, the bottom bezel is quite thick, and the punch-hole for the front camera has moved from the top left to the top centre.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

A volume rocker and a SIM + MicroSD card tray are located along the left edge of the phone, while the power button can be found on the right side. The surface of the power button also doubles up as a fingerprint scanner. The scanner here is a lot more responsive than the one on our Nord CE 2 Lite unit and unlocks the phone briskly. The placement of the volume rocker and power button are well thought out and you don’t have to stretch your fingers much to reach them.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The bottom edge of the phone has a speaker, a USB-C charging port and a 3.5mm headphone jack that’s present on all CE series phones so far. There are dual speakers on this phone with the other located behind the earpiece on top of the screen. The phone is 8.3 mm thick and weighs 195 grams which is on the heavier side for a phone without a metal frame or a glass back. The phone also feels fairly large in hand courtesy of its sizable display which we will talk about next.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Display (3.25/5)
The display on Nord phones keeps getting larger. The Nord CE 3 Lite 5G has a 6.72-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The display is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass (version not specified). While the display is large and fairly bright, it isn’t the best we have come across in phones around Rs 20,000. It could have done better in sharpness and colour accuracy. There aren’t too many screen calibration options either that you get in more expensive OnePlus phones.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

You get to choose between Vivid and Natural colour profiles, and you also get a manual colour temperature adjustment slider, which is certainly handy given that the default colour temperature of this screen is on the colder side. The vivid profile makes the colours look over-saturated, while Natural makes them appear dull. If you have to choose between the two, we would suggest going with Natural and pushing the colour temperature slider halfway towards the warmer side from the centre for the best results.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Hardware and performance (3/5)
OnePlus literally went Lite on processing power on the Nord CE 2 Lite by using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chip, and a year later, they have decided to continue using the same on the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G too; a questionable decision. You get two variants of the phone, but unlike the CE 2 Lite, you get 8 GB RAM on both and a choice between 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 2.2 internal storage. You can expand the storage further with a MicroSD card.

The performance of the phone is acceptable for general usage but not special. Things work smoothly in day-to-day tasks like using social media apps, browsing, watching videos or switching between multiple apps. You can do a bit of casual gaming too but at medium to low settings. The phone doesn’t get too hot, which is good. The speakers on this phone produce a loud and punchy sound output with a decent stereo effect. You also get a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a slightly downgraded Bluetooth 5.1 (its predecessor had v5.2) to plug in wired or wireless earphones. The call quality and reception were fine during testing.

Let’s look at some benchmark numbers for reference. We cannot have a direct comparison with its predecessor in Geekbench as we have moved on to version 6 of the benchmark, while the older phone was tested using version 5. The Nord CE 3 Lite managed to score 911 and 2107 points in the single-core and multi-core benchmarks respectively. In PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark, it returned a score of 8347 as compared to 7777 on the Nord CE 2 Lite despite using the same SoC.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Clearly, the newer version of Android and further optimisations is getting more out of the Snapdragon 695 chipset. The same cannot be said in gaming benchmarks where the scores are neck and neck. In 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme – Vulkan benchmark, the Nord CE 3 Lite goes as high as 2754 points, which is just 21 points higher than the CE 2 Lite. Similarly, in the 3DMark Wild Life benchmark, the Nord CE 3 Lite scores 1215 points as opposed to 1213 on the CE 2 Lite. Thus, not even a 1% jump in performance. Clearly not a phone for gamers, this.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: OS and User interface (3.5/5)
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G runs the latest Android 13 with OxygenOS 13.1. If you are expecting one more rant on this topic, it is not happening! No no, not because OxygenOS is back in its old glory, but we have just given up on it. It is now very much ColorOS, and not ‘like ColorOS’. We are done ranting; it’s time for you to deal with it and move on too. For those who haven’t experienced older iterations of OxygenOS in its glory days, OxygenOS 13 is perfectly usable.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

It remains free of ads and excess bloatware, which is great. The UI is smooth, lag-free and fairly easy to comprehend even for a novice. It offers a handful of tweaks to customise it further, and it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. Even better, the company has committed to two years of major Android updates and three years of security updates for this phone. That is one promise OnePlus has delivered on over the years.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Camera performance (3/5)
The new Nord CE 3 Lite gets a 108MP main camera as compared to the 64MP unit on its predecessor; probably the only notable change on this device. The 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor have been retained, while an ultra-wide camera remains absent. The 16MP front camera also keeps its place (though it has moved under the earpiece from the top left. Neither the main camera nor the front camera can record videos at 4K resolution.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The max video resolution is capped at 1080p at 30 fps courtesy of the not-so-powerful processing hardware. It drops further to 720p at up to 120 fps in case you wish to record slo-mo videos. At first, I thought the 108 megapixels that the main camera flaunts is also a marketing gimmick, but I am happy to report that it’s not. In fact, in good light, the performance is surprisingly good.

When shooting outdoors in good light, the captured images exhibit lively colours and good dynamic range. The colours feel slightly over-saturated (especially the reds) and look more vivid than the original subject. Ironically, some users may actually like it that way. There is a good amount of detail in shots and most areas are well exposed. When shooting indoors or in sub-optimal lighting, the captured images look noticeably soft and low on detail.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

As the light drops, the quality of the output gets progressively worse. Night Mode does make certain low-light photos usable but a great amount of detail is lost and the photos look flat probably due to the aggressive noise reduction algorithm. The macro camera output is just like that of any other low-end 2MP macro camera, barely usable. The portrait shots come out reasonably well in proper lighting with good foreground and background separation.

While there is no telephoto camera on this phone, you get a 3X zoom toggle in the camera app, but that’s a digital zoom. If you need 2X zoom, you will need to manually adjust the level of zoom from the app. Again, images captured using up to 3X zoom in good lighting are more than decent, but beyond that, they look dull and void of detail. I would strongly advise against using Zoom in low light. The results are bad. The 16MP front camera does a fair job with selfies and video calls.

