WhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform on the planet. As per Q3 2020 data, WhatsApp users send about 100 billion messages on a daily basis. So, that means a lot of typing and touching the phone. But, what if we told you there is a way to remotely send messages on WhatsApp using Google Assistant or Siri (depending on the phone you have). Well, so there are two ways, one each for Android and iOS users.
It looks like the ‘sequel curse’ has hit Apple MacBooks, as there have been reports that the SSDs on their latest M2-powered laptops are performing at almost half the speeds compared to their M1 predecessors. This problem was discovered after the first batch of laptops hit the stores and were purchased by consumers. However, it seems to be limited to the base model 13-inch MacBook Pro, which got a processor upgrade this year.
In 2020, Apple launched their first set of M1-powered laptops, which included the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. These laptops took no time to become fan favourites as their performance numbers were super impressive. Both these laptops got a processor upgrade this year when Apple announced their M2 chip. While the design of the MacBook Pro remained the same, Apple decided to overhaul the look of the MacBook Air. This put doubt in the minds of everyone about whether people would buy the base M2 MacBook Pro (13-inch) over the Air. Well, now, there seems to be another argument against the ‘Pro’ model.
This performance dip was first reported by YouTubers Max Tech and Created Tech. They got their hands on the M2 MacBook Pro (13-inch) and ran the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test on the devices. From the tests, it was revealed that the base model M2 model, had 34 per cent slower write speeds than the M1 model, and the read speeds were down by 50 per cent. The strangest thing is that this performance dip was only noticed in the base 256 GB variant of the laptop, while the higher-end ones, with more storage, did not have this issue.
These were numbers reported by the YouTuber Max Tech from the tests:
M1 MacBook Pro: 2900 MB/s (read speed) and 2215 MB/s (write speed) M2 MacBook Pro: 1446 MB/s (read speed) and 1463 MB/s (write speed)When Created Tech removed the back cover of the laptop, it was that Apple, instead of putting two 128 GB NAND chips in the base variant like last year, Apple had included only one 256 GB NAND Chip in the M2 model. This seems to be the most probable cause of the performance dip. However, the reason for this change remains under the wraps. One of the probable causes could be the global chip shortage that forced Apple to cut down the chip. Anyways there has been no communication from Apple yet. Now that this issue has been uncovered though, it will be interesting to see how Apple reacts to it.
As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.
At the Amazon Tech Summit, the tech giant teased a tech that could be cool or creepy, or even contentious. An Echo Dot was asked to do a task in the voice of a dead relative of the user and the thing responded in that voice. Now, although, Amazon vaunts endearing use cases like how you could get the sense of talking to a deceased loved one, the question is whether bad actors would also share the right intentions. Also, could we get Alexa to speak in the voice of our favorite celebrities?
Amazon Alexa Voice: How this tech could work
Rohit Prasad, senior vice president, and head scientist, Alexa artificial intelligence said the tech uses AI to synthesize voices based on the data from short audio clips fed to the machine learning system. The result aims to have “human attributes of empathy and affect.”
The biggest value proposition is that the new Alexa voice can “make [loved ones’] memories last”.
But not everybody buys this Amazon claim.
Rachel Tobac, chief executive of San Francisco-based SocialProof Security doesn’t think the “user-friendly voice-cloning technology” is ready. Speaking to Washington Post, she adds, “If a cybercriminal can easily and credibly replicate another person’s voice with a small voice sample, they can use that voice sample to impersonate other individuals. That bad actor can then trick others into believing they are the person they are impersonating, which can lead to fraud, data loss, account takeover, and more”.
Not to forget the ethical concerns of whether the deceased person’s approval is required to use the tech like this. So, lot’s of things to consider before the tech would become a reality someday.
As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.
Apple is expected to launch the AirPods Pro 2 alongside the iPhone 14 series, probably in a September event. But, months ahead of the event, the TWS earphones have appeared in a new leak through a Chinese website 52audio, that not only gives us a look at the design of this Pro-graded AirPods but also shares what to expect in terms of the AirPods Pro 2 features. Let’s dig in.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Features and Specs (Expected)
Beginning with the design, the case and the buds look fairly reminiscent of the precursor. They have got the white color with black and gray accents. The cradle seems to have a USB-C socket, something which is doubtful as some major publications believe otherwise. 9to5Mac thinks the Lightning Port is unlikely to leave Apple products until 2025.
Under the hood, the AirPods Pro 2 is said to ship with a new System-In-Package (SIP) for the H1 chip. This could bring "higher integration and better manufacturing technology". The key benefit has to be better Active Noise Cancelation (ANC).
The source also claims features like custom high-amplitude drivers, adaptive EQ, high dynamic range amplifiers, spatial audio for head tracking, and an audio sharing facility.
Now, the audio benefits of the AirPods lineup are likely to expand with a new Hearing Aid feature. Even the case appears to have microphones that could be used to transmit sounds to the earphone. The renders show the case also has speakers which could perform the Find My function to notify the location of the case.
As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.
