Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro

If you are a bass lover, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro is a decent purchase since it comes with great battery life, a comfortable fit, IPX4 rating, and voice assistant support. You get all of this and ANC for Rs 2,499, which is a pretty decent deal.

Following the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones that launched in 2019 at Rs 1,599, Mi has now launched the Pro version of this inexpensive device equipped with the coveted Active Noise Cancellation feature. Priced at Rs 1,799, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro are one of the cheapest wireless earphones to offer this feature, thereby democratising ANC for the masses. This is a great move in a price-conscious market like India that values devices that go the extra mile to provide them with appealing features, all without having to break the bank. The Mi Neckband Earphones are poised to take on the Realme Buds Wireless Pro that also brings ANC with it, albeit they are higher priced earphones, and definitely look the part too. Nevertheless, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro is bound to pique the interest of users looking to try out ANC at an affordable price. But, are they any good? Let’s delve into our review to find out.

Build and comfort

As we touched upon before, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro compete against the Realme Buds Wireless Pro, since they’re both relatively inexpensive wireless ANC-enabled earphones. Now, they definitely don’t look or feel as premium and well-built as the Realme Buds Wireless Pro. Although both earphones are primarily made out of plastic, the Realme buds have a smooth matte texture across the body. In contrast, the Mi earphones feel significantly more plasticky and cheap. The wires don’t feel as robust and premium too. But since the Mi earphones are priced under 2K, the less premium build quality gets a pass from us.

The neckband is made out of rubber that feels like the most well-built part of the earphones. There’s a textured finish on the upper side and the underside that touches your neck is smooth rubber. The weighted modules on either side have a dual glossy and matte finish. The finish is typical of earphones in this price range. The buttons, on the other hand, are nice and clicky, with good tactile feedback. There is one multifunction button, volume + and - buttons, and an ANC button at the bottom of the module.

The right module houses all buttons as well as the micro-USB charging port which is tucked under a rubber flap. It’s a shame to see Mi implement micro-USB charging since it is awfully dated for 2021. We wouldn’t have minded a Rs 500 price hike just to get USB-C charging, that would allow us to ditch the extra micro-USB cable we had to carry, which is annoying since most devices today use USB-C cables. 

The earbuds feature a matte and glossy finish like the weighted modules and the buds’ nozzles are angled to allow for a better fit. Mi provides a total of 3 pairs of silicone ear tips in the box. The ear tips have an anti-blockage speaker net design that prevents small particles from entering inside the device via the speaker net. The back panel of the buds have a circular textured look and they’re also magnetic allowing both buds to attach to one another when lying idle on the chest.

Comfort-wise, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro are pretty good, even over long listening sessions. The fit is excellent, for the most part. We were able to do light activities and jog around with these buds on and they didn’t come loose, which is commendable. Over the course of using these buds, there were very few instances where we needed to readjust them in our ear. If you find the right-sized ear tips, you can rest assured that the earphones will be snug and comfortable over long periods. 

Unfortunately, though, we did find the passive isolation to be lacking. Even though we got an extremely snug fit with the Medium-sized tips, environmental sound seeped in easily with ANC turned off. This did cause some issues with the effectiveness of ANC on the device. We will get to that in the Performance section of this review.

Features

Priced at Rs 1,799, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro are a feature-laden pair of wireless earphones. You get Active Noise Cancellation that suppresses environmental sounds, and you also get ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) that limits sound from your surroundings being transmitted to people you’re talking to on calls. There’s no Ambient or Transparency mode though, which is found in the Realme Buds Wireless Pro. 

The earphones also come with IPX5 certification, so the earphones can shrug off sweat and light splashes. The earphones can be utilised in the gym (unless you sweat profusely) or in light rains without having to worry about liquid damage. Mi has also stated that the earphones have low latency. In our usage, we found there to be minimal delay when streaming content on OTT platforms such as Netflix and YouTube. 

The earphones also come with voice assistant support. You can press the multifunction button on the right weighted module twice to activate the voice assistant on your device. The buttons also allow users to perform other functions such as pause/play music, answer/decline calls, control volume, seek tracks, and cycle through ANC and normal mode. 