Click here for uncompressed camera samples clicked on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G:

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Battery backup (3.5/5)
The battery backup on this phone is pretty decent. The phone retains the 5000 mAh battery that easily lasts for a day and a half of moderate use, and at times even touches two full days. While the battery capacity is the same as its predecessor, the charging capacity has almost doubled in theory with the Nord CE 3 Lite supporting 67W SuperVOOC charging as compared to 33W on the Nord CE 2 Lite. The company includes an 80W fast charger in the bundle. Strangely, it takes about 70 minutes to charge this phone fully, which is just 5 minutes less than what a 33W charger takes to charge the Nord CE 2 Lite fully.

At launch, we were informed that the company has taken note of this issue and a fix is being worked out in an upcoming firmware update. Post that update, the bundled charger is expected to charge 80% of the battery in just 30 minutes. As of now, it only gets to 50% in half an hour. The Nord CE 3 Lite did receive a couple of updates during the course of our long-term review, but neither of them improved the charging times. We also tried using older 65W and 80W chargers from OnePlus with this phone, but they didn’t charge it any faster.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Price, verdict and competition
The 128 GB storage variant of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G can be purchased for Rs 19,999, while you will need to shell out Rs 2,000 more for the 256 GB storage option. That makes it the most affordable OnePlus phone around, but not necessarily the best option around 20K given the competition. While the CE 2 Lite had some tough competition to deal with a year ago, things may get even tougher for the CE 3 Lite.

Two options that come to mind straight away are the Motorola G82 5G and iQOO Z7 5G. Both phones offer much sharper OLED/AMOLED displays and flaunt primary cameras with optical image stabilisation (OIS) that’s lacking in the Nord CE 3 Lite. The Motorola also has an ultra-wide camera at the back. While the Moto packs the same Snapdragon 695 chip, the iQOO has a much more powerful Dimensity 920 chip at its core, making it a better phone overall.

As you can see, the competition is better equipped in this segment, and we don’t have a compelling reason to recommend the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G over it. OnePlus had a full year to empower the CE 3 Lite with more than just a higher-megapixel camera and faster charging (in theory). If OnePlus is serious about competing in this highly competitive sub-20K segment, they really need to do a lot more. They cannot afford another strike against the next CE Lite.

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Canon unveils the EOS R100 mirrorless camera and RF 28mm F2.8 STM ‘pancake’ lens in India

Canon has recently introduced the EOS R100 mirrorless camera and the RF 28mm F2.8 STM lens in India. The EOS R100 is positioned as Canon’s most compact, lightweight, and affordable camera within the EOS R system.

It fills the gap in the entry-level segment of the market and offers a simplified design reminiscent of Canon’s previous EOS Digital Rebel bodies. Notably, features such as the flip-out touch screen, extensive rear buttons, and high-speed burst modes have been omitted from this camera model.

Canon has unveiled the EOS R100 mirrorless camera and RF 28mm F2.8 STM ‘pancake’ lens in India. The EOS R100 comes with a cropped, or APS-C sensor with a resolution of 24.1MP and is coupled with Canon’s DIGIC 8 processor. It can shoot videos up to 4K at 120 fps.

In addition to the camera announcement, Canon has also unveiled the RF 28mm F/2.8 pancake lens. With a retractable design, this lens measures less than 2.5cm when collapsed and weighs around 120g, earning its nickname as a “pancake” lens. Its slim and lightweight form factor makes it highly portable and ideal for photographers who are frequently on the move.

Canon EOS R100 unveiled in India: Specifications and features
Weighing just 356 grams, the EOS R100 is Canon’s compact and easily portable full-frame camera option. It features a 24.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor coupled with a DIGIC 8 processor, enabling the camera to capture high-resolution stills and video with impressive clarity and detail.

To enhance usability, the camera incorporates a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a 0.39-inch display, ensuring clear visibility even in bright sunlight. Additionally, it is equipped with a textured grip that aids in achieving stable shots.

The EOS R100 excels in capturing sharp and crisp footage of moving subjects, thanks to its fast and accurate autofocus system, which includes Eye and Face Detection capabilities. These features enable precise focus on the subject’s eyes and face, ensuring optimal image quality. Furthermore, the camera offers optical image stabilization (OIS) to counteract camera shake and a built-in flash to provide well-lit shots, particularly in challenging low-light conditions.

The EOS R100 boasts a unique feature called Hybrid Auto mode, specifically designed to cater to novice videographers. This mode offers the ability to transform your captured images and clips from a day’s shoot into a cohesive movie. By leveraging the 4K Timelapse Video mode, the camera captures shots of a scene at predefined intervals and seamlessly stitches them together into a high-quality video while preserving all the details.

Furthermore, the camera provides additional video capabilities such as shooting 4K video at 120p, Eye Detection AF for precise focusing, and a Movie Digital IS function to ensure stable footage. The maximum recording time for Normal movies is 29 minutes and 59 seconds, while High Frame Rate movies have a maximum recording time of 7 minutes and 29 seconds.

To enhance convenience and connectivity, the EOS R100 supports the dedicated Canon Camera Connect app for smartphones, allowing seamless integration and control. It also features an SDCard slot for expanded storage and incorporates Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, facilitating easy sharing of images and videos.

Beyond standard DSLR and mirrorless camera controls, the EOS R100 offers a Creative Assist mode that enables adjustments to brightness and saturation, providing creative flexibility. Additionally, various creative filters are available to enhance the visual appeal of your captures.

Canon RF 28mm F/2.8 pancake lens: Specifications
The RF28mm f/2.8 STM lens is notable for its three large-diameter plastic-moulded aspherical layouts, which contribute to exceptional image quality. The lens is compatible with both full-frame and APS-C cameras, providing versatility in usage. Weighing merely 120 grams and measuring 2.5cm when retracted, it is a lightweight and highly portable lens that can easily fit in your pocket. Its flat “pancake” design allows you to leave it attached to your camera even when not in use.

