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Marshall Milton ANC review: Premium on-ear headphones with LDAC, Active Noise Cancellation, 80-hour battery life, repairable design, and signature Marshall sound.

Marshall Milton ANC Review: Premium On-Ear Headphones with ANC, LDAC & 80-Hour Battery

Marshall finally adds ANC and LDAC to its iconic on-ear headphones. Here's our in-depth Marshall Milton ANC review covering design, sound quality, battery life, features, pros, cons, and whether it's worth ₹20,000.

Marshall Milton ANC Review: The Best Premium On-Ear Headphones Yet?

Marshall Milton ANC builds on the Major V with ANC, LDAC, Bluetooth 6.0, and an 80-hour battery while retaining its iconic design, lively sound, repairable build, and excellent everyday usability.

The Marshall Major V set a high bar for premium on-ear headphones. Thanks to impressive audio, a rugged frame, and iconic retro styling, they built a massive fanbase and remained an easy recommendation even two years after release.
Even so, they were starting to show their age. Modern buyers expect features like high-res Bluetooth audio and Active Noise Cancellation, two key omissions that left the Major V trailing behind its main rivals.
The new Marshall Milton ANC fixes those exact flaws. Marshall finally brought Active Noise Cancellation into the fold, expanded codec support, and polished the overall user experience with several smart tweaks.
Most importantly, Marshall left the core formula untouched. The signature looks, durable construction, and energetic sound profile are all still front and center, making the Milton ANC feel like a genuine, well-earned upgrade rather than an unnecessary reinvention.
<h2>Marshall Milton ANC: Design</h2>
Marshall could have completely redesigned the Milton ANC, but sticking to what works was the right call. It keeps everything great about the Major V: the amp-style textured finish, the brass joystick control, and the customizable M-button. The moment you pull them out of the box, they look and feel like classic Marshall gear.
The biggest visual shift is where the cups attach to the headband. <a title="Marshall Major V headphones launched in India: Check price &amp; specs" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/marshall-major-v-headphones-launched-in-india-check-price-specs-1721125374245" target="_blank">Marshall </a>dropped the Major V&rsquo;s exposed wire frame for solid support arms. It makes the headset look much cleaner and feel far sturdier. There are no ratchets for adjustment, but you honestly won't miss them. The gold logos pop nicely against the dark body without looking tacky.
Comfort gets a noticeable bump too. The ear pads are larger, packed with softer memory foam, and wrapped in faux leather. For an on-ear design, they stay remarkably comfortable whether you're working at a desk, riding the Metro, or relaxing at home. They weigh around 200 grams, so they never feel heavy. If you have a larger head like I do, you might feel a bit of clamping force, but it never gets painful.
The main downside is heat. Faux leather holds onto warmth, so your ears will get sweaty after two or three hours in hot weather. Beyond that, build quality is rock solid. The headband is flexible, the folding mechanism feels durable, and the bundled pouch is surprisingly tough&mdash;even if a hard-shell case would offer better protection.
What stands out most is repairability. Both the battery and the ear pads are user-replaceable, which is a rare win for long-term usability.
On the wireless side, Bluetooth 6.0 holds a rock-solid connection up to 30 feet. You also get a USB-C to 3.5mm cable for wired listening. Bizarrely, the headphones have to be turned on for the cable to work. If your battery drops to zero, plugging them in won't save you, which feels like a strange design oversight.
<h2>Marshall Milton ANC: App &amp; Features</h2>
Marshall actually nailed the companion app here. Most headphone apps feel like bloated junk, but this one stays out of your way with a clean, simple layout that makes finding settings effortless.
Right on the home screen, you can toggle between ANC and Transparency mode. From there, you get options to tweak the EQ, remap the M-button, set up Spotify Tap, turn on Auracast, set auto-off timers, and toggle battery preservation settings to help the hardware last longer over time.
You also get location tracking through both Apple Find My and Google Find Hub. You hopefully won't need to track down missing gear, but having dual support built in offers solid peace of mind.
Multipoint switching is equally smooth. I jumped between a phone, <a title="2024 Apple iPad Pro is more powerful than MacBook Pro: See why" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/2024-apple-ipad-pro-is-more-powerful-than-macbook-pro-see-why-1715330336084" target="_blank">iPad,</a> and MacBook throughout my review, and the connection swapped sources instantly without dropping a signal or stuttering.
My favorite thing about the software, though, is that you rarely have to use it. Once I spent five minutes tweaking everything to my liking, I barely touched the app again. Since the brass joystick and M-button handle almost every daily task right on the earcups, the app acts as a helpful backup rather than a daily requirement.
<h2>Marshall Milton ANC: Audio Performance</h2>
Right off the bat, the Milton ANC focuses on pure enjoyment over clinical precision. Marshall did not aim for a flat, reference-style response. Instead, they dialed in a warm, lively sound signature that hits the spot for mainstream music genres.
The out-of-the-box Marshall Signature profile sounds great as is, so I almost never felt compelled to tweak the EQ. If you do want to alter the sound, the app provides two fully custom EQ slots alongside presets for Bass Boost, Mid Boost, Mid Reduction, and Treble Boost. However, the default setup already handles Bollywood, Punjabi tracks, rock, and indie numbers exceptionally well.
Upgraded 32mm drivers deliver a clear step up in detail and separation. On tracks like Ghost&rsquo;s "Mary On A Cross," electric guitars retain their grit while cymbals stay crisp, all without pushing into harsh, tiring high frequencies.
Testing across different styles proved just as satisfying. Heavy-rotation albums like Dhurandhar and the Manmarziyaan soundtrack show off a punchy low end that keeps high-energy tracks engaging without smothering the vocals.
Slower, vocal-centric tracks like Passenger&rsquo;s "Let Her Go" and Keane&rsquo;s "Somewhere Only We Know" showcase how balanced the overall output is. The bass remains tight, the midrange preserves vocal warmth, and the upper frequencies reveal subtle details without irritating your ears.
A welcome upgrade over the Major V is high-res wireless audio. Marshall finally added LDAC support alongside standard SBC, AAC, and LC3 codecs. They also included their proprietary spatial audio feature, Soundstage, though I personally would have preferred proper Dolby Atmos.
If your library leans heavily toward acoustic arrangements or Indian classical tracks, flatter-sounding options might serve you better. But for nearly everything else, the Milton ANC delivers exactly what Marshall does best: pure entertainment.
<h2>Marshall Milton ANC: Battery Life</h2>
Marshall has a solid track record with battery performance, and the Milton ANC keeps that streak alive. Official claims promise up to 80 hours of playback without noise cancellation, or roughly 50 hours with ANC turned on. While I did not run a laboratory drain test, my real-world testing came very close. Mixing ANC on and off easily gave me five to six days of heavy use before I ever needed to plug in.
That kind of mileage completely eliminates battery anxiety. On days when I slipped up and forgot to charge, plugging them in for just 15 minutes added another day or two of juice. Recharging the battery back to full takes about two hours.
Marshall also added clever battery management tools inside the app. You can set charge limits to slow down long-term chemical degradation and adjust auto-sleep timers so the headset does not drain while sitting idle.
The absolute best feature here, though, is repairability. Both the internal battery and ear pads are user-replaceable. Instead of throwing away a perfectly good headset in a few years when the battery degrades, you can simply swap in a new one yourself. It is a rare win for repairability that guarantees these headphones stay in your setup for a very long time.
<h2>Marshall Milton ANC: Verdict</h2>
The Milton ANC occupies a sweet spot in the current headphone market. At ₹20,000, it sits above standard offerings from JBL, Soundcore, or mid-range Sony sets, yet remains far more affordable than ultra-premium flagships like the Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, and Apple AirPods Max.
What stands out is Marshall's refusal to play the spec-chasing game. Instead of obsessing over raw noise cancellation numbers or flat studio tuning, the focus went toward building a pair you will actually look forward to using daily. That strategy pays off.
You get iconic styling, rugged build quality, multi-day battery endurance, high-res Bluetooth codec support, a clean companion app, and user-serviceable batteries and ear cushions. Pair that with a warm, lively sound profile, and the result is a headset that makes listening genuinely fun.
A few flaws remain. Transparency mode is merely average, Soundstage spatial audio feels uninspired, and on-ear active noise cancellation naturally cannot block as much noise as over-ear designs. Requiring power for wired mode is another minor drawback.
Still, those compromises are easy to look past. If you want a stylish, great-sounding pair of on-ear headphones built to last and easily repairable, the Marshall Milton ANC comes highly recommended. It feels less like a basic upgrade to the Major V and more like the complete realization of that concept.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema blends instant photography with digital creativity through QR video prints, retro filters and premium design. Here's our full review.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema Review: The Most Creative Instant Camera Yet?

The Instax Mini Evo Cinema isn't just an instant camera—it prints memories with QR-linked videos, offers 100 creative filter combinations and delivers a premium retro experience. Here's our full review.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema Review: Nostalgia Meets Modern Creativity

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema blends instant photography with digital creativity, offering retro filters, QR-linked video prints and premium design, making it a unique hybrid camera for creators and nostalgia lovers.

Fujifilm completely changed the instant photography game when they dropped the first Instax Mini Evo around five years ago. It wasn't just another camera. It nailed a hybrid setup that gave you the pure, physical joy of instant film while keeping a digital safety net so you never wasted a shot.
Let&rsquo;s be honest, nobody buys an instant camera for tack-sharp image quality anymore. Your smartphone already takes sterile, perfect photos, which is exactly why Fujifilm went in the complete opposite direction.
I spent over a week testing the stealthy black Instax Mini Evo Cinema, and it is honestly just a blast to use. Forget about the megapixel race. This thing relies entirely on nostalgia, combining digital era filters with physical prints and letting you stick short video clips right onto the film borders via QR codes. But with a price tag of ₹37,999, does this highly styled machine actually earn a place in your everyday setup?
<h2>Unboxing &amp; Design</h2>
Unboxing the Instax Mini Evo Cinema makes one thing clear right away: this doesn't feel like the cheap, toy-like plastic gear we usually get with instant cameras. <a title="Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 instant camera launched in India" href="https://www.editorji.com/story/fujifilm-instax-mini-40-instant-camera-launched-in-india-1619166519942" target="_blank">Fujifilm</a> actually went for a premium build here. The shape is vertical and retro-futuristic, clearly taking inspiration from old-school movie cameras. They call the aesthetic "Modern Heritage Design." Strip away the marketing speak, and that just means you get a textured black faux-leather body paired with subtle green accents over a clean matte finish.
You also get two modular accessories in the box that completely change how you handle the camera. Alongside the standard wrist strap and a USB-A to USB-C cable, Fujifilm packs in a Grip Attachment and a Viewfinder Attachment.
The Grip Attachment screws directly into the bottom quarter-twenty mount. It adds some real chunkiness to the build, giving you a secure hold that feels like you are shooting with a vintage Super 8 camera. The only real design flaw is that this grip completely covers up the tripod thread. If you want to use a tripod, you have to spin the grip off first.
The Viewfinder Attachment is easily the coolest part of the whole package. It uses magnets to snap right over the tiny 1.54-inch rear LCD screen. When you look through it, the display magnifies to create an immersive, old-school filming vibe. It honestly makes you feel like a classic director.
Even with these add-ons, the camera stays remarkably compact. Without the accessories attached, it is thin enough to slide right into a jacket pocket or a small slot in a gear bag. That makes it way more portable than a bulky Polaroid or a standard square Instax shooter. Loading film is painless too. A secure door on the side pops open for standard Instax Mini packs. You just line up the yellow marks, snap it shut, and start shooting. The finished prints slide right out of the top slot.
Up front, a tiny selfie mirror sits next to the fixed 28mm f/2.0 lens, right between the flash and a red LED. That LED acts as a charging status light and blinks when the two-second or ten-second self-timer counts down. The shutter button sits just below the lens on the front face, while the rest of the physical controls live on the left side. Finally, the USB-C charging port for the internal battery and the MicroSD card slot are hidden away underneath the handle grip.
<h2>Controls</h2>
If you love tactile, clicky switches and physical dials, you are going to appreciate this control layout. Fujifilm designed the camera for easy one-handed operation, placing all the essential buttons right where your fingers naturally rest.
The power button features a distinct green accent and requires a quick press-and-hold to turn the device on or off. While its tiny footprint fits the minimalist aesthetic, it is honestly a bit too small. I really wish it were larger so you could press it quickly without fumbling around.
Right below the power switch, you will find the Frame Switch alongside a dedicated CINE/STILL toggle for swapping between photo and video modes. The Frame Switch lets you turn visual overlays on or off, making it simple to add vintage timestamps or retro recording graphics to your footage on the fly.
The real highlights are the two physical dials. On the side, a tactile Eras Dial cycles through ten different era filters spanning from the 1930s to the 2020s. Meanwhile, the Degree Control Dial circles the lens ring, letting you tweak the intensity or style of the selected filter across 10 separate steps. This combo gives you 100 different creative looks to play with. Down at the bottom right, there is a dedicated Zoom Lever with plus and minus markings. Just do not expect smooth focal pulls here, as testing showed it simply jumps through rigid digital steps.
Flip the camera around to find the rest of the navigation keys right under the 1.54-inch <a title="Samsung Display to end all its LCD production" href="https://www.editorji.com/story/samsung-display-to-end-all-its-lcd-production-1585662830628" target="_blank">LCD </a>screen. This area uses a standard layout featuring Menu, Back, and Play buttons wrapped around a clicky control wheel with a central OK button. You will use the OK and Back buttons constantly when shooting video. Every time you stop recording a clip, the interface forces you to either save it by hitting OK or delete it immediately using the Back button.
Lastly, there is the Analog Print Lever. Styled exactly like an old-school film advance lever, you pull it back until it clicks to start printing. It feels incredibly satisfying to use, though if you ever find the physical motion annoying, you can ignore the lever entirely and trigger your prints from the smartphone app instead.
<h2>Image Quality</h2>
Shooting with this camera feels incredibly similar to using the older model, mostly because the built-in era filters do all the heavy lifting. The back screen gives you a clear preview of the shot before you ever hit the print button. It is a perfect setup for framing, meaning you only spend money on the photos you actually want instead of throwing cash away on ruined frames. This hybrid design serves as a massive safety net. When a single piece of film costs around ₹70 to ₹80, having that preview screen keeps your wallet from taking a serious beating.
If you come looking for pixel-perfect sharpness or smartphone-grade clarity, you are going to be disappointed. But honestly, judging a camera like this by modern sensor benchmarks completely misses the point. The whole appeal lies in the vintage look. It purposefully messes with the image to mimic the raw texture of different time periods.
The internal sensor behaves a lot like a cheap point-and-shoot or a webcam from the early 2000s. Still, that lack of clinical sharpness is exactly why it works so well. Once the image hits the actual film, the chemistry mixes with those digital flaws to create a really charming print. You get two basic color settings to play with: Natural Mode for softer, realistic tones, and Rich Mode if you want punchy, warm colors. Pair that with the built-in flash, and you have a fun little setup for quick portraits or street photography.
The experience gets way more interesting when you start spinning the filters on the side dial. The 1930 option gives you a gritty, high-contrast black-and-white image. Turning it to 1940 drops you into early color processing, complete with weird green scratches that feel straight out of an old Western movie. The 1950 filter switches back to monochrome, but turning up the intensity adds tracking lines right across the frame.
The 1970 setting serves up a bright, highly saturated look that perfectly captures that 70s Hollywood Western vibe. For pure nostalgia, the 1990 filter is tough to beat. It targets the era when regular people started buying cameras, serving up a spot-on VHS tape look with tracking glitches and all. Stepping up to the 2000s yields that flat, retro webcam appearance, while the 2010 option replicates the warm, low-res processing of early camera phones.
<h2>Video Quality</h2>
What makes this Cinema edition special is its ability to capture video clips through the dedicated CINE mode. However, there is a major catch you need to keep in mind. The camera enforces a strict fifteen-second limit on every single clip you record. On top of that, you have to physically hold down the shutter button on the front face the entire time. The footage only records while your finger stays pressed down, and it cuts off the moment you let go.
The way these video files are put together is actually a very clever feature for on-device editing. Even though each finished clip tops out at fifteen seconds, you do not have to capture everything in one single take. You can easily shoot a quick three-second snippet, let go, change your angle, swap out the era filter, and hold the button again to keep building onto that same running file until the timer hits its limit.
You can shoot vertically or turn the body sideways for a wider horizontal frame. Just keep in mind that flipping it sideways does not give you a true 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio. Also, certain choices like the 1990s VHS option can look a bit distorted because those retro tracking lines stay fixed to the physical sides of the sensor. While there is no need to go over every single option, the gritty 1930s look and the 1990s VHS tape aesthetic completely won me over again.
<h2>Instax App &amp; The "Hybrid" Printing System</h2>
Printing a video clip places a clean QR code directly onto the white frame of the physical Instax Mini print. Scanning this code with a phone pulls up a web page that streams the full 15-second video along with its audio.
To kick off the process, you pull the mechanical print lever on the camera. This hybrid system completely ditches ink cartridges. Instead, it exposes the instant film digitally and runs it through motorized rollers, popping a built-in chemical pod that fully develops the photo in about 90 seconds.
For the video feature to work, the file has to travel from the camera over to Fujifilm's cloud servers using the companion Instax Mini Evo app. Keep in mind that there is a catch: Fujifilm only hosts these video clips for two years before wiping them out. This means the printed QR code will eventually stop working, so you will need to find another way to archive the clips if you want them saved forever.
You will definitely want the companion app, which is available on both iOS and Android, to get the absolute most out of this camera.
Connecting the two opens up incredibly useful tools like Remote Shooting. This option turns your smartphone screen into a wireless live viewfinder, allowing you to frame, focus, and capture photos or videos from afar. You also get Direct Print, which transforms the camera into a portable photo printer for any shot sitting in your phone's camera roll. Lastly, the app lets you pull your captured photos and videos right off the MicroSD card so you can share them online.
<h2>Verdict: Should You Buy It?</h2>
At ₹37,999, the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema is undeniably a gorgeous hybrid camera, but it is strictly a luxury buy meant for a niche crowd. You are paying a heavy premium for nostalgia, those modular add-ons, and the unique on-device video setup. If you are just looking for a simple point-and-shoot or flawless smartphone-quality images, you should definitely look elsewhere.
That said, if you want a distinct tool to spice up your creative work, or you are hooked on the idea of printing physical clips with QR codes, this retro black machine is incredibly fun. It beautifully bridges the gap between digital ease and analog film chemistry. Just remember to factor in the recurring price of film packs and the two-year cloud deadline before pulling the trigger.

The Oppo Enco Air5 packs 52dB ANC, excellent sound quality, Bluetooth 6.1, dual-device pairing and up to 54 hours of battery life. Here's our detailed review after a week of testing.

Oppo Enco Air5 Review: Best Budget TWS Under ₹3,500 With 52dB ANC & 54-Hour Battery?

With impressive ANC, balanced audio, outstanding battery life and premium comfort, the Oppo Enco Air5 punches well above its ₹3,099 price tag. Here's our full review.

Oppo Enco Air5 Review: The New Budget Earbuds To Beat?

The Oppo Enco Air5 delivers excellent sound, class-leading 52dB ANC, 54-hour battery life and reliable comfort, making it one of the best value-for-money wireless earbuds under ₹3,500.

