Pokemon on Pebble? Pebblemon Brings a Clone of the Classic Game to Your Smartwatch

Pokemon, the iconic game series from Nintendo, debuted in Japan nearly two-and-a-half decades ago. It took the game only a few years to taste immense popularity in not just the US but in several other countries as well. And while Pebblemon — designed and developed to play on the Pebble smartwatch — may not be exactly the same, its developer describes it as a "mini...

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Elon Musk Says ‘Epic Is Right,’ Takes Sides in Battle With Apple on App Store Fees

Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed his support for Fortnite maker Epic Games that has challenged Apple's fees on its App Store. “Apple app store fees are a de facto global tax on the Internet,” Musk said.

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Garena Free Fire to introduce new game mode, and offer free login rewards this weekend

Garena Free Fire has announced that its collaboration with McLaren will hit its peak this weekend. Players who login over the weekend stand to earn in-game items. Further, the game will also release a new mode called Convoy Crunch. All players who log in from July 31 to August 1 will receive Free Fire and Mclaren rewards. Further, all players who manage to complete the playtime mission over the weekend will also receive the McLaren Racing Overalls Bundle. 

Garena Free Fire: Convoy Crunch 

The new Convoy Crunch mode in Garena Free Fire will be a limited time mode. In this mode, players will be divided into two teams. At the start of each round, one of the teams will play the Invaders, while the other will be Defenders. The Invaders are tasked with escorting a vehicle to a specific destination, while the defenders have to ensure that does not happen. Both teams will take turns playing as the invaders or defenders. 

The vehicle will only move when there are Invaders inside a set radius around the vehicle. However, if the defenders are within that area, the vehicle will move backwards. If both teams are within are radius, the vehicle stops.

The winners of the mode are decided by one of two outcomes. The teams that use the least amount of time to get the vehicle to a destination. Or, the team that advances the vehicle the furthest distance. 

The Convoy Crunch mode will be available till August 3.

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Realme MagDart will be 440 faster than Apple Magsafe, teases CEO

Realme’s MagDart wireless charging technology, that’s due for an official unveiling on August 3, is inspired by Apple’s Magsafe but that didn’t prevent CEO Madav Seth from taking a dig at the Cupertino giant. 

In a Twitter post, Madhav revealed that Realme’s upcoming wireless charging tech is “440% faster” and asked fans to guess what the comparison was up against. 

The answer is most obviously Apple’s Magsafe that delivers 15W wireless charging speeds. The “440%” claim also confirms Realme achieving 66W wireless charging speeds - which makes MagDart one of the fastest wireless charging solutions available. 

Faster and Thinner! Can you guess in comparison to which charging tech is #realme's MagDart charger 440% faster? RT and reply with #MagForFuture. pic.twitter.com/xaZ3xRuMMW

— Madhav Sheth (@MadhavSheth1) July 29, 2021 Likely to come in two sizes 

In a second image, Madhav revealed a slim and light wireless charger, contrary to the chunky charging puck with cooling fans that surfaced earlier. 

Gsmarena, that dug up the leak sensibly reasons that it is unlikely that the 65W charging speeds are attained using the slim charger revealed by the CEO. This could instead be the second low wattage wireless charger that Realme could launch together. 

That makes sense since the 65W AirVOOC wireless charging stand launched by sister company Oppo has a semiconductor cooler with a fan to dissipate heat and to ensure that the phone that you would be charging doesn't get too hot. The 65W AirVOOC wireless flash charge can fully charge a 4000mAh battery in 30 minutes and we can expect similar performance with Realme's MagDart. 

Oppo also launched a 50W mini VOOC wireless charger which could be re-moulded as the second slimmer MagDart charger. 

Will debut on Realme Flash

As was previously leaked, Realme MagDart charging will first debut on Realme Flash, the upcoming Snapdragon 888-powered flagship phone with 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, and a curved display. The Realme Flash will run on Android 11-based Realme UI 2.1. 

Since iPhones compatible with Magsafe have concentric magnetic rings inside, Realme could be using similar magnetic film on the Flash just so the charging coil can perfectly align with the magnetic wireless charger. 

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RedmiBook 15 price, specifications leak ahead of India launch

Specifications and India price of the upcoming RedmiBook laptop have surfaced ahead of the August 3 launch. The notebook will allegedly be called the RedmiBook 15 and has similar specs as the variant that launched in Indonesia last week. According to the report, it features a 15.6-inch FHD display, 11th Gen processors, SSD storage, and 8GB RAM. 

RedmiBook 15 Price in India

According to the leak procured by 91Mobiles, the RedmiBook 15 will cost under Rs. 50,000 in India. This isn’t exactly surprising since Xiaomi’s more premium Mi Notebook has four models priced between Rs. 38,999 to Rs. 54,999 in India, where only the flagship model surpasses the 50K mark. 

Xiaomi had earlier confirmed availability on Flipkart in a promotional teaser. We can also safely assume that the RedmiBook 15 will also be available for purchase on Mi.com.

RedmiBook 15 Specifications 

On a promotional page, Xiaomi has confirmed a 15.6-inch display size, Intel 11th gen processors, SSD storage, and hinted at 10 hours of battery backup. The page also reveals the design of the RedmiBook 15 in charcoal black colour with a chicklet keyboard and sizeable bezels. 

According to the leak, the RedmiBook 15 display will have a Full HD display. It will be powered by 11th generation Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors paired with 8GB RAM. Xiaomi will bring two SSD storage options in India - 256GB and 512GB. 

The leak asserts that RedmiBook 15 will ship with a 65W charger in India. Similar to the model introduced in Indonesia, the notebook will include an HD webcam and two 2W speakers with DTS audio. 

As for the software, Redmibook will run on Windows 10 OS, but users will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 once the new version is ready for full release (expected by late November). Connectivity options include dual-band Wi-Fi, USB Type-C 3.1, USB Type-A, USB 2.0, HDMI, and audio jack. 

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Microsoft Windows 11 Public Beta is now available to install

Microsoft has released the first public beta of Windows 11 for Windows Insiders in the Beta channel. The Redmond giant had earlier released the first developer preview of the Windows 11, a few days after the new OS was officially presented. 

Microsoft says that the current Windows 11 build in the Beta channel is more stable and closer to the final build than the latest build in the Developer channel that shares the same build number (22000.100). 

