Tencent kills PUBG Mobile in India

Indian users will have to bid a tearful farewell to PUBG Mobile from October 30 onwards. In a post on its official Indian Facebook account, it was announced that Tencent Games will terminate all services and access for users in India to PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite. On top of this, the rights to publish the game in India will be returned to “the owner of the PUBG intellectual property,” namely, PUBG Corp. 

The post also emphasizes that protecting user data has always been a “top priority” for the game. It also notes that the developers always complied with applicable data protection laws and regulations in India. It further noted that all users’ gameplay information was processed transparently and the same was disclosed in its privacy policy. It ends the post by saying that it deeply regrets the outcome, but thanks the love and support it got for the game in India. 

The point about returning the rights to publish PUBG Mobile in India to PUBG Corp is in line with an earlier statement. Soon after the game was banned in India, PUBG Corp. released a statement saying it fully intends to comply with the ban in India and understands why these steps had to be taken. It also said that it had decided to cut ties with Chinese firm Tencent and cancel the licence that allows Tencent to run PUBG Mobile in India. 

To recall, PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite were among the 118 apps that were banned by the Indian government on September 2. However, crafty players were able to find a way around the ban and continue playing. However, with the termination of all services, it seems like that won’t be possible after October 30.  

Thankfully, while PUBG Mobile was a great game, there are some other games that you may wish to try. You can check those out here  

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iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro go on sale today in India: Prices, launch offers and more

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are going on sale in India starting today, with the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max going on sale later in November. The smartphones announced earlier in October, can be purchased from the online Apple Store, and from authorised retailers across the country. Interestingly, the new iPhones are yet to be made available on both Flipkart and Amazon.

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro price in India

The pricing, like always, is a little higher in India as compared to the prices in other regions. But launch offers on the new smartphones does help sweeten the deal. The iPhone 12 with 64GB storage is priced at Rs 79,900 while the 128GB variant costs Rs 84,900. Similarly, the 256GB iPhone 12 costs Rs 94,900.

As for the iPhone 12 Pro, the smartphone now starts with 128GB base storage, and is priced at Rs 1,19,900 while the 256GB variant is priced at Rs 1,29,900 and the 512GB variant will retail at Rs 1,49,900.

The iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will go on sale on November 13.

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro launch offers and discounts

Buying the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro from the Apple Store will get you a chance to buy it cheaper. Apple is offering up to a whopping Rs 22,000 off upon returning your old smartphone. You can enter the details on the website to know the exact discount.

For HDFC credit card users get a discount of Rs 6,000 while debit card users will get Rs 1,500 cashback. There’s also no-cost EMI for 16 months. The monthly EMI for iPhone 12 starts from Rs 8,227 per month, while the iPhone 12 Pro can be purchased with minimum EMI of Rs 14,111.

On Flipkart and Amazon, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are marked coming soon. The product page for iPhone 12 on Amazon states the phone will be in stock from November 3, while the iPhone 12 Pro is “coming soon”.

Both e-commerce portals also have launch offers. Flipkart is offering a 5 per  cent discount on Axis Bank Buzz credit cards, while on Amazon, ICICI Bank cardholders will get a 5 per cent discount.

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro specs and features

Apple embraced 5G technology with the iPhone 12 line-up. All four iPhones now support high-speed 5G networks. They also run on the same SoC, which is by far the most powerful Apple has ever created. Made on a 5 nm manufacturing process, the Apple A14 Bionic can hit up to 3.1GHz, faster than any other mobile chipset out there.

The new iPhones also bring back a flatter design, with a thick stainless steel frame, while the screen has been reinforced with Ceramic Shield, a new material Apple developed in collaboration with Corning.

The iPhone 12 sports two 12MP cameras for wide and ultrawide photos, while the 12 Pro sticks to the triple camera setup with an additional LiDAR scanner.

Apart from that, the new iPhones run on the latest iOS 14 and both phones come with a 2815mAh battery now, and the same Super Retina XDR OLED display with Dolby Vision support.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War PC System Requirements Revealed

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War PC system requirements have been revealed by Activision and Treyarch, and the first thing that stands out is the game’s massive size: 175GB for all game modes, and 250GB for 4K gamers. Here are the minimum and recommended requirements for CoD Cold War.

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Apple One Launch Date Set for October 30, CEO Tim Cook Reveals

Apple One — the subscription bundle that includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud storage — will launch Friday, October 30, Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced. Apple One costs Rs. 195 / $15 per month (for individuals) or Rs. 365 / $20 per month (for families).

