Category: Videos

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Vs Honor 7X Vs Xiaomi Mi A1: Camera Shootout!

Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India at a starting price of Rs. 13999. Keeping up with the industry trends, the Redmi Note 5 Pro has an 18:9 aspect ratio and a dual-camera on the back. Unlike a lot of other smartphones with a dual camera setup, the Redmi Note 5 Pro has two RGB sensors.

At this price tag, the Note 5 Pro directly competes with the likes of the Honor 7X and Xiaomi’s own Mi A1. The Honor 7X and Mi A1 also have the best cameras in this price segment. Despite the 18:9 aspect ratio, the Redmi Note 5 Pro has thicker bezels than the Honor 7X which are even more prominent in the Gold colour variant. The Mi A1 has a 16:9 aspect ratio and definitely looks archaic when put next to the Note 5 Pro and Honor 7X.

Where the Mi A1 one-ups the other two devices is the software. It runs stock Android OS and is part of the Android One program. Hence, it will get the latest software update for the next two years at least. However, the same cannot be said about the Honor 7X and Redmi Note 5 Pro since they run custom UI on top of Android. In fact, the Honor 7X and Note 5 Pro still run Android 7 Nougat, while the Mi A1 has been updated to Android 8 Oreo.

With the three devices priced similarly, we decided to put them through their paces. Let’s see which one came out on top:

Camera Samples

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Honor 7X

Xiaomi Mi A1

Specifications	Redmi Note 5 Pro	Honor 7X	Xiaomi Mi A1
Price	Starting Rs. 13999	Starting Rs. 12999	Rs. 13999
Display	5.99 inch 18:9 Aspect Ratio IPS LCD	5.93-inch 18:9 Aspect Ratio LTPS IPS LCD	5.5 inch 16:9 Aspect Ratio LTPS IPS LCD
Resolution	2160 x 1080 px 403ppi	2160 x 1080 px 407 ppi	1920 x 1080 px 403 ppi
Battery	4000 mAh	3340 mAh	3080 mAh
Chipset	Snapdragon 636	HiSilicon Kirin 659	Snapdragon 625
RAM	4GB 6GB	3GB 4GB	4GB
Storage	64GB Expandable Up to 256GB	32GB 64GB Expandable up to 256GB	64GB Expandable up to 128GB
Primary Camera	12MP f/2.2 5MP f/2.0 1.25-micron	16MP 2MP depth sensor	12MP f/2.2 Wide-Angle 12MP f/2.6 Telephoto 1.25-micron
Primary Camera Video	1920 x 1080 px @ 30fps	1920 x 1080 px @ 30fps	4K @ 30fps
Secondary Camera	20MP Sony IMX376 Beautify 4.0 LED flash	8MP	5MP f/2.0
Add-Ons	Fingerprint Sensor	Fingerprint Sensor	Fingerprint Sensor

Photos are extremely subjective, hence, we will let you choose your winner. Let us know your choice in the comments below!

February 19, 2018

Unboxing The Moto Z2 Force
Lenovo-owned Motorola has launched the Moto Z2 Force in India. It is priced at Rs. 34,999 in India and will go on sale at midnight via Flipkart and Moto Hub stores. Motorola has launched the device in India, almost six months after its global launch. Although the Moto Z2 Force is competitively priced, it won’t be long before the OnePlus 6 is launched at a similar price and Snapdragon 845 chipset.

Let’s unbox the Moto Z2 Force and see what we get inside:
- Moto Z2 Force
- Documentations
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Earphones
- Type C to 3.5mm dongle
- USB Type C Cable
- TurboCharge Wall Charger
First Impressions

To maintain the device’s compatibility with Moto Mods, the Z2 Force doesn’t look too different from its predecessor. It is thinner for sure and has a very sturdy build. This time around, Moto has implemented s dual-camera setup on the back which has become a norm. At a price of Rs. 34999, along with the TurboPower Mod, the Moto Z2 Force is a great alternative to the OnePlus 5T.