Pressing the multifunction button once pauses/plays the music. Long pressing the volume plus button skips to the next track, while long-pressing the volume minus button takes you back to the previous one. The ANC button at the bottom of the right module switches between ANC and normal mode with single presses. There’s no accompanying app, so you can’t customise these controls. Still, the controls are fairly intuitive and work pretty well.

For connectivity, the earphones come with Bluetooth v5.0 and support the SBC and AAC codecs. No aptX here, but that’s understandable at this price point. The wireless connection was strong throughout our testing period, there were no lags or delays of any kind.

The 150mAh battery in the earphones is rated at a solid 20 hours of playtime, according to the company, with the volume set at 50 per cent and ANC turned off. We tested the earphones with ANC turned on and the volume set to around 60 per cent. The earphones lasted a good 16 hours on a single charge, which is pretty impressive, especially for the price point. If you listen to music without ANC turned on, you may very well be able to get to the quoted 20-hour-mark before you have to charge the device. Charging the earphones back to full takes around an hour and a half, and sadly, there’s no fast charging onboard.  

Performance

The Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro is powered by 10mm drivers, and the sound signature is definitely bass forward. The earphones are targetted towards bassheads that are found in droves in India, especially. The bass, while punchy and lively, came off as slightly boomy and muddy in our testing. Listening to the track Prisoner by Miley Cyrus ft Dua Lipa, the bass beats that start off at the beginning of the track drown out the details in Dua and Miley’s vocals. The sound is extremely coloured in favour of the lows, and we wish Mi had shown a bit of restraint here.

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In vocal-centric tracks with little to no presence of bass beats and low-end instruments, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro show a decent amount of detail and presence. In Hello by Adele, her voice soars, but the lower notes sound slightly cloudy due to the dark expression of the lows. The highs are decently represented, although the detail is shrouded a bit due to the towering lows and mids. For example, in Hysteria by Muse, the cymbals sound dull and are almost hidden in the mix that is overpowered by the drums and guitar.

Coming to ANC performance, these are entry-level ANC earphones, so we set our expectations straight from the get-go since they obviously wouldn’t deliver the quality we get from premium Sony and Bose earphones. For the price, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro do a mediocre job. Turning ANC on does suppress low-frequency, constant sounds slightly, but they’re still audible, there’s only a slight reduction in their intensity. Other mid to high-range sounds such as mechanical keyboard typing, high-speed fans, and human voices aren’t diminished. In fact, they sound almost as loud as they did with ANC turned off. 

While it is great to see Mi bring ANC to the masses at this competitive price point, we hope they tweak their next wireless ANC earphones iteration a tad more to quiet down the surroundings more effectively. Part of the problem could be ineffective passive isolation that also dampens the effectiveness of ANC by letting more sound in.

Moving on to the microphone, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro are surprisingly decent for phone calls. We were expected hollow or distant sound at this price range, as we usually witness, but the Mi earphones relayed our voices pretty well on phone calls. The voice was clear and the microphone didn’t pick up a lot of the ambient sounds. 

Verdict

The Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro make Active Noise Cancellation accessible for the masses since they are priced competitively at Rs 1,799. While the ANC on these earphones isn’t great, it is passable for the price. The bass response is slightly muddy and overpowering, so if you’re not a fan of bass-forward earphones, these earphones are definitely not for you. If you are a bass lover, the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro is a decent purchase since it comes with great battery life, a comfortable fit, IPX4 rating, and voice assistant support. You get all of this and ANC for Rs 1,799, which is a pretty good deal.

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Xiaomi tipped to launch Redmi Note 10 Pro Max on March 4 in India

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro Max has been tipped to launch alongside the Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro on March 4 in India. As per the latest leak, the Redmi Note 10 series will have three phones in the lineup succeeding the Redmi Note 9 series from 2020. Some leaks in the past have also revealed key details about the launch of the Redmi Note 10 series in India.

According to popular tipster Ishan Agarwal, Xiaomi is preparing to launch the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max alongside the Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro in India on March 4. Additionally, Ishan has also revealed that the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max will be available in two storage variants and will be offered in three colours for users to choose from. 

