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A Techarc study shows smartphone habits are changing laptop expectations in India, pushing battery life, responsiveness, design and AI higher up the agenda.

How Smartphone Habits Are Reshaping Laptops and the Future of AI PCs

<h3>A Techarc analysis of 5,412 laptop reviews shows how smartphone experiences are reshaping what Indian consumers expect from laptops, from battery life to AI.</h3>

For years, buying a laptop meant comparing processors, RAM, storage and perhaps display specifications before deciding how much performance you could get for your money. But a generation raised on smartphones is beginning to judge PCs rather differently.
A Techarc analysis of 5,412 verified laptop reviews from Amazon India and Flipkart suggests that smartphone experiences are increasingly setting the benchmark for laptops. According to the report, 88% of laptop users agree that their expectations from laptops have been defined by their smartphone experiences.
That means all-day battery life, instant responsiveness, premium construction and increasingly, built-in AI capabilities are moving from nice-to-have features to fundamental parts of the computing experience.
And as the PC industry races towards its next generation of AI-powered machines, that shift could prove just as important as the processors powering them.
<h2>Smartphones Have Changed What a &lsquo;Good Laptop&rsquo; Means</h2>
Sumit Sonal, Head of Marketing at Qualcomm India, believes years of smartphone use have fundamentally changed the baseline consumers bring to PCs.
&ldquo;Today's users have grown up with devices that are intuitive, responsive, and always ready, and they now expect the same from their PCs,&rdquo; Sonal said.
Techarc's findings support that shift. Consumers accustomed to phones lasting through the day increasingly expect similar endurance from laptops, while the near-instant responsiveness of modern smartphones makes slow boot-ups and sluggish wake times more noticeable.
Traditional priorities haven't disappeared either. Value for money remains the strongest satisfaction driver, with 84% positive sentiment, followed by performance at 82% and build and design quality at 78%.
The differences between PC platforms are also visible. Snapdragon-powered laptops score 4.4 out of five for battery satisfaction, compared with 3.9 for Intel and 3.8 for AMD. Snapdragon also scores 4.3 for thermal management and build/design.
Connectivity, however, remains an industry weak spot, recording just 53% positive sentiment and the lowest satisfaction in the study.
<h2>AI PCs Have an Expectation Problem to Solve</h2>
AI represents perhaps the clearest example of smartphone expectations spilling over into PCs.
Consumers have already grown accustomed to voice assistants and increasingly sophisticated on-device AI features on their phones. Techarc identifies AI features as the fastest-growing trigger category for laptops. Yet satisfaction currently averages only 3.7 out of five, with 64% positive sentiment.
That gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity for AI PCs. Simply advertising an NPU or attaching an &ldquo;AI&rdquo; label to a laptop may not be enough. The technology increasingly needs to translate into useful everyday experiences that consumers can actually recognise.
In other words, the AI PC race isn't only about how many TOPS a processor can deliver. The more important question may be whether AI can become as accessible and useful on a laptop as the features consumers already take for granted on their phones.
<h2>The Next PC Battle Could Be About Experience, Not Specs</h2>
That changing benchmark could ultimately reshape how PC makers compete.
Techarc's analysis identifies battery life and AI features as two attributes with particularly high cross-platform variance, giving processor makers and laptop manufacturers room to differentiate themselves beyond conventional performance metrics.
&ldquo;As AI becomes more integrated into everyday computing, consumers are looking beyond specifications and evaluating how a laptop fits into the way they work, learn, create, and collaborate,&rdquo; Sonal said.
That is perhaps the bigger transition taking place. Performance and value still matter enormously, but the definition of a good laptop is expanding.
The smartphone did not replace the PC. Instead, it may be doing something far more consequential: teaching an entire generation what their next PC should feel like.

POCO India’s Ken Sekhar explains why Indians are buying fewer smartphones but spending more, and how longer ownership cycles are redefining value.

POCO’s Ken Sekhar on Why Indians Are Spending More on Smartphones

<h3 class="PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer" data-start="761" data-end="925">POCO India&rsquo;s Ken Sekhar explains why Indian buyers are spending more, upgrading less often and expecting their smartphones to last longer.</h3>

India's smartphone market is going through an unusual transition. Consumers are buying fewer phones, holding onto them longer and increasingly moving towards more expensive devices. For smartphone brands, that means the old playbook of packing the biggest specifications into the lowest possible price is beginning to lose some of its power.
According to IDC, India shipped 33.2 million smartphones in Q2 2026, down 11.1% year-on-year. Yet the average selling price climbed 14.4% to a record $315, helping the overall value of the market grow 1.7%.
For Ken Sekhar, Marketing Head at POCO India, these seemingly contradictory numbers point towards a fundamental change in how Indians think about smartphones.
"The biggest change isn't that consumers have become more price-sensitive. It's that they've become significantly more value-conscious," Sekhar told Editorji.
"A few years ago, value for money largely meant getting the highest specifications at the lowest possible price. Today, consumers evaluate value across the entire ownership journey rather than just the purchase price."
<h2>Indians Are Spending More, But Keeping Their Phones Longer</h2>
The shift is particularly significant for a company like POCO, which built much of its identity around aggressive specifications and performance-per-rupee.
Sekhar believes consumers are now willing to pay more upfront because smartphones themselves have increasingly become longer-term purchases.
"We're seeing people consciously invest more in smartphones because they plan to use them much longer. The replacement cycle has steadily extended from around two years to nearly four years for many users," he said.
"Once someone decides to keep a device for that long, they're naturally willing to spend more upfront, provided the experience remains consistently fast and reliable over the years."
Market data supports the broader premiumisation trend. While affordable smartphones below ₹15,000 saw shipments decline sharply in Q2, the $400&ndash;600 segment grew 60.3% year-on-year. CMR's data also points towards premium smartphones growing 54%, while the ₹50,000&ndash;₹1 lakh super-premium category surged 72%.
Financing has helped make that transition possible. More than half of mainline smartphone sales in Q2 involved financing, according to the research, with zero-cost EMIs and trade-ins increasingly replacing straightforward discounts as the mechanism allowing consumers to stretch their budgets.
<h2>Performance Is No Longer Just About the Processor</h2>
This changing definition of value is also reshaping what "performance" means.
"Performance today is the result of an entire ecosystem rather than a single specification," Sekhar said.
"A powerful processor remains important, but consumers increasingly understand that great real-world performance depends on how well the chipset, RAM, storage, thermal management and software work together."
He argues that buyers are consequently looking beyond processor names and benchmark scores towards storage speeds, sustained gaming performance, heat management and software optimisation.
"Ultimately, nobody buys a phone simply to post benchmark scores," Sekhar said. "They buy it expecting the device to remain smooth after hundreds of charging cycles, multiple software updates and years of everyday use. That's increasingly becoming the true definition of performance."
POCO is also seeing its consumers gravitate towards higher RAM and storage configurations, which Sekhar describes as buyers "future-proofing their purchase" for heavier apps, AI features, gaming and high-resolution content.
<h2>Battery, Software and Durability Are Becoming Part of &lsquo;Value&rsquo;</h2>
The same logic increasingly applies to other parts of the smartphone.
"Battery capacity itself has become a hygiene factor," Sekhar said. "Consumers now expect every smartphone to comfortably last an entire day. What increasingly differentiates devices is battery longevity and consistency."
As ownership periods stretch, buyers are increasingly concerned with how batteries age, charging speeds, thermal behaviour and battery management rather than capacity alone.
Software support and durability are following a similar trajectory.
"Software longevity and build quality have moved from being value additions to becoming core purchase considerations," Sekhar said.
"Consumers today don't simply want feature-rich smartphones. They want devices that can keep pace with their lives for years. Long-term ownership experience has become one of the strongest indicators of value."
<h2>Rising Component Costs Are Rewriting the Smartphone Equation</h2>
All of this is happening while manufacturers face enormous cost pressure.
The memory shortage has hit affordable devices particularly hard. The report estimates that DRAM and NAND inflation has pushed memory's contribution to the bill of materials in some mass-market phones from below 20% to more than 45%.
"The smartphone industry is undoubtedly operating under increased cost pressures today," Sekhar acknowledged, pointing to component prices, memory costs, currency fluctuations and investment in newer technologies.
POCO's response, he says, is to prioritise where that money is spent.
"Rather than chasing every specification, we prioritise the features that matter most to our users, whether that's sustained performance, efficient cooling, battery life, software optimisation or durability."
That may ultimately describe the broader transition taking place in India's smartphone market.
"The conversation has therefore moved from 'How much performance can I buy today?' to 'How well will this phone perform throughout its life?'" Sekhar said.
And with consumers spending more while upgrading less frequently, India's next smartphone battle may not simply be about who offers the most hardware for the money.
As Sekhar puts it, consumers are now "spending more, upgrading less frequently and expecting significantly more from every device they buy."

The Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) turns two gorgeous 3K OLED displays into a genuinely useful portable workstation, but its ₹2,78,990 price keeps it firmly in enthusiast territory.

Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) Review: The Dual-Screen Laptop That Makes Multitasking Better

Mehul Reuben Das

Asus

Asus Zenbook Duo (2026)

<h3>Two 3K OLED screens, strong performance and a 99Wh battery make the Asus Zenbook Duo unlike most laptops.</h3>