Hunting for a decent pair of affordable wireless earbuds can feel like a total nightmare right now, especially if you have never bought them before. The market is absolutely packed with random brands making massive promises on paper, only to completely fall flat the second you put them in your ears. Oppo usually plays a very different game, preferring to double down on useful, real-world features rather than cheap, gimmicky specifications.
The brand-new Oppo Enco Air5 lands in this crowded space at a launch price of ₹3,099. Instead of chasing flashy tricks, the company is focusing entirely on things you will actually notice during a long workday, like a massive battery life, smart noise control, and a shape that will not hurt your ears. I spent the last seven days putting these buds through a packed, chaotic routine to see if they can truly cut it as a dependable pair of daily drivers.
<h2>Oppo Enco Air5 Review: Design &amp; Comfort</h2>
Pop the Oppo Enco Air5 out of its box, and you can tell right away that the design team wanted to steer clear of the usual boring, generic budget earbud templates. I spent my time testing the Lavender Purple option, and the choice of colour is a massive win. It uses a muted, pastel-like hue that feels clean and contemporary without looking like a loud, plastic toy.&nbsp;
Oppo went with a smooth matte texture across the entire exterior this time around. This choice works beautifully to keep oily fingerprint smudges completely out of sight. Down on the bottom edge, the standard Type-C port sits right alongside a tiny, flush physical pairing button.
Oppo styled this case to match the visual language of the new <a title="Oppo Reno 16 Review: Oppo's Most Complete Reno Yet" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oppo-reno-16-review-oppo-s-most-complete-reno-yet-1782978859580" target="_blank">Reno16</a> smartphone lineup. It features a pebble-shaped design, and the case measures just a bit over 62mm wide, making it incredibly pocket-friendly. It slides right into a tight pocket without creating a weird bulge. Closing the hinge of the top lid is also incredibly smooth and satisfying.
The actual earpieces rely on a tiny, ultra-compact cavity shape. They weigh a mere 4.3 grams per side, and the contouring sits naturally in your ear canal. During my long testing sessions where I kept them in for four to five hours straight, I did not experience any annoying ache in my ears. They also stayed firmly locked in place whether I was pacing around outdoor streets or working at my desk. The fit instantly reminded me of the <a title="OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Review: Affordable Earbuds Done Right " href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oneplus-nord-buds-4-review-affordable-earbuds-done-right-1782375847906" target="_blank">OnePlus Nord Buds 4</a> I reviewed a while back; the overall ergonomics feel almost identical.
You get a solid IP55 dust and sweat resistance rating on the buds themselves to handle sudden rain or tough workouts. Just keep in mind that the case does not share this protection, so remember to wipe the stems dry before docking them.
<h2>Oppo Enco Air5 Review: Audio Quality</h2>
A lot of budget audio brands simply flood the soundstage with bloated, muddy bass to mask cheap hardware. The Enco Air5 sidesteps this issue by using a substantial 12mm dynamic driver. Oppo claims this setup delivers double the amplitude of the previous Enco Air4, and the real-world performance bears that out.
When throwing vocal-heavy tracks like Gehra Hua by Arijit Singh, I Think They Call This Love by Matthew Ifield, or Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez at these buds, the clarity is impressive. Mid-range vocals are pushed forward, staying cleanly separated from the low-end frequencies. The upper-mids are equally polite, avoiding any harsh, hollow peaks even at higher volumes.&nbsp;
Instrument separation is another area where these buds punch above their price tag. On dense tracks with layered acoustic strings and traditional percussion, the left-to-right stereo panning stays distinct rather than collapsing into a single, blurry mess, though a little congestion can creep in during chaotic musical climaxes.
The low-end is deep and punchy, yet it stays remarkably disciplined. Listening to GreenLight by Pitbull, Satan by Yo Yo Honey Singh, or All Black by Raftaar reveals a solid sub-bass rumble that anchors hip-hop and electronic tracks without drowning out midrange details. Still, it is not flawless. True bassheads might find the low-end a bit too flat, as it lacks that extreme sub-bass kick some genres demand. It is a signature better suited for acoustic and vocal-driven tracks than pure EDM, though that is a matter of personal taste.
On the tech side, the buds stick to standard AAC and SBC codecs. The companion app features a Sound Master EQ with three profiles: Ultimate Sound, Pure Vocals, and Thundering Bass. For deeper customization, you get a 10-band Pro Equalizer to tweak specific frequencies and share custom profiles.&nbsp;
Finally, Oppo Alive Audio adds a spatial algorithm that successfully broadens the horizontal and vertical soundstage, offering a nice surround simulation for movies without needing expensive head-tracking tech.
<h2>Oppo Enco Air5 Review: ANC and Call Quality</h2>
Oppo has made a massive leap with the active noise cancellation on the Enco Air5, especially given its price point. Each earbud features a clever triple-microphone setup. Two of these external mics are tasked solely with picking up environmental sounds, allowing the system to achieve a flagship-level 52dB of maximum noise reduction. Compared to the older <a title="Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ Review: ANC That Actually Works Under ₹2,500" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oppo-enco-buds3-pro-review-anc-that-actually-works-under-2-500-1766497263765" target="_blank">Enco</a> Air4, which maxed out at 32dB, this is a substantial upgrade.
In daily use, the difference is night and day. Inside a typical office space, the ANC works like a charm, blocking out more than 80% of the ambient hum to create a remarkably peaceful backdrop. It even held its own when put to the test in bustling markets and during peak rush hour on the Delhi Metro, offering a level of quiet that is genuinely stellar. For controls, you can manually cycle through High, Moderate, and Low modes, or switch on Smart Mode to let the software automatically adapt as you move from a quiet workspace to a hectic street intersection.
Voice calls, however, are where the hardware hits its limits. To be fair, if you are sitting in a quiet room or a low-chaos environment, the performance is perfectly fine. Conversations are clear on both ends, and the person on the other line will notice that background noise is pushed right down, keeping your voice front, centre, and natural. But things take a turn in chaotic environments. The moment you step into heavy noise, the mics struggle to isolate your voice, making for a somewhat unpleasant experience for the person on the other end of the line.
<h2>Oppo Enco Air5 Review: Connectivity and Controls</h2>
Oppo packed the Enco Air5 with modern Bluetooth 6.1, which brings along a massive quality-of-life feature: Dual Device Connection. This lets the buds stay tied to two different machines simultaneously, switching tracks between Android, iOS, and Windows without breaking a sweat. In my daily routine, I could easily stream a video on my laptop and jump straight into an incoming call on my main phone. There was no need to fiddle with menus, and the audio never dropped out.
If you do not use an Oppo phone, the HeyMelody app is an absolute must. It serves as your control center, housing all the sound profiles and feature toggles in one spot.
The touch pads on the stems are snappy and pick up gestures easily. Single taps are disabled initially to avoid accidental brushes, but you can turn them on later. As it stands, a double-tap skips forward a track, a triple-tap plays the previous song or triggers specialized tools, and a long press switches between Transparency and Active Noise Cancellation. You can map these gestures however you like.
You also get a handy shortcut called "Tap to Launch" that pulls up your voice assistant on the fly. Interestingly, the stems can even act as a wireless clicker to snap photos with your phone camera. If you travel a lot, the built-in AI Translate option is a fascinating tool, even if it still feels a bit primitive. It sets up a two-way chat where you speak into the buds and the other person talks into your phone. It is a highly practical ecosystem that makes daily use much easier.
<h2>Oppo Enco Air5 Review: Battery</h2>
The endurance on the Oppo Enco Air5 is easily a major selling point, standing out in a crowded market of small wireless earbuds. Oppo stuffed a 62mAh battery inside each lightweight earbud, alongside a healthy 530mAh reservoir inside the companion charging cradle.
If you look at the official numbers, running these with active noise cancellation turned off at half volume on the AAC codec should net you a massive 13 hours of continuous playback from a single session. When you combine that with the backup juice waiting in the case, the total up-time hits a whopping 54 hours.
Turning ANC on drops those estimates, but things stay incredibly practical. You can expect about 6.5 hours of standalone use out of the earbuds, stretching to a total of 27 hours before you need to hunt down a wall outlet. During my hands-on testing, my real-world mileage lined up remarkably well with those metrics.
Oppo also secured an official TUV Rheinland Battery Health Certification for this pair. This rating guarantees the cells will hold onto more than 80% of their original capacity even after surviving 1,000 full charge cycles. It is a reassuring touch, meaning the hardware is built to last for years of heavy daily use rather than degrading significantly after your first year of ownership.
To top it off, refuel times are quite fast. Getting the earpieces from empty to full takes just 55 minutes, while plugging in the whole package gets everything completely topped up in roughly 90 minutes.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should you buy it?</h2>
Priced at ₹3,099, the Oppo Enco Air5 makes a serious case for buyers who are tired of weak build quality and dead batteries. Oppo really nailed the fundamentals, offering an incredible 54-hour total runtime alongside a certified battery lifecycle built to last way longer than typical budget options.
If your daily rotation is packed with bass-heavy festival EDM, the flatter low-end might feel a bit tame. However, for acoustic playlists, casual podcast listening, or daily commuting, the mix of forward vocals and genuine 52dB noise reduction is an absolute bargain.
The microphones do struggle to stay clear during a loud metro commute, but the seamless dual-device pairing and real-time translation features are highly practical bonuses. For anyone seeking pure dependability and excellent silence without spending a fortune, picking these up is a remarkably easy decision.

Samsung Galaxy A27 review: Samsung delivers reliable cameras, a gorgeous AMOLED display, polished One UI 8.5 and long-term software support.

Samsung Galaxy A27 Review: Reliable Mid-Range Choice

<h3>The Galaxy A27 skips the specifications race and instead focuses on refined software, dependable cameras, a vibrant AMOLED display and six years of software support, making it a compelling everyday smartphone despite a few compromises.</h3>

The mid-range smartphone market has never been more competitive. Whether your budget is around ₹25,000 or stretches closer to ₹30,000, you'll find plenty of options promising better cameras, larger batteries, faster charging and more powerful processors. Standing out has become increasingly difficult, especially as rising component costs and memory prices have made meaningful upgrades harder to deliver without increasing prices.
After spending time with the Galaxy A27, it became clear to me that Samsung isn't trying to win the specifications race. Instead, it has focused on the areas where the Galaxy A series has traditionally excelled. You get a refreshed design, a 120Hz Super AMOLED display, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset and One UI 8.5 based on Android 16.
On paper, several rivals offer more impressive hardware. But Samsung is betting on its polished software experience, reliable cameras and unmatched long-term software support instead. So, after using the Galaxy A27 as my daily driver, is that enough to justify its asking price? Let's find out.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A27 Design: Familiar Style, With Some Thoughtful Refinements</h2>
Samsung hasn't dramatically changed its design language over the past few years, and the Galaxy A27 continues that trend. It looks and feels very similar to last year's Galaxy A26. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because the previous design was already comfortable to use, but if you were expecting a major visual refresh, you won't find one here.
The Galaxy A27 uses Gorilla Glass Victus+ for both the front, and back glass, along with a plastic frame. In the hand, it feels reassuringly solid and more premium than many mid-range phones with plastic rear panels.&nbsp;
At 7.8mm thick and weighing 200g, it isn't the lightest device around, but I never found it uncomfortable to hold during extended use. The flat frame offers a secure grip, while the slightly raised section on the right houses tactile power and volume buttons that are easy to locate without looking.
The side-mounted fingerprint scanner is quick and accurate most of the time, although at this price, I was expecting an in-display scanner. Every now and then, I noticed a slight delay when waking the phone, along with a somewhat sluggish unlock animation.
Around the back, Samsung has retained the familiar pill-shaped camera module, although it now gets a colour-matched border that blends more neatly into the rear panel. It's a subtle tweak, but I think it gives the phone a cleaner, more polished look.&nbsp;
Not everything is an improvement, though. The IP64 rating is actually a downgrade from the Galaxy A26, which feels like an odd decision.&nbsp;
My biggest complaint, however, is the haptics. The standard vibration motor lacks the crisp feedback I've come to expect at this price point.
Getting back to the positives, you get a hybrid SIM slot, so you can add a microSDXC card, &nbsp;making the overall experience feel a whole lot more positive than what others in this price range have started offering this year.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A27 Display &amp; Audio: Excellent Visuals, Ordinary Sound </h2>
The Galaxy A27 features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, support for around 16 million colours, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection. On paper, it offers the sort of specification sheet you'd expect from a competitive mid-range smartphone, combining a high-resolution panel with smooth scrolling and a durable layer of protection.
After using it for a while, I came away fairly impressed with the screen itself. Samsung continues to deliver some of the best AMOLED panels in this segment, and that shows here. Colours look rich without appearing overdone, blacks are suitably inky, and contrast remains excellent whether you're watching videos, browsing social media or simply reading articles. The move to a modern punch-hole cut-out also makes the front look cleaner than older Galaxy A-series devices.
That said, the bezels are thicker and less symmetrical than I'd have liked, especially that bottom chin. The A27&rsquo;s competition, from practically every other major manufacturer at this pricepoint, comes with slimmer bezels. Another surprising omission is the lack of an Always-On Display, which feels unusual on an AMOLED phone.
Audio, meanwhile, is handled by a single bottom-firing speaker. It gets loud enough for casual use, but the sound profile is heavily biased towards vocals and higher frequencies, leaving music and movies without much bass or depth.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A27 Cameras: Reliable and Consistent</h2>
The Galaxy A27 features a triple-camera setup comprising a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, a 5MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro lens, while selfies are handled by a 12MP front-facing camera. On paper, it isn't the most exciting camera system in this segment, but after using it extensively, I found Samsung's focus on consistency more valuable than headline-grabbing specifications.
The 50MP primary camera is easily the star of the show. In daylight, it captures detailed images with natural-looking colours and well-controlled dynamic range. Samsung has resisted the temptation to oversaturate photos, so the results look realistic without appearing dull. I was particularly happy with the portrait mode, which produced accurate skin tones, dependable exposure and surprisingly clean edge detection, even around trickier subjects like curly hair. The background blur is software-generated, but it rarely looks distracting.
I also enjoyed shooting close-ups. Whether I was photographing flowers or everyday objects, the main camera retained plenty of detail and reproduced colours faithfully without relying on excessive sharpening or heavy processing.
The 5MP ultrawide camera is useful when you need a wider perspective for landscapes or group photos, although the drop in quality is immediately noticeable. Images lose fine detail, and softness around the edges becomes fairly obvious, so I generally preferred sticking to the primary camera whenever possible.
Low-light performance turned out to be better than I expected. The main sensor keeps noise under control, handles artificial light sources well and preserves a respectable amount of detail in darker scenes. Indoor shots also maintain a pleasing balance between highlights and shadows.
For video, the rear camera supports recording at up to 4K at 60fps or 1080p at 30fps. Footage is sharp, and the electronic stabilisation does a respectable job of smoothing handheld movement, even if some rivals still perform better.
The 12MP selfie camera is another highlight. I consistently got sharp selfies with accurate skin tones and good HDR performance, making it a dependable option for video calls and social media.
Overall, I found the Galaxy A27 to be a reliable everyday camera phone. It won't be my first recommendation for photography enthusiasts, but if your priority is predictable, natural-looking results across most situations, it gets the job done well.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A27&rsquo;s Performance: Reliable, Day-in, Day-out</h2>
The Galaxy A27 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. In day-to-day use, I found the phone to be perfectly capable of handling the basics. Apps launched quickly, multitasking felt smooth enough, and routine tasks such as messaging, web browsing, streaming videos, checking social media and using navigation apps never posed a problem. The fast UFS 3.1 storage also helps keep loading times short, making the overall experience feel responsive.
Even when I had multiple apps open, switched between emails, social media and Chrome tabs, or jumped into a video call, the Galaxy A27 kept up without any major hiccups. For the average user, there's more than enough performance on offer.
Where the phone begins to fall behind is under heavier workloads. At this price, several competing smartphones now ship with newer Snapdragon 7-series processors that offer noticeably stronger CPU and GPU performance. If raw power or gaming is high on your priority list, there are better options available.
Gaming, in particular, isn't the Galaxy A27's biggest strength. Casual titles run without any issues, but more demanding games require lower graphics settings to maintain smooth gameplay. During my testing, frame rates generally hovered between 50 and 55fps on smoother graphics presets. It's certainly playable, but it doesn't deliver the sort of performance I'd expect from the most powerful phones in this segment.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A27 Software: OneUI 8.5 Continues To Lead The Pack</h2>
If there's one area where the Galaxy A27 genuinely stands out, it's the software experience. The phone ships with One UI 8.5 based on Android 16, and after using it for a while, I was reminded why Samsung's software remains one of the biggest reasons to buy its smartphones. It isn't just polished, it's packed with genuinely useful features that many competitors still don't offer.
Most of Samsung's familiar ecosystem features are present here, including Samsung Wallet with NFC tap-to-pay, Secure Folder, Good Lock, Edge Panels, Multi Window, Smart Switch and Samsung Knox. I particularly appreciate Good Lock, which lets me customise everything from the lock screen and quick settings to gestures and animations. If you enjoy tweaking your phone, there are very few Android skins that offer this level of flexibility.
Samsung has also brought a healthy dose of AI to the Galaxy A27. You get Gemini, Circle to Search, Object Eraser, AI Select, custom photo filters, Gallery editing suggestions, Voice Transcription and Read Aloud in Samsung Internet. The Now Bar is another welcome addition, displaying live information such as media controls, navigation directions and sports scores without needing to unlock the phone. There's even Direct Voicemail built into One UI, allowing calls to be sent to voicemail without relying on your carrier's service.
Bixby is still available, although it doesn't offer the more advanced AI capabilities found on Samsung's flagship Galaxy S series devices.
Perhaps the biggest advantage, however, is Samsung's long-term software commitment. The Galaxy A27 is promised six major Android upgrades along with six years of security updates, which is exceptional for a phone in this price range. When I combine that with One UI's smooth performance, clean interface and extensive feature set, it's easy to see why I consider the software to be one of the Galaxy A27's strongest selling points.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A27 Battery &amp; Charging: Dependable, But Slow Charging</h2>
The Galaxy A27 packs a 5,000mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging. While that capacity is perfectly respectable, it's no longer class-leading. Several Chinese rivals in the same price segment now offer significantly larger batteries, giving them an edge when it comes to outright endurance.
Even so, I had little reason to complain during everyday use. With a mix of web browsing, WhatsApp, Telegram, social media, music streaming, phone calls and a bit of casual gaming, I consistently ended the day with around 20 to 25 per cent battery remaining. Screen-on time generally ranged between seven and eight hours, which is a noticeable improvement over the Galaxy A26.
Charging, however, remains the weaker part of the experience. Using a 70W charger, the phone still took roughly 90 minutes to go from empty to full, making it one of the slower-charging devices in its segment.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A27 Verdict: A Well-Rounded Phone That Gets The Essentials Right</h2>
After using the Galaxy A27 as my primary phone, I came away with the feeling that Samsung has focused on getting the fundamentals right rather than chasing flashy specifications. It isn't trying to offer the biggest battery, the fastest charging or the most powerful chipset in its class. Instead, it's built around a polished software experience, dependable cameras, a vibrant AMOLED display and the kind of long-term software support that very few brands can currently match.
That isn't to say it's without flaws. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is perfectly adequate for everyday use but falls behind several rivals when it comes to gaming and sustained performance. The IP64 rating is a step backwards from its predecessor; the single speaker is average, the haptics feel inexpensive, and 25W charging began looking dated aeons ago in this segment.
Even so, I don't think the Galaxy A27 is aimed at spec hunters. If your priorities revolve around stability, clean software, reliable cameras, useful AI features and the confidence of six years of Android and security updates, Samsung has put together a phone that's easy to recommend. It may not top benchmark charts or win every specification battle, but it delivers a refined, dependable experience that I think many buyers will appreciate long after the excitement of launch day fades.