Xiaomi is back in the tablet space and how! It sets a benchmark with its Xiaomi Pad 5 which goes heavy with features on offer but is light on the pocket. Its closest competitor is the Apple iPad (9th gen) which undoubtedly offers a better tablet experience, especially with its support of apps and games but, with the Pad 5 you’re getting some of the most high-end features at half the price, even when you include the supported accessories.
Xiaomi Pad 5 is packed with functional features to the brim and carries a reasonable price tag. It marks Xiaomi’s return to the tablet space in India after 8 long years and aims to offer a premium tablet experience rivalling Apple iPads. Xiaomi has enough experience with the Indian smartphone market that has helped it remain at the top of the game and with the Pad 5, it aims to replicate that success in the tablet segment. Right from the Dolby Vision certified display, powerful Snapdragon 800-series chipset, quad speakers and a large battery to boot, the Xiaomi Pad 5 offers everything you need for a great tablet experience and tries to make its case against the Apple iPad 2021 (9th gen). But does it have enough potential to be considered as an alternative to the mighty iPad? We try to find out in this review of the Xiaomi Pad 5.
Also Read: iPad Air (2022) Review - Utilitarian Maximus
Xiaomi Pad 5 review: Build and Design
The Xiaomi Pad 5 has a premium build and feels great to hold in the hand. The middle frame is made from aluminium while the rear panel is largely plastic with a glossy finish that’s resistant to fingerprints but not so much with smudges. The Pad 5 is thinner than the iPad (9th gen) at just 6.9mm but is slightly hefty at 511 grams. Still, you will be able to use it comfortably with both hands like when gaming or watching something casually on YouTube.
The Pad 5 has four speakers, two at the top and two at the bottom accompanied by a power button and a Type-C port respectively. The power button does not have an embedded fingerprint reader which I feel is a missed opportunity for Xiaomi and anyone who buys the Pad 5 will have to make do with either a pin or pattern to unlock the tablet. There is a magnetic connector to dock the Smart Pen and a three-pin pogo connector to attach the Keyboard. The Xiaomi Pad 5 is well-designed for daily use and feels every bit more premium than you would expect from a tablet at this price.
Xiaomi Pad 5 review: Display
The Pad 5 has a gorgeous and high-resolution 10-bit display even though it uses an LCD panel, the visuals are sharp with good contrast and details that make for a great viewing experience. The screen is certified for Dolby Vision and HDR10 playback which makes watching movies or TV shows on Netflix or Prime Video even more vibrant and enjoyable with supported content. While using the Smart Pen, the display may feel a bit slippery and as a result, I noticed some ghost touches sometimes when scribbling in the Notes app. Though it has palm rejection which works well almost all the time, you can always apply a matte screen protector to get a paper-like feel which is much better if you will be using the Smart Pen regularly with this tablet.
Xiaomi claims 650 nits brightness in High Brightness Mode which we found to be accurate in my daily use. In our tests, the display goes up to 635 nits on average in high brightness mode (Sunlight Mode) and around 630 nits in the normal mode. Since it's not an OLED panel, the display doesn’t have perfect black levels and goes to 6 nits which is decent. It also has a colour temperature sensor like the True Tone in iPad which adjusts colours based on the ambient lights. The screen also has Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
Xiaomi Pad 5 review: PerformanceThe general day-to-day performance of the Pad 5 is really great and there’s really nothing that breaks the experience. From MIUI for Pad to system animations and multitasking, the Pad 5 is excellent for playing games and doing some work on the side. It offers solid performance across the board and is capable of sustaining it for a long time giving you a sense of dependability which can’t be said for many tablets in this price range.
The Snapdragon 860 is capable of lending enough power for tasks like sketching, taking notes, editing photos and gaming or watching content on the go. In synthetic benchmarks like AnTuTu, Geekbench, 3DMark and more, the Pad 5 received decent scores that only prove that it is capable of running all apps and games you can find on the Play Store without any issues. In AnTuTu, the Pad 5 got 534436 points while in Geekbench 5 it received 731 points in single-core and 2499 points in multi-core tests. In the CPU throttling test, the Xiaomi Pad 5 was able to hold out on its own giving us 94% of its maximum performance. Being a tablet with a large surface area, heat dissipation isn’t a problem and this tablet rarely runs hot.
It runs intensive games like Genshin Impact, COD Mobile and BGMI without breaking a sweat though if you're coming from a smartphone, there’s a bit of a learning curve to play on such a large screen. The Xiaomi Pad 5 also has a great set of speakers that complement the visuals making for a great gaming and viewing experience. Though the presence of a 3.5mm audio jack is missed given that you will cover one speaker grille on each side when holding the tablet in landscape mode.
MIUI for Pad gives it a neat and minimal look which remains greatly responsive and smooth for the most part. The Android system still recognizes it as MIUI 13 based on Android 11 and there are still a lot many optimizations that are needed like the feed layout on Twitter or Instagram. However, my hope is that Xiaomi will continue to work on improving the MIUI for Pad especially since the Android 12 update is due which brings in much better support for large screens.