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PUBG Mobile to Stop Access for Users in India from Friday, Following September Ban

PUBG Mobile will terminate its access for users in India starting Friday, October 30. The new move comes nearly two months after the government banned the highly popular battle royale game along with its lightweight PUBG Mobile Lite and other 116 apps in early September.

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Netflix raises Standard and Premium plan prices in the US, what does that mean for Indian subscribers

If you were moaning about having to shell out Rs 799 for a premium Netflix plan, there could be some bad news on the horizon for all you pocket pinchers. Netflix is now raising the prices of both the standard and premium plans in the US and since Netflix doesn’t really follow differential pricing for other markets, we’re assuming that prices in India could rise as well. Remember, this is all speculation at this point as Netflix has not made an official announcement regarding raising prices in other markets. 

The Netflix Standard plan has been raised from $13 a month to $14 a month. The Premium plan is going from $16 a month up to $18 a month. The Basic plan stays the same at $9 a month. In India, the Standard plan costs Rs 649 a month while the Premium plan costs Rs 799 a month. With this increase in the US pricing of these plans, the assumption is that we could see a Rs 100 rise in the both Standard and Premium plans, which would put them at about Rs 749 for the standard plan and Rs 899 for the premium plan. Also, remember that Netflix is available in Hindi, in India.

 New members signing up for the service in the US will be charged the updated prices from October 29 onward. In a report by CNBC, Netflix has said that it will alert existing users 30 days before the changes are made. The company has also stated, “Timing will be based on the specific member’s billing cycle and will be rolled out over the course of the next two months.”. 

Again, remember that this has not been announced in India yet so do take our assumptions with a grain of salt. As of right now, this price rise applies only to users in the US. So, for guys who want to check out the new Assassin's Creed show on Netflix, you may have to shell out a bit more cash for it. 

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Zebroniucs Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar review

What the Zebronics Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar has going for it is good connectivity options, a simple plug and play setup and support for Dolby Atmos decoding. While the Dolby Atmos performance is gimmicky, the bass heavy nature of the soundbar makes it hard to recommend for all. If you don't want the additional HDMI pass-through ports and are looking for a surround sound experience, you can check out the similarly priced Sony HT-S20R. It is a 5.1 soundbar with dedicated surround speakers and has better overall sound output. 

Budget TVs today come with a host of options like HDMI ARC, 4K HDR playback and some smart capabilities. Some budget TVs also boast of support for Dolby Atmos as well. One of the compromises made to keep the price of these TVs low is the quality of audio output. The 20W to 40 W of sound output from most budget TVs can get the job done for watching regular TVs but for an immersive experience, you need to invest in a sound system like a soundbar. 

In the past year, we have seen the launch of a bunch of budget soundbars at attractive price points that can complement your TV. These soundbars generally have a 2.1 setup, the subwoofer isn’t wireless and the build quality is average. 

Today we have with us the Zebronics Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar. Not only does the soundbar boast of Dolby Atmos support, but also has upward-firing drivers to simulate the height channels. Can it simulate a surround sound experience? Read on and find out!

Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar key specifications at a glance

Soundbar and Subwoofer Weight: 8.2 kg Subwoofer: Yes Audio Inputs: 3.5mm, Optical in, Bluetooth HDMI (ARC). Soundbar Dimension: LxWxH = 960 x 83 x 73 mm HDMI Input: 2 HDMI Output (Audio Return Channel): 1 Soundbar Speaker Driver: 2.25-inch x 4 + 2-inch x 2 Subwoofer Speaker Driver: 6.5-inch Power output: 450W Price: Rs 17,999

What’s in the box of the Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar

In the box, you get the soundbar, subwoofer, power cable and an Aux cable. You also get the remote control and manual. The subwoofer connects via a cable to the soundbar.

Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar Build and Design

The Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro has a simple traditional soundbar design. It has a plastic build with the grill occupying the front and the top of the soundbar. It has a hint of silver on the sides which is nice as this will ensure people will notice it. It has 2 rubber feet which hold it well when kept on a table. The soundbar itself is relatively light but does not feel flimsy. The left of the front has the Zebronics logo and the right has the Dolby Atmos badge. At the centre, we have an LED indicator to show you the sound preset, the current source, etc. I wish this were a little dimmer or would automatically go off after some time as its constant visibility can get distracting, especially if you watch content in a pitch-dark room. The top of the soundbar has physical buttons for power, source and volume. This is nice in case you lose the remote control. The buttons have a nice clicky feel to them. The power cord is detachable on the soundbar and is user-replaceable. 