Reviewing tech for a living means it takes something genuinely different for a laptop to get me excited. I&rsquo;ve used countless thin-and-lights, ridiculously powerful gaming machines and plenty of experimental form factors, so the novelty wears off pretty quickly. Somehow, though, the Asus Zenbook Duo still scratches that itch.
Now in its second generation, it remains one of those rare laptops that makes me want to experiment with how I use it, especially with that dual-screen setup.
Asus has also given it some meaningful upgrades this year. You get two 14-inch 3K OLED touchscreens, Intel&rsquo;s Core Ultra 7 355, 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a 1TB SSD and a huge 99Wh battery.
Our configuration costs ₹2,78,990, which makes this a seriously expensive machine. So, does the Zenbook Duo actually do enough to justify that price?
<h2>Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) Review: Design</h2>
With the keyboard attached, the Zenbook Duo could almost pass for a slightly chunky 14-inch laptop. Pull it away, though, and you suddenly have a completely different machine, with a second full-sized display underneath.
The keyboard connects magnetically using pogo pins, which also keep it charged. Detach it and the second display automatically switches on, while the keyboard moves over to Bluetooth. From there, you can stack both screens vertically, rotate the Duo for a book-style setup, use the second display flat, or go back to a conventional laptop layout.
I mostly stuck with the vertical setup. The built-in kickstand is reassuringly sturdy, and having two displays stacked wherever I was working became surprisingly addictive. The redesigned hideaway hinge helps too, reducing the gap between the screens by roughly 70 per cent while allowing the laptop to open completely flat to 180 degrees.
Despite all these moving parts, the Duo feels remarkably solid. The Ceraluminum chassis has a premium finish, while the Moher Gray colour keeps things understated. You also get MIL-STD 810H certification.
At 1.65kg, it certainly isn't the lightest 14-inch machine around, but considering you're effectively carrying two displays and a detachable keyboard, I found the weight perfectly manageable.
Connectivity is excellent too, with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1 FRL and a 3.5mm jack. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 handle wireless connectivity.
<h2>Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) Review: Display &amp; Speakers</h2>
The two displays were easily among my favourite things about the original Zenbook Duo, and Asus has managed to make an already excellent setup even better this time around.
You get two identical 14-inch ASUS Lumina Pro OLED touchscreens, both with a 2880 x 1800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio and refresh rates of up to 144Hz.
And they look absolutely gorgeous. Colours have plenty of punch, blacks are wonderfully deep, and everything from text to high-resolution photos looks incredibly crisp. Crucially, I couldn't spot any meaningful difference in quality between the upper and lower panels, so moving content between them feels completely natural.
For creators, both displays cover 100 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and are Pantone validated. You also get VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000 certification, with Asus claiming 500 nits during regular use and up to 1,000 nits for HDR content.
There's an anti-reflective coating that does a decent job of controlling reflections, although harsh outdoor lighting can still make visibility tricky. T&Uuml;V Rheinland and SGS Eye Care certifications are welcome additions too, especially when you're potentially staring at two displays all day.
The 144Hz refresh rate also makes a noticeable difference. Scrolling, animations and simply dragging windows between screens all feel beautifully smooth. Both panels support touch and stylus input as well.
Audio is another pleasant surprise. The six-speaker Harman Kardon-tuned system combines four woofers with two tweeters and supports Dolby Atmos. It gets properly loud without becoming muddy, while vocals remain crisp. There is some bass, although the tuning definitely favours vocals.
For serious multitaskers, though, those displays remain the Duo's killer feature. It's effectively a portable dual-monitor workstation without the hassle of carrying an external display.
<h2>Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) Review: Keyboard, Trackpad &amp; Webcam</h2>
The detachable keyboard is a huge part of the Duo experience. It snaps into place magnetically, charges through pogo pins, and automatically switches to Bluetooth when detached. I had no issues with connectivity during my time with it.
Typing is comfortable too, thanks to well-spaced keys and 1.7mm of travel, although the feedback does feel slightly mushy.
The large precision touchpad is responsive and supports edge gestures for adjusting brightness, volume and media controls. I expected them to be gimmicky, but ended up using them quite often.
You also get an FHD webcam with an IR sensor for quick Windows Hello logins. Microsoft Pluton and firmware TPM add another layer of hardware-level security.
<h2>Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) Review: Performance &amp; Software</h2>
Our Zenbook Duo gets Intel&rsquo;s Core Ultra 7 355 with 8 cores and 8 threads, alongside 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. There&rsquo;s also an NPU capable of 50 TOPS, with Intel&rsquo;s integrated GPU handling graphics.
For everyday productivity, performance is excellent. I regularly had both displays packed with browser tabs, documents, Slack and other apps, and the Duo barely broke a sweat. Even with both screens in constant use, I never felt like the unusual setup was dragging performance down.
Creative workloads are where the Duo really comes into its own. Photoshop is fantastic on those colour-accurate OLED panels, but Premiere Pro is where the dual-screen setup really shines. I could keep my timeline on one display and move the preview, effects and other panels to the second. It genuinely feels like a portable editing workstation.
Performance holds up well too. Scrubbing through 4K 60fps footage with multiple effects and elements on the timeline was smooth, without any major hiccups. Thermals are equally well controlled, with the laptop staying comfortable during everyday use and heavier workloads.
Gaming, however, isn't its forte. Lighter titles are perfectly manageable, but the lack of discrete graphics rules out serious AAA gaming. GeForce NOW offers a neat workaround if you have a fast enough connection, particularly given those 3K 144Hz OLED displays.
On the software side, you get Windows 11 Home with Copilot+ features such as Recall, Live Captions and Windows Studio Effects. ScreenXpert makes managing apps across both displays much easier, while MyASUS handles updates, diagnostics and performance settings.
My main gripe is the bloatware. McAfee LiveSafe, Adobe offers and other bundled apps simply shouldn't be cluttering up a laptop costing nearly ₹2.8 lakh.
<h2>Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) Review: Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
Two 3K OLED displays running at up to 144Hz sounds like a recipe for terrible battery life. Thankfully, the Zenbook Duo surprised me here.
Asus has squeezed in a huge 99Wh battery, up considerably from the 75Wh unit in the previous generation. With medium to heavy usage and both displays regularly active, I consistently managed around 7 to 8 hours on a single charge.
That was enough for me to comfortably use the Duo as my primary work machine without constantly worrying about finding a power socket. For a laptop built around portable dual-screen productivity, that matters quite a bit.
The bundled 100W USB-C adapter handles charging, with a complete top-up taking around 90 to 95 minutes in my testing.
Given that it is powering two high-resolution OLED panels, the battery life Asus has managed here is genuinely impressive.
<h2>Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) Review: Verdict</h2>
At ₹2,78,990, there&rsquo;s no pretending the Zenbook Duo is affordable. But with laptop prices going slightly bonkers lately, that figure doesn&rsquo;t feel quite as outrageous once you consider what Asus is offering.
You&rsquo;re getting two excellent 14-inch 3K 144Hz OLED displays, strong performance, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, solid build quality and a massive 99Wh battery. More importantly, the second screen actually changes how you work. I quickly got used to spreading research and documents across both displays or turning Premiere Pro into a genuinely useful dual-screen workspace.
There are compromises. At 1.65kg, it isn&rsquo;t particularly light, there&rsquo;s no discrete GPU, and the bundled bloatware feels especially unnecessary at this price.
Still, few laptops make me excited about experimenting with the form factor anymore. The Zenbook Duo does. It&rsquo;s expensive and definitely not for everyone, but for serious multitaskers who work on the move, this is one of the most interesting laptops you can buy.

Our Tecno Spark Go 3 Pro review tests its rugged build, 5,200mAh battery, 120Hz display, Helio G81 performance, cameras, AI features and charging.

Tecno Spark Go 3 Pro Review: Rugged Build, Battery Life & Performance

A rugged build, 5,200mAh battery and useful AI features make the Tecno Spark Go 3 Pro an interesting budget phone. Here’s how it performs in daily use.

Tecno Spark Go 3 Pro Review: Rugged Build Meets Everyday Essentials

Editorji News Desk

Tecno

Tecno Spark Go 3 Pro

The Tecno Spark Go 3 Pro offers a rugged build, dependable battery life and useful AI features, but its basic cameras, slow charging and lack of 5G limit its appeal.

Finding a value-for-money, no-nonsense budget phone these days feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. With recent market price hikes, most companies have quietly stripped away basic essentials just to protect their bottom line. So, when the Tecno Spark Go 3 Pro landed on my desk with a starting price of Rs.15,999, I was genuinely curious to see what Tecno had managed to pull off.
Rather than chasing pointless gimmicks or pretending to be a specification beast at its price, this phone focuses on surviving actual, messy daily life. I swapped my primary SIM into this handset for a full week, taking it through crowded commutes and endless calls, to see if it genuinely earns your money. Here is my breakdown of how it actually held up.
<h2>Unboxing &amp; Design</h2>
Opening the box threw me off in the best way possible. Right next to the 10W brick, a Type-C to Type-C cable, and the SIM ejector pin, Tecno has packed in a pair of wired Type-C earphones. They will not blow you away with deep bass or crazy volume, but with the retro trend of people ditching wireless buds and going back to wired earphones, seeing them included in the box earns Tecno some massive brownie points.
Pick the phone up, and it becomes obvious where <a title="Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Review: The case for bigger batteries in slim phones" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/tecno-pova-curve-2-5g-review-the-case-for-bigger-batteries-in-slim-phones-1771573690938" target="_blank">Tecno</a> is drawing its inspiration from. Still, I think it looks sharp. The all-plastic rear has a neat matte texture that stayed fairly clean on my Eclipse Black unit, though you can also get it in Burgundy Red, Sunrise Orange, or Mist Silver. The real smudge magnet is the large rectangular camera island housing the lens and IR blaster, which has a glossy finish that picks up grease instantly.
The button placement feels natural. On the right, you get the volume keys and the power button, which also doubles as a snappy fingerprint scanner. Both offer good, tactile feedback. The left side houses the SIM tray with a dedicated microSD slot, while the bottom houses the Type-C port, microphone, and main speaker.
Tecno has also thrown in a second speaker on the top edge. Getting a genuine stereo speaker setup in this price tier is rare these days, especially after the recent market price hikes. Honestly, they sounded pretty loud and packed enough bass that I was not even expecting from a phone at this price.
The phone feels huge in hand, but at just 194g, the weight distribution is definitely balanced.
Where the phone truly shines is build toughness. This is the segment&rsquo;s first phone to come with IP69 and IP68 water and dust resistance, along with an SGS drop-resistance certification. With new budget rivals from brands such as Boltt entering the market, this rugged setup gives Tecno a massive edge. I did not toss it into an ocean or smash it onto concrete, but after handling it daily on my desk and during rough commutes, the chassis feels solid, dense, and built to survive accidental abuse.
<h2>Display</h2>
I spent a lot of time testing the 6.79-inch IPS LCD display. Right out of the gate, you cannot miss the chunky bezels. That bottom chin, in particular, stands out quite a bit, so every time I put on a film or a video clip, I was instantly reminded of the entry-level price tag. Still, I was really relieved that Tecno picked a modern centre punch-hole cutout for the front camera instead of sticking us with that tired old waterdrop notch.
Watching content felt fine for what the phone costs. Colours pop well enough on YouTube, and skin tones do not look overly washed out. You do not get HDR on YouTube, so, obviously, Netflix HDR is out of the picture too, but honestly, nobody expects that here. My main gripe came down to overall sharpness. Stretching an HD+ resolution (720 x 1526 pixels) across a huge 6.78-inch frame drops clarity down to about 260 PPI. Whenever I spent time reading long tech write-ups or news threads on Chrome, the edges around text felt noticeably soft and fuzzy.
Tecno claims a 120Hz refresh rate on paper. In my daily use, though, the UI mostly sat locked around 90Hz while jumping through apps and the home menu. Only a handful of screens ever pushed the 120Hz smoothness. That said, I did not run into any weird jitter, so simple feed scrolling still felt fluid enough under the thumb.
Outdoor legibility was where I struggled the most. The screen tops out at 580 nits in high-brightness mode. Sitting in my room or walking around under decent shade, visibility was never an issue. Step out under direct, blazing noon sun, though, and I found myself cupping my palm over the panel just to see directions on Maps or reply to a text. It gets the job done for casual indoor browsing, but you will definitely feel the pinch on bright, sunny days.
<h2>Camera</h2>
Let us be real here: you do not buy a phone at this price expecting extraordinary photo quality. The 13MP rear sensor on the Spark Go 3 Pro performs right in line with expectations. While numbers alone rarely show how a camera actually shoots, here, the 13MP tag tells you most of what you need to know.
During my outdoor daytime walks, it captured perfectly usable photos. Colours looked pleasant enough, and the shots work fine for quick Instagram Stories or snapping bills and documents. That said, if you are looking for crisp sharpness, rich dynamic range, or accurate skin tones, this setup will not wow you. Once the sun set, it really struggled. Streetlights suffered from heavy light bleeding, and darker areas quickly dissolved into soft, noisy patches.
The 8MP front camera gave me clear enough video calls on WhatsApp and decent quick selfies in bright rooms, but it stays strictly basic.
On the video side, both lenses let you record at up to 2K at 30fps. Standing still, it produces clear enough clips, but without proper stabilisation, any step you take turns the footage shaky.
At the end of the day, having wild expectations here would be unfair. It covers the bare essentials, and for the money, that is totally fine.
<h2>Performance</h2>
Tecno went with the MediaTek Helio G81 processor here. My review unit came with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of internal storage, though there is a 128GB option floating around too. Tecno loves to slap a &ldquo;12GB RAM&rdquo; badge on its marketing, but you should know that 8GB of that is through virtual memory pulled from your storage. At its core, it is a 4GB RAM phone.
I ran both AnTuTu and Geekbench straight away. The scores were fairly basic, around 3 lakhs on Antutu, exactly what I expected from a chip in this bracket. Despite the low score, what actually surprised me was how smooth the phone felt in day-to-day use. Basic apps opened without long, painful loading pauses. I could jump between WhatsApp, my browser tabs, and YouTube without the system randomly choking or killing apps in the background.
Obviously, you are not buying a budget phone to play competitive titles. Casual games runs fine without hiccups. To see how much it could take, I downloaded BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile. Both titles were surprisingly playable for the first 10 or 15 minutes. Once I crossed the 20-minute mark, though, the phone started getting warm around the camera island, and frame drops had an impact on the gaming performance.
For everyday chores, scrolling through feeds, and light use, the overall speed works just fine.
<h2>Software, UI/UX &amp; AI Features</h2>
The phone runs on Tecno&rsquo;s HiOS based on Android 16, and right after setting it up, the heavy iPhone influence is hard to miss. From the lock-screen font styles and wallpapers to the text-selection pop-ups and translucent blur effects, it feels unmistakably<a title="iPhone 17 Review: Why the entry iPhone is now the one to get" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/iphone-17-review-why-the-entry-iphone-is-now-the-one-to-get-1759225187581" target="_blank"> iOS</a>-like. Still, navigating through the menus felt clean.
As you would expect in this price bracket, there are several pre-installed bloatware apps you will have to manually clean up. My bigger concern is software longevity. Tecno offers two years of security patches, but there&rsquo;s no word about any major Android OS upgrades. If you plan on holding on to this phone for three or four years and want fresh Android versions, that is something worth checking out.
What really caught me off guard was the AI toolset. A couple of years ago, most of these tricks were reserved for expensive flagships, so seeing them on a budget device is great. The Tecno AI suite gives you quick writing tools, AI caption generation, and contextual text suggestions. You also get Circle to Search and Google Gemini baked right in, which made looking up on-screen text and images quick and seamless.
Add in the AI noise cancellation that cleans up background traffic noise on regular calls, and the software offers far more practical daily utility than most rivals in this segment. But do not forget: it is a 4G phone.
<h2>Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
Battery life was easily my favourite part of using this phone. Sure, it does not touch the massive 7,000mAh packs we are starting to see floating around, but 5,200mAh is still huge for a phone this affordable.
With my normal mix of scrolling, YouTube streaming, and WhatsApp calls, it easily got me through an entire day without breaking a sweat. On lighter days, I even had enough juice left to carry over into the next morning. Now, if your screen time regularly crosses seven to eight hours, you will definitely be reaching for a plug before hitting the bed, but I never had to worry about it dying on me during my daily commute.
What really tested my patience was the charging speed. Tecno gives you a basic 10W charger in the box, and it is painfully slow. Juicing this big battery all the way from dead flat to 100 per cent took me nearly three hours. You basically have to plug it in overnight because quick daytime top-ups are out of the question.
That said, I am just glad Tecno actually gave us a power adapter in the box instead of making us buy one separately like the bigger brands do now. At this price, you cannot complain too much.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?</h2>
Living with the Spark Go 3 Pro for a week made one thing clear to me: you have to judge it for what it is, not what it is not. No, you will not be running heavy tournament matches on it, and the missing 5G tag might bother spec nerds.
Yet, for anyone pinching pennies, the trade-offs feel totally fair. Having real IP68 and IP69 certification at this price point is wild, and the battery simply refuses to die on a normal workday. I see this fitting right into the hands of college kids managing tight monthly allowances, folks stepping into Android for the first time, or even as a simple, durable gift for elderly parents who just need WhatsApp, YouTube, and loud calls. At Rs.15,999, it does the everyday basics surprisingly well.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE first impressions: Explore its design, display, Exynos 2500 performance, cameras, battery, and software before the full review.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions: A Worthy Upgrade?

