Name: India implements tax guidelines for online gaming companies, TDS on winnings
Uploaded: 2023-05-23T14:58:44.000+05:30
Duration: T00M37S
Channel: Editorji News Desk
Description: The Central Board of Direct Taxes has issued guidelines for online gaming companies in India, requiring them to deduct TDS at a rate of 30% from player winnings

Vivo V70 FE delivers a striking design, massive 7000mAh battery, and smooth everyday performance in a well-balanced mid-range package.

Vivo V70 FE Review: Big Battery, Bold Personality

<h3 data-start="254" data-end="388">Vivo V70 FE delivers a striking design, massive 7000mAh battery, and smooth everyday performance in a well-balanced mid-range package.</h3>

Vivo&rsquo;s V series has always chased one goal, offer camera performance that feels a tier above its price. The V60e managed that fairly well, but beyond the cameras, it kept things predictable with its display and battery.
The V70 FE heads in a new direction. FE does not mean Fan Edition this time. Vivo calls it Fashion Edition, and it is more than a label swap. It reflects a clear change in how the phone is positioned.
This shift shows up quickly. You get a larger display, a much bigger battery, and a design that feels far more assured than before.
There are upgrades on the software side too. OriginOS 6 based on Android 16 comes out of the box, along with a more useful set of AI features. On paper, this feels like a proper step forward, and in day-to-day use, it largely holds up.
<h2>Vivo V70 FE Design: Does it actually feel like a Fashion Edition?</h2>
With the V70 FE, I can see Vivo trying to rewrite what &ldquo;FE&rdquo; usually stands for. Instead of the usual Fan Edition route, this is being pitched as a Fashion Edition, and once I started using it, that shift felt pretty intentional.
The first thing that stood out to me was just how eye-catching this phone is. The Northern Lights Purple variant I have been using does not try to play it safe at all. It looks bold, has a distinct personality, and more importantly, it feels more premium than what I expected at this price.
What I really liked is how the back panel behaves under light. There is a layered gradient here with a subtle pattern sitting underneath, and depending on how you tilt it, the finish keeps evolving. It feels dynamic without crossing into flashy territory.
Then there is the UV-reactive element. When I took it out in sunlight, the hidden glow pattern on the back actually showed up, which is a neat touch. It is not something that changes how you use the phone, but it adds a bit of character that most phones in this segment simply do not bother with.
In hand, the material choice surprised me. Even though this is a plastic composite back, it does not feel cheap or hollow. The build feels tight, the finish is clean, and overall, it comes across as a well put-together device. If the purple feels a bit too loud, there is a blue option as well, but personally, I would still pick the purple for how different it looks.
What genuinely caught me off guard, though, is how slim and balanced this phone feels. At 7.69mm and 202 grams, I did not expect it to house a 7000mAh battery this comfortably. There is no awkward weight distribution or bulk, which is something I usually notice on phones with batteries this big. Vivo has handled that balance really well here.
I also spent some time looking at the camera module, and while the vertical pill-shaped layout is familiar, the detailing makes a difference. The metallic rings around the lenses and the Aura Light sitting next to them give it a more refined, finished look.
This is not just about looks either. With IP68 and IP69 ratings, I feel confident taking this phone into less-than-ideal conditions without worrying too much.
As for the basics, everything is where you would expect it to be. At the bottom, I get a USB-C port with USB 2.0 speeds, a dual SIM tray, a mic, and a speaker. The top houses a second speaker, another mic, and an IR blaster. NFC is here as well, along with the usual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
The V70 FE nails what it set out to do with its design. It stands out, feels premium in hand, and does enough differently to actually justify that Fashion Edition tag.
<h2>Vivo V70 FE&rsquo;s Display &amp; Speakers: More than just a big panel</h2>
The display quickly became one of my favourite parts of using the V70 FE. Vivo has gone with a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, and that extra bit of screen size over the V70 and V70 Elite is immediately noticeable in daily use.
What I appreciate is how clean the front looks. The bezels are slim and even all around, so there is no distracting chin or uneven framing. It feels properly modern the moment you unlock it.
In terms of sharpness, this panel holds its ground. At 449ppi, text looks crisp regardless of size, and images retain their detail nicely. I never ran into moments where things looked soft or slightly blurred, even when I was looking closely.
Colour reproduction is another strong point. With P3 wide colour gamut support, visuals come across balanced and accurate rather than overly saturated. Photos and videos have a sense of depth to them, which I personally prefer over punchy but unrealistic colours.
Vivo mentions support for over a billion colours, which likely means either a true 10-bit panel or an 8-bit plus FRC setup. The brand has not clarified this, but in everyday use, I did not notice any banding or inconsistencies that would raise concerns.
Brightness is where this display really proves itself. With HBM going up to 1900 nits, I had no issues using the phone outdoors, even under harsh sunlight. It stays readable without needing to hunt for shade.
HDR10+ support is present and works well across platforms like YouTube and Netflix. Dolby Vision is not here, but honestly, I did not find myself missing it. HDR10+ covers most content well enough that it never felt like a limitation.
The in-display optical fingerprint sensor has also been reliable for me. It is quick to unlock and consistent over time, which is not always a given in this segment.
On the audio side, the dual stereo speakers do a solid job. They get loud enough to fill a small room without distorting, and the tuning favours clarity. Dialogue stands out clearly, which makes watching videos or shows without earphones a comfortable experience.
<h2>Vivo V70 FE&rsquo;s Cameras: The 200MP sensor does all the work</h2>
Vivo&rsquo;s V series has always leaned heavily on cameras, and with the V70 FE, I can see that same intent carry forward. The idea remains simple: deliver strong imaging at a price that feels accessible.
The setup itself is fairly straightforward. I get a 200MP main camera with OIS, paired with an 8MP ultrawide. The main sensor is the 1/1.56-inch Samsung HP5, backed by Vivo&rsquo;s own stabilisation system. Up front, there is a 50MP selfie camera with autofocus.
There is no Zeiss branding this time, but in use, I did not feel like the experience was lacking. Vivo&rsquo;s colour tuning still feels familiar, especially on the main camera, which ends up doing most of the heavy lifting.
In daylight, I found the main camera to be consistently reliable. Images come out sharp with plenty of detail, but what stood out to me is how balanced the colours look. Vivo avoids pushing saturation too far, so skies appear natural and highlights stay under control. Dynamic range is strong, and even when I cropped into shots, the detail held up well without looking artificial.
Portraits are another strong area. The processing is clearly software-driven, but edge detection is mostly accurate, and the background blur has a natural falloff. The results look clean and pleasing more often than not.
Low-light performance has also been dependable in my use. The main sensor keeps noise in check while maintaining decent sharpness. Colours remain consistent, and images come out bright enough without looking overprocessed. It may not lead in extreme scenarios, but for this segment, it does a solid job.
I also like Vivo&rsquo;s Aura Light. It acts more like a soft fill light rather than a harsh flash, which helps add depth to portraits without flattening the subject.
The 8MP ultrawide is where compromises start to show. In good lighting, it delivers usable detail and keeps colours fairly close to the main sensor. In low light, though, the drop in resolution becomes noticeable, especially in finer textures.
Selfies are pretty solid too, mainly because the front camera gets autofocus, and Vivo&rsquo;s eye-focus system does a good job of keeping subjects sharp.
For video, the phone supports 4K at 30fps, with 60fps limited to 1080p on both front and rear cameras. Stabilisation has been steady in my testing, thanks to OIS and EIS working together.
Overall, this is a dependable camera setup that delivers where it matters.
<h2>Vivo V70 FE&rsquo;s Performance: Numbers only tell half the story</h2>
On paper, the V70 FE looks well-equipped to handle performance. In reality, though, the numbers and the experience do not quite tell the same story.
I am getting the 4nm Dimensity 7360 Turbo here, paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. It sounds like a strong combination, but the benchmarks do not fully back that up.
In AnTuTu, the score capped out at around 984,000, just missing the million mark. Geekbench returned 3065 in multi-core and 1030 in single-core. The 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test showed 99% stability, which looks impressive, but neither the peak nor the lowest loop crossed 1000.
That said, once I moved away from benchmarks, the experience felt very different. In everyday use, the phone has been consistently smooth. Apps load quickly, multitasking feels effortless, and general navigation stays fluid without any noticeable slowdowns.
Gaming has also held up well in my testing. I played BGMI at close to 90FPS, and it remained stable even during longer sessions. What stood out to me more was the thermals. The phone stayed cool, with no obvious signs of throttling.
That stability comes down to the cooling setup. Vivo has included a large vapour chamber along with multiple temperature sensors that actively manage heat under load.
So while the benchmark numbers may not look exceptional, my actual experience has been smooth and reliable, which matters far more in daily use.
<h2>Vivo V70 FE&rsquo;s Software: OriginOS 6 is a highlight</h2>
If you have used a recent Vivo phone, the software here will feel instantly familiar. The V70 FE runs OriginOS 6 based on Android 16 right out of the box, and in my experience, this continues to be one of the better Android skins around right now.
What I like is how well it scales across devices. Whether it is a budget phone or a flagship, OriginOS 6 tends to feel polished, and on the V70 FE, that consistency holds up. The UI feels responsive, clean, and easy to get used to.
There are some obvious design inspirations here. The interface leans into glass-like visuals and animations that feel similar to what Apple has been doing. But at the same time, it does not feel like a copy. Vivo has built enough of its own identity into the experience.
A good example of that is Origin Island. It works along similar lines to Apple&rsquo;s Dynamic Island when it comes to notifications, but I found it going a bit further in terms of functionality. It handles alerts in a more flexible way, and honestly, there are a few ideas here that even Apple could take notes from.
Customisation is another area where Vivo has put in effort. I get options like Flip Cards on the lock screen, more layout flexibility, and additional styling tools that let you tweak the look without making things complicated. Even the setup process feels simpler and more guided.
What stood out to me most is how consistent everything feels in daily use. Animations are smooth, app launches are quick, and smaller interactions like switching apps or pulling down notifications feel fluid. I did not run into any stutters or awkward transitions during my time with the phone.
The redesigned control centre also helps here. It looks cleaner, feels less cluttered, and is easier to navigate. Features like phone-to-PC mirroring and cross-device connectivity also proved useful in everyday scenarios.
AI is a big part of the experience too, with a lot of it powered by Google Gemini. I get features like AI Creation, AI Search, and Circle to Search. The AI Photography Suite is where things get more interesting, as it lets you rework images after capturing them, even changing the overall mood or setting quite dramatically.
On the update front, Vivo is promising four OS updates and six years of security patches. That is a strong commitment at this price and adds to the overall sense of long-term reliability.
<h2>Vivo V70 FE&rsquo;s Battery &amp; Charging: Forget your charger at home</h2>
Battery life is one area where this phone genuinely stands out for me.
The V70 FE packs a 7000mAh battery, and while large capacities are becoming more common now, this still feels impressive for this segment. More importantly, it actually translates well into real-world use.
In my experience, getting through a full day and a half was easy. On lighter days, I could push it close to two days without stressing about the battery at all.
Charging speeds are solid too. With 90W fast charging, going from 0 to 100 percent takes about an hour, which feels reasonable given the size of the battery.
Overall, this is the kind of battery setup that quietly does its job. I did not find myself checking the percentage constantly or worrying about topping it up, and that is exactly how it should be.
<h2>Vivo V70 FE&rsquo;s Verdict: Strikes the right balance</h2>
The V70 FE quietly gets most things right without making you feel like you have settled anywhere.
For me, the design is a clear standout. The Northern Lights Purple variant not only looks striking but also carries a premium feel that is rare at this price. The fact that Vivo has managed to keep it this slim and light while fitting in a 7000mAh battery makes it even more impressive.
The display is sharp and bright, the cameras are reliable across most situations, and OriginOS 6 delivers a polished, consistent experience in daily use. Battery life is easily among the best in this segment, and the phone handles heat well during gaming.
Yes, the ultrawide camera is not great in low light, and the benchmarks are not particularly exciting. But in actual use, neither feels like a real drawback.
If you want something distinctive, long-lasting, and well-rounded, the V70 FE makes a strong case.

OnePlus Nord 6 launches April 7 with a massive 9000mAh battery, 165Hz AMOLED display, and Snapdragon 8s Gen 4. Here’s everything you need to know.

OnePlus Nord 6 First Look: 9000mAh Battery, 165Hz Display, Snapdragon 8s Gen 4

The OnePlus Nord 6 brings a 9000mAh battery, 165Hz AMOLED display, and Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset. Here’s a complete first look before launch.

The OnePlus Nord 6 brings a 9000mAh battery, 165Hz AMOLED display, and Snapdragon 8s Gen 4. With 80W charging and gaming-focused features, it aims to redefine performance in the sub-₹40,000 segment.

The OnePlus Nord 6 is set to launch in India on April 7, bringing a range of updates across battery capacity, display technology, and performance hardware.
While the official pricing is yet to be announced, the company has already confirmed several key specifications that position the device within the upper mid-range segment.
Here&rsquo;s a detailed look at everything the OnePlus Nord 6 offers based on our first look.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Unboxing: Standard OnePlus Package</h2>
The unboxing experience follows OnePlus&rsquo; familiar approach. The device comes in a blue and black retail box. Opening the box, the first thing visible is the documentation. Inside, you get a grey silicone case, an 80W wired charger, a red USB-A to USB-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and the handset itself.
A screen protector is also pre-applied on the device. The contents remain consistent with what OnePlus typically includes in this segment.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Design and Build</h2>
The variant shown here is the quicksilver finish. The back panel features a ribbon-like pattern that runs across the surface and extends around the camera module. This design element creates a distinct visual layout across the rear panel.
In terms of materials, both the back panel and the frame are made of polycarbonate.
The camera module is positioned in the top-left corner and follows a squarish layout. It houses two large circular camera rings along with the flash and an IR blaster. The camera deco is made of aluminium, which contrasts with the rest of the body.
For button placement, the power button and volume rockers are located on the right side of the frame. The Plus Key is placed on the left.
At the bottom, the device includes a dual SIM tray, a microphone, a USB Type-C port, and a speaker grille. The top houses additional microphones.
The device features rounded corners and slightly softened edges. The back panel shows visible fingerprint smudges during regular handling.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Battery and Charging</h2>
One of the key highlights of the <a title="OnePlus Nord 5 Review: Balanced to the core!" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/oneplus-nord-5-review-balanced-to-the-core-1752038704404" target="_blank">OnePlus Nord</a> 6 is its battery capacity. The device is equipped with a 9,000mAh battery, which is significantly larger than what is typically seen in this segment.
The battery uses silicon-carbon technology with approximately 15% silicon content. This allows for higher energy density, enabling a larger battery capacity within a relatively compact form factor.
The device supports 80W wired fast charging. OnePlus claims that the battery can be fully charged in approximately 70 minutes.
Additional charging-related features include bypass charging, which powers the device directly during extended use cases such as gaming or video recording, reducing stress on the battery.
The Nord 6 also supports 27W wired reverse charging, allowing it to charge other compatible devices such as smartphones or accessories.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Display</h2>
The OnePlus Nord 6 features a 165Hz AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution. Due to embargo restrictions, the front of the device cannot be shown at this stage.
The higher refresh rate is designed to enable smoother scrolling, animations, and gameplay in supported applications.
OnePlus has stated that the display supports sustained 165 frames per second in select games.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Cameras</h2>
The camera setup on the OnePlus Nord 6 includes a dual rear camera system. On the back, the device features a 50MP primary sensor along with a secondary camera
For selfies, the phone includes a 32MP front-facing camera.
In terms of video capabilities, the rear camera supports recording at up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.
Further evaluation of image processing, dynamic range, and low-light performance will be covered in a full review.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Performance and Hardware</h2>
The OnePlus Nord 6 is powered by the <a title="Qualcomm launches Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 with advanced AI, Poco F6 to debut with new chipset in India in May" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/qualcomm-launches-snapdragon-8s-gen-3-with-advanced-ai-poco-f6-to-debut-with-new-chipset-in-india-in-may-1715680223330" target="_blank">Snapdragon 8s Gen 4</a> chipset, built on a 4nm process. The chipset supports clock speeds of up to 3.2GHz. The device is available with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage.
These specifications are intended to support faster data access, improved multitasking, and overall system responsiveness.
OnePlus claims that the Nord 6 can achieve AnTuTu benchmark scores of over 2.5 million. Independent benchmark testing will be conducted as part of the full review process.
The device also includes a G2 Wi-Fi chip, which is designed to improve connectivity performance in high-density network environments.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Connectivity and Network Features</h2>
The Nord 6 includes support for advanced connectivity features. The G2 Wi-Fi chip is intended to provide more stable and consistent wireless performance, particularly in crowded environments such as public networks or gaming scenarios.
In addition, the device supports advanced 5G capabilities, with OnePlus stating improved peak data speeds when paired with compatible network infrastructure.
These features are designed to enhance streaming, online gaming, and data-intensive applications.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Gaming Capabilities</h2>
With the combination of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset and the 165Hz display, OnePlus is positioning the Nord 6 as a performance-focused device for gaming.
The company claims that the device can sustain 165fps gameplay in supported titles such as BGMI, Call of Duty Mobile, and Free Fire Max.
Additional features such as bypass charging are intended to support extended gaming sessions by reducing heat and maintaining consistent performance levels.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Pricing Expectations</h2>
The official pricing of the OnePlus Nord 6 will be revealed on April 7 at 7 PM. OnePlus has confirmed that the Nord 6 will feature the largest battery in the ₹35,000 to ₹40,000 segment. This suggests that the device will be priced under ₹40,000.
The previous generation launched at ₹31,999. Since then, smartphone prices have increased due to higher component and manufacturing costs.
As with previous launches, bank offers and introductory discounts are expected to be available.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 First Look</h2>
The OnePlus Nord 6 introduces updates across multiple areas, including battery capacity, display refresh rate, and processing hardware.
It features a 9,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, a 165Hz AMOLED display, and the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, along with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Other additions include 80W fast charging, reverse charging support, a G2 Wi-Fi chip, and a dual-camera setup with 4K video recording.
Further details regarding real-world performance, camera output, battery endurance, and overall user experience will be evaluated after the device is fully reviewed following its launch.

Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26+ bring refined cameras, strong Exynos 2600 performance, and premium displays. See if they justify their price in 2025.

Samsung Galaxy S26 & S26+ Review: Exynos Delivers, Big Time

<h3 data-start="711" data-end="849">Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26+ deliver smooth Exynos 2600 performance, refined cameras, and top-tier displays in a polished flagship package.</h3>

The Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26+ are not phones that impress instantly on a spec sheet. At ₹87,999 for the S26 and ₹1,19,999 for the S26+, they sit firmly in premium territory, yet on paper, they feel very close to last year&rsquo;s models. That, however, only tells part of the story.
What Samsung has done this year is refine rather than reinvent. The cameras feel more polished, the new Exynos 2600 delivers performance that genuinely surprised me, and the displays remain among the best you will find on any Android phone.
The S26 continues to stand out as a compact flagship done right, while the S26+ builds on that experience without pushing you into Ultra-level pricing. The real question is whether these quieter improvements feel worth it at this price point in 2025.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Review: Design</h2>
When I first picked up the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26+, they felt instantly familiar. At a glance, both look almost identical to last year&rsquo;s models, and the changes are subtle rather than dramatic.
The most noticeable update is around the camera module. This time, the lenses sit on a slightly raised platform instead of directly on the back. The camera rings are slimmer and colour-matched to the body, which makes the whole rear panel look cleaner and more refined. It is not a big redesign, but it does feel more polished in hand.
Beyond that, I genuinely had to look twice to tell these apart from their predecessors. The S26 still feels like one of the best compact Android flagships you can buy, while the S26+ continues to sit in that middle space between the standard model and the Ultra.
The dimensions have not changed much either. The S26+ is 7.3mm thick, and the S26 comes in at 7.2mm. Both feel slimmer and easier to handle than the Ultra, especially if you prefer something lighter. Weight is also nearly identical. The S26+ stays at 190 grams, while the S26 goes up slightly from 162 grams to 167 grams.
That familiarity is not a bad thing. The moment I held them, both phones felt just as solid as before. The Armour Aluminium frame and matte glass back give them a premium, grippy feel. The matte finish also helps keep fingerprints in check, and the Cobalt Violet variant, in particular, looks great. The S26, thanks to its smaller size, is especially comfortable for long use.
There is a small trade-off with the new camera design. Both phones wobble slightly when placed on a flat surface. The S26+ does it a bit more, but it is not a major issue and feels similar to last year.
Durability is still a strong point. I get Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both sides, an Armour Aluminium frame, and IP68 water resistance. Connectivity is well covered too, with WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and a USB 3.2 Type-C port with DisplayPort 1.2 support. I still do not understand why Samsung skips an IR blaster, though.
In India, the S26+ comes in Cobalt Violet and Black, with Pink Gold and Silver Shadow available online. The S26 adds Sky Blue and White, giving it a slightly wider range of colours.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Review: Displays</h2>
Samsung has clearly saved the bigger display upgrades for the Ultra. The S26+ sticks with a 6.7-inch panel, while the S26 gets a small bump to 6.3 inches from 6.2 inches last year.
What stood out to me immediately was how slim the bezels feel. They look even thinner this time, though Samsung has not shared exact figures yet. Either way, both phones look sharp and modern from the front.
The core experience remains familiar. Both displays support a 120Hz refresh rate, peak brightness of 2600 nits, and HDR10+. They are LTPO panels as well, so the refresh rate can shift between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on what you are doing. In day-to-day use, that means I could leave the always-on display active or glance at notifications without worrying about battery drain.
Resolution is where things split. The S26+ keeps its 1440p panel, while the S26 stays at 1080p. Personally, I never found the lower resolution on the S26 to be an issue. At this size, it still looks sharp, landing at around 411ppi. The S26+, on the other hand, is noticeably crisper and actually ends up being the sharpest in the lineup, even edging past the Ultra in pixel density.
One thing worth noting is that the Privacy Display feature is still limited to the Ultra.
In daily use, though, I had very little to complain about. Both phones use Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels, and the colour reproduction is excellent. Even with 8-bit panels, banding is handled well. Blacks look deep, colours pop nicely, and HDR content on Netflix looked consistently great thanks to HDR10+, even without Dolby Vision support.
Outdoor visibility held up just as well. Even under harsh sunlight, I had no trouble using maps or reading messages.
Both phones also come with an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner under the display, and it worked flawlessly during my testing. It is quick, accurate, and easy to reach.
For audio, you get stereo speakers on both. The S26+ sounds slightly fuller, likely due to its larger size, but both get loud enough. There is no headphone jack, but wireless audio support is solid, with codecs like aptX, aptX HD, Samsung SSC, AAC, SBC, and LDAC all supported.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Review: Cameras</h2>
With the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26+, Samsung has clearly leaned into refinement rather than big hardware changes. On paper, the setup looks familiar. Both phones get a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP 3x telephoto.
Up front, there is a 12MP selfie camera, now with a slightly wider field of view. I found this genuinely useful, especially when trying to fit more into the frame without awkward positioning.
After spending time with both, it is clear that the focus here is consistency. In daylight, the main camera delivers excellent results. Images are detailed, textures look natural, colours stay balanced, and dynamic range is handled confidently. I also noticed a bit of grain in darker areas, but instead of looking messy, it actually helps photos feel more natural and less over-processed. Portraits come out clean with accurate skin tones, although the background blur can sometimes feel slightly aggressive.
The 2x crop from the main sensor ended up being more useful than I expected. I found myself using it often for portraits, as it holds detail really well without a noticeable drop in quality. The 3x telephoto is reliable too. It may not lead its class in detail, but colours and dynamic range stay consistent. Zoom goes up to 30x, though beyond a point, the results start to lose clarity.
The ultrawide works best in good lighting. It captures vibrant colours and decent detail for landscapes and group shots, though I would avoid using it for close-ups. Selfies, on the other hand, were a strong point. They come out sharp and well-exposed, and the wider framing makes a real difference.
Low-light performance is where things get interesting. Samsung&rsquo;s automatic Night mode runs quietly in the background and improves detail while reducing noise. I did find that manually enabling it gives more consistent results. If you want more control, the Camera Assistant app adds extra settings that are worth exploring.
Video remains a strong area. I could shoot up to 4K at 60fps across all cameras, and 8K on the main sensor. Footage looks sharp in daylight, holds up reasonably well in low light, and stabilisation is dependable. Features like Horizon Lock, Log recording, and LUT support add extra flexibility if you like tweaking your footage.
These cameras are not chasing dramatic upgrades. Instead, they deliver a steady, reliable experience that holds up in everyday use, and that ends up mattering far more.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Review: Performance</h2>
Performance is where things start to get interesting with the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26+, and I will be honest, one result here genuinely caught me off guard.
Samsung has moved back to its in-house silicon this year, with the Exynos 2600 powering both devices. After using Snapdragon on last year&rsquo;s non-Ultra models, this shift feels significant. On paper, the contrast is clear. The Ultra&rsquo;s Snapdragon chip sticks to an octa-core design, while the Exynos 2600 goes with a deca-core setup. It is a different approach, and one Samsung seems confident about.
In everyday use, that confidence shows. With 12GB of RAM across both storage variants, I found performance to be consistently smooth. Whether I was scrolling through apps, browsing, or just hopping between tasks, everything felt fluid and responsive.
The benchmarks tell a layered story. In AnTuTu, the S26 scored 3.07 million and the S26+ reached 3.14 million, while the Ultra pulled ahead at 3.73 million. That gap was expected. Geekbench results were closer, especially in multicore performance, where both phones held their ground without any surprises.
The real twist came in sustained performance. In the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test, the S26 and S26+ delivered better stability than the Ultra. The S26 recorded a stability of 58.6 per cent, and the S26+ came in at 54.2 per cent. Even in terms of the best loop score, the S26+ outscored the S26 Ultra. The Ultra also had the lowest loop score, and dropped to 42.7 per cent stability.
That means these Exynos-powered phones not only held performance better over time, but also avoided the sharper drops seen on the Ultra. It is not something I expected going in, especially given how things have played out in previous years.
Gaming performance reflects this too. Titles like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile ran smoothly at up to 120fps in my testing. The phones do warm up during longer sessions, but thermals feel better controlled this time. Samsung&rsquo;s larger vapour chamber and improved thermal design seem to be doing their job well.
For now, this is a strong showing. The bigger question is how the Exynos 2600 holds up over time compared to the Snapdragon chip in the Ultra. But based on what I have seen so far, it is putting up a far more convincing fight than I expected.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Review: Software, AI and UI</h2>
On the software side, the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26+ feel very close to the Ultra. Both run One UI 8.5 based on Android 16, and in day-to-day use, I am getting nearly the same experience. The only real omission is anything tied to the S Pen, which remains exclusive to the Ultra.
Everything else carries over. All the Galaxy AI features are here, so if you have seen what the Ultra can do, this feels largely identical.
Using it daily, One UI 8.5 comes across as clean, fluid, and well-optimised. Animations are smooth, transitions feel quick, and the overall experience feels polished in a way that only a handful of brands consistently manage.
That said, one long-standing annoyance is still here. Samsung continues to duplicate core apps. I still get two browsers, two app stores, two note apps, and even two voice assistants. It is not a dealbreaker, but over time, it does make the app drawer feel unnecessarily cluttered.
The AI features are where things get more interesting. Photo Assist now lets me edit images using simple prompts. I could describe what I wanted changed, and the phone would handle it. It works well for tasks like removing objects or tweaking colours, and Samsung adds an AI watermark to generated edits, which feels like the right move.
Bixby has also improved, with better natural language understanding and access to web results. Even then, I still found myself leaning towards alternatives like Gemini Live for most things.
The more intriguing addition is Perplexity AI, which I can trigger with a simple voice command. It integrates with system and third-party apps and can handle more complex, multi-step tasks, which makes it genuinely useful.
Features like Document Scan have also improved, doing a better job of cleaning up scans and correcting distortions. Meanwhile, Now Brief and Now Nudge feel smarter this time. Brief does a better job of organising my day, while Nudge offers timely suggestions based on what I am doing. They are subtle additions, but they grow on you.
Samsung is also promising seven years of OS updates and security patches for the S26 lineup, matching what Google offers with its Pixel devices. That kind of long-term support adds real value over time.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Review: Battery</h2>
Battery and charging are where the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26+ feel a bit unchanged. The S26+ sticks with a 4900mAh battery, 45W wired charging, and PD 3.0, while wireless charging sees a bump to 20W. The S26 gets a small upgrade to 4300mAh, but charging remains at 25W wired and 15W wireless.
In daily use, both phones take just over an hour to fully charge. The S26 is slightly slower despite the smaller battery, mainly due to its lower charging speeds. There is no built-in MagSafe-style support either, so you will need compatible cases for magnetic charging. Both phones do support 4.5W reverse wireless charging, which is handy for accessories.
Battery life itself has been reliable. I was consistently getting around six to seven hours of screen-on time, even with heavy usage outdoors.
That said, this is one area where Samsung feels behind. Rivals are pushing larger batteries and faster charging, and the 25W limit on the base S26, in particular, now feels overdue for an upgrade.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Review: Verdict</h2>
After spending time with the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26+, I walked away more impressed than I expected, especially with how the Exynos 2600 performs in real use.
The S26 is an easy pick for me. If you want a compact flagship that feels premium, performs well, and does not push you into Ultra pricing, this makes a lot of sense at ₹87,999. It is one of the most well-rounded small Android flagships you can buy right now.
The S26+, at ₹1,19,999, is a harder recommendation. This has always been a tricky spot in Samsung&rsquo;s lineup, and it feels even more so this time. It is a great phone on its own, but the gap between it and the Ultra feels smaller than before, which makes the decision less straightforward.
Taken together, both phones feel polished and reliable. Samsung has not changed the formula, but it has clearly refined it.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro review: better ANC, improved sound, LHDC 5.0, and longer battery vs Nord Buds 3 Pro. Are the upgrades worth ₹1,000 more? Here’s the full comparison.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro Review: Worth ₹1,000 More? (vs Nord Buds 3 Pro)

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro refine an already solid formula with better ANC, sound tuning, LHDC 5.0, and battery life. At ₹1,000 more, the upgrades aren&rsquo;t massive but add up to a more complete, future-ready TWS than the Nord Buds 3 Pro.

There&rsquo;s a very specific kind of product I&rsquo;ve come to appreciate over time. The ones that don&rsquo;t try too hard. They don&rsquo;t scream for attention or rely on hype. They just work, quietly and consistently.
That&rsquo;s exactly how the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro felt to me.
No drama, no hype. Just a pair of earbuds that delivered where it mattered. Sound, ANC, battery, price. Everything clicked in a way that made them easy to recommend, especially at ₹2,999.
And then the Nord Buds 4 Pro showed up at ₹3,999.
Now this isn&rsquo;t just about a good pair of earbuds anymore. It&rsquo;s about whether OnePlus has actually refined something that was already working, and more importantly, whether that refinement is worth ₹1,000 extra. Because that&rsquo;s the real question here. Not &ldquo;are these better?&rdquo; but &ldquo;are they better enough?&rdquo;
<h2>Design: Familiar, But More Refined</h2>
Put both of these side by side, and the first thing you notice is how familiar they look. OnePlus hasn&rsquo;t gone for a dramatic redesign, and honestly, that works in its favour. The Nord Buds 3 Pro already had a practical design. That oval-shaped case was compact, pocket-friendly, and easy to carry around.
The 4 Pro keeps that idea but trims it down slightly. The case is now a bit smaller, lighter, and feels more refined in hand. It&rsquo;s not a huge difference on paper, but it does add up in daily use.
The earbuds themselves follow the same approach. Still the same stem-style design, but now slightly longer and slimmer. It&rsquo;s a small tweak, but it actually improves grip and comfort.
With the 3 Pro, I occasionally had to adjust the fit during longer sessions. The 4 Pro feels more stable and sits better in the ear. Comfort is largely similar otherwise, since both weigh around 4.4 grams per earbud.
Both models also come with an IP55 rating, so sweat, dust, and light splashes aren&rsquo;t a concern. That said, I do wish OnePlus pushed for a higher rating on the newer model. It feels like a safe upgrade they could have made, especially at the higher price.
In terms of colours, the 3 Pro sticks to Soft Jade and Starry Black, while the 4 Pro shifts to Radiant Gray and Raven Black. The colour options this time feel more muted but also more premium. I&rsquo;ve been using the black variant, and it looks clean and understated while still feeling premium.
<h2>Features: Small Upgrades, Big Difference</h2>
Moving to features, the Nord Buds 3 Pro already had a solid base. The HeyMelody app gave you EQ controls, dual device connectivity worked well, and there were even small extras like using the earbuds as a camera shutter.
All of that carries over, but the 4 Pro adds refinements that you notice quickly. The biggest one is volume control directly on the earbuds. Swipe gestures make a real difference in day-to-day use. Once you get used to it, going back feels inconvenient.
There&rsquo;s also onboard AI this time. It sounds like a headline feature, but it&rsquo;s actually quite practical. You can trigger your phone&rsquo;s assistant, use AI translation, or quickly access features without picking up your phone.
Touch controls are also more consistent. The 3 Pro had moments where gestures wouldn&rsquo;t register properly. The 4 Pro feels more reliable, and the slightly larger touch area helps with that.
<h2>Connectivity: Quietly Getting Better</h2>
Connectivity is another clear upgrade. The 3 Pro runs on Bluetooth 5.4, while the 4 Pro moves to Bluetooth 6.0. It might not sound dramatic, but in real-world use, connections feel more stable, switching between devices is smoother, and overall responsiveness is better.
You also get better codec support this time. The 3 Pro is limited to AAC and SBC, while the 4 Pro adds LHDC 5.0. That&rsquo;s a meaningful upgrade if you&rsquo;re using a compatible device, as it allows for higher bitrate audio and better detail.
<h2>Sound Quality: Less About Size, More About Tuning</h2>
Now, sound quality.
The Nord Buds 3 Pro already impressed me. It uses a larger 12.4mm dynamic driver, and that results in a warm, balanced sound signature. Tracks like &ldquo;Paint The Town Red&rdquo; by Doja Cat or &ldquo;Houdini&rdquo; by Dua Lipa sound clean and enjoyable. The bass has enough punch, vocals are clear, and nothing feels overly aggressive.
The 4 Pro goes slightly smaller with a 12mm driver, but the tuning is noticeably better. Listening to tracks like &ldquo;Espresso&rdquo; by Sabrina Carpenter or &ldquo;FE!N&rdquo; by Travis Scott, the difference becomes clear. Bass feels deeper but tighter, vocals are more forward, and there&rsquo;s better separation between instruments.
It&rsquo;s not just louder or bassier, it&rsquo;s cleaner and more controlled. And with LHDC 5.0 and spatial audio support, the experience opens up further. You get more detail and a wider soundstage, especially when watching content.
Also worth mentioning, both earbuds work seamlessly with Android and iOS, so you&rsquo;re not tied to any specific ecosystem.
<h2>ANC: From Good to Properly Effective</h2>
ANC is another area where the 4 Pro improves things. The 3 Pro already offered up to 49dB noise cancellation and handled everyday environments well. Offices, traffic, and general background noise were manageable.
The 4 Pro pushes this to 55dB and improves overall effectiveness. It&rsquo;s not just about the number. In real-world scenarios, especially in busier environments like caf&eacute;s or during commutes, the difference is noticeable. You hear less of the outside world without needing to increase volume.
<h2>Calls: Finally Cleaner Outdoors</h2>
Call quality also gets better. The 4 Pro uses a 6-microphone setup, compared to a simpler setup on the 3 Pro. Combined with AI noise reduction, voices come through clearer, especially outdoors where wind and background noise can be an issue.
<h2>Battery Life: Lab Numbers vs Real Life</h2>
Battery life is where things start to separate more clearly. The Nord Buds 3 Pro packs a 58mAh battery per earbud and a 440mAh case. On paper, that gives you up to 5.5 hours with ANC and 12 hours without. Even now, I&rsquo;m still getting around 4 to 4.5 hours with ANC on, which is respectable after extended use.
The 4 Pro increases this with a 62mAh battery in each earbud and a 530mAh case. On paper, that translates to up to 13 hours on the buds and 54 hours with the case. But those are lab-tested numbers under ideal conditions.
In real-world usage, with ANC on and volume around 60 to 70 percent, I was getting closer to 6 to 6.5 hours. That&rsquo;s a noticeable improvement and enough to get through a full day without worrying about charging.
Charging speeds remain similar, around an hour for the earbuds and roughly 90 minutes for the full setup, using a Type-C port.
<h2>Verdict: Is It Worth ₹1,000 More?</h2>
The Nord Buds 3 Pro is still a very good pair of earbuds. At ₹2,999, it remains one of the easiest recommendations if you&rsquo;re looking for solid sound and features without spending too much.
But the Nord Buds 4 Pro at ₹3,999 feels like a more refined product. It improves on multiple small areas that collectively make a difference. Better tuning, stronger ANC, more reliable controls, LHDC 5.0 support, newer Bluetooth, improved battery life, and a slightly more polished design.
At a ₹1,000 higher price, the upgrade isn&rsquo;t dramatic, but it is meaningful.
If your priority is saving money, the 3 Pro still makes perfect sense. But if you&rsquo;re willing to spend a bit more for a more complete and future-ready experience, the 4 Pro is the better pick.
It doesn&rsquo;t reinvent anything. It just gets more things right.