With its f/2.8 aperture, the lens offers the advantage of producing beautiful bokeh and facilitating fast-motion handheld shots, making it particularly useful in low-light conditions. The 28mm focal length enables capturing a wide range of scenes, making it suitable for various photography genres, including perspective and portrait photography. When paired with cameras such as the EOS R8 and EOS R6 Mark II, it excels in capturing expansive cityscapes and landscapes with its wider field of view. Additionally, it can be used to create portrait shots with the subject appearing smaller within the frame, offering a unique perspective.

When used with APS-C cameras like the EOS R50 and EOS R7, the lens provides a standard viewpoint, replicating a 45mm perspective on a full-frame camera. This allows for capturing natural-looking perspectives, making it suitable for half-body portraits and long-distance shots when paired with the EOS R100.

Canon EOS R100 and RF 28mm f/2.8: Price and availability in India
As of now, the official pricing and the sale date for the EOS R100 and the RF 28mm have not been revealed. However, Canon has confirmed that both details will surface in June 2023.

The Canon EOS R100 is expected to land on June 27, but pre-orders are open already at certain outlets.

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AMD Radeon RX 7600 GPU Review: Presenting the new king of 1080P gaming

Pros:
– Awesome performance in 1080P ultra settings
– Pretty decent performance in 1440P ultra settings
– Ports, especially DisplayPort 2.1
– Compact design, meaning can be fit into smaller cases
– AV1 support
– Price to performance. A true VFM GPU

Cons:
– 8GB VRAM and 128-Bit bus are adequate for now but will struggle in a few years
– Faces tough competition from previous-generation cards
– Lacks bling. No RGB

Rating: 4.25/5
Pricing: Rs 26,500

In the last couple of years, AMD has really made a case for itself that would force any casual gamer to take their GPUs seriously and a properly viable option. This is mainly down to three factors – NVIDIA, the people who would like you to believe that Moore’s law is dead (long live Moore’s Law!), has been all over the place with the pricing, as well as the performance of their RTX 3000 series and RTX 4000 series GPU. The 4000 series, particularly, has been very questionable.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

Second, Intel, despite designing a very good GPU has been haunted by its drivers since the day of their launch. Yes, over the months, their GPUs have become a force to be reckoned with, but the impression their cards gave at the time of the launch is hard to shake off.

And finally, and most importantly, AMD, for the last two to three generations of their CPUs, have been performing very solidly, especially when you consider the price-to-performance ratio. Sure, it may not have topped all benchmarks or gaming FPS charts, but the price that they came in, usually meant a difference of a few percentage points – something that’s barely noticeable in real-life applications.

The headlines that the RX 6600 made last year were largely positive because it was a damn good card, especially for its price back then. Today, the situation is different. GPUs are easily and readily available, and no matter how much they try, NVIDIA can’t gouge its customers as easily as it did last year.

AMD is positioning the RX 7600 as a 1080p gaming GPU, mainly because, as per Steam’s hardware survey, 65 per cent of gamers play at that resolution, with most of them using either a GeForce 1060 6GB or an RTX 2060 6GB. For such gamers, the RX 7600 with its RDNA 3 architecture, is supposed to be the perfect GPU to upgrade to. In such a scenario, is the RX 7600 worth it?

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

AMD Radeon RX 7600 GPU Review: Specifications and Features
The Radeon RX 7600 is built on AMD’s RDNA 3 architecture and is produced using TSMC’s 6nm manufacturing process. It features 128 Texture Mapping Units, 64 Raster Operation Processors, and 32 Ray Tracing units. With 2,048 Streaming Processors, it operates at a base clock speed of 2,250MHz and can boost up to 2,625MHz. The GPU is equipped with 8GB of GDDR6 memory and a 128-bit memory interface, providing a maximum bandwidth of up to 476.9 GB/s thanks to AMD Infinity Cache.

To connect to your PC, it utilizes a PCIe Gen 4.0 X8 slot. According to AMD, the GPU has a power draw of 165W TBP (total board power), requiring a 1X8-pin connector. However, a 550W power supply is sufficient to fully utilize the GPU’s capabilities, so there is no need to upgrade your power supply unit.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

Design-wise, the Radeon RX 7600 is a simplistic card – it has no RGB lighting of any sort, but the reference card that we tested had a rather cool-looking backplate. There are two fans with 9 blades each with integrated rims, which are 78mm in diameter. The whole GPU itself is about 8-inches in length. The GPU occupies up to full-length slots on your typical chassis. What this means is that the card isn’t as thick as some of the latest offerings from NVIDIA, and can actually be used in compact builds as well.

While the 128-bit bus may seem narrow, AMD is able to not only remedy this but improve efficiency and performance, by using the 2nd Generation AMD Infinity Cache which has been increased. This cache level brings a new approach to data delivery in GPUs. The cache hierarchy has been carefully optimized to strike the right balance between Infinity Cache and L2 cache, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency.

The 2nd Generation AMD Infinity Cache serves as a global cache, providing fast access to data and acting as a powerful bandwidth amplifier. It enhances the GPU’s performance by delivering high-performance bandwidth while maintaining superb power efficiency. This innovative cache design significantly contributes to the overall efficiency and capabilities of the RDNA 3 architecture.

The Radeon RX 7600 has the usual three DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR13.5 ports and a single HDMI 2.1 port. This is one area where AMD’s latest generation hardware exceeds Nvidia’s Ada design, which still uses DisplayPort 1.4a.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

AMD has designed the Radeon RX 7600 with a particular focus on streamers. That is why you get support for hardware-accelerated media like AV1, HEVC, H.264, VP9 etc.

