Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones launching in India on September 18

Sony launched the latest iteration of its very popular over the ear noise-cancelling headphones -the WH-1000XM4 - in August. It was rumoured to be launched in India in September, and it turned out to be true as the headphones are now listed on Amazon, confirming that it will be available starting September 18. The official price for the Indian market has not been revealed yet, but in the US, it is priced at $350 (approx Rs 26,200). We expect it to be priced around Rs 30,000, going by how Sony has priced its previous versions.

Sony's WH-1000X series has been highly popular in its segment, and the 1000XM4 has received similar anticipation as a result. The WH-1000XM3 are still a great pair of cans at its price, which goes as low as Rs 19,990 during sale events, but there's a lot that the new generation 1000XM4 claims to improve on, alongside new features.

Sony also released the truly wireless WF-1000XM3 in India last month. If the truly wireless noise-cancelling earphones interests you, do check out our review to find out if it's worth buying.

Sony WH-1000XM4: What's new?

The Sony WH-1000XM4 shares an identical design and the same noise-cancelling QN1 processor as its predecessor 1000XM3. Even the battery life is still the same offering 30 hours of continuous playback with NC on. The headphones have 40mm drivers like the M3s, and the company says its audio upscaling feature has been improved over the last iteration.

While the NC processor remains the same, it does get a new Bluetooth audio SoC that is said to analyze music and surrounding ambient noise 700 times per second. 

Like all wireless headphones from Sony, the WH-1000XM4's features can be accessed and controlled using Sony Headphone Connect app. It lets users set noise cancellation levels, set up adaptive sound controls, and adjust equalizer and more. All the other controls and buttons remain unchanged from the M3s.

The touch-sensitive earcup also makes a comeback and lets you control music playback and volume, and also offers a Quick Attention mode that where you can hear your surroundings by covering the earcup with your palm. A new 'speak-to-chat' feature also debuts, which pauses the music when it recognizes that the user is conversing.

A new multi-point connectivity feature comes as a welcome change, which essentially allows the WH-1000XM3 to connect to two sources simultaneously. It also supports Sony's own 360 Reality Audio format for spatial sound, but its supported content is scarce. It now supports LDAC but misses Qualcomm's aptX codec support as it uses a new Bluetooth chip to aid the noise-cancelling performance.

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Compaq launches range of Android TVs in India, flagship Hex QLED series starts at Rs 59,999

Compaq has been teasing their TV lineup for some time now and the company finally announced their portfolio of TVs in India. Compaq TVs are available from 32-inch going all the way up to 65-inch. We have 32, 40 and 43-inch FHD TVs on one side and on the other, we have a 43, 50 and 55-inch 4K TVs. Compaq’s flagship TVs are the Hex QLED TVs and as the name suggests, the TVs have QLED backlighting, something we have seen from brands like TCL, Hisense and more in India. 

Compaq Hex QLED TV specifications and features

While Compaq has announced that all the TVs in their lineup will run on Android TV, during the presentation they focused more on the flagship Hex QLED lineup. The Hex QLED TVs are available in two screen sizes - 55 and 65-inches. The TVs bring with them a wide colour gamut boasting of more than 1.07 billion colours. The TVs have a 4K resolution and support HDR 10 but do not support Dolby Vision.

The Compaq Hex QLED TV also boasts of an Experience Stabilization Engine to give you smoother viewing experience. Considering the Android TV UI on the TV, users get access to all the streaming services from the Play Store, Chromecast built-in and access to the Google Assistant. The TVs also support Dolby Audio along with DTS TruSurround. The remote control which comes bundled with the TV along brings with it a Google Assistant button. 

Under the hood, the Compaq HEX QLED TV has a 64-bit MediaTek processor coupled with 2.5GB RAM and 16GB storage for your apps. It also has dual-band Wi-Fi, 4 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports one of which is USB 3.0. The 55-inch Compaq TV is 6.4mm thin.

The 55-inch Compaq Hex QLED TV has a VA panel while the 65-inch variant has an IPS panel. The TV has a brightness of 450 nits. The TVs have 24W of sound output from 2 speakers.