POCO X8 Pro Max review: Packed with a 9000mAh battery, Dimensity 9500s, and a smooth AMOLED display. Here’s how it performs in real-world use at ₹42,999.

POCO X8 Pro Max Review: Price, Full Specs, and Features

The POCO X8 Pro Max focuses on what matters most. You get massive battery life, stable performance, and a great display, making it ideal for users who want reliability without constantly worrying about charging.

&nbsp;Go big where it matters. That seems to be the mantra for the newly launched POCO X8 Pro Max.
This is a phone that leans heavily into the essentials. Bigger battery, stronger performance, and a feature set that feels more practical than flashy.
Starting at ₹42,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant, it sits in that increasingly competitive upper mid-range space, where specs alone aren&rsquo;t enough anymore. You need consistency, balance, and just enough standout features to justify your spot.
And that&rsquo;s exactly what this phone tries to do.
It doesn&rsquo;t chase perfection across every single category. Instead, it focuses on the things people actually use every day like battery life, display quality, and sustained performance, while keeping everything else solid enough to not get in the way.
The result is a phone that doesn&rsquo;t try to impress in the first five minutes but grows on you the longer you use it. So, how well does it all come together in real-world use? Let&rsquo;s get into the full review.
<h2>Poco X8 Pro Max Review: Design &amp; Utility</h2>
POCO X8 Pro Max keeps it clean, but not boring. Flat edges, a metal frame, and a solid in-hand feel. Instead of a traditional glass back, you get a fiberglass finish here. It doesn&rsquo;t feel as premium as full glass, but it&rsquo;s more practical. Less prone to smudges, a bit more durable, and honestly, easier to live with day to day.
In hand, this thing has presence. At 8.2mm and around 220g, you feel it instantly. But it&rsquo;s not clunky. On paper, 220 grams sounds like it could be a lot, but in use, it really doesn&rsquo;t come across that way.&nbsp;
The weight is spread out nicely, and those slightly curved edges do much of the heavy lifting for comfort. It just&hellip; settles in. Feels solid, not exhausting.
The back stays minimal with an oval camera module that blends in nicely. No chaos, no overdesign. Just clean. You get Black, Blue, and White, and I have the white version, which I really like for its simplicity.
On the connectivity side, it&rsquo;s pretty loaded. You get dual SIM support (nano + nano or nano + eSIM), along with a wide range of 5G bands (14 in total), so coverage shouldn&rsquo;t really be an issue across regions. There&rsquo;s also support for 4x4 MIMO, which helps with better signal stability.
For wireless, you&rsquo;ve got Wi-Fi 7, along with older standards for compatibility, plus features like Multi-Link Operation and MU-MIMO. Bluetooth is upgraded to Bluetooth 6.0 with dual-device support, and you get high-quality codecs like LDAC and LHDC. There&rsquo;s also NFC, so payments and quick pairing are covered.
Build is strong too. Gorilla Glass 7i on the front, plus IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings. Basically, dust, water, pressure&hellip; this thing isn&rsquo;t stressing.
You&rsquo;ve also got a red-accented power button, IR blaster, solid stereo speakers, and a fast ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
<h2>Poco X8 Pro Max Review: Display &amp; Audio</h2>
The POCO X8 Pro Max gets a 6.83-inch AMOLED &nbsp;with a 2772 &times; 1280 resolution, and yeah&hellip; this is one of those displays you notice immediately.
It supports an adaptive 60Hz to 120Hz refresh rate, so whether you&rsquo;re just reading or flying through apps, it adjusts on the fly. Scrolling feels smooth, animations feel fluid, and gaming definitely benefits from that higher refresh rate.
Brightness is a big win here. You&rsquo;re getting 2000 nits HBM and up to 3500 nits peak brightness, which basically means outdoor visibility is not a problem. Even under harsh sunlight, the screen holds up really well. No squinting, no guessing what&rsquo;s on your screen.
Colors also look great. You&rsquo;ve got HDR10+ support, along with a wide color gamut and up to 68 billion colors, so content looks vibrant without going overboard.
Watching videos, scrolling through photos, even just the UI&hellip; everything has that rich, punchy look. And yes, you do get HDR playback on Netflix, which is always nice to have.
For longer use, there&rsquo;s 3840Hz PWM dimming and multiple T&Uuml;V Rheinland certifications for low blue light and flicker reduction. So it&rsquo;s not just good-looking, it&rsquo;s also easier on the eyes during late-night sessions.
And honestly, in day-to-day use, this display just hits. It&rsquo;s bright, smooth, and vibrant without trying too hard. Easily one of the strongest parts of this phone.
On the audio side, you get dual symmetrical stereo speakers with a 400% volume boost mode. At regular volumes, they sound clean with good separation. Push it all the way, though, and you&rsquo;ll start to notice some distortion.&nbsp;
<h2>Poco X8 Pro Max Review: Cameras</h2>
The POCO X8 Pro Max keeps things simple with a dual camera setup. You get a 50MP main camera using the Light Fusion 600 sensor with an f/1.5 aperture, and an 8MP ultrawide. On the front, there&rsquo;s a 20MP selfie camera.
Starting with the main sensor, this is clearly doing most of the heavy lifting. In good lighting, shots come out sharp, well-exposed, and fairly detailed.
Colours look balanced, not overly processed, and overall it&rsquo;s a pretty reliable shooter for everyday photos. It also uses dual native ISO, which helps a bit when lighting isn&rsquo;t perfect.
The ultrawide, though feels like a clear step down. It gets the job done for wider shots, and the colours stay somewhat consistent with the main camera, which is nice. But in terms of detail and dynamic range, there&rsquo;s a noticeable drop. It&rsquo;s usable, just not something you&rsquo;ll want to rely on too much.
Zoom is handled through cropping on the main sensor. Up to 2x, it&rsquo;s fine. Beyond that, things start to fall apart pretty quickly.
Low light is decent, not spectacular. The main camera does a good job of brightening scenes, but you will notice some grain creeping in, especially in darker areas like the sky.
The 20MP front camera is&hellip; fine. It gets the job done for selfies, with decent edge detection in portrait mode. Background separation is actually pretty solid. But it&rsquo;s a smaller sensor with no autofocus, so results can be a bit inconsistent.
For video, you can shoot up to 4K at 60fps, and the results are pretty solid - footage looks clean and stabilisation is usable.
<h2>Poco X8 Pro Max Review: Performance</h2>
The POCO X8 Pro Max runs on MediaTek&rsquo;s Dimensity 9500s, built on a 3nm process. The naming might make it sound like a cut-down flagship chip, but in reality, it sits much closer to the Dimensity 9400+ in terms of actual performance.
You also get the Immortalis-G925 MC12 GPU with ray tracing support, paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5X Ultra RAM &nbsp;and &nbsp;up to 512GB UFS 4.1 storage.&nbsp;
POCO claims an AnTuTu score of around 31 lakh, which would put it right alongside Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 devices like the iQOO 15R and OnePlus 15R. In real-world testing though, it lands closer to 27.2 lakh. Slightly lower, sure, but not something you actually feel in day-to-day use.
Apps open instantly, multitasking is smooth, and there&rsquo;s no real friction anywhere. It feels consistent more than anything, which matters more than peak numbers.
Gaming is where things get interesting. I was getting stable 120fps gameplay on COD Mobile and BGMI, and that stability holds even during longer sessions. That&rsquo;s where the 5800 mm&sup2; 3D IceLoop cooling system comes in. It&rsquo;s clearly tuned for sustained performance rather than short bursts.
Thermals are well managed too. The phone doesn&rsquo;t heat up aggressively, even under load. You will feel the metal frame getting a bit warm during extended gaming, but it never gets uncomfortable or concerning.
<h2>Poco X8 Pro Max Review: Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
The POCO X8 Pro Max is built around one very clear idea: outlasting everything else in its category.
In India, you&rsquo;re getting a 9000mAh silicon-carbon battery, while global variants stick to 8500mAh. Either way, this is easily one of the biggest batteries you&rsquo;ll find in a mainstream phone right now, and it shows in how the phone behaves day to day.
This isn&rsquo;t just about lasting a full day. It&rsquo;s about stretching well beyond that without needing to think about it. You can push it hard with constant browsing, video, and even gaming, and it still has headroom left.
In structured testing, it performs exactly how you&rsquo;d expect for its size, landing just below the Realme P4 Power, which carries an even larger 10,000mAh unit.
<ul>
<li>28+ hours of continuous browsing</li>
<li>16+ hours of video playback</li>
<li>10+ hours of gaming</li>
</ul>
What stands out is consistency. A big reason for this is the 3nm chipset, which keeps power draw under control, so the large battery isn&rsquo;t just compensating; it&rsquo;s being used effectively.
Charging a battery this large could&rsquo;ve been a bottleneck, but POCO manages it well. With 100W wired charging, a full charge takes roughly 70 to 75 minutes. Considering the capacity, that&rsquo;s not too bad.&nbsp;
You also get up to 27W reverse charging, which basically turns the phone into a power bank for your accessories or even another phone when needed. &nbsp;
There&rsquo;s no wireless charging here, which is the one omission. But given the focus on capacity and fast wired speeds, that feels like a deliberate trade-off rather than an oversight.
<h2>Poco X8 Pro Max Review: Software &amp; AI</h2>
The POCO X8 Pro Max runs HyperOS 3 (Android 16), and the first thing you notice is how little it tries to shock you. If you&rsquo;ve been around Xiaomi or POCO phones before, this feels instantly familiar.
The interface still leans modern, but where it wins is flexibility. You can go all in on customisation. Lock screen layouts, fonts, and themes. There's enough here to make the phone actually feel like yours instead of just another default setup.
Xiaomi has also been tweaking animations, and while it&rsquo;s not something you&rsquo;ll consciously notice every second, the system does feel a bit more fluid. It&rsquo;s subtle, but it adds up over time.
Feature-wise, everything is kind of layered in rather than thrown at you. You&rsquo;ve got Google Gemini and Circle to Search built right into the system, and then Xiaomi adds its own layer with HyperConnect for ecosystem stuff. There&rsquo;s even offline communication, which lets devices connect without a network, which is niche, but cool when you actually need it.
The AI side is less about one big feature and more about small tools everywhere. In the gallery, you get things like AI Eraser, Expander, Cutout, Beautify, plus stuff like sky replacement. There are also AI wallpapers and writing tools, but none of it feels forced, it&rsquo;s just there when you need it.
You also get Hyper Island, Xiaomi&rsquo;s version of Dynamic Island. It works fine, but right now it feels more like a concept that&rsquo;s still waiting for better app support.
Daily use is straightforward. The control center and notifications are easy to navigate, and everything feels where you expect it to be. There is some pre-installed bloat, but most of it can be removed, so it&rsquo;s more of a quick cleanup than a real problem.
On the longevity side, you&rsquo;re getting 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches, which is a solid commitment.
<h2>Poco X8 Pro Max Review: Verdict</h2>
The POCO X8 Pro Max is a phone that knows exactly what it&rsquo;s trying to do, and more importantly, it stays consistent with that vision.
The biggest highlight here is the battery life. The 9000mAh unit in the India variant isn&rsquo;t just about numbers, it genuinely changes how you use the phone.
You&rsquo;re not constantly checking percentages or looking for a charger. It just keeps going. Pair that with fast charging and efficient hardware, and this easily becomes one of the strongest battery setups in this segment.
Performance is another big win. The Dimensity 9500s focuses on sustained output rather than just peak numbers. It stays fast, stable, and reliable over longer sessions, whether you&rsquo;re gaming or juggling multiple apps. That consistency really stands out in daily use.
The display also delivers. It&rsquo;s bright, smooth, and vibrant, and easily one of the better panels you&rsquo;ll find at this price. Add to that a clean design, solid build, and strong connectivity, and the overall experience feels well-rounded.
The camera setup is clearly led by the main sensor, which does a good job in most situations. That said, a dedicated zoom camera would have helped make this a more balanced camera system.
At ₹42,999, this isn&rsquo;t a phone trying to tick every possible box. It&rsquo;s clearly built for people who care about sustained performance and not having to worry about topping up their battery all the time.
And in that role, it absolutely delivers.

iQOO Z11x 5G review: Massive 7200mAh battery, solid gaming performance, and smooth UI under ₹20,000. Here’s whether it’s the best budget phone to buy.

iQOO Z11x 5G Review: Best Budget Phone Under ₹20K With 7200mAh Battery?

Looking for the best phone under ₹20K? The iQOO Z11x 5G packs a 7200mAh battery, strong performance, and smooth UI. Here’s a full review after real-world testing.

The iQOO Z11x 5G delivers strong performance and a massive 7200mAh battery under ₹20K. While the display and cameras are average, it excels as a reliable, no-nonsense budget phone for gaming and daily use.