The Galaxy S26 FE brings Exynos 2500 performance, a versatile camera setup, 45W charging, and seven years of updates. Here’s what stands out so far.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions: Promising, But Pricing Matters

Samsung&rsquo;s Galaxy S26 FE brings better performance, premium build, versatile cameras, and longer software support, but familiar hardware and pricing will determine whether it delivers compelling value.

The Galaxy S26 FE has a tough act to follow. Last year&rsquo;s Galaxy S25 FE was a big hit in India, winning over enthusiasts while also delivering strong sales for Samsung.
And that really is the appeal of the FE series. For Samsung fans who want the Galaxy S experience without paying flagship prices, these phones have traditionally offered a pretty compelling middle ground. You get a lot of what makes the premium S series desirable, but at a more accessible price.
The smartphone market, however, looks very different today. Rising RAM and storage costs have pushed prices up, and outside the premium segment, we&rsquo;re increasingly seeing phones that struggle to justify what they cost.
So, can the Galaxy S26 FE still make the FE formula work in this market? I&rsquo;ve spent some time with it, and here are my initial impressions.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions: Design</h2>
The Galaxy S26 FE doesn&rsquo;t stray too far from Samsung&rsquo;s familiar design language. The overall shape remains largely unchanged, but the rear cameras now sit together on a raised island instead of using three separate camera rings.
My review unit is the Pistachio variant, which I find the most interesting of the three available colours, with Blueberry and Graphite being the other options. Samsung has switched to a glossy finish this year, and while it looks premium, I personally preferred the subtler matte finish on the <a title="Vivo X200 FE vs Oppo Reno 14 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: The ultimate camera test" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/vivo-x200-fe-vs-reno-14-pro-vs-s25-fe-the-ultimate-camera-test-1759300685064" target="_blank">S25 FE</a>. The glossy back also picks up fingerprints quite easily.
Build quality, however, remains excellent. The phone uses an aluminium alloy frame, gets Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, and carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Overall, it feels sturdy and appropriately premium in the hand.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions: Display</h2>
The Galaxy S26 FE gets a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a claimed peak brightness of 1,900 nits.
As you would expect from <a title="Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Review: Samsung&rsquo;s Small Foldable Makes a Big Impression" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/samsung-galaxy-z-flip8-review-samsung-s-small-foldable-makes-a-big-impression-1787741847511" target="_blank">Samsung</a>, the panel looks great. Colours are vibrant, contrast levels are excellent, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and animations feel smooth. It also gets bright enough to remain comfortably visible outdoors.
The problem is that there isn't much here that feels new. It is very similar to the S25 FE's display, right down to the slightly uneven bezels and thicker chin. You also don't get the broader adaptive refresh rate range found on Samsung's LTPO flagship displays, with the S26 FE switching between 60Hz and 120Hz instead.
It's an excellent display overall, but certainly not a meaningful generational upgrade.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions: Performance</h2>
Performance is one area where the Galaxy S26 FE gets a more substantial upgrade. Samsung has equipped the phone with the Exynos 2500, paired with 8GB of RAM.
So far, the experience has been quite good. The S26 FE feels snappy in everyday use, apps launch quickly, multitasking is smooth, and I haven't noticed any major slowdowns or stutters.
Samsung has also added a fairly large 5,526mm&sup2; vapour chamber, which should help with thermals during longer gaming sessions and other demanding workloads. I'll be testing that more extensively for the full review.
That said, the Exynos 2500 isn't Samsung's most powerful chipset, while 8GB of RAM feels a little modest for a near-flagship phone in 2026. Even so, there's a clear performance improvement over the Galaxy S25 FE, and the initial experience has been promising.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions: Cameras</h2>
Samsung is putting a lot of emphasis on the Galaxy S26 FE&rsquo;s cameras, with photography taking centre stage, followed by video and portrait capabilities.
The actual camera hardware, however, hasn&rsquo;t changed much. You still get a 50MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide and an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
Based on my initial testing, the main camera is easily the strongest of the three. It captures plenty of detail, handles dynamic range well and delivers the vibrant colour processing we&rsquo;ve come to expect from Samsung. The ultrawide also performs well in good lighting, while the dedicated 3x telephoto gives you more flexibility than phones that depend entirely on digital zoom.
Samsung is also focusing heavily on low-light photography this year, backed by its computational photography and AI processing.
Still, I would have liked to see some meaningful hardware upgrades. The 8MP telephoto, in particular, is starting to feel dated, especially in low light. I&rsquo;ll be testing all three cameras much more extensively for the full review.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions: Software, Features and AI</h2>
Software is perhaps where the Galaxy S26 FE comes closest to delivering on Samsung&rsquo;s promise of bringing the flagship Galaxy experience to a more accessible phone.
It ships with Android 17 and One UI 9 out of the box, along with several features that have trickled down from Samsung&rsquo;s more expensive devices.
One of the more interesting additions is My FanCam, which we recently saw on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. You also get AI-powered features such as Audio Eraser, along with productivity tools including DocuSign integration.
There&rsquo;s Digital Car Key support for compatible vehicles from select manufacturers, wireless charging, and access to Samsung&rsquo;s wider suite of Galaxy AI features.
More importantly, Samsung is promising seven years of major OS upgrades. If you tend to hold on to your phones for several years, that level of long-term software support remains a major advantage for the Galaxy S26 FE.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26 FE First Impressions: Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
The Galaxy S26 FE comes with a 4,900mAh battery, but the bigger upgrade this year is support for 45W wired charging.
Samsung says the phone can go from empty to around 70 per cent in 30 minutes, which is a welcome improvement over the relatively slow charging speeds we&rsquo;ve seen on several Galaxy phones in the past.
As for endurance, my initial experience has been promising so far. However, I&rsquo;ll need considerably more time with the S26 FE before drawing any conclusions about its real-world battery life.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Early Impressions: Promising, But Pricing Will Be Crucial</h2>
The Galaxy S26 FE sticks closely to the formula that has worked well for Samsung, while making a few meaningful upgrades where they matter.
Performance is better, build quality remains premium, the display is excellent, and the cameras offer plenty of versatility. You also get several flagship-level AI features and Samsung&rsquo;s excellent long-term software support. At the same time, quite a bit of the hardware feels familiar, particularly the display and camera setup.
That makes the price incredibly important.
On paper, the Galaxy S26 FE still looks like a compelling entry point into Samsung&rsquo;s premium ecosystem. But with smartphone prices climbing across the board, simply being a good phone isn&rsquo;t enough anymore. It also needs to offer good value.
Whether the Galaxy S26 FE manages to strike that balance is something I&rsquo;ll explore in the full review.

Realme P4s 5G review: We test its 8,000mAh battery, 144Hz 1.5K AMOLED display, Dimensity 7400 Ultra, HyperVision+ gaming and 80W charging.

Realme P4s 5G Review: 8,000mAh Battery, 144Hz Display and AI Gaming Tested

The Realme P4s 5G packs an 8,000mAh battery, 144Hz AMOLED display, Dimensity 7400 Ultra and HyperVision+ AI gaming. Here’s how it performs in real-world use.

Realme P4s 5G Review: Big Battery, Smooth Gaming and Serious Value

Realme

Realme P4s 5G

The Realme P4s 5G combines an 8,000mAh battery, 144Hz AMOLED display, capable cameras and AI-assisted gaming, making it a well-rounded mid-range phone with only a few compromises.