Speaking of audio, the Compaq TV is powered by Mimi audio technology to enhance the audio from the TV. You can learn more about Mimi Audio technology from the video below. 

Compaq Hex QLED TV price and availability

The Compaq Hex QLED TV is priced at Rs 59,999 for the 55-inch variant and Rs 89,999 for the 65-inch variant. The TVs are available from September 1 on Flipkart. As for the rest of the lineup, the price starts at Rs 12,499.

We recently reviewed the TCL C715 QLED TV. You can check out our review of the TV here. 

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Poco X3 NFC officially confirmed to launch globally on September 7

Poco X3 NFC has officially been confirmed as the next phone from the Xiaomi sub-brand that is slated to launch on September 7, globally. The Poco X3 is also confirmed to be the first phone in the world to be powered by the newly launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G chipset that succeeds the 730G processor.

According to teasers posted by official Poco social media accounts, the Poco X3 NFC is scheduled to launch in an online event on September 7. The Poco X3 is likely the successor to the Poco X2 that was launched in India in February, earlier this year as a rebranded version of the Redmi K30.

Well, considering our #POCOLeaksKing @anguskhng has leaked everything already. We decided to make it all official! Here you go...#POCOX3 NFC is COMING SOON! Save the date, don't miss the live stream at 20:00 (GMT+8), September 7th. #ExactlyWhatYouNeed pic.twitter.com/wHoHgFr6uA

— POCO (@POCOGlobal) August 31, 2020

The phone has been spotted online previously with some schematics being posted online as well. Let’s take a look at the leaked specifications of the upcoming Poco X3.

Poco X3 NFC leaked specifications

Poco X3 NFC is rumoured to come with a 6.67-inch display that supports 120Hz high refresh rate. The phone has been confirmed to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor and features a 64MP primary camera. The 732G brings about a minor boost to the CPU clock speed along with Adreno 618 GPU.

The Poco X3 is also expected to come with a 5,160mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging out-of-the-box. The phone could feature a quad-camera setup on the back with a 64MP primary camera while the X3 could use a 20MP front-facing cameras for selfies. The camera app on the X3 also supports Pro mode that offers more granular control over different settings when creating pictures.

While many specific details about the upcoming phone have been kept under wraps, Xiaomi is also rumoured to launch the Redmi K30 5G along with the recently leaked Mi 10T Pro in India. Some reports also indicate that the company is preparing to announce two new smart wearables in the country sometime in September. We’ll know more as we near the launch date of the Poco X3 NFC.

 

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Airtel free data coupon offer now valid for Rs 289, Rs 448 and Rs 599 tariff plans

The Airtel free data coupon offer is now valid for Rs 289, Rs 448 and Rs 599 tariff plans. The free data coupon offer was introduced in July for Rs 219, Rs 249, Rs 279, Rs 298, Rs 349, Rs 398, Rs 399, Rs 449, Rs 558, Rs 598 and Rs 698 tariff plans, however, the telecom giant is now adding more recharge plans to the offer.

The new plans of Rs 289, Rs 448 and Rs 599 for Airtel customers now offer free coupons that provide additional data on the validity of your existing plans. The Rs 289 and Rs 448 recharge plans now offer two coupons worth 1 GB data each with 28-day validity, while the Rs 599 tariff plan comes with four coupons of 1GB data valid for 56 days. 

Do note, however, the free data coupons offer is only applicable if users recharge their Airtel accounts through the Airtel Thanks app. The Rs 448 and Rs 599 tariff plans come with a free subscription to Disney+ Hotstar along with unlimited local, STD and roaming voice calls, 100 SMS messages per day, and 3GB of 4G data for 28 days.

On the other hand, with the Rs 599 plan, users get 2GB of high-speed data along with the usual voice calls and 100 SMS messages for 56 days validity. As for the Rs 289 plan, it offers access to the ZEE5 catalogue for 28 days validity and brings with it 1.5GB data per day for you to enjoy different content. Users also get access to 100 SMS per day and unlimited calling facility.