The Oppo Reno 16 delivers flagship-grade cameras, Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 performance, a 6,700mAh battery, premium design, and refined ColorOS. Read our full review.

Oppo Reno 16 Review: Premium Compact Phone With Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, Four 50MP Cameras & 6,700mAh Battery

The Oppo Reno 16 combines four 50MP cameras, Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, a premium compact design, excellent battery life, and polished software. Here's our detailed review.

Oppo Reno 16 Review: The Most Complete Reno Yet

The Oppo Reno 16 impresses with flagship-grade cameras, premium compact design, Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 performance, refined ColorOS, and excellent battery life, making it one of the strongest premium Android phones in its segment.

Reno devices usually carve out their own space by pairing sharp aesthetics with cameras that punch way above their price class. While Oppo uses the flagship <a title="Oppo Find X9 Ultra Review: A No-Compromise Ultra Phone" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oppo-find-x9-ultra-review-a-no-compromise-ultra-phone-1779876430160" target="_blank">Find X</a> lineup to show off its wildest innovations, the Reno family focuses on nailing the middle ground: style, photography, and smooth daily performance.
The Reno 16 sticks right to that formula rather than chasing pointless upgrades. It arrives with a refreshed look, a massive battery bump, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, four separate 50MP cameras, and a handful of practical AI tools that help out without getting annoying.
I ran the Reno 16 as my primary daily driver for nearly two weeks, and it honestly impressed me. The build feels incredibly premium, the cameras are easily the best part of the hardware, and ColorOS feels faster and tighter than before. It is not totally perfect, and you will run into a few compromises. The real question is whether it is actually worth your money.
<h2>Oppo Reno 16 Pricing</h2>
Oppo has priced ₹61,999 for the base 8GB + 256GB version of the Reno 16, while stepping up to the 12GB + 256GB variant pushes the price tag to ₹67,999. That is a massive price increase compared to the older Reno 15 lineup that hit shelves just a few months back. The ongoing global RAM supply shortage is definitely playing a big role in this price bump, though Oppo has traditionally positioned the Reno family at a premium price point anyway.
If you are looking to pick one up, retail sales kick off on July 9. The phone will be available across major platforms including Flipkart, Amazon, Oppo&rsquo;s official online and physical stores, along with standard retail partner outlets.
<h2>Oppo Reno 16 Review: Design</h2>
Oppo always gets the styling right with their Reno lineup, and the Reno 16 keeps that streak going. My unit came in Stellar Purple, and it looks every bit as premium as the price suggests. The back features a ribbon-like pattern that plays with light, giving off a subtle, shifting shimmer depending on the angle. It catches the eye without being flashy, and the matte texture is fantastic at keeping fingerprint smudges away. That said, if I were choosing, I would go for the Starry White option. The floating 3D Pop Planet effect on that version just looks a bit more unique, though this purple one is a close second.
The build is another high point. Oppo went with an aerospace-grade aluminum frame here, so the device immediately feels rigid the moment you pick it up. I also like how the camera housing smoothly transitions right into the rear glass rather than looking like a separate piece slapped on afterward. It is a tiny detail, but it makes the hardware look far more polished.
The footprint is what really won me over, though. Compact Android phones are a dying breed, so using the Reno 16 feels like a breath of fresh air. This purple version measures just 8.22mm thick and weighs an easy 182 grams. You still get a 6.32-inch screen for gaming or streaming, but the actual chassis is small enough to manage comfortably with one hand.
Flat edges and a balanced weight distribution make a massive difference in daily comfort. Even the camera bump is kept surprisingly lean. It sticks out just enough to house the four lenses, but never makes the device feel top-heavy or awkward.
They didn't skimp on toughness either. You get full IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K certifications, which is about as comprehensive as it gets for this price tier. Finally, there is the new physical AI Snap Key. It is marketed for Oppo's AI tools, but I found it way more practical to map it as a custom button to quickly turn on the flashlight, open translation apps, or fire up the camera.
Ultimately, it is just a pleasant phone to live with. It looks sleek, feels durable, and nails the core features without overcomplicating things.
<h2>Oppo Reno 16 Review: Display &amp; Audio</h2>
Oppo loaded some great screen specs into this smaller frame. You get a 6.32-inch flexible AMOLED panel featuring a 1.5K resolution, 460PPI, a smooth 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and a 10-bit panel. The company claims a peak brightness of 3,600 nits, with 1,800 nits hitting in high brightness mode. The spec sheet is definitely stacked, but thankfully, using it in the real world actually lives up to the hype.
The panel catches your eye immediately because it just looks incredibly clean. It is sharp, colors look vibrant without looking artificially boosted, and the contrast is exactly what you want from a quality AMOLED. Everything I watched on Netflix, checked out on YouTube, or browsed through on Instagram stayed crisp and well-calibrated. I really liked how the display treats skin tones. Faces look natural instead of getting pushed toward weirdly warm or hyper-saturated tones, which makes video playback feel way more realistic.
The narrow bezels deserve a nod too. They keep the front looking clean and give you a more immersive feel than you would expect from a compact phone. Despite the 6.32-inch size, I never wished for a bigger canvas. It hits a sweet spot between comfortable one-handed use and an enjoyable viewing experience.
That variable 120Hz refresh rate keeps everything fluid. Toggling between apps, scrolling social feeds, and moving around ColorOS feels snappy and fast. Brightness is another area where this phone shines. Even under the brutal Delhi afternoon sun, the screen stayed perfectly readable while I was replying to texts, reading articles, or framing up camera shots.
The built-in stereo speakers pair nicely with the display. They get plenty loud, give you good stereo separation, and keep vocals clear during movies or gaming. They are not replacing a solid pair of wireless earbuds, but for daily use, they are easily among the better setups in this price tier.
<h2>Oppo Reno 16 Review: Cameras</h2>
The camera system remains the absolute headline feature for the Reno series, and the Reno 16 definitely doubles down on that legacy. Oppo went with an incredibly versatile quad-camera array featuring four individual 50MP sensors. This includes a Sony LYT-600 main shooter with optical image stabilization, a 3.5x optically stabilized telephoto lens, an autofocus-enabled ultrawide camera, and a 50MP front-facing selfie snapper boasting a wide 100-degree field of view. It is an impressive hardware mix for this price bracket, and it regularly churns out high-quality images.
The primary lens handled the bulk of my daily photography chores. It captures punchy, lively colors without crossing into over-saturation, preserves plenty of fine detail, and handles dynamic range brilliantly by balancing bright skies against deeper shadow areas. The phone rarely trips up on exposure, even when handling challenging backlight.
The 3.5x telephoto camera stands out just as much. It shines for portrait work, offering a far more flattering and natural perspective for faces than standard wide lenses. It also lets you pull distant subjects closer without the massive drop in clarity that usually plagues mid-range zoom lenses. Oppo uses what they call Natural Tone processing here, ensuring skin tones look accurate and fine facial details stay sharp without aggressive, artificial beauty filtering.
The rear ultrawide sensor completes the package. It matches the primary camera remarkably well in color balance and exposure, while its built-in autofocus allows it to handle close-up macro shots. Low-light results are equally respectable. Instead of overexposing night scenes to look like daytime, the software retains the actual atmosphere while cleaning up noise and pulling out enough shadow detail to keep the image looking grounded.
Up front, the 50MP selfie camera proves just as reliable. The broader field of view is ideal for capturing groups, the autofocus system keeps your subjects sharp, and the processing stays pleasantly realistic.
Video capability is another massive plus. You can shoot 4K footage at 60fps with HDR across all four cameras, allowing for smooth, color-consistent lens switching mid-shoot. The electronic stabilization holds steady, and built-in options like Dual-View Video 2.0 and Pop Cam provide excellent utility for creators. If you want the best camera setup in this segment, this remains the primary reason to buy the phone.
<h2>Oppo Bubble: A Clever Accessory</h2>
The Oppo Bubble looks like pure social media bait when you first see it. Give it some time, though, and it proves surprisingly practical. This little attachable screen lets you preview yourself through the rear cameras, which means you get to use the phone's best lenses for selfies.&nbsp;
Solo content creators and vloggers will find this incredibly handy. You can set the device on a tripod, check your composition on the Bubble, and trigger the shutter from a distance without constantly walking back to check the screen. It is just as useful for group photos, letting everyone see they are actually in the shot before you click. The Oppo Bubble is priced at ₹7,999.
Is it a mandatory purchase? Not really. But while most phone accessories end up forgotten in a drawer, this one fixes a genuine problem. It is easily one of the coolest add-ons launched with the Reno 16.&nbsp;
<h2>Oppo Reno 16 Review: Performance</h2>
Oppo picked Qualcomm&rsquo;s Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip to run the Reno 16, throwing in up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage. Look, it won't beat premium flagship silicon in a shootout, but it really doesn't need to. This setup is built for reliable, everyday speed, not for bragging about benchmark graphs. To keep things stable, Oppo uses Qualcomm&rsquo;s Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 and AI HyperBoost 3.0, mostly to handle thermals and battery draw quietly in the background.
Testing the hardware gave us an AnTuTu score of roughly 1.43 million. Over on Geekbench, the phone managed a 1,229 single-core score and 3,893 in the multi-core test. That is exactly where this Snapdragon chip should land, and those stats translate perfectly into real life. The phone never stuttered when I was jumping between open apps, answering emails, checking feeds, or editing photos. Tasks load quickly, multitasking feels seamless, and ColorOS keeps the general interface feeling fast.
Gaming was plenty of fun too. I played a lot of BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile, and the phone ran both games without hitting a single wall. The frame rate hovered right between 88 and 89fps during BGMI matches, which kept the action feeling incredibly smooth. I didn't notice any annoying touch lag either, even when the shooting got frantic.
Heat management is another win here. The top half of the back panel definitely warms up when you play for a long time, but it never gets too hot to hold comfortably. Honestly, for a phone this thin and compact, that is a solid design achievement.
You can definitely buy a faster phone at this price point if you only care about chasing peak benchmark scores. But for regular daily use, I never felt like this device lacked power. <a title="Oppo Reno 16 Series To Feature AI Snap Key, IP69K Protection, and Stunning New Design" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/oppo-reno-16-series-to-feature-ai-snap-key-ip69k-protection-and-stunning-new-design-1782213376939" target="_blank">Oppo</a> focused on smooth, consistent performance over flashy marketing metrics, and honestly, that is the right call for most buyers.
<h2>Oppo Reno 16 Review: Software</h2>
ColorOS has been on a good run lately, and the version 16.1 software here just confirms it. It is clean, snappy, and generally knows when to stay out of the way. While plenty of other Android skins tend to bury you in unnecessary features, this UI strikes a great balance between deep functionality and clean simplicity.
That level of polish is immediately obvious when you use the phone. Apps launch instantly, UI animations glide along smoothly, and bouncing between heavy tasks feels effortless. During my testing period with the Reno 16, I did not run into a single random freeze or interface glitch. It just stays consistently fluid.
As expected for a phone launching in 2026, the device leans hard into AI capability. The good news is these tools feel genuinely useful rather than just marketing filler. Take the physical AI Snap Key, which quickly became a regular habit for me. I mostly mapped it to bring up the camera, but it works just as well for saving quick data to AI Mind Space, taking voice notes, or firing up other custom shortcuts. Speaking of AI Mind Space, it proved surprisingly practical. I ended up using it constantly to sort screenshots, quick notes, and random bits of web info that usually get lost in the shuffle.
The Google Gemini integration feels just as seamless. Features like Circle to Search, real-time live translations, and AI text composition tools feel native to the interface rather than like software slapped on at the last minute.
Customization is another high point. You can tweak the lock screen, home screen layout, or the always-on display without the menus feeling messy. Oppo also promises five major ColorOS updates and six years of security patches, giving you real long-term peace of mind. Ultimately, ColorOS 16.1 stands out as a massive win for the hardware. It is polished, highly dependable, and stands tall as one of the best software skins on the market right now.
<h2>Oppo Reno 16 Review: Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
The 6,700mAh silicon-carbon battery inside the Reno 16 is a massive win, and it quickly turned into one of my favorite features. It completely kills off any sort of day-to-day battery anxiety.
Even on heavy days packed with camera testing, social feeds, streaming, GPS maps, and a bit of gaming, I still headed to bed with plenty of juice to spare. If you are a lighter user, stretching this thing to last a second full day should be an absolute breeze. Honestly, even during my busiest test days, I never once had to scramble for a wall outlet before turning in for the night.
When the percentage finally drops, the bundled 80W SuperVooc brick fuels it back up in a hurry. Even with such a massive cell under the hood, waiting around for a charge never feels tedious. Just plugging it in for a few minutes before you head out the door gives you more than enough juice to last the rest of the day comfortably.
<h2>Oppo Reno 16 Review: Verdict</h2>
My time with the Reno 16 proves Oppo focused exactly where it counted. They skipped the usual race for empty benchmark points or flashy marketing gimmicks that nobody actually uses. Instead, they put their energy into things that make a difference in regular daily use, resulting in a phone that is incredibly simple to recommend.
The camera array remains the primary selling point. The lenses are versatile and highly dependable, churning out great results whether you are shooting landscapes, portraits, selfies, or videos. When you mix that photography performance with the compact, high-end build, an excellent screen, killer battery life, and a highly refined software skin, the whole package comes together beautifully.
Granted, you can buy faster silicon in this price range, so hardcore gamers might want to look at other options. For the vast majority of buyers, though, that slight drop in raw speed is very easy to overlook.

OnePlus N6 review covering its 8,000mAh battery, Dimensity 6360 performance, cameras, display, OxygenOS 16 software, pricing and whether it's worth buying under ₹25,000.

OnePlus N6 Review: Battery Beast With One Big Catch

The OnePlus N6 prioritises battery life, clean software and dependable performance over flashy specs. Here's why it may still be one of the best phones under ₹25,000.

<h3 class="PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer" data-start="1134" data-end="1300">The OnePlus N6 prioritises battery life, clean software and dependable performance over flashy specs. Here's why it may still be one of the best phones under ₹25,000.</h3>
<h2 data-section-id="10btkw6" data-start="1302" data-end="1315">&nbsp;</h2>