Beta channel builds are for early adopters and are generally deemed safe enough for use on primary PCs. If you are not very tech-savvy, but are eager to try Windows 11 before it is globally available, the Beta should be a decent bet. It should be noted that the final stable version is expected in late November. If you are planning to install the Windows 11 Beta, do know that there will still be bugs and you should back up important data before you proceed. 

How can I install Windows 11 Beta?

First, check if you have a compatible PC. Apart from hardware requirements, you can go to Device Manager >> Security Devices and check if you have Trusted Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0). 

Also Check: Here's how to bypass the Windows 11 TPM 2.0 requirement and install the OS on an older, unsupported hardware

Now, go to Settings, open Update & Security and select Windows Insider Program. Click on ‘Get started’ and link your Microsoft Account.  Pick the appropriate channel - Beta in this case. 

Restart your computer, and check for updates under Settings >> Update and Security. 

That’s it. Just download the Windows 11 Beta and follow the rest of the instructions to complete the installation. 

What’s new in Windows 11?

Windows 11 brings forth a cleaner Mac-like design with a centrally aligned start menu and taskbar. Users will be able to access widgets and teams app directly from the taskbar. Microsoft has also added some Xbox features like Auto HDR and DirectStorage for PC gamers. There’s also better support for extended monitors, a snap layout for better multitasking, a new action center, and a modern file explorer. 

Windows 11 will also get support for Android apps, which users will be able to download via the Amazon App store linked to the Windows store.

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Xbox, Krispy Kreme Partner for Limited Edition Doughnuts to Celebrate 20 Years of the Gaming Console

Krispy Kreme, the American doughnut and coffeehouse chain, and gaming giant Xbox have joined hands to introduce 'The Nexus Level,' a limited-edition doughnut. The delicacy will be available in offline and online stores in the UK and Ireland from August 2 to August 22, said Krispy Kreme in a promotional video posted on Twitter.

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AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT Graphics Cards Announced for 1080p Gaming

The Radeon RX 6600 XT is for gamers who want high performance and high refresh rates at 1080p.

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Micromax In 2B with Airfunk 1 and Airfunk 1 Pro TWS earbuds launched in India: Price, specifications and availability

The Micromax In 2B has officially launched in India as the latest budget phone from the company. It follows the In 1B that marked the comeback of Micromax in the market alongside the In Note 1. Micromax is also venturing into the audio product category with two new pairs of earphones that it’s calling the Airfunk 1 and Airfunk 1 Pro. The former is a budget wireless earphone while the Airfunk 1 Pro offers noise-cancelling features. Let’s take a brief look at the price, specifications and availability of Micromax In 2B and the Airfunk 1 and 1 Pro TWS earbuds.

Micromax In 2B pricing and availability

The Micromax In 2B is priced starting at Rs 7,999 for the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and Rs 8,999 for the 6GB+64GB storage variant.

It goes on its first sale on August 6 on Flipkart and Micromax official website.

Micromax In 2B specifications

Micromax In 2B features a 6.52-inch HD+ (1600x720 pixels) display that has a waterdrop notch cutout for the selfie camera. Being a budget phone, the In 2B has a plastic build that measures 8.9 millimetres in thickness and weighs 188 grams. It is being offered in three colours: Blue, Black and Green.

The Micromax In 2B is powered by the UniSOC T610 processor that has an octa-core CPU. The In 2B is the first phone in India to use the T610 SoC that has two Cortex-A75 cores running at 1.8GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.8GHz which are backed by the ARM G52 GPU. This is paired with upto 6GB LPDDR4x RAM and 64GB storage options to choose from. There is also an option to expand the storage with upto 256GB microSD card. It runs on stock Android 11

Micromax In 2B has a dual camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 13MP camera that uses a Samsung sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 2MP depth camera. On the front, there is a 5MP selfie camera housed within the notch. The rear cameras can record in 1080p at 30FPS.

There is a fingerprint reader on the back and the In 2B is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery.

Micromax Airfunk 1 and Airfunk 1 Pro pricing and features

The Micromax Airfunk 1 Pro TWS earbuds is equipped with 13mm dynamic drivers and Qualcomm QCC 3040 chip that also offers environmental noise cancellation features. The Airfunk 1 Pro is also IP44 rated which makes it splash-proof and dust resistant. Micromax claims that these TWS earphones offer 7 hours worth of listening time on single charge and 32 hours with the charging case. It also supports touch inputs for music playback control, answering calls and more.

Meanwhile, the Micromax Airfunk 1 features 9mm audio drivers that are tuned to offer a bass-centric performance and is also IP44 certified. It is claimed to offers 5 hours worth of listening time and 15 hours with the charging case. Like the Airfunk 1 Pro, the Airfunk 1 also offers touch controls and a voice changing feature.

The Micromax Airfunk 1 is priced at Rs 1,299 while the Airfunk 1 Pro is priced at Rs 2,499 in India. Both the TWS earbuds will go on its first sale from August 18 on Flipkart and Micromax official website.

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AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT mid-range GPU for 1080p gaming announced: Price, Specifiations

AMD has outed a new Radeon RX 6600 XT for the mid-range gaming market. The RX 6600 XT targets 1080p gaming and promises 9.6 teraflops performance. AMD is confident that it will outshine the Nvidia's RTX 3060 12GB at 1080p that was launched at $329 but sells for a lot more. 

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT Specifications 

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is based on RDNA 2 architecture and like all RDNA 2 graphics cards, it has a pretty fast game clock of 2,359MHz. The Infinity Cache is 32MB which is significantly less than 96MB and 128MB that we have on other RX 6000-series graphics cards. AMD assures that the infinity cache will prove adequate for 1080p gaming. 

It features or 2048 streaming processors or 32 Compute Units (CUs) which is just eight short of RX 6700 XT that sells for $479 and is meant for 1440p gaming. AMD also adds 32 Ray Accelerators that should be good enough for up to medium ray tracing settings in compatible games as of today. Going by the ray tracing performance of RX 6700 XT, we expect the RX 6600 XT to fall behind Nvidia rivals in this regard.

The 6600 XT also has 8GB of onboard GDDR6 memory. PCIe bus width is limited to Gen4 X8 as the graphics card hasn’t been designed to handle high-end workloads. The TDP starts out at 160W. Other standard AMD features included are Smart Memory Access, Radeon Boost, Radeon Anti-Lag, and FidelityFX Super Resolution.