The RX 7600 also has a bunch of features that make gameplay very smooth, thus making the GPU very appealing. For example, we have FSR 2.0, or AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2, the latest iteration of AMD’s open-source spatial upscaling technology. This innovative technology is designed to enhance framerates and provide gamers with exceptional high-quality, high-resolution gaming experiences. Think of FSR 2.0 as a magic sauce that AMD applies on your games that make them run buttery smooth, crisp and tack sharp.

In addition, AMD’s Radeon Super Resolution (RSR) utilizes the power of AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 1 spatial upscaling within the driver. This feature allows for enhanced performance in thousands of games, completely free of charge. RSR can be enabled globally or on a per-game basis, giving users flexibility in their settings.

When enabled, a slider becomes available, offering further customization options to adjust the sharpness effect of Radeon Super Resolution. A display box will indicate whether RSR is active or inactive, along with the resolution that has been upscaled. To provide an example, if you have a 1440p monitor and you lower your game’s resolution to 1920×1080, RSR will upscale the 1080p resolution to match 1440p.

We have previously discussed the RX 7600’s SAM (Smart Access Memory) feature. SAM allows the GPU to communicate directly with the CPU, enabling the spillage of frames from the VRAM to the system RAM when the VRAM becomes filled. In simple terms, Smart Access Memory (SAM) is an optimization technique that enhances the processor’s access to a graphics card’s VRAM memory.

This enables the CPU to efficiently transfer a large amount of data to the GPU and offload its graphics calculations. As a result, the GPU can generate frames at a much faster rate, significantly reducing the time required for frame generation. In essence, SAM improves the collaboration between the CPU and GPU, resulting in faster graphics rendering and a smoother overall gaming experience. Do note that SAM or ReBAR is available on recent CPUs only. For Intel, you need 11th Gen CPUs or later, and for AMD, Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs and newer, along with 400 Series motherboards or newer.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

Additionally, AMD SmartAccess Video intelligently distributes decoding and encoding workloads across all available video engines. By utilizing the video compression engines on both the Ryzen processor and Radeon graphics, it optimizes the distribution of video-related tasks. This results in fewer dropped frames and an overall faster experience when it comes to video editing and transcoding.

The RX 7600 comes with hardware-level support for AV1 encoding and decoding, making it a compelling choice for streamers. AV1 offers significantly better image quality compared to H.264, while requiring only a fraction of the bitrate. As a result, video game streaming with AV1 encoding places much less strain on computing resources compared to the traditional H.264 standard. This feature allows streamers to deliver high-quality streams with reduced computational overhead, enhancing the streaming experience for both content creators and viewers.

AMD Radeon RX 7600 GPU Review: Our testing rig
We paired our test unit of Radeon RX 7600 GPU with an AMD 7900X, 32GB Kingston Fury (2X16) RAM rated at 6000 MT/s, all connected to an Aorus X670E Master motherboard from Gigabyte. Cooling the CPU was an AMD Wraith PRISM cooler. Powering everything was the CoolerMaster MWE 750W V2 80 plus bronze PSU.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

As always we did not overclock or change any settings before running our benchmarks and testing out games. The only change that we made was to enable EXPO so that our RAM operated at its rated speed and ensured that ReBAR or as AMD calls it Smart Access Memory, or SAM was enabled, which, AMD enables by default if you have a compatible motherboard and GPU. Other than this we ran everything on stock.
The reason why we checked if SAM was enabled is simple – although not all games benefit greatly by ReBAR or SAM, the ones that do, have 18-20 per cent more frame rates compared to systems that don’t have the option to enable SAM or ReBAR.
We ran the games at the highest possible settings whenever possible. We also had FSR 2.0 enabled in all the games that supported it. We also tested the games at 1440P.

AMD Radeon RX 7600 GPU Review: Performance
The Radeon RX 7600 is heading straight for the RTX 3060, without making any qualms. The RX 7600 simply crushes the best of RTX 3060s in practically almost every scenario, and that too while coming in at a considerably lower amount. In fact, in some scenarios, it performed almost as good as the RTX 3060Ti as well as the RTX 3070.

The 3DMark scores for the Radeon RX 7600 align with our expectations. It performs comparably to the RTX 3060, showing similar performance levels. However, in Furmark, the RX 7600 outperforms the competition by a significant margin. In terms of compute performance, LuxMark results are not in favour of the RX 7600, as it falls behind other cards. Nevertheless, its performance in Superposition remains highly competitive when compared to the aforementioned cards. Overall, the RX 7600 demonstrates strong performance in various benchmark tests, showcasing its capabilities in different scenarios.

Indeed, the Radeon RX 7600 is well-suited for 1080p gaming, making it a reliable choice for that resolution. However, it doesn’t limit you to just 1080p gaming. Less demanding games will perform excellently at 1440p, and in certain cases, even 4K resolution is achievable. On the other hand, there may be extremely demanding games that struggle to run smoothly at 1080p with maximum settings. Nevertheless, in general, mainstream GPUs like the RX 7600 are typically considered ideal for 1080p gaming, offering a balance between performance and affordability.

What worries us, however, is the 8GB VRAM and 128-bit bus. Sure, it is good enough for most games today. And in certain games where the 8GB VRAM fell short – like in The Last Of Us bumping down the settings from Ultra surely does help.

But consider this – game developers are spending less and less time on optimising their games for budget hardware. Moreover, in 2024 and 2025, we have games like GTA VI launching. We can only imagine what sort of texture packs are those going to bring, by the time they come to PC. While 8GB VRAM and 128-bit bus be adequate for now for 1080P ultra gaming, they won’t be nearly as adequate in a couple of years when games become more demanding, and people start moving towards 1440P and possibly even 2K or 4K.

AMD Radeon RX 7600 GPU Review: Conclusion
When considering whether to purchase the Radeon RX 7600 or explore options from NVIDIA or Intel, several factors come into play. Taking into account the price difference between the RX 7600 and even the basic RTX 3060 GPUs, we wholeheartedly recommend the RX 7600 for those building a new system specifically for 1080p gaming. Even at 1440p, the RX 7600 remains a sensible choice, especially when considering the Arc 750 from Intel.