Moto Z2 Force With TurboPower Mod

Moto Z2 Force Specifications

The Moto Z2 Force has a 5.5 inch P-OLED display with a 2560 x 1440 px resolution. The Z2 Force does not have Corning Gorilla Glass on top, instead has a plastic shattershield coating on top. This means that the Z2 Force will survive drops more than a regular device with Corning Gorilla Glass. However, thanks to the presence of a plastic coating, it would be more susceptible to smaller scratches.

Moto Z2 Force

Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The storage is expandable up to 2TB via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the front of the smartphone as it retains the size and design of a ‘Moto Z’ device. As a result, the Z2 Force is compatible with Moto Mods.

Probably, a possible let down could be the missing of the 3.5mm headphone jack. However, it will come with a dongle inside the box to still use your beloved wired headphones.

Another modern element, which has now truly become a norm is in the camera department. The Z2 Force, like many flagship phones, has a dual 12MP camera setup on the back with an f/2.0 aperture. One of them has an RGB sensor while the other one has a monochrome sensor. The smartphone records 4K videos at 30fps. On the front of the device is a 5MP camera with a dual-tone LED flash.

Moto Z2 Force

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdrhrkUMFMg[/embedyt]
February 15, 2018
Honor 7X Red Limited Edition Goes On Sale Today

Honor 7X was launched in India in December 2017 at a starting price of Rs. 12999. At the time of the launch, the Honor 7X was available in Blue, Black and Gold colour variants. Now, the company has launched a special edition red colour variant of the Honor 7X at the same price as the other variants.

While 2017 saw the trend of shrinking bezels and taller displays catch on, another trend seems to be egging on at this time. A lot of smartphone makers have launched a special edition red colour variant of their popular devices. Companies like Xiaomi, OnePlus, Apple have all released a limited edition variant of their devices and Honor is the next one on the list.

While many people anyway use a case to protect their phones, a different colour does make sense. Smartphones have become increasingly similar nowadays in terms of specifications and sometimes, a different colour option can sway a customer to your device. Honor seems to have done the same and the Honor 7X is also the cheapest smartphone in the market available in a red colour variant and has an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Buy it here

Honor 7X Specifications

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The Honor 7X has a 5.9 inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px display which translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the Honor 7X has the HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The onboard storage is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. The device is powered by a 3340 mAh battery which charges via a micro USB slot. Since the device has thin bezels, the fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the below the dual-camera setup.

The Honor 7X runs Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 6.0 on top which gives a user more options for customising their phones.

The smartphone has a dual camera setup at the back. One of the cameras is equipped with a 16MP sensor while the other one is a 2MP depth sensor. The camera setup at the back has PDAF and records 1080P videos at 30fps. On the front is an 8MP camera which also records 1080P videos.

February 9, 2018
Unboxing The Bose QC 35 II
Bose recently launched the next iteration of its highly popular noise cancelling headphones, the Bose QC 35 II. Priced at Rs. 29,393 in India, the Bose QC 35 II do not come cheap but, you get what you pay for. Bose is one of the most renowned audio accessories makers in the world and the QC series has garnered great reviews over the years.

Let’s unbox the new Bose QC 35 II and see what we get:
- Carrying Case
- Bose QC 35 II
- Documentations
- 3.5mm Cable
- Charging Cable
First Impressions

The Bose QC 35 II headphones have a really good build. They fit comfortably and the noise cancellation is spot on! For a price of Rs. 29393, these might not be everyone’s cup of tea but, if you travel a lot and prefer to listen to your music instead of all the noise, these are ideal for you.

The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II has a battery life of up to 20 hours. It has Bluetooth 4.1 for connectivity and comes with a cable in case the battery runs out. Just like the QC 35, the same controls remain on the right ear-cup, audio volume, and the multi-function button for incoming calls and accessing Siri. And now, there’s a new Action Button on the left earcup to connect to your Google Assistant without having to grab your phone, unlock it, and find the app.