For the longest time, I've looked at OnePlus as the brand you turned to when performance came first. Whether it was blazing-fast charging, fluid software or class-leading speed for the money, that identity remained remarkably consistent across its phones. The OnePlus N6, however, heads in a noticeably different direction.
What makes this launch particularly interesting is that it marks OnePlus' first N-series smartphone for India, and unlike its mainstream siblings, it arrives without the familiar Nord branding. Rather than building a spec sheet around raw horsepower, OnePlus has focused on the basics that matter over months and years of ownership. You get an enormous 8,000mAh battery, a sturdy build, a clean software experience and hardware that's aimed at dependable everyday use instead of headline-grabbing benchmark scores.
At the same time, it's impossible to overlook how much DNA the N6 shares with the Realme P4R. They have plenty in common, yet after using both extensively and putting the N6 through our full review process, it became clear that OnePlus has made a few deliberate choices to give this phone its own character. Here's how it all comes together.
<h2>OnePlus N6 Review: Variants And Price </h2>
OnePlus has priced the N6 at ₹22,999 for the 4GB + 128GB variant, while the 6GB + 128GB model costs ₹24,999. That puts it squarely in India's fiercely contested sub ₹25,000 segment, where buyers are spoiled for choice.
Ironically, the phone it competes with most closely isn't from Samsung, Xiaomi or iQOO, but the Realme P4R. The similarities between the two extend well beyond the spec sheet, making them feel like products built from the same blueprint. The key difference is pricing, with the Realme undercutting the N6 by nearly ₹5,000.
As a result, the decision isn't simply about which phone offers better hardware. It's about which one delivers the more refined everyday experience, and that's where I believe the OnePlus N6 begins to justify its premium.
<h2>OnePlus N6 Review: Design</h2>
The OnePlus N6 makes no attempt to disguise what it is. This isn't a phone that's chasing luxury finishes or eye-catching design trends. Instead, the emphasis is firmly on usability, durability and keeping the overall package sensible, something that becomes increasingly apparent the longer you use it.
Our Fresh Mint review unit reflects that philosophy well. The colour is subtle without being dull, while the flat edges and flat rear panel give the phone a clean, modern appearance. Rounded corners make it comfortable to grip, and the square camera island adds enough visual distinction to stop it from looking generic. Although the rear module appears to house three cameras, only the main sensor plays a significant role in day-to-day photography.
Anyone familiar with the Realme P4R will immediately notice the family resemblance. Beyond the redesigned camera housing, the two devices share an almost identical chassis, matching button layout, ports and overall ergonomics. It's fairly evident that both phones originate from the same underlying hardware platform.
The plastic frame and back panel might raise eyebrows in this price bracket, but they also make practical sense. Packing an 8,000mAh battery into a slimmer device is no easy task, and lighter materials help prevent the N6 from becoming unnecessarily cumbersome. Despite the huge battery, the phone never felt awkward or excessively heavy during extended use.
Durability is another area where OnePlus has invested its efforts. The ArmourShell protection system combines reinforced corners, internal shock absorption and strengthened glass, while MIL-STD-810H certification adds another layer of confidence. My only reservation is the IP65 rating. It offers protection against dust and water splashes, but an IP68 certification would have better matched the phone's otherwise rugged positioning.
The rest of the hardware is straightforward but functional. You get a responsive side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3 and a hybrid SIM tray that also supports microSD cards, a feature that's becoming increasingly uncommon. I would've liked to see eSIM support and OnePlus' Action Key make the cut, but neither omission significantly affects the overall experience. The N6 isn't designed to feel luxurious. It's built to withstand everyday use, and in that regard, it succeeds.
<h2>OnePlus N6 Review: Display And Audio</h2>
The OnePlus N6 sports a 6.8-inch LCD display with an HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and a claimed peak brightness of 1,200 nits. While those numbers don't immediately raise any red flags, the actual experience leaves me with mixed feelings.
My biggest gripe is the resolution. At this price, I expected at least a Full HD panel. With several rivals already offering sharper displays, the N6's HD+ screen feels like a noticeable compromise. It's not something you'll constantly think about, but smaller text isn't as crisp and high-resolution videos lose some of their impact. If content consumption is a priority, you'll almost certainly notice the difference.
Thankfully, the panel gets a few important things right. The 120Hz refresh rate makes everyday interactions feel smooth, whether I was switching between apps, scrolling endlessly through social media or simply navigating OxygenOS. Brightness is another pleasant surprise. Even outdoors in bright daylight, the display remained easy to read, making maps, messages and notifications perfectly visible.
Being an LCD panel, however, it can't match the richer contrast or vibrant colours of an AMOLED screen. Blacks appear greyish in darker scenes, and the lack of HDR support means streaming content never looks quite as immersive as it does on competing devices.
The speaker setup follows a similar pattern. OnePlus has opted for a single bottom-firing unit instead of stereo speakers. Volume certainly isn't an issue, especially with the company's 400% Ultra Volume mode enabled, but the sound itself lacks fullness. Dialogue remains clear enough for YouTube videos, voice calls and social media clips, yet music sounds flat and films miss the sense of width that dual speakers create. It gets the job done for everyday use, but I'd still reach for a pair of wireless earbuds whenever I wanted a more enjoyable listening experience.
<h2>OnePlus N6 Review: Cameras</h2>
OnePlus has kept things very simple when it comes to the N6's cameras. Despite the rear design suggesting a multi-camera setup, you're really working with a single 50MP primary sensor, while selfies are handled by an 8MP front-facing camera. It's a simple arrangement, but one that performs better than I initially expected.
In good lighting, the primary camera consistently delivers pleasing results. Photos come out with balanced colours that avoid looking artificially boosted, while dynamic range is good enough to preserve detail in brighter and darker parts of the frame. Sharpness is perfectly adequate for sharing on social media, and I found autofocus to be quick and dependable. For everyday photography, whether you're capturing food, pets or landscapes, the camera rarely lets you down.
The cracks begin to show once you move outside its comfort zone. Since there's no dedicated telephoto camera, zoom relies entirely on digital cropping, and image quality takes a noticeable hit as you magnify your shots. Night photography is similarly predictable. The camera can produce usable images after sunset, but finer textures soften considerably, noise becomes more visible and overall detail isn't particularly impressive.
Around the front, the 8MP selfie camera is functional without standing out. It captures decent-looking selfies in daylight, skin tones remain fairly natural and it's more than capable for video calls or the occasional social media post. That said, an 8MP sensor feels slightly behind the curve in this price segment.
Video recording tops out at 1080p at 60fps. While I would've welcomed the option to shoot in 4K, the higher frame rate does make handheld clips appear smoother, and that's likely to matter more to most buyers.
OnePlus also includes a healthy selection of AI editing features, including AI Eraser, AI Reflection Eraser, AI Unblur, AI Perfect Shot and AI Reframe. They can occasionally rescue a photo or tidy up unwanted distractions, but they're supplementary rather than transformative. As a whole, the N6's camera system is dependable instead of exciting, and for the audience this phone targets, that's probably the right balance.
<h2>OnePlus N6 Review: Performance</h2>
The OnePlus N6 is powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 6360 processor, paired with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. That combination isn't going to turn heads, nor is it intended to. Instead of chasing benchmark records, OnePlus has focused on delivering a phone that feels consistently responsive during everyday use.
Throughout my testing, the N6 handled routine tasks without complaint. Whether I was juggling multiple apps, checking emails, navigating with Google Maps or spending far too much time scrolling through social media, the experience remained smooth and predictable. Credit for that goes as much to OxygenOS as it does to the hardware itself.
The Dimensity 6360 is only a modest upgrade over the Dimensity 6300 used in the Realme P4R, with the biggest difference being a slightly faster graphics processor. Unsurprisingly, benchmark results are almost identical. The N6 scored just over 615,000 in AnTuTu, while Geekbench produced scores of 781 in the single-core test and 1,964 in the multi-core test. Those figures won't impress power users, but they're perfectly in line with what this hardware is designed to offer.
Gaming performance is respectable without being exceptional. BGMI maintained close to 60fps during my testing, and the large 5,300mm&sup2; vapour chamber kept temperatures under control even during extended sessions. Bypass charging is another welcome addition, especially if you like gaming while plugged in.
The N6 isn't the phone I'd recommend to someone looking for flagship-level gaming or demanding workloads. However, if your daily routine revolves around messaging, streaming, browsing, navigation and the occasional game, it performs reliably. It may not be the fastest device in its class, but it delivers a stable, fuss-free experience, and that's exactly what OnePlus set out to achieve.
<h2>OnePlus N6 Review: Software</h2>
Software has long been one of OnePlus' biggest selling points, and the N6 continues that tradition. It runs OxygenOS 16 out of the box, and while the platform has gradually adopted many elements from Oppo's ColorOS, it still manages to retain an identity of its own. The result is an interface that feels familiar, straightforward and easy to navigate.
Using the phone day after day, I never came across anything that felt unnecessarily complicated. Menus are logically arranged, animations remain fluid, and moving between apps or changing settings is effortless. Rather than drawing attention to itself, the software stays in the background, letting the hardware do its job without unnecessary distractions.
There are a handful of pre-installed applications, which is expected at this price, but the overall experience remains refreshingly restrained. I wasn't bombarded with spam notifications or constant prompts to try additional services, something that can't be said for many competing budget smartphones.
OnePlus is committing to two Android version upgrades and three years of security updates, while also claiming the N6 will continue to feel smooth for up to five years through ongoing software optimisation. Whether buyers keep the phone that long is another question, but it's good to see long-term usability being taken seriously.
For me, OxygenOS is still one of the strongest reasons to consider a OnePlus device. It's polished, responsive and refreshingly uncluttered, making the N6 an easy phone to live with every day.
<h2>OnePlus N6 Review: Battery And Charging</h2>
Battery life is where the OnePlus N6 truly separates itself from much of the competition. Its massive 8,000mAh cell easily lasted two full days during my testing, and on lighter workloads, I was able to push it to nearly four days before reaching for the charger. If longevity is your biggest priority, this phone delivers in a big way.
A bundled 45W SuperVOOC charger takes roughly one hour and 45 minutes to fully recharge the battery. That's hardly class-leading, but it's a reasonable trade-off given the sheer capacity on offer. OnePlus also includes useful features such as bypass charging, reverse wired charging and Night Charging Mode, rounding off an impressively dependable battery package.
<h2>OnePlus N6 Review: Verdict</h2>
The OnePlus N6 doesn't try to be the most powerful phone in its class, nor does it promise flagship-level cameras or cutting-edge hardware. Instead, it focuses on delivering a consistent, fuss-free experience, and after using it as my primary device for a couple of weeks, I think that strategy largely pays off.
Not everything is perfect. The HD+ display feels behind the times in this price segment, the single speaker leaves plenty to be desired, and the cameras are competent rather than memorable. Even so, those shortcomings never overshadow the phone's core strengths. Outstanding battery life, dependable day-to-day performance, clean software and a reassuringly solid build make the N6 an easy phone to recommend for the right buyer.
Its biggest challenge comes from the Realme P4R, a device that shares much of the same hardware. If the gap between the two stretches to several thousand rupees, the Realme is difficult to ignore. However, even though the P4R is cheaper by about ₹5000, I'd happily spend the extra on the OnePlus. OxygenOS 16 feels more refined, and that's something you'll appreciate every day. If reliability matters more than raw specifications, the OnePlus N6 is a worthwhile buy.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 delivers class-leading 52dB ANC, 54-hour battery life, low-latency gaming and punchy sound, making it one of the best budget TWS earbuds in India.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Review: 52dB ANC, 54-Hour Battery & Premium Sound Under ₹3,500

With 52dB ANC, 54-hour battery life, 12mm titanium drivers and gaming-friendly latency, the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 punches well above its price.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Review: Affordable Earbuds Done Right

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 combines powerful 52dB ANC, excellent audio quality, ultra-low gaming latency and a massive 54-hour battery life, making it one of the best budget TWS options available today.

How often do you see a budget earbud actually live up to its hype? The affordable wireless audio market moves at a crazy pace, but the Nord lineup usually keeps OnePlus a step ahead in India. Now, they are trying to tighten their grip on that top spot with the new OnePlus Nord Buds 4.
Priced at ₹3,099, the spec sheet looks seriously impressive on paper. We are talking about a segment-leading 52 dB active noise cancellation, punchy 12mm titanium drivers, and a massive 54-hour total battery life. OnePlus also completely refreshed the design for this generation and threw in an AI standby suite.&nbsp;
I spent a full week running the Astral Teal version as my main daily driver. After taking them through chaotic morning commutes and long typing marathons at my desk, here is how they actually handle the real world.
<h2>Design &amp; Comfort</h2>
Anyone familiar with older Nord Buds is going to find the new look a bit jarring. OnePlus completely ditched the smooth, rounded pebble shape of the Buds 3 case, choosing a much sharper, boxier aesthetic instead. Even with the total redesign, you still get a clear hint of the usual family resemblance when looking at the actual earpieces.
The charging case gets a clean, matte texture that feels way more premium than its price suggests. The best part? It completely fought off fingerprint smudges and oily marks during my whole testing phase. I spent my time with the Astral Teal version. It looks incredibly sleek, offering a fresh, modern vibe without screaming for attention. If colorful audio gear isn't your thing, there is always the standard Stellar Black option.
As a whole package, the case is feather-light and slips easily into a coin pocket. Flip it over, and you will find the Type-C port right next to a flush physical pairing button on the bottom rim. The earbuds themselves feature a subtle, glittering marble finish on the stems, which feels like a direct nod to the pricier <a title="OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro review &amp; comparison with CMF Buds Pro 2" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oneplus-nord-buds-3-pro-review-comparison-with-cmf-buds-pro-2-1721547762672" target="_blank">OnePlus Buds 3 Pro</a>.
The absolute highlight, though, is the sheer comfort. Weighing just 4.3 grams per side, these are practically lighter than anything else I have reviewed lately. OnePlus apparently scanned over a thousand different ears to map out this specific shape, and honestly, the research paid off. I noticed zero weird pressure points. In fact, I wore them straight through a grueling four-hour writing and editing session and entirely forgot they were plugged in. They hold up just as well for workouts, locking tightly in place through heavy sweat and outdoor runs. Plus, the IP55 rating means they easily survive sudden rain storms or gym grime without an issue.
<h2>Audio Quality</h2>
The internal hardware is where the Nord Buds 4 actually show their true potential. Most cheap wireless earbuds try to fool you by just pumping up a muddy, artificial bass boost that completely ruins the rest of the track. It makes it incredibly hard to catch quiet details, like a faint guitar riff or subtle backing harmonies. OnePlus completely avoids that trap, delivering a much cleaner balance thanks to its 12mm titanium-coated dynamic drivers.
To really put them to the test, I ran the buds through a diverse playlist covering quite a few genres. When playing bass-heavy hip-hop and electronic tracks like Boomshakalaka, Mercy, Mirchi, or Not Like Us, the drivers kicked out a punchy, deep low-end that added plenty of energy without drowning out the rest of the mix. That said, the sub-bass can feel a bit loose sometimes, meaning tiny instrumental details occasionally get lost in complex, chaotic songs.
On the flip side, the mid-range genuinely shines on vocal-forward acoustic tracks and simpler melodies like Raabta, Photograph, Say You Won&rsquo;t Let Go, or Love Yourself. Vocals sound crisp, upfront, and full-bodied rather than thin or distant. The instrument separation is also quite impressive for the price, preventing strings and percussion from blending into a messy blur.
For entertainment and gaming, <a title="OnePlus Nord CE6 Lite Review: The Smartest Budget Buy of 2026? " href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oneplus-nord-ce6-lite-review-the-smartest-budget-buy-of-2026-1778499359462" target="_blank">OnePlus</a> includes 3D Spatial Audio along with a specialized Game Sound Spatial Audio engine to improve directional awareness. This makes it a lot simpler to pinpoint footsteps and environmental cues while playing.
More importantly, the earbuds tackle audio delay exceptionally well. OnePlus claims a low latency of 47ms. While I cannot measure that exact figure in a lab setting, my real-world gaming tests showed that the on-screen action and corresponding sound effects stayed completely in sync. If you want to tweak the sound further, you can use the Master Tuning options and fully adjustable EQ profiles inside the companion HeyMelody app to match your personal listening preferences.
<h2>ANC and Call Performance</h2>
The headline upgrade this time around is the jump to 52dB Active Noise Cancellation. OnePlus claims this offers a massive 200% improvement over what the older Nord Buds 3 could manage, and honestly, you can feel that difference immediately in daily use. When you step into a chaotic marketplace or a busy office workspace and toggle the ANC on, the ambient noise just fades into the background. The tech does a stellar job of cutting out low-frequency rumbles from engines and the constant hum of office conversations.
However, don't expect absolute, dead silence from these. Sharp, sudden spikes in sound, like a high-pitched metallic clang or a loud table slam, will still cut through the barrier, even if they end up sounding quite muffled. It works beautifully for locking in and focusing during a long writing session, though I did notice that familiar cabin pressure sensation after keeping it pinned to the maximum setting for a couple of hours. Because of that, you will definitely want to give your ears a quick break every now and then.
When it comes to voice calls, the earbuds rely on a three-microphone array per side, working alongside an AI algorithm designed to suppress wind noise up to speeds of 25 km/h.
I tested the microphone setup by hopping on a call with a friend who always gives me completely blunt feedback. When I was sitting in a perfectly quiet room, he said everything sounded fine. But the overall call quality drops off significantly the moment you step out into a noisy environment. I tried handling a conversation during my evening metro commute with loud commuters around me and the train tracks rattling away. While the ANC kept things quiet on my end so I could hear him perfectly, the experience was pretty unpleasant for the person on the other end. My voice made it through the line, but the microphones simply couldn't filter out the heavy, chaotic background roar of the train ride.
<h2>Connectivity and Controls</h2>
On the wireless side, these earbuds run on Bluetooth 6.1, and the connection stayed completely solid without a single dropout during my testing phase. If you use them with a compatible OnePlus phone, there is a Smart Bluetooth feature that stretches the outdoor range up to 250 meters. Setting them up is incredibly fast right out of the box because you get both Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair support.
The dual-device pairing feature was a lifesaver for my daily workflow, allowing me to switch between two sources instantly. If you are watching a video on your laptop and a phone call rings through, the audio automatically routes to your phone. It saves you from ever having to dig into your Bluetooth menus to swap devices manually. Managing the finer details is straightforward too, as the companion HeyMelody app gives you all the essential tweaks and custom settings you need.
The touch sensors on the earbud stems respond quickly to inputs, but the smarter software tools are what actually caught my attention. OnePlus included an AI on Standby suite that adds some genuinely practical features. The AI Translate tool gives you real-time translation, which is super useful when navigating places where you do not speak the local language, even if the translation accuracy is not totally flawless just yet.
You can also pull up your phone's digital assistant, whether you use Google Gemini, standard Google Assistant, or Siri, with a quick touch shortcut to check the weather, set alarms, or look up trivia on the fly. As for audio formats, things stay pretty basic here, with the earbuds sticking to the standard AAC and SBC codecs.
<h2>Battery</h2>
The battery life on these things is honestly fantastic. You get a 62 mAh battery tucked into each earbud, plus a 530 mAh reservoir inside the charging case. If you just leave the active noise cancellation switched off, you can squeeze a massive 54 hours of total playback out of the package.
Using the main features will obviously change those numbers. Keep ANC off, and the standalone buds run for about 13 hours straight. If you turn the noise cancellation on full blast, that single-charge runtime drops to roughly 6.5 hours, giving you around 27 hours total when you count the case refills. OnePlus also got a T&Uuml;V Rheinland certification for the battery, which bodes well for longevity since it promises healthy performance even after 1,000 charge cycles.
The fast charging completely killed off any battery anxiety for me. Leaving them on a Type-C cable for just ten minutes gives you a whopping 11 hours of playback. I didn't even bother timing how long a full zero-to-hundred percent charge takes because they just never died during my week of heavy testing. I would simply plug the case in for fifteen minutes while grabbing a morning coffee or showering, and that quick top-up easily handled my entire workday and a two-hour commute. When you are constantly on the move, that kind of reliability means everything.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?</h2>
If you have three grand to spend on wireless earbuds, save yourself some time and just grab the OnePlus Nord Buds 4. At ₹3,099, the sheer value you are getting here is honestly wild. The sound coming out of those 12mm drivers is incredibly crisp and punchy, and the noise cancellation actually holds its own against stuff that costs twice as much.
It is not perfect, of course. The microphones will definitely choke if you try to take a call from a loud, rattling metro car. But honestly, who cares when the rest of the package is this good? The fit is so light that you can leave them in all afternoon without any ear ache. Plus, gaming mode keeps the audio perfectly tight with zero lag, and that absurd 54-hour total battery life means you can basically lose your charging cable for a week. If you want solid silence and massive battery life on a strict budget, picking these up is an absolute no-brainer.

Redmi Turbo 5 packs a premium build, Dimensity 8500 Ultra, 7540mAh battery and 100W charging. Is it the best phone under ₹40,000?

Redmi Turbo 5 Review: Premium Hardware, Aggressive Pricing

The Redmi Turbo 5 combines a premium glass-and-metal design, capable cameras, strong gaming performance, a massive 7540mAh battery and 100W charging, making it one of the most compelling smartphones currently available under ₹40,000.