However, if you’re planning to upgrade a GPU that is only a couple of years old or if your system is equipped with an older CPU (such as Intel’s 8th Generation or earlier, or an older AMD CPU), it may be more advantageous to explore other options.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

In terms of gaming performance, the RX 7600 performs almost as well as the RTX 3060 in most games and even outperforms it in some cases. If ray tracing is of utmost importance, even more so than higher frame rates, then opting for an RTX option may be preferable, albeit at a higher cost.

For 1080p gaming, the Radeon RX 7600 emerges as a strong contender and arguably the best option currently available. While the card may have some limitations, it surpasses many of its competitors and offers a more appealing price point.

While Nvidia’s offerings are a viable alternative, they come at a significantly higher cost, and the performance increase in most tests and games do not justify the extra expense. Therefore, if you prioritize a balance between performance and affordability for 1080p gaming, the Radeon RX 7600 is a compelling choice that delivers solid results without breaking the bank.

The RX 7600 boasts certain advantages over its NVIDIA counterparts, making it the preferred choice in many scenarios. For streamers and content creators, the Intel Arc 750 appears to be an ideal GPU option. Similarly, for those building, a budget-oriented editing and/or gaming PC, the RX 7600 remains a strong contender. Additionally, the support for AV1 video, although not immediately crucial, is a format that streamers and content creators who understand its benefits will likely transition to in the future.

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Best phones under Rs 40,000 (May 2023): OnePlus 11R 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G to iQOO 9 5G

There were quite a few handsets vying for a slot on our sub-40K list of phones this month. After much deliberation, we have shortlisted five. This budget gives you access to some premium features like flagship-grade processors, high quality cameras with OIS, excellent high refresh rate displays and more. You get phones suitable for gamers as well as photography enthusiasts in this budget. So let’s take a look at the best options you can get your hands on under Rs 40,000 this May.

Best phones to buy under Rs 40,000 in India

OnePlus 11R 5G
OnePlus had a strong start to the year courtesy of the launch of the OnePlus 11 series. While the flagship OnePlus 11 5G is loaded with more bells and whistles, the more affordable 11R 5G is no pushover either, and borrows a lot of goodness from its more premium sibling including the design. This stylish phone looks just like the 11 5G from the front and back, barring the placement of the front camera and a missing Hasselblad logo at the back.

The OnePlus 11R has a curved display too, measuring 6.74-inch with an unusual (higher than Full HD) resolution of 2772 x 1240 pixels. You get a standard Fluid AMOLED display here instead of the more premium LTPO3 variant on the 11. This HDR10+ compliant screen supports 10-bit colour, 120 Hz refresh rate and can get up to 1450 nits bright. This phone is powered by Qualcomm’s previous generation flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, and you get its 8 GB RAM and 128 GB UFS 3.1 storage variant in this budget.

The 50MP primary camera with OIS but without Hasselblad’s colour tuning is quite impressive and does most of the heavy lifting. The support cast is modest with an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro camera. There’s a 16MP selfie camera too. Its 5000 mAh battery can last for a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 100W charger promises to juice it up in just 25 minutes. The phone runs OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13 and one can expect several OS and security updates going forward.

OnePlus 11R 5G price in India: Rs 39,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Motorola Edge 30 Pro 5G
The Motorola Edge 30 Pro 5G seems to have received further price cuts and you can now get it under 35K. This phone is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, which is still extremely powerful, and comes with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. Its 6.7-inch Full HD+ OLED screen flaunts a 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ compliance and can display over a billion colours. You get Corning Gorilla Glass protection against scratches at the front and back.

The photography department on the Motorola Edge 30 Pro is impressive too, starting with a 50MP primary camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and another 50MP camera for ultra-wide photography; there’s a 2MP depth sensor too. The 60MP front camera is bound to impress the selfie crowds. This phone has a 4800 mAh battery that comfortably lasts close to a day and a half of moderate use and supports 68W fast charging as well as 15W fast wireless charging. This phone launched with Android 12, and an Android 13 update has started rolling out. Like most Motorola phones, you get a clean and near-stock user interface.

Motorola Edge 30 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 34,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is another great option in this budget. This phone has a sleek design and also flaunts an IP68 rating for dust and fluid resistance. It has a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with HDR10+ compliance, 120 Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. It is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2100 chip which can be found in several premium phones from the company. You can get its 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. The phone launched with Android 12, and is upgradeable to Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.

Photography department on the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G consists of three cameras at the back starting with a 12MP primary camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with 123 degrees FOV and an 8MP telephoto camera with OIS that provides 3X optical zoom. The camera performance is impressive with excellent detail and wide dynamic range, and with a strong low light performance too. A 4500 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to a day and a half of moderate use and supports wireless charging as well.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G price in India: Rs 39,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

iQOO 9 5G
The iQOO 9 5G is for those looking for a solid camera phone with ample storage under 40K. It is powered by Qualcomm’s earlier flagship Snapdragon 888+ chip, and you get its 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant in this budget. Its 6.56-inch HDR10+ compliant Full HD+ AMOLED display has 120Hz refresh rate and can display a billion colour shades. The phone launched with Android 12 with FunTouch OS 12, and the company released an Android 13 update for the phone a few months ago. One can expect more software updates for this device in the future.

The rear camera department here is quite versatile too. You get a 48MP primary camera with Gimbal stabilisation, accompanied by a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 13MP 50 mm professional portrait camera for great portrait shots. The 16MP front camera is more than handy for selfies and video calls. The iQOO 9 5G has a 4350 mAh battery that can last over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 120W fast charger claims to charge it fully in just 18 minutes.

iQOO 9 5G price in India: Rs 37,990 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

Asus ROG Phone 5s
Here is a surprise entrant in this list. A relatively old phone but still highly relevant for mobile gamers, and certainly a very interesting option at this price point. We are talking about the Asus ROG Phone 5s. Other than powerful processing hardware, the phone has several optimisations and enhancements to give gamers an immersive gaming experience. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC which is still fairly powerful for gaming, and you get 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage to go with it.