Bose Connect App

Like its predecessor, the QC35 II’s noise cancellation is fully activated when the headphone is on, but, the Bose Connect App now lets you choose to keep it on (high), turn it down (low), or disable it completely (off). The Connect App also lets you change the Action Button’s functionality, so you can control the noise settings from the ear-cup when you want, and switch back to your Google Assistant when you want.
February 8, 2018
Unboxing The HTC U11+
The HTC U11+ has finally been launched in India at a price of Rs. 56990 and is available on Flipkart. Let’s unbox the HTC U11+ and see what we get inside the box:
- HTC U11+
- Documentation
- Type C Earphones
- Type C to 3.5mm headphone adapter
- Sim ejector tool
- Wall charger
- USB Type C cable
First Impressions

At the time of its launch, the HTC U11+ represented a much-needed design shift for HTC smartphones. Although the HTC U11 was a breath of fresh air, it still looked like a dated flagship device due to its thick bezels. The HTC U11+ has thin bezels around the display, and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device also has a similar build quality to the HTC U11, something that was highly appreciated in the earlier flagship.

Thin Bezels

The fingerprint sensor is now placed on the back of the smartphone. A lot of the design cues are similar to the HTC U11 but, we are not complaining. The HTC U11+ is one of the few smartphones that look and feel absolutely premium. The 3.5mm headphone jack is missing and it is time we make peace with this omission.

HTC U11

HTC U11+ Specifications

The HTC U11+ has a new 6-inch IPS LCD display with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top of the display and at the back. The tall display means the bezels on the HTC U11+ are thinner than the ones found on the HTC U11.

Similar to the HTC U11, HTC U11+ has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, an octa-core processor, and Adreno 540 GPU. The HTC u11+ further has 6GB of RAM and 128GB onboard storage which can be further expanded up to 2TB via a hybrid microSD card slot. The HTC U11+ is IP68 rated water and dust resistant and due to the thin bezels, the fingerprint sensor is now placed below the rear-mounted camera.

The smartphone is powered by a 3930 mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0. The HTC U11+ runs Android 8.0 Oreo with HTC’s Sense UI on top.

The Edge Sense feature from the HTC U11 retains its place albeit new features and customisability. With AI gaining more prominence, HTC has provided both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa to give people the flexibility and choose which AI assistant they prefer. You can assign a light squeeze to access Google Assistant, and a hard squeeze to access the Amazon Alexa and vice versa.

Edge Sense is now a remappable feature and can perform specific tasks depending on which app you’re in. If you have the YouTube app, you can remap the squeeze to take you to the subscriptions window or if you are in Google Maps, you squeeze to zoom in or zoom out. HTC has also added a new radial menu which can be accessed with a squeeze. It is a round shaped menu which customises on the basis of your usage.

The smartphone has a 12.2MP rear-mounted camera with an f/1.7 aperture with optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. The camera can record 4K videos at 30fps and slo-mo 1080P videos at 120fps. On the front of the phone is an 8MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus. The front-facing camera can record 1080P videos at 30fps.

The HTC U11+ is certainly one of the best-looking devices right now, especially with the translucent design. However, it will only be available Ceramic Black and Amazing Silver in India. At a price of Rs. 56990, the HTC U11+ competes with the likes of the Galaxy S8 which also has a great design and flagship specs. However, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are expected to make their way to the Indian market in March. The new Samsung flagship devices will have the 2018 flagship chipset Exynos 9810 in India.

You can buy the HTC U11+ here
February 8, 2018
Honor 7X Full Review

The Honor 7X was launched in India at a starting price of Rs. 12999. With a modern design and a very capable Kirin 659 chipset, the Honor 7X is one of the best devices in this price range. Watch our full review to know more!

[section label=”Full Review”]

Watch Our Full Review Of The Honor 7X:

Watch Our Video Of Honor 7X Vs Xiaomi Mi A1 Comparison:

January 31, 2018
2 Apple iPhone X Giveaway

https://youtu.be/OVyzD0pU7l4

It is a fact that the tech industry, smartphone industry to be precise, is moving towards a completely wireless future. Apple back in 2016 started it all off by removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. While the decision was met with genuine surprise in the beginning, slowly but surely, other smartphone makers have caught on.

So, with smartphones becoming everyone’s primary source of media consumption, what is the next best thing after a good pair of wired headphones? The answer is a good pair of Bluetooth headphones and Zakk has two offerings that provide great sound quality at an affordable price. There is no denying that Bluetooth headphones are much more convenient and truly wireless earbuds have become really popular.