Figuring out India's mid-range smartphone space in 2026 feels more complicated than ever. With prices shifting constantly and recent devices pushing entry-level specs under mid-tier price tags, pinning down genuine value is tough.
The Realme P4s 5G looks to break away from that frustrating pattern, offering a compelling set of internals starting at ₹34,999 for the base model. Instead of just offering minor tweaks over the previous P3 lineup, Realme loaded this handset with a colossal 8,000mAh Titan battery, a sharp 144Hz 1.5K Samsung AMOLED screen, and a custom Hyper Vision+ AI display processor running alongside the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra.
I daily-drove the Titanium Grey edition for a full seven days before launch to see how it actually holds up in real life.
<h2>Realme P4s 5G Review: Unboxing and Design</h2>
Unboxing the Realme P4s brought an immediate sense of relief when I saw the complete 80W charging brick tucked inside the package. Given how soaring hardware prices have pushed companies to trim retail contents, getting a full-speed adapter is no longer guaranteed. Brands like iQOO dropped the <a title="iQOO Z11 Review: A Balanced Mid-Range Powerhouse" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/iqoo-z11-review-a-balanced-mid-range-powerhouse-1787209803814" target="_blank">Z11</a> down to 44W after shipping a 90W charger on the older model, so I appreciate that Realme did not cut corners. Alongside the phone and 80W brick, the packaging includes an 8A Type-C cord, a standard transparent TPU sleeve, and a SIM ejector.
Holding the Titanium Grey variant, the styling heavily mirrors the <a title="Realme P4 Power 5G Review:29 Hours later, it still wouldn&rsquo;t die" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/realme-p4-power-5g-review-29-hours-later-it-still-wouldn-t-die-1769672775457" target="_blank">Realme P4 Power</a>. What sets it apart visually are the orange highlights on the power button and a matching orange plate bearing "VOOC" right beside the rear camera module. That square camera deck features two working sensors, a flash, an IR blaster, and an extra cosmetic lens added purely for visual balance. It looks great initially, but the glossy rear surface attracts oily fingerprints the second you pick it up. Keeping the provided cover on is virtually mandatory if you dislike constant smudging.
Button and port placement remains familiar. The right spine houses a tactile power switch and volume rocker. The base contains the dual-SIM slot, USB Type-C port, main mic, and speaker vents, while the top edge holds the second speaker and another mic. The left frame is bare. Media playback through the stereo pair delivers solid volume, even if low-end bass feels somewhat lean.
An 8.6mm thickness is fairly typical now that phone makers know how to pack massive cells tightly. What surprised me was the overall feel in hand. The spec sheet quotes 208g, yet the balance makes it feel way lighter than most 8,000mAh devices. When evaluating rivals like the Redmi Note 17 and Poco M8 Power with identical 8,000mAh capacities, both pushed past 225g. Realme definitely got the weight balance right.
Full IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings round out the chassis, giving you solid protection against heavy downpours and unexpected water dips.
<h2>Realme P4s 5G Review: Display</h2>
Dominating the front is a flat 6.78-inch Samsung 1.5K AMOLED screen shielded by AGC DT-Star D+ glass. Ditching curved glass in favor of a flat surface made typing with one hand and gaming free of accidental palm triggers far more practical. While the surrounding borders might not break industry records, they are noticeably slimmer than on most competitors in this price tier, letting you watch videos or scroll through long reads without visual distractions.
Realme opted for an LTPS panel here. General swiping and system animations stay smooth, with menus and popular apps hovering between 90Hz and 120Hz. The top-tier 144Hz refresh rate is not for the everyday interface; it is aimed directly at supported gaming titles like BGMI.
Video streaming on this display is genuinely enjoyable. The factory color profile avoids the cheap, oversaturated look, keeping tones realistic and natural. Streaming HDR content on Netflix and YouTube worked without hiccups, delivering deep shadows and crisp contrast during dark movie scenes.
Visibility outdoors never gave me trouble. While the screen lowers its output nicely for comfortable late-night reading, stepping out under bright afternoon sun showed off its real punch. With high brightness mode hitting 1,400 nits and local HDR highlights reaching up to 6,500 nits, reading maps and browsing text remained sharp with zero washed-out gray cast.
The in-screen optical fingerprint scanner proved snappy and dependable throughout my testing. Thanks to the phone's dimensions and thoughtful scanner placement slightly above the bottom chin, unlocking the screen felt completely natural without any awkward thumb gymnastics.
<h2>Realme P4s 5G Review: Camera</h2>
On the photography side, the Realme P4s 5G brings a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 16MP front camera for selfies. Seeing a genuine ultra-wide shooter included here felt like a breath of fresh air. With several phone makers removing secondary lenses to save money and leaving buyers with a single usable camera, Realme deserves credit. The brand built its early reputation around delivering capable camera hardware on a sensible budget. I still rely on my <a title="Realme 14 Pro+ Review ft. Comparison with Poco X7 Pro!" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/realme-14-pro-review-ft-comparison-with-poco-x7-pro-1737041107332" target="_blank">Realme 14 Pro Plus</a> as a daily phone, and even after nearly eighteen months, it continues to take impressive photos for what it costs. After feeling let down by some recent launches, taking the P4s out for testing was a pleasant surprise.
The 50MP main sensor delivers great results in standard daylight shooting. Photos look sharp with plenty of resolved detail, well-controlled highlights, and wide dynamic range. The color processing leans slightly punchy and saturated, which works well if you prefer photos that look vibrant right away. The 8MP ultra-wide lens handles the essentials. It serves its purpose when you need to capture a broad scenery shot, though fine details soften up significantly in lower light.
Having a 16MP selfie shooter is another welcome inclusion over the disappointing 5MP or 8MP sensors rivals throw into budget phones. In daily use, however, my impressions were mixed. The front camera tends to smooth out facial textures aggressively, even with all beauty enhancements turned off. Selfies and portrait shots reproduce pleasant skin tones, but background separation proved inconsistent, sometimes smudging stray hair strands and collar lines. You do get portrait selfie support as well.
Video capture reaches up to 4K at 30fps on the rear camera and 1080p at 30fps on the front. Rear video looks detailed with punchy colors, though walking introduces minor jitters. The front camera shows even more movement while recording on the go, so keeping your hands steady is important.
<h2>Realme P4s 5G Review: Performance</h2>
Under the hood, the Realme P4s relies on the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra, a familiar 4nm processor seen across several devices lately. While it is not cutting-edge flagship silicon, Realme backed it with a custom HyperVision+ AI chip that leverages frame interpolation and software optimizations to lift the gaming experience.
My test device packed 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, with support for virtual memory expansion using the internal drive.
Synthetic tests reflect dependable mid-tier power. The phone hit 988,338 points in AnTuTu, alongside Geekbench results of 905 in single-core and 2,995 in multi-core. Thermal stability stood out during the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, where it scored 99.7 percent consistency with high and low loops of 1,031 and 1,028.
Daily workloads run without hiccups. Flicking through social feeds, video conferencing, media streaming, and juggling multiple apps felt snappy from start to finish.
Mobile gaming is where the P4s shows its real value. In BGMI, which is natively locked to 90FPS, the phone held an average of 71 to 72FPS over a 30-minute run. Toggling the HyperVision+ chip activates frame interpolation, lifting visual delivery on screen to around 143 to 144FPS.
That boost translates to real visual fluidness you can immediately feel, especially when compared directly against competitors like the Vivo S2, iQOO Z11, or Infinix Note 60 Pro. It also lets you finally take advantage of the 144Hz panel during matches.
Heat control holds up admirably as well. The device gets slightly warm under load, but noticeable warmth only built up during back-to-back benchmark runs and after around 55 minutes of non-stop gaming, helped by the 7,000 sq. mm AirFlow VC cooling setup.
It might not break synthetic record boards, but mobile gamers will find a lot to like here.
<h2>Realme P4s 5G Review: Software and UI/UX &amp; AI Features</h2>
Setting up the Realme P4s 5G puts you on Realme UI 7.0 running atop Android 16, with Realme noting that phones will shift toward ColorOS as the year winds down. Let's be real, custom Android skins feel increasingly interchangeable these days since nearly every brand is borrowing from Apple's glossy, translucent style.
Even so, navigating this interface offers that familiar Realme touch: responsive, quick, and easy to figure out. App launches glide along nicely without attempting to reinvent anything drastic.
You will still spot pre-loaded apps, but the clutter is way better managed here. Rather than packing trashy arcade games that drag down the handset's vibe, the bundled apps are mostly mainstream social platforms or practical utilities, all easily removed in seconds. For pure daily stability and polish, Realme UI remains an easy recommendation, backed further by their 72-Month Smoothness promise.
The integrated AI features also proved genuinely practical instead of gimmicky. For drafting quick text, summarizing articles, and sorting daily notes, the productivity suite turned out to be a solid time-saver. Whether you are studying, working an office gig, or writing daily like I do, these tools deliver genuine convenience alongside steady security updates.
<h2>Realme P4s 5G Review: Battery and Charging</h2>
Fitting a massive 8,000mAh cell inside the Realme P4s 5G easily turns battery life into its most impressive feature. With my typical daily use, coasting through two straight days without plugging in was completely hassle-free. Light users who stick to quick messaging and casual web scrolling could easily stretch that runtime into a third morning.
To test its limits, I topped the battery up to 100 percent and subjected the device to a solid three-hour drain test, which included half an hour of gaming. Even after that sustained workload, the battery gauge stayed at 83 percent, proving just how power-efficient this setup is.
Replenishing the phone was just as dependable. Realme advertises a zero-to-full charge time of around 75 minutes, and my real-world testing with the included 80W brick landed right near that estimate. Having bypass charging built in was another great touch.
If you are sick of lugging power banks around, this phone solves that problem entirely
<h2>Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?</h2>
Instead of attempting drastic gimmicks, the Realme P4s 5G zeros in on solving daily annoyances that matter most to users. Packing an enormous 8,000mAh battery that avoids feeling heavy in hand, paired with a bright flat 1.5K screen and a dedicated AI gaming chip that truly leverages high frame rates, it delivers serious value for money.
It is not without small compromises: the glossy rear finish is a magnet for oily fingerprints, the front camera softens facial details too much, and there is no expandable microSD storage. Even so, if you care primarily about trouble-free two-day battery endurance, dependable daily software response, and sustained gaming without uncomfortable heating, the Realme P4s 5G is easy to stand behind.
In a confusing segment filled with underwhelming options, this is a sensible, well-rounded phone that delivers real substance.

The iQOO Buds offer up to 50 hours of battery life, 42ms low latency, 10mm drivers and a lightweight design for ₹1,899. Read our full review.

iQOO Buds Review: 50-Hour Battery, 42ms Gaming Latency and More for ₹1,899

With 50 hours of battery life, 42ms ultra-low latency, a lightweight 3.8g design and dual-device connectivity, the iQOO Buds pack plenty into a ₹1,899 price tag. But are they worth buying?

iQOO Buds Review: Are These the Best Gaming TWS Under ₹2,000?

iQOO

iQOO Buds

The iQOO Buds deliver excellent battery life, low-latency gaming and impressive comfort for ₹1,899, though the lack of ANC, wear detection and weaker calls in noisy places hold them back.