Its large 6.78-inch Full HD+ 10-bit AMOLED display has a 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ compliance and can get up to 1200 nits bright. This phone is targeted primarily at mobile gamers, but it can handle photography reasonably well, courtesy of a 64MP primary camera, 13MP ultra-wide snapper and a 5MP macro camera. The Asus ROG Phone 5s has a large 6000 mAh battery for long gaming sessions, and the bundled 65W fast charger can recharge it briskly. This phone launched with Android 11 and Asus’ ROG UI, and a stable Android 13 update has started rolling out recently.

Asus ROG Phone 5s price in India: Rs 39,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

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Ambrane Wise Eon Max Smartwatch Review: A pretty capable smartwatch considering the price

Pros:
– Big display
– Bluetooth call function works really well
– Pretty accurate SpO2 and heart rate sensors
– Light and comfortable to wear
– Standard-sized straps
– Simple and easy-to-use UI for both, the watch and the app
– Great battery life

Cons:
– Colours can seem a little washed out
– Sleep tracking is very unreliable
– Sports tracking can be a hit or a miss
– Crown has very limited functionality

Rating: 3/5
Price: Rs 1,299

Budget smartwatches have actually gotten pretty good over the years, at least in terms of design, no matter how basic they may be. However, most of them, have one glaring issue – instead of functioning as smartwatches, they function as fitness trackers. Moreover, most of them have some major issues in keeping track of your activities, making them woeful as fitness trackers.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

Ambrane’s Wise Eon Max Smartwatch, in this regard, is a rather decent piece of wearable that does most of the things that its makers advertise and ticks most of the boxes that first-time smartwatch buyers want from their device.

It has a pretty good display, has an amazing battery life, has a bunch of different workout modes and does most of its tracking pretty well. However, it ails from most of the issues that befall a budget smartwatch.

Design and Built Quality
The Wise Eon Max watch has a rectangular shape and a physical button located on its right side. Despite having a glossy finish, it doesn’t attract many fingerprints or smudges, and all of its edges are smoothly curved. The build quality is also pretty good. The watch has an IP68 rating which means it can resist dust and water, but we aren’t confident enough to take it out for a swim. You can wear it while strolling in the rain, but it’s not advisable to wear it while diving into a pool.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

The watch’s polycarbonate shell makes it relatively lightweight, weighing about than 160 grams including the straps. Its pre-installed silicone straps are comfortable to wear all day and do not cause skin irritation. They have a standard locking mechanism, and the Ambrane branding only appears on the strap. As the straps have a standard width, they can be replaced with any third-party straps that are of the same width.

The speakers for the Bluetooth calling feature are on the left-hand side, while on the right-hand side, you get the crown. The crown’s functions are limited – you can use it to wake the watch up or put it to sleep. It doubles up as a back button in certain scenarios, and in certain workouts, it can be used to act as a pause or a lap button. Rotating the crown doesn’t do anything, which is a wasted opportunity.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

Specifications and Display
The Ambrane Wise Eon Max Smartwatch comes with a 2.01-inch Lucid Display and has a resolution of 240 x 283 pixels. Lucid Display, is just Ambrance’s fancy way of marketing their LCD displays and isn’t anything groundbreakingly different. Having said that, the display gets pretty bright and “lucid,” and poses no issues to visibility, even under direct and intense sunlight. Ambrane claims that the Wise Eon Max has a peak brightness of 550 nits and it looks like the number might be accurate.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

The display itself looks quite large. There are some bezels around the display. The bezels around the top and the side are pretty thin and actually not that bothersome. The chin, however, has a very thin bezel, which is always a telltale sign of a budget smartwatch.

To Ambrane’s credit, the bezels that we see on the watch and what we see on the box are somewhat similar, unlike most other smartwatch brands.

Although the company did not mention the presence of scratch-resistant glass or an oleophobic coating on the screen, we did not observe any scratches on the screen after using it for three weeks.

The colours shown on the display are good enough – the display does get bright, but the colours do not get as vibrant, and look a little washed out. The display itself is sharp enough, something that most other smartwatch brands somehow miss at this price point.

One major downside of the display panel that Ambrane is using for this watch is its advertised 60Hz refresh rate. No matter how you set it up, it just doesn’t feel smooth. Scrolling through apps or in between faces felt jittery from the first day itself. Also, do keep in mind that you do not get an always-on-display. Having said that, the flick-to-wake feature works well most of the time.

Sensors and Tracking
Ambrane says that the Wise Eon Max can track over 100 different sports. However, in some way or the other, all of these supported sports are some variation of walking, running and cycling. The good thing is it does support a few other sports as well, like badminton and football etc. But were the readings accurate?

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

Well, this is a bit of a mixed bag if we’re being honest. The Ambrane Wise Eon, like all other smartwatches at this price point, is pretty accurate in certain activities, but surprisingly woeful in certain.

For example, its heart rate monitor and oximetre are pretty accurate and were off by just one point from a trusted oximetre that we have been using for years now. However, it had some pretty weirdly inaccurate readings for sleep. During our testing, the smartwatch showed that we had slept for less than 2 hours, despite sleeping for 7 hours or more, on two separate occasions. It also has a blood pressure monitoring feature, which again, wasn’t very accurate, but gives you a rough idea about the range.

Furthermore, the readings for a number of exercises can be a hit or a miss. It always underreports the distance covered by a significant margin, and it either overcounts or undercounts reps and steps by a noticeable margin.

Also, for those interested, the watch supports Menstrual Tracking, although to what accuracy, it would be hard to tell.

