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More gadget reviews

Lenovo Legion 27Q10 packs a 240Hz QHD IPS panel, fast response times and strong colours. Is this the best gaming monitor under ₹20,000?

Lenovo Legion 27Q10 Review: Hardcore Gaming Under ₹20K

The Lenovo Legion 27Q10 delivers a rare mix of 240Hz QHD gaming, strong colours and clean design under ₹20,000, making it one of the most complete gaming monitors you can buy.

Budget gaming monitors are a dime a dozen right now, but in my book, most of them are not real gaming monitors. They usually top out at 165Hz or 180Hz, and even when they do hit those numbers, the compromises show up instantly. Poor response times, washed-out colours, inconsistent overdrive tuning. On paper they look fast, but in actual gameplay, they fall apart.
The Lenovo Legion 27Q10 does not follow that script.
Ignore the convoluted naming for a second, because what Lenovo has done here is genuinely impressive. The Legion 27Q10 is one of the most hardcore gaming monitors you can buy for under ₹20,000, and yet it looks stealthy enough to blend into an office setup without drawing attention. No RGB. No flashy curves. Just raw performance packed into a surprisingly understated design.
I have been using the 27Q10 as my primary monitor for gaming, work, and media consumption, and this is one of those rare budget products that feels far more expensive than it actually is.
<h2>Design and setup: understated, functional, and refreshingly mature</h2>
Setting up the Legion 27Q10 is a straightforward, no-nonsense process. Inside the box, you get a large hexagonal base, a VESA-mounted arm, a full-size DisplayPort cable, and the power cable. Everything you need to get started is included, and Lenovo deserves credit for not cutting corners here.
The arm attaches to the monitor using four thumb screws that are included in the box. It is quick, tool-free, and sturdy. More importantly, because the monitor uses a standard VESA mount, you are not forced to use Lenovo&rsquo;s stand at all. If you already have a monitor arm or want to free up desk space, you can mount it however you like without any fuss.
Design-wise, there is something brutally simple about the Legion 27Q10 that I genuinely love. This is a flat panel with a flat design through and through. No curves on the front. No curves on the back. Despite being a gaming monitor, it would not look out of place on an office desk or a creator workstation.
This is not a thin monitor by any stretch, and Lenovo is not trying to pretend that it is. Around the back, there is a protruding strip that houses the ports, ventilation cut-outs, and mounting points. It gives the monitor a slightly industrial feel, but nothing excessive.
Even though the monitor clearly belongs to Lenovo&rsquo;s Legion gaming lineup, there is zero RGB lighting here. Personally, I prefer it this way. It keeps the setup clean and avoids that overdone gamer aesthetic that a lot of monitors in this category lean into.
The stand itself has a neat cable-routing cut-out that makes managing cables much easier. It is a small detail, but one that makes a real difference once everything is connected.
In terms of ergonomics, the Legion 27Q10 is excellent. You get tilt, swivel, height adjustment, and even pivot support. You can rotate the monitor vertically if you want to use it for coding, reading, or productivity workflows, which is a nice bonus at this price.
From the front, the monitor looks mostly edge-less, although there is a thicker bottom chin that houses the Legion logo. Branding elsewhere is minimal, which again fits the understated theme. The side and top bezels are thin, though not invisible. That is pretty standard for gaming monitors in this segment.
I do wish Lenovo had gone with a joystick-style control for the OSD instead of physical buttons at the bottom right. The buttons are clearly labelled, but navigating menus with them is still slower than it needs to be.
Thankfully, Lenovo&rsquo;s Artery software exists. Once installed, you can bypass the on-screen display entirely and control settings directly from your PC. It is intuitive, functional, and genuinely useful.
Overall, the Legion 27Q10 scores very well in design. It is minimal, practical, and well-thought-out, especially if you want something that does not scream &ldquo;gaming monitor&rdquo; the moment you walk into the room.
<h2>Ports and connectivity: functional, but conservative</h2>
Port selection on the Legion 27Q10 is functional but conservative. You get two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, a three-pronged power connector, a 3.5mm audio out, and a Kensington lock slot.
If you want to unlock the monitor&rsquo;s full potential, meaning the full 240Hz refresh rate and the fastest response times, you should absolutely connect it using DisplayPort. That is the only way to get everything this panel has to offer.
If you are planning to use the monitor with a Mac, PlayStation 5, or Xbox, the HDMI ports work just fine, but you will be limited to 144Hz. That is still perfectly usable, but it is worth keeping in mind.
For the price, the port selection is acceptable, but I do wish Lenovo had pushed things a little further. A USB-C port with DisplayPort support or even a couple of USB-A ports for accessories would have elevated this monitor significantly.
There are also no built-in speakers here, which is not surprising but still worth noting. You will need external speakers or headphones.
<h2>Display and panel performance: where the 27Q10 truly shines</h2>
This is where the Legion 27Q10 really starts to shine.
You are looking at a 27-inch IPS LCD panel with a QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440. For this screen size, that resolution is spot on. Everything looks sharp, crisp, and well-defined.
Text clarity is excellent, whether you are reading articles, writing documents, or coding. Media consumption looks great, and games benefit massively from the extra sharpness over Full HD.
Lenovo rates the panel at a typical brightness of 300 nits, which is slightly higher than what many monitors in this price range offer. I did not test peak brightness formally, but in a well-lit room, the screen had no trouble staying bright and legible.
The headline feature here is the 240Hz refresh rate, which makes a massive difference in fast-paced competitive games like CS:GO and Valorant. Motion looks fluid, tracking feels more precise, and once you get used to it, it is very hard to go back to lower refresh rates.
The monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium and VESA Adaptive Sync, which helps eliminate screen tearing and stutter when paired with a compatible GPU.
Lenovo also includes multiple MPRT modes that can push the pixel response time down to as low as 0.5ms. For a monitor under ₹20,000, that is seriously impressive. Ghosting is minimal, motion clarity is strong, and fast transitions hold up extremely well.
Colour performance is another area where the Legion 27Q10 overdelivers. Even though this is an 8-bit panel, it covers 99 percent of the sRGB colour space and around 90 percent of DCI-P3. For a high-refresh-rate gaming monitor, that is borderline ridiculous.
Out of the box, the monitor comes factory calibrated, and Lenovo claims a colour accuracy of Delta E less than 2. In practical terms, this means you can start using it for colour-sensitive tasks like photo or video editing without immediately needing calibration.
Viewing angles are excellent, thanks to the IPS panel. Lenovo rates them at 178 degrees, and in real-world use, colours and contrast remain consistent even when viewing the screen from the side. This makes the monitor great for shared gaming sessions or couch gaming with a console.
<h2>Verdict: a benchmark for budget gaming monitors</h2>
At ₹19,999, the Lenovo Legion 27Q10 is an incredibly compelling purchase.
It quietly proves that budget gaming monitors do not have to feel compromised. You get a sharp QHD IPS panel, a genuinely useful 240Hz refresh rate, fast response times, and colour performance that comfortably punches above its price bracket.
Yes, there are alternatives from Samsung and LG at similar prices, but they all make compromises somewhere. Some settle for lower refresh rates. Others sacrifice colour performance. None of them hit the same balance that the Legion 27Q10 manages to achieve.
What really stands out is how well-rounded the package feels. This is not a monitor built purely to look good on a spec sheet. It works just as well for competitive gaming as it does for everyday productivity and light content creation.
The minimal design, excellent ergonomics, and VESA flexibility make it easy to fit into almost any setup. The port selection could have been more ambitious, and the lack of USB connectivity or speakers does sting a little, but these are not deal-breakers.
If you want a serious gaming monitor under ₹20,000 that does not scream gamer and still delivers top-tier fundamentals where it actually matters, the Lenovo Legion 27Q10 is easily one of the strongest value-for-money options in its class.

Redmi 15C 5G review after real-world use. A 6.9-inch 120Hz display, 6,000mAh battery, Dimensity 6300 performance, camera results, software experience, and whether it’s worth buying at ₹12,499.

Redmi 15C 5G Review: Big Display, Massive Battery, Sensible Budget Choice

Our in-depth Redmi 15C 5G review covers design, display quality, real-life performance, camera results, battery life, and how it compares with rivals like Poco, Samsung, and iQOO in the ₹15K segment.

The Redmi 15C 5G focuses on the basics with a huge 6.9-inch 120Hz display, strong 6,000mAh battery life, and reliable everyday performance. It&rsquo;s best suited for casual users, students, and long content consumption.

As 2025 winds down, the budget smartphone space feels familiar. Nothing major is changing anymore, and most brands seem content with polishing what they already have.&nbsp;
Xiaomi&rsquo;s new Redmi 15C 5G enters this exact kind of market, not trying to reinvent anything, just trying to get the basics right for people who don&rsquo;t want to spend too much.
The phone&rsquo;s priorities are clear the moment you look at its spec sheet. There&rsquo;s a big 6.9-inch 120Hz display and a 6,000mAh battery. That makes it pretty much clear as to who it&rsquo;s meant for.
If your day is filled with YouTube, online classes, casual gaming or just long scrolling sessions, this is the crowd Xiaomi is speaking to. But, of course we all know specs on paper don&rsquo;t always match real life. A phone can look great on the company's website and still feel a bit off when you actually start using it.
&nbsp;And with a starting price of ₹12,499, the Redmi 15C is stepping straight into a segment crowded with options that include the Poco C85, Samsung Galaxy M17, Oppo K13x and iQOO Z10x.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s why I used the Redmi 15C 5G in normal, everyday situations to see what it&rsquo;s actually like and whether it makes more sense than what the competition is offering. In this review, let&rsquo;s go &nbsp;over everything I noticed from display, design, speed, processor to the cameras, the battery and much more.
<h2>Unboxing &amp; Design</h2>
The Redmi 15C 5G comes in straightforward packaging that <a title="Xiaomi 15 Review &amp; Comparison with iPhone 16e!" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/xiaomi-15-review-comparison-with-iphone-16e-1743076579187" target="_blank">Xiaomi</a> has stuck to for years. It&rsquo;s nothing flashy, just a clean white box with everything you actually need. Inside, you&rsquo;ll find the phone itself, a 33W charger worth ₹1,999, USB-A to Type-C cable, the SIM ejector tool, the usual paperwork and, thankfully, a clear silicone case that does the job till you pick out something better.
My review unit is the 6GB/128GB model in the Dusk Purple finish, and this colour deserves a mention. Budget phones often lean into loud gradients to stand out, but this was different. It has a soft, almost evening-sky tone with a matte surface that doesn&rsquo;t turn into a smudge magnet the moment you touch it. It looks subtle and is a decent looking colour for a phone in this price bracket.
Even with the big 6,000mAh battery, the phone doesn&rsquo;t feel as heavy as the specs suggest. At around 211 grams, it&rsquo;s not light, but the weight is well balanced and the 8.2mm thickness stops it from feeling bulky. The flat plastic frame and the square-rounded camera module keep things clean and modern. It doesn&rsquo;t shout for attention, but it looks neat and feels more expensive than it actually is
You get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. It&rsquo;s not as seamless as an in-display one, but it&rsquo;s quick and reliable. I&rsquo;m also really glad to see a proper 3.5mm headphone jack, plus an IP64 rating for basic dust protection and the occasional splash. The SIM tray gives you three slots too, two for SIM cards and one dedicated slot for a microSD card..
The phone also comes in two other colour variations, Moonlight Blue and Midnight Black, both of which are quite understated. Regardless of the colour you pick, the 15C feels reassuringly solid in hand, none of that hollow, plasticky flex you sometimes get with budget devices. It&rsquo;s a simple design, sure, but it&rsquo;s done with care.
<h2>Display</h2>
The moment you pick Redmi 15C 5G up, that 6.9-inch display is the only thing your eyes notice. It&rsquo;s almost funny how big it feels at first, especially if you&rsquo;re coming from something remotely compact. For watching videos or just scrolling through an endless social feed late at night, it&rsquo;s actually great. The sheer size pulls you in before you even think about the specs.
What helps the experience a lot is the 120Hz refresh rate. On a phone in this price range, that&rsquo;s not something expected. The smoothness really shows the moment you start swiping around and it hides the fact that the processor isn&rsquo;t exactly a powerhouse.&nbsp;
But, of course, the big display also exposes the compromises. Xiaomi is still using a 720p IPS LCD panel, and stretching that across so much real estate means you lose out on crispness. Not unusable by any means, but if you&rsquo;re picky about screen sharpness, you&rsquo;ll notice it right away. For casual YouTube binges or reels, though, the lower resolution is much less obvious. Plus, that waterdrop notch feels old-school, the bezels are chunky, and the chin is hard to ignore.
Colour-wise, it looks decent indoors. Bright enough, reasonably punchy, nothing that makes you stop and stare but nothing offensive either. Outside is where the screen starts to struggle. Even though the specs claim around 810 nits, direct sunlight still wins. I found myself tipping the phone around or squinting just to read a message, something you&rsquo;ll want to keep in mind if you&rsquo;re outdoors a lot.
When you put everything together, this is very much a &ldquo;big screen first, everything else later&rdquo; kind of setup. But, if your priority is to watch content or playing light games or just want as much screen as possible for your money, the 15C makes sense. If you care more about text sharpness or outdoor visibility, it&rsquo;s probably not going to impress you.
<h2>Cameras</h2>
The Redmi 15C 5G&rsquo;s camera setup is pretty much the story of most budget phones today: there&rsquo;s one camera that actually matters, and then there&rsquo;s another one sitting beside it mostly for looks.&nbsp;
Xiaomi lists it as a dual-camera system, but once you start shooting with it, you realise you&rsquo;re essentially using a single 50MP Samsung JN1 sensor. The smaller secondary lens is just a depth sensor.&nbsp;
When the lighting is good, though, the main camera does a pretty decent job. The daylight samples turned out better than I expected from a phone at this price. The wide f/1.8 aperture helps create a light natural blur as well. In one of the plant shots, the leaves stay sharp while the background softens in a surprisingly pleasing way.
&nbsp;Xiaomi&rsquo;s colour tuning leans towards slightly boosted and warmer, so greens and yellows look more lively than real life, but honestly, it works. It gives the pictures a bit of pop without needing edits.
The Wolverine figurine photo, for example, showed tiny bits of dust on the armour, and the close-up of the coffee beans had that gritty detail you don&rsquo;t usually get from cheaper sensors.
Portrait mode is where that &ldquo;extra&rdquo; depth sensor actually contributes. The separation around the subject&rsquo;s shoulders and hair, especially in the outdoor shots with the brown sweatshirt didn&rsquo;t look sloppy or cut-out-ish. It&rsquo;s not flawless, but unless you&rsquo;re zooming in and hunting for errors, it looks clean enough for Instagram posts or profile photos.
Zooming, however, is where reality catches up. There&rsquo;s no optical zoom at all. Everything after 1x is purely digital cropping. The 2x shot of the pigeon was still okay, but beyond that, the quality nosedives. The 10x metro station photo is a perfect example. It just turns into mush, almost like the phone applied a watercolour filter without asking.
The 8MP selfie camera is serviceable. Indoors, it handled skin tones decently and didn&rsquo;t go overboard with smoothing, which is nice. In uneven lighting, though, especially with a bright window, it struggles. The exposure jumps around, trying to balance everything, and sometimes leaves your face looking washed out.
Video recording is capped at 1080p 30fps, and here&rsquo;s where the budget constraints are most obvious. With no OIS, every small movement gets recorded. Even walking slowly produces jittery footage. Electronic stabilisation does try to help, but it can only do so much when the underlying hardware isn&rsquo;t built for steady capture.
So yes, the Redmi 15C&rsquo;s camera experience is exactly what it claims to be: a very straightforward, no-effects, no-fuss point-and-shoot setup. It&rsquo;s great for daytime snaps, portraits look nicer than expected, and colours are tuned for quick sharing. Just don&rsquo;t expect it to magically handle zoom, night scenes, and stable video,
<h2>Performance</h2>
The Redmi 15C 5G runs on MediaTek&rsquo;s Dimensity 6300, which has quietly become the &ldquo;default&rdquo; chip for most entry-level 5G phones these days. It&rsquo;s not a processor you buy for bragging rights, but for everyday stuff and it does the job without fuss.
I went through the usual routine, messaging, Instagram, some multitasking with YouTube in the background, and honestly, nothing felt slow enough to draw attention to the hardware.
The benchmark numbers were better than expected. AnTuTu came back with around 578042, which is noticeably better than what I&rsquo;ve seen on other 6300-powered phones. Of course, numbers only tell you how the phone behaves when everything is ideal. The moment you try pushing it with heavier games, the budget roots start showing.
The UI feels smooth because of the 120Hz refresh rate, but games themselves don&rsquo;t really use that. Most titles I tried ran at 60FPS or less, and that&rsquo;s fine for casual games.&nbsp;
But fire up BGMI or Call of Duty Mobile and the cracks start to show. The opening match is fine, but stick around longer and performance starts wobbling. Frames dip, inputs feel a step behind, and those micro-stutters always seem to arrive at the worst possible moment.
Heat also becomes part of the conversation. After about 20 minutes of back-to-back gameplay, the area around the camera module developed noticeable warmth.
Could Xiaomi have gone with a more powerful chip? Sure. But that would have meant giving something else up. And when you look at who this phone is really built for, the choice adds up. If you&rsquo;re a student, a casual gamer, or someone who just wants a big screen for streaming without spending much, the Dimensity 6300 gets the job done. Push it harder, though, and power users will find its ceiling pretty fast
<h2>UI/UX &amp; Software</h2>
The Redmi 15C 5G runs <a title="OxygenOS 16 Review: OnePlus sets the benchmark on how smartphones should do AI" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/oxygenos-16-review-oneplus-sets-the-benchmark-on-how-smartphones-should-do-ai-1760628833515" target="_blank">Android</a> 15 with Xiaomi&rsquo;s HyperOS 2, and on paper, the update promise is pretty much decent for the price. You also get two years of Android updates and four years of security patches.
In daily use, HyperOS 2 feels smooth and responsive. Animations are fluid, navigation is quick, and the 120Hz display helps the interface feel faster than the hardware suggests. Basic tasks like switching apps, pulling down notifications, or launching the camera happen without friction.
That said, this is still Xiaomi software and a budget phone. So, yes bloatwares come complimentary. You'll find tons of unnecessary preinstalled apps that you&rsquo;re never gonna use, &nbsp;and occasional ads in system areas, depending on your region. Well, most of it can be disabled, but it does take a few minutes of cleanup. But, once that&rsquo;s done, the user experience is stable, feature-rich, and works fine for everyday users, even if it&rsquo;s not the cleanest Android skin around.
<h2>Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
Battery life is where the phone really starts to make sense as a daily phone.The 6,000mAh unit sounds impressive on paper, but more importantly, it delivers in actual use. While using the phone over several days, the battery drain never felt aggressive. Even on heavier days with constant scrolling and YouTube playing in the background, I&rsquo;d still end the day with enough charge left to not worry about plugging it in immediately.&nbsp;
Xiaomi claims about two days of backup on a single charge and honestly on lighter days, getting close to that felt very realistic. Even with heavier use like gaming you can expect at least a full day of backup.
Charging speeds are sensible rather than flashy. Xiaomi includes a 33W charger, and in my testing, a full charge from 0 to 100% took nearly about 67 minutes. That&rsquo;s perfectly acceptable for a battery this large. The initial charging phase is noticeably quicker too, which lines up with Xiaomi&rsquo;s claim of 50% in under 30 minutes.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should you buy it?</h2>
After using the Redmi 15C 5G for a couple of weeks, it becomes fairly obvious what Xiaomi was aiming for here. This phone isn&rsquo;t chasing spec-sheet bragging rights or benchmark trophies. It&rsquo;s built to be steady and predictable.
For the money, the pairing of a massive 6.9-inch display and a 6,000mAh battery feels spot on. It suits days filled with videos, online classes, reading, or endless scrolling without constantly worrying about the charger.
&nbsp;Everyday performance is perfectly serviceable, the software feels calmer once you clear out some of the bloat, and the camera holds its own in good lighting. That makes it an easy recommendation for students, casual users, or as a gift for parents or grandparents who want something simple and long-lasting.
If gaming, heavy multitasking, or camera-first content is high on your list, this isn&rsquo;t the phone to buy. But if what you care about is battery life, a big screen, and hassle-free daily use, the Redmi 15C sticks to its brief and delivers.