Smartphone prices have been creeping up steadily, and it's hard to ignore. Things that were once standard in the ₹25,000&ndash;₹30,000 range have gradually shifted to ₹40,000, ₹50,000, or beyond. So when Xiaomi priced the Redmi Turbo 5 at ₹35,999, it naturally caught my attention.
Because the spec sheet alone makes it look like it should cost considerably more. You're getting a glass-and-metal build, a crisp 1.5K AMOLED display, LPDDR5X Ultra RAM, UFS 4.1 storage, a 7540mAh battery, 100W charging, and the Dimensity 8500 Ultra handling the processing. That's a strong lineup at any price point.
Which raises the obvious question: where has Xiaomi cut corners?
After spending time with the device, the answer is surprisingly reassuring. There are a few compromises here and there, but the Turbo 5 feels far more complete than its price would suggest. Redmi positions it as their fastest phone yet, and while the performance holds up, that's not the whole story. This is a well-rounded device that delivers across most of the areas that actually matter.
<h2>Redmi Turbo 5 Review: Pricing</h2>
Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Turbo 5 at ₹35,999 for the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, while the 12GB RAM model is priced at ₹38,999 under the company's introductory launch offers.
Buyers can sweeten the deal further with an instant ₹2,000 discount on select SBI, ICICI, and Axis Bank credit cards. Once the promotional pricing ends, the two variants will retail at ₹37,999 and ₹40,999, respectively.
The smartphone is available in Turbo White, Nitro Blue, and Asphalt Black colourways, with sales beginning on June 19 through Amazon, mi.com, and authorised retail outlets.
In my opinion, pricing is one of the Turbo 5's biggest strengths. Given the premium build, large battery, fast charging, and overall hardware package on offer, this feels like a smartphone that could easily have been priced significantly higher.
<h2>Redmi Turbo 5 Review: Design</h2>
Before I even switched the Redmi Turbo 5 on, the design and build had already won me over. Xiaomi has done an excellent job with the fit and finish, and this is one of those phones that immediately feels more expensive than its asking price.
The Turbo 5 uses a glass-and-metal construction, with Gorilla Glass 7i protecting the display, reinforced glass at the rear, and an aluminium frame tying everything together. It's a combination that's usually reserved for pricier devices, and it gives the phone a reassuringly solid feel.
What I liked most, however, was the rear finish. The matte glass not only feels great in the hand, but also does a fantastic job of resisting smudges. Even after a few days of constant use, it never turned into the fingerprint magnet that so many glossy phones become.
Xiaomi has also shown some restraint with the camera design. Rather than a giant camera module dominating the rear panel, the Turbo 5 gets two neatly integrated camera rings that help the phone stand out without looking flashy.
Speaking of flashy, the Pixel Matrix lighting around the cameras adds a touch of fun. It can react to incoming notifications, music playback, charging, and gaming events. It's not a feature you'll buy the phone for, but it does give the Turbo 5 a bit of personality.
Perhaps most impressive is how Xiaomi has packaged everything. Despite carrying a huge 7,540mAh battery, the phone remains relatively slim at 8.18mm and weighs 204g. Add IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K protection into the mix, and you end up with a device that feels every bit as premium as it looks.
<h2>Redmi Turbo 5 Review: Display &amp; Audio</h2>
The Redmi Turbo 5 carries a 6.59-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and after a few weeks with it, this is easily one of the device's strongest suits.
Sharpness is immediately apparent. Text renders cleanly, images hold plenty of detail, and the 120Hz refresh rate keeps everyday navigation feeling smooth and responsive throughout.
Where it really earns its keep, though, is during media consumption.
The display packs 12-bit colour depth, which translates to support for over 68 billion colours. It's not something you actively notice, but it does make gradients look smoother and images appear more lifelike overall.
I watched a fair amount of Netflix and YouTube on this, and Dolby Vision content looks genuinely impressive. Colours are rich and well-saturated, contrast holds up well, and HDR scenes carry a sense of depth that actually adds to the experience rather than just checking a box.
Outdoor visibility has been equally strong. Xiaomi quotes a peak brightness of 3500 nits, and while that's not something I can verify independently, I had zero issues using the phone under Delhi's punishing afternoon sun. The display stayed perfectly readable throughout.
On the audio side, the stereo speakers put in some solid work. Volume levels are generous, and they handled everything from YouTube to gaming without complaint during my testing. The sound profile isn't the most refined I've come across, but for day-to-day media use, they're more than adequate.
<h2>Redmi Turbo 5 Review: Cameras</h2>
Heading into this review, the cameras weren't something I expected to spend much time praising. Xiaomi has clearly built the Turbo 5 around performance, so I assumed photography would take a back seat. It didn't, quite.
The setup consists of a 50MP Sony primary sensor and an 8MP ultrawide. Nothing that looks exceptional on a spec sheet, but the main camera produces images that are genuinely easy to like.
A lot of that comes down to Xiaomi's processing approach. Rather than cranking up saturation and HDR to make shots look dramatic, the Turbo 5 leans toward balanced, natural-looking output. Detail retention is good, dynamic range holds up well across most situations, and colours feel accurate without looking flat.
Daylight shooting is where it's most convincing. Landscapes, street photography, portraits, the main camera handles them all with consistency, and the results rarely need much post-processing before they're worth sharing.
The ultrawide is a step down, as expected with an 8MP sensor. It gets the job done when you need a broader frame, but detail falls off noticeably compared to the primary camera.
Low-light performance also held up better than I anticipated. The camera manages noise reasonably well, retains a decent level of detail, and tends to render warmer tones that make night shots look more natural than clinical.
Turbo Snap, Xiaomi's burst mode, was something I ended up using more than expected. It's fast enough to be genuinely useful when shooting moving subjects, and it works without much fuss.
Video tops out at 4K 60fps with HDR10+ support. Footage carries the same natural quality as stills, with colours that look good without being overdone.
The 20MP front camera rounds things off well. Sharpness isn't class-leading, but skin tones look natural and the overall quality is solid enough for social media and calls.
<h2>Redmi Turbo 5 Review: Performance</h2>
Performance is likely the primary reason most people will look at the Turbo 5, and it holds up well. The Dimensity 8500 Ultra chipset sits at the core, backed by LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, a combination that looks strong on paper and follows through in practice.
Benchmark numbers back that up, with the phone comfortably clearing the two-million mark on AnTuTu, placing it among the more capable devices in this price range.
Numbers aside, though, the real-world experience is what counts.
Day-to-day use feels snappy and responsive throughout. Apps open without hesitation, multitasking stays smooth, and I didn't run into any meaningful slowdowns across my testing period. Whether I was switching between social apps, streaming content, editing photos, or keeping a heavy browser session going, the phone kept pace without complaint.
Gaming performance holds up just as well. BGMI runs at up to 120fps, and during a sustained half-hour session, frame rates averaged around 116fps with no significant drops or stutters to speak of.
Thermal management is worth calling out too. Even after longer gaming sessions, the phone stayed cool and comfortable, something that isn't always a given at this price point.
Is it the outright fastest option available here? Not quite. But after extended use, it's clear the Turbo 5 delivers well beyond what most users will actually demand of it day to day.
<h2>Redmi Turbo 5 Review: Software</h2>
The Turbo 5 runs HyperOS 3 on top of Android 16, and the experience is largely positive. If you've spent time with a recent Xiaomi phone, the interface will feel familiar from the start.
There's plenty on offer feature-wise. HyperIsland, extensive customisation options, and AI tools woven throughout the system give you a lot to work with. The AI editing features inside the Photos app are genuinely useful, and Gemini integration is a welcome addition for anyone who leans on AI tools regularly.
The interface stays smooth and responsive day-to-day, and I didn't run into any notable bugs or glitches throughout my testing.
The one area that still needs work is bloatware. There's a fair number of pre-installed apps that most users will want to clear out fairly quickly.It's something Xiaomi has been called out on before, and it remains an issue here.
On the software support front, things look more reassuring. Four Android version updates and six years of security patches is a commitment that gives the Turbo 5 some genuine long-term value.
<h2>Redmi Turbo 5 Battery &amp; Charging: Two-Day Battery Beast</h2>
If there's one area where the Turbo 5 truly stands apart, it's battery life.
The 7540mAh cell is large by any measure, and the real-world endurance matches the spec. Throughout my testing, I consistently hit seven to eight hours of screen-on time even with fairly demanding usage. For most people, this is a comfortable two-day phone. Lighter users could realistically push it further.
What makes it better is that Xiaomi hasn't traded charging speed for capacity. The Turbo 5 supports 100W HyperCharge, and the charger is still included in the box &mdash; something worth noting as that becomes increasingly rare. A full charge from near empty takes around an hour, and even a quick 10 to 15-minute top-up is enough to see you through the rest of the day without worry.
The addition of 27W reverse wired charging is a thoughtful touch, letting you top up accessories or another phone when needed.
<h2>Redmi Turbo 5 Verdict: Easy Recommendation</h2>
Two weeks with the Redmi Turbo 5 make it pretty clear what Xiaomi is on about this one.
The performance is excellent, gaming is smooth, charging is fast, and the battery life is among the best I've seen at this price. But what stayed with me most was how well-rounded the whole package is.
You're getting a premium glass-and-metal design, a great Dolby Vision display, dependable cameras, flagship-grade memory and storage, solid durability, and a software support commitment that keeps the phone relevant well into the future.
The ultrawide camera isn't particularly impressive, and the bloatware situation in HyperOS still needs addressing. But these feel like minor footnotes against everything else the Turbo 5 gets right.
At ₹35,999, this is one of the more compelling smartphones available right now. In a market where prices keep climbing and value keeps shrinking, Xiaomi has put together something that feels genuinely aggressive, and more importantly, it feels like a return to what made Redmi worth paying attention to in the first place.
If you're shopping in the ₹35,000 to ₹40,000 bracket, the Redmi Turbo 5 is an easy recommendation.

The iQOO Z11 packs a Dimensity 7500 Turbo chip, 7,050mAh battery, 144Hz 1.5K AMOLED display and 50MP camera. Here’s our detailed review.

iQOO Z11 Review: Powerful Dimensity 7500 Turbo, 7,050mAh Battery and 1.5K AMOLED Display

With a huge 7,050mAh battery, Dimensity 7500 Turbo, 1.5K AMOLED display, capable cameras and impressive thermals, the iQOO Z11 makes a strong case in the mid-range segment.

iQOO Z11 Review: A Balanced Mid-Range Powerhouse

The iQOO Z11 delivers excellent battery life, cool and stable performance, a vibrant 1.5K AMOLED display and capable cameras, though slower charging, bloatware and limited 60 FPS gaming hold it back.

When the iQOO Z10 landed last year, it quickly became an easy phone to recommend to anyone on a tight budget. It focused on raw speed, offered ridiculously long battery life, and cost very little. But the market has moved relentlessly fast, and with the new Z11, iQOO is actively stepping out of that entry-level tier and into the proper mid-range ring.
Priced at ₹31,499 for the base 6 GB + 128 GB variant, that shift changes the game completely. Once you cross into this price bracket, buyers stop forgiving cheap plastics, washed-out displays, or sub-par cameras just because a device promises performance.
The Z11 arrives with a fresh chipset, a noticeably slimmer build, and huge battery numbers on paper, but stepping up in price means facing much stiffer competition. I spent the last week using it as my daily phone to see if it actually justifies the upgrade.
<h2>Unboxing &amp; Design</h2>
Unboxing the iQOO Z11 brings an immediate reality check: nestled inside is a 44W FlashCharge adapter. That is a noticeable step down from the snappy 90W brick shipped with last year&rsquo;s Z10. The rest of the retail package is standard fare, including a USB Type-C cable, a SIM eject tool, and a clear TPU case. It looks like faster charging was sacrificed to keep the internal hardware affordable.
Pick the device up, though, and it immediately wins you back with its ergonomics. While massive batteries are practically becoming the standard across the segment, the Z11 actually dips slightly to a 7,050mAh cell compared to the massive 7,300mAh capacity inside its predecessor, the Z10. While that is a compromise of sorts, at least on paper, I am genuinely impressed by how slim and light it feels despite that hardware.&nbsp;
Measuring just 7.99mm thick and tipping the scales at 199g, the weight distribution is spot-on; it never feels like a bottom-heavy brick during extended gaming sessions or single-handed scrolling.
The Aurora Green unit that I have for review looks remarkably understated, swapping aggressive gamer accents for a clean, minimalist matte aesthetic. Indoors, it pulls off a calm sage-green tone, catching vibrant blue undertones under direct sunlight. The only downside is that the smooth back panel attracts smudges easily, so popping on the bundled case is practically a must. Also, if green isn&rsquo;t your vibe, iQOO also offers the device in sleeker Phantom Black and Lunar Silver colourways.
Around the back, the camera module gets a major structural redesign. The old circular dial of the Z10 is gone, replaced by a horizontal pill-shaped island clearly inspired by the Vivo X300 FE or the recently launched <a title="Vivo S2 Review: Massive Battery, Premium Design, Minimal Compromises" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/vivo-s2-review-massive-battery-premium-design-minimal-compromises-1786105671836" target="_blank">Vivo S2</a>. Alongside the dual lenses sits the flash, which also doubles as a mini dynamic light. It works fine as a soft fill light, though it lacks colour options, which makes it less exciting.
Rounding out the hardware is an IR blaster on top and genuinely balanced dual stereo speaker grilles at either end. As for durability, it gets IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance ratings, and honestly, that is more than enough for most people.
<h2>Display</h2>
The very first time I turned the Z11 over, the curved glass threw me off a bit. Pretty much every handset landing on my desk these days rocks a flat slab, so seeing the curved panel on a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel felt slightly retro. I am usually the first person to complain about curved edges because of issues with false touches, but the taper here is subtle enough that I never dealt with annoying phantom touches while gaming or typing. The bezels are trim too, meaning the screen easily blends into the background whenever I fire up a movie.
iQOO talks up a 144Hz refresh rate on the spec sheet, but in real life, you will not see that figure running constantly. Since this is an LTPS screen rather than an LTPO unit, I noticed the system hopping mostly between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz depending on what I opened, saving the full 144Hz for just a few supported apps. Still, browsing my feeds, reading long documents, and navigating around the UI felt plenty responsive.
Streaming on this screen was easily one of my favourite parts of testing it. Out of the box, the colours look clean and grounded, avoiding that neon, oversaturated look you often get in this price bracket. Thanks to the 449 PPI density, text in PDFs stayed sharp, and HDR playback kicked in right away on Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video, with solid shadow detail.
Outdoor visibility genuinely impressed me. Walking around under the brutal afternoon sun of Delhi&rsquo;s summers, the 2,000-nit High Brightness Mode and 3,000-nit local peak brightness meant I never had to squint or shield the glass with my hand just to read a text or pull up directions. Indoors, the auto-brightness handled dark rooms without blinding me.
I also liked the in-display optical fingerprint scanner. Instead of placing it right against the bottom edge, iQOO positioned it slightly higher, so I never had to stretch my thumb awkwardly to unlock the phone.
<h2>Camera</h2>
The <a title="iQOO Z11 Shows What Useful Smartphone AI Should Look Like" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/iqoo-z11-shows-what-useful-smartphone-ai-should-look-like-1786614402824" target="_blank">iQOO Z11</a> packs a dual-rear camera setup featuring a 50MP Sony main sensor with OIS paired with an 8MP ultra-wide lens on the back. I usually associate iQOO with raw performance rather than photography, so the Z11 surprised me. Most brands in this budget have practically given up on multi-camera setups, ditching everything in favour of a single usable sensor. Seeing a functional ultra-wide lens alongside the main shooter here was a very welcome change.
Shooting outdoors during the day, the primary camera captures plenty of sharp detail. The colours lean slightly saturated at times, but I personally prefer that vibrant look straight out of the phone without needing extra edits. Highlights are handled well, and the dynamic range holds up nicely in bright sunlight.
The front camera is another solid win. Instead of tossing in a cheap 5MP or 8MP unit meant only for video calls, iQOO packed in a 32MP selfie shooter that actually delivers crisp, usable shots. You can also take portrait selfies with it. Speaking of portraits in general, the rear camera does a decent job with subject separation, though edge detection remains hit-or-miss. I noticed odd smoothing around stray hairs and clothing borders, which clearly needs some software tuning.
For video, having 4K recording at 30fps on both the front and rear cameras is a massive perk at this price point. The rear footage stays steady enough for casual clips, but the front camera lacks decent stabilisation, resulting in noticeable jitter if you try vlogging while walking.
Overall, while it is not a dedicated camera flagship, iQOO has clearly put genuine effort into the optics this time instead of treating them as an afterthought.
<h2>Performance</h2>
The iQOO Z11 runs on the new MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo. It is also one of the first phones in India to launch with this chipset. Day to day, it never felt sluggish or choked up. Opening apps was practically instantaneous, while UI transitions and jumping between half a dozen background tasks never triggered random app closures or stutters.
To see what the silicon could really do, I put it through a heavy run of benchmarks. On AnTuTu, my unit scored 1,103,367 points. Geekbench 6 posted 1,094 in single-core and 3,188 in multi-core, which comfortably edges out a good chunk of rival phones around this price. Over on 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, it logged a best loop score of 1,165 with 84.8% stability, while the CPU Throttling test held up at an impressive 94% of maximum performance.
Where the device genuinely surprised me was heat control. I fired up two back-to-back AnTuTu rounds, jumped straight into a pair of Geekbench runs without letting it rest, and then, after just ten minutes of downtime, pushed it through 3DMark before immediately loading the CPU throttling test. Even with that kind of abuse, the surface temperature never climbed past 38&deg;C. It warmed up gently, but I never felt an uncomfortable hot patch under my fingers.
Gaming told a very similar story. I threw both BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile at it. In BGMI, the frame rate hovered at a rock-steady 58.9 FPS on average, with 99.8% stability and roughly 3.24W of power consumption. Both games are stuck at 60 FPS for now, which honestly is a bit of a letdown since the chipset clearly has the muscle to push 90 FPS. Hopefully, iQOO pushes an update soon to unlock that headroom. Until then, you get smooth, locked-in 60 FPS gameplay paired with superb thermals.
<h2>Software, UI/UX &amp; AI Experience</h2>
Out of the box, the Z11 boots OriginOS 6.0 on top of Android 16. Swiping around the interface gave me that immediate, snappy responsiveness that you associate with iQOO phones. App launch animations are clean, moving between tasks feels light, and the UI never felt bogged down during my daily grind.
What really tested my patience, though, was the sheer pile of bloatware. I found myself staring at multiple random bubble-shooter games and redundant utility apps that nobody asked for. You can delete most of them manually, of course, but having to spend my first ten minutes unpicking spam from a brand-new handset always chips away at that new-phone excitement.
Once I stripped the junk away, the onboard AI tools ended up being surprisingly useful. iQOO skipped the usual marketing gimmicks and focused on features that actually help you get work done. The real-time webpage translation, quick voice-note summaries, and drafting aids inside the Notes app slotted right into my daily writing and editing routine. In fact, with great accuracy, you can also get a word-for-word transcription of a live, ongoing meeting. If you are balancing coursework or managing articles and drafts throughout the day, these shortcuts save genuine effort.
On the longevity front, iQOO promises three years of Android version updates alongside five years of security patches, backed by a 60-month smoothness guarantee. As long as you do not mind that initial clean-up chore, the software delivers a genuinely fast and dependable day-to-day experience.
<h2>Battery and Charging</h2>
The battery is easily my favourite part of using the Z11. That 7,050mAh cell inside is no joke; with regular use, I rarely had to think about plugging it in before the second night.
To see how far I could push it, I took it off the charger at 100% and put it through over three hours of non-stop torture, including multiple benchmark loops and a 30-minute gaming session. When I finally put it down, the battery was still sitting at 77%. Getting through that kind of punishment with three-quarters of the charge left tells you everything about its efficiency.
Topping it back up is just as drama-free. Plugging the bundled brick into a completely dead phone got me back to 100% in a little over an hour and ten minutes. Sure, it is not the fastest out there compared with some of the crazy high-wattage technologies available, but I never felt stuck waiting on it. Considering the battery is built for long-term health, taking roughly seventy minutes to deliver what can amount to two full days of usage feels like a totally fair trade.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?</h2>
At ₹31,499, the iQOO Z11 steps out of the budget zone and into cut-throat territory, and mostly pulls it off. You lose the blazing 90W fast charging of its predecessor, and having to purge bloatware on day one remains annoying. Plus, mobile gamers will rightly gripe until iQOO unlocks 90 FPS support.
Yet, what you get in return makes a compelling case. The battery endurance is ridiculously good, the Dimensity 7500 Turbo runs remarkably cool under heavy loads, and the curved 1.5K display makes media consumption a treat. Add in dependable cameras, capable 4K front video, and solid IP68/IP69 protection, and the Z11 stops being just another spec-sheet brawler.
If you want a reliable daily driver that prioritises two-day battery life, snappy productivity tools, and balanced sustained performance, the Z11 is easy to recommend.

Gadget Review

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 review: A slimmer design, 5,000-nit display, Snapdragon Wear Elite and an 800mAh battery make this Samsung’s best Ultra yet.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Review: Samsung Finally Nails Its Ultra Smartwatch

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 brings a slimmer design, brighter display, bigger battery and stronger fitness features, making it Samsung&rsquo;s most complete smartwatch yet.