These days, it's rare to find a phone that gets the core stuff right without some bizarre omissions in a bid to cut costs. But, the iQOO Z11x 5G pulls it off. The base 6GB + 128GB model starts at ₹18,999, which makes it for power users who are watching their spending habits. I spent over a week using the 8GB + 256GB unit in Prismatic Green as my daily driver, which is priced at ₹22,999.
While rivals pile on trendy extras, iQOO focuses on real needs: epic battery and solid performance. The 7,200mAh cell paired with Dimensity 7400 Turbo makes it great for gaming or streaming sessions. It&rsquo;s not pretending to be something it's not, which makes it great for people who want to be smart with their budget. Here's how this monster of a budget device, held up during my week living with it.
<h2>iQOO Z11x 5G Review: Unboxing and Design</h2>
Unboxing the iQOO Z11x is a standard affair, pretty much what you expect from a budget phone these days. You get the full kit in the box: a TPU case, SIM tool, USB-A to C cable, a 44W charging brick and obviously the phone, with a protective film, already applied.
The design is where things really pick up. From the moment I held the phone, the in-hand feel genuinely caught me off guard. While this is an upgrade in almost every way over the last model, <a title="iQOO 15R Review: The Performance Phone to Beat Under ₹45,000" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/iqoo-15r-review-the-performance-phone-to-beat-under-45-000-1772019743193" target="_blank">iQOO</a> skipped the loud, flashy look for something more restrained. I reviewed the Prismatic Green version here, though you can also find it in Titan Black.
The back is plastic, which makes sense given the price. There is a faint, strip-like pattern on the rear that only shows up when you tilt the phone under the light. The matte finish feels high-quality and is a total win for anyone who hates fingerprints. You can honestly go caseless without worrying about oily smudges or marks ruining the look. But given that massive glass display, I would strongly urge against it.
The camera island has changed too. iQOO swapped the old rectangle for a symmetrical square-ish design that looks much cleaner. It houses five elements: a 50MP main sensor, a 2MP depth lens, a flash, a dynamic light, and an IR blaster tucked with the depth sensor.
The layout around the edges is familiar. The right side has the volume rocker and a power button that doubles as the fingerprint sensor. We still do not have an in-display sensor here, but the one in the power button is quite snappy.&nbsp;
At the bottom you get a mic, a C-Type charging port and a speaker. The left side houses the SIM tray. Unfortunately there&rsquo;s no SD card support. Finally at the top you get a noise-cancelling mic too.&nbsp;
One thing you will notice is the weight. The battery jumped from 6,500mAh to 7,200mAh, pushing the phone to 219g, which isn&rsquo;t exactly lightweight, but is pretty common in this segment, if you&rsquo;re looking for a phone with a big battery. If you are coming from a lighter device, you will definitely feel that extra heft.
Durability is a massive win though. With IP68 and IP69+ ratings, it is built to handle way more than just minor splashes. Unless you are planning to explore the Titanic wreckage, this is plenty of protection. Overall, the Z11x feels like a much more refined and reliable package than its predecessor.
<h2>iQOO Z11x 5G Review: Display</h2>
Up front, the iQOO Z11x comes with a flat IPS LCD panel. Same as last year, no upgrade here. Now, I know, tech folks out there are going crazy for AMOLED these days, but honestly, at this price point, it's a bit unrealistic.
But, at 6.72 inches, it's huge, and that 120Hz refresh rate truly shines. Flipping through Twitter or switching apps were super smooth, no lag. No ghosting or blur like you see on bargain panels. Colors come out balanced, nothing punched up too hard, so Netflix binges felt easy on the eyes.
Now, HDR works fine on YouTube but skips Netflix. But don&rsquo;t expect flagship-level blacks here, because it is an IPS LCD panel afterall.&nbsp;
Design-wise, it's okay. Top and side bezels are not obviously the thinnest, but, slim for the price, and look pretty decent. However, that thick chin at the bottom is a constant reminder that this is a budget device. It truly kills that full-screen vibe.
Moving to the brightness and yes we do see an upgrade here. It hits 1200 nits peak HBM. Whether I was using it indoors or out in brutal noon sun, it came out sharp and vibrant. I read texts no problem, no squinting or hand-shielding.&nbsp;
As for speakers we get a dual stereo set up; interesting to note in this segment. Although iQOO claims that they have 400% audio boosters, but, in my experience though the loudness is decent. Watching content or listening to music sounds fine enough. Nothing extraordinary.
<h2>iQOO Z11x 5G Review: Performance</h2>
Let&rsquo;s be real for a second. We only really look at iQOO for the raw power, and the Z11x doesn't disappoint there. It is packing the <a title="MediaTek unveils new advanced Filogic 8000 family Wi-Fi 8 chipset at CES" href="https://www.editorji.com/business-news/mediatek-unveils-wifi-8-at-ces-2026-1767770813440" target="_blank">MediaTek Dimensity 7400 </a>Turbo under the hood. I put this chip through the absolute ringer with Antutu, Geekbench, and 3D Mark. Honestly, the results were a bit of a shocker for this price bracket.
My Antutu run hit around 9.6 lakh. That is practically knocking on the door of a million points. For some context here, I have reviewed plenty of other budget phones that can barely crawl past 5.5 lakh. I am not calling it a flagship killer just yet, but for a "budget" device, it is genuinely impressive stuff.
The hardware uses LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. Sure, those aren't the top-tier specs you see on 80k phones, but the actual day-to-day feel was buttery. I tried multitasking with three apps at once using split-screen and a floating window. Surprisingly, the phone handled the load without any lag, jitters or frame drops in the UI.
Gaming is where the Z11x really earns its keep. I spent a good chunk of time on Call of Duty Mobile and BGMI. COD stayed capped at 90 FPS while BGMI held a rock-solid 60 FPS. The best part? No random frame drops during heavy gunfights. As for the heat, yeah, it gets warm. Every phone does when you push it. But even after an hour of gaming, it never felt like a hot brick in my hand.
<h2>iQOO Z11x 5G Review: Camera</h2>
Let&rsquo;s get one thing straight: nobody buys a Z-series phone for elite photography. The Z11x comes with a 50MP main lens and a 2MP depth sensor. While 50MP sounds great on paper, we all know megapixels don't tell the whole story. In my time with it, the photos were decent enough for Instagram, but the colours aren't natural at all. There is a clear warm tint and a lot of processing happening behind the scenes. If you try to zoom in beyond 2X, details fall apart, and things get pixelated pretty fast.
The portrait mode is a bit of a hit-or-miss situation. The edge detection is okay, but it is mostly just for that casual bokeh effect rather than something professional.
Surprisingly, the 32MP selfie camera is actually quite good with colors, even if it tries to smooth out my skin a bit too much for my liking.
The biggest shocker for me was the video. Getting 4K at 30fps on both the front and back is something I honestly didn't expect at this price point. The stabilisation on the rear is decent enough to capture family moments or random clips, even if it isn't exactly a cinematic experience.&nbsp;
Furthermore, the phone also supports a dual view cam recording, meaning you can record from both the rear and the front cameras simultaneously. At this price point, it is a pretty rare feature.
You shouldn't buy this for serious content creation or YouTube vlogging, but for a budget phone, iQOO is finally showing they care about more than just gaming performance. It delivers exactly what it needs to for the price without making any wild claims it can't back up. It is a solid and practical setup for capturing everyday life.
<h2>iQOO Z11x 5G Review: Software, UI/UX &amp; AI Features</h2>
iQOO finally moved away from the Funtouch OS that was on the Z10x. Instead, the Z11x comes with OriginOS 6 based on Android 16 right out of the box. And let me just say, it is a massive upgrade.&nbsp;
The UI feels incredibly fluid and polished, with animations that honestly look like they were pulled straight from the flagship iQOO 15.
One thing I found myself using a lot was the Origin Island. It makes sharing files a breeze because you just drag and drop them. And the inspirations taken from that famous fruit brand for things like liquid glass like effect also look great here, nonetheless.&nbsp;
But, mind you, bloatware comes complimentary. Yes, it is cluttered with apps you probably won't ever need. You will have to spend about ten minutes just deleting things to get a clean experience.&nbsp;
I still don't understand why brands think this is a good idea for a phone that otherwise feels quite premium. Honestly, that&rsquo;s also something you can expect here.
The AI features are surprisingly useful, too. You get things like Circle to Search, Gemini support, and a bunch of productivity tools that are perfect for taking notes or summarising info. I also really liked the voice isolation feature for making calls in loud areas.
As for longevity, iQOO is promising two years of Android updates and four years of security patches. That is pretty much the industry standard now, but it is nice to see them sticking to it for a budget-friendly device.
<h2>iQOO Z11x 5G Review: Battery and Charging</h2>
The battery on the Z11x is a total beast. Jamming a 7200mAh unit into an 8.39mm slim frame is an engineering flex I didn't expect at this price. In my daily use, even with heavy gaming and 4K video marathons, I was easily getting close to two full days of life.
iQOO claims 40 hours of video playback, but I think that is a bit optimistic. I started a test at 68 percent battery, and it took 12 hours to hit 20 percent. That last bit of juice lasted another 3 hours. So, realistically, you are looking at 30 or 32 hours total.&nbsp;
For charging you get a 44W brick in the box. It takes roughly around an hour and a half to charge the phone from zero to full. That might feel a bit slow, but it is acceptable given the massive capacity. The good news is that just 30 minutes on the charger gives you enough power to last a whole day of normal use. Plus, it even supports reverse charging, which is great for topping up your earbuds when you are traveling light.
With a promised six years of battery health, this thing is definitely built to last. It is basically a high-capacity power bank that just happens to be a phone.
<h2>iQOO Z11x 5G Review: Should you buy it?</h2>
The iQOO Z11x 5G is easily one of the best value-for-money picks if you&rsquo;re on a very strict budget of ₹20,000. It doesn't try to do everything, but it nails the essentials like stable performance and that massive 7,200mAh battery. For students, pinching pennies, or even as a first smartphone for your grandparents, it is a fantastic, reliable choice that won't leave you hunting for a charger by evening.
Sure, you&rsquo;re not getting the best display or the best set of cameras on a smartphone with this one. But if you want a "no-nonsense" workhorse that just works, comes with an easy two-day battery, and performs like a beast, all without breaking the bank, this is a solid bet.&nbsp;

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro offers a bold design, periscope zoom, and smooth AMOLED display. A well-balanced mid-range phone worth considering.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Style Meets Substance

<h3>The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro blends bold design, a periscope camera, and clean software into a well-rounded mid-ranger, with minor compromises in video and eSIM support.</h3>

Nothing has built a reputation for making phones that stand out because of their unique designs and features, but it seems that with the Phone (4a) Pro, it feels like the focus has shifted towards delivering a more rounded experience.&nbsp;
Starting at Rs 39,999, this is no longer just about design or novelty. It aims to offer a dependable mid-range package with a distinct identity. You get a full aluminium build, a periscope telephoto camera, and the Glyph Matrix, which still feels refreshingly different in this segment.
What works in its favour is how cohesive it feels. It does not come across as a watered-down flagship or a spec-driven experiment. Instead, it feels intentional. A phone that balances individuality with everyday usability, which is not easy to achieve.
Having used the phone as my daily driver for a week or so, I found it comes together well as an overall package. It delivers on most fronts, even if there are a few areas where it could have pushed things further.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Design</h2>
Nothing takes a bold new approach with the Phone (4a) Pro, and it lands rather well. The transparent glass back that once defined the brand is gone, replaced by a full aluminium body. The shift is immediately noticeable. The phone feels sturdier, more refined, and clearly more premium than any previous Nothing or CMF phone, from the moment I pick it up.
Measuring just 7.9mm thick and weighing in at 210 grams, it is incredibly comfortable to hold and feels well-balanced in the hand. There is enough weight to make it feel substantial, but it never tips into feeling bulky. The flat frame paired with the flat display gives it a clean, straightforward look that I really enjoy. It is available in Black, Pink, and Silver, and the Silver unit I tested easily stands out as the most striking of the lot.
Around the back, Nothing&rsquo;s personality is still very much intact. The cyberpunk-inspired design language continues to shine through. The camera module is large and does remind me slightly of an iPhone, but it never feels like a direct imitation.
You also get the Glyph Matrix from the Phone 3 Pro, and it is more than just a visual flourish. I found it genuinely useful in daily use, adding both character and function in a way most phones in this segment simply do not.
On durability, there is IP65 resistance, so it can handle splashes and light rain, but I would still avoid taking it near water. Gorilla Glass 7i protects the front, and essentials like NFC and Wi-Fi 6 are present. The only real drawbacks are the missing IR blaster and the lack of eSIM support in India, which feels like a sharper omission.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Display</h2>
The 6.83-inch flexible AMOLED display on the Phone (4a) Pro is easily one of my favourite parts of the phone. On paper, it sounds impressive with a 1.5K resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, support for over a billion colours, and a peak HDR brightness rated at 5000 nits. For this price, that is a very solid setup.
In my day-to-day use, the display consistently impressed me. Colours looked rich without feeling over-processed, blacks were deep, and everything from YouTube to Instagram to Netflix looked sharp and vibrant. It genuinely feels like a panel that sits above what I usually expect in this segment, and I found myself enjoying content on it more than I expected.
Outdoor visibility has also been reliable. The panel can hit around 1600 nits in high brightness mode, and I had no trouble using it under harsh sunlight. It is not the absolute brightest out there, but in practical use, it holds up very well.
There is one thing to keep in mind. While HDR playback is supported, Netflix HDR10 and HDR10+ certification are missing. In real-world use, I did not find this to be a major issue, as content still looks very good, but it is worth noting.
You also get an optical in-display fingerprint scanner, which has been dependable in my experience. It is quick, accurate, and rarely misses, although, an ultrasonic scanner would have been better.
The dual stereo speakers also stood out to me. They get surprisingly loud and sound fuller than expected, which, combined with the display, makes watching videos or even casual gaming feel more immersive.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Cameras</h2>
The cameras on the Phone (4a) Pro are easily one of its biggest strengths, and in my time using it, that became obvious pretty quickly. The setup includes a 50MP main sensor with OIS, a 50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto, and an 8MP ultra-wide. That periscope lens is the standout here, especially at this price, and it gives the phone a clear edge over most rivals.
In everyday shooting, I found the main camera to be very dependable. It captures a good amount of detail, and more importantly, the colours stay natural. Nothing&rsquo;s processing avoids the usual over-sharpened, over-saturated look, so photos come out closer to what I actually saw. The ultra-wide is fine for casual shots, but I did notice it can underexpose slightly, especially in tricky or uneven lighting.
Low-light performance reflects the same philosophy. The phone does not try to artificially brighten everything, which keeps images realistic, but it also means some shots can look a bit flatter compared to phones that rely heavily on processing to boost exposure and contrast.
Zoom is where the Phone (4a) Pro really stands out. The 3.5x periscope telephoto makes a clear difference in real use. I could push zoom all the way up to 140x, and while that extreme range is more of a novelty, even at more practical zoom levels, images retain better detail. Portrait shots also benefit from this, as the optical zoom creates more natural depth compared to digital cropping.
The 32MP front camera has been reliable in my use, delivering sharp selfies with balanced colours across different lighting conditions.
Video performance is where things feel a bit limited. The footage itself looks good, with stable output, decent dynamic range, and colours that stay consistent with the rest of the camera system. But being capped at 4K at 30fps in 2025 does feel restrictive, especially when others in this segment are pushing further.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Performance</h2>
The Phone (4a) Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, and in my time using it, it became abundantly clear that Nothing is focusing on consistency rather than raw power.&nbsp;
For everyday use, it does the job without any friction. Browsing, streaming, switching between apps, or even mindless scrolling all felt fluid, which is exactly what I expect at this level.
The phone pairs LPDDR5X RAM with UFS 3.1 storage. While the RAM keeps things snappy, the storage is a step behind newer standards, and that does show up occasionally.&nbsp;
I noticed slightly longer app load times, particularly with heavier apps or when quickly taking a tonne of photos with the camera. It is not something that disrupts daily use, but it is noticeable if you are paying attention.
Gaming performance turned out better than I expected. During extended BGMI sessions, the phone held close to 118 to 119fps quite consistently. What stood out more was how well it managed heat.&nbsp;
Even after longer gaming sessions, it never got uncomfortably warm, which points to solid optimisation and thermal management.
Synthetic benchmarks reflect a similar story. The numbers are not pushing the limits of the segment, but they align well with what the hardware is meant to deliver.&nbsp;
More importantly, performance feels stable in real-world use. Unless you are specifically chasing top-tier flagship power, this setup strikes a practical and well-balanced middle ground.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Software</h2>
Running Nothing OS 4.1 on top of Android 16, the Phone (4a) Pro delivers one of the cleanest software experiences I have used in this segment. From the first boot, it felt fast, uncluttered, and visually distinct. The dot matrix elements, monochrome icons, and minimalist UI give it a clear identity that does not blend into the usual Android crowd.
What I ended up appreciating more was how deeply customisable it feels in a practical sense. Widgets are a big part of the experience here, but they are not just for show. Through Nothing Playground, I could add community-created widgets that actually changed how I interacted with the home screen. It felt functional rather than decorative. The Glyph Matrix adds to this in a meaningful way, surfacing live information and notifications in a way I gradually started relying on.
Essential Space has seen useful improvements too. Screenshots can now be grouped into Essential Memories and synced across Nothing devices, which makes organising saved content much easier.
The software stays largely free of clutter. Apart from Facebook and Instagram, which can be removed quickly, there is very little pre-installed junk.
Nothing is committing to three years of Android updates and six years of security patches, which feels balanced for this category.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Battery</h2>
The Phone (4a) Pro comes with a 5,400mAh battery, and in my usage, it proved to be consistently reliable. You&rsquo;re looking at a one-day easily handled phone here. Through a typical day that included browsing, streaming, social media, and calls, I was able to get through without worrying about topping up midway. It is not aiming to set new benchmarks, but it delivers the kind of endurance most people would be happy with.&nbsp;
Charging is capped at 50W, and a full charge takes around 60 to 65 minutes. It is not the fastest you can get in this segment, but it is quick enough to comfortably fit into a daily routine.
There is also 7.5W reverse wired charging, which I found handy for quickly topping up smaller devices like earbuds. Wireless charging is missing, which feels like a slight omission at this price, though not entirely surprising.
Overall, the battery setup feels steady and dependable without trying to overcompensate.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Verdict</h2>
Spending time with the Phone (4a) Pro, I came away feeling like Nothing has finally nailed the balance it has been chasing. At Rs 39,999, this feels like a genuinely well-rounded mid-range option rather than just a design-first device. The new aluminium build gives it a more premium feel, the display is smooth and vibrant, and the camera system, especially the periscope telephoto, adds a level of versatility that is still rare in this segment.
Nothing OS 4.1 continues to be a highlight for me. It feels clean, responsive, and different in a way that actually improves day-to-day use instead of just looking unique. Battery life has also been steady in my experience, easily lasting through a full day without any anxiety.
There are a few compromises. The 4K 30fps video cap feels limiting for 2025, the lack of eSIM support in India remains frustrating, and while performance is smooth, it does not match the raw power some competitors offer.
Even so, if you want a phone with a strong identity that also delivers where it matters, this is an easy pick at this price.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review: refined design, Privacy Display, top-tier performance, improved cameras, and strong battery life. Not a huge upgrade on paper, but one of the most polished Android flagships you can buy in 2026.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: Everything You Need to Know

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Familiar on the surface, the Galaxy S26 Ultra focuses on refinement. You get a great display with Privacy Display, top-tier performance, improved cameras, and solid battery life&mdash;making it a very polished, if expensive, flagship.
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Xiaomi 17 combines top-tier performance, Leica cameras, and a compact design. A premium flagship experience without the usual bulk.