Samsung Galaxy M17 delivers an AMOLED display, 50MP OIS camera, all-day battery, and Android 15 with six years of updates. A reliable budget phone under ₹15,000 focused on durability, smooth performance and long-term value.

Samsung Galaxy M17 5G Review: Best Budget Samsung Phone Under ₹15,000?

Samsung Galaxy M17 delivers an AMOLED display, 50MP OIS camera, all-day battery, and Android 15 with six years of updates. A reliable budget phone under ₹15,000 focused on durability, smooth performance and long-term value.

Samsung&rsquo;s latest entry in the sub-₹15,000 category, the Galaxy M17 5G, lands at a starting price of ₹12,999, a bracket that&rsquo;s increasingly cutthroat in India.
What sets the phone apart on paper are a couple of surprisingly premium touches: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection, OIS on the primary camera, and Samsung&rsquo;s bold commitment of up to six years of software support.
In a market dominated by aggressive spec-pushers such as Vivo, Poco, Infinix, and Motorola, Samsung&rsquo;s approach feels noticeably different.
Instead of chasing benchmark glory, the M17 leans into durability, stability, and long-term updates, traits usually reserved for higher-tier Galaxy hardware.
Underneath that polished positioning sits the familiar Exynos 1330. It is not new by any definition and has already appeared in multiple budget Samsung launches.
Considering how tightly contested the ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 slab is, this raises immediate questions around performance sustainability, thermals, and gaming headroom.
So, where does the Galaxy M17 5G stand in actual day-to-day use? Does the long update promise balance out the older silicon, and can Samsung keep up with rivals pushing fresher hardware at similar prices?
We spent time testing the M17 to find out. Here&rsquo;s how Samsung&rsquo;s latest budget Galaxy holds up in the real world and whether it earns a recommendation.&nbsp;
<h2>Samsung Galaxy M17 Design: Practical Build With Premium Protection</h2>
Samsung does not chase theatrics with the Galaxy M17&rsquo;s design. The phone arrives in a simple plastic build that focuses on practicality and comfort.
At 192g and 7.5mm thick, it sits on the lighter and slimmer end of the budget segment, which immediately helps with day-long usability.
The rounded frame makes the device easy to grip, and the softened corners prevent any pressure points during extended use.
The back panel stays understated, with the pill-shaped camera housing being the only element that stands out. It creates a slight wobble when the phone is placed face up on a desk, although the rest of the surface remains clean with minimal smudging.
Samsung keeps the layout familiar. The volume buttons feel reassuringly tactile, and the power key houses a responsive fingerprint reader that registers inputs without hesitation.
What truly elevates the hardware story is not the finish or the weight but the protection on the front. The Galaxy M17 uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, a material typically seen on far more expensive devices in Samsung&rsquo;s lineup.&nbsp;
After several weeks of daily use without a case, the display has managed to stay free of scratches. The frame and rear panel have also held up well, indicating Samsung did not compromise durability even while targeting an affordable price bracket.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy M17 Display: Calm, Balanced and Easy on the Eyes</h2>
Samsung positions the 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED panel as the visual centerpiece of the Galaxy M17, and it mostly lives up to that role.
Colours stay within a natural range instead of leaning into heavy saturation, and contrast feels steady through everyday use. The tuning avoids the exaggerated pop often found in budget OLED panels, which actually helps during longer viewing sessions.
Indoor brightness is handled well, while outdoor visibility only begins to struggle under direct sunlight. For typical use such as scrolling, watching short videos or browsing streaming apps, the display focuses on clarity and comfort rather than high-impact visuals.
The panel is capped at 90Hz. It keeps the interface smooth during basic navigation, and there are no distracting stutters or frame drops. Samsung seems to prioritise efficiency and battery stability instead of chasing higher refresh numbers.
The overall structure of the display is familiar for the segment. A waterdrop notch sits at the top and a noticeable chin anchors the bottom. Neither element is surprising for this price, although both remind you that this is an M-series device.
Audio plays a small but meaningful role in the viewing experience. The single bottom speaker offers clear vocal output and maintains composure at higher volume levels. It does not aim for stereo depth, but it avoids the thin, hollow sound that some budget phones fall into.
One omission stands out. Always On Display is missing, despite the presence of an AMOLED panel. It appears to be a deliberate cost decision rather than a limitation of the hardware.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy M17 Cameras: Strong Primary Shooter, Functional Secondary Lenses</h2>
The Galaxy M17 offers a respectable camera system for the price. The 50MP primary sensor with OIS does most of the heavy lifting, supported by a 5MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro unit.&nbsp;
OIS is the standout here. It stabilises handheld shots effectively, reduces shake when capturing street scenes or moving subjects, and keeps low-light shutter drag from becoming unusable.
In daytime conditions, the main camera produces images that feel well judged. Colours stay grounded rather than leaning into saturation, and detail retention is steady across landscapes and close subjects.&nbsp;
The ultra-wide camera is serviceable but clearly secondary. It holds up in daylight with acceptable dynamic range, yet finer edges show softness and texture fading as you move toward the corners. Once lighting drops, noise becomes more obvious, and shadow areas lose control.
The macro lens remains more of a checkbox feature. It can capture close-ups with decent clarity under bright light, but focus discipline is narrow and results vary when lighting isn&rsquo;t ideal.
On the front, the 13MP selfie camera keeps things mostly neutral. Exposure is balanced, though skin tones sometimes shift warmer in indoor environments. Social-ready shots don&rsquo;t need much editing, and background separation in portrait mode is handled with reasonable accuracy for the price tier.
Video tops out at 1080p at 30fps. Stabilisation benefits directly from OIS, giving the M17 an edge in movement-heavy clips like walking shots or quick pans. Colour consistency between lenses isn&rsquo;t perfect, but the main sensor remains the preferred pick for both clarity and motion control.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy M17 Software: Long-Term Support Becomes the Story</h2>
Samsung leans heavily on software as the defining pillar of the Galaxy M17. The device ships with Android 15 running One UI 7, and the interface feels surprisingly polished for a phone in this price bracket.
Animations stay consistent, menus don&rsquo;t lag, and familiar Samsung flourishes make the experience feel more premium than the hardware suggests.
One UI 7 bundles in several features that were previously limited to higher-end Galaxy models. Circle to Search is integrated natively and works just as smoothly here, and tools like Now Bar, Voicemail shortcuts and Samsung&rsquo;s latest accessibility additions give the interface a modern feel without overwhelming users with options.
There is some preloaded bloatware at setup &mdash; a mix of partner apps and region-specific utilities &mdash; but the majority can be uninstalled. Once cleared, the interface settles into a clean, lightweight layout.
Where Samsung truly breaks from the budget norm is with its update commitment. The Galaxy M17 is promised six generations of OS upgrades and six years of security updates, a level of support usually seen only in flagship categories.
In a segment where most phones age out in two years, this is a meaningful advantage for anyone looking to keep their device long-term.
Samsung also brings a solid security stack. Knox Vault is present for hardware-level protection, and Samsung Wallet pairs neatly with the phone&rsquo;s NFC support for tap-and-pay transactions.
Features such as Voice Focus help with clearer call quality, and select Gemini-powered AI tools round out the package for those who want on-device assistance.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy M17 Performance: Steady for Daily Use, Modest for Gaming</h2>
Samsung relies on the Exynos 1330 to power the Galaxy M17, a chipset that isn&rsquo;t new but remains competent for everyday workloads. In regular use &mdash; messaging, social apps, browsing, payments, camera switching &mdash; the phone moves with enough pace to feel dependable.
App launches are predictable, multitasking is handled without drama and general responsiveness stays intact. There are occasional stutters during heavier transitions or when multiple background processes stack up, but nothing that interrupts day-to-day usability.
The chip runs cool under normal pressure, and even extended screen-on time or longer social media sessions don&rsquo;t push temperatures into uncomfortable territory.
As expected, gaming is where limits surface. Casual titles run smoothly, while graphics-heavy games need reduced settings to maintain stability. The M17 isn&rsquo;t aimed at competitive mobile gaming, but it manages light entertainment without issue.
Samsung offers configurations up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, which should meet the needs of most users in this segment.
A 256GB variant would have been welcome, but the hybrid SIM slot offers some flexibility. Users who need more space can add a microSD card, though doing so means giving up the second SIM.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy M17 Battery: Reliable All-Day Endurance</h2>
Battery performance is one of the Galaxy M17&rsquo;s most dependable traits. The 5,000mAh pack consistently delivers a full day of mixed use that includes calls, messaging, social apps, streaming, light gaming and camera activity.
There is usually enough charge left at night to avoid any last-minute top-ups. Even on heavier days, the phone rarely drops into low-battery panic territory.
Charging speeds are modest. The phone supports 25W wired charging, and with a PD adapter, the M17 reached around 80 percent in roughly 75 minutes. This is not particularly fast by current standards, but it is steady and does not introduce noticeable heat.
Samsung does not include a charger in the box, so users will need to rely on an existing adapter or purchase one separately.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy M17 Verdict: A Long-Term Bet That Plays to Stability</h2>
The Galaxy M17 5G is not the flashiest phone in its segment, but it delivers where it counts. The durable build, Victus protection, clean AMOLED display, reliable battery life and OIS-backed main camera give it a stronger foundation than most budget competitors.&nbsp;
Samsung&rsquo;s six-year software promise is the real differentiator and makes this device far more future-ready than anything else at this price.
The Exynos 1330 keeps daily performance smooth, although heavier gaming and demanding apps show its limits. The ultra-wide and macro cameras feel basic, and the missing Always On Display is a reminder of cost trimming.
Even with these drawbacks, the M17 succeeds as a dependable everyday phone. It prioritises stability, longevity and a polished user experience over aggressive specs.
If you want a budget device that will age well and stay consistent over the years, the Galaxy M17 is one of the strongest options available.
&nbsp;
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Realme Watch 5 review: design, AMOLED display, GPS, health tracking, Bluetooth calling, battery life and real-world performance tested under ₹5,000.

Realme Watch 5 Review: A Budget Smartwatch That Nails the Basics Under ₹5,000

We tested the Realme Watch 5 as a daily driver to see if this budget smartwatch actually lives up to its promises. From design and 1.97-inch AMOLED display to GPS accuracy, 108 sports modes, health tracking, Bluetooth calling, NFC and battery life, here’s how it performs in real-world use under ₹5,000 in India.

<h3>Realme Watch 5 delivers a big AMOLED display, built-in GPS, Bluetooth calling, strong health tracking and long battery life under ₹5,000, making it one of the most balanced budget smartwatches you can buy.</h3>

Shopping for a budget smartwatch honestly feels annoying half the time. One has good features but looks ugly, another looks decent but the battery barely lasts, and some just feel like plastic toys on your wrist. You keep thinking, &ldquo;Yeah okay, this one will do,&rdquo; instead of actually liking what you bought.
So when I picked up the Realme Watch 5, I was already doubtful. It&rsquo;s under ₹5,000, yet it talks big game: GPS, a large AMOLED screen, calling, etc.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve been wearing it every day, taking some calls on it, tracking random workouts, and mostly just trying to see if it actually holds up&hellip; or if it&rsquo;s just another watch that looks good in the ads and falls apart in real life.
<h2>Design &amp; Build Quality</h2>
When I first took the <a title="Realme Watch 5 First Look: Inside the factory where It&rsquo;s Made in India" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/realme-watch-5-first-look-inside-the-factory-where-it-s-made-in-india-1764849369577" target="_blank">realme Watch 5</a> out of the box, my immediate thought was, this doesn&rsquo;t look like one of budget smartwatches.&nbsp;
Yes, the body is plastic, but the metallic finish on it hides that really well. It actually gives off a slightly premium vibe in hand. The crown of aluminium alloy on the side is a nice touch too. It clicks well, doesn&rsquo;t feel loose, and honestly makes the watch feel more &ldquo;serious&rdquo; than most budget ones.
The straps are 22mm and easy to change, which is always a win. There&rsquo;s this wave-like pattern on them that looks cool up close. Comfort-wise, no complaints. They sit nicely on the wrist even after long hours. Do they feel luxurious, supple and soft? Nope. But at this price, I really wasn&rsquo;t expecting that anyway.
I&rsquo;ve been wearing it daily, normal use, light workouts, quick walks outside, and it hasn&rsquo;t felt fragile at all. I even managed to get the watch by a garden sprinkler once and it didn&rsquo;t care. Since it&rsquo;s IP68 rated, water and sweat aren&rsquo;t really things you need to overthink.
<h2>Display</h2>
The screen on the Watch 5 is pretty big. Like, you notice it immediately, that big. It&rsquo;s a 1.97-inch AMOLED panel and for a watch in this range, it actually feels kind of overkill in a good way.&nbsp;
Watch faces look bright, text is clear, and even small notifications are easy to read without bringing the watch right up to your face. I&rsquo;ve used it outdoors too, and the brightness is good enough that you&rsquo;re not fighting reflections all the time.
It&rsquo;s also pretty smooth in day-to-day use, thanks to the 60Hz refresh rate, and the Always-On Display is useful when you just want to glance at the time without tapping the screen.&nbsp;
One thing I genuinely wish it had though is auto brightness. You have to set the brightness yourself, and sometimes you forget until the lighting changes. It&rsquo;s a small miss, not a deal-breaker. Once you dial it in, the display just quietly does its job, whether you&rsquo;re working out, walking outside, or just checking the time.
<h2>Comfort &amp; Fit</h2>
Comfort is actually one of the nicer surprises with the Watch 5. It&rsquo;s light enough that after some time, you honestly forget you&rsquo;re even wearing it. The strap can be removed too, so if you ever feel like switching to a softer one or something that looks more premium, you can easily do that.
Out of the box, though, it&rsquo;s already pretty comfortable. I wore it for long hours without that tight or irritating feeling you sometimes get with budget watches. I even used it while sleeping for a couple of nights, and it didn&rsquo;t feel bulky or awkward on the wrist.
So yeah, if you&rsquo;re someone who plans to keep the watch on all day, for steps, workouts, sleep tracking, everything, the comfort part really won&rsquo;t be an issue.
<h2>UI &amp; Performance</h2>
The Watch 5 doesn&rsquo;t go overboard with apps or extra stuff, and honestly, that&rsquo;s probably a good thing. It keeps things simple. To connect it with your phone, you&rsquo;ll need the <a title="Realme GT 8 Pro Dream Edition: Premium or Just Racing Paint? Full Review " href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/realme-gt-8-pro-dream-edition-premium-or-just-racing-paint-full-review-1763976339687" target="_blank">Realme</a> Link app, &nbsp;and yeah, just make sure it&rsquo;s updated or the pairing can get annoying sometimes.
Once everything is set up, the watch feels smooth in day-to-day use. Swiping through menus, changing watch faces, starting your workouts, checking health stats, all of that feels quick and doesn&rsquo;t make you wait around.
I&rsquo;ve used budget smartwatches in the past where the UI felt slow and awkward all the time, but this one doesn&rsquo;t have that issue. It&rsquo;s not fancy, it&rsquo;s not trying to impress you with animations, it just does what it&rsquo;s supposed to do&hellip; and that&rsquo;s actually a good thing here.
<h2>Features Overview</h2>
For the price Realme is asking, the Watch 5 honestly feels loaded with features. You&rsquo;ve got built-in GPS, a crazy number of workout modes, Bluetooth calling, NFC, and a whole pile of watch faces to choose from. If you like switching up your watch look every few days, you&rsquo;re sorted for a long time.
On top of that, all the regular smartwatch stuff is here too, like &nbsp;music controls, alarms, a compass, breathing exercises, even camera controls. Nothing fancy or over-the-top, but all the basics people actually use on a daily basis are covered.
<h2>Health Tracking Features</h2>
On the health side, the Watch 5 pretty much ticks all the expected boxes. It tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, stress levels, and even offers menstrual cycle tracking for women. You also get VO₂ Max estimates and auto workout detection, which is handy when you forget to start tracking manually. I personally like the move around prompt it gives, a small reminder if you spend more time sitting at one place.
So it&rsquo;s clearly not just meant for seeing notifications and counting steps. You can use it properly for daily fitness tracking, sleep monitoring, and keeping a general check on your health without needing anything extra.&nbsp;
<h2>Accuracy of Health &amp; Fitness Tracking</h2>
Let&rsquo;s be clear about one thing first, you should not be using any smartwatch, including this one, as a medical device. None of them are officially meant for that, and this isn&rsquo;t either.
That said, from my own use, the Watch 5 was actually pretty close to being accurate most of the time. Since it has proper GPS and all the usual sensors, the numbers it shows feel way more believable than those really cheap watches that just spit out random data.
Steps looked fine, heart rate readings didn&rsquo;t feel off, and workout stats stayed within a normal range. Outdoor tracking also felt better because of the GPS, you can tell the difference when you&rsquo;ve used non-GPS watches before.
Still, at the end of the day, it&rsquo;s just a watch sitting on your wrist. Don&rsquo;t expect hospital-level accuracy. But for normal stuff like walking, running, gym workouts, cycling, and keeping a rough idea of your activity and health, it does a decent enough job to be useful.
<h2>GPS Performance</h2>
The built-in GPS is honestly one of the biggest highlights of the Watch 5. You can head out for a run, walk, or cycling session without carrying your phone, and the watch will still record your route and distance properly, and by proper I mean the exact path and route you took.
For anyone who prefers outdoor workouts, this is a big plus. A lot of budget watches either skip GPS altogether or mess it up badly, this one actually does the job well enough to rely on.
<h2>Sports Modes &amp; Workouts (108 Sports Modes)</h2>
With 108 workout modes, the Watch 5 tries to cover just about everything, from basic stuff like walking, running, gym workouts, yoga, and cycling to more specific activities like water sports too.&nbsp;
Realistically, most people won&rsquo;t use even half of these, but it&rsquo;s still nice to know the options are there. But, If you switch between different workouts or just want simple tracking without too much setup, this much variety is more than enough for everyday use.
Pro tip here although the watch is IP68 and has many water sports modes included such as surfing and motorboating, I would advise not to take it for swimming as you don&rsquo;t get that option in the entire list.
<h2>Bluetooth Calling &amp; NFC</h2>
Bluetooth calling is one of those features that sounds small on paper but turns out to be really useful. You can take calls directly from the watch when your phone is in your pocket or across the room. The sound quality isn&rsquo;t mind-blowing, but for quick calls, it works fine.
NFC is also listed as a feature, which can be used for smart card scanning or related tools depending on how it&rsquo;s supported in your region. Honestly in my case it was of no use, so I can't comment on how better it works.
But, together, these features push the Watch 5 beyond just being a fitness tracker and place it in that &ldquo;lite-smartwatch&rdquo; category that can handle small daily tasks too.
<h2>Battery life &amp; charging</h2>
Realme says the Watch 5 can last up to 16 days on normal use and even stretch to 20 days in Light Smart Mode. On paper, that sounds crazy good, especially with a 460mAh battery in this price range. For most people, that basically means you can forget about charging it for a couple of weeks.
Now, coming to my real-world use, the charging speed is not fast. It took a little more than two hours to go from low to full, even when I plugged it into an 80W fast charger. The drain, though, is pretty controlled. I used the watch heavily for three straight days and it dropped around 30% battery. So yeah, I&rsquo;m a bit doubtful about the full 16-day claim with heavy usage.
That said, if your use is light, just steps, notifications, and basic tracking, the battery drop slows down a lot. So the long backup Realme talks about does make sense in that kind of usage.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should you buy it?</h2>
If you&rsquo;re in the market for an affordable smartwatch under ₹5,000 that looks good, lasts long, and does more than just show notifications the Realme Watch 5 is a very strong contender.
It combines the features (GPS, health tracking, calling, NFC, many sports modes) that usually cost much more, with a build and display that feel premium. For fitness enthusiasts, casual users, everyday wear, or those wanting an entry-level &ldquo;smartwatch&rdquo; without spending big, the Watch 5 brings balanced value.
In short: Realme Watch 5 punches above its price, a smart buy for value-conscious users seeking full-featured smartwatch capabilities.