Alongside the launch of the <a title="iQOO Z11 Review: A Balanced Mid-Range Powerhouse" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/iqoo-z11-review-a-balanced-mid-range-powerhouse-1787209803814" target="_blank">iQOO Z11</a>, iQOO also brought out an affordable set of wireless earbuds dubbed simply the iQOO Buds. Available for ₹1,899, iQOO&rsquo;s first pair of TWS earbuds clearly caters to mobile gamers, students, and daily commuters who just want dependable sound and endless battery life on a strict budget. You do not get a bunch of standard shade choices with this one. iQOO stuck strictly to a single Flame Yellow finish.
The sub-two-thousand-rupee audio category in India is packed with options that make tall promises on paper but quickly fall short in your hands. On paper, the iQOO Buds try to nail the basics: an ultra-light 3.8 gram build per earbud, dedicated gaming audio modes, modern Bluetooth 6.1 with low latency, and a headline fifty-hour total backup figure.&nbsp;
Over the past week, I kept these in my ears for just about everything, from quick BGMI sessions with friends to packed Delhi Metro rides and routine work calls. Here is my honest take on how they hold up and whether they deserve your cash.
<h2>Design &amp; Comfort</h2>
The charging case comes with a clean matte finish across the exterior, featuring a USB Type-C charging port along the bottom edge and skipping any physical pairing button entirely. Flipping open the lid reveals iQOO's signature bright yellow accent, giving the Flame Yellow variant a punchy, premium contrast that punches well above its price tag.&nbsp;
However, living with the case daily revealed a major downside: the matte exterior acts as a pure fingerprint magnet, picking up dust and visible scuffs almost immediately. Within just a few days of stowing it away regularly in my pocket, my unit had already accumulated noticeable scratches. The hinge initially offered a pleasantly loud, satisfying snap when shutting, but after repeatedly opening and closing it over my test week, the mechanism is starting to feel a a bit loose.
As for the earbuds themselves, they adopt a contrasting glossy finish along their stems and housings. At just 3.8 grams each, they feel remarkably featherlight the moment you pop them in. The ergonomic fit turned out to be genuinely impressive during my testing. The buds locked securely inside my ear canals, and even when I was aggressively swinging my head around to test the grip, they never loosened or threatened to fall out. Because of how light they are, I did not run into any ear fatigue or any pressure points, even through continuous four-hour listening stretches.&nbsp;
The buds also carry an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, which gave me complete peace of mind when sweating it out during workouts or whenever I got caught in sudden drizzles. Of course, you shouldn&rsquo;t be jumping into a swimming pool with them in your ears.
<h2>Audio Quality</h2>
The iQOO Buds pack a custom 10mm moving coil driver inside. But let us be real here: at this budget, nobody is expecting reference-grade audiophile tuning. The iQOO Buds do not reinvent the wheel, but they do hold their own pretty well. Whenever I review any audio gear, my testing routine kicks-off with a mixed playlist across different genres to get a genuine feel for the drivers.&nbsp;
I threw plenty of vocal-forward tracks with acoustic strings and subtle keys at them, like Gehra Hua by Arijit Singh, Photograph by Ed Sheeran, and Phir Mohabbat by Mithoon. The overall output was more than passable for the price, but the mids and background instruments definitely felt a little muddy. As a bit of an audio nerd who enjoys hunting down hidden guitar riffs and subtle backing layers, I found myself missing those finer nuances that give acoustic songs their warmth and space.
That said, the buds really come alive the moment you switch over to bass-driven music. They punch way harder with low-end beats than they do with soft acoustics. I always queue up I'm an Albatraoz by AronChupa and Little Sis Nora to test bass rumble, and the thumping energy on these surprised me in a good way. Hip-hop and rap tracks had plenty of drive, even if the aggressive low-end occasionally swallowed up some high-frequency sparkle.&nbsp;
For binge-watching my favourite shows and movie marathons, they worked like a charm. I ended up streaming Avengers: Endgame on them, and the experience was solid. And yes, before you ask, I still rewatch that Avengers, Assemble! sequence over and over because it never gets old.
On the technical front, you are limited to basic AAC and SBC codecs. That is typical for this price category, considering premium codecs like LHDC rarely show up below the ₹3500-mark. There is no active noise cancellation here either. I cannot hold that against iQOO at this pricing, but navigating the noisy Delhi Metro definitely got chaotic when station announcements and tracks kept bleeding past the ear tips.
Where these buds truly caught me off guard was their ultra-low 42ms latency. Competing options like the <a title="CMF Buds Neo Review: 35dB ANC, 52-Hour Battery and Incredible Value" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/cmf-buds-neo-review-35db-anc-52-hour-battery-and-incredible-value-1787212160583" target="_blank">CMF Buds Neo</a> feel visibly slower in comparison, whereas the iQOO Buds kept footsteps and fast gunfights perfectly synced without missing a beat.
<h2>Call Quality</h2>
The iQOO Buds come equipped with a dual-microphone setup on each earbud, backed by environmental noise-cancelling algorithms. In my daily use, the voice clarity held up really well in relatively calm spots like a quiet office corner or a park with moderate foot traffic.&nbsp;
If you have ever read any of my previous reviews, you would know my go-to testing method is dialling a friend who is very finicky about how I sound on the receiver end. During calls from my office and evening walks in the park, he told me my voice came through crystal clear, with ambient rustle barely noticeable.
But when I took them into a noisy Delhi Metro coach, things changed quickly. My friend got pretty annoyed, bluntly mentioning that the mics were picking up the train clatter and crowd chatter louder than my actual voice. On my end, however, I could still hear him without straining. Given the entry-level pricing, this kind of environmental bleed in chaotic spaces is hardly unexpected.&nbsp;
On the upside, in-game voice chat during squad matches was flawless. My teammates heard callouts cleanly without any distracting background noise, making the overall call performance perfectly decent for the price.
<h2>Software Support</h2>
Setting up the iQOO Buds on my phone was smooth and hassle-free. The fast pairing pop-up card showed up right when I opened the lid, complete with an animated pet theme showing real-time battery levels for each bud and the case.&nbsp;
For non-Vivo iQOO users, you&rsquo;ll have to get the vEarphones app on your phone. Honestly though, the setup is just as simple. I tested it on the Realme 14 Pro+.&nbsp;
Just keep in mind that using an iQOO phone gives you an edge within the ecosystem. You do miss out on a few extra features if you pair the buds with any other device, but that is standard practice across most brands today.&nbsp;
The capacitive touch controls along the stems felt genuinely responsive in my daily use, easily picking up double-taps and triple-taps for skipping tracks, adjusting volume, or handling incoming calls without phantom touches.
What I found super convenient was the Bluetooth 6.1 dual-device connection. I kept the buds connected to my laptop and smartphone simultaneously, and taking calls while watching videos on my computer worked seamlessly without any manual reconnecting.&nbsp;
The remote camera shutter shortcut came in surprisingly handy for group photos, and the Find My feature gave me quick peace of mind whenever I misplaced a bud around my desk. My only real gripe here is the missing in-ear detection. Taking a bud out will not auto-pause your music, which feels a little inconvenient during quick daily conversations. Still, for the price, the overall software package is practical and snappy.
<h2>Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
If there is one area where the iQOO Buds completely won me over, it is battery endurance. With a 53mAh cell inside each earbud and a 525mAh battery in the charging case, the numbers translate directly into massive real-world stamina. During my testing week with volume set around 50 to 60 per cent, I easily pulled close to 11 hours of continuous music and video playback before the buds gave up, which is fairly close to the promised twelve-hour mark.
Combined with the charging case, you get up to fifty hours of total playback, meaning I only had to plug it into the wall once over my entire testing period. For my daily routine of podcast listening, commuting, and evening gaming, battery anxiety was practically non-existent.&nbsp;
When I did run the buds down, popping them into the case for just ten minutes gave me enough juice that lasted nearly over three and a half hours, which proved to be a lifesaver before heading out the door. A full recharge of both the case and the buds via the USB Type-C port took around two hours, which is quite reasonable given the marathon longevity you get in return.
<h2>Final Verdict: Should you buy it?</h2>
The iQOO Buds are built around a very specific set of priorities, and they do not try to fool you about it. You are not getting ANC here. You don&rsquo;t get wear-detection, and that matte black case will definitely pick up scuffs the moment it shares a pocket with your keys. On top of that, if you take a phone call in a crowded Delhi Metro coach, the person on the other end is bound to complain about the noise.
But, you should still buy them, if you&rsquo;re looking for a pair under ₹2000. Why? Because what they do well, they do really well. At just 3.8 grams, I could keep them plugged into my ears for hours on end without any discomfort or ear pain. If you play a lot of BGMI or Call of Duty, that 42ms low latency is legit and keeps every shot in sync. And honestly, not having to worry about charging them for almost two weeks of regular use is just super convenient. For ₹1,899, if battery life, gaming, and pure comfort matter most to you, these are easily worth picking up, especially if you&rsquo;re on a tight budget.

The CMF Buds Neo offer 35dB ANC, 52-hour battery life, 12.4mm drivers and multipoint connectivity under ₹2,000. Read our full review.

CMF Buds Neo Review: Best Budget TWS Earbuds Under ₹2,000?

With punchy sound, effective ANC, 52-hour battery life and a feature-packed companion app, the CMF Buds Neo deliver serious value in the sub-₹2,000 TWS segment.

CMF Buds Neo Review: 35dB ANC, 52-Hour Battery and Incredible Value

Cmf by Nothing

CMF Buds Neo Review

The CMF Buds Neo deliver punchy sound, effective 35dB ANC, 52-hour battery life and multipoint connectivity under ₹2,000, making them one of the strongest value-for-money TWS options.

CMF Buds Neo Review: 35dB ANC, 52-Hour Battery and Incredible Value&nbsp; Love it or hate it, Nothing has consistently proven it can build genuinely solid earbuds. Its sub-brand, CMF, played an even bigger part in making that quality accessible to budget buyers. The CMF Buds 2a became an instant crowd-pleaser precisely because they delivered impressive sound and everyday features without forcing anyone to stretch their wallet.
Now, the brand is pushing prices even lower.
Positioned below ₹2,000, the new CMF Buds Neo mark the most affordable way to enter the CMF catalog. Yet, being the cheapest pair does not mean they cut every corner. The spec sheet remains surprisingly packed, featuring 12.4mm dynamic drivers, Active Noise Cancellation, spatial audio support, customizable EQ profiles, dual-device pairing, and up to 52 hours of total battery life.
On paper, that is undeniable value. But with budget wireless earbuds flooding the market, impressive numbers on a box only go so far. The true test is whether the Buds Neo can capture the same practical magic that made the Buds 2a a runaway success.
<h2>CMF Buds Neo Review: Design and Comfort</h2>
Right out of the box, the <a title="CMF Neckband Pro &amp; CMF Buds by Nothing: First Impression, Active Noise Cancellation at affordable price" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/cmf-neckband-pro-cmf-buds-by-nothing-first-impression-active-noise-cancellation-at-affordable-price-1709641693516" target="_blank">CMF Buds</a> Neo stay true to the distinct CMF visual identity. The charging case retains the signature squared footprint with smooth, curved edges, elevated by a smart two-tone finish that gives it plenty of character.
You can pick them up in Black, White, or Blue. The White edition is easily the most striking of the trio. Its shell sports a clean white exterior, which opens up to reveal a soft light-grey inner tray. CMF then injects bright orange touches throughout, including the Buds Neo branding, lending the case an energetic, fun vibe.
A circular dial sits on one corner to accentuate the contrast, paired with an integrated lanyard loop for attaching a wrist strap.
One notable hardware tweak is the omission of a physical pairing button on the cradle. Entering pairing mode now requires pressing and holding the stems of both earbuds together for five seconds. In another layout shift, the USB-C charging slot does not sit at the base. Instead, the bottom panel hosts the LED indicator light, while the charging port has been shifted to the right edge.
Because the case is slightly bulky and squarish, jamming it into a tiny coin pocket will feel tight, though it still slides into standard jeans pockets without issue.
The earpieces themselves stick to a classic extended-stem layout. On the White model, vivid orange silicone tips add an eye-catching contrast to the otherwise plain buds. Alternative tip sizes are supplied in the retail box, with the medium pair pre-installed.
Even if the earbuds themselves feel a bit plasticky compared to the solid case, they remain remarkably light and sit comfortably in the ear canal. The seal is secure enough that they stay firmly put even when you head out for a jog.
Flip the buds over, and you will see dual metallic contact points that meet the internal charging pins inside the case. While it is not my favorite charging arrangement, it remains standard practice across ring-box style cases. For everyday durability, the earbuds carry an IP54 rating against dust and splashes, while the charging case gets basic IPX2 water protection.
<h2>CMF Buds Neo Review: Connectivity and Controls</h2>
Setting up the CMF Buds Neo is painless. Powered by Bluetooth 6.0 alongside built-in support for Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, linking them to an Android handset or a Windows machine takes just a couple of seconds. Multipoint pairing is also on board, letting you keep the earbuds hooked up to two different source devices simultaneously.
With no physical pairing switch on the case, manual setup requires a slightly different method. You have to seat both buds in the cradle and rest your fingers on their touch zones for five seconds. It is definitely less intuitive than a single click on an external button, which might trip up some buyers at first, but it operates smoothly once you get the hang of it.
Media management relies fully on touch inputs. Double-tapping advances your playlist, while a triple-tap jumps back to the previous track. A standard touch-and-hold toggles between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode, whereas a longer hold tweaks volume levels. You can reassign most of these actions within the companion app.
My main gripe with the control scheme is the complete omission of single-tap triggers. Even picking up an incoming phone call forces you to double-tap. Leaving that input out feels like an odd limitation given the available touch area. Automatic in-ear wear detection is missing here as well.
Diving into the <a title="CMF Headphone Pro review: Big style, bigger battery, bold sound all for ₹7,999" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/cmf-headphone-pro-review-big-style-bigger-battery-bold-sound-all-for-7-999-1768394697254" target="_blank">Nothing</a> X companion app unlocks the rest of the feature suite. It lets you tweak noise cancellation intensity, dial in custom audio curves, remap your gestures, and configure multipoint connections. There is a low-lag gaming toggle too, though its 120ms latency makes it better suited for casual play rather than intense competitive matches.
Crucially, the Nothing X app runs on both iOS and Android, so you get the full customization toolkit no matter your mobile platform.
<h2>CMF Buds Neo Review: Sound and Performance</h2>
Equipped with a single 12.4mm dynamic driver, the CMF Buds Neo deliver an audio profile that will instantly feel familiar to anyone who has tried CMF audio gear before. Audiophile-grade neutrality is clearly not the goal here. The sound signature leans warm and punchy, pushing a healthy dose of low-end rumble while leaving adequate headroom for vocals and higher frequencies to breathe without becoming muffled.
Putting on Ghost&rsquo;s &ldquo;Mary On A Cross,&rdquo; the buds handle electric guitars and vocals quite well, even though the low frequencies clearly take center stage. The highs stay crisp enough without getting uncomfortably sharp when cranking up the volume.
The tuning shines brightest if your listening habits lean toward upbeat Bollywood numbers or Punjabi club tracks. Spinning the Dhurandhar and Manmarziyaan albums proved thoroughly enjoyable, with plenty of low-end kick that complements energetic, beat-driven arrangements.
Switching gears to acoustic tracks like Passenger&rsquo;s &ldquo;Let Her Go&rdquo; or Keane&rsquo;s &ldquo;Somewhere Only We Know&rdquo; reveals where budget hardware meets its limits. Complex instrument separation feels somewhat constrained, though vocal clarity remains intact and there is still sufficient mid-to-high frequency detail for a satisfying listen.
Sound personalization is fairly flexible via the Nothing X companion app, which includes six preset curves alongside a custom equalizer. You also get a Bass Enhancement toggle with Off, Level 1, and Level 2 stages, though the stock profile already packs enough punch without needing extra amplification.
A static spatial audio mode is included to expand the perceived soundstage. Bluetooth codec support tops out at SBC and AAC, which remains completely reasonable for an entry-level pair.
Gamers get an optional Low Latency Mode that brings audio response times down to 120ms when enabled in the app. While that will not cut it for high-stakes competitive play, it keeps casual gaming and video playback properly in sync with the screen.
Ultimately, these earbuds prioritize fun and impact over clinical precision, making them well-suited for everyday, mainstream music listening.
<h2>CMF Buds Neo Review: ANC and Call Quality</h2>
Finding usable noise cancellation under ₹2,000 is usually wishful thinking, yet the Buds Neo pull it off surprisingly well. The hardware tops out at 35dB of ANC. You get three static strength levels to toggle between, plus an Adaptive mode that dials the intensity up or down on the fly as your environment gets louder or quieter.
In regular everyday use, the cancellation targets steady low-end drone quite well. The persistent hum of split ACs, ceiling fan spin, and muted traffic rumble all take a back seat. Obviously, people talking nearby and higher-pitched clatter will still bleed through, but that comes with the territory at this price point.
If you want to keep an ear out for what is happening around you, Transparency mode lets ambient sound filter back in without forcing you to pull a bud out. Switching modes happens straight from the touch sensors on the stems, while the Nothing X app lets you dig deeper into specific cancellation preferences.
The call setup holds its ground too. CMF squeezed in four HD mics (two on each earbud) alongside its Clear Voice noise-reduction algorithm to isolate spoken words from surrounding clutter.
Using them inside a quiet bedroom or home office gives you clean, natural-sounding audio with zero strain for the person on the other end. Step outside onto a busy road, and the mics still tame most regular street commotion, though sudden gusts of breeze and sharp traffic honks will occasionally poke their way into your call.
For basic phone chats, quick WhatsApp voice notes, and everyday Google Meet check-ins, these do the job just fine.
<h2>CMF Buds Neo Review: Battery Life</h2>
Battery performance is easily one of the strongest suits on these sub-₹2,000 earbuds. CMF put a 45mAh battery in each earbud, backed by a 460mAh unit in the charging case.
On paper, the company promises up to 11 hours of non-stop playback on a single run if you keep ANC turned off. Flick noise cancellation on, and that figure comes down to about 8 hours. Once you add the extra recharges sitting in the case, overall playback reaches 52 hours and 30 hours respectively.
You get fast charging support as well. A quick 10-minute top-up gives you roughly 5.5 hours of listening with ANC disabled, while juicing up the case and buds completely takes about 70 minutes over USB-C.
The one frustrating cut is inside the retail box: CMF skipped including a charging cable altogether. You have to hunt down your own Type-C wire, which feels like an annoying compromise even for a budget pick.
<h2>CMF Buds Neo Review: Verdict</h2>
If you have less than ₹2,000 to spend on a pair of TWS buds, the CMF Buds Neo check every box that actually matters. They look sharp in person, fit snugly without creating ear fatigue, and work seamlessly with the Nothing X app for a level of control you rarely find in this price range. Sound-wise, the warm, punchy low end is tailor-made for commercial pop, Bollywood hits, and Punjabi tracks.
The feature list is surprisingly generous too. Getting 35dB ANC with an Adaptive toggle, spatial audio support, custom equalizer control, multipoint pairing, and a 120ms gaming mode at this price is solid value.
Naturally, CMF had to cut some corners. You are stuck with standard SBC and AAC audio codecs, the 120ms gaming latency will not satisfy competitive players, pairing takes an extra step without a dedicated case button, and there is no Type-C charging wire in the box.
Still, none of these compromises take away from what the earbuds do best. CMF disrupted the budget tier with the Buds 2a, and the Buds Neo successfully bring that same high-value formula below the ₹2,000 mark. They are an effortless recommendation.