What else is launching besides the #RedmiNote10 and #RedmiNote10Pro? Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. It will come in 2 storage variants & 3 color options, same as the Note 10 Pro. -6+128GB, 8+128GB -Black, Bronze & Blue#RedmiNote10ProMax Please link & credit: https://t.co/eddP0TAUeu https://t.co/9ALaiFLWdF

— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) February 20, 2021

As per what Ishan told 91Mobiles, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max will be available with 6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone is expected to be available in three colours: black, bronze and blue.

Xiaomi has been teasing the Redmi Note 10 series ahead of its launch on a dedicated microsite including a new design they are calling "Evol. Design". The Redmi Note 10 series will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with a lightweight profile and large capacity battery to boot. Xiaomi has also confirmed that the Redmi Note 10 series will have Gorilla Glass protection on the front, and it is also IP52 rated making it resistant to dust and water.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 series leaked specifications

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 series has been leaked previously, hinting at the possibility of separate 4G and 5G versions of the Note 10 lineup. The Redmi Note 10 is rumoured to be offered in three colours: White, Green and Grey with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 10 Pro could arrive in three colourways including Blue, Grey and Bronze and could launch in three storage variants: 6GB/8GB RAM paired with 64GB and 128GB storage.

The Redmi Note 10 Pro has previously surfaced on different certification websites across the world, and it could have a 120Hz high-refresh-rate display. Apart from this, we expect the next generation of Redmi Note phones to run on MIUI 12 based on Android 11 out-of-the-box.

The Redmi Note 10 Pro is also rumoured to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor with a 64MP quad-camera setup on the back. The phone is also expected to be fitted with a 5,050mAh battery with fast-charging support.

We will know more about the Redmi Note 10 series in the lead-up to the launch, scheduled for March 4.

 

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Realme GT 5G teased at MWC Shanghai, reveals 64MP rear camera

Update: Realme has officially revealed some images of the Realme GT on Weibo

The Realme GT 5G smartphone will launch on March 4, but it looks like Realme is going to tease the smartphone at MWC Shanghai. The event kicks off on February 23, 2021, and photos of the Realme booth have revealed teasers for the Realme GT 5G. As reported by GSMArena, “The Realme GT 5G is depicted in its Bumblebee leather finish and is certainly one of the more intriguing designs lately”. There is a black strip that runs along the back of the smartphone in line with the camera module. 

One can clearly make out the “64MP” tag next to the camera, indicating that the primary camera is a 64MP shooter. There is a secondary camera as well, but the details and specifications of that one aren't known. The cameras are accompanied by a quad-LED flash setup. 

Realme GT 5G Specifications and Features

Some specs of the Realme GT 5G are known while others are speculated. It will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC and sport a massive 5000mAh battery with support for 125W fast-charging. It is also expected to have a 6.8-inch 120Hz OLED display.

Other speculated specifications of the device include an in-display fingerprint sensor, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, and Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 overlaying it. The smartphone is expected to have a punch-hole camera in the top left of the display for selfies. There is no information on the price of the smartphone. 

There is no information on an India launch date for the Realme GT, but we can expect it to launch in India after its international debut.    In other Realme news, the company will launch the Narzo 30A and 30 Pro on February 24 in India. However, the specifications of the smartphones have leaked online. The Realme Narzo 30 Pro is tipped to feature a 120Hz refresh rate display. The Realme Narzo 30A could be equipped with a 6,000mAh battery. You can learn more about the specifications of the two phones here.

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Teardown video of the PS5 DualSense shows what could be the cause of controller drift

The launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S have not been without issue. From a lack of supply to various other issues, it has not been smooth sailing for the next generation of gaming consoles. It looks like there’s another problem looming on the horizon for the PS5 DualSense controllers. A few users have reported drifting issues with the PS5 DualSense controller. In a new video posted recently, the lads over at iFixit have torn down a DualSense controller to highlight the potential causes of drift. You can check out the video below.

From what we can see, it looks like the analogue sticks on the DualSense could be causing the problem. Manufactured by a company called APLS and used in almost all major controllers, these modules could be the potential cause. The operating lifecycle of the RKJXV analogue joystick module is capped off at 2 million cycles. The centre push function is rated at 500,000 clicks. According to the iFixit team, this works out to about a meagre 400 hours.