Xiaomi 17 Review: Proper Flagship Power In a Pocket-Friendly Size

<h3 data-start="376" data-end="491">A rare compact flagship that delivers speed, strong cameras, and all-day battery without feeling like a compromise.</h3>

Among all the glitz and glamour surrounding the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, the younger sibling in the 17 series, the Xiaomi 17, has largely slipped under the radar. That feels a little surprising, especially at a time when compact flagship phones are starting to enjoy something of a revival.
Starting at ₹89,999, the Xiaomi 17 may seem expensive at first, especially when you compare it with other compact phones currently available. But a closer look at the spec sheet quickly reveals that this is not a trimmed-down or quasi-flagship.
Instead, the Xiaomi 17 is a full-fledged flagship, complete with a flagship chipset, a flagship display, and hardware you would normally expect from a much more expensive device. As with any Xiaomi flagship, the Leica-powered camera system again takes centre stage.
I spent a week using the phone as my daily driver. Xiaomi India even took me to Phu Quoc, Vietnam, for a series of photowalks and to thoroughly test out the phone, and see whether this compact phone truly delivers the full flagship experience, or if there are compromises hiding beneath that smaller form factor. And honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the Xiaomi 17 came across.&nbsp;
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Review: Design &amp; Build Quality</h2>
The Xiaomi 17 is a properly compact phone, and I absolutely loved the way it felt in my hand from the moment I took it out of the box. The rear panel is made from fibreglass, but much like the Ultra, it feels remarkably close to glass. In practical terms, that means the phone still feels plush and premium when you hold it. The flat panels and the flat aluminium frame further reinforce that flagship feel, giving the device a clean and solid presence in the hand.
Our review unit comes in the Black finish, and it handles fingerprints and smudges reasonably well. It is not completely immune to them, but the surface does a good job of hiding marks for quite a while before they become noticeable. If black is not quite your style, Xiaomi also offers the phone in Alpine Pink, Ice Blue, and Venture Green.
Despite being a compact device, the Xiaomi 17 feels reassuringly dense in the hand. It measures 8.06mm in thickness and weighs just over 191 grams, which gives it a sturdy, well-balanced feel. The phone feels tough and solid, almost as if it has been built like a small tank rather than a delicate compact device.
The durability credentials back up that impression as well. The phone carries an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. Up front, Xiaomi uses its own Shield Glass for protection. While it may not be the latest Corning glass, it has proven reliable in handling the occasional drop, and in my experience devices using Xiaomi&rsquo;s Shield Glass tend to hold up quite well against everyday scratches.
Apart from the size, the most obvious difference between the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the regular Xiaomi 17 is the camera module design. The Xiaomi 17 uses a square camera island with rounded corners. It still houses three cameras and a flash, but each element now sits in its own individual housing, giving the module a slightly more structured look.
Button placement is exactly where you would expect it. Unlike the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, however, the volume controls use a traditional single-bar rocker. Being a flagship device, the phone also supports eSIM, along with NFC, an IR blaster, and a USB Type-C port rated at USB 3.2, rounding out a design that feels both compact and properly premium.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Review: Display and Audio</h2>
The Xiaomi 17 comes with a 6.3-inch &ldquo;CrystalRes&rdquo; OLED display, and apart from the smaller size, it is almost identical to the panel on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. It uses a 2656 &times; 1220 resolution panel with a pixel density of 460ppi, which is actually higher than the Ultra. In day-to-day use, I found the display to be extremely sharp, with text and images looking crisp and detailed.
Just like the Ultra, Xiaomi uses a 12-bit panel that can produce over 68 billion colours. The display also supports a 120Hz LTPO refresh rate, which means it can dynamically switch between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on what I was doing. Scrolling through apps and social media felt very smooth, while the adaptive refresh rate helped conserve battery when the screen was mostly static.
HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support are present, even on Netflix. While watching content across YouTube and Netflix, the display consistently looked vibrant and immersive. Colours felt lively without appearing oversaturated, and the blacks were deep and inky thanks to the OLED panel. The display also covers the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which helps maintain strong colour accuracy. Peak HDR brightness reaches 3500 nits, and during my time using the phone outdoors in bright Vietnamese sunlight, I never struggled to read the screen.
Like most 2026 flagships, the Xiaomi 17 also gets an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. In my experience it was quick, reliable, and positioned comfortably for one-handed use.
For audio, the stereo speakers get reasonably loud with Dolby Atmos, but the compact size limits bass. Hi-Res and Hi-Res Wireless audio support are also present.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Review: Cameras</h2>
The Xiaomi 17 comes with a triple-camera setup, and on paper it looks very similar to what Xiaomi has been doing with its recent flagships. The main camera uses a 50MP Light Fusion 950 sensor with OIS and Leica&rsquo;s tuning. You also get a 50MP telephoto camera with OIS, again paired with Leica&rsquo;s colour science. The ultrawide camera is another 50MP sensor with a 17mm field of view, slightly narrower than last year&rsquo;s 14mm lens, but surprisingly it still lacks autofocus.
Now, the images from the Xiaomi 17 are not quite as wildly characterful as what I have seen from the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, particularly when I compared shots from the telephoto lens. That said, the overall camera system is still very capable, even if it does not quite reach the same level as the Ultra when placed side by side.
The main camera produces excellent daylight photos. I consistently saw wide dynamic range, balanced contrast, and reliable white balance. Colours appear vibrant without looking exaggerated, and fine details remain sharp while still retaining a natural look. The default 12.5MP output strikes a very nice balance between clarity and processing.
Low-light performance from the main camera is also impressive. Exposures remain well balanced, highlights stay controlled, and shadows retain good detail. Images remain clean overall, although the level of detail can look slightly less natural compared to the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
The ultrawide camera is the weakest part of the system. Colours and dynamic range remain decent, but the lack of autofocus also limits its usefulness for close subjects. In low light, that softness becomes more noticeable at times
Zoom performance, however, is very impressive. The 2x crop from the main sensor delivers sharp images, while the dedicated 2.6x telephoto adds extra reach with natural colours and strong detail. Even the 5x zoom remains quite usable.
Portraits look excellent, with sharp subject detail, natural skin tones, and convincing background separation. The upgraded 50MP selfie camera adds more detail and autofocus, although colours could occasionally appear slightly more vibrant.
For video, the phone supports up to 4K60 across all cameras and 8K30 on the main sensor, with strong stabilisation and good dynamic range in daylight footage.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Review: Performance</h2>
Do not be fooled by its compact size or the absence of a &ldquo;Pro&rdquo; or &ldquo;Ultra&rdquo; label, because the regular Xiaomi 17 packs performance that comes very close to what the Xiaomi 17 Ultra offers. Like its bigger sibling, the phone runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and fast UFS 4.1 storage.
In everyday use, I immediately noticed how fluid everything felt. Scrolling through the interface, downloading large files, switching between apps, and multitasking all felt quick and effortless. The phone simply keeps up with whatever you throw at it. Benchmark numbers reflect that experience as well.
In AnTuTu, the Xiaomi 17 scored just over 3.1 million points. That figure is slightly lower than what the Xiaomi 17 Ultra manages, but it is still an extremely strong result and firmly places the phone among the fastest Android devices right now. Geekbench results also come very close to the Ultra, which further shows how capable the hardware is.
That said, the smaller frame does introduce some limitations. Because the phone is more compact, it does not dissipate heat quite as effectively as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, even with Xiaomi&rsquo;s 3D IceLoop cooling system.
I noticed this during longer gaming sessions. When I played BGMI for about an hour, the phone maintained a solid 120fps, but it did begin to warm up. It never became uncomfortable to hold, though the heat was noticeable. To be fair, this is fairly common with compact flagship phones.
In normal day-to-day use, however, the Xiaomi 17 barely seemed to break a sweat. Even while testing the phone outdoors in the harsh Vietnamese sun during my time in Phu Quoc, I did not notice any performance drops.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Review: Software and AI</h2>
I will not go too deep into the software side of the Xiaomi 17 because it is essentially the same experience as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The phone runs HyperOS 3 based on Android 16, and most of the core features remain unchanged.
In everyday use, the interface feels polished and responsive. Animations look smooth, apps open quickly, and navigating through the system rarely feels sluggish. Xiaomi has clearly taken some visual inspiration from Apple in certain areas. The Control Centre, for example, has a layered and minimal layout that feels somewhat similar to iOS. Xiaomi has also introduced touches of what it calls its &ldquo;liquid glass&rdquo; design language across parts of the interface.
One of the more noticeable additions this year is Super Island. Positioned around the camera cut-out, it displays contextual information from apps running in the background. In practice, it works in a very similar way to Apple&rsquo;s Dynamic Island.
AI features are another major focus. Xiaomi groups these under HyperAI, which includes AI writing, speech recognition, AI interpreter, AI subtitles, and AI-powered wallpapers. The gallery app also gets AI editing tools for removing objects from photos.
Xiaomi promises five Android updates and six years of security patches.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Review: Battery</h2>
This is where things get a little interesting. The international Xiaomi 17 comes with a smaller battery than the Chinese variant, 6330mAh versus 7000mAh. Even so, the compact Xiaomi 17 actually packs a larger battery than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which gets a 6000mAh unit.
In my use, battery life was noticeably better than what I experienced with the 17 Ultra. I was easily getting 45 minutes or so more than the Ultra, which itself gave me an SoT of over 6-7 hours.
Charging is also faster. The Xiaomi 17 supports 100W wired charging compared to the Ultra&rsquo;s 90W, which means a full charge takes roughly 50 minutes to an hour. You also get 50W wireless charging and 22.5W reverse wired charging.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Review: Verdict</h2>
The Xiaomi 17 proves that a compact phone does not have to compromise on flagship performance. Even without the &ldquo;Ultra&rdquo; branding, it delivers most of the same core experience. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 keeps everything feeling extremely quick, the LTPO OLED display is sharp and vibrant, and the overall build quality feels every bit like a proper premium flagship.
What I appreciated the most during my testing was how manageable the phone felt in daily use. The smaller form factor makes it comfortable to hold and easy to use one-handed, without sacrificing power. Performance remained consistently strong across multitasking, heavy apps, and gaming, while the larger battery actually gave me slightly better endurance than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
The camera system is also very capable. The main sensor and telephoto camera produce excellent results in most conditions, although the images do not quite have the same character or consistency as what I saw from the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The ultrawide camera also remains the weakest part of the setup.
At ₹89,999, the Xiaomi 17 is not cheap, but if you want flagship power in a genuinely compact phone, it makes a very convincing case.

Xiaomi Pad 8 delivers Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 power, a sharp 3.2K display, premium metal build, and strong battery life at a smart price.

Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Premium Performance at a Smart Price

<h3 data-start="782" data-end="909">Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 power, a crisp 3.2K display, and premium build make the Xiaomi Pad 8 one of the smartest tablet buys today.</h3>

The Xiaomi Pad 8 has some pretty big shoes to fill. The Pad 7 turned out to be wildly popular, mostly because of the kind of value it offered. It delivered strong performance, a great display, and premium build quality, all at a price that made it an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a good Android tablet.&nbsp;
Naturally, that also means expectations are fairly high for the Pad 8, especially now that Xiaomi is trying to build on the success of the previous model.
At first glance, the Pad 8 looks like a fairly straightforward upgrade. Xiaomi has refreshed the hardware with a faster Snapdragon chip, a sharp high-resolution display, and support for accessories like a floating keyboard and stylus that push it closer to being a proper productivity device.
But the landscape has also shifted since the last model. Tablet prices across the industry have crept up, and starting at ₹33,999 for the 8+128GB variant, the Pad 8 does not feel quite as aggressively priced as its predecessor once did.
So the real question becomes fairly simple: does the Xiaomi Pad 8 still deliver the same kind of value that made the previous model so compelling, or has the balance changed this time around?
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Design and build</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 immediately gives off the kind of premium feel you would normally expect from tablets that cost significantly more. Xiaomi has used a full metal chassis, and the tablet feels solid, well finished, and reassuringly sturdy in the hand. At just 5.75mm thick, it is also impressively slim, giving the device a sleek and modern profile.
What I noticed fairly quickly while using the Pad 8 was how manageable it feels during everyday use. The tablet is noticeably smaller than many large-screen tablets, and that makes a big difference when it comes to ergonomics. At 485 grams, it is also quite light for a tablet in this category. Because of that, I found it far easier to hold for longer periods, whether I was reading, browsing, or watching videos. Even when using it with one hand, the tablet remained comfortable to handle and never felt awkward or unwieldy.
That is not to say that the tablet feels flimsy. It is extremely well built and feels tough as nails.&nbsp;
Xiaomi has also included pogo pins on the rear of the tablet for connecting accessories such as keyboards or other add-ons. Their placement does look a little unusual at first glance, but they work as expected for accessory support. The camera module on the back is another design element that stands out. While it is functional, the way it sits on the rear panel makes it look slightly out of place compared to the otherwise clean design.
On the connectivity front, the Pad 8 gets a USB Type-C port at the bottom that supports USB 3.1 speeds. That is actually a big win because some tablets in this price range still cut corners here. Xiaomi has also included an IR blaster, which can come in handy for controlling appliances or TVs.
We do have some disappointing omissions in terms of biometrics and cellular connectivity. There is no fingerprint scanner on the device, and the unit I tested does not include a SIM card slot. That means there is no 5G connectivity, no eSIM support, and no expandable storage either.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Display and speakers</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 comes with an 11.2-inch display, and during my time using it, I immediately appreciated how manageable the overall size felt. The panel has a resolution of 3200 &times; 2136, which Xiaomi refers to as a 3.2K display. Because the screen is relatively compact while maintaining such a high resolution, the pixel density climbs to about 345ppi. In everyday use, I found text looking extremely crisp and images appearing sharp across the interface.
You get somewhat slim bezels, which goes with the way the tablet is built. On tablets, you want some bezel to make holding the tablet easy, and the Xiaomi Pad 8 absolutely nails the balance.
Xiaomi has gone with a 3:2 aspect ratio for this panel, which gives the screen a more square-like shape compared to traditional widescreen tablets. In practice, I found this format much better for productivity. When I was working on documents, browsing through spreadsheets, or even scrubbing through video timelines, the extra vertical space made the experience noticeably more comfortable.
The display itself is an IPS LCD panel, but Xiaomi has packed it with a long list of display features. It supports up to a 144Hz refresh rate and uses a 12-bit panel capable of displaying over 68 billion colours. The screen also supports DCI-P3 colour, Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR Vivid, and Xiaomi&rsquo;s Pro HDR processing.&nbsp;
Even though LCD panels do not produce the same deep blacks you get from AMOLED displays, I still found the viewing experience to be quite impressive. Content on Netflix and YouTube looked vibrant and colourful, and the colour depth helped scenes appear rich and lively. You get HDR support on YouTube, and Netflix shows both HDR10 and Dolby Vision content.
Brightness goes up to around 800 nits in high brightness mode, and in my testing, I did not find outdoor visibility to be an issue. The display also includes useful features like Reading Mode and Adaptive Colours, which help reduce eye strain during longer usage sessions.
For audio, the Xiaomi Pad 8 uses a quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support. In my experience, the speakers get sufficiently loud for movies, music, and gaming. However, while the volume levels are solid, I did feel that the overall sound character lacks a bit of depth compared to some other tablets I have used. The good thing is, you get support for Hi-Res &amp; Hi-Res Wireless Audio.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Cameras</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 comes with a 13MP rear camera, and in my experience, it performs exactly the way most tablet cameras do. It is perfectly usable for scanning QR codes, capturing documents, or taking a quick photo when your phone is not nearby. That said, I would not expect anything particularly special from it. The quality is serviceable, but clearly not designed to replace a proper smartphone camera.
On the front, the tablet gets an 8MP camera that works well enough for video calls. One feature I particularly liked is Xiaomi&rsquo;s FocusFrame, which tracks your face and keeps you centred in the frame during calls.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Accessories</h2>
Xiaomi offers a couple of accessories for the Pad 8 that really change how the tablet can be used day to day. The two main ones are the Focus Keyboard, which costs ₹8,999 and the Focus Pen Pro, costing ₹5,999, and having used them extensively, I found that they push the Pad 8 much closer to being a proper productivity and creative device rather than just a tablet for watching videos.
The Focus Keyboard is easily the more interesting of the two. Xiaomi has gone with a floating keyboard design here, very similar to the Magic Keyboard on the iPad. In practice, this makes the whole setup extremely simple to use. I could just attach the tablet and start working. There is no need to deal with folding stands or awkward covers. Once attached, the tablet sits suspended above the keyboard, and the whole thing opens and shuts like a compact laptop. For writing documents, replying to emails, or working on spreadsheets, it feels surprisingly natural.
The keyboard also includes a backlight, which I genuinely appreciated when working in low light. That said, the keyboard layout itself is not perfect. The keys are noticeably small, and during longer typing sessions, I did find myself adjusting to the tighter layout. The Enter key in particular feels unusually tiny. The trackpad is also a bit cramped for my liking, although it still supports gesture controls for navigating through the interface.
The Focus Pen Pro is the other accessory that really adds to the Pad 8&rsquo;s versatility. In my experience, the stylus feels responsive and precise. Latency is low, pressure sensitivity works well, and writing or sketching feels natural on the display. Plus it weighs just about 17 grams
Xiaomi has also added a few gesture controls to the stylus. In the MiCanvas app, I could slide along the pen to increase or decrease brush size, pinch to bring up a quick menu while sketching, and double-tap to switch between brushes. These small touches make the stylus particularly useful for note-taking and drawing.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Performance</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 runs on Qualcomm&rsquo;s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, and in day-to-day use it feels extremely capable. Xiaomi offers the tablet in two variants: an 8GB LPDDR5X RAM model paired with 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and a higher-end version with 12GB of LPDDR5T RAM and 256GB of faster UFS 4.1 storage.
In benchmark testing, the tablet delivered strong results. On AnTuTu, the Pad 8 scored around 2.29 million points. In Geekbench, it posted a single-core score of 2031 and a multi-core score of 6347.&nbsp;
GPU performance also held up well during testing. In 3DMark&rsquo;s Wildlife Extreme stress test, the tablet maintained solid loop scores with stability hovering around 87 percent and sometimes higher. Considering how compact the tablet is, those are impressive results.
Gaming performance is also very solid. During my testing, Call of Duty: Mobile ran consistently at 120FPS without noticeable drops. BGMI held steady at around 90FPS during extended gaming sessions. I did not see 144FPS modes enabled in the titles I tested, but the gameplay experience still felt smooth and responsive.
What stood out more to me, however, was how the tablet behaved during everyday tasks. Benchmarks are useful for context, but they only tell part of the story. In real usage, the Pad 8 felt fast and reliable across a wide range of activities. Exporting video files in VN, downloading large files, switching between multiple apps, and scrolling through social media all felt fluid and consistent.
Thermal management also seemed well under control. Even during longer gaming sessions or heavier workloads, the tablet remained comfortable to hold without noticeable overheating. Overall, performance on the Pad 8 feels more than capable for both productivity and entertainment.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Software</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 runs HyperOS 3 based on Android 16, and during my time using it, the software felt reasonably well optimised for a large-screen device. That is not always the case with Android tablets, but Xiaomi seems to have spent time adapting the interface to the tablet form factor.
The overall visual style will feel familiar if you have used a Xiaomi phone before. However, the layout scales well across the larger display. Interface elements are sized appropriately, apps make good use of the available screen space, and nothing feels awkwardly stretched or oversized.
At the same time, some parts of the interface are starting to look a little dated. The icons and certain visual elements still feel closer to Xiaomi&rsquo;s older design language rather than something that feels completely fresh.
Despite that, the overall experience remains smooth. Animations and transitions generally run well. In daily use, the interface feels stable and consistent rather than flashy, which actually works well when you are using the tablet for longer sessions.
HyperOS also includes several multitasking features designed for tablets. One of the more interesting additions is Workstation Mode. When enabled, the interface shifts to something that feels closer to a desktop environment. Apps can open in resizable windows, and multitasking becomes easier to manage.
There are a few preloaded apps on the tablet, but most of them are practical additions designed for productivity and note-taking rather than unnecessary bloat. Overall, the software experience feels well-suited to a tablet.
Xiaomi has also introduced a set of AI-powered tools under its HyperAI suite. These include features such as AI Calculator, Xiaomi Creation, AI Writing, AI Live Subtitles, and AI Voice Enhancement. In practice, these tools are designed to assist with productivity, content creation, and communication tasks, adding a layer of smart functionality to the tablet&rsquo;s software experience.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Battery and charging</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 packs a 9,200mAh battery, and in my experience, it delivers very solid endurance. With my typical usage that included browsing, streaming, note-taking, and occasional gaming, the tablet comfortably lasted about two days before I needed to reach for the charger. For a device of this size and performance level, that kind of battery life feels reassuringly dependable.
Charging speeds top out at 45W, which is reasonably quick for a tablet. Xiaomi has also included 22.5W reverse wired charging, which means I could use the Pad 8 to top up smaller devices like my TWS earbuds or even give my phone a quick boost when needed.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Verdict</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 ends up being a tablet that focuses on getting the fundamentals right. In everyday use, it feels fast, stable, and dependable. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 handles gaming, multitasking, and heavier tasks like exporting video files without slowing down, and across most tasks the tablet simply feels smooth and responsive.
At ₹33,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, the Pad 8 also sits at a very attractive price point. For that money, you are getting a premium metal build, a sharp 3.2K display with a 144Hz refresh rate, strong performance, and battery life that comfortably stretches to about two days with regular use.
The accessories also add meaningful value to the experience. The Focus Keyboard is easy to live with thanks to its floating design, backlit keys, and the pogo-pin connection that lets it attach instantly without setup friction. The Focus Pen Pro also performs well, with good pressure sensitivity and intuitive gesture controls that make writing notes or sketching feel very easy and intuitive.
If you want a powerful Android tablet without overspending, the Xiaomi Pad 8 makes a very convincing case.