Also Check: What are AMD Advantage Gaming Laptops and how can they help you get better value for money

AMD expects the performance to fall somewhere between RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti. According to AMD’s testing on three Nvidia promoted games, 3 AMD promoted games, and agnostic titles, the RX 6600 XT outperformed Nvidia RTX 3060 12GB by 15 per cent. 

These titles include Battlefield 5, Cyberpunk 2077, Death Stranding, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Borderlands 3, and Resident Evil Village, Doom Eternal, Forza Horizon 4, Hitman 3, and Horizon Zero Dawn. 

It must be mentioned that ray tracing, DLSS, or FidelityFX Super Resolution were not enabled for these tests. 

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT Price and Availability 

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT will be out on August 11, 2021, for a suggested starting price of $379 and will be available for desktops and laptops. AMD assures that people will be able to buy it at the launch price. There will of course be pricier custom options from AMD’s AIB partners as well. 

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Huawei P50 series launched with 50MP cameras and more: Specifications and features

Huawei has finally launched the P50 and P50 Pro smartphones in the Chinese market. The phones offer high-end specifications and also sport an interesting design. Interestingly, Huawei has launched the Pro model in two variants, with the first one powered by the company's own Kirin 9000 SoC while the other flaunting a Snapdragon 888 chipset possibly for international markets. 

On the other hand, the Huawei P50 only comes in a single Snapdragon 888 variant. The two phones also sport a ton of other features, however, both only offer 4G connectivity despite actually housing 5G-ready chips inside. The two phones also offer powerful cameras, with the P50 Pro sporting a quad-lens set-up while the P50 getting a three-camera system.  

Huawei P50 Pro

Talking about the specifications, Huawei P50 Pro brings with itself a 6.6-inch full-HD+ OLED display with curves on both sides and support for up to 120Hz refresh rate. There's also support for a 300Hz touch sampling rate and the display provides a 450ppi pixel density and covers the DCI-P3 wide colour gamut.  

Under the hood, it comes with two processor options, the HiSilicon Kirin 9000 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. This has been paired with up to 12GB RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. This can also be expanded using an SD card. For cameras, the Huawei Huawei P50 Pro gets a quad lens set-up that includes a 50-megapixel primary colour lens with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation. This is sat next to a 40-megapixel monochrome lens with f/1.6 aperture, and a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture, as well as a 64-megapixel telephoto camera with f/3.5 aperture. The phone's cameras support 3.5x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. For selfies, we have a 13-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture.

The new Huawei P50 Pro is backed by a 4,360mAh battery with 66W Wired Super Fast Charge and 50W Wireless Super Fast Charge. The phone also supports wireless reverse charging. 

Huawei P50 

This one is the more modest of the two offerings. It comes with a slightly smaller 6.5-inch full-HD+ OLED display with up to a 90Hz refresh rate. The other specs are same as the other display as it also flaunts a 458ppi pixel density and support for DCI-P3 wide colour gamut. As mentioned above, the phone is only available in a single Snapdragon 888 SoC variant which is paired with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. 

The triple camera setup on Huawei P50 is interesting on paper. It has a primary 50-megapixel camera with f/1.8 aperture, a secondary 13-megapixel lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. It supports 5x optical zoom and 50x digital zoom. Lights here are kept on by a 4,100mAh battery with 66W Wired Super Fast Charge. The phone is IP68-rated water and dust resistant.

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Realme 8s with MediaTek Dimensity 810 and 64MP triple cameras leaked in new renders

Realme 8s with MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G chipset has leaked in new renders that show off the design of the upcoming phone. Realme 8s has been previously tipped to launch alongside the Realme 8i in India very soon. The Realme 8s will likely sit between the Realme 8 5G and the Realme 8 Pro that have launched in May and March respectively. Realme seems to be looking to expand the Realme 8 lineup with two more phones and the Realme 8s supports 5G connectivity as per the latest leak.

And this is the #Realme8s! (official press renders + specs) On behalf of my Friends over @91mobiles -> https://t.co/opguUjojZS pic.twitter.com/VaRfw9GMMc

— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) July 29, 2021

The latest leak by OnLeaks in association with 91Mobiles reveals the Realme 8s renders along with its key specifications. The Realme 8s is said to be powered by the Dimensity 810 processor which is yet to be announced by MediaTek. 

Realme 8s leaked renders

credit: 91Mobiles

The Realme 8s leaked renders show us the design of the phone which is in line with the rest of the Realme 8 series. It has got a shiny purple finish on the back with curved edges. There is a triple camera setup that has been made to look like a quad-camera array along with a LED flash.

The power button on the right edge doubles up as a fingerprint reader and the volume rockers are on the left side along with the SIM tray. Down at the bottom, we get a speaker grille, 3.5mm audio jack and a Type-C port in the middle. 

Realme 8s leaked specifications

The Realme 8s is rumoured to feature a 6.5-inch display with support for a 90Hz refresh rate. This is likely the same display as we saw on the Realme 8 5G which used an LCD panel offering Full HD+ (2400x1080 pixels) resolution and upto 600 nits peak brightness.

Realme 8s is powered by the Dimensity 810 processor that brings in 5G support and is paired with 6GB/8GB of RAM and upto 256GB storage variants. The phone will run on Android 11 based Realme UI 2.0 out-of-the-box.

The leak by OnLeaks reveals that the Realme 8s has triple cameras on the back that is headlined by the 64MP primary camera and there is a 16MP selfie camera on the front as well. Though there is no information on the other two rear cameras, it is expected to use a macro and depth sensor combination.

As for the battery, the Realme 8s is said to be equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging out-of-the-box.

We will know more about the Realme 8s as we near its launch date which is currently not known. That said, we will be keeping an eye out for any developments and will update you as and when more details are revealed.

 

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Nothing Ear 1 Review: A masterclass in design under a budget

The Nothing Ear 1 is a true masterclass in design, especially when it comes to earphones that don't burn a hole in your pocket. Priced under 6K, the Nothing Ear 1 is a feature-packed pair of truly wireless earbuds, although there are some misses such as lack of voice assistant support and mediocre wear detection performance. Despite these shortcomings, you get a pair of earphones that look absolutely breathtaking, have a decent total playback time, and decent sound quality.