Realme P4x combines a premium build, 144Hz LCD screen, Dimensity 7400-Ultra performance, and a huge 7000mAh battery for long runtime.

Realme P4x Review: Premium design, dependable performance, but is it worth?

<h3>Realme P4x delivers strong battery life, steady performance, a premium feel, and a 144Hz LCD display that confuses a little.</h3>

Realme has launched the P4x in a segment that is overtly saturated and brands, in order to stand out, experiment quite a bit. This one though, one feels a little different. It looks simplistic, but far more premium than its price suggests, leans heavily on battery endurance, and delivers surprisingly steady performance for everyday use and mid-tier gaming, especially for a device that starts at ₹15,499.
On top of that you get a 144Hz display which is pretty rare even in the mid-range segment. But then, Realme decided to use an LCD panel for that.
During the two weeks I was testing the P4x, the device kept swinging between impressive value and soome head-scratching decisions, that Realme has taken with this one.&nbsp;
I take a closer look at where the P4x &nbsp;shines, where it stumbles, and whether it actually deserves your money.
<h2>Realme P4x Review: Design</h2>
The first thing that hit me when I picked up the Realme P4x was how closely it resembles the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, especially that raised pill-shaped camera island. Testing the Matte Silver variant only amplified the d&eacute;j&agrave; vu.
At this price, brands usually try something quirky with materials, but Realme has gone with a mostly polycarbonate body and very flat panels. Honestly, it works. The phone looks far more premium than its materials suggest, and the matte finish on this Silver unit handles fingerprints and grime exceptionally well. It adds a calm, clean vibe that feels intentional rather than cost-cutting.
The downside is that those flat polycarbonate sides and sharper edges make the phone slippery. If you have smaller hands, it becomes even trickier to grip securely. Using a case is pretty much non-negotiable, and Realme thankfully includes a TPU one in the box.
Despite the plastic build, the Realme P4x weighs 208 grams and feels surprisingly dense, almost brick-like in a reassuring way. Its 8.39 mm thickness contributes to that solid, sturdy feel. What doesn&rsquo;t feel as sturdy are the bezels. They&rsquo;re thick by 2025 standards, especially the bottom chin, but at this price, it&rsquo;s hard to complain too much.
In terms of protection, you get an IP64 rating, which is acceptable for the segment, though some rivals do offer better. What&rsquo;s odd is Realme staying quiet about the front glass. Online reports suggest a KK panel instead of Corning protection, which is an unusual place to cut costs.
Everything else sits where it should: power and volume buttons on the right, USB-C port, hybrid SIM tray and speaker grille at the bottom.
For a phone starting at ₹15,999, the Realme P4x looks and feels far more premium than most competitors in its bracket.
<h2>Realme P4x Review: Display &amp; Speakers</h2>
The display is where the Realme P4x starts getting a little puzzling. On the surface, a Full HD panel at this price is perfectly acceptable, even for the top-end variant. Things get complicated when you see Realme has gone with an IPS LCD panel. For the base model, that&rsquo;s fine. For the price of the top-end variant, things feel a bit murky, because competitors do offer AMOLED displays at that price.
Then comes the strangest part of the entire setup: the refresh rate. Yes, technically, the phone supports 144Hz, but the phone doesn&rsquo;t really use it. During my tests, the only apps that consistently hit 144Hz were the calculator and the voice recorder, which absolutely must have ultra-fast refresh rates, obviously.&nbsp;
Jokes aside, the fact that even navigating the UI doesn&rsquo;t trigger 144Hz is genuinely disappointing. It feels like wasted potential rather than a meaningful feature.
In day-to-day use, the display is still pretty good actually. Text and images look sharp enough for casual viewing, and the colours hold up well for an LCD. You don&rsquo;t get the punch, contrast or depth you&rsquo;d expect from AMOLED, but that&rsquo;s the nature of the panel.&nbsp;
Brightness is also limited. The screen tops out at 1000 nits (HBM), which is fine indoors but starts struggling under strong sunlight. I often found myself hunting for shade just to see what was on the screen.
As for the speakers, Realme does give you a stereo setup, which is a win at this price. The performance, though, is average. They get loud, but there&rsquo;s no real richness or tonal character. They&rsquo;re perfectly serviceable for reels, shorts or the quick YouTube scroll, but for movies or long OTT sessions, they sound a bit flat.
<h2>Realme P4x Review: Performance</h2>
The Realme P4x runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7400-Ultra, and the performance story is a mixed but mostly positive one. The base variant starts with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and goes up to 8GB of RAM with a generous 256GB of storage.&nbsp;
Realme&rsquo;s decision to use UFS 3.1 instead of the usual UFS 2.2 at this price deserves real credit. You also have the option to use a microSD card and expand your storage. What doesn&rsquo;t earn the same applause is starting the RAM at 6GB in 2025.&nbsp;
In everyday use, though, the P4x holds its own. Apps open quickly, animations stay smooth, and the UI feels surprisingly responsive for a phone in this segment. Across my testing period, I didn&rsquo;t run into stutters, dropped frames, or any noticeable slowdowns. It behaves exactly the way a budget device should behave, but not always does.
Budget phones rarely deliver impressive benchmark scores, and the P4x doesn&rsquo;t suddenly break that pattern. We still ran the usual set just to see what would happen, and the results were more than acceptable for the price. In fact, in Antutu, our unit managed to outscore what Realme claims about the P4x in their own marketing materials.
Gaming is where things get a little more interesting. The P4x has a 144Hz display, but none of the popular mobile titles like BGMI or Call of Duty Mobile touch that number. They don&rsquo;t even hit 120FPS. Both max out at 90FPS, and even then, the display refuses to switch to 120Hz during gameplay. It&rsquo;s an odd limitation that makes the 144Hz spec feel more decorative than practical.
Despite this, the actual gaming experience was solid. During my sessions with BGMI and CoD:M, frame rates stayed consistently between 87&ndash;90FPS for over half an hour. Thermal performance was also surprisingly controlled. The device warmed up during long sessions and during benchmarks, but never to an uncomfortable or alarming level. Realme credits this to using the largest vapour chamber in its segment.
Overall, the P4x delivers steady, reliable performance with a cooling system that genuinely works, even if the 144Hz story still feels unfinished.
<h2>Realme P4x Review: Cameras</h2>
Phones in this price bracket almost always compromise on cameras, and the P4x follows the same pattern. At first glance, the rear module looks like a triple-camera setup, but you actually get just two cameras: a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP secondary unit that exists purely for symmetry. It adds nothing to image quality and is essentially wasted space.
The 50MP main camera did a good job for me in bright, outdoor conditions. Colours looked mostly accurate, details came through well, and the images felt reliable. I did notice the processing getting a bit overeager at times, especially with textures and fine patterns, but nothing deal-breaking.
At 2X, the weaknesses show immediately. I lost a lot of detail, and while the colours were still okay, the images were just about good enough for casual use. Nothing more.
Low-light shots were acceptable as long as I kept expectations realistic. Noise definitely creeps in, especially in dim indoor scenes, and shadows tend to get mushy. But honestly, this is the standard story for phones in this price band.
The 8MP selfie camera felt like a downgrade when I compared it to what competitors offer. Even so, the selfies I took looked fairly natural. Skin tones were handled well, though textures were noticeably smoothed out and overall sharpness wasn&rsquo;t great.
For video, I could shoot up to 4K 30fps, which is impressive at this price. Colours and dynamic range were solid, but without OIS, stability definitely suffers.
<h2>Realme P4x Review: Software and UI</h2>
The Realme P4x runs Android 15 with Realme UI 6 on top, and Realme has sprinkled AI features all over the place. I spotted them inside the Gallery, Notes, Sound Recorder, Camera, and even in system-wide tools like AI Smart Loop. There are also plenty of lock-screen customisation options, plus a Live Alerts feature that behaves a lot like Apple&rsquo;s Dynamic Island.
That said, I&rsquo;m still not a big fan of Realme UI 6 on budget phones. The interface looks dated and a bit clunky, and the amount of bloatware continues to be a major pain point. What bothered me even more were the constant, unnecessary notifications that kept popping up throughout the day. It all adds to an experience that feels unnecessarily noisy.
For software support, Realme promises two years of OS updates and three years of security patches. It doesn&rsquo;t sound like much, but it&rsquo;s standard for this price segment.
<h2>Realme P4x Review: Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
Battery life is &nbsp;is easily one of the P4x&rsquo;s strongest areas. The 7000mAh battery is massive, and because the phone uses a fairly light SoC along with an FHD+ LCD panel, the system never really demands too much power. In my testing, I was consistently getting two full days of use without even thinking about a charger. If you&rsquo;re smart with it, you can even push it to three.
My screen-on time usually sat between 8 hours 30 minutes and 9 hours on a single charge, which is seriously impressive for a phone at this price.
Charging is handled through 45W wired fast charging, and Realme thankfully includes a 45W charger in the box. Now, 45W isn&rsquo;t blazing fast by today&rsquo;s standards, but given the huge 7000mAh capacity, I wasn&rsquo;t expecting miracles anyway. From zero to full, it took me around an hour and a half, which felt reasonable considering the size of the battery.
<h2>Realme P4x Review: Verdict</h2>
The Realme P4x isn&rsquo;t your typical budget phone &mdash; it feels like it&rsquo;s aiming just a bit higher. Performance is where it really shows off, consistently hitting 90FPS in BGMI and CoD:M, and handling daily tasks without any stutters. The cameras won&rsquo;t blow you away, but they&rsquo;re more than dependable for what you&rsquo;re paying.
But then the phone makes a few odd choices. The biggest one is the 144Hz display. What&rsquo;s the point of having it when barely any pre-installed apps &mdash; or even the most popular games &mdash; can't take advantage of it? It feels like a spec added for the sheet rather than real-world use.
What complicates things further is the competition. The P4x starts at ₹15,499 for the base 6GB variant. For just a little more money, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite gives you a better display and a better gaming experience. Even Realme&rsquo;s own P4 is a very capable alternative.
That said, if you want a phone that looks premium, feels great in the hand, lasts multiple days on a charge, and you don&rsquo;t mind an LCD panel, the P4x still stands as a solid option for the price.

Vivo X300 Pro delivers stunning cameras, a clean premium design and fast, cool performance, making it one of the strongest flagship phones of 2025. Here's our full review.

Vivo X300 Pro Review: The 2025 Camera King Arrives

Vivo X300 Pro delivers stunning cameras, a clean, premium design and fast, cool performance, making it one of the strongest flagship phones of 2025. Here's our full review

The Vivo X300 Pro delivers outstanding cameras, fast and cool performance, a premium flat design, a sharp 2K display and strong battery life, making it a top flagship for 2025.

The Vivo X300 Pro comes to us at a time when nearly every major flagship brand is reworking its entire photography playbook. OnePlus has stepped away from it&rsquo;s collab with Hasselblad and built a fresh imaging system powered by the DetailMax Engine inside the OnePlus 15. iQOO, a company that usually focuses on sheer speed, has also shifted its priorities this year by giving the iQOO 15 a far more serious camera setup. Across the industry, everyone seems to be rewriting their rules for mobile photography from the ground up.
Vivo stands apart because it never needed to rediscover its direction. It established its reputation in mobile imaging long ago, and that legacy still holds strong. When everyday users casually place your photos next to those from an iPhone or a Pixel and still lean towards yours, the task is no longer to close gaps. The real effort is to maintain that lead.
Which brings us to the obvious questions. What exactly has Vivo changed or refined this year? Does it still hold the top spot in smartphone photography in 2025? And beyond the camera, how well does it perform as a premium flagship priced at ₹1,09,999 for the single 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage version?
After spending two full weeks with the Vivo X300 Pro, testing every feature thoroughly and using it as my everyday phone, I think I can answer that
<h2>Vivo X300 Pro Review: A camera setup that feels built for creators</h2>
I have been testing the Vivo X300 Pro for a while now, and the first thing I wanted to figure out was simple. Is this the new camera champion for 2025? Vivo has been delivering excellent imaging for years, so I knew it would perform well, but I honestly did not expect it to be this enjoyable to use. Within a day of shooting with it, I felt like a discounted version of Joseph Radhik or Atul Kasbekar. All I really had to do was compose the frame, tap the shutter and let the phone handle the rest.
The camera hardware alone reads like a checklist that any photography enthusiast would appreciate. The primary camera uses a 1/1.28 inch 50MP sensor with optical stabilisation. The telephoto setup is built around a 200MP periscope sensor paired with 3.5x optical zoom. The ultrawide camera is a 50MP unit. The front camera is also 50MP and can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second. On paper, it already feels stacked, and in day-to-day use, that impression stays true.
The main camera consistently produced shots that made me want to keep finding new things to photograph. In bright outdoor conditions, images looked lively, crisp and incredibly well judged in terms of exposure. The dynamic range is handled confidently. Shadows do not collapse into muddy patches and highlights rarely blow out without reason. Colours look vibrant without being pushed to a point where they turn unrealistic.
Low-light performance is where this sensor really shines. The amount of detail it captures in dim environments is remarkable. There were moments where I checked the gallery and thought an invisible light source had been added to the frame. Surfaces on buildings, strands of fur, fabric patterns and even foliage stayed beautifully textured. The results did not turn waxy or muddy. Several of the evening shots I captured looked ready to be printed and hung on a wall.
Zoom performance follows the same trend. At 2x and 3x, sharpness stays intact and the overall look stays consistent with the main camera. Vivo&rsquo;s colour tuning remains reliable, and the white balance rarely drifts into warmer or cooler territory without reason. The real standout is the 200MP periscope camera. This thing feels like a dedicated tool packed inside the phone. Close-up photos show so much detail that I kept zooming into textures just to appreciate how much it could resolve. At times, I felt the contrast leaned a bit higher than ideal, but the overall clarity made up for it. Yes, the phone uses plenty of AI, but the processing never crossed into looking fake or glossy.
Portrait shots were equally impressive. Even when I did not switch to portrait mode, the natural depth of field produced by the main camera created a soft background blur that looked like something out of a proper interchangeable lens camera. When portrait mode was enabled, edge detection stayed accurate, and the separation between subject and background looked clean.
The ultrawide camera also held up well. It handled large scenes with minimal bending at the edges, and the annoying fisheye look that many phones struggle with was barely noticeable. The colour profile still needs a slight amount of fine tuning to perfectly match the main sensor, but it is already dependable enough for landscape shots and architectural photos.
The 50MP selfie camera performed nicely in most conditions. Skin tones looked believable, and colours stayed true to life. Under harsh backlighting, the phone sometimes brightened the entire frame a little more than required, which shifted skin tones slightly, but the results were still usable for both photos and video.
Video recording was the part I approached with caution because Vivo has traditionally been behind Apple in this category. This time, though, the gap feels much smaller. All four cameras can shoot 4K at 30 and 60 frames per second. The main and telephoto cameras can even record 4K at 120 frames per second. The primary lens supports 8K at 30 frames per second at both 1x and 2x. Dolby Vision recording works in all modes except 8K. Stabilisation is smoother than before, colours look pleasing and the telephoto unit captures steadier footage than I expected. Digital zoom still loses detail, but that is completely normal. Pro mode includes Log recording with a live preview and a built-in LUT, which is perfect for anyone who enjoys colour grading.
After testing everything, I genuinely feel that if Apple does not deliver a major upgrade in video recording soon, Vivo will take the top spot here too. It has already beaten most brands in photography, and the video gap with the iPhone is now the narrowest it has ever been.
<h2>Vivo X300 Pro Review: A refined design that keeps things clean and premium</h2>
The Vivo X300 Pro instantly reminded me of older X-series models, yet it still feels like a clear step forward. The overall shape is recognisable, but the tweaks this year give it a more polished character. Vivo has gone with a completely flat front and back, and when that is paired with the frosted glass rear and flat aluminium frame, the phone feels far more modern. It has that clean, slab-like look many 2025 flagships are embracing, and it sits very naturally in my hand during long sessions of gaming, typing or watching videos.
The moment you turn the phone around, the familiarity disappears because the camera module still grabs all the attention. The island remains large and sits high on the back, so there is no hiding it. What I like, though, is how Vivo has refined the design. The thick border around last year&rsquo;s camera housing has been replaced with a neat circular ring. The ribbed metal texture on the ring continues, and it adds a nice premium touch that makes the module feel more deliberate rather than oversized.
Even with the substantial camera hardware and glass on both sides, the phone never felt awkwardly weighted. The X300 Pro measures 226 grams and about 8 mm in thickness, which sounds heavy on paper, yet the distribution is done well. Whether I was shooting photos, gaming for long stretches or simply scrolling through social media, the phone did not feel uncomfortable or top-heavy. It is definitely not a light device, but the ergonomics keep the weight from becoming annoying.
As for the bump itself, I have no real complaints because the output it delivers more than justifies the size. Vivo includes a soft rubber case in the box, and it not only improves the grip but also visually tones down the camera bump, which helps the overall design look a little cleaner.
My review unit is the Elite Black colour, and I think it might be my favourite finish from the entire X-series so far. The matte texture feels smooth and premium, barely attracts fingerprints and only becomes slightly slippery when I use it without the case. The placement of the buttons and ports feels natural, and I am happy that the shortcut button remains. The only thing I miss is the dedicated camera control key from the X200 Ultra.
For durability, the phone comes with IP68 and IP69 ratings, and the Diamond Armour Glass on the front held up perfectly during day-to-day use without visible wear.
<h2>Vivo X300 Pro Review: A display that stays elite without chasing gimmicks</h2>
The X300 Pro&rsquo;s screen does not attempt anything wildly experimental, and I actually think that works in its favour. Vivo has reused the same display found on the X200 Pro and even the X100, and there is no real reason to complain because it was a flagship-grade panel back then and it still performs like one today. The phone features a 6.78 inch 2K LTPO panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, full DCI P3 colour coverage, 2000 nits of HBM brightness and an impressive 4500 nits of peak brightness. In everyday use, it consistently feels premium, fluid and exceptionally sharp.
HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support help round out the visual experience. No matter what I was watching or browsing, the panel delivered rich colours without pushing them into an unnatural zone. Highlights stayed controlled and textures remained detailed. Whether it was Netflix, YouTube or downloaded HDR clips, the display handled everything confidently, and I never felt the need to adjust the colour profile for extra punch.
There is an optional Vision Booster mode for people who want more saturation and deeper contrast. I tested it out for a short while, but eventually switched back to the standard tuning because it already looks lively and well-balanced.
What stood out more to me was the sheer number of eye comfort features Vivo has included. Smart Eye Protection Mode 3.0, Anti Fatigue Brightness 2.0, Adaptive Color Temperature, Full Range High Frequency PWM Dimming, Full Range DC Dimming and Night Eye Protection Mode all work behind the scenes to reduce strain. The screen also carries T&Uuml;V Rheinland Flicker Free and Low Blue Light certifications, which adds to the reassurance when I use the phone for long sessions.
The ultrasonic fingerprint reader is just as dependable as before. It unlocks the phone quickly, stays accurate and even works if my fingers are a little damp.
If I had to point out one weak link, it would be the speakers. They get reasonably loud and stay clear, but the overall audio lacks depth and feels slightly flat for a phone at this price point.
<h2>Vivo X300 Pro Review: A performance beast that loves showing off</h2>
The Vivo X300 Pro delivers the kind of performance you expect from a proper flagship, and a lot of that comes down to the Dimensity 9500. This chip holds its own against the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and occasionally even feels a touch quicker in real use. My unit has 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, so there is absolutely no shortage of speed anywhere in the system.
Calling the phone fast feels too mild. Across my two weeks of testing, the X300 Pro behaved like it was built to stay ahead of whatever I threw at it. General navigation is incredibly fluid, animations glide smoothly, and multitasking never forced the phone to pause or reset anything in the background. Even with a stack of apps open, the overall responsiveness remained consistent. It has the kind of reliability I expect from a flagship that costs more than a lakh, and it never once dipped below that expectation.
Gaming performance has also been impressive. I played multiple extended BGMI sessions lasting around 45 minutes at a time, and the phone barely warmed up. This is especially noteworthy because previous high-end MediaTek chips often ran hot even with aggressive cooling setups. Vivo&rsquo;s approach this year uses a sizeable vapour chamber paired with a graphite sheet, and the difference is obvious. The X300 Pro manages heat extremely well, frame stability stays high and the phone never throttled enough for me to notice any drop in smoothness.
Overall, the Dimensity 9500 performs like a proper flagship-class processor and finally gives MediaTek the level of consistency and thermal control users have been waiting for.
<h2>Vivo X300 Pro Review: A smoother, shinier UI that refuses to slow down</h2>
The Vivo X300 Pro marks a proper turning point for the X series on the software front. It ships with OriginOS 6, and from the moment I started using it, the difference felt dramatic. The whole interface has been refreshed with a transparent, liquid-like design language that feels modern and polished. It reminded me a little of Apple&rsquo;s glossy visual style, but it still carries enough of Vivo&rsquo;s personality to stand out on its own.
Lock screen customisation has taken a big step forward. There are more layout options, more styles and an overall easier setup flow. Animations across the system feel smoother, and the dynamic island style pop-up now looks far more refined than previous versions. The newly designed icons and cleaner transitions give the software a level of sophistication that earlier builds of OriginOS never fully reached.
What surprised me most is the sheer smoothness of the entire system. App launches, fingerprint unlocks, swiping through menus and pulling down notifications all feel fluid. This is the first time Vivo&rsquo;s software has had that uninterrupted premium feel from top to bottom. There were stretches during testing when I genuinely did not feel like going back to my other review devices because the experience here was so consistently pleasant.
OriginOS 6 also feels better organised. The revamped control centre looks sharper and behaves more predictably. The layout is less busy, icons match each other more neatly and the overall visual structure is far easier to follow. Origin Island adds an interactive element for apps such as Maps, Music and Clock. I do wish more third-party apps supported it, but the idea itself is fun and practical. Phone to PC mirroring and cross-device note syncing have already become a regular part of my everyday workflow.
There is also a visible push towards AI. You get tools for text and image creation, an AI circle search feature and enhanced editing options including object removal and image expansion. Most of these feel useful rather than gimmicky.
Vivo has also committed to five years of OS updates and six years of security updates, which significantly boosts the long term value of the X300 Pro.
<h2>Vivo X300 Pro Review: A battery setup that lasts longer than you expect</h2>
The X300 Pro packs a 6510 mAh battery, which is a slightly unusual capacity at a time when other brands are jumping to 7000 mAh and beyond. Even so, the battery life has been consistently reliable. I usually pulled six to seven hours of screen time on a full charge, and that included long gaming stretches and a fair amount of OTT streaming. With lighter use, the phone comfortably lasted a day and a half.
Charging speeds are equally dependable. The included 90W adapter takes the phone from zero to full in just under an hour, and you also get 40W wireless charging. The device supports both wired and wireless reverse charging for accessories, which adds extra convenience.
<h2>Vivo X300 Pro Review: A flagship that gets almost everything right</h2>
So, how good is the Vivo X300 Pro? In my experience, Vivo has not only protected its long-standing camera legacy, it has pushed it to a new high. The main, telephoto and ultrawide cameras deliver dependable results across every scenario I tried, and the consistency alone makes this the most enjoyable camera setup I have used this year. Video recording is still a notch below the iPhone, but the gap has never been this small.
The overall package feels equally strong. The refreshed design looks cleaner and more mature, the display continues to compete with the best in the business and the Dimensity 9500 keeps the phone running fast and cool without any drops in stability. OriginOS 6 might be the biggest leap of all. It finally feels unified, premium and smooth in a way previous versions never quite managed, and Vivo&rsquo;s long-term update promise only strengthens the phone&rsquo;s value.
Sure, the speakers could have used more depth and the camera bump remains large, but these are minor complaints in a device that excels in so many areas. At ₹1,09,999 for the 16GB and 512GB variant, the Vivo X300 Pro sets the standard for 2025 and is easily the phone to beat this year.&nbsp;