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The Central Board of Direct Taxes has issued guidelines for online gaming companies in India, requiring them to deduct TDS at a rate of 30% from player winnings

India implements tax guidelines for online gaming companies, TDS on winnings

The Central Board of Direct Taxes has issued guidelines for online gaming companies in India, requiring them to deduct TDS at a rate of 30% from player winnings.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes has issued guidelines for online gaming companies in India, requiring them to deduct TDS at a rate of 30% from player winnings, including bonuses and incentives. However, bonuses and incentives will only be taxed if claimed or withdrawn. Net winnings will be calculated by subtracting the customer's withdrawals from the total deposits and opening balance at the beginning of the year. This move comes after a panel of state finance ministers failed to reach a consensus on taxing the online gaming sector. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The OnePlus Nord 6 packs Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, 165Hz display, and a massive 9000mAh battery, making it a performance-focused all-rounder under ₹40,000

OnePlus Nord 6 Review: Performance Beast Under ₹40K

<h3 data-start="555" data-end="698">The OnePlus Nord 6 delivers flagship-like performance, 9000mAh battery, and smooth OxygenOS 16. A powerful pick under ₹40K.</h3>

The OnePlus Nord 6 sticks to what the Nord series has always done well, delivering more than what the price might suggest. Priced at ₹38,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, and dropping lower with bank offers, it enters a segment that is now packed with strong contenders.
From the outset, this feels like a phone built around performance. I am getting a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, a 165Hz display, a massive 9000mAh battery, and OxygenOS 16 based on Android 16 right out of the box.
On paper, that is a seriously loaded setup. But in this price range, specs alone do not cut it anymore. What matters is how it all comes together in everyday use.
After using the Nord 6 for a while, I can see where it shines. Battery life is genuinely impressive, gaming feels smooth and consistent, and the software experience is among the cleanest you will find here. That said, there are a few compromises, and those do shape the overall experience.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Review: Design</h2>
The OnePlus Nord 6 clearly takes inspiration from the OnePlus 15, but it does not feel like a copy. There is enough personality here to make it stand on its own.
The Quick Silver variant that I tested looks particularly striking. There is a holographic ribbon pattern running across the back, and it shifts subtly depending on how light hits it. It gives the phone a slightly futuristic edge, and I found myself noticing it more than I expected. The aluminium camera island also adds a nice contrast and makes the design feel a bit more premium.
That said, the finish is a magnet for fingerprints. Within minutes of using it, smudges start showing up, so going case-free is not the best idea here.
In terms of materials, OnePlus has gone with a plastic back, which does feel like a compromise at this price. The frame is also plastic, but it is well executed and genuinely feels like metal in hand. The phone feels dense and sturdy, almost brick-like, but not uncomfortable. At 8.5mm thick and 217 grams, it is on the heavier side, though I did not find it difficult to use. Smaller hands might disagree.
Durability is where this phone really stands out. You get IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings, along with MIL-STD-810H certification, which is rare in this segment.
For display protection, OnePlus is using its own Crystal Guard Glass, which it claims matches Gorilla Glass Victus+. That is ambitious, and only time will tell how it holds up.
Ports and connectivity are fairly standard. There is the Plus Key, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, USB Type-C, an IR blaster, and NFC, though eSIM support is missing.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Review: Display</h2>
The OnePlus Nord 6 gets a lot right with its display, and it shows the moment you start using it. I am looking at a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel with full DCI-P3 coverage, and it delivers a genuinely pleasing viewing experience.
Colours come through vibrant without feeling overdone, contrast is well balanced, and I had no issues watching content across apps. OnePlus says this is a 10-bit panel, which means it can display over a billion colours. While there are panels out there pushing even higher numbers, this is still rare in this price segment and more than enough for a rich, immersive experience.
HDR is supported by the panel and Netflix gets HDR10+. Content does look sharp and dynamic. Brightness is another strong point.&nbsp;
Plus, with a claimed peak of 3600 nits, I found outdoor visibility to be reliable, even under harsh sunlight.
The refresh rate is where things get interesting. The panel can push up to 165Hz, and I could clearly notice the added smoothness in fast-paced games. Compared to a 120Hz display, the difference is easy to spot in those scenarios. For regular scrolling, though, it caps out at 120Hz.
Audio is handled by stereo speakers with a 300 per cent Super Audio mode. They get impressively loud and can easily fill a room, but at higher volumes, I did notice some loss in depth. For casual viewing, though, they get the job done well.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Review: Performance</h2>
At its core, you are getting the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. There is also a large vapour cooling chamber working in the background to keep thermals under control. In everyday usage, the experience is exactly what you would expect from this setup. Everything feels fast, fluid, and consistent, whether it is switching between apps, handling heavy multitasking, or just navigating through the UI.
The synthetic numbers line up with that experience as well. The Nord 6 manages an AnTuTu score of around 2.37 million, along with strong Geekbench results. 3DMark does show some variation, particularly when it comes to stability, but that does not really reflect how the phone behaves in real-world scenarios.
Gaming is where this phone really starts to separate itself. In BGMI, the Nord 6 can push up to 165FPS with AI-assisted frame interpolation, and this is not just a number on paper. In fast-paced matches, I could actually feel the smoother motion and improved responsiveness. It genuinely gives you an edge, especially in competitive play.
Even if you turn those AI features off completely, the phone still holds a steady 120FPS without struggling.
The 165Hz display ties into this perfectly. Compared to a standard 120Hz panel, the difference is noticeable in games like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile. Tracking feels smoother, inputs feel quicker, and overall gameplay feels more responsive.
If gaming is a priority, the Nord 6 is easily one of the stronger options in this segment.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Review: Cameras</h2>
Cameras on the OnePlus Nord 6 feel like a bit of a balancing act. They are not the headline feature here, but they do a respectable job for what this phone is trying to be. It is important to remember that this is built as a performance-first device, not something chasing camera supremacy.
The main camera uses a 50MP Sony Lytia 600 sensor with OIS, and in most scenarios, it delivers reliable results. I found the colour tuning slightly on the warmer side, but it stays fairly natural and avoids the overly processed look that some phones tend to go for. What stood out more than I expected was zoom performance. Shots at 2x look clean, and even pushing up to 10x, I was able to get usable images, which is not something I usually expect in this segment.
The 8MP ultrawide is decent as well, and more importantly, it maintains good consistency with the main camera. That said, this is not the best camera system you can get at this price. HDR can occasionally look a bit off, and colour processing is not always consistent.
Low-light performance is where the limitations become clearer. It can manage in tricky lighting, but results are not always dependable, and noise creeps in fairly quickly.
Portraits, on the other hand, are handled well. Edge detection is clean, skin tones look natural, and results are consistently usable.&nbsp;
Video performance at 4K 60fps is another positive. Colours look pleasing, stabilisation works well, and footage comes out clean enough to use without much effort.
The 32MP front camera also performs well, delivering sharp images with good skin tone reproduction in decent lighting. Overall, the cameras are capable, but they are not the reason to buy this phone.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Review: Software</h2>
The OnePlus Nord 6 comes with OxygenOS 16 based on Android 16 right out of the box, and OnePlus has backed it with a solid update promise. I am getting four major Android updates and six years of security patches, which is reassuring for long-term use.
In day-to-day usage, OxygenOS 16 feels refined and well thought out. There is a strong sense of polish across the UI, and the level of customisation on offer is something I genuinely appreciate. From themes to layout tweaks, there is enough flexibility here to make the phone feel personal without getting overwhelming. Compared to most rivals in this segment, I find the overall experience more cohesive and easier to live with.
There are a few visual elements that seem inspired by iOS 26, but OnePlus has done enough to ensure it does not feel like a copy.
On the AI side, OnePlus AI is integrated in a way that actually adds value. Most features feel useful rather than gimmicky, and Plus Mind, in particular, stands out. It feels purposeful and fits naturally into everyday usage.
Overall, OxygenOS 16 feels mature, stable, and easy to recommend.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Review: Battery</h2>
Battery life on the OnePlus Nord 6 is easily one of its biggest highlights, and it completely changes how I think about charging.
Most phones in this price range get me through a full day, maybe stretching into a day and a half with careful use. With the Nord 6, I was consistently getting close to two full days on a single charge without having to think about plugging it in. That kind of endurance makes a real difference, especially if you are a heavy user.
Charging is handled by 80W wired, and going from zero to full takes roughly 70 minutes. It is not the fastest in this segment, but considering the size of the battery, I did not find it slow or inconvenient.
OnePlus has also added 27W reverse wired charging, effectively turning the phone into a power bank. I actually ended up using it that way a couple of times to top up my iPhone 16 Pro Max on longer days, and it worked exactly as expected.
The 9000mAh battery delivers exactly what it promises in real-world use. What stands out even more is that all of this comes packed into a relatively slim design, which makes it feel even more impressive.
<h2>OnePlus Nord 6 Review: Verdict</h2>
The OnePlus Nord 6 makes a strong case for itself in the sub-₹40,000 segment, especially if you value performance and endurance above everything else. In my time using it, the performance has been consistently fast, the battery life stands out in a big way, OxygenOS 16 feels polished, and the display delivers a solid viewing experience.
That said, it is not without trade-offs. The camera system is where the compromises are most noticeable. Low-light shots can be inconsistent, and in more challenging conditions, it struggles to match phones that are built with a stronger focus on imaging. Portraits and zoom are usable, but the ultrawide and night mode leave some room for improvement.
But that also comes down to positioning. This is not meant to be a camera-first phone. It is built around performance, and on that front, it delivers.
If you prioritise gaming, long battery life, and a smooth software experience, this is an easy recommendation.

HyperX Pulsefire Saga review: A modular gaming mouse with customisable design, 26K sensor, and 8K polling rate. Is this wired mouse worth it in 2026?

HyperX Pulsefire Saga Review: Modular Gaming Mouse with 26K Sensor & 8K Polling

Discover the HyperX Pulsefire Saga, a modular gaming mouse that lets you customise shape, buttons, and feel. Powerful sensor, ultra-light design, and serious performance.

The HyperX Pulsefire Saga stands out with its modular design, letting users customise shape and feel. Combined with a 26K sensor and ultra-light build, it delivers top-tier performance with minor trade-offs.