Ex OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei's new venture dubbed "Nothing" has generated quite a bit of buzz in the tech community. The company's mission is to remove the barriers between people and technology, and the first product from the newly-founded company is the Nothing Ear 1. The device has caused a stir in the market due to its unique transparent design. Launched on July 27, the Nothing Ear 1’s design has been a talking point amongst enthusiasts since many expected the buds to have a completely transparent design, as indicated by the Concept design Nothing shared, which people believed to be the final product. The design on the final product is actually semi-transparent with the stem part of the earbuds being transparent instead of the whole earbud. The design language is meant to set itself apart from the sea of similar-looking TWS flooding the market. Priced at Rs 5,999, the Nothing Ear 1 looks like an enticing offering since it features a unique design and some premium features such as Active Noise Cancellation. All without breaking the bank. So, let’s put the Nothing Ear 1 through its paces and find out if these earbuds are worth the hype, and your money.

Nothing Ear 1: Specifications

The Nothing Ear 1 sports an 11.6mm dynamic driver and features the latest Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity with support for SBC and AAC audio codecs. The earbuds are tuned with the help of Swedish consumer electronics company Teenage Engineering. The charging case and the earbuds feature a semi-transparent design that allows users to peek at some of the components inside the earphones. Each earbud weighs merely 4.7g while the charging case weighs 57.4g. 

The buds come with support for Active Noise Cancellation for when you want to be cocooned in an auditory bubble and Transparency Mode for when you want to hear your surroundings. The Ear 1 also comes with Clear Voice Technology backed by a triple microphone setup.

As for battery life, the Nothing Ear 1 comes with a playtime of 5.7 hours on the buds alone without ANC on, and 4 hours with ANC on. Total playback along with the charging case, without ANC turned on stands at 34 hours, and with ANC turned on is 24 hours. The buds also have fast charging support where 10 minutes of charging the device will net users 1.2 hours of playback with ANC on, and 50 minutes of playback with ANC turned off. Additionally, the case can be charged up wirelessly on any Qi certified wireless charger.

The buds come with app support that allows users to tweak some settings. The app has the same name as the earbuds - Ear 1 and is available for both Android and iOS devices. Lastly, the buds come with IPX4 splash resistance. 

Nothing Ear 1: Build and comfort

If you're looking for a pair of truly wireless earbuds that stand out from the crowd, the Nothing Ear 1 does that exceedingly well. Despite not sporting the fully transparent design that was showcased as a concept, the semi-transparent buds definitely don’t look like others on the market, at this price point. Right from the moment you set your eyes on the charging case, scratch that, the box, the difference is tangible. 

The transparent body of the case, while made out of plastic, looks deceptively like glass and Nothing claims that the material won't degrade or turn yellow over time. The transparent case allows you to glance at the earbuds inside, as well as the tiny battery indicator LED light with it still being closed. The earbuds and the case are graced with a font that you'll likely not find on any other earbuds' box, and the whole design language is a gorgeous fusion between industrial and elegance. 

The earbuds, while not completely transparent, look extremely interesting. The stem portion of the buds is transparent and you can see a considerable number of components within the buds including the microphones, magnets, and even some silicone. The top half of the buds feature a regular white angled nozzle with a silicone ear tip sitting on the top. We have reviewed a pair of transparent IEMs before called the Shure Aonic 5, but those are exorbitantly priced at Rs 42,999, so it's impressive to see a similar design on a TWS priced at Rs 5,999.

The charging case houses the USB-C charging port and the pairing button on the right side and a pretty sizable indent on the top of the case to assist with opening it up. The case can also be opened one-handed, however, it isn't very easy to do so. Some muscle memory should make opening the case one-handed easier over time. 

The case houses strong magnets to hold the earbuds and they don't fall out of the box even if you violently jerk it around, which is reassuring. The case shuts close with an audible, satisfying snap, which we love. It is also a pretty pocketable case due to its flat design, although if you are wearing skinny jeans, the case may bulge out slightly.

Moving on to the fit and comfort of the Nothing Ear 1, the earbuds twist and lock securely in place and create a very snug and comfortable fit for the most part. The company has provided two extra sizes of silicone ear tips in the box, so it should fit most ears. The fit is extremely secure and doesn't budge in the slightest even when moving your head about frantically. It's safe to say that the buds will remain in place even during intensive workouts or while running. Additionally, the IPX4 rating ensures that the earbuds can shrug off sweat and light splashes as well, so you don't need to worry about liquid damage from sweat or light rains.

The Nothing Ear 1 earbuds are also pretty comfortable to wear over extended periods of time. The angled nozzles of the earbud sit snugly in the ear and there isn't too much strain to one's ear when wearing these. We tested out these earphones for hours on end and only found our inner ear getting slightly sore after about 2-3 hours of continuous listening, which is pretty good. The back of the earbuds' stems house touch controls for various actions. The touch panel was adequately responsive and fairly accurate during our testing process.

Nothing Ear 1: Active Noise Cancellation, Ear 1 App and other features

The Nothing Ear 1 is a pretty feature-laden pair of true wireless earphones under 6K. Not only does the Nothing Ear 1 come equipped with Active Noise Cancellation, it also has a plethora of other features. Let's start with the headlining feature Active Noise Cancellation or ANC. The Nothing Ear 1 sports two modes of ANC – Light and Maximum that you can toggle between via the accompanying Ear 1 app. The former is good for times when you want a level of isolation that's immersive, but not all-encompassing, while the latter blocks out considerably more ambient noise. 

At Maximum ANC mode, the Nothing Ear 1 does a fairly good job at blocking out low-end, constant ambient sounds such as the hum of an AC, the drone of an airplane, and more. It will not drown out higher-pitch or erratic sounds such as a high-speed fan, typing on a mechanical keyboard and some human voices. This is fairly common at this price point, and Nothing has done a pretty good job implementing ANC into its first-gen product. 

The device also comes with Transparent Mode that amplifies ambient noise, so you can hear your surroundings while listening to music. This helps in situations where you want to be aware of your surroundings such as a road with traffic or a train station / airport with important announcements. Transparent Mode on these earbuds is slightly erratic. At one moment you will hear the ambient noises clearly and suddenly the levels of ambient noise will drop to something more akin to normal mode with no ANC. With the latest firmware update, some of these issues with Transparency Mode are less pronounced.

Speaking of firmware updates, we experienced an issue in the app where no matter the number of times we performed a firmware update, it kept showing us that the same update was ready to be installed again. We spoke to Nothing about this issue and they provided us with an APK to update to the latest firmware. The issues with Transparency Mode and the firmware updates seem to be sorted out with this update.