Software and UI
The watch’s user interface is pretty straightforward and easy to navigate. To access the settings, you can swipe down on the home screen, and to check notifications, swipe up. When you swipe left, you can view various widgets such as step count, heart rate, sleep data, SpO2 level, etc. Swiping right on the home screen displays shortcuts to some of the most recent widgets and a couple of other functions. Users can also add more widgets directly from the watch.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

However, as we said the user experience while browsing through the watch is pretty jittery, mainly perhaps because of the display.

You have the choice of selecting a small icon grid or a list format to display all the functions of the watch in the app drawer. Similar to other watches in this price range, you cannot install any extra applications.

To sync the watch to your smartphone, you need to download the Da Fit app. The setup process is smooth and easy, but the app itself is relatively simple. The app provides a summary of your daily activity, including step count and sleep data, along with health metrics such as heart rate and blood oxygen level. It tracks all of your data well but doesn’t give you an in-depth analysis. The app also has a pretty intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface.

You can also add a ton of other watch faces through the app, and design some of your own,
using photos from your gallery.

You also get a couple of games to vile away your time, which, on a watch of this size, is actually pretty cool.

Bluetooth Calling
The Wise Eon Max features Bluetooth 5.0 for its calling capabilities, allowing you to make calls directly from the watch using its built-in microphone and speaker. The watch also includes a dialer so users can place calls directly from the watch. Users will need to pair their watch to their phones for that. As for call quality, it is surprisingly loud and clear. The speakers on the watch get pretty loud as well.

Also, there are no issues with calls getting dropped or unwarranted delays when you take calls using the watch. If you’re looking for a smartwatch under Rs 2000 with the ability to make and take calls, then going for the Ambrane Wise Eon Max is a no-brainer.

Battery Life
Ambrane claims that the 280 mAh battery that you get with the Wise Eon Max will last you about 10 days. During our testing, we found that to be pretty accurate. Even with extensive usage and a lot of calls taken using the smartwatch, we had to charge our smartwatch just once a week.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Mehul Reuben Das

Do note that this was with the brightness level set to 1, which to be fair, is pretty bright enough. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, then you’ll have to crank the brightness up all the way. This will have a serious impact on the battery life.

Verdict
All in all, the Ambrane Wise Eon Max is a pretty decent “smartwatch” for people seeking a cheap option that has most of the basic features such as step counting, heart rate monitoring, and notification alerts. The reason why we put the term smartwatch in inverted quotes, as stated before, is that most smartwatches at this price point are actually glorified fitness trackers.

As for the Wise Eon Max, it performs and tracks just adequately enough. Even though it has a few issues, most of them can be ignored considering what you pay for it. On top of that, it provides excellent battery life, has a pretty big display and works really well in Bluetooth calls. If you’re looking for a budget smartwatch, especially for its Bluetooth calling features and don’t want to spend a lot on it, Ambrane’s Wise Eon Max presents a strong case for itself.

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Ikodoo Buds One TWS Earbuds Review: Decent first attempt, but can do better

Pros:
– Sounds much better after a lot of tweaking
– 10-band equaliser to create custom sound profiles
– Comfortable in-ear fit, compact charging case
– Decent battery life, wireless charging support
– IP55 dust and fluid resistance
– In-ear detection, volume control on the buds

Cons:
– Default sound output is incredibly dull and lacks detail
– Erratic ANC; Transparency mode could have been better
– Pricing needs to be more competitive

Price: Rs 4,999
Rating: 3.5/5

A new audio brand, Ikodoo recently launched their first pair of TWS earphones in India called Buds One. And it seems like the company is looking to take on none other than the OnePlus Buds Z2, one of the best under Rs 5,000 at the moment. Incidentally, Ikodoo also has a product called Buds Z, but that’s an entry-level product, which we will not reference again in this review. Coming back to Buds One, it does have features similar to its OnePlus counterpart and some more. But can that translate into comparable performance or better? Let’s find out.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Ikodoo Buds One: Design and Comfort (7/10)
The design of the buds isn’t unique, and they look like any other TWS buds with stems. The stems here are a bit longer than what we are used to in this segment in recent times. While I can live with the long stems, the shiny glossy finish makes them look plasticky. We got the grey variant for review which manages to mask the smudge marks to an extent. There is no clear demarcation for the touch zones at the back of the buds but it’s not too hard to figure out either. The build quality is quite sturdy despite the buds being quite light. 

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The oval-shaped case isn’t too heavy either, and even better, it has a smooth matte finish and a compact footprint making it pocketable. You get a charge status LED at the front and a USB-C port for charging as well as a Bluetooth pairing/reset button at the base. There’s also something that looks like an IR receiver next to the port, but it’s probably a speaker that beeps when trying to locate the case from the app. The case also supports wireless charging using Qi-certified chargers; a feature not present on the OnePlus Buds Z2.

The buds are IP55-rated dust and splash resistant, but there’s no ingress protection for the charging case; the Buds Z2 case does. The earbuds have silicone tips that sit nicely in the ear canals offering decent passive noise isolation, and the buds are comfortable to wear for long hours. The fit is snug and they don’t pop out of the ear during a workout or a jog. Two more pairs of ear tips are present in the bundle in case the preinstalled medium-sized tips don’t fit well.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Ikodoo Buds One: Features and Specifications (8/10)
Each earbud on the Ikodoo Buds One is fitted with a 13.4 mm dynamic driver to handle all frequency ranges, and three microphones for calling and active noise cancellation (ANC). You also have wear detection sensors that pause the audio when you remove a bud from the ear and resume when you put it back in. The buds accept double tap, triple tap and touch-and-hold gestures. You can also slide on the earbuds vertically to jump tracks or to increase or decrease the volume; a very useful addition that’s missing on the Buds Z2.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The companion Ikodoo app allows a bit of customisation of controls but not much. But the default controls are well thought out and one may not need to change them. Touch-and-hold lets you cycle through ANC modes – Noise cancellation on, Talk-thru (Transparency) and Ambient aware (a fancy name for normal mode). The app also provides you with a 10-band equaliser that lets you tweak the sound output, without which this product would have been unusable.