Zakk Blaze

The Zakk Blaze are over the ear Bluetooth headphones that have a rare mix of great sound quality and great looks. The headphones have a LED ring on both the earcups that can be customised according to the song you’re listening to or maybe the mood you’re in. The headphones have 40mm drivers and up to 10 meters of Bluetooth range. There is a headphone jack for when you run out of battery and an AUX cable comes bundled in the box. The Zakk Blaze take about 3 hours to fully charge and the company claims that they have a playback time of up to 20 hours which is impressive!

Zakk Twins

Truly wireless earbuds have seen a rise in popularity over the past year or so. While there are a lot of pricey earbuds available in the market, the Zakk Twins bring the comfort of wireless earbuds at an affordable price. Since the earbuds are intended for people who are outdoorsy, the earbuds come with an ear hook for a better fit. Tsoundstageage is very good and the pairing method is easy as well.

iGyaan has partnered with Zakk to giveaway the Zakk Blaze and Zakk Twins Bluetooth headphones along with two Apple iPhone X! Head on over to the link below to enter the giveaway!

Two iPhone X Giveaway

January 23, 2018
Gaming PC On A Budget Of Rs. 70,000!

After we built our budget gaming PC, it was time to take it up a notch. With a lot more budget in hand, this is what we used to our build gaming PC with a budget of Rs. 70,000.

Corsair Carbide Spec 01

The cabinet we used for the build is the Corsair Carbide Spec 01. This one as well has a size glass panel to show off all the components of your PC and put LED lights in it for some colour. It is built to give a clean look to your PC and also has good cable management. It has seven PCIe slots with room for long graphics cards up to 420 mm long.

Corsair CX650W 80 Plus Power Supply

For a power supply, we have opted for another Corsair product, the CX650W power supply. For our powerful gaming PC, this was an ideal fit!

Gigabyte Z370M D3H Motherboard

This motherboard was the best one in our budget. It supports up to 8th Gen Intel Core Processors and has 2-Way CrossFire Multi-Graphics Support. This motherboard is futureproof if we want to upgrade to an i8 processor in the future.

HyperX FURY 8 GB RAM

To handle high-end gaming, you need good quality and quantity of RAM. We have gone for a HyperX Fury 8GB RAM for this build. Its low 1.2 volts draw less power from the system and keeps the PC cool and quiet. Its lower power requirements result in less heat and higher reliability.

Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD

The Seagate Barracuda 2TB hard drive provides ample storage and reliability for this gaming PC.

Intel Core i5 8400

The Intel Core i5 8400 processor fit in our budget and requirements. This PC build is shaping to be quite epic!

GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1060

To handle all the graphics, we went for the GeForce GTC 1060. It is currently sold out online so we will leave a link for an alternative GPU for your PC build.

January 21, 2018
Unboxing The OnePlus 5T Lava Red
OnePlus recently launched the OnePlus 5T Lava Red edition in India. The new colour will only be available in the 8GB RAM variant and is priced at Rs. 37999, just like the regular Midnight Black colour variant. It goes on sale at 12 noon on the 20th of January via Amazon, oneplus.in, Croma stores and OnePlus experience zones in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi NCR.

Buy The OnePlus 5T Lava Red

With smartphones becoming increasingly similar as far as hardware as is concerned, smartphone makers need to find a way to differentiate their product from the rest of offerings in the market. And it appears that a “special edition” Red colour variant is the next big differentiator, that companies have identified. The Lava Red isn’t the only special edition smartphone the company has launched in India, back in December, the OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition was launched at a price of Rs. 38999.