ANC and Transparency Mode aside, you have the Ear 1 app, available on both Android and iOS, that allows users to tweak some settings on these earbuds. The app does basic things such as display the battery percentage remaining on your earbuds and the charging case. It can also be used to customise the touch controls, although the options are fairly limited here. By default, the touch controls are set to pause/play music with a double tap, skip to the track with a triple tap and switch between noise cancellation modes with a touch and hold. 

In the app, you cannot customise the function of a double tap, but you can change the triple tap function to next song, previous song or no action at all. You can also choose to have no action assigned to the touch and hold command instead of noise cancellation, but that's about it. To control the volume, you can slide your finger up and down the stem to increase or decrease volume respectively, which is pretty neat. However, there's no voice assistant command on these buds which is frankly, baffling, seeing that some TWS under 2K also implement this feature. All in all, even though we do have customisable touch controls via the app, there's not much you can do with them at this moment. 

Apart from touch controls, you can also switch between noise cancellation profiles within the Ear 1 app and choose between four preset EQ settings – Balanced, More Treble, More Bass, and Voice. We found the Balanced EQ to be the most, well... balanced sound profile across genres, however, you can change the EQ settings as per your preference. There's no custom EQ setting, but owing to its low price point, we don't really expect one. 

The Ear 1 app also allows users to change themes with dark mode turned on by default (nice!), customise the case's LED light, perform firmware updates, find your earbuds in a pinch if you've misplaced them and toggle in-ear detection. In-ear detection uses sensors within the earbuds to pause the music automatically when removed from the ear, and play it when reinserted in the ear. This worked okay, for the most part, however, there was a slight delay between removing the buds and the music actually pausing.

The Nothing Ear 1 also comes with other features such as Mono earbud use where both earbuds act as masters and can be used independently of each other, there's Qi wireless charging support and Fast Pairing as well. Overall, they are a feature-rich pair of earphones, although we really missed having voice assistant support on these buds.

Nothing Ear 1: Performance

As mentioned before, the Nothing Ear 1 sports an 11.6mm dynamic driver and is tuned with the help of Teenage Engineering. It supports SBC and AAC codecs, and while we wish the earbuds had support for more advanced codecs, it is understandable to give it a miss to keep the price affordable. For a single-driver setup, these earbuds sport a pretty decent sound signature. The buds have a V-shaped sound signature where the lows and highs are slightly accentuated in comparison to the mids. 

For objective testing, we use a product from a measurement mic from SLS Audio (Denmark), which is made to test earphones. For our Audio interface device, we use the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. This is all hooked up to a PC running the SMAART-Di v2 software, which allows us to generate frequency response graphs for headphones that will ultimately indicate their sound signature. 

Uncompensated frequency response of Nothing Ear 1 (Light Green) vs Flat Response (Light Blue)

In the uncompensated frequency response graph generated, you can see that the lows from 20 Hz to about 100 Hz are exaggerated, creating a bass rich experience. Despite the exaggeration, the bass is tuned well and didn't sound muddy or boomy at any point. The mids are mostly in line with the ideal flat response, however, the exaggerated bass response can cause some auditory masking in the mids. Therefore, when you listen to songs with a lot of bass, vocals and lead instruments sometimes sound slightly veiled. 

There is a peak in the frequency response graph from 1K Hz to 4K Hz that means the highs stand out prominently in the mix, although there is a dip off past 8K Hz which may obscure some detail since the human hearing can reach up to 20kHz. The peak at 1-4K causes some shrillness in the highs if you listen at loud volumes levels, so keep that in mind.

Uncompensated frequency response of Nothing Ear 1 (Light Green) vs Reference IEM (Orange)

The Nothing Ear 1 has a fairly pleasing sound signature that works well with genres such as pop, rap, EDM, hip hop, Bollywood, and even rock, to some extent. The close to neutral mids frequency response works well when you listen to podcasts as well. Overall, at under 6K, the Nothing Ear 1 is one of the better sounding TWS we've heard. The bass response has punch but doesn't sound muddy, the mids are clear and detailed but some from slight auditory masking from the bass, and the highs are decently reproduced. 

The soundstage isn't wide at all, but that's expected with in-ear headphones, especially at this price, however, the imaging and positioning is pretty immaculate. There's some distortion, especially in the highs, when you listen to these earbuds at over 90 percent volume, so try to use them at lower volumes. We found 60-70 per cent volume to be the sweet spot. Additionally, there's very little difference in the sound signature with ANC turned on and off.

Moving on to the microphone, the Nothing Ear 1 features three high-definition microphones and comes with Clear Voice Technology that fires up algorithms to cancel out ambient sound when on calls. We found the microphones on these buds to be pretty decent, for the most part, however, if you're in a windy area there may be some disturbance. 

Finally, moving on to connectivity, the Nothing Ear 1 is powered by the latest Bluetooth version 5.2 and the connection was extremely solid during our testing process. We never experienced any sort of lags, skips or stutters in the connection. When watching videos on YouTube and Netflix or playing games such as Call of Duty Mobile, we experienced slight latency, however, it is barely noticeable. Additionally, the Bluetooth range is also pretty good. The company claims 33 feet of transmission range, without obstacles. In our testing, we found that you usually have to go pretty far for the connection to crack or drop at all.

Nothing Ear 1: Battery life

Finally, let's move on to the battery life of the Nothing Ear 1. The company claims that the buds have a playtime of 5.7 hours on the buds and 34 hours in total with the charging case, without ANC turned on. If you do turn it on at all times, the company claims 4 hours of playtime on the buds alone, and 24 hours in total with the charging case. 

We kept the ANC on at all times when we were testing battery life. In our tests, the buds lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes at 70 per cent volume. The charging case was able to top off the earbuds 5 times over before needing to be charged. The playtime on the buds alone is definitely on the lower side since inexpensive ANC buds like the Realme Buds Q2 also come with 5 hours of playtime with ANC on, which is significantly higher. Nevertheless, the total battery life of the earbuds along with the charging case is pretty good.

 In our tests, the case charged up the earbuds from empty to full in a little over an hour. 10 minutes of charging gives you about 50 minutes of playtime with ANC turned on, which is again, slightly lacklustre. 

What's good here is Qi wireless charging support. If you have a wireless charger, or a phone with reverse wireless charging support, it is extremely convenient to simply plonk down the case on the pad without worrying about wires. It's great to have wireless charging support at this price point, and it's not something we see often in the budget to mid-range TWS segment.

