Indian gamers spend over 85 hours each week playing games, 369 consider themselves to be experts: Report

Gaming in India remains as popular as ever, even after the banning of PUBG Mobile. According to a report by Limelight called State of Online Gaming, Indians spend over 8.5 hours each week playing games. This was the third-highest number in the list of countries that were surveyed. Besides India, the list included respondents from China, Germany, Indonesia, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. 

Gaming the week away

As mentioned above, only gamers in China and Vietnam managed to game more than Indian gamers over a week. Chinese gamers averaged 12.39 hours of gaming, while Vietnamese gamers averaged 10.16 hours of gaming in a week. Surprisingly, South Korean gamers only spend 5.88 hours a week gaming, which is the least of the lot. Considering the popularity of gaming in the country, it's surprising, if you ask us. 

Indian gamers = Expert gamers?

Even though gaming in India is still gaining popularity as compared to many other countries, Indian gamers seem to rate themselves pretty highly when it comes to their gaming prowess. The report notes that while 47.1% of Indian gamers consider themselves casual players, 36.9% claimed to be experts. In fact, when it came to rating themselves as experts, Indian gamers were in a league of their own. Vietnamese gamers had the second highest number of players rating themselves as experts with 27.5%. 

Interestingly, India also had the second highest percentage of gamers calling themselves ‘aspiring professionals’ with 10.2%. Only Indonesia was higher with 11%. However, only time will tell if this will result in international recognition. Indian esports players are not yet regarded highly and teams have yet to win a notable international tournament. Hopefully, as the popularity of esports grows in the country, we will soon have more seasoned players competing for glory on the international stage. 

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OnePlus resumes OxygenOS 11 update for OnePlus Nord

OnePlus has released the OxygenOS 11.1.1.1 update for the OnePlus Nord after it temporarily paused the rollout previously due to performance issues. OnePlus started pushing out the Android 11 based OxygenOS 11 update for users of the OnePlus Nord earlier this month. However, many users reported battery issues, app lock and more functionality based bugs and the update was pulled last week. 

OnePlus has now announced that it is rolling-out an OxygenOS 11.1.1.1 hotfix update for the Nord. The new update fixes issues, improves the overall system stability and brings the Android 11 features to the Nord. OnePlus Nord users in India will receive the OxygenOS 11.1.1.1.AC01DA update while the global users will receive 11.1.1.1.AC01AA and 11.1.1.1.AC01BA for users in Europe.

The new OxygenOS 11.1.1.1 update brings a new design to the Nord with different always-on display styles, new Shelf UI, Story feature in the Gallery and more optimizations to improve the imaging previews. The update also adds some options to the Dark mode and a dedicated button in the quick settings menu. 

OnePlus recommends that the battery levels on the Nord should be above 30% with a minimum of 3GB storage space required to install the update. 

The OnePlus Nord is one of the best-selling smartphones in the sub-Rs 30,000 price segment after its debut in 2020. Earlier this month, the OnePlus Nord 2 was leaked, giving us a glimpse of what to expect from the successor of the Nord. 

The OnePlus Nord 2 reportedly is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor that was launched in January. Having said that, we are still months away from the launch of the purported OnePlus Nord 2 and there’s a lot that could potentially change between now and when the phone officially launches.

 

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Qualcomms custom CPUs will be ready for laptops coming out next year

Qualcomm announced a $1.4 billion deal to acquire chip design firm Nuvia earlier this year. The company was founded by Apple executive Gerard Williams III, a long-time chief architect behind a variety of Apple CPUs and chipsets. This acquisition sparked a lot of speculation following which Qualcomm said Nuvia’s CPUs would land in flagship phones, laptops, and more.

Now, the company has just announced that it has completed the acquisition and revealed a major plan for the chip's rollout. The press releases confirmed that the new chips will land in laptops in the second half of 2022. “The first Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms to feature Qualcomm’s new internally designed CPUs are expected to sample in the second half of 2022 and will be designed for high-performance ultraportable laptops,” an excerpt of the press release said.

For those of you who don't know, sampling a product by manufacturers and it appearing in commercially available products are two completely different things and there's usually a significant time gap between the two. If we don't expect new laptops with these new chips to hit the shelves before late 2022 or even 2023.

We expect the wait to be rewarding though because this will be the first time we'll see custom Qualcomm CPUs inside laptops. We can't wait to test the laptop and get some results to see how it compares against Apple's M1 processor, the leading member of the pack.

And this is just about the laptops, so it's too early to speculate when we'll see Qualcomm and Nuvia's custom CPUs inside phones. Making a custom chip for a phone again has some complications of its own since it's a different form factor altogether. It will be interesting to see what kind of performance these new chips will bring to the table.

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PS5 console exclusive game rumoured to release on Xbox Series XS and Game Pass

If you’ve bought an Xbox Series X/S (review) instead of the PS5 (review), there’s some good news for you. Godfall, a launch title on the PS5 is now rumoured to be coming to Microsoft’s consoles as well as Game Pass. The leak was first discovered on 4chan and also states that the game will hit Game Pass and the Xbox Series X/S sometime in May or June. The game only had a PS exclusivity deal for six months, so it is logical that the developers, Counterplay Games would want a wider range of players to experience the game. Do take this information with a grain of salt though as Counterpoint Games have not made an official announcement as yet. Godfall on the Xbox Series X should be an interesting development. 