Samsung took two years to follow up the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, and that extra breathing room seems to have paid off. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 isn't a dramatic reinvention, but Samsung has made meaningful upgrades in almost every area that mattered on the original.
The familiar 47mm &lsquo;pizza in a box&rsquo; design, (Samsung calls it a cushion design) remains, but the watch is now thinner, gets a slightly larger and significantly brighter 5,000-nit AMOLED display, and switches from Samsung's Exynos silicon to Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset. More importantly, the battery has jumped from 590mAh to a massive 800mAh, addressing one of my biggest complaints with the first Ultra.
Samsung has also leaned harder into the 'Ultra' part of the name. You now get improved Trail Running features, proper diving support, turn-by-turn navigation, new health and recovery insights, and Gemini integration through Wear OS 7 and One UI Watch 9.
On paper, then, this is the Galaxy Watch Ultra Samsung probably wanted to make the first time around. But does it actually feel that way on the wrist after weeks of use?
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Review: Design</h2>
The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 doesn't look dramatically different from its predecessor, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Samsung has retained the same chunky 47mm design, with a circular display sitting inside a squarish titanium frame. It is still a big watch, though, and with no smaller size available, people with slimmer wrists may find it a little overwhelming.
The biggest change is something you notice more on the wrist than in photographs. Samsung has reduced the thickness from 12.1mm to 10.7mm, which makes the Ultra2 feel noticeably less cumbersome. That's particularly impressive considering the battery has grown substantially. There is a very slight increase in weight, but it still is manageable at just a hair under 62 grams.
Build quality continues to be excellent. You get a Grade 4 titanium frame and sapphire crystal over the display, along with IP68, IP69K and 10ATM water resistance. There's MIL-STD-810H certification too, while the new EN13319 certification allows the Ultra2 to function as a dive computer down to 40 metres.
The familiar three-button arrangement returns, with the customisable Quick Button sitting between the Home and Back buttons. I still wish Samsung had given us a physical rotating bezel, especially for outdoor use. The touch bezel works reasonably well, but it simply isn't as precise or satisfying.
Samsung has also redesigned the strap, making it softer and lighter. Combined with the slimmer case, it makes a surprisingly big difference to comfort, especially when wearing the Ultra2 throughout the day and overnight.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Review: Display</h2>
The display gets one of the more noticeable upgrades this year. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 uses a slightly larger 1.52-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 498 x 498 resolution, up from the 1.47-inch, 480 x 480 display on the original Ultra. The difference in size and sharpness isn't something you'll immediately notice, but the increase in brightness certainly is.
Peak brightness has jumped from an already impressive 3,000 nits to a massive 5,000 nits. The original Ultra was never particularly difficult to read outdoors, but the Ultra2 takes visibility another step forward. Even under harsh sunlight, text, workout information and notifications remain exceptionally easy to read. That additional brightness should also prove useful underwater, particularly given Samsung's greater emphasis on diving this generation.
As before, the AMOLED panel itself is excellent. Colours are vibrant, blacks are properly deep, animations look crisp, and touch response is excellent. There's also an always-on display, although keeping it enabled naturally has an impact on battery life.
The display continues to be protected by sapphire crystal, while the slightly raised bezel provides some additional protection against accidental knocks and scrapes.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Review: Performance And Tracking</h2>
The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 gets a major change under the hood, with Samsung ditching its Exynos chipset for Qualcomm's 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite. Paired with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, performance is excellent. Apps open quickly, animations remain fluid and moving between workouts, notifications and widgets feels consistently responsive. That said, the original Ultra was already pretty smooth, so the difference isn't transformative in everyday use.
Tracking is where the Ultra2 starts earning its name. Samsung's BioActive sensor handles heart rate, SpO2, ECG and body composition, while the watch also tracks HRV, skin temperature, stress and sleep. You also get newer metrics such as Daily Cardio Load, Fitness Index, Heart Health and Vitals, which use your accumulated data to provide a broader picture of recovery and overall fitness.
Workout tracking is equally comprehensive, with support for more than 100 activities and dual-frequency GPS. Heart-rate tracking appears particularly dependable.
Trail Running gets more attention this year. The Ultra2 can provide turn-by-turn route guidance, elevation information, pace suggestions and hydration reminders based on estimated sweat loss. Samsung has also expanded the diving functionality. The watch is certified to 40 metres and can measure depth and water temperature, with more advanced Mares-powered diving features arriving later.
Sleep tracking remains detailed, covering stages, blood oxygen, heart rate, respiratory rate and skin temperature. The sheer size of the Ultra2 still makes sleeping with it something of an acquired taste, but the lighter strap and thinner chassis make overnight tracking noticeably easier than before.
Automatic workout detection is useful for everyday walks and runs, while advanced running metrics provide detail for anyone interested in improving form.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Review: Software</h2>
The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 runs One UI Watch 9 on top of Wear OS 7, and if you've used a recent Galaxy Watch, you'll feel right at home. Samsung hasn't dramatically changed how you navigate the interface, but everything feels polished, responsive and particularly well suited to the Ultra2's large display.
The bigger changes happen around the watch. Both Samsung Health and Galaxy Wearable have been redesigned, with cleaner layouts that make it easier to find health data, change watch faces and customise settings. Samsung Health remains particularly good at taking the enormous amount of information the Ultra2 collects and presenting it without becoming overwhelming.
Gemini is now integrated more deeply as well. You can use it to answer questions, send messages, set timers, create reminders or interact with supported apps. There's also a new raise-to-talk gesture, letting you lift your wrist and immediately speak to Gemini. It's a great idea, although reports suggest that activation can still be inconsistent.
Gesture controls go beyond Gemini. You can double-pinch to make selections, use a knocking gesture to launch an assigned app, or shake your wrist to dismiss calls and alarms.
The biggest advantage remains Wear OS itself. You get proper third-party apps including Spotify, Strava and Google Maps, alongside calls, messages, NFC payments and LTE connectivity without needing your phone nearby.
Samsung is also promising five years of major OS upgrades, giving the Ultra2 considerably more longevity than most people will realistically need from a smartwatch.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Review: Battery</h2>
Battery life was one of my biggest complaints with the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, and Samsung has addressed it properly this time. The Ultra2 packs a massive 800mAh battery, up from 590mAh, despite the watch itself becoming thinner.
That translates into noticeably better endurance. With the always-on display enabled, you can realistically expect close to three days of use, even with regular health tracking and a few GPS-enabled workouts thrown in. Turn the always-on display off, and four days of use is entirely achievable depending on how heavily you're using GPS and LTE.
That's a significant improvement over the roughly two-day endurance I experienced with the original Ultra, and it makes the Ultra2 considerably more practical for weekend trips, long treks or endurance activities where charging isn't always convenient.
Charging speed is a more mixed story. The Ultra2 introduces Samsung's first fast-charging support on a Galaxy Watch, with the company claiming up to 40% battery in 30 minutes. In practice, though, that improvement is hard to spot. A full charge from empty still takes around 90 minutes to two hours on the bundled 10W wireless puck.&nbsp;
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Review: Verdict</h2>
The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 feels like the upgrade Samsung's original Ultra deserved. Waiting two years has allowed the company to make improvements that actually matter, rather than simply changing a few specifications and calling it a new generation.
The slimmer design makes it more comfortable, the 5,000-nit display is fantastic outdoors, and the Snapdragon Wear Elite keeps everything running smoothly. More importantly, the move from a 590mAh to an 800mAh battery addresses one of my biggest complaints with the original. Getting close to three days with the always-on display enabled makes a substantial difference to everyday usability.
Samsung has also strengthened the 'Ultra' proposition. Improved Trail Running, hydration guidance, dual-frequency GPS and proper diving support make this a considerably more capable adventure watch, while Samsung Health remains one of the most comprehensive health platforms available on Android.
There are still compromises. It's enormous, charging remains slow, there's still no physical rotating bezel, and some health features work best within Samsung's ecosystem.
But if you want a rugged Android smartwatch with excellent health tracking, proper Wear OS functionality and genuinely good multi-day endurance, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is easily Samsung's most complete smartwatch yet.

Redmi Note 17 review: Find out if its 8,000mAh battery, AMOLED display, 50MP camera and Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 make it worth buying at ₹24,999.

Redmi Note 17 Review: 8,000mAh Battery, AMOLED Display & More

The Redmi Note 17 delivers an 8,000mAh battery, 120Hz AMOLED display and capable 50MP camera, but its software and performance have some limitations.

Redmi Note 17 Review: Is It Still Worth Buying?

Redmi Note 17 combines an 8,000mAh battery, 120Hz AMOLED display and capable 50MP camera with solid everyday performance, but average speakers, basic video and cluttered software hold it back.

There was a time when recommending a budget or mid-range smartphone in India was almost ridiculously easy. If someone wanted good hardware without spending a fortune, chances are a Redmi Note was somewhere near the top of the list. That formula worked incredibly well for Xiaomi, turning the Note series into one of its biggest success stories in India.
But the playground is a lot more crowded now. Realme, Motorola, CMF and iQOO are fighting aggressively for the same buyers, while POCO gives Xiaomi some competition from within its own house. Prices have gone up too, so the Redmi Note badge alone doesn't carry quite the same weight anymore.
Enter the Redmi Note 17.
Redmi is playing to its strengths here, with a large display, capable everyday performance, a promising primary camera and an absolutely enormous battery.
Prices start at ₹27,999 for the 6GB + 128GB model, dropping to ₹24,999 with bank offers, while the 8GB + 128GB variant costs ₹30,999.
So, can the Note 17 still stand out?
<h2>Redmi Note 17 Review: Plastic, But Far From Boring&nbsp;</h2>
For a phone built almost entirely out of plastic, the<a title="Redmi Note 15 Pro+ Review: A serious upgrade that plays it safe" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/redmi-note-15-pro-review-a-serious-upgrade-that-plays-it-safe-1770104872693" target="_blank"> Redmi Note</a> 17 does a surprisingly good job of not looking boring. A lot of that comes down to the Starlight Purple variant I&rsquo;ve been using. The back has this lovely starry finish, with a shooting-star effect that reveals itself as you move the phone under light. It&rsquo;s playful without going completely overboard. If that isn&rsquo;t your thing, Arctic Blue and Dark Night are the more restrained alternatives.
I also quite like what Redmi has done with the cameras. The squarish camera island houses a pill-shaped section for the lenses and flash, giving the back some visual identity without an enormous camera bump.
What&rsquo;s more impressive is how Redmi has squeezed an 8,000mAh silicon-carbon battery into an 8.4mm body. There is a trade-off, though. At 225 grams, the Note 17 is undeniably heavy, and I could feel that weight during longer one-handed sessions. The plastic frame and back don't exactly scream premium either, but the phone itself feels sturdy.
You get Gorilla Glass 7i on the front, an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, and a reinforced chassis. HydroTouch 2.0 is useful too, keeping the touchscreen responsive when your fingers are wet.
The connectivity package is fairly straightforward, with USB Type-C 2.0, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5. Redmi has also retained the IR blaster, which is always handy. More importantly, there&rsquo;s microSD expansion for up to 2TB, something that&rsquo;s becoming increasingly difficult to find even at this end of the market.
<h2>Redmi Note 17 Review: Bright, Vibrant and Seriously Smooth</h2>
The 6.9-inch Full HD+ TrueColour AMOLED display is easily one of my favourite things about the Redmi Note 17. It&rsquo;s big, bright and generally a lovely screen to use, whether I was catching up on YouTube, scrolling through Instagram or squeezing in a quick gaming session. The 120Hz refresh rate keeps everything looking smooth, while the 240Hz touch sampling rate makes the phone feel responsive enough during games and everyday use.
I particularly liked the way Redmi has tuned the colours. With 100% DCI-P3 coverage, there&rsquo;s plenty of punch without everything looking unnecessarily saturated. You also get the deep blacks and excellent viewing angles you&rsquo;d expect from AMOLED, while the Full HD+ resolution keeps things suitably sharp.
Unfortunately, HDR and Dolby Vision are both missing. That takes some shine off the experience if you watch a lot of OTT content, although videos still look quite good thanks to the panel itself.
Outdoor visibility is excellent too. Redmi claims 1,800 nits of peak brightness, and I had no difficulty reading messages or using the phone under harsh sunlight. HydroTouch 2.0 also keeps the touchscreen working reliably with wet or oily fingers.
For eye comfort, there&rsquo;s 960Hz PWM, DC dimming and T&Uuml;V Rheinland Low Blue Light and Circadian Friendly certifications.
I just wish the speakers were equally impressive. The stereo setup gets seriously loud, especially with the 200% volume mode, but sound lacks bass, depth and character. It&rsquo;s perfectly fine for Reels, Shorts and casual videos, but for movies or OTT shows, I found myself reaching for earphones instead.
<h2>Redmi Note 17 Review: Cameras That Punch Above Their Weight</h2>
The Redmi Note 17 keeps things fairly simple when it comes to cameras, with the 50MP primary sensor doing most of the work. Thankfully, it&rsquo;s a pretty capable shooter for the price. Give it plenty of daylight and you can get some genuinely good-looking photos, with plenty of detail and respectable dynamic range. Colours are pleasing too, although Redmi&rsquo;s processing tends to favour slightly cooler tones.
There&rsquo;s also a 2x in-sensor zoom, which I found surprisingly usable. Images at 2x retain a decent amount of detail and are perfectly good for sharing on social media. Go any further, however, and the limitations of digital zoom become obvious, with finer details quickly turning soft.
Things are understandably less impressive once the sun goes down. Low-light photos are usable, with decent highlight control, while the dedicated Night Mode does a reasonable job of brightening darker scenes. Portraits fare well too, with mostly accurate edge detection and fairly natural background separation.
You also get AI HDR, AI Scene Detection, Dynamic Shots, AI Bokeh and an AI Editor for tweaking photos afterwards.
Video is more restrictive, topping out at 1080p 30FPS. Colours are fine, but stabilisation could certainly be better, particularly when recording while walking.
Finally, the 8MP front camera gets the basics done. It&rsquo;s absolutely fine for video calls and the occasional selfie, but anyone serious about selfies will want more.
<h2>Redmi Note 17 Review: Built for Consistency, Not Speed</h2>
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 powering the Redmi Note 17 isn&rsquo;t going to win any benchmark battles, but that&rsquo;s not really what this phone is trying to do. This 4nm chip is geared more towards efficiency and consistent everyday performance, and for the most part, it delivers.
My review unit came with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage, along with another 8GB of virtual RAM if needed. There&rsquo;s also microSD expansion for up to 2TB.
Day-to-day performance was pleasantly smooth. Apps opened quickly, jumping between them wasn&rsquo;t a problem, and I rarely encountered stutters or slowdowns during regular use. An AnTuTu score of around 6.35 lakh reinforces that this is firmly mid-range territory.
Gaming follows much the same story. BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile run at around 60FPS, and while that won&rsquo;t excite competitive gamers, frame rates remained remarkably consistent during longer sessions. The massive 10,416mm&sup2; graphite cooling layer also keeps temperatures nicely under control.
Redmi&rsquo;s Long-Term Fluency Engine supposedly manages resources to maintain performance over time, with the company promising 48 months of lag-free use. I obviously can&rsquo;t test that claim yet, but it&rsquo;s reassuring for anyone planning to keep the Note 17 for several years.
<h2>Redmi Note 17 Review: HyperOS Comes With Baggage</h2>
<a title="Xiaomi 17T Review: A Camera-First Flagship That Gets Almost Everything Right" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/xiaomi-17t-review-a-camera-first-flagship-that-gets-almost-everything-right-1780568820261" target="_blank">HyperOS 3</a>, based on Android 16, feels pretty much exactly how you&rsquo;d expect on the Redmi Note 17. It&rsquo;s smooth, animations look polished, and there are enough customisation options to make the phone feel like your own. If you&rsquo;ve used a recent Xiaomi or Redmi device, you&rsquo;ll feel at home almost immediately.
Unfortunately, some familiar annoyances have made the journey across too. There are plenty of pre-installed apps, along with system ads that make the software feel unnecessarily cluttered straight out of the box. Most can be removed or disabled with a little effort, but I&rsquo;d much rather not have to clean up a new phone in the first place.
The AI toolbox is fairly extensive. You get AI summaries, AI photo editing and Google Gemini, alongside Circle to Search. Xiaomi also includes HyperIsland for live notifications, while its Intelligent AI Engine can learn your usage patterns and prioritise frequently used apps.
The strongest part of the software package, though, is long-term support. Redmi promises four Android OS upgrades and six years of security updates, which is excellent for this segment and makes the Note 17 a much easier phone to consider keeping long-term.
<h2>Redmi Note 17 Review: Built to Outlast Your Weekend&nbsp;</h2>
Charging the Redmi Note 17 every night quickly became unnecessary. With an 8,000mAh silicon-carbon battery inside, I could comfortably use the phone for two days before reaching for the charger. More conservative users could potentially squeeze even more out of it.
And with that much battery available, Redmi lets you share some of it. The Note 17 supports 22.5W reverse wired charging, so it can double up as an emergency power bank for another phone or your accessories.
Eventually, though, you will have to plug it in. The bundled charger delivers 45W wired charging, which feels relatively slow when there&rsquo;s an enormous 8,000mAh cell to fill.
Longevity looks promising on paper as well. Redmi says the battery is designed to retain at least 80% of its original capacity even after 1,600 charging cycles, which should be reassuring if you intend to keep the phone for several years.
<h2>Verdict: Still a Note Worth Considering&nbsp;</h2>
After using the Redmi Note 17, I don&rsquo;t think it needs to be the fastest or most feature-packed phone around ₹25,000 to make sense. Its strength lies elsewhere: it gets the fundamentals right and then throws genuinely exceptional battery life into the equation.
That 8,000mAh silicon-carbon battery is easily my favourite thing about the phone. Two days between charges became completely normal during my time with it, and the fact that Redmi has managed this without creating an unwieldy brick makes it even better. The large AMOLED display is another highlight, especially for watching videos and scrolling through social media.
Elsewhere, things are more straightforward. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 is perfectly comfortable with everyday tasks and casual gaming, while the 50MP camera can take some impressive daylight photos. Redmi&rsquo;s promise of four Android upgrades and six years of security patches is another meaningful advantage if you don&rsquo;t replace your phone every couple of years.
There are rough edges. The speakers sound rather lifeless, video capabilities are basic, demanding games quickly expose the chipset&rsquo;s limitations, and HyperOS 3 still comes with unnecessary clutter.
Would I buy it? At the ₹24,999 offer price, yes, especially if battery life and display quality sit high on your priority list. At ₹30,999 for the 8GB model, no. There are simply too many stronger options once you cross ₹30,000, especially when you look at last year&rsquo;s phones.
The Note 17 isn&rsquo;t a return to Redmi&rsquo;s giant-killing days, but at the right price, it doesn&rsquo;t need to be.

The Vivo S2 combines a massive 7,050mAh battery, premium curved AMOLED display, reliable cameras, and excellent thermals. Read our in-depth Vivo S2 review.

Vivo S2 Review: 7050mAh Battery, AMOLED Display & Camera Test

With a huge 7,050mAh battery, premium curved AMOLED display, dependable cameras, and impressive thermal performance, the Vivo S2 delivers one of the most balanced smartphone experiences in its segment.

Vivo S2 Review: A Premium Mid-Ranger That Nails Battery Life

The Vivo S2 impresses with exceptional battery life, a premium curved AMOLED display, dependable cameras, and efficient thermals, making it one of the most balanced premium mid-range smartphones despite modest benchmark scores.