Unboxing The Star Wars Limited Edition OnePlus 5T

Let’s unbox the new OnePlus 5T Lava Red and see what we get:
- OnePlus 5T Lava Red
- Dash Charger
- USB C Cable
- Documentation
- Sim Ejector Tool
First impressions

It is a red OnePlus 5T. It looks and feels exactly the same as the Midnight Black variant except it is red in colour. The smartphone has the same matte finish on the back which makes it a bit slippery to hold but, otherwise it’s a very sturdy phone. Depending on which side you’re on, you’ll be happy or sad to know that OnePlus has retained the black colour for the front of the smartphone, something that a lot of people wanted in the Product Red iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

The power button, volume rockers and the fingerprint sensor are also red in colour with the black OnePlus logo providing a bit of contrast on the back. There is a small camera bump on the back which means that the OnePlus 5T doesn’t lay flat on a surface which may bug a few people while others won’t even notice it. The headphone jack, USB C port and the single bottom firing speaker reside on the bottom of the smartphone.

We also unboxed the Xiaomi Mi A1 red colour variant and similar to the regular Mi A1, it has a metal build with a matte finish. The red colour dominates the back of the device and just like OnePlus, the company has retained the black colour for the front of the smartphone which compliments the red colour really well. The specifications remain the same as well for the red coloured Xiaomi Mi A1.

Buy The Red Xiaomi Mi A1

OnePlus 5T Specifications

Just like it was for the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition, the specifications remain the same for the OnePlus 5T Lava Red.

The OnePlus 5T has a 6-inch Full Optic AMOLED display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution, 401ppi and an 80.5% screen to body ratio.

Under the hood, the OnePlus 5T has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, a 2.4GHz octa-core processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of onboard storage which cannot be expanded. Due to thin bezels, there is no place for a home button and the fingerprint sensor has now been shifted to the back of the phone and is placed right above OnePlus logo.

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Powering the device is a 3300 mAh battery which supports OnePlus’ DashCharge technology. The OnePlus 5T also features facial recognition for unlocking the device. The alert slider retains its place at the top left side of the phone which can be used to switch between different modes of notification alerts.

The OnePlus 5T runs stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat with customisability options thanks to the Oxygen OS on top. The update to Android 8.0 Oreo update is coming soon on the OnePlus 5T as the beta testing has already begun.

One big change in the OnePlus 5T is in the camera department. Unlike the OnePlus 5, the OnePlus 5T no longer has a secondary telephoto lens at the back. Instead, OnePlus has decided to focus on the device’s low-light photography capabilities. The cameras do not have OIS and OnePlus has decided to go for EIS on the dual camera setup at the back. The device has a 16MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture coupled with a 20MP sensor with the same f/1.7 aperture and field of view, ie no optical zoom. On the front is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

The OnePlus 5T continues to be a strong offering in the sub-40K category with its flagship-like specifications and a modern design. With a new colour to the fore, it gives consumers an extra option to look at and for some people, a red colour variant is the ultimate deal maker.
January 20, 2018
Unboxing The Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime
The budget segment of the Indian smartphone market is becoming increasingly congested. Brands like Xiaomi, Nokia, Motorola are consistently launching stellar smartphones and Honor has recently launched the Honor 7X and Honor 9 Lite in the price bracket as well. Samsung is planning to take over the segment it once used to rule, and the Galaxy On7 Prime is one of the smartphones that the company will launch in this price bracket.

The Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime is priced at Rs 12990 for the 3GB RAM variant and Rs. 14990 for the 4GB RAM variant. The smartphone will be sold exclusively via Amazon and will go on sale on the 20th of January during the Amazon Prime Sale.

So, does the Galaxy On7 Prime hold any weight against the budget heavyweights like the Honor 7X or the Xiaomi Mi A1? Let’s unbox the device and find out!
- Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime
- Documentations
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Wall Charger
- Micro USB Cable
First Impressions

The Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime has the standard 5.5 inch display with a metallic body. On the front is the standard physical home button which also houses the fingerprint sensor, along with two touch capacitive buttons for navigation. The device is not the sleekest to hold especially considering devices like the Honor 9 Lite or Honor 7X that possess a bigger screen in a similarly sized body.

Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime has a 5.5-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.

Under the hood, the Galaxy On7 Prime will have the Exynos 7870 chipset, a 1.6GHz processor, and Mali-T830 MP1 GPU. The smartphone will be available in two variants, one with 3GB RAM and 32GB of onboard storage and the other with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which will be expandable up to 256GB via a microSD card.

The Galaxy On7 Prime will be powered by a 3300 mAh battery. The physical home button on the front will house the fingerprint sensor as well.