A compact flagship with a 200MP camera, big 6040mAh battery, fast charging and smooth OriginOS 6. The Vivo X300 delivers more than its size suggests.

Vivo X300 Review: The compact flagship for 2025

The Vivo X300 brings a compact form factor, a powerhouse of a camera set up, strong performance and clean software. Read before you buy.

Do you usually pick a phone for its camera, its raw horsepower, or a clean, reliable software experience? With the Vivo X300, you don&rsquo;t really have to choose. This compact flagship tries to nail all three, and surprisingly, it gets pretty close.
I&rsquo;ve been using it as my main phone for the past week, and that&rsquo;s been enough to understand where it shines, where it slips a little, and what it actually feels like to use every day. The overall experience turned out to be more impressive than I expected, largely because of the hardware Vivo has packed in at a starting price of ₹75,999. It&rsquo;s a small phone, but definitely not a lightweight in what it delivers.
<h2>How does the Vivo X300&rsquo;s design come together in real use?</h2>
What caught my attention first wasn&rsquo;t the camera; that crown belonged to last year&rsquo;s X200. This time, it was the design. Vivo has shifted to a cleaner, more minimal look, and the frosted glass back lands in that sweet spot where it resists smudges without losing its premium feel. The unibody 3D glass design helps too, giving the phone a smoother, more cohesive look. I still gravitate toward the Elite Black variant, but the Mist Blue finish adds a softer, calmer vibe for anyone who prefers something understated.
The camera module also feels far more polished. The X200&rsquo;s bump was noticeably chunky and made the phone wobble on tables; the X300 still has a bump, but it blends seamlessly and keeps the phone steady on flat surfaces.
The essentials are neatly placed along the flat aluminium frame, which curves slightly at the corners for a more comfortable grip. You get the power button and volume keys on the right, plus a dual-SIM tray and USB-C 3.2 port at the bottom. Stereo speakers round out the basics.
The biggest highlight, though, is the size. At roughly 190 grams and about 7.9mm thick for the Elite Black model, the X300 feels compact in a world where flagships keep getting bulkier. With both IP68 and IP69 protection, it&rsquo;s a device that&rsquo;s genuinely easy to use and carry every day.
<h2>Is the Vivo X300&rsquo;s screen actually worth the hype?</h2>
Turn on the display and the X300 keeps the momentum going. It packs a 6.31-inch 1.5K LTPO AMOLED panel with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, boosted by Vivo&rsquo;s Ultra Motion algorithm for noticeably fluid animations. The 10-bit screen supports HDR10+, HDR Vivid and Ultra HDR across apps like YouTube and Netflix, delivering rich but well-controlled colours with excellent overall calibration.
There&rsquo;s also a Visual Enhancement mode if you prefer a punchier look, though the default profile already feels lively without going overboard. For protection, Vivo uses SCHOTT Xensation XT Core. It isn&rsquo;t quite on the level of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, but it&rsquo;s still dependable for everyday safety.
Brightness peaks at 2000 nits globally and hits a local high of 4500 nits, making outdoor visibility solid even under harsh sunlight. The ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader is fast, accurate and easy to trust.
<h2>How well does the Vivo X300&rsquo;s battery hold up?</h2>
The Vivo X300&rsquo;s battery life was stronger than expected. Its 6040mAh cell, combined with 90W wired and 40W wireless charging, easily carried me through a full day of heavy use &mdash; everything from long camera sessions to nonstop streaming and even intensive gaming. Only during multiple benchmark loops did it drain a bit quicker, but it still made it to the evening without stress.
On most days, I consistently got around 7&ndash;8 hours of heavy usage on a single charge. A full recharge takes roughly an hour, which feels reasonable considering the massive battery size.
<h2>How strong is the Vivo X300 when it comes to performance and gaming?</h2>
The Vivo X300 delivers performance that comfortably sits in flagship territory, even though it&rsquo;s not completely immune to occasional heat spikes. It&rsquo;s powered by the Dimensity 9500 chipset built on a 3nm process, paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. In everyday use, the phone feels fast, fluid, and consistently reliable, whether you&rsquo;re juggling multiple apps, editing photos, or zipping through social media, it never shows any hesitation.
Benchmarks back this up. The X300 scored around 3.3 million on AnTuTu with only mild warmth during the run, while Geekbench results came in at 3278 for single-core and 9825 for multi-core. These numbers place it right alongside other 2025 flagships. In a 20-minute CPU throttling test with 30 threads, the chip dipped to roughly 76 percent of its peak performance. That&rsquo;s still respectable, though the heat during this specific stress test was noticeable.
When it comes to gaming, the X300 handles titles like Call of Duty Mobile smoothly at basic settings. You&rsquo;ll feel a bit of warmth near the camera module after longer sessions, but it never becomes uncomfortable. Vivo&rsquo;s new Glacial Cooling system also kicks in effectively, helping the phone cool down faster than expected once gameplay stops.
In everyday performance, even for heavy users, the device stays cool, responsive, and stable. It&rsquo;s a dependable flagship for gaming, content creation, and everything in between.
<h2>How polished is the software experience on the Vivo X300?</h2>
The biggest upgrade on the Vivo X300 is easily the software. It runs Vivo&rsquo;s new OriginOS 6 based on Android 16, and the difference is obvious the moment you unlock the phone. The redesigned icons, smoother animations, and refreshed control centre give the interface a cleaner, more premium look. Origin Island adds an interactive layer for apps like Maps, Music, and Clock, though it still needs wider app support to reach its full potential.
What really stands out is the overall refinement. Funtouch OS often felt a bit scattered, but OriginOS 6 feels far more organised and visually consistent, even if some of the translucent elements clearly take cues from iOS 16&rsquo;s liquid-glass style.
There are genuinely useful additions as well, including phone-to-PC mirroring and cross-device note syncing. The AI suite is stacked too, with text and image generation, AI Circle for search, Gemini-powered features, and handy editing tools like object erasers and background expand options.
Vivo is also promising long-term support with 5 years of OS updates and 7 years of security patches, ensuring the X300 stays reliable well into the future.
<h2>Is the Vivo X300 the best camera phone you can buy right now?</h2>
The Vivo X300 stays true to Vivo&rsquo;s imaging-first legacy. Powered by the Dimensity 9500&rsquo;s built-in processing and supported by Vivo&rsquo;s in-house VS1 and V3+ imaging chips, the camera system produces consistently impressive photos and videos. The 200MP main sensor delivers rich, detailed shots with excellent colour accuracy and dynamic range. Skin tones look natural, and the phone handles complex lighting conditions with confidence.
The 50MP 3x periscope telephoto lens also holds up well. Colours remain consistent with the main camera, and portrait mode, especially at 100mm, looks almost DSLR-like with sharp detail, clean separation, and realistic texture. In bright conditions, results are strong, though very fine detail can occasionally dip.
The ultrawide is where the system stumbles slightly. Despite using a 50MP sensor, images sometimes appear softer and less detailed, but switching to the high-resolution mode improves sharpness noticeably. Selfies from the 50MP front camera look crisp with accurate skin texture and pleasing depth.
In low light, the main sensor performs impressively, keeping noise low and detail high. Telephoto shots soften a bit and portrait edge detection can slip around hair, but overall output remains reliable.
For video, the rear camera shoots up to 4K 120fps while the front goes up to 4K 60fps. Footage is good overall, though finer detail can waver at times, and the standard X300 misses out on Dolby Vision. Even with those drawbacks, the X300 remains one of the strongest all-round camera phones available, especially for still photography.
<h2>Is the Vivo X300 a smart buy in 2025?</h2>
After pushing the Vivo X300 through everything from heavy multitasking to camera stress tests, calling it &ldquo;good enough&rdquo; would be selling it short. Sure, the ultrawide camera needs work and parts of OriginOS 6 clearly take inspiration from elsewhere, but none of that overshadows the bigger picture.
The X300 gets the fundamentals absolutely right. Smooth, reliable performance, standout main and telephoto cameras, a premium build, strong battery life, and a compact form factor that feels almost rare in 2025&rsquo;s flagship world.
I liked the X200 last year, but the X300 makes an even stronger mark. If you want a compact flagship without compromising on core features, this one is genuinely easy to recommend.

Nothing Phone 3a Lite delivers solid performance, clean software and a premium display, but faces strong competition from the CMF Phone 2 Pro 

Nothing Phone 3a Lite review: Strong basics, tough rivals

Nothing Phone 3a Lite nails the basics with a premium display and clean software, but its price puts it too close to the stronger the CMF Phone 2 Pro.

I&rsquo;ve been trying to make sense of the Nothing Phone 3a Lite, and it has honestly left me a little unsure. When I look at it in isolation, it feels like a genuinely good package. For ₹20,999, the overall experience holds up well, whether it is the performance, the design, or the software polish Nothing is known for.
The confusion starts the moment I compare it to the CMF Phone 2 Pro. That phone matches the 3a Lite almost part for part. The display feels the same, the software behaves the same, and the cameras on the CMF option are clearly ahead. When two products under the same larger brand start overlapping this tightly, it makes me wonder what the actual plan is.
So I am now trying to understand who the 3a Lite is really meant for and whether it genuinely deserves a spot next to a much stronger sibling.
<h2>Nothing Phone 3a Lite&rsquo;s Design: Still turning heads</h2>
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite grabbed my attention from the moment I unboxed it, which honestly didn&rsquo;t surprise me. Nothing has always had a way of making phones that stand out, and this one follows that tradition. Even if someone isn&rsquo;t familiar with the brand&rsquo;s transparent, industrial look, this design has enough visual character to make them stop and take a closer look. It carries the familiar Nothing flavour, but there is a tiny bit of novelty in the way it has been executed.
I have always seen Nothing&rsquo;s design language split opinions. Some people love the whole exposed-tech, slightly futuristic vibe, while others think it goes a bit over the top. Personally, I appreciate that the company never plays it safe. Their phones always have personality, and the 3a Lite is no exception. My white review unit highlights this even more. The exposed screws pop nicely, the small red accent draws your eye without trying too hard, and the entire back looks premium without needing to shout about it.
There is a new design detail here called the Battery Simulation layout on the rear panel. It adds a retro feel that instantly reminded me of old remote controls. It is quirky in a way that feels intentional, and I actually find it fun. At the same time, I do feel Nothing is starting to rely a little too heavily on the same visual formula. After eight phones that broadly look like variations of the same theme, I am hoping 2026 is when they attempt something riskier.
While using the phone, the build impressed me more than I expected. Its 8.3 mm thickness and 199 gram weight give it a dense, confident feel. It sits well in the hand and feels more premium than its price would suggest. The front and back both use Panda Glass, while the frame is plastic. The back picks up fingerprints faster than I would like, so for me, going without a case is not practical. Thankfully, Nothing includes a clear case in the box, which helps immediately.
There is an aluminium mid-frame on the inside that keeps everything solid and reassuring. You also get IP54 protection, which may not sound like much, but plenty of phones in this bracket skip any form of rating, so I definitely see it as a positive.
The rear camera arrangement is one area I am a little unsure about. The three lenses sit directly on the surface with no traditional camera island, which gives them a floating look. I am still deciding whether I like it or not.
And despite Carl Pei hinting at a future beyond the Glyph system, the 3a Lite still keeps it alive. There is a single Glyph strip at the bottom that handles countdowns, alerts and basic notifications. It is subtle but still gives the phone that Nothing identity.
The last design element is the Essential Key under the power button. It has a slightly curved shape, but the moment you put a case on, both buttons feel almost identical. I kept mixing them up until I eventually started checking before pressing anything.
<h2>Nothing Phone 3a Lite&rsquo;s Display: Smooth, sharp and mostly impressive</h2>
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite uses a 6.77-inch FHD+ flexible AMOLED panel, and the moment it lights up, it feels far more premium than what you usually get at this price. The screen is crisp, colours look rich without going overboard and the 120Hz refresh rate genuinely lifts the experience. Whether I am scrolling through socials or watching YouTube, everything feels fluid and clean. Nothing says this is the same panel used on the 3a and 3a Pro, and based on how refined it looks, I do not doubt that for a second.
Because this is a flexible AMOLED screen, the bezels are slim on all four sides, giving the phone a more polished look. Viewing angles hold up well, touch response feels snappy and overall, it performs at a level that reminds me of phones that cost much more. Black levels are exactly what you expect from OLED, and the colour tuning feels tasteful.
The compromises start to show once you dig deeper. This is not an LTPO panel, so the refresh rate cannot drop down to 1Hz when you enable Always On Display. That means the phone keeps running at a higher refresh rate even when it does not need to, which is not ideal for long-term battery efficiency.
Brightness is also where I noticed the first real limitation. HDR peaks are impressive at 3000 nits, but the 1300 nits outdoor brightness is just about fine. On a sunny day, the glossy glass on top makes reflections more noticeable. Nothing OS&rsquo;s high-contrast UI helps a bit, but there were still plenty of moments where I had to shift angles just to see things clearly.
Audio, unfortunately, is the biggest disappointment. A mono speaker on a phone costing over ₹15,000 in 2025 simply feels outdated. It gets loud, but it has no depth or fullness, and the bottom-firing setup gets blocked far too easily when I am holding the phone. It is passable for quick clips, but not something I would trust for long movies or gaming sessions.
<h2>Nothing Phone 3a Lite&rsquo;s Cameras: Capable, but clearly limited</h2>
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite technically arrives with three cameras, but in real-world use, only one of them truly feels meaningful. The 50MP primary sensor with EIS is the workhorse here and carries almost the entire shooting experience. The other two cameras are an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro, and I will say it straight: the macro lens adds nothing of value. Even one of Nothing&rsquo;s own executives publicly criticised the industry trend of adding filler macro sensors, and this feels like exactly that kind of decision.
The main camera, thankfully, performs well enough to hold the setup together. In daylight, it captures solid detail, gets colours fairly accurate and handles dynamic range with confidence. There are times when the processing becomes a little too intense, especially in scenes with a lot going on. Some photos look slightly over-processed, but not to a point where the image becomes unusable.
At 2X zoom, which is just a crop from the main sensor, you do lose a bit of sharpness and consistency in colour. Even then, for a phone at this price, the results are acceptable and sometimes surprisingly decent. The ultrawide camera is serviceable but clearly limited by its 8MP resolution. It often produces slightly darker images, and while sharpness is fine in the centre, finer details quickly fall apart. It is usable, but it never really impresses.
Low-light photography is where things start falling apart. Both the main and ultrawide sensors struggle to control noise, and 2X zoom becomes very grainy. You can get okay results when there is enough ambient light, but once the lighting becomes challenging, noise becomes difficult to ignore.
For video, the Phone 3a Lite records up to 4K at 30fps, which is reasonable at this price. Colours look good, dynamic range is handled well and EIS keeps footage fairly steady. There is also a 1080p 120fps option for slow motion.
The 16MP selfie camera turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It delivers good detail, natural skin tones and surprisingly clean portraits. Overall, the camera system is fine for casual use, but there are clearly stronger options available if photography is your priority.
<h2>Nothing Phone 3a Lite&rsquo;s Performance: Surprisingly strong for the segment</h2>
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite runs on MediaTek&rsquo;s Dimensity 7300 Pro, the same chip used in the CMF Phone 2 Pro. Because of that, I went in expecting solid everyday performance, and the phone delivered exactly that. It feels smooth in day-to-day use, apps open quickly and moving between tasks never really slows it down.
The bigger surprise showed up in the benchmark tests. I assumed the phone would pull in a fairly standard score for this segment, but the AnTuTu result climbed to almost 9.6 lakh. That instantly got my attention, especially because the phone barely warmed up during the run. Geekbench results were just as reassuring, with 1015 for single-core and 2942 for multi-core.
My review unit came with 8GB of RAM, and Nothing also gives you the option to add virtual RAM through their RAM booster feature. Storage options include 128GB and 256GB, and there is even a microSD card slot that supports up to 2TB. It is rare to see expandable storage on phones in 2025, so I genuinely appreciate this flexibility.
I spent a fair amount of time gaming on it as well. For casual and moderately demanding titles, the experience was smooth, and BGMI ran well enough for me to play comfortably. Still, the Dimensity 7300 Pro is not built for serious competitive gaming. It cannot fully utilise the 120Hz display in heavy titles, and you will notice the limitations if you push it too far. For anyone who plays casually, though, the 3a Lite performs better than expected for the price.
<h2>Nothing Phone 3a Lite&rsquo;s software experience and UI: Clean, but some unhappy changes</h2>
My time with the Nothing Phone 3a Lite started on a slightly uneven note. It runs Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15, and while the interface looked familiar and clean, the first two days were not perfectly smooth.&nbsp;
Apps like Chrome and the Play Store sometimes refused to open or would shut down halfway through loading. A small update arrived almost immediately, and once I installed it, the phone settled into the stable, polished behaviour I normally expect from Nothing. Animations felt consistent again, and the UI regained that clean rhythm that has become one of the brand&rsquo;s strengths.
Nothing is said to be working on a major design overhaul for early 2026, but the 3a Lite sticks to the current blueprint. I have seen a few early hints of Nothing OS 4.0, and some of those ideas do not sit well with me yet. Lock Glimpse is the clearest example. It cycles through curated wallpapers and short pieces of content on the lockscreen, and the first thing I thought of was Glance. I have never liked the idea of turning the lockscreen into a space that seeks engagement, and while Nothing&rsquo;s approach is much more toned down right now, I hope they do not lean further into this direction.
There is also a small but noticeable shift in the amount of pre-installed apps. Facebook and Instagram now come bundled with the phone. I use both, so it does not bother me personally, and you can uninstall them without any trouble. Still, it does feel like a departure from the original promise of keeping the software as clean as possible.
Once those concerns are out of the way, the good parts shine through. Nothing OS still has one of the most cohesive visual identities in the Android world. The widgets feel polished, the menus are tidy and the stock apps have a simple, thoughtful design. I genuinely prefer their gallery app over Google Photos when I want to browse images quickly.
In terms of updates, Nothing promises three years of OS upgrades and six years of security patches. Since the phone launches with Android 15 and Android 16 is already on the horizon, this effectively means two major platform upgrades. The Essential Key, Essential Space and Essential Search continue to be genuinely useful tools and round out the experience in a practical way that I appreciate in daily use.
<h2>Nothing Phone 3a Lite&rsquo;s battery life &amp; charging: Reliable for daily use</h2>
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite&rsquo;s 5,000mAh battery has been dependable in my usual day-to-day use. I can get through a full day without worrying about charging, and even on heavy days, the phone does not leave me anxious. The 33W fast charging helps a lot, although some rivals now offer larger batteries at similar prices.
A quick 20-minute top-up gets the phone close to the halfway point, and a complete charge finishes in just under an hour. There is also 5W reverse wired charging, which I find useful for quickly powering smaller accessories when I need it.
<h2>Verdict: Does the Nothing Phone 3a Lite hold its ground?</h2>
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite is actually quite easy to appreciate. The screen feels premium, day-to-day performance is steady, and Nothing OS still delivers that clean, minimal vibe that makes the brand stand out. The cameras won&rsquo;t amaze you, but for casual photography they&rsquo;re perfectly capable. Add dependable battery life, and the fundamentals are all in place.
The problem starts when you look at the price tag.
At ₹20,999 without any launch deals, the 3a Lite walks straight into the territory of the Phone 2 Pro. And that&rsquo;s where the equation tilts. The 2 Pro simply offers a stronger overall package, especially with its better camera setup, and that naturally makes buyers think twice.
Then there&rsquo;s the India-specific angle. CMF has become a massive part of Nothing&rsquo;s strategy here, and the CMF Phone 2 Pro sits extremely close to this device in both pricing and performance &mdash; while still offering clear hardware advantages. That creates unavoidable overlap.
So the 3a Lite isn&rsquo;t a weak product. It&rsquo;s just running into competition from its own family. If someone genuinely likes Nothing&rsquo;s design language, the UI, and the overall aesthetic appeal, the 3a Lite will absolutely fit their taste. But for most buyers, it may take a strong launch offer or a very specific preference for the phone to stand out as the better pick.

Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G brings a 12.1-inch 120Hz display, Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 and a huge 12,000mAh battery. A practical Android tablet built for long use, but is it worth what Xiaomi is asking for it? Read our review to find out.

Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G Review: 12.1-inch display, Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 and a massive 12,000mAh battery

<h3>The Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G focuses on a large 120Hz display, reliable performance and a massive 12,000mAh battery, making it a practical Android tablet for long, everyday use.</h3>

I have spent plenty of time with the original Redmi Pad Pro, and it set a solid reference point for how a big, affordable Android tablet should feel. So when I started using the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G, I was genuinely curious whether Xiaomi would push for something new or stick to a formula that already worked. It quickly became clear that this tablet leans firmly towards refinement rather than reinvention.
The moment I picked it up, everything felt familiar. The design philosophy has not really changed, and that is not a negative. Instead of chasing flashy changes, Xiaomi seems to have focused on smoothing out the experience, fixing small annoyances, and polishing the parts that matter most in daily use.
On paper, a lot looks similar: a large display, strong battery life, and accessories that suggest light productivity. But after using it every day for work, streaming, and casual tasks, it is obvious that the Pad 2 Pro prioritises practicality, stability, and long-term comfort over trying to replace a laptop.
<h2>Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G Review: A big, smooth screen that plays it safe</h2>
I want to start with the display because, on a tablet, this is the one thing that really shapes how usable it feels every single day.
With the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G, the screen did not try to impress me in the first five minutes. Instead, it slowly won me over the longer I used it.
The tablet uses a 12.1-inch IPS LCD panel, and after days of working, binge-watching, and casual browsing, it felt like a sensible choice for this category. The 120Hz refresh rate makes a real difference in daily use. Scrolling feels smooth, app transitions look clean, and nothing ever feels jumpy or strained. I noticed this most during long reading sessions, where the higher refresh rate made the experience feel easier on my eyes rather than just visually flashy.
Dolby Vision support adds another layer to media consumption. Movies and shows look polished, with good contrast and controlled highlights, without pushing colours too hard. This is not a display that screams for attention, and I liked that. It stays comfortable over long sessions, which is exactly what I want from a tablet screen.
One design choice I appreciated more than expected was the bezel thickness. They are clearly visible, but in actual use, that works in the tablet&rsquo;s favour. I could hold the Pad 2 Pro securely without my palms constantly triggering the screen. Whether I was reading in portrait mode or watching videos in landscape, it felt easier to grip than tablets that chase ultra-thin bezels just for looks.
The 16:10 aspect ratio suits entertainment really well. Streaming content fills the screen nicely, with minimal black bars, and videos feel immersive. For productivity, especially when reviewing documents or reading long articles, I did sometimes wish for a bit more vertical space. That said, it never disrupted my workflow enough to be annoying, just something I noticed occasionally.
Sharpness was never a concern. The 2.5K resolution looks crisp at this size, with clear text and well-defined UI elements. Colours are handled in a balanced way too. With support for around a billion colours, photos and videos look lively but not exaggerated. Compared to the older Redmi Pad Pro&rsquo;s 12-bit panel, this is technically a downgrade, but in real-world use, I could not tell the difference unless I actively tried to.
Brightness peaks at around 600 nits. Indoors, I had zero complaints. Outdoors, direct sunlight does affect visibility, but the screen remains usable.
The quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos complements the display well. Audio is clear and reasonably loud, and the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack just adds to the tablet&rsquo;s overall practicality.
<h2>Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G Review: Familiar looks, solid feel, and a focus on practicality</h2>
The Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G plays things very safe when it comes to design, and you notice that straight away. Visually, it feels almost like a continuation of the earlier Pad Pro, and as someone who has used that tablet quite a bit, the familiarity stood out straight away.&nbsp;
The wide, rectangular shape and overall proportions feel unchanged, and if you have seen the previous model, this one will look instantly recognisable.
I found the design a bit too safe. The aluminium back, paired with the plastic strip that houses the camera, gives it a clean but conservative look. On my grey unit especially, the tablet looks understated to the point of being almost dull.&nbsp;
Apart from a subtle triangular texture on the plastic section, there is very little visual drama. It does not try to stand out on a desk, and that felt like a very deliberate choice.
That said, the finish started to grow on me the more I used it. The matte coating on the back turned out to be genuinely practical. It does not attract fingerprints easily, and even after days of use, it continued to look fairly clean.&nbsp;
I also appreciated the symmetry on the rear. There are two circular rings, even though only one holds the camera. The second ring is for the LED flash, and while it is a small detail, it keeps the back from looking lopsided.
In terms of build quality, I had no complaints. The aluminium back and frame feel solid and reassuring, with no flex or creaks when handling the tablet. It feels tougher than many tablets in this price range.&nbsp;
Gorilla Glass 3 protects the front, and the IP54 rating gave me a bit more confidence using it around the house, in the kitchen, or while throwing it into my backpack.
The port and button layout felt sensible in daily use. I liked having USB-C, a proper 3.5mm headphone jack, a SIM tray for 5G, and a microSD card slot for storage expansion. At around 600 grams for the 5G variant, it is easy enough to carry around, but the large 12.1-inch size did make long handheld sessions tiring for me, especially when using it one-handed.
<h2>Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G Review:&nbsp;Accessories that add to the experience</h2>
Xiaomi offers a dedicated keyboard case and Smart Pen as optional add-ons for the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G, and I spent some time using both to see how much they actually add to the experience.&nbsp;
The second-generation keyboard is made specifically for this tablet and doubles up as a protective case. In day-to-day use, I found it comfortable enough for emails, document edits, and quick notes. The keys have decent travel, and even during longer typing sessions, the layout never felt cramped or awkward.
That said, there are some clear limitations. The keyboard skips backlighting and does not include a trackpad, which immediately puts a ceiling on how far you can push it for serious work. It also connects over Bluetooth instead of using POGO pins, so it needs to be charged separately. In practice, this means one more device to keep an eye on, which slightly takes away from the plug-and-play convenience you expect from tablet accessories.
The Smart Pen follows a similar pattern. It needs its own charging and does not magnetically attach to the tablet, so there is no easy way to snap it on when you are done using it. However, once I actually started writing with it, those concerns faded a bit.&nbsp;
The pen feels responsive, palm rejection works well, and handwriting recognition is reliable. Pressure sensitivity makes it good for note-taking and light sketches, and the pen holder built into the keyboard case helped me keep it from getting lost.
<h2>Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G Review: Reliable performance that stayed consistent</h2>
Performance was never a concern for me while using the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G. It runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, an upper mid-range chip that feels well matched to a large Android tablet. In daily use, things stayed smooth and predictable. Apps opened quickly, animations felt fluid, and moving between multiple apps never felt messy. I often had several apps running side by side, and the tablet handled that without slowing down.
My unit came with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. While those specs may not look impressive on paper, they did not hold the experience back in real-world use. Multitasking felt reliable, and I did not run into frequent app reloads during normal usage. I also appreciated that Redmi continues to offer expandable storage on both the Wi-Fi and 5G variants, which is useful if you plan to store a lot of media or large files locally.
Benchmark numbers line up with that experience. The tablet crossed around 1.1 million points on AnTuTu and delivered solid Geekbench scores. 3DMark stability results were also respectable, suggesting it can sustain performance over longer sessions without major drops.
Gaming performance was reassuring as well. I played BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile, and both ran smoothly with stable frame rates.&nbsp;
Overall, the Pad 2 Pro feels tuned for steady, long-term use rather than chasing peak benchmark numbers, which suits a tablet focused on media, gaming, and everyday productivity.
<h2>Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G Review:&nbsp;Stable software with strong multitasking support</h2>
Using the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G, the software experience felt thoughtfully tuned for a large display, which is not something every Android tablet gets right. The tablet runs HyperOS 2 based on Android 15, and while the overall design language will feel familiar if you have used Xiaomi devices before, it adapts reasonably well to the tablet form factor. UI elements scale properly, layouts make good use of the extra space, and nothing felt awkwardly stretched or oversized. That said, some parts of the interface are starting to feel a little dated in terms of visual style.
Day-to-day use, however, was smooth. Animations and transitions are handled well, thanks to Xiaomi&rsquo;s HyperCore system running behind the scenes. The interface prioritises stability over flashiness, which worked in its favour during longer sessions. There are a few preloaded apps, but most of them feel tablet-relevant rather than unnecessary clutter, and none of them actively got in my way.
Where HyperOS 2 really impressed me was multitasking. Being able to run up to four apps at the same time turned out to be genuinely useful. I could mix split-screen views with floating windows, and the tablet handled it without feeling cramped or unstable. For my usual routine of watching videos, browsing the web, replying to messages, and taking notes simultaneously, this flexibility made the tablet feel far more capable.
On the AI side, Google Gemini is integrated into HyperOS 2, and in my use, it worked smoothly and reliably for everyday tasks.
<h2>Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G Review: A very basic camera setup</h2>
The cameras on the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G are very much an afterthought, and that was obvious in my use. On the back, you get an 8MP camera with a flash, but image quality is strictly basic. I found it useful for scanning documents or QR codes, and not much beyond that. Photos lack detail and consistency, so it is not something I would rely on for actual photography.
The 8MP front camera is more practical. It handled Zoom meetings and WhatsApp calls just fine in good lighting, delivering clear and usable results. Video recording is capped at 1080p at 30fps on both cameras. Realistically, I only see myself using video mode in an emergency, not by choice.
<h2>Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G Review:&nbsp;Long-lasting battery that made charging a non-issue</h2>
Battery life has easily been one of my favourite parts of using the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G. It comes with a huge 12,000mAh battery, and in real-world use, that size genuinely shows.&nbsp;
With my usual mix of streaming, browsing, light work, and occasional gaming, I was comfortably getting close to four days on a single charge. That kind of endurance really changes how relaxed you feel about using a tablet, especially if it is your main device for media or travel.
Charging is capped at 33W, and Xiaomi includes the charger in the box, which I appreciated. It is not the fastest out there, but it gets the job done without fuss.&nbsp;
The tablet also supports 27W reverse wired charging, which I found surprisingly useful for topping up my earbuds or giving my phone a quick boost when needed.
<h2>Verdict: Is the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G worth buying?</h2>
Starting at ₹24,999 for the Wi-Fi version and ₹27,999 for the Wi-Fi + 5G model, the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G makes its priorities clear. Xiaomi has focused on nailing the fundamentals instead of chasing premium touches.&nbsp;
Battery life is a clear strength, multitasking feels genuinely usable, and expandable storage across all variants adds to its day-to-day practicality. If you want a tablet that can comfortably last days without living near a charger, this one delivers.
The optional keyboard and Smart Pen also help push it beyond basic media use. They are not perfect, but they make typing, note-taking, and light work far more manageable. A magnetically charging pen and a backlit keyboard with a trackpad would have elevated the experience further.
There are trade-offs. The design is functional rather than inspiring, the display is good but not class-leading, and the AI features feel fairly basic. HyperOS 2 runs smoothly, but it already looks a bit dated.
Still, for the asking price, the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G is a dependable, no-frills Android tablet that prioritises battery life, stability, and everyday usability.

Gadget Review

Redmi Note 15 5G focuses on feel over flash with a slim, lightweight design, a bright curved AMOLED display, dependable performance, for Rs 22.999. 

Redmi Note 15 5G Review: Slim Design, Bright AMOLED Display, and Reliable Everyday Performance

The Redmi Note 15 5G shifts focus from raw specs to everyday comfort. With a slim build, curved AMOLED display, steady performance, and a capable 108MP camera, it delivers a balanced mid-range experience for ₹22,999.