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

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

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

iQOO Z11 Review: A Balanced Mid-Range Powerhouse

iQOO Z11

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

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

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 review covering its design, bright AMOLED display, performance, health tracking, battery life and key features.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 Review: Performance, Health Tracking & Battery Life

The Galaxy Watch 9 combines a comfortable design, bright display, fast performance, advanced health tracking and dependable battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 Review: A Refined Premium Smartwatch

Ishan Fazili

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 delivers a polished smartwatch experience with fast performance, a bright AMOLED display, useful health tracking, comfortable design and dependable all-day battery life.

After seven days of wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 almost everywhere, I&rsquo;ve found myself reaching for my phone a little less. Whether I was working at my desk, heading out for an evening walk, or checking my sleep data the next morning, the watch quietly fitted into my routine. For me, that&rsquo;s what makes a smartwatch genuinely good; it should add convenience without constantly making its presence known.
Having tested smartwatches across different generations, I&rsquo;ve seen them move well beyond simply mirroring phone notifications. The Galaxy Watch 9 feels like a natural progression, bringing together familiar styling, smooth performance and a useful mix of health and fitness tools.
The experience starts on a positive note. Samsung hasn&rsquo;t completely reinvented the design, but the refinements make the watch feel more polished. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon processor is also easy to appreciate, especially when switching between apps, checking alerts or starting a workout.
I spent the week with the 44mm LTE model, which was particularly useful when I wanted to leave my phone behind. From workdays and commutes to walks and overnight tracking, I put it through a range of everyday scenarios to see where it shines, and where it falls short.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Comfortable Enough for All-Day Wear</h2>
A smartwatch is something you&rsquo;re likely to wear for hours at a stretch, so comfort matters just as much as features. The Galaxy Watch 9 gets this balance right. Its rounded, cushion-style profile retains the look of a conventional wristwatch, while the aluminium construction gives it a reassuringly solid feel without making it bulky.
I wore the watch through long workdays, evening walks and overnight sleep tracking, and it rarely felt like something I had to consciously adjust. At just 8.6mm thick, it sits neatly on the wrist and slips under shirt cuffs without getting in the way. The silicone strap is equally practical, with a soft texture that stayed comfortable even through Delhi&rsquo;s hot and humid weather.
The way Samsung has balanced the weight also makes a difference. The Watch 9 sits securely instead of moving around when you&rsquo;re walking or exercising. That steady fit is particularly useful for health tracking, since the sensors underneath need proper skin contact to deliver consistent readings.
Durability is another area where the watch feels reassuring. The Sapphire Crystal glass adds scratch resistance, while the IP68 rating and military-grade durability give it enough protection for everyday bumps, dust and outdoor use. It&rsquo;s polished enough for the office but rugged enough to handle a busy day outside.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: A Bright, Easy-to-Read Display</h2>
The screen is something you&rsquo;ll constantly interact with on a smartwatch, and the Galaxy Watch 9 gets it right. On the 44mm version I tested, the Super AMOLED panel delivers sharp text, vibrant colours and deep blacks, making everything from notifications to workout stats look clean and easy to read. Even a quick glance at the time feels satisfying.
The Always-On Display is another nice touch. Rather than making the watch feel like a miniature smartphone strapped to your wrist, it keeps the experience closer to that of a traditional timepiece.
But the real highlight is how well the display handles bright conditions. Samsung rates it for up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, and that figure translates into a genuinely useful advantage outdoors. During Delhi&rsquo;s harsh summer afternoons, I could comfortably check messages, health data and other information without constantly turning my wrist or covering the screen with my hand.
The automatic brightness adjustment is quick too, adapting almost immediately when lighting conditions change. Touch responsiveness is equally impressive, with taps and swipes feeling precise and snappy. Combined with the relatively slim bezels, the screen has a spacious look that makes everyday navigation feel effortless.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Fast Performance Meets Convenient Controls</h2>
The Galaxy Watch 9 doesn&rsquo;t try to reinvent how a smartwatch works. Instead, Samsung has concentrated on making the everyday experience feel quick, intuitive and dependable. At the centre of it is a 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite processor, paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It runs Wear OS with Samsung&rsquo;s One UI Watch interface, and after a week of regular use, I came away impressed by how consistently responsive it felt.
Switching between apps, opening notifications and moving through widgets was generally smooth, with no obvious lag or random freezes during my testing. Even when I was bouncing between different parts of the interface, the watch rarely felt like it was struggling. Apps opened quickly, weather information loaded without much waiting, and notifications showed up promptly.
The software layout is also fairly easy to pick up. Swiping across the screen gives you quick access to notifications and widgets, while the physical buttons provide an alternative when touching the display isn&rsquo;t convenient. That came in handy more than once when I had wet hands or was busy with something else.
The voice assistant proved surprisingly useful too. Instead of awkwardly typing on a tiny display, I could use my voice to send replies, set reminders or perform simple tasks. It&rsquo;s one of those features that sounds minor but becomes genuinely useful once you start using it regularly.
Samsung&rsquo;s gesture controls take the hands-free approach a step further. Certain wrist movements can trigger actions without requiring you to touch the screen. I found these particularly useful while exercising, shooting content or carrying equipment. There is a short learning curve, but once the gestures became familiar, they felt fairly natural. They aren&rsquo;t a reason on their own to buy the Watch 9, but they do make certain interactions less cumbersome.
The 32GB internal storage is another practical addition. You can download supported music and listen directly from the watch, which means leaving your phone behind for a walk or run is much easier.
Samsung has also built in enough protection for everyday water exposure. I wore the Watch 9 in the shower without issues, while its 5ATM rating, IP68 protection and MIL-STD-810H certification provide added reassurance. It can handle activities such as swimming in shallow water, although it isn&rsquo;t designed for diving or exposure to high-pressure water. For showers, workouts, sweat and accidental splashes, the Watch 9 feels more than prepared.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Health Tracking Feels More Personal</h2>
Health tracking is one of the biggest reasons to consider the Galaxy Watch 9, and Samsung has clearly put a lot of effort into making the data more useful. Its updated BioActive Sensor feeds into a wide range of measurements, and after a week of wearing the watch, I found myself checking these insights regularly instead of simply ignoring them.
One feature I particularly liked was the Vitals dashboard. Rather than giving you a single snapshot, it brings together information collected while you sleep, including skin temperature, blood oxygen and breathing patterns. Seeing these metrics together makes it easier to understand changes in your usual routine.
The fitness features also take a more contextual approach. Tools such as Daily Cardio Load and Fitness Index look at your recent activity and recovery to offer a better idea of how much effort makes sense on a particular day. It feels more practical than simply encouraging you to push harder with every workout.
Sleep tracking is another strong area. The Watch 9 breaks down your different sleep stages and can also look for signs of irregular breathing overnight. Alongside that, features such as ECG and blood pressure monitoring give the watch a broader role in everyday wellness tracking. It doesn&rsquo;t replace proper medical advice, but as a day-to-day health companion, it packs plenty of useful information.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Battery Life You Can Rely On</h2>
Battery anxiety is one of the quickest ways to ruin the smartwatch experience, but that was rarely a concern with the Galaxy Watch 9. The 44mm model I tested comes with a 445mAh battery, and even with several power-hungry features enabled, it comfortably lasted through a full day of regular use.
My testing included the Always-On Display, continuous heart-rate tracking, overnight sleep monitoring and multiple workouts during the day. Despite keeping these features active, I still had enough charge left the following morning, which made it easy to stick to my routine without constantly checking the battery percentage.
Charging is straightforward as well. The magnetic wireless charger makes it easy to top up the watch whenever you have a few spare minutes. I often found that a quick charge while getting ready or having breakfast was enough to keep the battery from becoming a concern.
Of course, your mileage will vary depending on how heavily you use the display, GPS and health features. But considering the bright AMOLED screen, constant sensor activity and generally snappy performance, the Watch 9 offers reassuring endurance. It still needs regular charging, but during my week of testing, I never felt like I had to plan my day around finding a charger.
<h2>Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: A Refined Smartwatch That Gets the Basics Right</h2>
After spending a full week with the Galaxy Watch 9, I don&rsquo;t think Samsung was aiming for a dramatic overhaul this time. Instead, the focus seems to be on polishing the parts that matter most in everyday use, and that approach pays off. The watch feels quick and refined, sits comfortably on the wrist, and has a display that remains highly legible even under bright outdoor conditions.
What stood out most to me was how easily it blended into my routine. From checking notifications during work to tracking walks, workouts and wearing it through long shooting sessions, the Watch 9 rarely felt intrusive. It simply handled what I needed and stayed out of the way. The expanded health and fitness features also feel more practical than gimmicky, giving you information that can actually be useful over time.
At ₹44,999, it sits firmly in the premium smartwatch segment, so the price isn't insignificant. However, the overall package feels well-rounded. If you&rsquo;re upgrading from an older Galaxy Watch, the faster performance, brighter screen, comfortable build and more capable health tracking make a strong case for the switch.
The Galaxy Watch 9 may not redefine the category, but it doesn&rsquo;t need to. By refining the fundamentals, Samsung has created a smartwatch that feels dependable, polished and easy to live with.