Nothing Ear 1: Verdict

The Nothing Ear 1 is a true masterclass in design, especially when it comes to earphones that don't burn a hole in your pocket. The transparent case and earbuds immediately stand out from the crowd and the earbuds are also pretty comfortable to wear over long periods. Priced under 6K, the Nothing Ear 1 is also a feature-packed pair of truly wireless earbuds, although there are some misses such as lack of voice assistant support and mediocre wear detection performance. 

Despite these shortcomings, you get a pair of earphones that look absolutely breathtaking, have a decent total playback time and good sound. While the sound signature definitely won't appease the purists or audiophiles out there, most people will enjoy the commercially tuned sound signature that highlights the bass and highs. If you're scouring the market for an affordable pair of TWS earphones that stand out from the crowd when it comes to design and wow you with its feature-set, the Nothing Ear 1 gets our stamp of approval.

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Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 specs leaked: 4nm process, Cortex-X2 Core, and more

Qualcomm recently upgraded the Snapdragon 888 to its Plus variant and we are already hearing rumours of the next-in-line Snapdragon 898 that’s expected to power flagships phones in 2022.  

The leak comes from popular tipster Ice Universe (via Mydrivers) who claims that the next-generation Snapdragon 898 will be based on the latest 4nm process and have Cortex-X2 cores clocked at up to 3.09GHz

The leak doesn’t specify if the performance and power cores will employ the latest ARM IPs like Cortex-A710 and Cortex-A510 or not. 

Snapdragon 898 Specifications and Details - Not the first to cross the 3.0GHz threshold

The Snapdragon 898 will be manufactured on the 4nm process and will have the Cortex-X2 based Prime core clocked at up to 3.09 GHz. In comparison, the Snapdragon 888 Plus maxes out at 2.995 GHz and the Snapdragon 888 at 2.84GHz. 

This is not the first time that Qualcomm has breached the 3.0GHz threshold, though. In fact, the Snapdragon 865+ also had its Prime Cortex-A77 core clocked at up to 3.09GHz and Qualcomm later backtracked with the Snapdragon 888. The reason for the same is quite clear now, even with lower clock speed, the Snapdragon 888 doesn't score well when it comes to power efficiency. 

ARM’s Cortex-X2 belongs to the ARM’s X-series architecture that debuted with the Cortex-X1. Unlike with the Cortex-A series IP, ARM’s objective here is to maximize performance without prioritizing PPA (Power Performance, Area) dictates. The probable reason is to make the chipsets using Cortex-X2 cores suitable for more demanding devices like laptops and convertibles. 

At the same time, considering that the current generation chipsets with Cortex-X1 cores like Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100 don’t exactly shine when it comes to power efficiency, the switch to a higher frequency of 3.09 GHz for the more power hungry Cortex-X2 core doesn’t sound like a reason to rejoice just yet. We will need to wait and watch to know how much of a difference the new 4nm process node makes in this regard. 

ARM announced that the Cortex-X2 cores in May this year and projected peak performance improvements of 16% as compared to the Cortex-X1 cores. These figures will be realized only if the next generation chipsets like Snapdragon 898 upgrade the L3 cache from 4MB to 8MB. 

Meanwhile, MediaTek is reportedly trying to beat Qualcomm to market with its own 4nm chipset that’s expected to narrow the performance gap between MediaTek’s current Dimensity flagship and Qualcomm’s top of the line Snapdragon 888. 

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The PS5s M2 SSD installation support page is the most unnecessarily complicated guide youll read today

So, you’ve bought your PS5, played a bunch of cool games like Returnal, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Spider-Man: Miles Morales but, you're running out of space! Well, Sony has just released a new support page for beta users to ‘try’ and add an M.2 SS to their PS5 consoles. At first glance, this seems awfully complicated for a simple SSD expansion but you can go through the support document to judge it for yourselves. The support page also goes on to state that the new M.2 SSD expansion support firmware will only be available to beta users right now. 

We assume the feature will roll out for all users in the coming months. The support page also details the type of M.2 SSD that is compatible with the PS5. In a rather humorous turn, the page also goes on to state that you will need a well-lit room with a table to work on. A #1 Phillips or cross-head screwdriver and an optional flashlight, just in case you need an extra burst of light since Sony assumes most people work deep down in the coalmines of Tanzania. But we digress.  

PS5 M.2 SSD installation now available for beta users

As Eurogamer also states, there are a whopping 12 steps to installing the M.2 SSD to the PS5! Xbox users will know that the equivalent expansion on the Series X literally requires you to plug it in and forget about it. Just one simple, uncomplicated step. Installing the M.2 SSD in the PS5 reads like a manual on how to diffuse a thermonuclear warhead. And, if that wasn’t enough, you’ll have to adhere to a set of strict specifications and dimensions when buying an M.2 SSD that is compatible with the PS5. Seagate and one other brand have also announced compatible drives. You can check out the images below for a rough idea of what kind of magical M.2 SSD you’ll need. 

For anyone attempting to install an M.2 SSD into your PS5, we wish you all the best!

 

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Amazon reportedly offering free Kindle Oasis and Fabric Cover to First-Gen Kindle owners

Old Kindle models with 3G support will not be able to connect to cellular networks starting from December this year. The change will primarily impact users in the US where carriers are phasing out 2G and 3G starting from the end of 2021. 

Extending a sweat gesture, Amazon is upgrading the first generation Kindle K1 owners in the US to the latest Kindle Oasis (10th gen) for free. According to screenshots shared by a Reddit user, Amazon’s expensive fabric case cover is also bundled along. 

The offer shows up in the Amazon app and reads as follows: 

“Thank you for being one of our earliest customers, and for still reading on your Kindle 1st generation device.”

Kindle models that will lose internet access include Kindle (first generation), Kindle (second generation), and Kindle DX (second generation). These devices don’t have Wi-Fi, so owners will only be able to read existing content or probably side-load ebooks and documents.  

Amazon has also sold Kindle models with 3G connectivity starting from the second-generation Kindle Paperwhite that launched in India in 2014, but these models also have Wi-Fi connectivity and consumers will still be able to download and purchase new books and frankly won’t be missing out on much. 