Redmi Note 15 5G Review: Slim Design, Strong Display, Sensible Mid-Range Pick

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The Redmi Note 15 5G shifts focus on a slim, lightweight design, a bright curved AMOLED display, reliable performance, and a capable 108MP camera.&nbsp;
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The Redmi Note series has always had a distinct purpose. It was supposed to give people a taste of something premium, without asking them to pay the premium tax.&nbsp; Previous Redmi Note phones delivered this through aggressive specs. The Redmi Note 15 5G, though is clearly chasing a different idea of value: how the phone feels, and how it looks. That approach makes sense in 2026. From the moment I picked it up, it didn&rsquo;t feel like a typical Redmi Note phone. It feels lighter, it feels different, and that is where the real conversation starts.
<h2>Design</h2>
One of the first thins that you&rsquo;ll notice is that the phone is unexpectedly slim and feels incredibly lightweight. At just 7.35 mm thick and 178 grams, it is noticeably lighter than most phones in this segment. This is one of those devices that you forget you have been holding. This is both, a compliment as well as a a mild criticism, depending on your preference.&nbsp; If you like phones that feel dense and reassuring, this might feel a little too light. Personally, I noticed it most when switching over from a heavier phone, which is my primary device.&nbsp; That said, it is undeniably comfortable. Weight distribution is excellent, and the curved edges make it easy to hold for long periods. Whether you are doom-scrolling, reading, or watching videos, it never feels awkward or tiring.
Design-wise, Redmi has not gone completely wild, but it has not played it completely safe either. The matte black finish looks clean and understated, though it is definitely a fingerprint magnet. Keeping it spotless is a losing battle.&nbsp;
The silver accents around the camera module add a bit of flair, and while both the back and frame are plastic, the finish does not scream &ldquo;budget.&rdquo; It feels intentional rather than cheap. Button placement is sensible and familiar. The volume rocker and power button sit on the left and are easy to reach. There is an IR blaster at the top, which is a small but appreciated addition.&nbsp; At the bottom, you will find the USB-C port, speaker grille, and the dual SIM tray. There is no headphone jack, which feels like a design-driven sacrifice rather than cost-cutting, but nonetheless, is it a bit disappointing if you rely on wired audio. For protection not only do you get an IP66 rating, you also get reinforced internals. Now, Xiaomi hasn&rsquo;t explicitly claimed what front glass they are using for the Note 15. However, the device has been tested against MIL-STD-810H, so we&rsquo;re guessing it uses some sort of Corning Gorilla Glass.
<h2>Display</h2>
Speaking of displays, the Redmi Note 15 5G does not try to impress with outrageous claims or or headline-grabbing battery numbers. Instead, it leans heavily on the quality of this display, and this is where the phone really justifies its price. The 6.77-inch curved AMOLED 120Hz panel immediately changes how the phone is perceived. It looks premium in a way that flat panels at this price often do not. The curve is subtle and well executed, and I did not face any issues with accidental touch.&nbsp; Colours are also vibrant thanks to the 12-bit panel, because of which you get a a100 per cent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space. While text looks sharp and clean thanks to the FHD+ resolution.
Watching content on this display is genuinely enjoyable. Netflix, YouTube, or endless reels all look great.
Brightness is another strong point. Redmi claims that the display has a peak brightness of 3200nits, and we have good reason to believe them, as the outdoor visibility is genuinely excellent. Even under harsh sunlight, the screen remains readable.&nbsp; You also get 3840Hz PWM dimming which helps keep things comfortable during night usage. Add TUV Triple Certified Eye Protection 2.0 and you have a display that&rsquo;s actually less stressful to your eyes
Unlocking the phone is handled by an in-display optical fingerprint scanner. It is fast, reliable, and has not failed me so far, and has been very consistent. Coming to the audio setup, we get a set of stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and MiSound dual tuning. The speakers get pretty loud, and can easily fill a room. However, because of the slim design and thing built, the speakers lack bass or any meaningful character. Still, considering what the phone costs, I am not really complaining.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Performance &amp; Software Experience&nbsp;</h2>
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a mid-range chip, so, its better if we get into this with our expectations in check.&nbsp;
Day-to-day usage is smooth. Apps open quickly, scrolling feels fluid, and multitasking does not feel stressful. It is not the kind of phone that makes you think about performance at all, which is actually a good thing.
You get decent gaming performance, but clearly that was not the focus here.&nbsp; BGMI runs at 60fps but it is quite stable. Still, If you are a competitive gamer, chasing higher frame rates, this is not the phone for you. For casual gaming sessions, though, it works just fine. Benchmarks were a bit odd. AnTuTu completed its run but did not display a final score for reasons unknown, no matter to what network we were connected to. Geekbench worked as expected and gave a clearer idea of where the chip stands. During testing, the phone warmed up slightly, but it never became uncomfortable.
On the software side, the phone ships with Android 15 and HyperOS 2. Ideally, Android 16 would have been nicer to see out of the box, but Redmi&rsquo;s promise of four years of Android updates and six years of security patches is reassuring. AI features, mainly powered by Gemini are pretty useful in small, practical ways. There is some preinstalled bloatware, but most of it can be removed without much effort.&nbsp;
You also get a tonne of Xiaomi&rsquo;s interconnectivity features, and from my limited testing, they work really well. We also get Xiaomi Share, which works similarly to Quick Share, making transferring files and photos between devices simple and reliable.
<h2>Battery&nbsp;</h2>
Battery life reflects a clear design decision by Redmi. AT a time when almost every new phone gets a 6000mAh battery or more in phones under ₹20,000 Redmi is using a 5520mAh silicon-carbon battery. It definitely falls short of current standards, especially when other mid-range phones are pushing massive capacities here.&nbsp; But then, that is the trade-off for the slim and lightweight design. In everyday use, the phone easily lasts a full day, and you can push it to go a day and a half. Heavy camera usage does drain it faster. I noticed around a four percent drop in about half an hour, though that could also have been influenced by cold environmental conditions. Charging is reliable and quick. The 45W fast charger takes the phone from roughly 15 percent to nearly full in about an hour. You also get 18W wired reverse charging, which is a nice bonus to have.&nbsp;
<h2>Cameras&nbsp;</h2>
The Note 15 comes with a 108MP main camera with OIS, and an 8MP ultrawide, even though the camera module would suggest that its packing some serious hardware.&nbsp; Nonetheless, The &ldquo;Master Pixel&rdquo; main camera well in daylight. Photos are sharp, colourful, and pleasing to look at. Detail retention is good, and shots between 1x and 2x remain consistent. Dynamic range could be better, and occasionally the areas around the subject do not look quite right, but overall, the main camera delivers dependable results. Portraits are a strong point, especially for human subjects. Edge detection is clean, and the bokeh effect looks natural.&nbsp;
Selfies from the 20MP front camera, however, are underwhelming. Skin tones often look washed out, and texture processing can feel artificial at times. Video performance tops out at 4K 30fps and is average at best. There is noticeable grain, and stabilisation does not fully live up to quality OIS standards. Video quality, in particular, feels like an area where Redmi still has room to improve.
<h2>Verdict&nbsp;</h2>
Redmi understands what the boundaries are for the Note 15 5G and does try to pretend being something its not. It&rsquo;s not going after its competition based solely on specs. Priced at under ₹20,000, it focuses on the things that matter in everyday use: a slim and comfortable design, an excellent display, stable performance, and a capable main camera. At an expected price of around ₹20,000, it is not an the default recommendation, especially with strong alternatives like the Nothing Phone 3a and the Motorola Edge Fusion 60 offering better solutions. However, if design, display quality, and day-to-day comfort, if the user experience matters more to you than raw specs, the Redmi Note 15 5G makes a solid case for itself.

The Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini packs a 6.32-inch AMOLED display, 200MP main camera with 3.5x telephoto, Dimensity 8450 chip, 6,200mAh battery, and ColorOS 16. Here's our in-depth review of it

Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Oppo’s take on a compact flagship is solid

Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini: A 200MP compact phone that's full of surprises

<h3>The Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini is Oppo&rsquo;s first compact phone, focusing on strong fundamentals like build quality, versatile cameras, smooth performance, and reliable battery life without obvious compromises.</h3>

The Reno 15 Pro Mini is Oppo&rsquo;s first compact phone, and the interesting part is that unlike many other manufacturers who had a crack at the compact form factor, it does not feel like a compromise. This is not a &ldquo;small phone with cut corners&rdquo; situation.&nbsp;
You get a solid, premium build, a display that is easy on the eyes, cameras that are genuinely versatile, and software that feels polished and reliable.&nbsp;
Performance is smooth in, battery life is surprisingly strong for the size, and the camera&hellip; well, its a Reno, so they speak for themselves.
No element here has been added for sake of it. Instead, the Reno 15 Pro Mini focuses on doing the basics really well, and that approach works in its favour.
Starting at Rs 59,999 before launch offers, it positions itself as a serious compact option for people who want a smaller phone without feeling like they are settling for less. Having tested the device thoroughly for two weeks, I can confidently say, that if you are looking for a compact phone, you need to take the Reno 15 Pro Mini seriously.&nbsp;
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Design and build</h2>
Let&rsquo;s start with the design, because the Reno 15 Pro Mini actually surprised me here.
At first glance, it looks familiar enough. You get flat glass on the front and back, a flat, space-grade aluminium frame, and materials that feel premium the second you pick it up. But what really stood out in daily use was how solid the phone felt.&nbsp;
Nothing flexes, nothing creaks, and it never feels like corners were cut to make it smaller. It feels like a phone that was designed this way from the start, not one that was simply shrunk down.
The back is where Oppo clearly decided to have a bit of fun. The glossy rear glass uses HoloFusion Technology to create this ribbon-like pattern running across the rear.&nbsp;
As the phone catches the light, the design subtly shifts and sparkles. It is not loud or flashy, and that is what I liked about it. It adds personality without trying too hard or turning into a gimmick.
I am a bit torn about the finish, though. The glass is completely smooth, with no texture at all. It looks great, but I did miss having a little more grip during everyday use.&nbsp;
I never felt like the phone was going to slip out of my hand, but during longer scrolling sessions, I was definitely more aware of how slick the surface was than I would have preferred.
The camera module uses Oppo&rsquo;s Dynamic Stellar Ring design, and yes, it instantly reminded me of older iPhone Pro models. It is not the most original look, but it works well here. The module does not feel oversized or top-heavy, and it never made the phone awkward to hold or use.
Ergonomics is one of the Reno 15 Pro Mini&rsquo;s biggest strengths. At 187 grams and just 7.99mm thick, it sits comfortably in the hand and feels nicely balanced. The slimmer body makes a real difference in day-to-day use, especially when using the phone one-handed. For a compact phone, it never felt cramped or fiddly.
In terms of durability, Oppo has gone all-in. It gets IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings, Add in features like Sponge Bionic Cushioning, cold-sculpted glass, Splash Touch, and Glove Touch, and it genuinely feels built for real life. Plus, the Gorilla Glass 7i on the front &nbsp;only adds to that confidence.
As for colour options, we have the Cocoa Brown, which looks properly premium in person, as well as the Glacier White if you want a bit more flair.&nbsp;
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Display and audio</h2>
The Reno 15 Pro Mini features a 6.32-inch LTPS AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution and a pixel density of 460 PPI. In everyday use, the panel looks sharp and clean, with crisp text and well-defined icons. I never felt the resolution was a limitation, even when reading smaller text or browsing dense pages.
Colour reproduction is one of the display&rsquo;s stronger points. On YouTube and Netflix, colours looked natural and well balanced, especially skin tones, which often get exaggerated on some panels.
Blacks are deep, highlights are controlled, and the overall image feels accurate rather than flashy. For longer viewing sessions, this kind of tuning works in the display&rsquo;s favour and keeps things easy on the eyes.
One of the first things that you notice are the bezels, which are extremely thin, and that adds a lot to the front-on look of the phone, and makes the Reno 15 Pro Mini look more premium and even more compact than it already is.
Outdoor visibility is strong. In my usage, brightness peaked at around 1,800 nits, which made a noticeable difference under harsh sunlight. Checking notifications or watching short clips outside was rarely a problem. HDR content also holds up well, with enough punch to stand out without looking overprocessed.
The in-display fingerprint scanner is optical, and it has been fast and reliable throughout my time with the phone. Unlocks are quick, with no random misses.
Audio rounds things off nicely. The stereo speakers get loud, offer decent separation, and work well for casual video watching and gaming. At higher volumes, the sound can get slightly tinny, but for a compact phone, the overall experience is better than expected.
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Cameras</h2>
Cameras are where the Reno 15 Pro Mini really starts to pull ahead, and this is the section where things became clear to me pretty quickly.
The hardware itself is ambitious for a compact phone. You get a 200MP main camera, paired with a 50MP ultrawide and a 50MP 3.5x telephoto. That already gives the Reno a lot more flexibility than most small phones, and more importantly, it actually shows up in daily use.
In daylight, the main camera delivers consistently detailed shots without pushing the processing too far. Colours look balanced, highlights are handled well, and the images generally feel controlled rather than overcooked. Low light is handled just as confidently.
I saw fewer blown highlights and more stable exposure, especially in tricky mixed lighting. Oppo&rsquo;s new PureTone Technology clearly helps here. It has been tuned with Indian lighting conditions and skin tones in mind, and in my use, that comes through in more natural-looking photos, particularly when people are in the frame.
Versatility is where the Reno really shines. The ultrawide is genuinely useful, and the 3.5x telephoto gives you meaningful reach without a big drop in quality. Portraits benefit a lot from this setup too. Subject separation looks cleaner, and having more focal length options makes framing feel more deliberate.
Video is another strong area. The Reno 15 Pro Mini supports 4K 60fps HDR recording across all cameras, which means I could switch between lenses while filming without worrying about inconsistent output. Stabilisation is solid on both the front and rear cameras, and footage stays smooth even when shooting handheld.
It also gets features like Dual-View Video. This lets you record using both the front and rear cameras at the same time, so you can capture what&rsquo;s happening while also recording your own reactions. I ended up enjoying this more than I expected, especially for quick clips where switching cameras would normally break the flow.
The 50MP front camera does a good job with skin tones as well, though it is not perfect. Overall, this is a camera system that feels complete, versatile, and easily one of the Reno 15 Pro Mini&rsquo;s strongest features.
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Performance and gaming</h2>
My review unit of the Reno 15 Pro Mini comes with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and it is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8450. On paper, this is a capable but not headline-grabbing setup, and once I started running benchmarks, the results reflected that.
In synthetic tests, AnTuTu topped out at around 2.1 million, with Geekbench and 3DMark painting a similar picture. These are solid scores, but they are clearly not meant to impress on charts. What mattered more to me was how the phone behaved once I stopped staring at numbers and started using it.
In everyday use, the Reno 15 Pro Mini feels fast and responsive. App launches are quick, multitasking is smooth, and I did not run into stutters during normal usage. The Dimensity 8450 is built on a 4nm process and uses an all-big-core architecture with eight Cortex-A725 cores clocked up to 3.25GHz, which helps keep things feeling snappy while also reducing power consumption.
Gaming is where Oppo&rsquo;s optimisation really makes a difference. The AI HyperBoost 2.0 engine plays a big role here, combining AI Adaptive Temperature Control and AI Adaptive Frame Booster. The system dynamically manages heat buildup and uses GPU computing to generate intermediate frames, effectively boosting frame rates without pushing power consumption too hard. In BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile, I was consistently able to play at 120fps, with smooth and responsive gameplay throughout most sessions.
Even after pushing the phone hard with extended gaming, the Reno 15 Pro Mini never showed any signs of major heating. It stayed comfortable to hold, which is not something I can say about every compact phone I have used.
Connectivity has also been reliable in my experience. AI LinkBoost 3.0 helps in crowded Wi-Fi environments and areas with weaker cellular signals, while the customised X1 network chip, developed with MediaTek, improves overall Wi-Fi performance.
In real-world use, the Reno 15 Pro Mini feels stable, well-optimised, and dependable, which ultimately matters far more than raw benchmark numbers.
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Software experience</h2>
The Reno 15 Pro Mini runs ColorOS 16, and honestly, this is one of the best versions of Oppo&rsquo;s software I have used. In terms of look and feel, it sits very close to OxygenOS 16, which is still one of my favourite takes on Android. The design is clean, the interface stays out of your way, and everything feels built around speed and smoothness rather than visual clutter.
More than how it looks, ColorOS 16 feels noticeably smoother. Animations flow naturally, transitions feel connected, and nothing feels abrupt or jittery. A lot of that comes down to the Trinity Engine and the new Luminous Rendering Engine doing their thing in the background. Even when I was switching between apps quickly or multitasking heavily, the system stayed fluid and responsive without random slowdowns.
Personalisation is handled well and never feels overdone. The Flux Home Screen lets you resize folders and icons more freely, which is genuinely useful once you get used to it. Aqua Dynamics surfaces live information in a way that feels helpful instead of distracting. Lock screen customisation is deep but tasteful, with support for motion photos, video wallpapers, and subtle depth effects without turning the interface into visual chaos.
AI is a big focus this year, and Oppo&rsquo;s own tools are surprisingly practical. Features like call summaries, transcription, translation, and VoiceScribe are baked into the system and work quietly in the background. These feel like tools you actually use day to day, not features you test once and forget about.
Google Gemini integration is also handled really well. Gemini works smoothly across system apps, search, and everyday tasks, and features like Circle to Search feel natural to use. Nothing feels bolted on, which is exactly how AI should be on a phone.
Then there is Mind Space, and nothing else here comes close to it. It genuinely feels like a second brain. Being able to quickly capture information, have it organised automatically, and then pull it up later using natural language is something I ended up relying on more than I expected.
AI tools for photos and videos round things off nicely. Features like AI Portrait Glow help clean up tricky shots, while Popout makes it easy to turn stills and motion photos into something more dynamic.
Oppo is also promising five major ColorOS updates and six years of security patches. That long-term support adds real credibility. As a whole, ColorOS 16 feels mature, confident, and genuinely a joy to live with.
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Battery life and charging</h2>
The Reno 15 Pro Mini comes with a 6,200mAh battery, which is impressive for a phone this size. It also uses a silicon carbide cell, and while I do think Oppo could have pushed this combination a bit further, the real-world results are still solid.
In my usage, I was consistently getting around seven to eight hours of screen-on time. On lighter days, the phone comfortably stretched to two days, and even with heavier use, I was rarely worried about battery anxiety.
Charging is straightforward. The phone supports 80W fast charging and ships with the charger in the box. It does take a little while longer to top up compared to smaller batteries, but it still goes from zero to full in under an hour. In daily use, quick top-ups were more than enough to get me through the day without any stress.
<h2>Verdict: Should you buy it?</h2>
After using the Reno 15 Pro Mini for a while, it is clear what Oppo was aiming for here. Priced at Rs 59,999 before disounts, this is a compact phone that tries to feel complete, not clever. And for the most part, it succeeds.
The design feels solid and durable, the display is sharp without being tiring, and the camera setup is a genuine standout for a phone this size. Having a proper telephoto lens changes how usable the camera system feels, and video performance is strong across the board. Performance is not chart-topping, but in real-world use, it is smooth, stable, and easy to rely on. Battery life is better than expected, and fast charging keeps things convenient.
It is not perfect. The smooth glass back could use more grip, and users obsessed with benchmark numbers might want more raw power. But if you want a compact phone that feels well balanced, practical, and genuinely easy to live with every day, the Reno 15 Pro Mini gets most things right.
It also holds its own against compact favourites like the OnePlus 13s and Vivo X200 FE, which says a lot for a first attempt.

The Realme 16 Pro+ focuses on real-world refinement with a slim design, massive 7,000mAh battery, curved AMOLED display, dependable Snapdragon performance, and a versatile 200MP camera system.

Realme 16 Pro+ Review: 7,000mAh Battery, 200MP Camera, Display & Performance Tested

A detailed Realme 16 Pro+ review covering design, display, performance, software, camera quality, and battery life after a week of real-world use.

Realme 16 Pro+ Review: Real-World Performance, Big Battery, Serious Cameras

The Realme 16 Pro+ focuses on real-world refinement with a slim design, a massive 7,000mAh battery, a gorgeous curved display, dependable performance, and a surprisingly mature 200MP camera system.