Back in 2019, Vivo struck a sweet spot with the original S1 by pairing distinct flair with a budget-friendly price point. Jump forward seven years, and its direct follow-up, the Vivo S2, enters a far more crowded landscape. Today&rsquo;s mid-range market frequently trades away essential features just to chase eye-catching designs or massive battery claims.
Vivo tackles that exact compromise by stuffing a massive 7,050mAh battery inside an impressively thin shell, without skimping on display quality or everyday power.
Starting at Rs 39,999 for the 8GB + 128GB tier and stepping up to Rs 44,999 for the 8GB + 256GB model, it sits in a higher price tier. That said, premium positioning has become the norm for capable mid-rangers today.
I spent two weeks testing the S2 as my main phone to see if it carries the legacy of the original S1 forward.
<h2>Design</h2>
Holding the Vivo S2 for the first time, the hand feel immediately catches your attention. The Silk White unit I reviewed comes in at 199 grams with an 8.10mm profile&mdash;a surprisingly manageable footprint considering the massive battery tucked inside. For those who prefer different aesthetics, the Sapphire Blue and Regal Bronze options shave off a bit more bulk, dropping to 197 grams and a slim 7.99mm thickness.
Instead of glossy plastic, Vivo went with a subtle satin glass finish across the back plate. It reflects ambient light smoothly without turning into a smeared, greasy mess after a few minutes of handling. Up top, the camera module draws heavily from the <a title="Vivo X300 FE Review: Flagship Performance in a Pocket-Friendly Body" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/vivo-x300-fe-review-flagship-performance-in-a-pocket-friendly-body-1778065708933" target="_blank">Vivo X300 FE</a> layout, housing the camera hardware next to the circular Aura Light. It looks minimalist, refined, and uncluttered.
Button placement feels completely natural. The volume rocker and power key sit along the right rail. The bottom edge houses the dual-mic setup, primary speaker, SIM slot, and USB-C port, while the top edge packs an IR blaster and an extra speaker unit. The resulting stereo setup gets loud enough for daily media consumption, prioritizing voice clarity rather than heavy low-end punch.
Robustness is another solid suit here. Vivo packs in MIL-STD-810H shock resistance alongside IP68 and IP69 water and dust certification. While I didn't dunk the phone in a pool to prove a point, it easily offers more than enough protection against sudden rainstorms, kitchen accidents, or accidental desk slips.
<h2>Display</h2>
The front panel is dominated by a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel featuring 3D curved glass. While most manufacturers are rapidly shifting toward flat panels, Vivo's decision to stick with curved sides stands out as an intentional design choice.
According to Vivo, this approach specifically targets users who want a sleek, high-end feel coupled with an immersive view for media consumption and gaming.
Practically speaking, those tapered edges make edge-swipe gestures feel incredibly natural. The screen pushes a 2800 &times; 1260 resolution at 449 PPI, rendering sharp text and vivid tones without pushing colors into artificially saturated territory. Native HDR playback functions smoothly across both YouTube and Netflix right away. Tucked under the glass, the optical fingerprint sensor triggers fast and accurate unlocks.
Screen brightness handles real-world scenarios with ease. Indoor visibility is a breeze, but outdoors, the 2,000-nit High Brightness Mode shines. Overcast Delhi weather initially limited sunlight testing, but a trip to Greater Noida via Rapido changed that. When the driver's phone died mid-route, using the S2 for direct-sunlight navigation proved how legible the panel remains under bright skies. Peak HDR brightness tops out at a massive 3,000 nits.
Instead of an LTPO display, Vivo sticks with an LTPS screen, though the 120Hz refresh rate maintains smooth scrolling throughout UI navigation. The panel uses VM9 light-emitting materials backed by SGS eye-comfort certifications, which actively cuts down glare and keeps late-night reading sessions easy on the eyes.
<h2>Camera</h2>
Vivo has built a strong track record with smartphone photography, and the S2 sticks to that formula. Its rear array pairs a 50MP main camera driven by Sony&rsquo;s IMX852 sensor with a secondary 2MP lens.
Daytime shots turn out sharp and detailed, featuring clean shadows and balanced dynamic range. While this model drops Zeiss branding and custom color modes, Vivo's default image processing keeps everyday scenes looking natural rather than oversaturated.
Low-light performance is where the setup really gets fun, mostly due to the integrated Aura Light ring. Instead of glaring like a standard flash, it operates more like a pocket studio light. You can tweak its brightness across Photo, Portrait, and Video modes, yielding soft, flattering illumination on faces without washing out key details.
Portrait shots deliver clean edge separation around fine hair and outfit borders. Human skin tones lean a touch brighter than actual life, which might not suit purists, but the photos look punchy and ready for social feeds right from the gallery.
Up front sits a 32MP selfie shooter. Many brands in this market tier treat front-facing sensors like low-priority extras, but Vivo avoids taking shortcuts here. It captures consistently detailed selfies with pleasing face tones.
Video capture tops out at 4K resolution at 30fps across both front and back cameras. Main camera video stays steady with realistic colors, though the front camera skips stabilization, causing noticeable jitter during handheld walking clips. You also get a Dual View Video mode to capture simultaneously from both sides for quick vlog recording.
<h2>Performance</h2>
Under the hood, the Vivo S2 runs on MediaTek's Dimensity 7360-Turbo chipset, backed by 8GB of RAM and snappy UFS 3.1 storage. Being realistic, high benchmark scores were never the main goal here. Synthetic tests backed this up: AnTuTu posted roughly 965,906 points, Geekbench 6 clocked 1,043 in single-core and 2,954 in multi-core, and 3DMark&rsquo;s Wild Life Stress Test recorded a peak loop result of 3,161. These metrics fall short of topping segment leaderboards, but numbers do not show the complete picture.
Day-to-day usability stays consistently snappy. Applications open fast, feed scrolling remains smooth, and jumping between background tasks never triggered random app kills or crashes.
Gaming output delivered a pleasant surprise. Extended sessions across BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile ran smoothly throughout. Even capped at 90fps, frame delivery held steady in heavy firefights without jarring stutters or drops. Hardcore competitive players might look elsewhere, but casual gamers will find little to complain about.
Heat handling stood out as the biggest highlight. Plenty of slim mid-rangers heat up quickly after short gaming sessions, but the S2 stayed barely warm even after two straight hours of heavy gaming. 3DMark verified this efficiency with a strong 99% stability rating under long stress loads. Real-world execution easily outshines what raw benchmark sheets imply.
<h2>Software, UI/UX and AI Features</h2>
The Vivo S2 boots up with OriginOS 6 running on top of Android 16. Vivo commits to three major OS upgrades alongside five years of security updates, guaranteeing solid future-proofing.
In daily operation, the UI feels fast and fluid. Origin Island stands out as a particularly neat trick, expanding around the selfie punch-hole to surface active media controls, charging status, and incoming alerts without cluttering the display.
On the downside, the system comes bundled with a noticeable amount of bloatware right away.
The built-in AI tools actually offer practical everyday utility. Gallery integration includes an AI Erase feature that lets you draw a circle around stray objects or people to erase them cleanly with few visual defects. Circle to Search quickly became a daily go-to for translating snippets or looking up items directly from social feeds. Deep Google Gemini integration allows live camera and screen sharing for instant contextual help.
<h2>Battery and Charging</h2>
Endurance stands out as the single strongest reason to consider the <a title="Vivo X300 Ultra Review: This Flagship Is Basically a Mirrorless Camera" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/vivo-x300-ultra-review-this-flagship-is-basically-a-mirrorless-camera-1778668885531" target="_blank">Vivo</a> S2. Squeezing a huge 7,050mAh cell into a slim 8.10mm frame sounded like a recipe for hidden trade-offs, but actual runtime blew past my initial expectations.
Under demanding daily use, the phone easily stretches close to two full days. My usage involved heavy camera testing, endless social feed scrolling, active GPS navigation, and routine gaming sessions.
An hour of playing BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile drained just 9% of power, while an hour of Wi-Fi video streaming on YouTube barely registered. Range anxiety simply is not a concern here.
When the battery hits zero, the included 44W FlashCharge brick tops it back up to 100% in a little over an hour and ten minutes. For a battery of this scale, that speed is remarkable.
Vivo claims the cell will retain good health over six years across roughly 1,600 charge cycles. There is also a Bypass Charging option that manages heat during plugged-in gaming, meaning you can leave the portable charger at home.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?</h2>
The Vivo S2 shines by prioritizing real-world practicalities over headline-grabbing spec sheets. It concentrates on core user priorities: phenomenal battery endurance, a reliable camera setup backed by the flexible Aura Light, and remarkable thermal efficiency under long gaming loads.
It will not draw in benchmark chasers, and pre-installed bloatware remains a downer. Nevertheless, given its IP68 and IP69 ratings, vivid 120Hz curved AMOLED panel, steady 4K video recording, and five years of security patches, it provides a well-balanced overall package.
Priced at Rs 39,999, it faces stiff market rivalry. Even so, if you want a sleek, dependable phone that delivers outstanding battery life without thermal issues or mid-day battery drain, the Vivo S2 earns a easy recommendation

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 combines a wider passport-style design, flagship performance, premium displays, dependable battery life and Samsung's best foldable software experience yet.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: A Foldable That Finally Feels Complete

<h3 class="PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer" data-start="593" data-end="748">Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 finally fixes the biggest flaw of earlier Folds with a wider passport-style design and delivers the best foldable experience yet.</h3>

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn't feel like another routine hardware refresh. Instead, it marks a shift in how Samsung thinks a book-style foldable should fit into everyday life. Rather than chasing slimmer dimensions or shaving off a few more grams, the company has focused on fixing the biggest weakness of previous Galaxy Folds: usability.
That decision is most obvious in the new passport-style form factor. The wider cover display finally feels like a complete smartphone screen instead of a placeholder until you unfold the device. I found myself replying to messages, reading articles, navigating with Maps and catching up on emails without automatically reaching for the larger display. When I did unfold the phone, it was because the task genuinely benefited from the extra space, not because the outer screen felt restrictive.
That subtle change completely transforms the ownership experience. Closed, the Fold 8 is comfortable enough to replace a traditional flagship. Open it, and it becomes a capable tablet for multitasking, editing documents or simply enjoying content on a much larger canvas. It's the first Galaxy Fold where both displays feel equally purposeful.
The Fold 8 isn't flawless. A dedicated telephoto camera is still missing, and a few software quirks remain. Even so, those compromises are easy to overlook because Samsung has finally built a foldable that works around the user, rather than expecting the user to work around the foldable.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Design</h2>
Samsung has spent years refining the Galaxy Fold by making it thinner, lighter and tougher, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the first time the company has questioned the design itself. Instead of treating the narrow cover display as an unavoidable part of a book-style foldable, Samsung has completely reworked the proportions. The result is a passport-style device that's shorter, considerably wider and, in my experience, far more intuitive to use.
That redesign changes the way you interact with the phone from the very first day. Previous Galaxy Folds almost encouraged me to unfold them for everything beyond a quick reply. The Fold 8 doesn't. I comfortably replied to WhatsApp messages, cleared emails, browsed Chrome, navigated with Maps and even typed lengthy messages without ever feeling restricted by the outer display. It brought back memories of the BlackBerry Passport, although Samsung has refined the idea into something that feels natural rather than experimental.
Ironically, the biggest difference isn't the cover display itself. It's how often you stop thinking about it. I only unfolded the Fold 8 when I genuinely wanted more screen real estate for editing articles, reviewing documents, multitasking or watching a film. For the first time, the two displays complement each other instead of one compensating for the other.
The Fold 8 also feels exceptional in the hand. At 201g, it's surprisingly light for a device that doubles as a smartphone and a tablet, while its 9.7mm folded and 4.5mm unfolded profile makes it far easier to carry than its dimensions suggest. The wider chassis improves grip, the weight distribution is excellent, and even extended reading sessions never became tiring.
Samsung may market the Fold 8 Ultra as the productivity-focused model, but I never found the standard Fold lacking. Whether I was reviewing spreadsheets, editing Word documents or juggling multiple apps, it felt just as comfortable as it did while streaming Netflix or catching up on YouTube.
The engineering deserves praise too. The new Armour FlexHinge feels solid and precise, the Flex Titanium display structure makes the crease easy to ignore, while Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic 3, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the Advanced Armour Aluminium frame and an IP48 rating inspire confidence when using the phone every day.
Samsung has also shown admirable restraint with the styling. My Lavender review unit looked understated yet premium, while Graphite, Cream and Pistachio offer equally attractive alternatives. My only real complaint is the prominent camera bump, which makes the Fold 8 wobble noticeably whenever it's placed screen-side up on a table. Apart from that, this is easily Samsung's most complete and thoughtfully designed book-style foldable to date.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Display</h2>
The Galaxy Z Fold 8's displays aren't impressive simply because they're bright, sharp or packed with flagship specifications. Samsung has been doing that for years. What makes this phone stand out is how naturally the two displays complement one another. For the first time on a Galaxy Fold, I never felt like one screen existed purely to compensate for the other.
That change begins with the 5.5-inch cover display. On paper, it's a WUXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a sharp 428ppi pixel density, an adaptive 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate and Vision Booster for improved outdoor visibility. In reality, it's the wider passport-style aspect ratio that makes all the difference. I found myself replying to WhatsApp messages, working through emails, browsing Chrome, navigating with Google Maps and reading long articles without once feeling rushed to unfold the device. Even typing lengthy messages felt surprisingly comfortable. More often than not, I finished what I was doing, locked the phone and carried on with my day.
Unfolding the Fold 8 still feels rewarding, but now it serves a different purpose. The 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display, with its 1848 &times; 2448 resolution, 403ppi pixel density and adaptive 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate, isn't there to rescue a compromised outer screen. Instead, it becomes the display I reached for whenever I needed more room to work. Editing articles, reviewing documents, comparing webpages and multitasking across multiple apps all felt far more comfortable than on earlier Galaxy Folds. The revised proportions also make video content more enjoyable, with smaller black bars helping films and YouTube videos make better use of the available screen.
Display quality is exactly what I'd expect from Samsung. Both panels are exceptionally bright, colour accurate and wonderfully fluid, while Vision Booster keeps them readable even under harsh sunlight. HDR10 and HDR10+ support also ensures HDR content looks excellent, despite the absence of Dolby Vision.
The stereo speakers deserve credit too. They produce impressive volume, surprising bass and clear vocals for a device this slim. My only criticism is that their positioning favours the left side in landscape orientation, making the soundstage feel slightly lopsided during gaming and while watching films.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Performance</h2>
Flagship smartphones have reached a point where outright performance is rarely a concern, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is no exception. Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the phone is available with 12GB of RAM on the 256GB and 512GB variants, while the 1TB model comes equipped with 16GB. As expected, it has more than enough headroom for demanding workloads.
What stood out during my time with the Fold 8 wasn't how fast it was, but how consistently smooth it remained. Whether I was editing photos, exporting videos, jumping between dozens of Chrome tabs or making use of Galaxy AI features, the phone handled everything without hesitation. One UI 9 also plays a big role here. Split-screen multitasking, floating windows and drag-and-drop between apps feel fluid enough that they quickly become part of your everyday workflow instead of features you occasionally show off.
Gaming performance is equally strong. BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile comfortably hovered around 118 to 119fps during my testing, with no noticeable frame drops even in longer sessions. The larger inner display also makes the Fold 8 an excellent device for emulation. I spent more time than I'd care to admit revisiting classic NES and PSP titles, and the combination of flagship hardware and a spacious display made for a genuinely enjoyable handheld gaming experience.
If benchmark scores matter to you, the Fold 8 comfortably crossed 3.1 million points in AnTuTu, while Geekbench returned 3,517 in the single-core test and 9,752 in the multi-core benchmark. Samsung has also redesigned the internal cooling system with additional graphite to improve heat dissipation. Although the phone became warm during extended gaming sessions and long hours outdoors in Delhi's summer heat, I never experienced meaningful throttling or any slowdown that affected real-world performance.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Cameras </h2>
Samsung has taken a refreshingly restrained approach with the Galaxy Z Fold 8's cameras. Rather than trying to match the Fold 8 Ultra feature for feature, it focuses on getting the essentials right. You get a 50MP primary camera, a 50MP ultrawide and 10MP selfie cameras on both the cover and inner displays. On paper, it may not look as versatile as some flagship rivals, but in day-to-day use, I rarely felt limited.
The primary camera does most of the heavy lifting, and it does it exceptionally well. Photos are packed with detail, dynamic range is excellent and Samsung continues to strike a good balance with colour reproduction. Images look vibrant and lively without appearing overly processed. The ultrawide also deserves praise for maintaining consistent colours and exposure, making it easy to switch between the two cameras without the final results looking noticeably different. Portrait mode remains reliable too, producing clean edge detection in most lighting conditions. I also found Samsung's default shooting mode to be the better choice, consistently delivering brighter and more balanced images than the full-resolution mode.
The only area where I genuinely felt the Fold 8 fall short was zoom photography. Without a dedicated telephoto camera, anything beyond 2x starts to lose fine detail. Samsung's image processing does a respectable job of controlling noise and sharpening, but there's only so much software can do when optical hardware isn't there.
Video recording is another highlight. The Fold 8 supports recording at up to 8K 30fps and 4K at 30fps, 60fps and 120fps, while optical image stabilisation keeps footage from the primary camera impressively steady. Beyond image quality, the folding design itself unlocks features that conventional smartphones simply can't match. The cover display can act as a live preview for your subject, the rear cameras double up as excellent selfie cameras, and tools like Dual Recording, Picture-in-Picture video and Galaxy AI editing make the Fold 8 feel like a genuinely capable pocket content-creation studio.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Software</h2>
A foldable is only as good as the software that ties its two displays together, and this is where Samsung continues to stay comfortably ahead of the competition. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 ships with One UI 9 based on Android 17, and while it doesn't radically overhaul the interface, the experience feels far more cohesive on the Fold 8's wider layout.
The improvements are most obvious when multitasking. The wider inner display gives apps more breathing room, making split-screen far more practical than on previous Galaxy Folds. I often found myself researching while writing, keeping Slack open beside my inbox or comparing multiple webpages simultaneously. Although the Fold 8 can comfortably handle three apps at once, I usually settled on two, which struck the right balance between screen space and usability. Samsung's taskbar, floating windows, drag-and-drop gestures and app pairs are so well integrated that they quickly become second nature rather than features you actively think about using.
AI also plays a bigger role this year. Alongside Google's growing suite of AI tools, Samsung's Galaxy AI introduces genuinely useful additions such as My FanCam, which intelligently tracks a selected subject in a video and creates a ready-to-share cropped clip. Smaller refinements, like independent auto-rotate settings for the cover and inner displays and the dedicated Google Search bar, also make day-to-day navigation feel more intuitive.
It's not entirely flawless. I occasionally came across apps that struggled to transition smoothly between the cover and inner displays, and I still think Samsung could do more with Flex Mode on this wider design. Even so, no other Android foldable currently delivers a software experience this mature. Add Samsung's promise of seven Android OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, and the Fold 8 remains the software benchmark for book-style foldables.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Battery</h2>
Battery life ended up being one of the Galaxy Z Fold 8's biggest strengths. Despite using a relatively modest 4,800mAh silicon-carbon battery, it comfortably lasted a full day of heavy use. Whether I was multitasking, streaming videos, taking photos, navigating or constantly replying to messages, I usually finished the day with around 15% charge remaining.
Charging speeds top out at 45W wired and 20W wireless. They're no longer class-leading, but they proved fast enough for everyday use. My only real complaint is that Samsung still hasn't adopted built-in magnetic wireless charging, something I'd have liked to see on a flagship foldable.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Review: Verdict</h2>
Samsung didn't just refine the Galaxy Z Fold 8; it redefined what its standard book-style foldable should be. The wider, passport-style form factor completely changes the ownership experience, making the cover display practical enough to function as a proper smartphone while preserving the advantages of a large inner display whenever you need it. It's a deceptively simple change, but one that has a profound impact on how the device fits into everyday life.
The rest of the package leaves very little to complain about. The displays are exceptional, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers effortless flagship performance, battery life is dependable, and One UI 9 continues to offer the best software experience on any Android foldable. The cameras may lack the versatility of the Fold 8 Ultra's setup, but they remain more than capable for the vast majority of users.
Starting at ₹1,79,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is undeniably an expensive device. I still wish Samsung had included a dedicated telephoto camera and built-in magnetic wireless charging. Even so, those omissions do little to overshadow what Samsung has achieved here.
If you've been waiting for a book-style foldable that feels natural, practical and uncompromising in everyday use, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the easiest recommendation in its category. It doesn't just raise the bar for Samsung's foldables; it sets a new benchmark for the entire segment.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra delivers a slimmer design, improved displays, flagship cameras, strong battery life and the best foldable software experience.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Review: Samsung’s Most Complete Foldable Yet