With the new Galaxy On7 Prime, Samsung has also introduced Samsung Mall. The company has tied up with Amazon, Jabong, Shopclues and Tata CLiQ to provide buying links to products that a user might be interested in, from within the Samsung user interface.

The Galaxy On7 Prime will have a 13MP with an f/1.9 aperture on the front and back along with rear-facing LED flash.

The smartphone will be sold exclusively via Amazon and will go on sale on the 20th of January during the Amazon Prime Sale. Interested users can register for the device by clicking here.

Watch Our Unboxing Here:
January 19, 2018
Unboxing The Honor 9 Lite
Honor will officially launch the Honor 9 Lite in India on the 17th of January. While there are no details about the price yet, we speculate that the Honor 9 Lite could be a slightly lower priced Honor 7X alternative in India. In China, where the smartphone was first launched, it starts at a price of CNY 1199 (Rs. 11600 approx.) for the base variant. Considering Honor’s recent pricing strategy, it won’t be surprising if the Honor 9 Lite is priced at Rs. 10999 in the Indian market.

Let’s unbox the Honor 9 Lite and see what we get inside the box:
- Honor 9 Lite
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Micro USB Cable
- Wall Charger
First Impressions

The display of the smartphone is reminiscent of the Honor 7X with thin bezels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Honor branding is housed in the bottom bezel just like the 7X while the fingerprint sensor is comfortably placed on the back of the device. The glass back of the smartphone is extremely reflective and will be a fingerprint magnet.

So, either keep a microfibre cloth handy with you all the time or use a case or a skin to protect it from little smudges and dings. The device is smaller than the Honor 7X thanks to a slightly smaller display as well and it is comfortable to hold and use the device with one hand.

Specifications

It has a 5.65-inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution which translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, similar to the Honor 7X, the Honor 9 Lite has the HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, an octa-core processor, the Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, 3GB or 4GB of RAM and storage options of 32GB and 64GB. It is worth noting that the onboard storage will be expandable up to 256GB via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back and the bottom bezel on the front houses the Honor branding.

Powering the device is a 3000 mAh battery which also supports the Super Charge technology.

The Honor 9 Lite has four cameras. To the front and back, it has a 13MP + 2MP setup and both the setups record 1080P videos at 30fps.

With the Honor 7X garnering great reviews for price-to-performance ratio, the Honor 9 Lite might take it up a notch with its competitive pricing in the India market. It has a modern design, a very capable chipset and dual cameras on the front and back. Fans of custom UI would love EMUI and at a price of around Rs. 10,000, this smartphone could be a great prospect.
January 12, 2018
Top Tech Under Rs. 500

After a holiday spending spree, maybe it’s time to look at some useful tech and accessories that won’t break the bank. iGyaan is back with its Top Tech series and this month, we’re checking out some of the best tech accessories under Rs. 500.

Deepcool N19 Laptop Cooler

At a price of Rs. 470, this laptop cooler does the job and it looks good while doing it. It has a blue LED light which glows when turned on and looks better than your average laptop coolers. It doesn’t lift up the laptop a lot, which means that it won’t hinder the comfort level of your laptop and connects via a standard USB port.

Amkette Xcite Neo Keyboard and Mouse Combo

An affordable combo of a USB keyboard and mouse, it is ideal for gamers who are just starting out. It would fit in perfectly with a budget gaming setup. The keys have a nice travel and ideal for gaming.

USB-C Dock

This can be a nice little desk accessory for people who own a smartphone that charges via a USB C port. It can fit almost every USB C smartphone and it keeps the device upright for easy access to lock screen notifications.

Remax USB-C OTG

USB C is the future of smartphones and keeping up with that prospect, this USB-C OTG is ideal for travellers. Store all your media on a USB and connect to your phone via this USB-C OTG to preserve storage on your phone whilst keeping movies and songs with you on the go.

Gigza Clean Kit

A cleaning kit is a must-have accessory for any techie, or rather anyone who knows a gadget. This cleaning kit combo works perfectly to clean any tech accessory or gadget around you and it is very inexpensive as well.