It is easy to get cynical about phone launches these days. Usually, it&rsquo;s just bigger numbers on a spec sheet and very little substance. As someone who has tracked Realme&rsquo;s evolution closely and used plenty of their phones personally. I expected the 16 Pro+ to be just another predictable update when it landed on my desk.
That assumption didn't last long. Over the past week, the 16 Pro+ proved that it isn't interested in chasing trends. It focuses entirely on the user experience. From the build quality to the dependable performance and a camera setup that punches above its weight, this device feels like a grown-up piece of tech. It prioritizes reliability over hype, and honestly, that is refreshing.
<h2>Unboxing &amp; Design</h2>
If you&rsquo;ve tracked the <a title="Realme Watch 5 Review: A budget smartwatch that gets the basics right" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/realme-watch-5-review-a-budget-smartwatch-that-gets-the-basics-right-1765360859988" target="_blank">Realme </a>number series as long as I have, you know it&rsquo;s been a wild ride. It hasn&rsquo;t always been a straight line, but they usually get there in the end. I&rsquo;ve personally lived through that evolution; starting way back with the Realme 3 Pro and currently settling on the 14 Pro+ as my daily driver. So, with its successor sitting on my desk, I thought I had the script memorized before I even cut the plastic.
That&rsquo;s where they got me. The first shock wasn't the phone; it was the box. That loud, aggressive yellow we all know? Gone. It&rsquo;s been swapped for a muted, monochromatic grey. It&rsquo;s definitely more mature, though let&rsquo;s be real a box is just a box. Inside, the routine is familiar: the 80W charger, the cable, and a decent transparent case. Basic, but it gets the job done.
The real shift happens when you actually hold the device. You can feel the Naoto Fukasawa influence immediately.&nbsp;
They&rsquo;ve ditched the matte glass for a vegan leather finish, and for once, it doesn&rsquo;t feel like a cheap marketing trick.&nbsp;
I tested the &lsquo;Master Gold&rsquo; version, which claims to be inspired by 'ripened wheat.' Fancy descriptions aside, it just feels good. It&rsquo;s warm, grippy, and miles better than the slippery glass on my 14 Pro+.
What&rsquo;s genuinely baffling is the engineering. They managed to cram a massive 7,000mAh Titan battery inside, yet the phone is only 8.49mm thick.&nbsp;
It is heavier than the old 15 Pro clocking in at roughly 203g but the weight distribution is spot on, so it doesn&rsquo;t feel top-heavy.&nbsp;
The real comfort comes from knowing this phone is built like a tank, not a delicate ornament. It carries a ridiculous list of certifications; IP66, IP68, IP69, and even IP69K, which technically means it survives dust, dunks, and pressurized sprays easily. I honestly did not blast it with a power washer to verify that, but for daily grime, take my advice: you are still going to want a case.
If Gold isn't your vibe, there&rsquo;s a &lsquo;Master Gray&rsquo; and an India-exclusive &lsquo;Camellia Pink&rsquo; that shaves a few grams off. Overall, with that curved back and the 'Volcanic' camera slope, it&rsquo;s one of the most comfortable phones I&rsquo;ve held all year.
<h2>Display</h2>
Design gets you in the door, but the display keeps you seated. That line pretty much defines my week with the Realme 16 Pro+. Once the 'new phone' excitement settled, I stopped staring at the back and realized just how good the front actually is.
The marketing team went wild with the name '144Hz HyperGlow 4D Curve+' but don't let the word salad distract you. The actual experience is solid. On paper, 6.8 inches sounds unwieldy, so I was ready for a bulky experience. Surprisingly, it never felt that way.
The aggressive curvature plays a huge role in that. The sides taper down aggressively, while the top and bottom remain slim, which effectively tricks your hand into feeling a much thinner device. It works visually, too.&nbsp;
The bezels almost melt away, so whether you are watching a video or scrolling endlessly, the content feels like it is floating without thick borders boxing it in.
I realized I wasn't worrying about clarity, which usually means the screen is doing its job perfectly. The specs confirm a dense 1280 x 2800 resolution on this AMOLED panel, so the sharpness makes sense. Everything from web pages to system menus looks distinct, and spotting individual pixels is basically impossible here. &nbsp;
Where it genuinely surprised me was the dynamic range. I&rsquo;ve seen plenty of screens in this segment turn deep blacks into muddy grey, but that doesn't happen here. Contrast looked rich without crushing detail or looking artificially pumped up. The display also gets HDR and it works well in Netflix.
Brightness is the final highlight. The 6,500 nits stat sounds like excess, but it translates to real utility. Under the harsh afternoon sun, I could check maps and read messages without shading the display. Outdoor visibility claims rarely hold up, but this one does. By the time I wrapped up, I stopped qualifying this as 'good for the segment.' It is simply a great display, period.
<h2>Performance</h2>
I won&rsquo;t lie, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 on the spec sheet made me stop for a second. It&rsquo;s the same chip Realme used in <a title="Realme 15 Pro Review ft. OnePlus Nord CE 5 &amp; Nothing Phone 3a: One mid-ranger to rule them all!" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/realme-15-pro-review-ft-oneplus-nord-ce-5-nothing-phone-3a-one-mid-ranger-to-rule-them-all-1753372808953" target="_blank">last year&rsquo;s 15 Pro</a>, and for a phone positioned as a clear upgrade, that didn&rsquo;t sound great. On paper, it felt like Realme was playing it safe, maybe a little too safe.
But specs only go so far. I put my main SIM in, ditched my regular phone, and used this as my daily driver for a full week. Between long commutes, endless social media scrolling, camera testing, and general day-to-day chaos, that initial doubt slowly faded. In real use, this phone feels far more capable than its spec sheet lets on.
A lot of that comes down to the 4nm TSMC build. If you&rsquo;re not someone who lives and dies by benchmark charts, you&rsquo;re unlikely to miss a flagship 8-series chip here. I did run benchmarks anyway, just to see where it stood. Realme claims an AnTuTu score of around 1.44 million, but my unit crossed that comfortably at 1,524,608. Geekbench results were solid too; 1301 for single-core and 4253 for multi-core.
Still, numbers don&rsquo;t matter much once you start using the phone. With LPDDR5X RAM (marketed as &ldquo;Rocket RAM&rdquo;), multitasking feels effortless. I&rsquo;m terrible at closing apps, maps, games, browsers, everything stays open and the phone never really complained. App switching was quick, and nothing felt like it was lagging behind.
Gaming is good, with a few limits. The 144Hz display helps, but titles like COD: Mobile and BGMI currently cap out at 90FPS.&nbsp;
Even so, gameplay stays smooth. Heat is the one thing you notice if you push it hard. After about an hour of gaming, I saw temperatures hit around 41&deg;C, climbing to roughly 44&deg;C near the camera area after two hours. It gets warm, no question, but performance stays steady. Given how slim the phone is, that feels like a fair trade-off for what it delivers.
<h2>Software &amp; UI/UX</h2>
If the hardware is the body, the software is the soul, and honestly, this is where I felt the biggest leap forward. Coming from my older device to the Realme 16 Pro+, the shift to Realme UI 7.0 was jarring in a good way. For once, the software doesn't feel like an afterthought; it finally matches the premium build.
It&rsquo;s not just about how it runs today, though. Realme promises three years of major Android updates alongside four years of security fixes, meaning this phone should stay relevant and safe to use well after the new-phone smell wears off.
They talk a lot about their new 'Flux Engine,' and usually, I tune that stuff out. But here, you actually feel it. The responsiveness is immediate. Going back to my old phone now feels like wading through mud. I&rsquo;ve grown accustomed to micro-stutters when multitasking, but this phone just flows. The 'Flux Animation Framework' isn't just a fancy name; it lets you interrupt animations mid-swipe without the UI freaking out. It feels fluid and controlled.
They claim scrolling is 29% smoother. I can't check the math, but scrolling through a chaotic Twitter or Instagram feed definitely feels less jittery.
Visually, it&rsquo;s had a facelift too. The new 'Ice Cube' icons have this nice depth to them, playing with light and shadow to look crisp on that screen. The control center uses a 'Misty Glass' blur that looks classy, and the dock has a subtle 'breathing' animation that adds life without being annoying.
The real game-changer for me, though, is the NEXTAI suite. Having Google Gemini Live integrated deeply is wild. I could point my camera at something and ask the AI about it in real-time. And as a writer, the AI Recording and Translate tool is a lifesaver. It transcribes and translates meetings on the fly, and the accuracy is good enough that I&rsquo;ve stopped taking manual notes entirely.
<h2>Camera: A 200MP Statement Piece</h2>
If you are eyeing the Realme 16 Pro+, let&rsquo;s be real: you are probably here for the cameras. After a full week of pointing this thing at everything from city skylines to skittish pigeons, I&rsquo;m sold. This isn't just a bump up from my old 14 Pro+ or even the 15 Pro. It feels like Realme has finally graduated to the big leagues.
On paper, the specs are loud: a massive 200MP Samsung HP5 main sensor with OIS, backed by a 50MP periscope telephoto and an 8MP ultra-wide. But specs are just numbers until you actually snap the shutter. The real story is how it handles the chaos of real life.
In good lighting, the main 200MP shooter is fantastic. Realme talks a lot about their 'LumaColor' science, and for once, the results back up the marketing. They&rsquo;ve ditched that candy-colored, oversaturated look that plagues mid-range phones. Instead, photos come out looking natural, warm, rich, and surprisingly cinematic straight out of the gallery.
Dynamic range surprised me too. I took shots where the sky was blindingly bright and the trees were in deep shadow, and the phone balanced it perfectly. No blown-out clouds, no crushed blacks. The detail is exactly what you&rsquo;d hope for from a sensor this big, sharp, but not 'digital' sharp.
The zoom lens is where I had the most fun. I&rsquo;ve always loved periscope cameras, but this 50MP 3.5x module is just better. At native 3.5x, portraits look professional with that lovely background compression. Even the hybrid zoom holds up well. I took shots at 10x that were totally Instagram-ready, retaining good texture on distant brickwork. You can push it to 20x in decent light and still get a usable shot.
Just don&rsquo;t believe the '120x' hype. It&rsquo;s a neat party trick, sure, but once you go past 20x, reality breaks down. The AI tries to fill in the gaps, but the pictures start looking like watercolor paintings. It&rsquo;s fun to play with, but I wouldn't rely on it for anything serious.
Portrait mode deserves a shoutout, too. It handled tricky stuff like messy hair and shoulders with shocking accuracy, creating a creamy blur that didn't look fake. Skin tones were spot on; human, not plastic.
Speed was the sleeper hit for me. Shutter lag kills photos, but this phone is snappy. I actually caught two birds mid-flight, a shot I expected to be a blur and the camera froze them perfectly. The AI evidently knows what motion looks like.
Video and selfies are solid as well. The 50MP front cam avoids that muddy, soft look, and 4K 60fps video on both ends is a win for creators. Walking through a busy metro station, the stabilization smoothed out my footsteps without making the footage look robotic. Overall, this system feels mature, reliable, and honestly, it makes taking photos fun again.
<h2>Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
Frankly, the battery performance on the Realme 16 Pro+ is wild. We have conditioned ourselves to accept that slim phones mean average battery life. But at 8.49mm thick, this device breaks that rule by packing a massive 7,000mAh Titan Battery without adding uncomfortable bulk.
Compared to my daily driver, the 14 Pro+, this isn't just a step up; it is a generational leap. Realme promised 'half battery left' after a full day, and for once, the marketing isn't lying. I pushed it hard to see if it would crack, spending a Sunday afternoon gaming for two solid hours on demanding titles. Usually, I'd be reaching for a charger, but I had only lost around 20 percent.
It gives you a serious peace of mind. You just stop checking the percentage. And in emergencies, the Super Power Saving Mode claims 7.5 hours of standby on just 1 percent charge. Recharging with the 80W brick takes a little over an hour, but since that gets you nearly two days of dependable power, it is well worth the wait.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should you buy it?</h2>
The Realme 16 Pro+ doesn&rsquo;t try to win arguments on a spec sheet, and that&rsquo;s probably its biggest strength. It&rsquo;s the kind of phone that surprises you once you start living with it. A 7,000mAh battery in a body this slim sounds unreal, but after a few days, you stop checking battery percentage altogether. That alone changes how you use the phone.&nbsp;
The processor won&rsquo;t impress anyone chasing benchmark numbers, but in normal use, it never feels like a weak link. The extra apps are irritating and the 120x zoom is easy to ignore, but those don&rsquo;t define the experience. What stays with you is how well everything comes together. If Realme gets the pricing right, this feels like a name it can finally stand behind.

Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ review: strong 32dB ANC, punchy sound, long battery life, and dual-device connectivity make these standout budget earbuds under ₹2,500.

Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ Review: Best ANC Earbuds Under ₹2,500?

The Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ quietly deliver excellent ANC, lively sound, long battery life, and dual-device pairing—making them one of the best budget TWS earbuds under ₹2,500.

Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ deliver surprisingly strong ANC, punchy sound, long battery life, and seamless dual-device connectivity under ₹2,500, making them one of the most well-rounded budget earbuds for daily use.

The Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ arrived with the Find X9 series, and like most accessory launches, they were instantly overshadowed by the phones. If you skipped past them, that&rsquo;s honestly a miss. Oppo has added ANC to an already solid budget formula, and the Buds3 Pro+ turn out to be much better than you&rsquo;d think.
&nbsp;I picked these up primarily because I wanted a reliable daily driver under ₹2,500 that didn't skip on the essentials. At an introductory price of around ₹2,099 they promised a lot: 43 hours of battery, 32dB ANC, and dual-device connection. But, do they really live up to the spec sheet? Here is my detailed breakdown.
<h2>Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ Design &amp; Comfort</h2>
Pulling these out of the box felt like a non-event. No gasp, no double-take. If you&rsquo;ve held the <a title="OnePlus Nord Buds 3 review &amp; comparison with Nord Buds 3 Pro" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oneplus-nord-buds-3-review-comparison-with-nord-buds-3-pro-1726568967896" target="_blank">OnePlus Nord Buds 3</a> or basically anything from Oppo&rsquo;s recent lineup, you&rsquo;ll get major deja-vu. It feels like they just reused an old blueprint to play it safe.
I&rsquo;ve been using the Sonic Blue pair. The colour adds some life to an otherwise generic look, though there is a Midnight Black version if you want to disappear into the crowd. The case itself has a matte finish, good for dodging fingerprints. It also comes with a thin glossy strip that saves it from looking totally cheap. The shape is practical, at least. It&rsquo;s a smooth pebble that slides into a jeans pocket and vanishes. After two days, I stopped noticing I was carrying it.
The buds keep the stem design. I actually prefer this; it&rsquo;s just easier to grab and usually means the mic is closer to your mouth for calls. But when you touch them, you know it&rsquo;s plastic.&nbsp;
&nbsp;I took them out for a run and got caught in a light drizzle; the IP55 rating did its job.. Each bud weighs just around 4.2 grams. I&rsquo;ve worn them for 3-4 hours straight while working, and I honestly forget they are there half the time. The fit is also secure; I took them for a jog, and they didn't wiggle out, though if you are doing intense HIIT(High intensity interval training), you might need to adjust them occasionally. They sit deep enough to provide a decent passive seal, which helps the ANC(Active noise cancellation) do its job.
<h2>Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ Audio Quality</h2>
Sound is where I spent most of my time with these earbuds, mostly because that&rsquo;s where they can either win you over or lose you completely. To start with this section, it&rsquo;s important you know that I'm not just a casual listener, I have been doing serious music for a long time now.
I play and work with music, so I tend to notice tuning choices pretty quickly. These use 12.4mm titanized dynamic drivers, and it doesn&rsquo;t take long to figure out what they&rsquo;re aiming for. This is not a neutral or reference-style sound. It&rsquo;s warm, lively, and clearly tuned to be enjoyable first and accurate second.
I started off slow, with tracks like Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Phir Le Aaya Dil by Arijit Singh. Vocals sound clean and full, especially at mid volumes. There&rsquo;s a softness to the presentation that works well for melodic songs. Acoustic guitars and piano don&rsquo;t sound thin or sharp, but you can tell the earbuds aren&rsquo;t trying to pull out every tiny detail. If you like analysing recordings, you might feel that restraint. If you just want to relax and listen, it actually works in their favour.
Bass is where these earbuds make their intentions very clear. On Love On The Weekend by John Mayer, the low end adds warmth and movement to the track. It feels rounded and present rather than tight and controlled. At times, the bass does push a little ahead of the mids, especially when the mix gets busy. It never turns messy, but it definitely wants your attention.
Things start making more sense once you switch to hip-hop and rap. Tracks like Hola Amigo by KR$NA, That&rsquo;s A Fact by Hanumankind, and Love The Way You Lie by Eminem sound energetic and fun. The kicks hit hard, the bass has weight, and the overall sound feels aggressive in a good way. At higher volumes, the energy really comes through, though some finer background layers do get buried when the bass is doing most of the work.
I also spent time playing with the Enco Master Equalizer in the HeyMelody app. There are three presets; Balanced(Original), Bass Boost, and Clear Vocals. I kept coming back to Balanced because that&rsquo;s where everything feels the most natural. Bass Boost is enjoyable during workouts or when you just want extra punch, while Clear Vocals helps calm things down for softer music or spoken content.
Outside of music, I used these earbuds when watching YouTube videos and a couple of movies. They perform well enough there. Dialogue stays clear, and the sound doesn&rsquo;t feel small or hollow. It&rsquo;s not immersive or cinematic, but it gets the job done without any obvious issues.
In simple terms, these earbuds aren&rsquo;t built for people chasing perfect accuracy. They&rsquo;re made for people who want music to sound full, lively, and forgiving, no matter what genre they throw at them. And honestly, for most everyday listeners, that approach works.
<h2>Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ Effective ANC and Call Quality</h2>
The main reason most people will even look at these earbuds is the promise of 32dB ANC. And to be honest, I went in with fairly low expectations. At this price point, ANC usually feels like something brands add just so they can mention it on the box. You turn it on, notice a small difference, and then forget about it.
But, that&rsquo;s not what happened here. In day-to-day use, the noise cancellation actually does a solid job. At home, it cuts out steady background sounds without any effort; the ceiling fan, the constant AC hum in the office, even distant traffic from outside the window. Those kinds of noises fade into the background almost immediately once ANC is switched on.
Where it surprised me more was during travel. I wore these on the metro and while walking through some fairly crowded areas, and the difference was obvious. It doesn&rsquo;t block everything, but I&rsquo;d say around 70 to 80 percent of the surrounding noise gets knocked down. You&rsquo;re still aware of your surroundings, but your music no longer has to compete with the chaos around you, which makes a big difference during commutes.
It&rsquo;s not flawless, though. Sharp and sudden sounds are still a weak spot. Mechanical keyboard clicks nearby, vehicle horns, or other high-pitched noises tend to sneak through. That&rsquo;s pretty common at this level, and it happens here too. Even so, the overall reduction is enough that busy spaces feel noticeably calmer than they would without ANC.
Given the price, performance is genuinely better than expected. I wasn&rsquo;t anticipating this level of noise control, especially in public transport, and that&rsquo;s where these earbuds ended up surprising me the most.
Transparency Mode is serviceable. It does sound a bit processed, but voices come through clearly enough for quick interactions. I could respond to a cashier or have a short conversation without taking the earbuds out, which is really all I expect from this feature. Switching between ANC and Transparency in the app is also quick and smooth.
Call quality has been solid. The dual-mic AI noise reduction does a good job.
&nbsp;I&rsquo;ve taken calls while walking on busy streets and my voice still came through clearly, though really loud horns do sneak in. Indoors or on Zoom calls, they&rsquo;ve been flawless.
<h2>Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ Connectivity and Controls</h2>
Connectivity hasn&rsquo;t given me any grief. They&rsquo;re running Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC and SBC codecs, so pairing is snappy. If you&rsquo;re on Android, Google Fast Pair makes the initial setup a five-second job. Just pop the lid, tap the notification and done. The signal holds up, too. I walked to the other side of the apartment without the music chopping up or dropping the connection.
I leaned heavily on the dual connection feature. Having them tethered to both my laptop and phone simultaneously is a lifesaver. It handles the hand-off correctly, which isn't always a given in this price bracket. I&rsquo;d be watching a video on my laptop, a call would come through on the phone, and the audio switched over instantly. No menu digging required. It&rsquo;s one of those features that spoils you fast.
Gaming was actually decent. With Game Mode active, the lag tightens up noticeably. I ran a few matches of BGMI and CODM, and I didn&rsquo;t feel like the audio was dragging behind the action. Gunshots and footsteps were synced enough that I stopped looking for delays, which is the only test that really matters. During my run the latency averaged at around 47ms, which is acceptable in my opinion.
The touch controls are a mixed bag, though. Responsiveness isn't the issue but aim is. The touch zone feels tiny, so you have to be deliberate with where you tap. I suggest diving into the app immediately to remap the gestures. I hated the default volume controls, so I swapped them out. Once you customize the layout, it becomes much less frustrating.
<h2>Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ Battery</h2>
I stopped thinking about the battery after day two. That&rsquo;s usually the best indicator. <a title="Oppo Find X9 Pro Review: Massive Battery, Pro Cameras, Big Price &mdash; Worth It?" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oppo-find-x9-pro-review-massive-battery-pro-cameras-big-price-worth-it-1763717438502" target="_blank">Oppo </a>quotes 43 hours total if you keep ANC off, but I rarely use buds that way. I kept noise cancellation on, volume parked at 60%, and juggled music and calls all day.
Even with that load, the case lasted me days. I wasn&rsquo;t clocking hours with a stopwatch, but I wasn't hunting for a charger, either. I&rsquo;d just toss them in the case and move on. The typical 'battery anxiety' never showed up.
The buds themselves pull about 7 to 8 hours in one go with noise cancellation active. Unless you&rsquo;re pulling a marathon session without a single break, you aren&rsquo;t going to drain them mid-song.
The fast charging actually saved me once or twice; it isn't just spec-sheet filler. A ten-minute charge while I was getting ready gave me enough juice to survive the rest of the night. It&rsquo;s reliable. I didn&rsquo;t have to plan my life around the charging cable, and for this price point, that&rsquo;s a win.
<h2>Final Verdict: Are the Oppo Enco Buds3 Pro+ worth it?</h2>
If your budget is strictly under ₹2,500, these are arguably the most well-rounded package available right now. You get meaningful ANC, excellent battery life, and the convenience of dual-device pairing, features that used to be reserved for more expensive models.
Sure, the audio isn't audiophile-grade, and the plastic build is average, but as a daily companion for music, calls, and commuting, they are a fantastic value.