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

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

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Review

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

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

Gabit Smart Ring review: We test its health tracking, sleep accuracy, battery life, comfort and app experience to see if this ₹14,500 smart ring is worth buying.

Gabit Smart Ring Review: Is This the Best Affordable Smart Ring?

The Gabit Smart Ring offers sleep, activity, recovery and health tracking with up to eight days of battery life. Here’s how it performs in real-world use.

Gabit Smart Ring Review: Affordable Health Tracking Without a Subscription

Gabit

Gabit Smart Ring

The Gabit Smart Ring offers comfortable health tracking, around eight days of battery life and no subscription at ₹14,500, but inconsistent sleep tracking and a cluttered app hold it back.

Smartwatches are brilliant health trackers, but they have one obvious limitation: they only collect data when they&rsquo;re actually on your wrist. Between regular charging, taking them off while sleeping, or simply wanting a break from having a screen strapped to you all day, gaps in tracking are almost inevitable.
That is precisely where the Gabit Smart Ring comes in. It packs most of the passive health tracking you&rsquo;d expect from a smartwatch into something much smaller and easier to wear throughout the day and night. It can monitor your sleep, activity, heart rate, stress, recovery and temperature, while lasting several days between charges.
Price makes things even more interesting. Samsung&rsquo;s Galaxy Ring costs around ₹39,000, while the Oura Ring comes in at roughly ₹28,000 and requires a subscription for the complete experience.
The Gabit Smart Ring costs around ₹14,500 with no subscription. So, what are you giving up for that considerably lower price, and can it actually replace your smartwatch?
<h2>Gabit Smart Ring Review: Design</h2>
For something packed with sensors, the Gabit Smart Ring is surprisingly easy to forget once it is on your finger. My Graphite Black review unit is a size 13, and while it is certainly wider than a regular ring, it never felt excessively bulky. It measures around 8mm wide and 2.7mm thick, while weighing less than 4g.
The exterior is made from titanium, while the inner surface uses a non-allergenic resin. Inside, you&rsquo;ll find three slightly raised sensor nodes that need to remain in contact with your skin. I expected these to become noticeable after a few hours, particularly while sleeping, but they never really bothered me.
What matters more is getting the fit right. Gabit offers sizes from 6 to 13, and I&rsquo;d strongly recommend trying its sizing kit before ordering rather than guessing your ring size.
There are situations where I preferred taking it off. Washing my face with it felt slightly awkward, and weight training was an even bigger problem. Gripping dumbbells or barbells with the ring on isn&rsquo;t particularly comfortable, and those rough metal surfaces can eventually scratch its finish.
Gabit does sell protective skins, although adding one naturally makes the ring a little thicker.
Water resistance isn&rsquo;t something you need to worry about, though. With a 5ATM rating, the Gabit Smart Ring can comfortably handle showers, hand washing and even swimming, so there&rsquo;s little reason to remove it around water.
<h2>Gabit Smart Ring Review: Tracking and Functionality</h2>
The Gabit Smart Ring makes the most sense as a health tracker that quietly collects data in the background. Its combination of a PPG sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, and skin-temperature sensor keeps tabs on your heart rate, steps, movement, stress, and temperature. And because it is comfortable enough to wear almost continuously, I ended up with fewer gaps in my health data than I normally would with a <a title="Realme Watch 5 Review: A budget smartwatch that gets the basics right" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/realme-watch-5-review-a-budget-smartwatch-that-gets-the-basics-right-1765360859988" target="_blank">smartwatch</a>.
Sleep tracking is a big part of the experience. Gabit records your overall sleep and separates it into light, deep and REM stages, alongside awake time, resting heart rate and sleep consistency. On roughly seven out of ten nights, I found it reasonably accurate, particularly when estimating when I fell asleep and woke up.
The remaining nights were less convincing. Sometimes, it thought I was awake while I was sleeping, or sleeping when I was definitely awake. There were even occasions when seven or eight hours of sleep somehow became five in the app.
That matters because sleep data contributes to Gabit&rsquo;s recovery score, which combines multiple physiological metrics to estimate how prepared your body is for the day. Incorrect sleep tracking can consequently throw that score completely off. I occasionally woke up feeling perfectly refreshed, only to have Gabit tell me my recovery was poor.
Workout tracking is more basic. You can record exercises and monitor your heart rate, but there&rsquo;s no built-in GPS. Heart-rate readings can also become less reliable during intense movement. More importantly, without a screen, you cannot quickly check your pace, heart rate or workout progress the way you can on an <a title="Apple Watch Series 9 gets huge discounts on Croma &amp; Amazon, price starts at Rs 13,680! Details here" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/apple-watch-series-9-gets-huge-discounts-on-croma-amazon-price-starts-at-rs-13-680-details-here-1712848682464" target="_blank">Apple Watch</a>.
Nor will you get notifications, calls, navigation or any of the other conveniences of a smartwatch.
And that distinction is important. The Gabit isn&rsquo;t really replacing everything my Apple Watch does. Instead, it handles the health tracking when I don&rsquo;t want to wear one. For everyday wellness tracking, it does that job quite well, although the occasional sleep-tracking errors mean I wouldn&rsquo;t treat every score as gospel.
<h2>Gabit Smart Ring Review: App and Features</h2>
With no display on the Gabit Smart Ring, the companion app becomes your control centre. Available on Android and iOS, it brings together your sleep, activity, recovery, stress, calories and other health metrics, with detailed historical data available for each.
There&rsquo;s plenty of useful information here, but the app can feel unnecessarily crowded. Beyond health tracking, Gabit includes nutrition logging, goal setting, its Tribes community feature and an AI assistant called PEP. You can even shop for accessories and nutrition products, while promotional banners further clutter the interface. Sometimes, I just wanted to check my sleep without navigating around everything else.
PEP can analyse your recorded data and answer questions about your health, offering explanations and recommendations. These insights are AI-generated, though, so I certainly wouldn&rsquo;t consider them medical advice.
There are some practical shortcomings too. Certain functions need an active internet connection, and several interactions still require your phone. More frustratingly, there&rsquo;s no feature for locating the ring if you misplace it, which feels like a significant omission for something this tiny.
The health data itself is presented reasonably well. Gabit just needs to simplify the app and focus more on the features that actually complement the ring.
<h2>Gabit Smart Ring Review: Battery</h2>
Battery life is easily one of my favourite things about the Gabit Smart Ring. My size 13 unit consistently lasted around eight days with continuous health and sleep tracking, making it considerably easier to wear around the clock without worrying about charging.
There is one caveat. Battery capacity varies depending on ring size, with larger sizes accommodating bigger batteries. Since I tested the largest size 13, those using smaller rings may see different endurance.
The bundled USB-C charging case takes around two to two and a half hours to fully charge the ring, which isn&rsquo;t particularly quick. But considering I only needed it roughly once a week, that never bothered me much.
Compared to charging a smartwatch every day or two, the difference is massive.
<h2>Gabit Smart Ring Review: Verdict</h2>
At around ₹14,500, the Gabit Smart Ring gets the fundamentals right. It is lightweight, comfortable enough to wear throughout the day and night, and in my experience, the size 13 variant lasted around eight days between charges.
But its strongest argument is value. Premium alternatives can easily cost upwards of ₹25,000, while the Oura Ring also locks its complete experience behind a subscription. With Gabit, you pay once and get access to your sleep, recovery and other health data without any recurring fees.
It isn&rsquo;t flawless. Sleep tracking occasionally gets things wrong, which can also affect the usefulness of the recovery score. The companion app feels cluttered, too, and could certainly benefit from some simplification.
I also wouldn&rsquo;t ditch my Apple Watch for it. A smartwatch remains much better for workouts, GPS, notifications and checking real-time information.
Instead, the Gabit works best as a companion that quietly tracks your health without demanding much attention. I can wear it almost continuously, forget that it is there and still collect useful data.
For under ₹15,000, that combination of comfort, excellent battery life, useful tracking and no subscription makes the Gabit Smart Ring very easy to recommend.

Xiaomi Power Bank 5i 20000mAh 67W review: We test its charging speed, battery efficiency, built-in cable, design and laptop charging capabilities.

Xiaomi Power Bank 5i 20000mAh 67W Review: Powerful & Travel-Ready

The Xiaomi Power Bank 5i packs a 20,000mAh battery, 67W output, 65W input and a built-in USB-C cable. Here’s how it performs in real-world use.

Xiaomi Power Bank 5i 20000mAh 67W Review: A Powerful Travel Companion

Xiaomi

Xiaomi Power Bank 5i

The Xiaomi Power Bank 5i combines a 20,000mAh battery, 67W output, 65W input and built-in USB-C cable, making it a powerful, travel-friendly option for charging phones, laptops and multiple devices.

Picking the right power bank is often a trade-off. You usually get stuck with a bulky brick that takes forever to juice up, or a slim pack that struggles to keep pace with modern 7000mAh phone batteries. The Xiaomi Power Bank 5i steps in to bridge that exact gap.
Selling at ₹3,299, this is far more than a routine refresh. While previous iterations like the 4i offered dependable multi-port charging, comparatively slower speeds, lack of laptop-level output, and reliance on loose cables made them less practical on the go. The 5i rethinks those pain points.
I carried the Ice Blue version as my main travel companion over the past week. Here is how it holds up in real-world use.
<h2>Design and Portability</h2>
The Ice Blue shade looks great right out of the box. Its pastel tone feels fresh and contemporary, though <a title="Xiaomi 17 Review: Is This the Best Compact Flagship of 2026?" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/xiaomi-17-review-is-this-the-best-compact-flagship-of-2026-1773907772069" target="_blank">Xiaomi </a>also sells a classic Jet Black version if you want a subtle look. Between the two, I would lean toward the black finish since the blue body catches visible dust rather quickly.
Physically, the power bank measures 14 x 7.2 x 3.2 cm and tips the scales at 415 grams. It is undeniably hefty. You cannot shove this into a pair of jeans and walk around comfortably. Still, that bulk makes complete sense once you factor in the 20,000mAh capacity and 67W power delivery hardware packed inside. The weight distribution is balanced, and its 74.37Wh rating sits safely below the standard 100Wh airline cabin luggage cap, making it completely fine for air travel.
The real design highlight here is the integrated USB Type-C cable. Made with flexible TPU material, it locks right into the frame to double as a carrying loop. Xiaomi states it has survived 5,000 bend and swing cycles, and it certainly feels durable enough for daily abuse.
Leaving loose wires behind instead of digging through a bag for a quick recharge is a massive practical benefit. Keep in mind, the cord is quite short at roughly 12 to 15 cm, so you get limited slack while plugged in.
Next to the built-in lead on the top panel, you get a standalone USB Type-C port alongside a standard USB Type-A slot. This three-way setup means you can easily power three separate gadgets all at once.
Xiaomi also swapped out the old, imprecise four-dot LED array for a clean monochrome digital display on the front. It shows the exact battery percentage remaining, plus indicators for active fast charging and low-current delivery. Seeing the exact number is a welcome change, though it would have been even better if Xiaomi included live wattage stats or real-time speed readouts right on the screen.
<h2>Performance</h2>
Paper specs are one thing, but real-world reliability is what matters. To see what the Xiaomi Power Bank 5i could actually do, I threw it right into my daily workflow.
My first priority was checking input speeds. Connecting the drained unit to an 80W wall adapter let its 65W charging kick in properly, taking the battery from zero to full in just a few minutes under three hours. Anyone who has owned an older 20,000mAh pack will tell you what a relief this is, since older bricks routinely tied up wall sockets for six to seven hours.
Next came the real drain test. Rated capacity never matches delivered power because of voltage stepping and heat, so I ran the fully charged bank through three different phones in a row. It took a <a title="iQOO 15 Review: A premium leap that finally puts iQOO in the top tier" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/iqoo-15-review-a-premium-leap-that-finally-puts-iqoo-in-the-top-tier-1764157011221" target="_blank">OnePlus 15</a> (7,300mAh) from empty all the way to 100%, followed by a complete 0-100% refill for a Realme 14 Pro+ (6,000mAh). With the remaining juice, it managed to push a OnePlus Nord 6 (9,000mAh) up to 33% before finally giving up. Crunching the numbers puts the delivered power in the 16,300mAh to 17,000mAh range. That lands right around 81% real-world efficiency, standing toe-to-toe with the best alternatives on the market.
It also tackles heavier hardware without breaking a sweat. The 67W Power Delivery (PD 3.0 with PPS) spec makes it a genuinely capable laptop charger on the move. Xiaomi says it can take an empty MacBook Air to 37% in 30 minutes, and my test unit practically matched that number down to the wire. If you want to charge smaller accessories like TWS buds or a fitness tracker, a quick double-click on the power key switches on Low Current Mode, stopping the pack from cutting off mid-cycle.
Heat was never an issue either. Backed by dual NTC sensors and a 12-layer safety setup, the Ice Blue body got mildly warm under continuous 67W power draw, but it stayed well within safe, comfortable limits the entire time.
<h2>Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?</h2>
Should you buy the Xiaomi Power Bank 5i? Honestly, yes.
Xiaomi fixed almost every practical headache from older models in one go. Gone are the days of crawling recharge speeds, guessing battery levels from four tiny blinking dots, leaving cables behind, or wishing your portable pack could juice a laptop.
At 415 grams, it definitely isn't light. I also wish the new screen showed real-time wattage numbers. Still, look at what ₹3,299 gets you: true 67W laptop-grade output, 65W rapid refilling, an attached cable strap, and an airport-safe 20,000mAh capacity.
If you are always on flights, working out of cafes, or juggling two or three demanding gadgets daily, this is an easy purchase.