We have all been there. You spend days hovering over the "Buy Now," hoping the hump height or the button placement on a new mouse actually fits your hand. Most of the time, you just end up adapting your grip to the hardware because the hardware definitely isn't changing for you. That is exactly why the HyperX Pulsefire Saga feels like such a curveball in today's market.
Priced at ₹5,193 and backed by a solid two-year warranty, this is less of a standard peripheral and more of a modular toolkit. It essentially invites you to pull the shell apart and rebuild the mouse to an ergonomic scheme until they actually fit your palm, almost as well as a glove.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Adjustable&rdquo; mice or mice that allow you to change out a few panels to get that perfect grip isn&rsquo;t exactly new, there have been a tonne of options, but usually, they cost a bomb. The HyperX Pulsefire Saga comes in at ₹5,193, but you can pick it up for as low as ₹3,990 online.
But in a world moving toward seamless wireless tech, is a "build-it-yourself" wired mouse still a smart bet?
<h2>HyperX Pulsefire Saga Design: More "Lego Set" than peripheral</h2>
Unboxing the Pulsefire Saga doesn't actually feel like opening a standard mouse. It feels more like you just bought a specialised kit. Usually, when you drop big money on a high-end gaming or productivity mouse, you only get a spare sticker or a manual. <a title="HyperX Cloud Jet Review: Is this the best budget wireless pick?" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/hyperx-cloud-jet-review-is-this-the-best-budget-wireless-pick-1770889510267" target="_blank">HyperX</a> went the opposite direction here by packing the box with genuinely useful hardware.&nbsp;
You get an alternate button cover set, a pair of swap-on side buttons, an extra top shell, and even replacement PTFE skates. They even included four pieces of grip tape for the flanks and main buttons. That is a massive win for anyone who deals with "gamer sweat" or just prefers a bit more friction under their fingertips.
At first glance, the Saga is surprisingly quiet. It is a sleek, matte-black unit that doesn't try too hard to look like a "gaming" device. Being a gaming mouse, it does come with some RGB that you can control through the app, but it is pretty minimal. It adds just enough of a highlight without becoming a desk distraction.&nbsp;
You have your two side buttons tucked into the left edge, and if you flip the thing over, you will find six skate pads and a dedicated DPI button.&nbsp;
Within five minutes of having it on my desk, I already had the "hood" off the mouse.
This modularity isn't just marketing fluff. For me, it was the absolute standout of the whole experience. The top shell and the button covers are anchored by magnets that feel remarkably sturdy. There was no wobbling or creaking once I snapped them into place.&nbsp;
I actually spent my first hour just fiddling with the various combinations of the shell and side buttons. There is something oddly satisfying about the process. Hearing that sharp click as a new piece seats itself is a nice throwback to the early days of modular tech, but it feels completely modern.
If you have ever found yourself wishing your mouse was just a hair wider or that your side buttons sat a little deeper in the frame, this is one of those devices I have used that actually lets you sit in the designer chair and fix it yourself.
<h2>HyperX Pulsefire Saga Review: Living with a "Tail"</h2>
As someone who has moved almost completely to wireless peripherals in my personal setup, I was a bit sceptical about going back to a wired setup. However, the HyperFlex 2 cable on the Saga is the closest thing to "invisible" I&rsquo;ve ever experienced.&nbsp;
At 1.8m in length, it&rsquo;s a paracord-style cable that is so light and floppy that it doesn't "push back" against your movements. During a frantic session of <a title="Apex Legends Mobile: PUBG को टक्कर देने आ गया ये गेम; जानिए कब होगा लॉन्च" href="https://www.editorji.com/hindi/tech-and-auto/apex-legends-mobile-coming-to-mobile-phones-launch-expected-in-may-1651565306576" target="_blank">Apex Legends</a>, I never once felt that annoying cable-drag that is usually quintessential to wired mice. I even used it for a complex video editing project, and the experience was seamlessly similar.&nbsp;
At 69 grams, the mouse hits a sweet spot. It doesn't feel like a hollow plastic toy, but it&rsquo;s light enough that my wrist didn't feel the usual fatigue after an eight-hour shift of writing and editing.
One of the best things about this mouse is the finish; its matte finish stays completely fingerprint-free across the entire body. However, I would strongly suggest pairing it with a high-quality mouse pad, as the skates underneath are absolute dust magnets.&nbsp;
<h2>HyperX Pulsefire Saga Performance: Beyond the numbers</h2>
Now, let&rsquo;s actually talk about those specs. On a typical marketing sheet, a 26K Sensor and an 8,000Hz polling rate just look like bigger numbers designed to sell a box. In practice, they translate into a buttery smoothness that you only really notice once you go back to a cheaper mouse.
When I was doing precision work, like masking an image in Photoshop or rotoscoping a complex subject in After Effects, the difference was immediate. The cursor feels less like a tool and more like an extension of your own arm. There is literally zero jitter here. You don't have to fight the sensor or drag your hand across the desk just to get a simple task done. It is incredibly responsive.
The HyperX Optical Switches under the main buttons provide a sharp, mechanical "snap" that stands out. You always know exactly when you have actuated a click. There is no guessing or mushy travel.
For me, the real "aha" moment came during a late-night session of Counter-Strike 2. At 8,000Hz, the tracking felt almost too fast at first, but then I realised it was not seeing that tiny bit of lag I had grown used to on other devices.&nbsp;
It is the kind of performance that spoils you. After a few days with the Saga, going back to a standard office mouse feels like trying to draw with a thick crayon when you&rsquo;ve become used to a fine-point pen.
<h2>HyperX Pulsefire Saga Review: The "Real World" friction</h2>
Of course, no piece of hardware is perfect. The Pulsefire Saga has its own specific quirks that you should know about before diving in. While the modular components are a stroke of genius, the side buttons feel like they came from a slightly different design philosophy.&nbsp;
They are made from a plastic that feels a bit thinner or "cheaper" than the premium material used for the main body. They perform their job without any missed inputs, but they just do not have that same high-end, solid click you get from the rest of the unit.
Then there is the scroll wheel. It is a bit on the smaller side and it has a surprising resistance to scrolling. If you are a power-scroller or the kind of user who flies through endless research PDFs, Excel sheets or deep Twitter threads, you might find this wheel a little too stiff for comfort.&nbsp;
It is clearly tuned for competitive gaming, where an accidental scroll could mean switching your weapon at the worst possible moment. For general office productivity, or for basic usage, however, it can feel like a bit of a workout for your index finger over an eight-hour shift.
I also spent some time digging into the HyperX NGENUITY software. While it is functional, the experience is definitely on the basic side. You can certainly hop in to tweak your RGB lighting modes or adjust your DPI stages, but do not expect anything extraordinary.
It lacks the deep customisation options that some of its high-priced rivals offer. It feels more like a "set it and forget it" tool rather than a comprehensive command centre. Besides, I really didn&rsquo;t like the fact that I had to install a 500MB app, just to tweak the RGB lights on my mouse.&nbsp;
None of these issues is a deal-breaker, though. They are simply the trade-offs you have to weigh against that incredible modular flexibility. In a world of over-engineered software and flashy marketing, the Saga feels like it is prioritising the physical build and raw sensor performance over the "extra" bells and whistles.
<h2>Verdict: Is it Worth the Desk Space?</h2>
The HyperX Pulsefire Saga is a rare breed of hardware that actually wants you to tinker with it. It doesn't try to be the one-size-fits-all solution that most brands force on you. Instead, it offers a level of personalisation that you would rarely find elsewhere. Certainly not at this price point.
Sure, the software is basic, and the scroll wheel is a bit of a thumb workout, but these feel like minor trade-offs for such a precise sensor and a cable that basically feels like air. If you are tired of adjusting your hand to fit a mouse and want a device that actually listens to you, the Saga is a fantastic investment. It&rsquo;s a performant, tactile, and genuinely fun tool that will give you a really hard time going back to your old mouse.

Samsung Galaxy A57 and A37 review covering design, performance, camera, battery, and software. Are they worth buying in 2026?

Samsung Galaxy A57 & A37 Review: Specs, Performance, Camera, Should You Buy?

A detailed look at the Galaxy A57 and A37, covering design, display, camera, performance, and battery. Do they still stand strong in a competitive market?

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Samsung Galaxy A57 and A37 offer polished design, strong displays, and reliable performance with long software support. Solid picks for everyday use, but rivals offer better specs for the price.
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It takes a certain kind of nerve to release a phone that barely looks or acts any different from the last one. It is not that Samsung ran out of ideas. It feels more like they are convinced they have already hit the sweet spot and there is simply no reason to fix what isn't broken.
That is exactly the energy behind the new Galaxy A57 and A37. These handsets aren't here to blow anyone away with experimental tech or wild designs. They are basically built for people who value a sense of familiarity over anything else. While that reliability is a huge plus for the average buyer, those of us who live and breathe tech specs might find this "playing it safe" strategy a little bit boring.
If we look at the pricing in India, the Galaxy A57 5G lands at ₹56,999, while the A37 5G is sitting at ₹41,999. These tags put both phones in a very tight spot. The A57 is basically walking into a fistfight with performance heavyweights like the OnePlus 15R.
Meanwhile, the A37 has to prove its worth against the <a title="Google Pixel 10a Review: The Smartest &ldquo;Mid-Range&rdquo; Phone You Can Buy" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/google-pixel-10a-review-the-smartest-mid-range-phone-you-can-buy-1772874508674" target="_blank">Pixel 10a</a>, which is a massive hurdle when it comes to camera quality.&nbsp; Now, Samsung has to show that a polished, predictable user experience is actually worth more than the flashy features the competition is throwing around.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A57 &amp; A37: Design</h2>
Samsung isn't exactly reinventing the wheel with these two phones. But spend some actual time with them, and you start to see where the real effort went in.
The Galaxy A57 definitely feels more like a premium device. It has a much thinner metal frame at just 6.9mm thick and weighs only 179 grams. You notice that right away when you pick it up. It feels incredibly light and easy to handle, with a balance that makes it seem way more expensive than your typical mid-range phone. It does not quite reach "Ultra" flagship territory, but it certainly leans that way.
The biggest highlight for me is the durability. Samsung gave the A57 a full IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, a solid upgrade. What surprised me even more is that the more affordable A37 got the same treatment, moving up from IP67 to IP68. That level of protection across both models is a huge win for anyone who has ever worried about a spill or getting caught in the rain.
The A37, on the other hand, sticks to a more traditional approach. It keeps the plastic frame and feels a bit chunkier at 7.4mm thick and 196 grams. It does not feel cheap at all. Still, it comes across as more of a utility phone next to the A57's sleek design. You will notice that extra weight in your pocket, and the overall finish lacks the same polish.
Visually, both phones follow Samsung's current playbook. They sport a clean, minimal look with a glass-like back and a camera layout pulled straight from the Galaxy S series. It is a smart choice. The design makes them look high-end from afar, even if the materials feel more basic up close.
The one real downside is that glossy finish. It looks great for about five seconds. Then you start using it, and it turns into a total fingerprint magnet. If you skip the case, plan to wipe down the back every ten minutes or so.
For colors, the A57 comes in Navy, Icy Blue, and Lilac. The A37 offers Lavender, Charcoal, and Gray Green. I have been using the Navy A57 and the Lilac A37 side by side for a while now. For me, the Navy wins every time. It feels subtle and professional, and it hides smudges better than the lighter shades. The Lilac is fun if you want something that stands out, but it lacks that timeless quality.&nbsp;
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A57 &amp; A37: Display</h2>
Everyone knows Samsung nails displays, and these two prove it again. The A57 and A37 both run huge 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screens at 120Hz. It's the usual Samsung magic: vibrant colors, inky blacks, buttery-smooth scrolling through feeds or crisp video playback.
Sure, the A57 steps up to Super AMOLED Plus for better efficiency and calibration. But honestly, I could barely tell them apart in daily use. They both feel flagship-level. Whether I'm poking around menus or streaming shows, the visuals impress across the board.
Front protection is Gorilla Glass Victus+, which holds up nicely. Settings let you switch Adaptive or Standard refresh for battery tweaks. Peak brightness tops out near 1,900 nits; mine performed strong in sunlight and dazzled inside.
The A57 gets a small win with HDR10+ for more nuanced shadows and highlights in supported content. Fingerprint sensors are optical, in-display, quick, and spot-on. Only gripe: position it a hair higher for thumb comfort.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A57 &amp; A37: Camera</h2>
The camera department is where these two phones look the same on paper but start to tell a different story in your actual photo gallery. Both the Galaxy A57 and A37 are equipped with a 50MP primary sensor, a 5MP macro lens, and a 12MP selfie camera. The real fork in the road is the ultrawide lens. The A57 sticks with a 12MP ultrawide, while the A37 gets a lower resolution 8MP version.
When you actually start snapping photos, that gap becomes pretty obvious. The main sensors on both devices do a great job in broad daylight, giving you that classic Samsung look with vibrant colors and plenty of detail. However, I noticed the A57 is just a bit smarter with how it handles highlights and shadows, keeping the exposure a bit more balanced than its cheaper sibling.
The ultrawide on the A57 is surprisingly decent even when the lighting isn't perfect. It holds onto enough detail to be genuinely useful. On the A37, that 8MP sensor starts to struggle much sooner, especially when you move indoors or into the shade. The images come out looking a bit softer and less polished.
If you are into video, both phones can handle 4K at 30fps. The stabilization is good enough for a casual walk, though it won't replace a gimbal. Once the sun goes down, both phones take a hit. Low-light shots are fine for social media, but you will definitely notice some grain and a loss of sharpness if you start zooming in. Then there is the macro camera, which feels like it is mostly there just to fill space on the spec sheet since it doesn't really add much to the experience.
Samsung has also tucked more of its AI tricks into the Galaxy A57. The Best Face feature is great for group shots where someone always blinks, and the Auto Trim tool makes quick video edits a lot less of a headache. The Object Eraser has also been refined, so you can scrub out photobombers with much cleaner results. Plus, having the built-in voice transcription in the recorder app is a nice little productivity bonus that I found myself using more than I expected.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A57 &amp; A37: Performance</h2>
The Galaxy A57 is powered by the new Exynos 1680 chip, and while it starts with 8GB of RAM, you can actually spec it up to 12GB if you really want that extra headroom. It comes with 256GB of storage as standard. The A37, on the other hand, runs the <a title="Samsung Galaxy A55, Galaxy A35 launched in India: Check specs, features, and more" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/samsung-galaxy-a55-galaxy-a35-launched-in-india-check-specs-features-and-more-1710156719444" target="_blank">Exynos 1480.</a> What&rsquo;s interesting here is that Samsung is actually giving you more choices with the cheaper model.
You can get a base 128GB version with 8GB of RAM, or go all the way up to a 12GB/256GB setup if you need it.
If you are just looking at the spec sheet, both of these processors show some decent growth. The Exynos 1480 in the A37 is a noticeable step up from what we saw last year, especially when it comes to the CPU and graphics. But the real shift is in the AI processing.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s clearly designed to handle more of the background tasks and newer software features that Samsung is pushing. The A57&rsquo;s Exynos 1680 feels like a more careful upgrade. It isn't a massive leap in raw power, but it is built to run cool and keep things steady under pressure.
In my actual testing, the A57 just feels more "together." It handles heavy multitasking without breaking a sweat and stays remarkably consistent even when you are pushing it. A lot of that comes down to the larger vapor cooling chamber, which does a great job of keeping the heat in check. It isn't just about being a little faster. It&rsquo;s about the phone feeling stable even after you&rsquo;ve been using it for hours.
The A37 is perfectly fine for your typical daily routine, but you will definitely find its limits a lot faster than the A57. If you start jumping between heavy apps or settle in for a long gaming session, you might run into the occasional stutter or slowdown. It&rsquo;s a dependable phone for sure, it just lacks that extra bit of silkiness you get with its more expensive sibling.
Gaming is actually a decent experience on both. I spent some time with BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile, and both phones ran the games smoothly without getting uncomfortably hot to the touch. Even while I was charging the phones during a match, the temperatures stayed well within a reasonable range.
The audio quality really rounds out the whole package. You are getting hybrid stereo speakers on both models that get plenty loud and offer a surprising amount of depth. The sound stays clear even at higher volumes without that annoying distortion you often hear on mid-range phones, which makes a big difference when you are watching movies or gaming without headphones.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A57 &amp; A37: Software &amp; AI</h2>
Samsung keeps shining in the software department. These models ship with One UI 8.5 built on Android 16, backed by a solid six-year commitment to OS updates and security fixes. That kind of longevity really boosts their staying power over time.
This round puts extra emphasis on AI, particularly Samsung's push toward what they term agentic AI. Gemini now steps in to handle actions across different apps, letting you switch tasks smoothly without constant manual hopping.
On top of that, you find handy tweaks like an improved Bixby for casual chats and searches, plus Circle to Search for fast info grabs. AI even handles call and recording transcription. It does not match the depth of flagship offerings, yet it makes daily use feel sharper and more integrated.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy A57 &amp; A37: Battery</h2>
Each phone carries a 5,000mAh battery, and real daily performance lines up closely between them. Light to moderate habits see you through an entire day with room to spare. Push it harder, and you still make it to evening without plugging in.
Charging stays at 45W wired speeds for both. No bump for the A57 this time around, but the A37 catches up to match it perfectly. Samsung promises about 60 percent in half an hour, and tests confirm it delivers in practice.
Curiously, these mid-tier options outpace the pricier Galaxy S26 on charge times, which stands out as unusual.
All in all, it offers solid, no-fuss charging: speedy for quick boosts yet not revolutionary enough to wow.
<h2>Verdict: Safe Picks or Missing the Moment?</h2>
The Galaxy A57 and A37 do a lot of things right. You get clean software, a design that feels premium enough, and performance that holds up well for everyday use. For most people, that&rsquo;s honestly enough.
But this price segment is packed right now. There are phones that go harder on raw power, battery life, and even cameras. That makes things a bit tricky for Samsung here.
Where these phones start to make more sense is during sales. Samsung tends to drop prices quite a bit, and at those rates, they become much easier to recommend.
So it really depends on what you care about. If you want stability, long-term updates, and a no-nonsense experience, these are safe choices. If you are after the best specs for your money, you might want to look around a bit more.

Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro review covering sound quality, ANC, design, battery, and features. Are these the best premium earbuds under ₹25,000 in India?

Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: Flagship Sound, ANC & Premium Features

Flagship sound, elite ANC, and a refined design—Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro aim to dominate the premium earbuds space in 2026.

Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro offer premium sound, powerful ANC, and a refined design, making them one of the best flagship earbuds&mdash;especially for users in the Samsung ecosystem.