Kindle models with Wi-Fi that will lose 3G connectivity include Kindle Keyboard (third generation), Kindle Touch (fourth generation), Kindle Paperwhite (fifth generation), Kindle Paperwhite (sixth generation), Kindle Paperwhite (seventh generation), Kindle Voyage (seventh generation), and Kindle Oasis (eighth generation).

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Steve Jobs 1973 job application is auctioned off for a staggering 343,000

Have you ever had someone try to buy your job application? Sounds strange, right? But, a new report has emerged that states that a job application filled out by the late Steve Jobs has actually being auctioned off for $343,000 (Rs 2,54,80,320 approx converted). The report also states that it is the highest ever amount that the job application has been listed as. This was the fourth time the artefact was put up for auction. You can check out the old school application below. 

It seems that the application was filled out by Jobs when he was but a wee lad of 18. This was three years before he founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. We aren’t sure exactly what position he was applying for, but based on the man’s experience and his passion, he was probably looking at a technical job. The auction winners were not identified. 

It seems strange that a job application is worth so much, but to be fair, it did belong to one of the titans of the tech industry. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that Jobs changed the way we look at smartphones and a ton of other devices. His work in Apple and his passion put the company on the map and has since become one of the biggest and most influential companies in the world. 

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Xiaomi Mi Band X with 360-degree Wraparound Display allegedly in the works

Xiaomi is allegedly working on a futuristic Mi Band X that has a 360-degree wraparound display. A few leaked presentation photos reveal that the flexible screen will wrap around a users wrist and snap magnetically. There is no conventional buckle pr clasp to break the continuity. 

The slides also assure that the Mi Band X will be a slim and light product, but that’ll also make it tricky for Xiaomi to make room for a sizeable battery needed to fuel the extra-large display. 

#Xiaomi - Xiaomi working a new watch that look very similar to Nubia Alpha Watch and it'll be called "Mi Band X" Specifications - Extremely thin and light - 360°flexible scroll screen without strap design - Magnetic bracelet buckle - Obsidian color full of technology#MiBandX pic.twitter.com/0hThFKZ5qA

— Equal Leaks (@EqualLeaks) July 28, 2021 Xiaomi Mi Band X: Style or Substance?

Of course, whether the concept takes on will also largely depend on the applications of the 360-degree flexible screen. Come to think of it a cool use case could be the entire bracelet acting as a fill progress bar filling up as you reach your workout goal - though again that could be utterly harsh on the battery. The extra screen real state will also make it more convenient to check the phone’s notifications log and messages. 

Manufacturers like ZTE have earlier flirted with flexible displays on wearables for products like Nubia Alpha and Nubia Watch. However, the use of the extended flexible screen was mostly for making a style statement rather than adding tangible features. 

This isn’t the first time that Xiaomi is literally pushing the limits. Its obsession with wrap-around screens dates back to Mi Mix Alpha (first impressions), which did hit retail shelves but was never meant for the mass market. For all we know at this stage, the Mi Band X may very well end up being just a cool concept prototype. 

Even if the Mi Band X makes it to the consumer markets, it surely won’t be affordable as is given for Xiaomi’s other Mi band options like the recently launched Mi Band 6 that’s yet to make its way to India.

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PS Plus Free August Games Announced — Hunters Arena: Legends, Tennis World Tour 2, More

PlayStation Plus subscribers will be available to play three games — Hunters Arena: Legends, Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, and Tennis World Tour 2 — for free in August. All three games will be available to PS Plus subscribers on PS4, with only Hunters Arena: Legends available on both PS5 and PS4.

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Sony X80J 65-inch 4K HDR TV Review: Good panel performance, but is it worth the asking price

Should you buy the Sony X80J? Well, it all depends on what you are looking for. The panel has very good performance for content consumption in HDR and SDR like movies and TV shows and is also good for gaming. In real work use, the TV performs very well, giving good colour reproductions and an immersive experience. It does not have local dimming which affects its performance in a dark room, but a little bias lighting helps. The audio output is good as well. While we tested the 65-inch variant of this TV, know that it is available in screen sizes from 43-inches up to 75-inches. As of writing this review, the 65-inch variant is priced at Rs 1,34,990. That’s similarly priced to the Sony 55-inch X90J which has better picture performance, local dimming and Sony’s new XR processor. So, you are getting newer technology and better performance at the cost of screen size with the X90J. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the Mi QLED TV 75 which, for a similar price as the 65X80J, gives you QLED backlighting and local dimming along with a larger screen size. While the X80J has better colours than the Mi QLED TV, the Mi TVs local dimming is its strength for darkroom content consumption.

 

Sony’s 2020 flagship TVs may be dominated by the XR processor along with HDMI 2.1 and more bells and whistles. But the brand also has other options for you to consider in their 2021 lineup. Ranging from 43-inch all the way up to 75-inches we have the Sony X80J. It has Sony’s 4K HDR X1 picture processor (not the X1 Extreme powering 2020 flagships), comes with Sony’s Triluminos Pro display and also rocks the all-new Google TV UI. Is it a worthy consideration for the asking price? 

Sony X80J Specs at a glance

Panel Size: 65-inch (also available in 43, 50, 55, and 75-inch as well) Panel Type: IPS LED Panel Resolution: 3840 x 2160 - 4K Panel Refresh Rate: 60Hz HDR 10 support: Yes Dolby Vision Support: Yes Weight (with stand): approx. 21.6kgs HDMI Ports: 4 USB Ports: 2 Bluetooth: Yes Wi-Fi: Yes Ethernet: Yes Speakers: 20W (Bass Reflex Speaker, X-Balanced Speaker) Built-in storage: 16GB Price: MRP: 1,79,990. Best Price: Rs 1,34,990

Sony X80J Display and picture quality

Let's kick things off with the performance of the panel of the TV. It has an IPS panel which means you get wide viewing angles at the cost of deep blacks (more on that in a bit). The viewing angles are good unless you go to the absolute extreme. The TV can hit a peak brightness of a little over 400 nits but it hovers around the 350 nits mark for sustained use. It has a 4K resolution with support for HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. The panel can produce some really good colours thanks to the Triluminos Pro display, but how does it fare against the Sony X90J (review) with the XR processor we reviewed earlier and more importantly, against something like the Mi QLED TV 75 (review), which for a similar price, gives you a larger screen size with QLED backlighting with local dimming?