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

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

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

Redmi Note 17 Review: Is It Still Worth Buying?

Redmi Note 17

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

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

The iQOO Z11 takes a practical approach to smartphone AI with Gemini, AI Caption, lecture summaries, writing tools, translation and more.

iQOO Z11 AI Features: How Its Smartphone AI Actually Helps Users

From AI captions and lecture summaries to writing, translation and content creation, the iQOO Z11 puts practical AI tools at the centre.

iQOO Z11 Shows What Useful Smartphone AI Should Look Like

The iQOO Z11 takes a practical approach to smartphone AI, using Gemini-powered tools for studying, productivity, communication, translation and content creation.
&nbsp;

AI features on smartphones are quickly moving beyond party tricks and into tools people actually use. According to data cited by iQOO from CMR and Counterpoint, 71% of users now engage with generative AI features multiple times a week, while 59% consider AI capabilities when choosing their next smartphone. With the Z11, iQOO is trying to tap into that shift by focusing on AI features designed around studying, productivity, communication and content creation.
<h2>iQOO Z11 Uses Multiple AI Engines</h2>
Rather than relying on a single AI model for every task, the <a title="iQOO Teases Z11 Lite With AI Tools, Military-Grade Durability and a 6500mAh Battery" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/mobiles/iqoo-teases-z11-lite-with-ai-tools-military-grade-durability-and-a-6500mah-battery-1784021289323" target="_blank">iQOO Z11</a> uses a multi-engine approach. Its AI Caption feature, for instance, combines Google Gemini and Microsoft Azure, with multimodal processing designed to retain elements such as pauses, rhythm, emphasis and pronunciation while generating transcriptions and translations.
The phone also uses skill-based AI routing. Different Gemini variants are benchmarked and assigned to tasks including writing, summarisation, brainstorming and creating social content. The idea is to route each request to the model considered best suited for that particular job.
iQOO has also built the system around a real-time streaming architecture, allowing responses, captions and translations to appear progressively rather than making users wait for the entire output.
<h2>AI Features Designed for Everyday Tasks</h2>
For students, one of the more practical applications is lecture assistance. The Z11 can record lectures, generate transcripts, summarise them and turn the information into structured notes, potentially cutting down the amount of manual note-taking required.
Similar tools extend to work and everyday productivity. Users can draft emails, summarise meetings, extract action points and refine documents using AI-powered writing assistance. Real-time captions and translation can also help with multilingual conversations, meetings and videos.
Circle to Search provides another familiar AI-powered tool, letting users search for information about something visible on their screen without jumping between apps.
Content creation is another focus. Users can brainstorm ideas, rewrite passages, polish social media captions, generate reviews or adjust the tone of existing text using AI.
<h2>Follow-Up Prompts Make AI More Conversational</h2>
The Z11's AI system also retains conversational context. That means a user can generate something and then follow up with instructions such as &ldquo;make it shorter&rdquo;, &ldquo;translate this&rdquo; or &ldquo;add a conclusion&rdquo; without having to begin again. The phone builds subsequent requests on the previous response, making the interaction closer to an ongoing assistant than a collection of isolated AI tools.
Underpinning these features is the MediaTek Dimensity 7500 Turbo, which<a title="iQOO 15 Review: A premium leap that finally puts iQOO in the top tier" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/iqoo-15-review-a-premium-leap-that-finally-puts-iqoo-in-the-top-tier-1764157011221" target="_blank"> iQOO</a> says makes its India debut with the Z11. Its eighth-generation NPU is claimed to deliver up to twice the AI performance of the previous-generation processor.
Ultimately, iQOO's pitch with the Z11 isn't simply that it has AI. It is that AI should save users a few steps, whether they're sitting through a lecture, working on a document, translating a conversation or creating content.

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

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

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

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

Vivo

Vivo S2

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

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

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

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

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

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

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

Urban Company has launched the Native M3 and M3 Pro water purifiers in India with 3-year zero maintenance, RO purification, smart monitoring, and prices starting at ₹22,000.

Urban Company Native M3 & M3 Pro Water Purifiers Launched in India

Urban Company's new Native M3 and M3 Pro water purifiers promise 3-year zero maintenance, smart monitoring, advanced RO purification, and premium design from ₹22,000.

Urban Company Launches Native M3 & M3 Pro Water Purifiers in India

Urban Company has launched the Native M3 and M3 Pro water purifiers in India, featuring 3-year zero maintenance, smart monitoring, advanced RO purification, and prices starting at ₹22,000.

Urban Company Limited has officially expanded its smart home product ecosystem with the launch of the Native M3 and Native M3 Pro Water <a title="Cleaner Air, Happier Celebrations: Explore Bajaj Finserv's Diwali Offers on Top Air Purifiers" href="https://www.editorji.com/business-news/diwali-air-purifiers-easy-emi-options-by-bajaj-finserv-1761024101562" target="_blank">Purifiers</a>. Designed to address common consumer pain points around frequent servicing, hidden maintenance costs, and component replacement, the new series delivers long-life filtration engineered to run for three full years without needing filter changes or routine maintenance. The entire product experience is backed by an unconditional three-year warranty, offering a durable, hassle-free solution for home water purification.
<h2>Redefining Water Purification with Zero Service Hassle</h2>
Conventional reverse osmosis systems have long normalized frequent technician visits and high recurring ownership costs for homeowners. The Native M3 series shifts this model by focusing on long-term value and structural durability. By utilizing extended-life filter technology, the purifiers significantly reduce maintenance demands, allowing users to save over ₹26,000 across nine years compared to standard purifiers. Coupled with Urban Company's lifecycle service network, the M3 series aims to redefine appliance ownership around transparency and long-term reliability.
<h2>Advanced Purification and Smart Living Features</h2>
The flagship Native M3 Pro combines modern kitchen aesthetics with heavy-duty filtration performance. To guarantee complete safety, the system ensures that 100% of water passes directly through the <a title="Atomberg's Intellon Water Purifier Crosses 30,000 Homes, with Adaptive RO Technology" href="https://www.editorji.com/business-news/experience-intellons-adaptive-ro-by-atomberg-1776754132957" target="_blank">RO</a> membrane to strip out heavy metals, harmful chemicals, and dissolved impurities before storing it in a food-grade stainless-steel tank. Built-in technology includes advanced mineralization and pH balancing to restore essential nutrients and improve taste. Users can monitor filter health, water quality metrics, and performance parameters in real-time through the Urban Company app or directly on the device via a sleek dot-matrix smart display.
<h2>Strong Commercial Growth Backs Native Expansion</h2>
The introduction of the M3 series follows rapid financial and operational growth for Urban Company&rsquo;s Native business unit. In FY26, Native generated ₹267 crore in revenue from operations, representing a 130% year-on-year growth, alongside a Net Transaction Value of ₹345 crore. Backed by an average 4.5-star customer rating across platforms and a 75% customer renewal rate, the brand continues to expand its connected appliance lineup to meet rising demand for integrated home hardware.
<h2>Pricing and Availability in India</h2>
The Native M3 and M3 Pro water purifiers are priced starting at ₹22,000 onwards. Both models are available for immediate purchase across India through the official Urban Company app and website, complete with professional installation and comprehensive after-sales support.

Logitech has launched the MK250 Bluetooth Combo and K250 Bluetooth Keyboard in India with wireless connectivity, long battery life, and affordable pricing.

Logitech MK250 Bluetooth Combo & K250 Keyboard Launched in India

Logitech expands its desktop lineup in India with the MK250 Bluetooth Combo and K250 Keyboard, offering wireless connectivity, long battery life, and budget-friendly pricing.

Logitech Launches MK250 Bluetooth Combo & K250 Keyboard in India

Logitech has launched the MK250 Bluetooth Combo and K250 Keyboard in India, offering wireless connectivity, up to a year of battery life, cross-platform compatibility, and budget-friendly pricing.

Logitech has officially expanded its desktop workspace lineup in India with the launch of the all-new MK250 Bluetooth Mouse and Keyboard Combo alongside the standalone K250 Bluetooth Keyboard. Targeted at first-time wireless users, students, and everyday multitaskers, these modern peripherals bring Logitech&rsquo;s trusted design quality and durability to an accessible price point. The new lineup aims to streamline daily work and study routines by offering a clean, reliable, and functional setup without compromise.
<h2>Everyday Productivity Without Compromise</h2>
As modern work and study environments continue to demand adaptable, clutter-free desk spaces, <a title="Logitech MX Master 4 Review: A masterclass on improving perfection" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/gadget-review/logitech-mx-master-4-review-a-masterclass-on-improving-perfection-1768571809508" target="_blank">Logitech</a>&rsquo;s new additions tackle this need by completely eliminating restrictive wires. The integrated Bluetooth connectivity allows users to pair their devices seamlessly in seconds, bypassing the need for extra USB dongles or software installations. Built to handle everyday multitasking, the hardware ensures a stable connection for smooth performance wherever you choose to work.
<h2>Meet the MK250 Mouse and Keyboard Combo</h2>
The MK250 Bluetooth Combo provides a complete, modernized desktop solution by pairing the feature-rich K250 wireless keyboard with the M196 wireless mouse. Designed for comfortable, all-day navigation, the included M196 mouse features an ambidextrous shape, precise optical tracking, and fluid line-by-line scrolling. Both devices deliver 12 months of battery life and Logitech's signature build quality. Users can also personalize their desk setup with three distinct color variants: Graphite, Off-White, and Rose.
<h2>The K250 Bluetooth Keyboard: Compact yet Feature-Packed</h2>
For users who require a standalone wireless typing solution, the K250 Bluetooth Keyboard proves that a space-saving footprint does not require sacrificing functionality. It features a full-featured layout complete with an integrated numeric keypad, arrow keys, and pre-defined F-key shortcuts for immediate productivity. Built for comfort and long-term durability, it offers adjustable tilt legs for a 7-degree typing angle, broad cross-platform compatibility across Windows, <a title="Apple to refresh Mac lineup including iMacs, MacBook Pro, with AI powered M4 chips by 2025: Report" href="https://www.editorji.com/tech-news/apple-to-refresh-mac-lineup-including-imacs-macbook-pro-with-ai-powered-m4-chips-by-2025-report-1712906915095" target="_blank">macOS</a>, and ChromeOS (with official Works With Chromebook certification), a spill-resistant design, eco-friendly recycled plastic construction, and over a year of battery life.
<h2>Pricing and Availability in India</h2>
Logitech&rsquo;s latest releases offer premium features at budget-friendly price points across the Indian market. The Logitech MK250 Bluetooth Mouse and Keyboard Combo is priced at ₹2,195 and comes in Graphite, Off-White, and Rose. Meanwhile, the standalone Logitech K250 Bluetooth Keyboard is available at ₹1,395 in the Graphite color variant.

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

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

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

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

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

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