As it stands now, the plans worth Rs 219, Rs 249, Rs 279, Rs 298, Rs 349, Rs 398 and Rs 448 come with two 1GB data coupons valid for 28 days while the Rs 399, Rs 449 and Rs 558 tariff plans come with four 1GB data coupons with 56 days validity. Moreover, the Rs 598 and Rs 698 recharge plans come with six 1GB data coupons, valid for 84 days.

In other news, Airtel customers can soon be asked to pay up more for the data they consume. As per Sunil Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, users should get 1.6GB of data for Rs 160 instead of receiving 16GB data for the same price.

Click here to know more about Airtel mobile recharge prepaid plans.

 

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Garena Free Fire introduces new Elite Pass with the Celestial Street theme

Garena Free Fire has announced a new Elite Pass for the game. Called Celestial Street, the pass introduces new Celestial Street-themed rewards such as new skin sets. As with other Elite Passes, Celestial Streets theme as a story behind it, namely a tale of Damon and Celeste. 

As per the company’s release, “the Celestial Street EP tells the story of Damon and Celeste, two friends who grew up across the street from one another but raised in different cultures and crews. Their parents tried to keep them apart to maintain the balance of power, but Damon and Celeste kept their relationship secret until she was chosen as the leader of the Celestials. Forced to break up, Damon grew envious of Celeste’s promotion while struggling to show his father he can be the leader of the Hellkin.”

The skins and outfits in Celestial Street are said to be inspired by the concept of contemporary samurai styles, while the lower half features a mechanical theme. The two factions also come with the own colour themes, Damon’s skins and outfits feature black and red colours, while Celeste’s outfits are yellow and white. 

The rewards offered in the Elite Pass includes the Street Devil and Street Angel outfits worn by Damon and Celeste respectively. It also includes the Demon Fury loot box skin, the Celestial skateboard skin, the Demon Fury backpack skin and the Dust Off emote. Those who pre-ordered the Celestial Street EP between August 28 and August 31 will get a bonus in the form of the Golden Pan skin. 

In related news, Garena Free Fire has also confirmed that it will be adding a new character based on Bollywood actor, Hritik Roshan. The new character is called Jai and while the company has not confirmed his in-game abilities, leaks suggest that it will be called ‘Furious Reload’ and will automatically reload the player’s weapon.

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The Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G debuting on an upcoming POCO smartphone is nearly identical to its predecessor

Qualcomm has announced the new Snapdragon 732G for its mid-range 7-series family of mobile chipsets. Going by the name, the Snapdragon 732G seems like an immediate successor to the Snapdragon 730G that has powered quite a few smartphones in India like the Realme X2, Poco X2 and the Samsung Galaxy A80. The Snapdragon 732G will also operate in the same segment, unlike the Snapdragon 765 SoC which is meant for high-end smartphones.

Qualcomm also confirmed that the Snapdragon 732G will debut on an upcoming POCO smartphone. Leak doing the rounds in the industry points to the Poco X3, and it sounds perfectly logical considering the previous Poco X2 (review) tasted good success by bringing the Snapdragon 730G at its affordable most price point in the beginning of 2020.

Debuting on the POCO X3?

"Since inception, POCO has been all about listening to user feedback and delivering exactly what they need,” said Manmohan Chandolu, General Manager, POCO India. “We’re thrilled to be working once again with Qualcomm Technologies to bring a sophisticated user experience for our users with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G Mobile Platform. We’re hoping all our fans, especially the gaming community, appreciate the offering.”

Well, the G in the Snapdragon 732G does stand for gaming, so it’s safe to assume this upcoming POCO smartphone will appeal to gamers, and try to stick to the under-20k segment. POCO has confirmed this smartphone will come with a 64MP camera, that will bin pixels 4-in-1 to output 16MP images, much like the POCO X2. Previously, a US FCC certification leak pointed to 33W fast charging support and a 120Hz display.

What’s new in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G?

Well, going by the press-note shared by Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 732G is more similar to the Snapdragon 730G that it is different. The SoC relies on the same Qualcomm Kryo 470 cores, with the only difference being that the prime core goes up to 2.3GHz instead of 2.2GHz. The Adreno 618 GPU is also the same as before, and so is the Snapdragon X15 LTE modem.