PS5 DualSense drift problems could be caused by faulty potentiometers

The team then goes on to talk about the potentiometers on the DualSense. They state that they could be the main cause of the drifting. The springs on these modules can stretch out and trick the controller into creating a new neutral position. This fools the DualSense into thinking the player is moving when they are not. Other causes could include particles of food, dust and other contaminants that may get lodged in the crevices.

The team at iFixit discuss a few fixes for the controller. But, it looks like you will need to have a bit of soldering knowledge to even attempt to fix the DualSense. We recommend you take the controller to an official Sony licensed dealer to see if they can fix it under warranty. Or, you may have to purchase a new DualSense controller if the problem is unfixable.

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Garena Free Fire Cobra Super Sale offers discounts of up to 70 on in-game items

Garena Free Fire is offering pretty major discounts on certain in-game items. The event is called the Cobra Super Sale and lets players purchase items with up to a maximum discount of 70% on items. However, getting that 70% discount is not as easy as it seems. The Cobra Super Sale is the ‘Black Market’ sale that Garena had teased in a post on Reddit.

How Cobra Super Sale works in Garena Free Fire

Each prize pool contains eight items. Players can choose to refresh the list to get more options. However, players will only get up to five free refreshes. Further, players can only buy a total of three items at one time.

Buying one item will offer a discount of 50%, while adding another item will make the total discount of 60%. Buying three items together offers a total 70% discount on all items.

Here’s what’s on sale

Some of the items that will be on sale include the unique Cobra motorcycle. Other items include characters and pets such as Clu and Rockie. It also includes emotes, character memory fragments, clothing items and more.

Garena Free Fire is already hosting two new lucky draws for players. This includes the Cobra Spin and a new Weapon Royale. The Cobra Spin gives players the chance to win a Katana with the Legendary Cobra skin. The other grand prize included is the Cobra Sprinter Bundle. Other prizes include the Ottero pet , Rainbow Dash skin for the Amphibious Quad, Titanium Gun box and more. A single spin will cost users 20 in-game diamonds. But players can buy 10 spins in one go for 180 diamonds. Buyers can also buy a Special Spin for 40 diamonds. This triples the chance of winning the grand prize.

The other draw is the new Weapon Royale. This gives players the chance to earn the AWM - Lucky Koi sniper rifle. The weapon offers a much greater rate of fire along with improved armour penetration. However, the slower reload speed balances things out.

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Redmi 9 Power

There are 2 main areas where the Redmi 9 Power stands out - the stellar battery life and the inclusion of dual stereo speakers. If you're someone who consumes a lot of media on your phone, the dual stereo speakers, FHD+ display and the ability to stream HD content on YouTube and Netflix make this a sweet offering in this area. In most other areas, the phone is what you'd expect at this price range.

Xiaomi has come a long way to become one of the most popular smartphone brands in the country across varied price segments. The company has a solid hold over the budget segment as well, with offerings such as the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi 9 Prime at around the 10K price point. The Redmi 9 Power, starting at Rs 10,999 for the base variant, has a singular focus, with a sprinkle of additional features. And that singular focus is power, hence the nomenclature. The budget device brings with it a massive 6,000mAh battery which we’ve seen only on a few other budget devices such as the Poco M3 and the Motorola Moto G9 Power. A few other intriguing features include a Full HD+ display, a 48MP primary shooter, and a stereo speaker setup. All of these point towards the Redmi 9 Power being a pretty solid contender in the budget segment. But does it do enough to set itself apart from the competition? Let’s find out.