Tizum Headphone Splitter

The Tizum headphone splitter is a great accessory for people who like sharing media with their friends or colleagues or anyone for that matter. It is well built and does the job for the price tag it has.

Smartphone Grip Ring

While pop sockets were all the rage in 2017, this smartphone grip ring is a more sturdy and well-built alternative. People with small hands and big phones would really appreciate this nifty gadget that can help them handle their phone in a more secure manner.

SIM Case

Priced at Rs. 499 it might invaluable for people who travel with a lot of SIM cards and microSD cards. It has a sticky surface that stores all the cards and even has the option to write the owner’s details at the back in case they misplace it and someone finds it. It is well-built and definitely worth the money it asks for.

Cable Ties

With lots of wires in the house, comes the responsibility of wire management. These reusable cable ties will help you keep a clean look of your desk by managing all the cables at the back. It is also helpful for storing all the cables you might not be using at that particular time and keeps the storage neat and tidy as well.

Shengshou Cube and Spinner

Moving on from the fidget spinner craze of 2017, these two gadgets can be extremely entertaining and keep you away from technology which can be good for you. They’re inexpensive and a great substitute to smartphone games to kill time on your commute to work or back home.

January 12, 2018
Unboxing The Samsung Galaxy A8+
Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy A8+ in India at a price of Rs. 32990. The device is an Amazon-exclusive and will go on sale in India from the 20th of January. At this price point, the Samsung Galaxy A8+ will compete with the likes of Honor View10 and the OnePlus 5T. The Samsung Galaxy A8+ has a display that is reminiscent of Samsung’s 2017 flagship lineup with thin bezels and is also the first smartphone from the company that has a front-facing dual-camera setup.

Let’s unbox the Samsung Galaxy A8+ and see what we get inside the box:
- Samsung Galaxy A8+
- Documentation
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Wall Charger
- USB Type C Cable
- Clear Case
- Earphones
Initial Impressions

Right off the bat, the first thing you notice about the phone is that display and the thin bezels around it. It is nowhere near the screen-to-body ratio of the Galaxy S8 but, it is a refreshing change to Samsung’s mid-range lineup. The next big difference is the position of the fingerprint sensor. Unlike its 2017 flagship smartphones, Samsung has placed the fingerprint sensor below the camera, which is a much more comfortable position, until the in-display sensors become the norm.

The Samsung UX has come a long way since its inception and looks cleaner and feels much more snappy than the previous gen Galaxy A devices. The home button doesn’t have the same haptic feedback like the Galaxy S8 devices or the Note8. There is a single speaker which is oddly placed on the top right edge of the device, this will definitely prevent the muffling of sound which usually happens with rear-facing speakers.

Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ has a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2220 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, it has an Exynos 7885 chipset, an octa-core (2.2GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Hexa) processor and Mali-G71 GPU. The Galaxy A8+ has been launched in only one variant in India, which has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. Just like every other smartphone from Samsung, the onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. The smartphone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and supports Samsung Pay for contactless mobile payment.

Powering the Galaxy A8+ is a 3500 mAh battery which is charged via USB Type-C port.

One thing that might come as a surprise, especially for phones launching in 2018 is the OS. The Galaxy A8+ will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with Samsung’s own custom skin on top.

The Galaxy A8+ is also the first of Samsung phone to have a dual-camera setup on the front. The Galaxy A8+ has a 16MP + 8MP camera setup with an f/1.9 aperture on the front. The Live Focus feature lets users chose whether the background should be in focus or blurred to a soft bokeh. The phone will switch between the two front cameras to get the effect the user needs. To the back of the phone is a 16MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture and digital stabilisation.

We will be putting the Galaxy A8+ through its paces and if there is something specific you would like us to cover, let us know in the comments!
January 11, 2018
Unboxing The Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus in China. The two budget smartphones sport a modern 18:9 aspect ratio and are expected to launch in India soon. Ever since the Redmi 5 Plus was launched, there were rumours that Xiaomi will launch the Redmi 5 Plus in India as the Redmi Note 5 and drop the ‘Note’ series in China altogether.