Samsung has certainly taken a winding path through the wireless audio world. We have witnessed everything from those strange bean shapes to several stemless iterations, but last year&rsquo;s Buds3 Pro truly flipped the script with that sharp Blade look.&nbsp;
This year, the Galaxy Buds4 Pro takes that foundation and polishes it into something much more sophisticated. I lived with the Black model for a full week, and it is obvious that Samsung was not just looking to ship a minor refresh.&nbsp;
They were clearly aiming for a genuine flagship feel. With a price tag of ₹22,999, these are sitting in the high-end bracket, promising top-tier construction and sound. I put them to the test during noisy morning commutes and quiet late-night sessions to see if they actually earn that premium investment.
<h2>Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: Design &amp; Comfort</h2>
Unboxing the Galaxy Buds4 Pro makes it clear that Samsung has evolved its design language well beyond the earlier models. They have traded the soft, pebble-like curves of the <a title="Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Review: The Ultimate Earbud Upgrade?" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/samsung-galaxy-buds-3-pro-review-the-ultimate-earbud-upgrade-1725106261982" target="_blank">Buds3 Pro </a>for a more architectural and boxy look that feels fresh. The case has a satisfying weight and premium texture, although that translucent lid is a massive fingerprint magnet. If you like your gear to stay spotless, you will definitely be wiping it down every few minutes since it holds onto every smudge.
The bottom half of the case uses a consistent matte finish that actually provides some grip. While I am testing the professional Black version, you can also find these in White or an online-exclusive Pink Gold. I really appreciate that the USB-C port and pairing button are hidden on the top edge. It is a smart move that keeps the rest of the chassis looking clean and totally uncluttered.
The earbuds themselves show off a more mature take on the "Blade" aesthetic. The metallic accents along the stems make them look like high-end tech jewelry rather than just another plastic accessory. Even if critics say they are starting to resemble AirPods, the actual build quality and finish feel distinctly like a Samsung creation.
The real win, though, is the actual comfort. Samsung apparently used a giant database of ear scans to refine the shape, and you can really feel the difference. I wore these for a five-hour writing marathon and genuinely forgot I had them in. They sit deep enough to stay put during a workout but avoid that annoying high-pressure feeling that usually causes ears to itch after an hour.
Durability is another strong point thanks to the IP57 rating. This means the buds are fully equipped to handle a sweaty gym session or an unexpected downpour during your commute.
Finally, the stem controls have been completely revamped. The new pinch and swipe sensors are incredibly responsive. Squeezing the blade to manage calls or music feels very natural, and sliding a finger along that metallic trim to adjust volume is much more precise than the old, finicky touch pads.
<h2>Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: Audio Quality</h2>
If you&rsquo;re dropping a massive amount of money on a set of flagship earbuds, you really shouldn't have to settle for a compromise. Since I&rsquo;ve spent six years working as a musician, my ears are probably a bit of a curse because I&rsquo;ve become hyper-aware of every tiny detail.&nbsp;
I am constantly on the lookout for the subtle things that Bluetooth compression usually kills off, like the actual physical vibration of a bass string or those clever stereo pans in a guitar track that give a song its real texture.
<a title="Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: Pros, Cons &amp; Real-World Test" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-review-pros-cons-real-world-test-1773923373353" target="_blank">Samsung</a> actually pulled off a serious technical win here. They went with a dual-way speaker setup that uses a 5.5mm tweeter for the highs and a revamped 11mm woofer for the low end. But the real reason these sound so different is the Dual Amplifier system.&nbsp;
Most buds just use one amp to drive everything, which is why they can end up sounding muddy or cluttered. On the Buds4 Pro, the woofer and tweeter are powered separately. This lowers the interference and lets that bigger woofer really breathe. The result is a bass response that feels authoritative and punchy without ever becoming bloated or messy.
I pushed these with a pretty diverse mix of tracks to see exactly where they would stumble. Starting with the remastered version of "Imagine" by John Lennon, the soundstage felt surprisingly open. Each piano note had its own room to resonate instead of feeling like it was fighting for air.&nbsp;
Then I pivoted to Indian classics like Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. The vocal reproduction was a major highlight for me because it captured the raw, emotional weight of their voices without that thin, "digital" harshness you get with cheaper hardware.
For a low-end stress test, I threw on Divine&rsquo;s "Azadi" and Eminem&rsquo;s "Rap God." A lot of brands try to trick you by cranking the bass until it covers up the vocals, but the Buds4 Pro kept things tight and well-separated. Even on those complex Coke Studio arrangements like "Bewajah," the stereo imaging stayed incredibly sharp.
If you happen to be using a Galaxy S23 or a newer device, you get the Samsung Seamless Codec for 24-bit UHQ audio. That basically means you&rsquo;re getting a studio-grade experience while you&rsquo;re out and about. If the stock tuning isn't for you, the Samsung Wearable app includes a 9-band EQ.&nbsp;
I personally found the "Dynamic" preset to be the most fun for my daily listening, but being able to dial in a custom profile is a massive plus for anyone who cares about their gear. It doesn't feel like you&rsquo;re listening to a heavily processed file. It just sounds like the music was meant to be heard this way.
<h2>Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: ANC and Call Quality</h2>
If your main priority is simply shutting out the noise of the world, the Galaxy Buds4 Pro have officially made a case for being the best in the business. I have put plenty of flagship earbuds through their paces, but the Adaptive ANC on this specific pair feels like it is on a totally different level. The very moment you switch it on, you get this immediate sense of isolation. It honestly feels like you have just stepped into a private, silent bubble.
What really stood out to me was how well these buds handle those tricky, erratic sounds that usually sneak through other hardware. Whether I was on my daily metro commute or just walking through a chaotic local market, those deep low-frequency hums and engine rumbles just seemed to vanish. This makes them a fantastic tool if you are trying to meditate or just need to stay in the zone while writing in a loud environment.
Samsung also added some of the smartest transparency features I have seen in a while. In the app, you can turn on things like Voice Detect and Siren Detect. I actually had a moment where I was waiting for a delivery rider with my ANC at full blast when an ambulance went past. The buds picked up the siren immediately and shifted into ambient mode so I wasn't caught off guard.
In the same way, if you start talking to someone, your music dips and the outside world filters in automatically. It saves you from having to fumble with your phone or the stems every time. You even have granular control over the ambient levels, so you can decide exactly how much of your surroundings you want to let in. I will say that keeping the ANC on for several hours did cause a tiny bit of ear strain for me, but let's be honest, that is generally the case with almost every high-end earbud out there.
Call quality is another area where these didn't break a sweat. Samsung is using a six-microphone system paired with a machine-learned Deep Neural Network to strip away background chaos. I tested this by calling a friend who usually complains about my audio whenever I am outside. Whether I was in a noisy office or a crowded street, he actually went out of his way to tell me how clear I sounded.&nbsp;
Even while gaming, I never faced any issues with the call quality. My teammates were able to hear me clearly, and we never had any miscommunication due to poor audio.
Plus, the Super Wideband support ensures your voice carries a lot more detail. It sounds much more natural than the robotic tone you usually get from cheaper buds.
<h2>Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: Connectivity and Controls</h2>
It honestly feels like Samsung designed the Galaxy Buds4 Pro specifically for those of us who obsess over future-proofing our gadgets. While most manufacturers are happy to stick a Bluetooth 5.4 chip in their flagship buds and call it a day, Samsung went ahead and included Bluetooth 6.1 support. During my week of testing, the connection remained rock solid.
I was able to walk into a different room or put a couple of solid walls between myself and my phone without experiencing any of those annoying stutters that usually ruin a good listening session.
If you are using an Android device, getting these set up is basically instant because of Google Fast Pair. However, I have to be clear that the experience definitely hits another gear if you are already living in the Samsung ecosystem. To truly unlock the potential of these buds, you really need to use the Samsung Wearable app to manage all the high-level settings.
I actually made it a point to pair these with a Realme phone just to see how they would behave for a standard Android user who isn't using a Galaxy device. Even without the exclusive One UI 8.5 integration, the app still offers a massive amount of flexibility.&nbsp;
Looking at the physical controls on the stems, they are generally quite snappy, though I will be honest and say I still prefer old-school tapping over the newer pinch gestures. I found that while sliding my finger for volume was smooth, I occasionally struggled to get the pinch pressure just right when I was trying to toggle through ANC modes in a hurry.
The level of depth inside the app is genuinely impressive. You can remap your gestures, mess with a 9-band EQ to find your ideal sound, or even enable those futuristic head gestures. Being able to just nod your head to take a call or shake it to reject one is a massive help when your hands are full.&nbsp;
You also get very reliable voice commands for things like volume or playback, and the in-ear detection is incredibly fast. It pauses your media the very second you pull a bud out, which is exactly the kind of high-end polish you want when you are paying for a flagship device.
<h2>Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
I would honestly describe the battery performance on the Galaxy Buds4 Pro as a reliable daily driver. It is not going to set any new world records, but for most people, it definitely gets the job done without any issues.&nbsp;
Samsung claims you get around 6 hours of life with the noise cancellation active, and about 7 hours if you decide to turn it off. In my own day-to-day testing, those numbers were pretty much spot on, so I didn&rsquo;t run into any strange surprises or disappointments during my usual routine.
By no means are these the longest-lasting earbuds you can buy today, but being realistic, they carry enough of a charge to survive a standard workday or a long cross-country flight. You really won't find yourself stressing about them dying right in the middle of a phone call or a project.&nbsp;
I actually didn't even bother timing a full charge from zero to a hundred percent because I just never felt the need for it. The fast charging is what really saves the day here anyway. If you just toss them back into the case for 10 or 15 minutes, you are basically set for a two or three hour commute back home.
When it is time to top up the case itself, you have some very solid options. It handles both USB-C wired charging and Qi wireless charging without any hitches.&nbsp;
I found the wireless route to be a perfect fit for my specific workflow. I would just leave the case sitting on my desk pad while I was busy typing away, and it would slowly fill back up in the background. It is just one of those straightforward features that fits right into your daily life without giving you a single headache.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should you buy it?</h2>
Spending ₹22,999 on the Galaxy Buds4 Pro is certainly a significant commitment, but Samsung has finally delivered a flagship that can actually compete with the heavy hitters from Sony and Apple. It feels like they have officially moved beyond their experimental phase to produce something that is genuinely premium.
You should definitely consider picking these up if you are already invested in the Samsung ecosystem and want that high-fidelity, studio-quality audio experience. They are also a great choice if you felt the earlier "blade" designs were a bit too loud and want something more elegant for long hours of wear. If your daily life involves a noisy commute, the adaptive noise cancellation is a total lifesaver.
On the other hand, you can probably give these a miss if you are an iPhone user, because you will end up missing out on the best proprietary features like the Seamless Codec. Additionally, if you are working with a strict budget, the standard Buds4 offer a lot of the same core technology for a much lower price. When you look at the big picture, these are easily the best-sounding earbuds that Samsung has ever brought to market.

Realme 16 review: A slim phone with a massive 7000mAh battery, AMOLED display, and reliable everyday performance. Find out if it’s worth buying at its ₹31,999 starting price.

Realme 16 5G Review: Endurance Meets Everyday Use  

Realme 16 packs a 7000mAh battery in a slim design, delivering excellent battery life and reliable everyday performance. It focuses on consistency, clean design, and durability, making it a solid choice for users who value endurance over raw power.

There&rsquo;s a certain kind of phone that walks into the room holding one giant headline like a trophy. In this case, it&rsquo;s a 7000mAh battery. That&rsquo;s the pitch. That&rsquo;s the hook. That&rsquo;s the thing you&rsquo;re supposed to remember.
And to be fair, it&rsquo;s a pretty compelling one.
But smartphones aren&rsquo;t one-trick ponies anymore. You can&rsquo;t just win on one spec and call it a day. So the real question with the Realme 16 5G isn&rsquo;t whether the battery is good. It&rsquo;s whether everything else keeps up&hellip; or quietly falls behind.
<h2>Realme 16 Design</h2>
Pick up the Realme 16, and the first thing you notice is what you don&rsquo;t feel. It doesn&rsquo;t feel heavy. It doesn&rsquo;t feel bulky. And that&rsquo;s impressive, because 7000mAh phones usually carry their weight quite literally.
This one doesn&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s slim, relatively compact, and easy to use one-handed. There&rsquo;s a quiet bit of engineering here that works in its favour. Realme has managed to fit a massive battery into a form factor that still feels comfortable for everyday use.
Now the design itself is pretty clean. The Air Black variant, in particular, has this subtle, almost stardust-like finish. It catches light just enough to feel premium, but never crosses into flashy territory. It&rsquo;s not trying too hard, and that restraint actually works in its favour.
There&rsquo;s also a white version if you want something that stands out a bit more, but overall, the design language here is simple, minimal, and well thought out.
Around the back is where things get a little more interesting.
You&rsquo;ve got this pill-shaped camera module that feels like a blend of familiar ideas. There&rsquo;s a hint of iPhone-style layout, a bit of Pixel influence, but it&rsquo;s slimmer than most camera bars we&rsquo;ve seen recently, which helps keep the phone looking clean.
Inside that module, you&rsquo;ve got your cameras, an IR blaster, and then something you don&rsquo;t usually see, a tiny mirror built right into the camera module.
And this is actually the first phone in India to include a built-in selfie mirror.
At first, it sounds like one of those features you&rsquo;ll forget about. But in practice, it&rsquo;s surprisingly useful. If you&rsquo;re using the rear camera for photos or videos, you can quickly check your framing without switching to the front camera.
Which also means you can take advantage of the main camera for selfies, and that usually results in better image quality.
It&rsquo;s a small detail, but it adds a layer of usability that you don&rsquo;t expect at first. Coming back to the materials, the frame and back are plastic, but they&rsquo;re put together well. It doesn&rsquo;t feel fragile, and the textured finish helps with grip while keeping fingerprints under control.
On the front, you also get AGC DT-Star D+ glass protection, which adds an extra layer of durability for everyday use. Plus, the phone comes with IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings. That means it&rsquo;s not just resistant to splashes, it can handle dust, heavy rain, and even high-pressure water exposure better than most phones in this segment.
<h2>Realme 16 Display &amp; Audio</h2>
On paper, this display reads like it belongs to a much more expensive phone. A 6.5-inch AMOLED panel. 120Hz refresh rate. Claimed 1400 nits in high brightness mode. And then the big one: 4200 nits peak brightness.
That number jumps off the page. The display looks good for everyday tasks. Colours are punchy, scrolling is smooth, and for standard video content, it does the job well enough. But there&rsquo;s a missing piece here that changes how you experience all of this.
There's no HDR support. That means all that peak brightness doesn&rsquo;t translate into HDR playback on Netflix or YouTube. And suddenly, that 4500 nits claim feels like a ceiling you can&rsquo;t quite reach in real life.
It&rsquo;s like having a sports car that&rsquo;s locked to city speed limits. The capability is there&hellip; somewhere. You just don&rsquo;t get to use it.
The optical fingerprint sensor sits under the display and works reliably, though not particularly fast. It&rsquo;s one of those components that does its job without drawing attention to itself. Bezels are slightly thicker than you might expect in this price range, but not enough to ruin the experience.
So the display is good. Not great. Not class-leading. Just good, with a spec sheet that promises more than it consistently delivers.
The Realme 16 comes with stereo speakers and a feature that boosts volume up to 300%. It sounds dramatic, like the phone is about to turn into a portable concert.
In reality, it&rsquo;s more of a loudspeaker than a good speaker. At regular volumes, the audio is decent. Clear enough for videos, loud enough for casual listening. But push it higher, and the sound doesn&rsquo;t gain depth, it just gains volume. The richness doesn&rsquo;t follow.
It&rsquo;s functional audio. It gets the job done. But it&rsquo;s not something you&rsquo;d choose over headphones unless you had to.
<h2>Realme 16 Cameras</h2>
Flip the phone over, and you&rsquo;re greeted by what looks like a triple-camera setup. But in reality, it&rsquo;s mostly a one-camera system.
The primary sensor, a 50MP Sony IMX852, is doing almost all the work. There&rsquo;s a 2MP depth sensor that assists with portraits.
In good lighting, the camera can produce solid results, especially in portrait mode. Edge detection is sharp, and the background blur looks natural without being overly aggressive.
There&rsquo;s a sense of control in these shots. Faces are well separated from the background, and the images have a pleasing depth.
Skin tones lean noticeably warm. Sometimes too warm. There&rsquo;s a yellowish tint that creeps into images, making them look less true-to-life.
The 50MP front camera is capable. In good lighting, it delivers clean, detailed selfies with decent dynamic range. Portrait selfies, in particular, look good..
Video recording maxes out at 1080p 60fps. It&rsquo;s usable, but it doesn&rsquo;t stand out. The camera app includes AI features, filters, and presets like Smart Scenes, which add some flexibility.
<h2>Realme 16 Performance</h2>
This is where the Realme 16 takes a more practical, efficiency-first approach rather than chasing headline-grabbing performance numbers.
It runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 6400 Turbo, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That combination gives the phone enough headroom for everyday multitasking, whether it&rsquo;s jumping between apps, handling notifications, or keeping multiple things running in the background.
And in day-to-day use, that shows.
The phone feels stable and predictable. Social media, messaging, streaming, browsing, all of it runs smoothly without any major hiccups. It&rsquo;s not trying to feel aggressive or overly fast, it&rsquo;s just consistent, which honestly matters more for most people.
Realme has also added a fairly large vapour chamber cooling system here, around 6050mm&sup2;, which is designed to help with sustained performance over longer sessions. And this is one of those behind-the-scenes additions that actually makes a difference.
The phone doesn&rsquo;t heat up quickly, and performance doesn&rsquo;t drop off sharply even when you&rsquo;re using it for extended periods. So whether you&rsquo;re watching videos, scrolling endlessly, or even getting in some casual gaming, the experience stays steady.
Gaming-wise, titles like BGMI are playable and enjoyable for casual use. The phone is clearly tuned more for stability than peak performance, so while it may not be aimed at hardcore gamers, it still handles everyday gaming without feeling frustrating.
<h2>Realme 16 Software</h2>
The Realme 16 runs Realme UI 7 based on Android 16, and this is one area where the phone feels quite complete right out of the box.
You&rsquo;re getting three years of OS updates and four years of security patches, which is decent enough.&nbsp;
Realme UI itself is feature-rich. There&rsquo;s a lot you can tweak and personalize, especially with things like Flux Themes, which let you play around with the look and feel of the interface in a meaningful way. It doesn&rsquo;t feel restrictive, you can actually make the phone feel like your own.
You also get additions like AI Edit Genie 2.0 in the gallery, which is genuinely useful for quick edits and touch-ups. It&rsquo;s one of those features you might not think about initially, but once you start using it, it quietly becomes part of your workflow.
Out of the box, there are a number of pre-installed apps, including Spotify, Snapchat, Netflix, and LinkedIn. The good thing is that most of these can be removed or disabled based on your preference, so you&rsquo;re not really locked into anything you don&rsquo;t want.
Once you set it up the way you like, the overall experience feels quite smooth and familiar. It&rsquo;s not a minimal UI by any means, but it offers a lot of functionality and flexibility, which many users will actually appreciate.
<h2>Realme 16 Battery &amp; Charging </h2>
And now, the reason this phone exists. The 7000mAh battery.
This is where the Realme 16 stops trying to compete and just starts winning.
Battery life is excellent. Not good, not decent, but genuinely impressive. With moderate use, getting through a day and a half is easy. Even heavier users will find it hard to drain this in a single day.
It&rsquo;s the kind of battery that changes your behavior. You stop thinking about charging. You stop checking percentages. You just use the phone.
Charging is handled by a 60W charger included in the box, along with a TPU case. A full charge takes about an hour and a half, which feels reasonable given the size of the battery.
And the efficiency shows in smaller ways too. Short bursts of usage barely dent the battery, which adds to that sense of reliability.
<h2>Realme 16 Review: Final Thoughts</h2>
At ₹31,999 and above, the Realme 16 is not trying to win every category.
It&rsquo;s trying to deliver a reliable, stress-free smartphone experience, one where battery anxiety is basically removed from the equation, and day-to-day usage feels stable and predictable.
And that clarity actually works in its favour.
Because there&rsquo;s a certain confidence in a phone that doesn&rsquo;t try to be everything at once, but instead focuses on doing the things most people rely on, and doing them well.
If your priority is a phone that lasts, stays consistent, and feels easy to live with every single day, the Realme 16 makes a strong case for itself in this segment.

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