Redmi 9 Power: Specifications Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC (11nm) GPU: Adreno 610 CPU: Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver) RAM: 4GB Storage: 64GB / 128GB Expandable storage: Yes, up to 512GB Rear cameras: 48MP primary + 8MP ultrawide + 2MP macro + 2MP depth Selfie camera: 8MP Video: 1080p at 30fps Battery: 6,000mAh Li-ion battery, 18W Fast Charging Display: 6.53-inch IPS LCD display Display resolution: 1080 x 2340 (Full HD+) OS: Android 10, MIUI 12 Dual SIM: Yes Redmi 9 Power: Build and design

Despite housing a gigantic 6,000mAh battery, the Redmi 9 Power keeps things relatively light. Unlike a few smartphones housing massive batteries that are usually quite hefty, the Redmi 9 Power weighs 198g, which is lower than even the Redmi 9 Pro that weighs 209g despite housing a smaller battery. The phone is 9.6mm thick, so it's definitely not one we’d dub as slim. Still, the phone's weight feels well-balanced and the ergonomics are good enough. 

On the rear panel, you have a rather obnoxious massive Redmi branding, that frankly, we'd rather do without. The plastic back, however, has a nice textured finish with an iridescent effect that seems to beam out from the camera modules. The back has a slightly polarising design, in our opinion, you either love it or hate it. Still, the textured finish helps keep fingerprints at bay. The phone is available in four colours - Blazing Blue (which we have), Electric Green, Mighty Black, and Fiery Red. You can get a clear silicone case in the box, which is always appreciated.

On the side, you have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor atop the power button, as well as the volume controls. The buttons are easy to reach and tactile, and the fingerprint sensor, while not the snappiest, is reliable. On the left side, there's the SIM card tray which can house two NANO SIMs and a microSD card. The memory can be expanded up to 512GB via microSD card, so even if you get the base 64GB variant and are running short on space, you can always upgrade it. On the front, you have a dewdrop-shaped notch for the selfie camera. The front glass features Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. 

Staying true to the multi rear camera trend that has found its way in most budget smartphones too, the Redmi 9 Power has a quad-camera set up in a rectangular module on the back panel. The camera module does jut out slightly and there's some wobble when it's sitting flat on a surface, but not too much. 

Redmi also upped the ante by adding dual stereo speakers to the smartphone, so you get both a top and downwards firing speaker, which is excellent for the price. You also have a USB-C charging port at the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top. In the box, you get a 22.5W Fast Charging, interestingly though, the Redmi 9 Power is capped at 18W for Fast Charging. This same situation is found on the Poco M3, which we recently reviewed. Overall, the Redmi 9 Power is relatively well-built for the price but faces stiff competition from the likes of the Poco M3 when it comes to looks.

Redmi 9 Power: Performance

The Redmi 9 Power houses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC running on an 11 nm process which is a direct competitor to the MediaTek Helio G85 chipset found in competitors such as the Realme Narzo 20. In our usual benchmarking tests, the Redmi 9 Power performed decently, however, the aforementioned Narzo 20 did beat it convincingly in some benchmarks. We ran AnTuTu on the device and got a score of 182796 and it did lag behind both the Narzo 20 and the Micromax In Note 1 slightly, but it managed to beat out the newly-launched Poco M3 narrowly. 

The 9 Power continued to lag before the Narzo 20 and Micromax In Note 1 in Geekbench Single Core, however, in Multi Core, it did pull ahead of both devices by a slight margin. Coming to GFX Bench, we saw the Realme Narzo 20 completely dominating the Redmi 9 Power, however, it did manage to score more than the Micromax In Note 1 in this benchmark. In PC Mark Work 2.0, again the Redmi 9 Power lagged behind both phones. So, benchmark score-wise, the Redmi 9 Power doesn't do so hot. In fact, it even loses out to the Redmi 9 Prime and the Redmi Note 9 in AnTuTu even though the Note 9 costs the same now, and the 9 Prime is cheaper at the moment.

When it comes to gaming, the Redmi 9 Prime does a mediocre job. We played a game of Call of Duty and recorded an average FPS of 29 with 66 per cent stability at high graphics and medium frame rate in the Gamebench app. Lower the graphics to Medium and the game was playable but it does feel choppy and laggy at times and gets warm pretty quickly. The battery holds up pretty well though when gaming. We recorded a 5% battery drop after 15 minutes of Call of Duty. All in all, playing simple games like Candy Crush will be a breeze on this phone, but more graphically-intensive titles like COD and Asphalt 9 don't run smoothly. Which is to be expected, at this price point. 