Moving over to the subwoofer, it has a rectangular form factor with the duct facing front and at the bottom half of the soundbar as we have seen on so many other subwoofers.  It has a matte finish, which I like. The subwoofer has no connectivity options except for a cable which is attached and not user-replaceable. This cable connects the subwoofer to the soundbar. 

Overall, the soundbar doesn’t feel cheap, but it isn't premium either. The subwoofer has a minimal design which is very nice. The soundbar doesn’t have bling but the prominent logos and chunky LED indicator in the centre can get distracting. The grill finish surrounding the soundbar is good.  

Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Soundbar Ports and Connectivity

Speaking of connectivity options, the speaker has one HDMI ARC port and 2 HDMI pass-through ports capable of 4K and HDR. It also has an Optical in, one USB port, Bluetooth 5.0 and one AUX-In. All the ports are neatly hidden at the back of the soundbar and easily accessible. We didn’t wall-mount the soundbar, so we can’t say for sure, but it may be a bit of trouble to manage cables when wall-mounting the soundbar. 

It’s nice to see 2 HDMI pass-through ports on the soundbar along with support for 4K and HDR.

Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Remote Control

Moving to the remote control, it is all plastic with curved edges to add to the grip. Even though the buttons are clicky, the remote does feel slightly cheap. It runs on two AAA batteries and offers playback controls for Bluetooth and USB connectivity, four different EQ presets, treble, bass and volume controls and the ability to change inputs. You can also use the remote control to put the soundbar in pairing mode for Bluetooth playback. Whatever you do on the remote control is reflected on the LED display on the soundbar. 

Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Soundbar Setup 

Setting up the soundbar is extremely easy. Place the soundbar under the TV, place the subwoofer in a corner (it should be close enough for the subwoofer cable to reach the soundbar), connect the soundbar to a power supply, connect it to your TV and you are good to go. The setup shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes. 

Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Soundbar Performance

Bass-heavy is the first thing that will come to your mind when you hear this soundbar. Be it for movies, TV shows or music, the soundbar has an overemphasis on bass. The soundbar can get really loud too, if bringing the house down is something you want. We connected the Xbox One X to the soundbar via an HDMI cable to check the pass-through and it works. If you connect a Dolby Atmos enabled source to the soundbar and connect the soundbar to your TV via ARC, you will be able to enjoy the Atmos encoding from the source even if your TV doesn’t support it, which is good. The fact that it has 2 HDMI pass-through ports is a very handy touch, especially since most budget TVs come with 3 HDMI ports, one of which is ARC, leaving you with only 2 HDMI ports at the back of the TV. With this soundbar, you effectively get 2 more HDMI ports to connect devices to. 

Let’s get the Dolby Atmos performance out of the way. While the soundbar has decent channel separation, don't expect the sound to come from above you. It has a decently wide soundstage but gimmicky Atmos performance.

Coming to the sound quality itself, we connected it to the TV using HDMI ARC and Optical and both inputs worked fine. However, for a more seamless experience, we recommend using the HDMI ARC port. 

At about 30 to 40 percent volume the soundbar can get pretty loud but what it lacks is clarity and that is again because of the bass-heavy signature of the bar. Watching news or TV shows like Young Sheldon or Big Bang Theory where dialogue is most important, you still get a bass-heavy sound output. The only picture preset that worked to reduce this was the news preset and I ended up using this preset most of the time. You can control the bass and treble separately from the remote control, but it kinda muddies the sound output. 

When in the “News” sound preset, the bass is low and we can focus on all the other aspects. Vocals in the news preset are clear so daily TV shows and documentaries can be enjoyed. 

Moving over to movies, once again you expect the bass to kick in when an action sequence starts or the background score demands it. The same thing for gaming, especially in a game like Doom Eternal where you need to feel the thump of the shotgun, you end up feeling everything. 

Resorting to the news preset was the only way to ensure some normalcy to the sound and in this preset, the bass just doesn’t feel right.

Overall, even though the sound output from this soundbar can get really loud, its bass-heavy nature leaves a lot to be desired to have an enjoyable experience. Some of you that want a lot of bass at every turn may enjoy the sound output.

Bottom line

What the Zebronics Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar has going for it is good connectivity options, a simple plug and play setup and support for Dolby Atmos decoding. While the Dolby Atmos performance is gimmicky, the bass heavy nature of the soundbar makes it hard to recommend for all. If you don't want the additional HDMI pass-through ports and are looking for a surround sound experience, you can check out the similarly priced Sony HT-S20R (review). It is a 5.1 soundbar with dedicated surround speakers and has better overall sound output.

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