Xiaomi is offering a Smart Pen and a Keyboard dock as separate accessories with the Pad 5. The Smart Pen isn’t as polished as the Apple Pencil (2nd gen) but offers great pressure sensitivity levels with low latency, making it a great tool for taking notes in the Smart Note app or just sketching something in Sketchbook. It weighs just 12 grams and attaches to the top of Pad 5 when held in landscape. It charges wirelessly for the duration it is docked and takes just 20 minutes to fully charge.
The other accessory is the Keyboard for the Xiaomi Pad which makes it a versatile tool but remains unavailable at the time of writing this review. You can further pair it up with a wireless mouse and you’re all set to get some work done. The keyboard is good enough for some writing work or just generally browsing around the web but don’t expect a laptop-like performance especially if your use case requires you to deal with a lot of spreadsheets. Otherwise, it’s a great utility for students who have just gotten into college and are looking for a portable and lightweight device for daily use.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 has a pretty large battery which offers a long battery life. In my use, you could go on for a day or two of using the Pad 5 regularly. If you plan on watching occasional movies and TV shows, for the most part, expect around 3-4 days of battery life easily. In our video loop test, the Xiaomi Pad 5 ran a local 4K video file over VLC for around 14.5 hours before giving up on us. This was with the brightness set to maximum and refresh rate set to 120Hz which is pretty good.
Though the Pad 5 supports 33W fast charging, Xiaomi bundles a 22.5W adapter in the box. On average, it took around 1 hour and 55 minutes to fully charge the massive 8,720mAh battery. You can effectively reduce the charging time if you have a 33W Xiaomi charger handy otherwise it's not worth buying separately.
Xiaomi Pad 5 review: Cameras
The Pad 5 has a 13MP rear camera which is decent and does a good job of scanning documents and sharing them when required. However, it’s not going to be a first choice for taking pictures for anyone who has a smartphone in their pocket. The front-facing camera is also good enough for video calls and it manages to put across sharp visuals with natural skin tones. However, its placement is the same as on the iPads which means you’ll never appear to be looking straight into the camera while on a call in landscape mode.
Xiaomi Pad 5 review: Verdict
Xiaomi is back in the tablet space and how! It sets a benchmark with its Xiaomi Pad 5 which goes heavy with features on offer but is light on the pocket. Its closest competitor is the Apple iPad (9th gen) which undoubtedly offers a better tablet experience, especially with its support of apps and games but, with the Pad 5 you’re getting an immersive display with 120Hz refresh rate, better audio experience, great battery life and 256GB storage for Rs 28,999 (iPad 2021 is Rs 44,900). Add in the cost of the Smart Pen (Rs 5,999) and you’re at around Rs 35,000 and while we don’t know the price of the Keyboard, it’s unlikely to go beyond the 44k mark. The first-generation Apple Pencil costs Rs 8,500 and the Smart Keyboard costs another Rs 13,900, totalling Rs 67,300. Did the math for you!
The Xiaomi Pad 5 is a solid showing from the company but it does have its fair share of drawbacks. The MIUI for Pad needs more optimizations be it in system or with apps but the cohesiveness of iPad OS is missing right now. The Pad 5 misses out on cellular connectivity, GPS, biometric fingerprint reader and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Save for the cellular option, all are essential features in my opinion. Then there’s the case of Xiaomi pulling a fast one by offering support for 33W fast charging but a 22.5W adapter in the box.
The question remains whether the Xiaomi Pad 5 and by extension Android is ready and worth any kind of investment by users. Our review unit is running MIUI 13 which is sadly based on Android 11 but was able to handle multi-tasking and tasks like gaming and sketching with great ease. I can see Pad 5 being used by college students and creative pros who want to try their hands at sketching and designing. It runs the Microsoft Office suite so you can make your projects on this tablet and even write your first novel on it. It works as a great media consumption device too, but what it can’t do is be a laptop replacement and perform high-level tasks meant for laptops.
Xiaomi could launch the Ultra model of the Xiaomi 12 series on July 5, 2022, in China. At least that’s what the rumors (via Trak.in) suggest. Well, the rumor mill has also churned out the possible specifications of the phone such as Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, 120Hz AMOLED screen, Android 12-based MIUI 13 software, and 120W charging support, among other things.
Xiaomi 12 Ultra Specs and Features (Expected)
Xiaomi could arm the 12 Ultra with a 6.6-inch 120Hz curved AMOLED panel on the front, very likely with a punch hole.
On the back, the phone could carry a quartet comprising of a 50MP Sony IMX989 primary sensor, a 48MP ultrawide snapper, and two periscope zoom camera lenses.
Inside, the Xiaomi 12 Ultra could bear a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, a 5000mAh battery (with 120W fast charging support), up to 12GB RAM, and 512GB storage.
The software on top could be MIUI 13 based on Android 12.
As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.
YouTube has introduced its new mobile app called ‘YouTube Create’. This app offers an easy way for creators to edit their videos right from ...