Sony X80J 4K and HDR performance

Firing up our Calman we can see that without calibration, the TV has an average delta error of 6.4 which is lower than what we’ve seen on some other TV, but higher than what we saw on the Sony X90J. Even with the 2-point grayscale, the error was high out of the box. However, the colour analysis shows an average delta error of 1.8 which is good. So, while the performance for colour accuracy may not be as good as the X90J out of the box, the panel performance is quite good for everyday content consumption. 

When we played our standard slew of HDR content on this TV, it just popped. In Our Planet on Netflix, you can see the stars in the night sky quite clearly and there were no dull or dark moments for HDR content. Even a movie like Ready Player One with the race at the 11-minute mark was a visual treat with its bright highlights.  

Even the slew of cars in the desert in the opening episode of the Grand Tour look rich without the green tint issue we’ve spoken off on so many other TVs. 

While the HDR effect isn’t as pronounced as what we’ve seen on the X90J, it’s better if not at par with some of the other TVs we’ve tested. We would have loved to have the Mi QLED TV next to this one, but alas, we no longer have it in our lab. Overall, the HDR output of the TV is good, giving you an immersive experience. For HDR 10 content, you have the same set of picture presets as SDR like Vivid, Standard, Cinema and more. We recommend the Cinema preset to get the best experience but you can switch to Standard as well. For Dolby Vision content you have Dolby Vision bright and Dolby Vision Dark and we recommend leaving it at Bright if you will consume content in a room with some bias lighting. 

Speaking of biased lighting, yes, since the TV does not have dimming zones, you do get the slight grey effect in dark sequences and it can be quite pronounced in a pitch-dark room. However, even a little bias lighting in the room can help eliminate this.

Sony X80J FHD performance

The SDR performance of this TV is very good. We saw our standard slew of content from Spider-Man: Homecoming to Young Sheldon and even Mission: Impossible and it’s a fun experience. Here, I’d say the Standard preset has the edge over Cinema for content like TV shows. In Young Sheldon, while the Cinema preset gave more accurate colours, the Standard preset had more of the visual punch one would expect for this type of content. For the movies, however, the Cinema preset worked well. While we generally tend to stay away from the Vivid preset, in this TV, the Vivid preset has the ability to make colours pop without making people look like they have jaundice and that is very good. For those of you that like the punchiness of Vivid, this TV may be the one for you. 

Even in Spider-Man Homecoming, we had Spidey's suit look the right shade of blue and red in both the Standard and Cinema preset with skin tones looking right. The preset changes the colour temperature to warm in cinema and makes the colours feel more natural. 

Sony X80J Gaming performance

We played our standard slew of games on this TV including God of War, Spider-Man Miles Morales (review), Dirt 5 (review) and some Last of Us Part 2 (review). The TV has HDMI 2.0 ports only with support for YUV422 for HDR content and has a refresh rate of 60Hz similar to the Mi QLED TV 75 we reviewed earlier. All the games we played on this TV looked really good. From the soft snow in the city in Spider-Man where the HDR pops while you are swinging towards the sun or even in Dirt 5 while racing in the tracks and the blinding sun coming at you. Even in God of War, the colours really pop on this TV. It was a fun gaming experience. 

Once again, it was in a totally dark room that the “grey” in the blacks were visible because of no dimming, but adding a bit of biased light to the room is a quick fix for this. Needless to say, for RGB HDR you will have to upgrade to the X90J in gaming thanks to HDMI 2.1. But those that want a larger size for the price, will be happy with the performance of this TV.  

Sony X80J Audio performance

The X80J can get quite loud to offer room-filling sound. Even at 40-45%, the audio was loud and clear in a large living room. While the speakers lack bass and some background scores in movies missed the punch, the overall sound quality is good. Dialogues are clear during movies, and mixed audio that has a conversation, with explosions in the background and a background score is distinguishable. Even the bangs and thuds in games hit the right notes. While a soundbar will definitely enhance the experience, you can enjoy the audio output from this TV for everyday TV viewing, some movies and gaming. 

Sony X80J UI

The UI here is identical to what we saw on the X90J with the absence of far-field mics. You have the same Google TV UI with the same fluidity and the same convenience of settings when switching picture presets when consuming content. The “For You” section which we’ve seen in the Google TV videos and photos online is not here. While the apps tab is replacing the Play Store for you to search for apps, there is no place for you to quickly go to see if an app needs an update. Just like the X90J, on the X80J I had to use the Google Assistant to navigate to the section where I can check for app updates. 

Once again HDMI ports 3 and 4 support enhanced format to enable 4K HDR gaming and I recommend you go and switch it on as soon as you set up this TV. You can do this by going to Settings - Channel & Inputs - External Inputs - HDMI Signal Format. Here select the enhanced format for the HDMI input. 

Sony X80J Remote control

The remote control is once again identical to what we got on the X90J with the slim candy bar form factor and textured back. You have OTT hotkeys for Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube along with playback controls. Overall, the remote is well built, functional and works well. 

Sony X80J Build and design

The build of the X80J is very similar to what we saw on the X90J. It has 2 tabletop feet that slot into place and the feet are very slim. The 65-inch TV fit on my table where most other 65-inch TVs didn’t, so that’s a very good thing. The TV does wobble a bit when probed, but then again, how often do you tap the TV once it’s set up? The feet also come with external clips you can use for cable management. The back has a simple design. 

The placement of the ports is pretty standard. They are all on the right side of the TV facing outwards. We have two USB ports, optical audio out, headphones port, AV port, four HDMI ports, ethernet port and a good old antenna. 

Sony X80J Bottom Line

Should you buy the Sony X80J? Well, it all depends on what you are looking for. The panel has very good performance for content consumption in HDR and SDR like movies and TV shows and is also good for gaming. In real work use, the TV performs very well giving good colour reproductions and an immersive experience. It does not have local dimming which affects its performance in a dark room, but a little bias lighting helps. The audio output is good too. While we tested the 65-inch variant of this TV, know that it is available in screen sizes from 43-inches up to 75-inches. As of writing this review, the 65-inch variant is priced at Rs 1,34,990. That’s similarly priced to the Sony 55-inch X90J which has better picture performance, local dimming and Sony’s new XR processor. So, you are getting newer technology and better performance at the cost of screen size with the X90J. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the Mi QLED TV 75 which, for a similar price as the 65X80J gives you QLED backlighting and local dimming along with a larger screen size. While the X80J has better colours than the Mi QLED TV, the Mi TVs local dimming is its strength for darkroom content consumption.

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