The OnePlus 15R is no longer the safe R-series pick. OnePlus shifts focus to performance, gaming, durability and battery life with a clear new direction.

OnePlus 15R Review: Performance-first R-series reboot

The OnePlus 15R drops the safe-pick image and leans into performance, gaming, durability and battery life with a clear identity shift.

The OnePlus 15R drops the safe-pick image and leans into performance, gaming, durability and battery life with a clear identity shift.

After the hugely popular launch of the OnePlus 15, OnePlus has now shifted focus to the R series with the OnePlus 15R. Traditionally, the R model has always been the safe pick in the lineup. It is usually the phone most people gravitate towards because it offers almost everything a flagship does, just without the flagship price tag.
This year, though, that familiar story feels different to me. The OnePlus 15R does not feel like a sensible compromise anymore. Instead, it feels like a phone that is actively trying to carve out its own space. That shift also mirrors what I see as a broader change in OnePlus&rsquo; strategy. The brand seems far less interested in chasing camera bragging rights and much more focused on performance and gaming.
I mean, how often do you see a phone priced around ₹45,000 confidently talking about 165Hz gaming?
I have been using the OnePlus 15R for close to two weeks now, and one thing is clear to me. OnePlus wants this phone to be taken seriously. The younger sibling is finally stepping out of the shadows and building an identity of its own.
<h2>OnePlus 15R Review: Design and build quality</h2>
The OnePlus 15R felt solid the moment I picked it up. There is a clear sense of weight and sturdiness that you do not always get at this price. The flat glass sandwich design looks clean and simple, and more importantly, it feels premium in the hand. Nothing about the phone feels flimsy or cheaply put together.
My Mint Breeze unit weighs around 219 grams and is about 8.3mm thick, but that weight is handled really well. It feels dense, but not uncomfortable. There is a nice balance to the phone that makes it feel expensive, almost brick-like in a good way. It is not light, but it never feels awkward or top-heavy either. I could use it for long stretches without the weight becoming annoying.
The Silk Glass finish adds a lot to the overall feel. It is smooth to the touch and has a subtle shine that looks especially good on the Mint Breeze colour. The lighter shade also does a great job of hiding fingerprints, which meant the phone stayed looking clean even after hours of use. The aluminium alloy frame around the edges feels cool and sturdy, and every time I picked the phone up, it reminded me that this is a well-built device.
Where the OnePlus 15R genuinely surprised me was durability. OnePlus has packed in IP66, IP68, IP69, and even IP69K ratings here. That kind of protection is usually seen on rugged phones, not sleek ones like this. On top of that, you get Corning Gorilla Glass 7i on the front, which only adds to the confidence.
All of this together made me feel like I do not have to baby the 15R. It feels like a phone that can handle daily drops, splashes, and rough use without stressing me out, while still looking and feeling premium.
<h2>OnePlus 15R Review: Display and speakers</h2>
Living with the OnePlus 15R, it did not take long for the display to show me what this phone is really about. The 6.8-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel looks excellent in day-to-day use. Even with a screen this large, I never once felt like sharpness was an issue. Text looks crisp, UI elements stay clean, and videos have that dense, high-quality look you expect from a good AMOLED display.
Colours are punchy without going overboard, which I appreciated. Nothing looks unnaturally saturated. HDR10+ support also makes a clear difference when I am streaming content on Netflix or watching YouTube videos. Highlights pop more, darker scenes hold detail better, and overall, it just feels like a screen meant for long viewing sessions.
The headline feature here, at least for me, is the 165Hz refresh rate. Now, to be clear, you do not get 165Hz everywhere. Regular usage like scrolling and app switching is capped at 120Hz. But once you jump into supported games, the difference is obvious straight away.&nbsp;
Animations feel noticeably smoother, touch response feels faster, and the display really leans into the 15R&rsquo;s gaming-first identity. Brightness is another strong point. With peak brightness going up to around 1800 nits (HBM), I had no issues using the phone outdoors, and HDR content looks bright and impactful.
That said, this is an LTPS panel and not LTPO. Personally, I would have liked to see LTPO here, especially since the 15R is being pitched as a serious flagship alternative. Adaptive refresh rates would have made the experience feel more complete and efficient.
One area where the 15R genuinely impressed me is the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. It is placed exactly where my thumb naturally rests and works incredibly fast. Even with slightly wet or dirty fingers, it unlocked reliably, and it feels more secure than the usual optical sensors.
The stereo speakers get very loud and are clear enough for videos and casual gaming. However, they lack depth and can sound a bit tinny at higher volumes. They are good, but not standout.
<h2>OnePlus 15R Review: Performance &amp; Gaming</h2>
Performance is where OnePlus has decided to go all in this year. This feels like the R series doing what it has always done best, but with a much sharper focus. The phone is powered by Qualcomm&rsquo;s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, which sits just below the absolute top-tier chip. In real-world use though, it already feels properly flagship-grade to me.
Day-to-day performance is effortless. Apps open instantly, multitasking feels smooth, and I never ran into random stutters or slowdowns. Everything feels fast and consistent, whether I am jumping between apps, scrolling through social media, or using the camera. It is the kind of smoothness that fades into the background because nothing ever feels like it is holding you back.
Things get even more impressive once I started pushing the phone harder. The combination of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage really shows its strength during heavier tasks. You might not notice a big difference during casual use, but under load, the 15R stays just as responsive and calm. Exporting large video files, downloading big games with huge assets, and transferring long 4K clips all felt quick and hassle-free.
In benchmarks, the numbers line up with that experience. My unit scored around 2.92 million on AnTuTu, which is exactly where a phone in this class should be. On Geekbench, I saw a single-core score of 2862 and a multi-core score of 9531, showing strong CPU performance for both short bursts and sustained workloads. In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme stress test, the phone held around 72 percent stability, which translated into reliable performance during longer gaming sessions.
OnePlus has also added some smart supporting hardware this time. There is a dedicated Touch Response Chip, and it genuinely makes a difference. Touch inputs feel quicker and more precise, especially while gaming. The new G2 Wi-Fi chip also helps with network stability, and during my testing, online games and high-quality streams felt consistently stable.
Gaming is clearly a priority on the 15R. With support for up to 165Hz in select titles and a large vapour chamber paired with aerogel insulation and graphite layers, the phone manages heat well even during long sessions. It feels fast, stable, and built to keep up.
<h2>OnePlus 15R Review: Software, UI and AI</h2>
The OnePlus 15R runs OxygenOS 16 based on Android 16, and from the moment I started using it, the software felt like a strong point. OxygenOS continues to be one of my favourite Android skins, mainly because it keeps things clean without feeling boring. Animations are smooth, transitions feel fluid, and the overall UI never feels cluttered or overwhelming.
What I really appreciate is how OnePlus handles customisation. There is a lot you can tweak here, from icons and animations to layouts and system behaviour, but it never feels like too much.&nbsp;
You can personalise the phone to your liking while the core experience stays simple and easy to understand. Day to day, everything feels fast, consistent, and predictable, which honestly matters more than flashy features.
AI is clearly a bigger focus this year, but thankfully it does not feel shoved in your face. The standout for me is Plus Mind. It is one of those rare AI features that actually fits into regular use instead of feeling like a demo feature added for marketing slides. I found myself using it naturally, which is usually a good sign that something has been done right. It feels helpful without being intrusive, and that balance is not easy to get right.
Long-term support is another big win for the OnePlus 15R. OnePlus is promising four Android version updates along with six years of security patches. That is reassuring, especially if you plan to hold on to your phone for a few years. Starting out on OxygenOS 16 also gives it a longer update runway, which adds to the overall value.
Taken as a whole, the software experience on the OnePlus 15R feels mature, polished, and well thought out. It is fast, clean, and backed by solid update support, which makes it easy to live with every single day.
<h2>OnePlus 15R Review: Cameras</h2>
The camera setup on the OnePlus 15R is where I could most clearly see OnePlus changing its priorities. This phone is using the new DetailMax Engine, which is the brand&rsquo;s updated image pipeline. I have already seen this system perform really well on the OnePlus 15, so on paper, it is not a weak foundation at all. But once I started using the 15R cameras regularly, it became clear to me that something important from the older R-series formula is missing.
Starting with the main camera, daylight performance is mostly dependable. Photos generally look clean, with decent detail and colours that stay fairly natural. That said, I did notice a tendency to underexpose shots, especially in scenes with tricky lighting where highlights and shadows are fighting for attention. It is not a dealbreaker by any means, but it does mean I often had to tap and adjust exposure to get the shot I wanted.
Low-light performance, surprisingly, is one of the stronger parts of this setup. The main sensor holds up well once the lights go down. Images look controlled, noise is kept in check, and the processing does not go overboard. It is not class-leading, but it is reliable enough that I felt comfortable pulling the phone out at night.
The limitations become obvious as soon as you move beyond the main camera. The ultrawide is easily the weakest link here. The 8MP sensor delivers acceptable colours in good lighting, but detail is soft and low-light performance drops off quickly. It is fine for the occasional wide shot, but it is not something I found myself trusting or using often.
Zoom performance is another area where compromises show. At 2X, the phone simply crops into the main sensor, and detail falls apart faster than I would like. Tighter framing feels unreliable, especially when compared to older R-series phones.
This is where the biggest downgrade becomes clear. The OnePlus 15R switches to a dual-camera setup and drops the dedicated 50MP telephoto lens that the OnePlus 13R had. That missing lens is felt immediately. Portraits and zoomed shots lack the flexibility and consistency that I was used to from previous R-series devices. Portrait mode itself is hit or miss. When it works, the background blur looks nice, but edge detection can be inconsistent.
Selfies are a bright spot. The 32MP front camera handles skin tones and textures well, and portrait selfies, in particular, look pleasing. Video performance is more mixed. Shooting 4K at 120fps sounds great on paper, but colours and stabilisation feel like they need more tuning.
Overall, the cameras on the OnePlus 15R are competent and functional, but they are not exciting. They get the job done, but they are clearly not the reason to buy this phone.
<h2>OnePlus 15R Review: Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
Battery life is easily one of the OnePlus 15R&rsquo;s biggest strengths, and honestly, one of its cleanest wins. With a massive 7400mAh battery, it just keeps going. In fact, this is the biggest battery OnePlus has ever put into one of its phones.
During my testing, I comfortably got two full days of use without any stress, and this was with genuinely heavy usage. That included running benchmarks, shooting plenty of camera samples, watching videos, gaming, and handling everyday tasks. Even with all of that, the battery drain stayed steady and predictable, with no sudden drops or surprises.
Efficiency plays a big role here. The newer chipset clearly helps, because despite the large display and high refresh rate, the phone never felt power-hungry. Based on my experience, I am confident that with lighter usage, getting close to three days on a single charge is very realistic.
Charging speeds are solid too. The 15R supports 80W fast charging and, despite the huge battery, it goes from empty to full in under an hour and fifteen minutes. That feels like a fair trade-off for this level of endurance.
<h2>Verdict: Is the OnePlus 15R worth your money?&nbsp;</h2>
After using the OnePlus 15R for nearly two weeks, one thing stood out very quickly. This phone is no longer playing the role of the safe, default R-series option. It feels confident about what it wants to be, and that confidence shows in everyday use.
OnePlus has clearly prioritised performance, gaming, durability, and battery life this time, and those choices pay off. The display works brilliantly for both streaming and high-refresh-rate gaming, performance remains smooth and dependable under load, and the battery life is genuinely exceptional. It is the kind of phone you stop worrying about once you start using it.
Where the 15R stumbles is the camera setup. The absence of a dedicated telephoto lens is noticeable, and while the cameras are consistent and usable, they lack flexibility and excitement. If photography is your main focus, this would not be my personal recommendation.
However, if you want a tough phone with excellent endurance and reliable performance that encourages heavy use, the OnePlus 15R delivers exactly that.

The Poco C85 delivers a 120Hz display, massive 6,000mAh battery, IP64 rating, and refreshed design. Performance and software lag, but it’s a solid budget option under ₹15,000.

Poco C85 Review: Big Display, Long Battery, Mixed Performance

Poco C85 packs a big 120Hz display, long battery life, and a refreshed design at a budget price — but performance and software compromises remain.

The Poco C85 offers a smooth 120Hz display, long-lasting 6,000mAh battery, and refreshed design at a budget price. Performance and software need polish, but for under ₹15,000, it delivers solid everyday value.

Poco&rsquo;s C series is known for offering some pretty powerful and specs in the budget category, and the Poco C85 largely sticks to that formula. It has a refreshed design over the previous generations a slightly larger display, a better IP rating, and a noticeably bigger battery. I&rsquo;ve been using the purple variant for the past three days, and while the formula feels familiar, a few surprises along the way genuinely caught me off guard, especially when you consider that the C85 starts at ₹11,999. Here&rsquo;s what I made of the C85.
<h2>Design: A tidier look&nbsp;</h2>
Poco C85 gets a proper grooming this year with a new, refreshed design. The camera bump has been changed from a circular camera module to a square camera module, tucked into the top left corner. The protruding camera is so subtle that the phone won&rsquo;t wobble. Another impressive thing is the dual-toned design on the rear, with the bold Poco branding, which gives it some personality for sure.&nbsp;
It comes in 3 color variants: green, black, and purple, the variant that we tested. Despite its 205g weight, carrying the phone is easy and doesn&rsquo;t feel heavy at all. And, the 7.99mm frame sits comfortably in the hand. Since the frames are flat, they give a good grip and a good in-hand feel as well. The only downside I feel is the back made of plastic, but because it&rsquo;s a budget phone, that&rsquo;s totally acceptable.&nbsp;
You get basics right: a USB Type-C 2.0 charging port, a 3.5mm jack, and a nano speaker grille. And speaking of speakers, you get mono speakers on the C85. This would have been fine, but competitors like Moto G57 Power comes with stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, so Poco could step up in this arena. There is a power button towards the right side, along with volume rockers, and a hybrid nano SIM tray along with microSD card support.&nbsp;
<h2>Display: Bigger and better&nbsp;</h2>
The Poco C85 gets a 6.9-inch HD+ IPS LCD, slightly bigger than the 6.8-inch display of the Poco C75. The 120Hz refresh rate is the real star of the show, which makes navigating the UI pretty smooth, mostly switching between 60Hz and 120Hz.&nbsp;
Colour reproduction is decent, sharp enough for everyday viewing, though not calibrated for accuracy. Netflix lacks HDR support, although YouTube streams at 1080p without issue. But, overall, you will enjoy watching content on the phone despite the IPS LCD panel. It is a fairly lit display that features a 660-nit typical and 810 HBM, upgraded from the 450-nit typical and 600-nit HBM on C75.&nbsp;
Moving on to the protection, you get an IP64 rating, which means it&rsquo;s pretty sorted against water droplets and dust. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is snappy, and the haptics are surprisingly refined for this segment.
<h2>Performance &amp; Software Experience: Scope for improvement&nbsp;</h2>
Under the hood, Poco C85 packs a Mediatek Helio G81 Ultra processor with three RAM options: 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB RAM. For storage, there are 128GB and 256GB.&nbsp; The chipset isn&rsquo;t meant for gaming, and benchmarks echo that. It scored 574,456 on AnTuTu, with Geekbench posting 731 (single-core) and 1,972 (multi-core). These numbers may not be that impressive, but for the price range, they are pretty consistent.&nbsp;
In real-world usage, I played Genshin Impact for 30 minutes, thrice on the phone; it was not as smooth as I would expect, but it wasn&rsquo;t bad either, and there were no heating issues as such, and no lags either, which is what people usually complain about. The only issue I faced was that the app loading was slightly slower than I expected. However, it is not a gaming phone, so I would give this a pass.&nbsp;
Moving on to the software, the Poco C85 ships with HyperOS 2.0 based on Android 15. Personally, I am not a HyperOS fan; it looks outdated and slightly cluttered because of the UI. However, you can choose between the app drawer and the classic option and change fonts, icons, etc, to mitigate that to an extent. There is bloatware, but it can be uninstalled. But you also get some useful preinstalled apps like Gemini and Netflix, so I don&rsquo;t mind that. Overall though, the software experience can be definitely be improved.&nbsp; You get 2 years of OS updates and 4 years of security updates which is great for the price segment.&nbsp;
<h2>Battery: Easily a one-day powerhouse&nbsp;</h2>
The Poco C85 packs a massive 6000mAh battery with 33W charging support; there is also 10W PD charging support. Talking about the usage, I have used the phone rigorously for 2 days, and the battery lasts more than a day on a single charge easily.&nbsp; Coming to the charging speed, Poco claims that it can charge 51 per cent in 30 minutes, and it&rsquo;s true. I put the phone on charge, and it was pulled up to 53 per cent charged in 30-35 minutes. To get fully charged, it took around 2 hours. All in all, the battery works pretty decently and lasts you for a good enough time on a single charge.&nbsp;
<h2>Cameras: Definitely Instagram-worthy&nbsp;</h2>
There is a 50MP camera on the rear and another camera on the rear. You also get an 8MP selfie camera at the front. The daylight pictures from the main camera are pretty good for the price range. The pictures are bright, detailed, and Instagram-worthy.&nbsp; The skin tones are slightly saturated, and it's the same issue I faced with both portraits and selfies. Talking of portraits: you get natural-looking, detailed portraits; detection is okayish. The separation between foreground and background is decent too. The same goes for selfies as well; the skin tone is saturated, and it looks washed off. Low-light pictures are fine, too, except for the visible noise around the light in the pictures.&nbsp;
For video, you can shoot on 1080p at 30FPS from both front and back camera.&nbsp; But this, being an entry-level budget phone, obviously doesn&rsquo;t match up to flagships or mid-rangers for that matter. Having said that, for the price, you&rsquo;re getting a pretty decent set of optics that gets the job done.&nbsp;
<h2>Verdict: A decent budget buy with a few caveats</h2>
The Poco C85 delivers good value under a 15k price tag. You get a bright 120Hz display, solid battery life, IP64 resistance, reliable connectivity, and a design refresh that genuinely makes a difference. It even handles casual photography decently. OS updates and security updates offered are decent too. Where it needs work is performance and software refinement. The chipset is pretty serviceable for its segment, but HyperOS still feels behind the curve. There&rsquo;s also no NFC&mdash;a feature increasingly common in this segment. If you&rsquo;re on a strict budget, the Poco C85 is absolutely worth considering, especially as a meaningful upgrade over the C75. But if you can stretch your spending a bit, the Motorola G57 Power remains a stronger all-rounder for roughly the same price bracket.&nbsp;

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