Let’s unbox the Redmi 5 Plus and see what we get inside the box:
- Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
- Documentation
- Sim ejector tool
- Micro USB cable
- Wall charger
- Clear Case
First impressions

The first thing you notice about the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus is the tall display and relatively thinner bezels around. By no means is it a bezel-less display but, the curved corners make the display look better. The form factor of the device is surprisingly comfortable especially considering that it houses an almost 6-inch display. The phone, although a bit slippery, is comfortable and if you’d like to protect from the get-go, the company provides a clear case inside the box.

Specifications

It has a 5.99-inch display with a 2160 x 1080px resolution which again, translated to an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the Redmi 5 Plus has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 2.0GHz octa-core processor, Adreno 506 GPU, 3GB or 4GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device which has become a Redmi signature irrespective of thin or thick bezels.

The Redmi 5 Plus is powered by a massive 4000 mAh battery which, according to Xiaomi, has a standby time of up to 17 days. The device has a micro USB port for charging and data syncing along with a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The device has a 12MP primary camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP secondary camera with beautify 3.0 software.

The Redmi 5 Plus is a solid offering at the price it is available for, and with a modern design combined with the performance of a Xiaomi phone, the device makes a good case to be a go-to budget smartphone.

Buy it here
January 5, 2018
Unboxing The Honor View10
Honor recently launched the Honor View10 at an event in London. At the time, it was announced that the device will go on sale in India on the 8th of January and the device is priced at 499 Euros (Rs. 38000 approx.). Let’s unbox the device and take a look at the device.
- Honor View10
- Wall charger
- USB -C cable
- Sim ejector tool
- Clear Case
Initial Impressions

The Honor View10 shares a lot of design cues with the Honor 7X. It has a similar screen size and thin bezels around the display. However, the Honor Viewo10 uses the bottom bezel to house a fingerprint sensor in it, unlike the Honor 7X which has the Honor branding instead. The device feels looks and feels premium and the Aurora Blue colour is a winner all the way. A welcome break from the usual black and grey phones. The dual-cameras at the back protrude ever so slightly as the antenna lines run on around the top and bottom of the phone. It has the HiSilicon 970 chipset which focuses a lot on AI, and Honor wants the View10 to be ‘your first AI smartphone’.

Specifications

The Honor View10 has a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Honor View10 has minimal side bezels and thin top and bottom bezels.

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Under the hood, the device has the Kirin 970 chipset with a Neural Processing Unit, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB onboard storage. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the device along with a USB Type C port. The front of the device also has a home button which houses the fingerprint sensor.

The Honor View10 also has facial recognition which is becoming more prominent since the launch of the iPhone X. The facial recognition works similar to the Face ID on the iPhone X, the accuracy of which, will be extensively tested in the coming weeks.

Similar to the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, the Honor View10 also concentrates a lot on AI. For example, while on a call, AI will differentiate between the user’s voice and background noise to make sure the user’s voice is clearer. This is thanks to the presence of the Kirin 970 chipset which has a Neural Processing Unit on board.

The new chipset will also mean better battery life as Honor suggests that it is “50 times more efficient than an average CPU.” Huawei being telecommunications giant has introduced new features in the Kirin 970 such as the Cat 18 compatibility, which means it can reach download speeds up to 1.2GB per second. Also, the Kirin 970 can support 4G data on both sims at the same time. Kirin 970 is powered by an 8-core CPU and a new generation 12-core GPU. Built using a 10nm advanced process, the chipset packs 5.5 billion transistors, which is about 2.5 billion more than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.

Because of its facial recognition technology, the Honor View10 also has iPhone X-like animojis, which Honor claims are much more accurate than iPhone X since it tracks the user’s tongue as well.

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Powering the device is a 3750 mAh battery and supports 5V / 4.5A fast charging. Honor claims the phone will be 50% charged in 30 minutes thanks to Honor Super Charge technology.

The Honor View10 has a dual camera setup at the back and has a single camera at the front. The back of the devices houses a 16MP RGB sensor and a 20MP Monochrome sensor with both having an f/1.8 aperture. The primary camera setup records 4K videos at 30fps. At the front of the phone is a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

Watch our unboxing video here –
December 25, 2017