<h3>The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra combines a slimmer design, better cameras, dependable battery life and polished software, but remains a luxury purchase.</h3>

For years, foldable phones have promised the future while asking buyers to accept a few compromises. They were thicker than conventional flagships, rarely matched the best camera phones, and the crease across the main display constantly reminded you that two panels sat beneath the glass. Considering their eye-watering prices, those trade-offs never felt insignificant.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra though, suggests that Samsung is finally ready to move beyond that formula. Instead of relying on a routine chipset upgrade, the company has refined the hardware in meaningful ways. The phone measures 4.1mm when unfolded, is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and features an inner display where the crease is barely visible.
What makes this launch interesting, however, is Samsung's lineup. The redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 8 offers a wider, conventional approach, leaving the Ultra to perfect the tall foldable formula. After spending two weeks with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra as my phone, I wanted to find out whether its upgrades make it the flagship to beat in 2026.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra&rsquo;s Design &amp; Build: Built To Fold, Built To Last</h2>
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn't try to impress you with flashy styling. Instead, it's the engineering that grabs your attention. The moment you pick it up, it's difficult not to wonder how Samsung has managed to fit flagship-grade hardware into a chassis this slim.
Folded shut, the phone measures just 8.9mm, putting it in the same league as many conventional flagship smartphones. Unfolded though, it sits at 4.1mm. That in itself is pretty incredible. Samsung has managed to shave off 0.1mm from the Z Fold 7, and while it may not seem that big a deal, trust me, it is.
More importantly, it weighs only 215 grams, making it surprisingly comfortable to carry and use throughout the day. Earlier Fold models often felt hefty after prolonged use, but that is no longer the case. The weight distribution is well balanced, and the phone never feels cumbersome despite housing two displays.
Samsung has also redesigned its hinge. Dubbed the Armor FlexHinge, it combines titanium alloy with Armour Aluminium to deliver a reassuringly solid feel. Opening and closing the device is smooth and controlled, with just the right amount of resistance. The two halves shut completely flat without leaving a visible gap, while the unfolded display locks firmly into place with virtually no flex or unwanted movement.
Durability has also seen subtle refinements. The Fold 8 Ultra retains an IP48 rating, offering protection against freshwater immersion as well as larger dust particles. It still isn't a phone I'd casually take to a beach, but it feels robust enough for everyday life.
My review unit in Violet Shadow looked particularly striking, although Graphite and Cream are available for those who prefer understated finishes. The satin-textured rear glass resists fingerprints well, helping the phone maintain its clean appearance. Everything about the Fold 8 Ultra, from the materials to the fit and finish, reinforces its position as Samsung's premium flagship foldable.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's Displays: Two Excellent Screens, One Much Smaller Crease</h2>
One of my biggest issues with Samsung's earlier Fold devices was the cover screen. It always felt a little too narrow, especially when typing with two hands, which meant I would often unfold the phone even for relatively simple tasks. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra improves that experience considerably.
The 6.5-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display now feels much closer to using a conventional smartphone. The wider aspect ratio makes browsing, replying to messages and navigating apps far more comfortable. Two-thumb typing is also considerably easier, although the proportions still take some getting used to.
Samsung hasn't cut corners on display quality either. Both panels support an adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate and can hit 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Outdoor visibility is excellent, while scrolling and animations remain wonderfully fluid.
Unfold the phone and you get the real attraction: an 8-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. Colours are rich, blacks are appropriately deep and HDR10+ content looks fantastic. The squarish aspect ratio means some videos still have noticeable black bars, but the sheer size makes watching content incredibly immersive.
More importantly, Samsung has made the crease far less distracting. It hasn't disappeared completely. You'll still spot it under overhead lighting or when viewing the screen from certain angles, but during normal use, I rarely noticed it. Even running a finger across the centre produces only a slight indentation.
Samsung's anti-reflective coating and Vision Booster further improve the experience, particularly outdoors or under harsh lighting. Whether I was reading articles, editing documents, watching videos or running apps side-by-side, the inner display remained the biggest reason I enjoyed using the Fold 8 Ultra.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's Cameras: Flagship Cameras, Foldable Flexibility</h2>
Camera performance has often been one of the biggest compromises on foldable phones, but that gap has narrowed considerably with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Samsung has retained the excellent 200MP primary sensor from last year's model, and it continues to deliver the kind of results you'd expect from a premium flagship.
In daylight, photos are packed with detail, colours look vibrant without appearing overprocessed, and Samsung's Quad Pixel autofocus locks onto subjects quickly. The 2x in-sensor crop is particularly useful, producing sharp images that don't feel like digitally zoomed shots. Once the sun goes down, the combination of the bright f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilisation helps retain detail while keeping noise under control.
The biggest hardware improvement comes from the ultra-wide camera. Samsung has swapped the older 12MP sensor for a much sharper 50MP unit, and the difference is immediately noticeable. Landscapes look cleaner across the frame, distortion around the edges is well managed, and the addition of autofocus means the lens doubles as a surprisingly capable macro camera.
Completing the rear setup is a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS. Portraits come out looking natural with pleasing background separation, while images remain sharp up to the optical zoom range. Push beyond that and finer details begin to soften, although overall quality remains respectable.
Selfies are handled by two 10MP cameras. The outer camera is better suited to everyday selfies, while the wider inner camera works well for group shots and video calls.
Video recording is another area where the Fold 8 Ultra impresses. Stabilisation is excellent thanks to the combination of OIS and gyro-EIS, autofocus tracks subjects confidently, and footage remains smooth even while walking. You can record in 8K at 30fps or 4K at up to 120fps, with support for both 10-bit HDR and HDR10+ recording, producing footage with impressive dynamic range and colour depth.
My only real complaint is the noticeable colour shift when switching between lenses mid-recording. It isn't a deal-breaker, but it does interrupt what is otherwise one of the most polished camera experiences on a foldable smartphone.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's Performance: Flagship Power Without Breaking A Sweat</h2>
Powering the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Unsurprisingly, this is one of the fastest Android phones you can buy today.
The synthetic benchmarks reflect that performance. The Fold 8 Ultra scored 3,351,472 in AnTuTu, 22,054 in the 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test, while Geekbench returned scores of 3,617 in the single-core test and 10,845 in the multi-core test.
Those numbers translate well into everyday use. Throughout my time with the device, I never encountered slowdowns, regardless of the workload. Running multiple apps side by side on the expansive inner display, editing 4K videos in VN or jumping between demanding apps felt effortless, with the phone remaining consistently responsive.
Samsung has also improved thermal management with a redesigned graphite cooling structure, and the difference is noticeable during extended gaming sessions. BGMI comfortably held close to 120fps whether I played folded or unfolded, while temperatures stayed surprisingly well under control. The phone only became noticeably warm during benchmark testing, which is expected from any flagship chipset.
For a device this slim, the Fold 8 Ultra delivers outstanding sustained performance without compromising on stability or efficiency.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's Battery: Better Endurance, Faster Charging</h2>
Battery life has traditionally been one of the weaker aspects of foldable phones, largely because fitting a large cell into such a slim chassis isn't easy. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra changes that with Samsung's first-ever 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, allowing the company to improve efficiency without increasing the phone's size.
In everyday use, which included emails, web browsing, photography, streaming and a bit of gaming across both displays, the Fold 8 Ultra comfortably lasted an entire day. By bedtime, I usually had around 20 to 25 per cent battery remaining, making it reliable enough for heavy users.
Charging has also improved. Samsung's new 45W dual-path charging system takes the battery from empty to around 65 per cent in roughly 30 minutes, with a full charge taking under an hour. Wireless charging now tops out at 20W, although you'll still need a MagSafe-style case if you want magnetic accessories, as Samsung continues to omit built-in magnets.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's Software &amp; AI: Where The Foldable Truly Comes Alive</h2>
Great hardware is only half the story with a foldable. What ultimately sets the experience apart is how well the software takes advantage of the larger display, and this is where Samsung continues to stay ahead of the competition.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra ships with One UI 9 based on Android 17, and it makes excellent use of the expansive inner screen. The persistent taskbar gives the interface a tablet-like feel, making it easy to launch recently used apps or switch between tasks. Multitasking is effortless. Running three apps side by side, opening floating windows or dragging content between applications all feels intuitive rather than gimmicky. Over time, I found myself relying on these features far more than I expected.
Samsung's Galaxy AI suite also feels meaningfully integrated instead of existing purely for marketing. Live Interpreter with Dual Screen View is one of the standout features. Fold the phone partially, place it on a table, and each person can view translated conversations on their respective side of the display, making face-to-face communication remarkably natural.
I also came to appreciate Note Assist during long meetings. It can transcribe conversations, generate concise summaries and even identify action points directly within Samsung Notes, making it a genuinely useful productivity tool. The Generative Photo Editor is equally polished, allowing you to remove distractions, extend backgrounds or refine images in just a few taps, with results that are often surprisingly convincing.
Rounding things off is Samsung's software support promise. The company is committing to seven years of Android OS upgrades and security updates, ensuring the Fold 8 Ultra remains relevant long after most smartphones would have reached the end of their software lifecycle. On a device at this price, that level of long-term support is reassuring and adds meaningful value beyond the hardware itself.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's Verdict: The Most Complete Foldable Yet</h2>
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra isn't a revolutionary leap over its predecessor, but it doesn't need to be. Instead, Samsung has focused on refining the experience in all the right places. The phone is slimmer, lighter and easier to use than previous generations, the crease is less distracting, the cover display finally feels practical, and the cameras no longer feel like a compromise compared to traditional flagship phones. Add dependable battery life and class-leading performance, and you have a foldable that delivers on almost every front.
What stood out to me most was how quickly the novelty of the folding screen disappeared. Rather than constantly reminding me I was using a foldable, the Z Fold 8 Ultra simply behaved like a premium flagship that could transform into a compact tablet whenever I needed more screen space. That's exactly how a foldable should feel.
At ₹2,00,000 for the base 12GB + 256GB variant, this is undeniably a luxury purchase. But if you're after the most polished foldable experience currently available, whether for productivity, entertainment or simply having the most versatile smartphone on the market, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is easy to recommend. It sets a new benchmark for what a premium foldable should be.

The POCO M8 Power packs an 8000mAh battery, Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, AMOLED display, and long software support. Read our in-depth review to see if it's worth buying.

POCO M8 Power Review: 8000mAh Battery Champion Under ₹25,000

The POCO M8 Power delivers excellent battery life, a vibrant AMOLED display, dependable performance, and six years of security updates. Here's our full review after a week of testing.

POCO M8 Power Review: Massive 8000mAh Battery, AMOLED Display & Great Value

The POCO M8 Power impresses with exceptional battery life, a bright AMOLED display, reliable everyday performance, and long software support, making it one of the easiest mid-range phones to recommend.

Shopping for a mid-range phone usually means picking your poison. Buy something fast, and the cameras take a hit. Look for a huge battery, and you end up saddled with a washed-out screen.
POCO is trying to balance those trade-offs with the new M8 Power. It brings an 8,000mAh battery, a bright 120Hz AMOLED panel, refreshed styling, and Qualcomm's latest mid-range silicon under one roof.
Starting at ₹24,999 for the 6GB + 128GB version, the spec sheet checks the right boxes. Still, strong specs on a press release do not always translate to a great daily experience.
I used the M8 Power as my main phone for a week before launch. Here is how it actually holds up in hand.
<h2>Design</h2>
POCO gives the M8 Power a distinct look that sets it apart from typical mid-range phones. I reviewed the green model, which sports a clean matte finish without any oversized logos plastering the lower back panel. The shade is understated and subtle, though the matte material tends to collect finger smudges easily. Unless you want to wipe it down constantly, a case is practically essential. If green isn't your thing, orange and black options are also available.
My favorite detail is the rectangular camera module, which is split evenly into four quadrants. The company logo is tucked away discreetly in the lower-right section rather than drawn across the center.
The right side houses tactile volume and power keys that deliver a satisfying click. At the top sits an IR blaster, while the bottom frame holds the USB-C port, main microphone, a mono speaker, and a SIM tray with microSD storage expansion. The single speaker gets loud enough, but the audio lacks depth and hits weak notes on bass-heavy tracks.
Packing a massive 8,000mAh battery into an 8.4mm chassis is a remarkable engineering trick, keeping the profile deceptively thin. That said, the 225g heft is hard to miss when holding the phone one-handed during longer sessions.
On the build quality front, the display is shielded by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, and the device carries an IP65 rating to protect against routine dust and water exposure.
<h2>Display</h2>
Up front, the phone packs a massive 6.9-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display capable of refreshing at 120Hz. Considering how spotty mid-range phone releases have been recently, landing a proper AMOLED display at this price point is a huge relief. Not long ago, I tested the <a title="Realme 16T 5G Review: Battery anxiety officially cancelled " href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/realme-16t-5g-review-battery-anxiety-officially-cancelled-1779439487282" target="_blank">Realme 16T</a>, which hit the market around this same price bracket but forced users to settle for an LCD panel. POCO opting for AMOLED on the M8 Power gives it an immediate competitive advantage.
In everyday use, the quality difference is hard to miss. Text looks crisp, contrast is deep, and streaming video looks punchy. The only obvious missing feature is HDR playback support across major apps like Netflix and YouTube.
Outdoor readability, on the other hand, is excellent. With a rated peak brightness of 1,800 nits, you never have to squint when using the phone outside. During a recent trip through Lajpat Nagar while searching for a music shop under a harsh afternoon sun, the screen stayed bright and perfectly legible the whole time.
As for the front layout, while the side borders are fairly slim, the bottom chin is noticeably thick and gives the device a slightly older look. The optical fingerprint reader embedded near the bottom of the glass is quick and reliable, but its low placement on the chin forces an awkward thumb stretch if you have smaller hands.
Finally, while the 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling across the system interface, it isn't applied everywhere, as plenty of third-party apps still drop back to standard 60Hz.
<h2>Camera</h2>
Historically, <a title="Poco X8 Pro Max Review: Big Battery, Bigger Ambitions" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/poco-x8-pro-max-review-big-battery-bigger-ambitions-1774081790902" target="_blank">POCO </a>prioritizes raw performance over camera capabilities, but the primary sensor on the M8 Power performs better than anticipated. The 50MP main rear camera captures sharp daylight shots featuring vibrant colors and strong highlight management.
When taking photos of people, the camera preserves natural skin tones with a subtle warm cast. It stays far away from the heavy smoothing or artificial processing common in budget devices.
Low-light performance was another pleasant surprise. The lens controls glare from streetlights well and retains clean structural detail, showing noticeable noise only in extremely dark environments. While it will not shock high-end camera enthusiasts, the results exceed standard expectations for this price bracket.
Portrait shooting holds up well, too. The software applies a soft, natural background blur that is ideal for social media feeds, even if edge detection stumbles slightly on loose hair strands.
Conversely, the 8MP selfie shooter delivers strictly entry-level performance. It functions adequately for video calls, but selfies lack crisp detail and dynamic depth.
Video capabilities are basic. Both the front and main rear cameras top out at 1080p resolution at 30fps. Although color rendering stays accurate in video mode, the lack of effective handheld stabilization makes motion footage look shaky when you walk.
<h2>Performance</h2>
POCO&rsquo;s M8 Power brings the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 chip to India for the first time, pairing it with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage.
Benchmark testing put the numbers at roughly 628,000 on AnTuTu, alongside Geekbench scores of 942 for single-core and 2,318 for multi-core. Sure, on paper, those figures lag behind what mid-rangers from a couple of years back delivered.
Real usage is what counts, though. In hand, the phone feels snappy. Apps load right away, social timelines scroll smoothly, and juggling a few open windows rarely bogs things down.
Gaming performance is decent, too. Titles like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile stay stable and keep cool, even if you are locked to 60FPS. If you need 90FPS or higher for competitive play, look elsewhere. For an everyday casual match or two, this handles business just fine.
<h2>Software and UI/UX &amp; AI features</h2>
Running Xiaomi HyperOS 3 over Android 16, the POCO M8 Power brings a noticeably smoother user experience. I have never been a big fan of HyperOS, but this build feels far more refined than earlier versions. Useful additions include Hyper Island, deeper Xiaomi ecosystem integration, and baked-in Google tools like Circle to Search and Gemini.
On the AI front, POCO bundles basic writing aids alongside handy photo editing options for quick touch-ups.
Third-party bloatware comes installed right out of the box, which is annoying, though you can wipe almost all of it in a few minutes.
The biggest highlight here is long-term software support. POCO promises 4 years of major Android updates and 6 years of security patches, giving this mid-ranger exceptional future-proofing.
<h2>Battery and charging</h2>
An 8,000mAh capacity is the main selling point here, and it makes power worries irrelevant. Reaching two full days on a single charge happened without breaking a sweat. If you use your phone mostly for quick messages and light social browsing, getting through part of a third day on the same charge is completely doable.
Replenishing a cell this size takes time, but the included 45W power adapter keeps the process manageable. Expect a full zero-to-hundred top-up in about ninety minutes.
You also get 22.5W reverse wired charging support. That transforms the handset into a fast portable battery for topping up your wireless earbuds, smartwatches, or another phone when you are out and about.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?</h2>
Picking a phone in this price bracket comes down to trade-offs. The POCO M8 Power doesn't try to be a high-end camera phone or a competitive gaming device, and it doesn't make fake promises. Instead, it targets everyday practical problems.
If what you want most is a battery that lasts two straight days, a sharp AMOLED panel for watching videos, and long-term software support that keeps your device current, this is an easy buy.
Sure, you'll have to live with a few obvious compromises. The body feels heavy in the hand, the bottom chin is on the thicker side, and games peak at 60FPS. But for most regular users, none of those issues are deal-breakers. The M8 Power gets the fundamental stuff right, making it a reliable pick that delivers strong overall value.

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