Qualcomm promises some Snapdragon Elite Gaming features, by virtue of the G in the name. That includes “seamless and ultra-realistic gameplay in over a billion shades of colour”.

The platform also uses Qualcomm’s 4th-gen AI Engine which is the same as the Snapdragon 730G, yet the company claims a 2x improvement as compared to previous generations.

We will add more details to the specs of the chipset as and when it becomes available. From what we can see, the Snapdragon 732G simply offers a minor bump in maximum CPU clock speed, and preserves every other feature of its predecessor. Can it really be called an upgrade, in that case?

The POCO X3 will hold the key to that answer. The Snapdragon 730G combined with a 120Hz display propelled the smartphone to success in the mid-range segment, but it’s unlikely we will notice a generational change with the new Snapdragon 732G in use on the upcoming smartphone.

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Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve and Mi Band 5 to launch in India soon: Report

Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve and Mi Band 5 fitness tracker are going to launch in India sometime in September, as per a new rumour. The Mi Watch Revolve is the global variant of the Mi Watch Color while the Mi Band 5 will succeed the Mi Band 4 that was launched around the same time in 2019. 

According to a report by 91mobiles that cites Ishan Agarwal as the source, the Mi Watch Revolve and Mi Band 5 are set to launch in India soon. The Mi Watch Revolve is expected to be unveiled in Silver and Black colour options to choose from.

Exclusive for @91mobiles: Guess what! Xiaomi is launching the Mi Watch Revolve & Mi Band 5 soon in India. Expect Silver and Black colour variants for Mi Watch Revolve.#Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve was launched in China as Watch Color. Please Link & Credit:https://t.co/P1G0Urzxdw pic.twitter.com/LXoe7pbug8

— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) August 30, 2020

The Mi Watch Revolve is priced at CNY 599 in China which places it around Rs 6,500-mark by direct conversion. On the other hand, the Mi Band 5 is priced starting at CNY 189 which translates to around Rs 2,000. Going by Xiaomi’s reputation, we can expect the company to launch both the smart wearables at an aggressive price point in India.

Mi Watch Revolve specifications

The Mi Watch Revolve has a stainless steel casing and features 1.39-inch AMOLED screen. The Watch Revolve is equipped with a heart-rate monitoring system, sleep tracking, air pressure sensor and is certified for use by upto 5ATM waterproof levels. It comes with a 420mAh battery that Xiaomi claims can provide a 14-day backup.

Mi Band 5 specifications

The Mi Smart Band 5 features a 1.1-inch AMOLED display which is 20% larger than the previous generation Mi Band 4. The fitness trackers come preloaded with more than 65 watch faces and can be paired with up six different coloured straps. The screen also has a one-touch button which can be used to wake up the screen, otherwise, it serves as the back button.

The Mi Smart Band 5 comes with a magnetic charging dock so users will no longer have to take out the tracker from the rubber straps to charge it up every time. The fitness tracker claims to provide 14-day battery life and can be recharged from 0-100% in under 2 hours. In battery saving mode, the tracker can last for upto 20 days on a single charge.

It features 11 professional sports modes including outdoor running, treadmill, cycling, walking, freestyle, pool swimming, elliptical, rowing machine, jump rope, indoor cycling and Yoga. The tracker is also able to monitor running and walking automatically along with data points on pacing, kilometres alerts and heart-rate alerts.

The Mi Band 5 comes with a 5 ATM certification which means that it can survive 50 meters underwater for 10 minutes easily. The fitness tracker also supports 24-hour smart heart rate monitoring by up to 50% increased accuracy and also vibrates alerting wearer of irregular heart-rate.

The Mi Band 5 also comes with 24-hour sleep monitoring which offers 40% improved accuracy over the Mi Band 4 and can monitor your sleeping patterns to create data points that will help you improve your sleeping habits. It can also come in handy for music playback, finding your phone, incoming calls, SMS alerts and more.

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