Speaking of the app, while it gives you access to a lot of settings of these earphones, it isn’t the most intuitive and can do with a bit of change in nomenclature. It also asks for a lot of unnecessary permissions on Android phones which you can decline. The Ikodoo Buds One is Bluetooth 5.2 compliant and supports SBC and AAC audio codecs. It flaunts a lower-than-usual 48 ms latency figure in game mode and claims to reduce ambient noise by 50 dB when you switch on ANC.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Ikodoo Buds One: Performance (6.5/10)
The wireless range is as advertised with a strong connection up to 10 metres with a clear line of sight. These buds are fairly loud around 60 per cent volume level when indoors, and I had to push it to 70 per cent when outdoors. The sound quality of these buds is a curious case. But before we move on to that, a quick word on something the brand advertises for this product. Vifa, a 90-year-old audio brand from Denmark, has contributed in some way to the creation of the Ikodoo Buds One. I doubt they have anything to do with the tuning of this product though.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The default sound signature of the Buds One is as dull as it comes void of any detail and with excess of loose bass. There is massive masking not just in mid but also high-end frequency ranges. I was quite shocked with the output given its price tag. This sound quality would have been bad for something half its price too. Thankfully, there’s a companion app that offers a 10-band equaliser which lets you literally recalibrate the output here. You also get five sound presets, but they are no good and not worth writing about.

After spending a good amount of time trying various permutations and combinations on the equaliser, the Buds One finally sounded significantly better. Mind you, they do not produce a segment-defining audio quality, but way better than what they sound out of the box or after selecting any of the presets. Whatever adjustments you make on the equaliser are saved as a custom preset. Unlike OnePlus products, you cannot have more than one custom preset here.

Using the equaliser, I lowered the mid and upper bass and boosted some of the midrange and high-end frequencies to get a more balanced output with better detail. At least that restored some clarity in the mids and some sparkle in the highs without losing out the bass punch. The soundstage here is not too broad and the sound feels centred. The detail in the audio is average at best even after the sound tweaks. The OnePlus Buds Z2 sounds noticeably better in comparison. 

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

In comparative terms, the sound quality (post tweaks) of the Buds One is closer to the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 which sells for 60 per cent of its price. Of course, the Ikodoo has more features to offer, which brings me to my next point – ANC. The company touts a 50 dB number for noise reduction, which is probably the highest in the segment in theory. For the record, the OnePlus Buds Z2 promises 40 dB, while the Realme Buds Air 3 claims 42 dB, and the latter still offers the best ANC under 5K in India. 

Unfortunately, the implementation of ANC on the Buds One seems erratic. While it does reduce some ambient sounds indoors as well as outdoors, there is a constant hiss like a wind noise that can be heard when ANC is enabled. It isn’t as big a factor once you start playing the audio loud enough, but the hiss shouldn’t exist. The company can fix it with a firmware update if they choose to, but there wasn’t one available at the time of writing.

The transparency mode or TalkThru as it is called here is pretty decent, though not as good as on the Buds Z2 (which is the best in the segment). It does offer you a choice between boosting all ambient sounds or ‘Vocal enhancement’. Both modes do a fair job but the sound does not feel very natural, nor are the vocal frequencies enhanced enough in either mode. I did not face any latency issues here though I had no means of measuring if it actually goes as low as the advertised 48 ms. More importantly, there was no noticeable lag between the video and audio when streaming content. 

Ikodoo Buds One: Call quality (6.5/10)
The Ikodoo Buds One call quality is generally acceptable. The voice clarity is perfectly fine indoors with people on the line clearly audible to each other. When outdoors, the Environmental Noise Cancellation algorithm and the mics do a fair job of suppressing the wind and traffic noises, but cannot reduce the human chatter in the background. While my voice was transmitted with good clarity in busy areas outdoors, often voices of people a few yards away were also heard by the person on the line causing a bit of distraction.

Ikodoo Buds One: Battery life (7/10)
The overall battery backup of the Buds One is pretty decent, especially without ANC. The company claims 8 hours for the buds and 27 hours overall with the charging case without ANC, and the numbers drop to 6 hours and 21 hours respectively with ANC switched on. With ANC switched on full time, the buds lasted a little under 5 hours at 60 to 70 per cent loudness. And with ANC off, I could push them closer to six and a half hours. The case can recharge the buds twice more with a bit of juice left in the tank. That takes the total battery backup between 16 to 22 hours depending on your use of ANC. 

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

These are acceptable numbers though not chart-toppers, especially with ANC switched off, which is what users might end up doing till the company fixes the ANC hiss with a firmware update. These earbuds support quick charging, and 10 minutes of charge gives you close to 2 hours of playtime with ANC turned off. The case and buds can be charged fully in about two hours using a wired charger. Wireless charging is supposed to take an hour extra, something we did not test.

Ikodoo Buds One: Price and verdict
The Ikodoo Buds One is priced at Rs 4,999 with a one-year warranty. That is exactly the price of the OnePlus Buds Z2. Yes, this Ikodoo product does offer a couple of extras like wireless charging and volume control on the buds, but the Buds Z2 is a far better performer overall, be it sound quality, ANC or even battery life. To complicate matters further, the Realme Buds Air 3 sells for a thousand bucks lower and offers better ANC than both, and sound quality that sits right between those two earbuds, but closer to the Z2.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

I got the impression that Ikodoo tried to add too many features to the Buds One to justify its price tag rather than focusing on the basics. In the process, the product ended up clashing with the aforementioned OnePlus and Realme products which are hard to beat. It would have served the company better to drop a few features like wireless charging, make the pricing more attractive and target the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 instead which sells for Rs 2,999. Their performance is actually comparable. At 5K, it is hard to recommend the Buds One ahead of the options available in India in that budget.

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