Benchmark scores aside, the Redmi 9 Power runs day-to-day operations pretty smoothly, for the most part. Apps load fairly quickly, albeit we did notice that the camera takes longer than ideal to be ready to shoot. Multitasking on the phone was a decent experience as well but the 4GB RAM does limit the number of apps that can stay open in the background simultaneously. Also, we encountered a few stutters when moving between apps in the multitasking window. Still, tasks such as sending messages, sending emails, browsing through social networks and more were all smooth, for the most part. All in all, if you're a light user, the Redmi 9 Power will get you through most of your tasks swimmingly.

Coming to the software, the Redmi 9 Power comes with Android 10 with MIUI 12 atop. Now, if you're familiar with MIUI, you will know that it comes with a galore of bloatware in the form of preinstalled apps and ads. One app named 'Get Apps' got painstakingly annoying since it repeatedly sends you notifications, recommending you to install some apps. Some of the preinstalled apps include Dream 11, Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, Osom Rummy, Moj and a few more Mi apps. Thankfully, you can uninstall most of these apps apart from Get Apps, which is Xiaomi's official app store.

Redmi 9 Power: Display

One of the things we enjoyed on the Redmi 9 Power was watching content on YouTube and other OTT platforms due to the crisp FHD+ display and, of course, the stereo speakers. The smartphone houses a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display that works well for content consumption, although the dewdrop notch does mar the immersiveness to an extent. The colours are vibrant (with an option for a more natural look in Settings), however, the viewing angles are mediocre. 

You also get support for Widevine L1, so you can enjoy HD content on OTT platforms without any issues. The display is bright enough to view indoors. It is rated at 400 nits, and we managed to record a peak brightness of 220 nits. The phone can also go as low as 5 nits, although the Poco M3 records a mere 1.2 nits when at its lowest brightness level. The display, however, is slightly problematic to view outdoors, under direct sunlight. We struggled to use the phone even the max brightness, which is a tad concerning. Nevertheless, we are glad Xiaomi provided an FHD+ display since companies usually tend to settle for an HD+ display at this price point.

Redmi 9 Power: Battery life

Now, we move on to what we consider is the primary highlight of the Redmi 9 Power. No second guesses there, it’s the gargantuan 6,000mAh battery. The massive cell does exactly what it is supposed to do, which is give you enough juice to 'Power' through about 2 days of moderate usage and about a day and a half of heavy usage. 

By heavy usage, we mean playing games, watching HD content on Netflix, GPS navigation, and the works, which is pretty impressive. The phone lost 6 per cent battery with 30 minutes of streaming on Netflix and about 7 per cent battery when using Google Maps for an hour. Now, these numbers are slightly lower than what the Poco M3 achieved but its plenty for most users.

 If you're a light user, you can stay away from the charger for days. If you're on the opposite end and use your phone heavily, there's an Ultra Battery Saver Mode than extends battery life even further. When you do need to charge the phone, the battery goes from empty to full in about 2 hours and 50 minutes, which is on the slower side. This does make you wonder why the company didn't just push for 22W charging when the charger in the box is capable of delivering those speeds. 

Redmi 9 Power: Camera performance

The Redmi 9 Power packs a quad-camera setup that includes a 48MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. Xiaomi’s camera app is still the same, packed with plenty of features, camera modes, and even filters, and it will keep new users busy for quite some time. What we found slightly aggravating, was the fact that the Macro mode is tucked away in a different sub-menu, which makes it hard to find. The photo samples below are downsized for the web, you can check out our Flickr gallery for high quality images taken from the Redmi 9 Power. 

Now coming to the primary lens, daylight photos taken on the Redmi 9 Power are decent. The shots are generally sharp and vibrant when shot in bright daylight, with a passable amount of detail. The dynamic range, while lacking in some aspects, is acceptable for this price range. In particularly tricky situations, the shadows do lack detail and the highlights are blown out as well.

We also played with HDR mode to see how it would affect the dynamic range, and we did see some more detail in the shadows, although we were pixel-peeping. The camera’s Pro Color mode adds a pop of colour to shots taken from the main camera, however, looks cartoonish at times, as we’ve seen on other Xiaomi devices. You also get a manual mode, which is pretty neat. 

For close-ups, the primary lens does pretty well with some click natural background blur making it instantly social-media worthy. We did notice a few focusing issues though. The 2MP macro lens, honestly speaking, is just terrible. Due to the lack of auto focus, it is extremely tricky to get an acceptable shot, and even when you do the details are abysmal. 

The 8MP ultrawide lens produces strictly average shots in daylight with mediocre dynamic range. While it’s not the best lens, it is great to have it as an option, especially when competitors such as the Poco M3 have ditched the ultrawide lens and stuck to a triple-camera module.

Portrait shots, on both the rear and selfie cameras, has decent edge detection, but the dynamic range is this mode suffers. Also, stray hair and tricky edges cause the edge detection to mess up, but that’s to be expected at this price. Selfies from the 8MP camera are decent, there’s a bit too much softening going on, but it is acceptable.

Finally, we move on to low light photography, where the shots from 48MP primary lens suffer from a lot of noise and lack detail, especially in the shadows. Using the wide angle lens in low light is simply not advised since the problem of noise aggravates even more. Additionally, the camera struggles to lock focus a lot in low light. There is a dedicated night mode for the primary lens which results in shots that are slightly more presentable and brighter. 

Low light selfies lack detail and the photos are, again, too soft for our liking. There’s an abnormal amount of skin smoothening going on and in low light, there’s an odd yellowish colouring in the shots which we didn’t find flattering. 

Video recording tops out at 1080p at 30fps for the primary and selfie camera and is pretty decent on both cameras in this price segment, but there's no stabilisation which makes for some shaky videos if you don't have steady hands, or if you're walking or running.  

Verdict

There are 2 main areas where the Redmi 9 Power stands out - the stellar battery life and the inclusion of dual stereo speakers. If you're someone who consumes a lot of media on your phone, the dual stereo speakers, FHD+ display and the ability to stream HD content on YouTube and Netflix make this a sweet offering in this area. In most other areas, the phone is what you'd expect at this price range. The Poco M3 costs the same and makes it case for itself due to the extra 2GB of RAM and a premium back finish, but if you really value the ultrawide lens, the Redmi 9 Power includes that, while the Poco M3 doesn’t. Also, MIUI which sits atop Android 10 is still as aggressive as ever when it comes to ads and bloatware, so keep that in mind when making your purchase decision. 

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Garena Free Fire introduces Cobra Go mini-game as part of Project Cobra

Garena has introduced a new mini-game in Free Fire as part of the Project Cobra event. Called Cobra Go, the event tasks players with collecting dice to earn coins, which can then be used to purchase items. The event will go on till March 7.

How to play Cobra Go in Garena Free Fire

In order to play the Cobra Go mini-game, players will have to collect Cobra Dice on the map. This dice is needed to play the mini-game.

The Cobra Game is available under the Project Cobra section.

When opened, players will be presented with a playing board with Shirou as the token. The collected Cobra Dice can be used to move Shirou around the board. This will let the player collect Cobra Coins.

These Cobra Coins can then be exchanged for items in Garena Free Fire.

Cobra Go - Rewards

The rewards that players can unlock using the Cobra Coins include the Cobra Sidekick set of outfits. This includes the top, pants and shoes. All three of these will cost 80 Cobra Coins each. Other rewards include the Slither Surfboard and Weapon Royale Voucher.

It should be noted that the event also offers Daily Event login bonuses. These can also include Cobra Dice, which can be used to play Cobra Go.

As part of Project Cobra, all players can receive the new Shirou character for free. In order to get the character, players will have to log in on February 27. Shirou is described as the “fastest delivery guy around.” He comes with a passive ability called Damage Delivered. The ability marks any enemy that attacks the player. It should be noted that the marker is only visible to the player and only works if the enemy is within 80m of the player when attacking.

The marker does more than simply making the enemy easily visible. The first shot on the enemy does additional armour penetration. The amount of additional armour penetration increases and the cool down timer decreases with each level increase in Shirou.

At base level, Shirou’s Damaged Delivered ability offers 50% additional armour penetration and a cool down time 35 seconds. At level 6, Damaged Delivered will do 100% additional armour penetration with a cool down time of 20 seconds.

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