PS5 exclusive Godfall could come to the Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass

(Rumor) Details on Godfall after PS5 and PC after the exclusivity ends

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Google Pixel 5a reportedly passes BIS certification, could launch in India soon

Google Pixel 5a has been spotted passing the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website ahead of its rumoured launch in India. The Pixel 5a has been leaked previously and has been tipped to launch on June 11. Google is also looking to bring more Pixel smartphones to India in 2021, as reported earlier. However, Google is yet to confirm the exact launch date for the successor to the Pixel 4a from 2020

According to a tweet by popular tipster Mukul Sharma, a Google phone with the model number GROM2 was spotted listed on the BIS index which could be the Pixel 5a. Having said that, the model number GROM2 is a bit different from the other models of the Pixel a-series of phones. The Pixel 3a had the model number G020F while the Pixel 3a XL went by G020B followed by GO25N, also known as the Pixel 4a.

Google's upcoming phone (GROM2) finishes the inclusion process on the Indian BIS. #Google #GooglePixel5a pic.twitter.com/hxhLCuvXAW

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) March 15, 2021

Google is looking to expand its offerings in the country by bringing more Pixel smartphones. The Pixel 4a remained the only phone by Google to launch in India in 2020 but the company has hinted that it wants to expand to other price segments as well. The Google Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 5G did not arrive in India due to the unavailability of 5G networks. This could mean that the Pixel 5a will be a 4G smartphone, but we won’t know for sure until the official details start pouring in. 

Google Pixel 5a leaked specifications

The Pixel 5a is expected to have the same plastic-unibody build and finish as the Pixel 4a 5G. The phone is expected to measure 8.8 millimetres in thickness and could feature a 6.2-inch Full HD+ display that uses an OLED screen with a punch-hole cutout in the top-left corner.

The Pixel 5a is expected to have dual cameras on the back, backed by a flash, all housed within the squircle camera module. The Pixel 4a 5G notably has a 12 MP primary camera followed by a 16MP ultra-wide-angle camera, so we will likely see the same on the Pixel 5a. 

The Pixel 5a could have a 3.5mm headphone jack, a rear fingerprint reader and stereo speakers.

Google is yet to reveal its plans to launch the Pixel 5a officially, but we will be keeping an eye out for when it does.

 

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Nokia schedules launch event for April 8, could unveil Nokia X10 and G10

Nokia has scheduled an event for April 8 where it could launch the Nokia X10, X20 and G10. The company is yet to reveal what it has planned for next month, but the new X-series and G-series of smartphones have recently been leaked. The Nokia 5.4 and Nokia 3.4 were launched in February in India and there have been reports hinting that Nokia will launch multiple phones in the first half of 2021.

Nokia has gone live with a teaser page on its website that states the launch date. The event is scheduled for April 8 at 3 PM UK time which is around 8:30 PM IST. There is currently no word whether the new phones will be launched in India anytime soon.

Exclusive: Nokia X20 aka Quick Silver & Nokia X10 aka Scarlet Witch with 5G support coming https://t.co/dW5FUwvtL5

— Nokiapoweruser (@Nokiapoweruser) March 14, 2021

Having said that, the Nokia X10 and X20 leak reveals that the two budget phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor that supports 5G connectivity. The Nokia G10 was also leaked earlier this month and is touted to be a gaming smartphone, sharing its specifications with the Nokia 5.4. As per another report, the Nokia 1.4, 6.4 and 7.4 could launch this year and after the Nokia 9.3 got delayed it remains to be seen if the company launches it or skips it altogether for a new flagship phone.

Nokia X10 and Nokia X20 leaked specifications

The Nokia X10 and Nokia X20 both are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor, as per NokiaPowerUser. These phones will be positioned in the budget segment and bring 5G connectivity at more affordable prices.

The Nokia X10 is expected to be offered with 6GB RAM and 32GB storage and in white and green colours to choose from. As for the Nokia X20, it could launch with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage in Blue and Sand colours.

Nokia X10 could be priced at EUR 300 for the 6GB RAM model with 32GB storage and EUR 349 for the 128GB storage option.

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Redmi TV launching in India tomorrow: Everything you need to know

Redmi is launching its first TV in India tomorrow, March 17. The Redmi TV will be the first Redmi TV in India and as per the teaser page for the TV, will be made in India. This rules out the fact that it could be the Redmi max TV which recently launched in China. Here is a look at everything we know about the upcoming Redmi TV.

The Redmi TV will offer the “XL experience”

One of the highlights of the teaser has been the “XL Experience”, hinting that the TV will be a large screen TV. Since it probably isn't the Redmi Max TV, we speculate it could be a 65-inch TV. Also, a leak at the beginning of February 2020 hinted that the upcoming Redmi smart TV could launch in 55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes. So, it is possible that the XL experience refers to the 65-inch variant? Also, the Mi TV 65-inch variant hasn’t been available for some time, so this 65-inch Redmi TV could fill that void.  

Redmi TV features and expected specifications

According to a tweet by Xiaomi Global VP and MD Xiaomi India, Manu Kumar Jain, The Redmi TV will come with Xiaomi’s Vivid Picture Engine along with support for HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision. We last saw these features on the Mi QLED TV (review). It’s safe to say that the TV will bring with it features like support for the various HDR standards as it has now become commonplace for budget TVs to come with support for HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision like the AmazonBasics TV we reviewed earlier. 

The teaser page also highlights “XL Audio Experience” hinting that we could see something interesting on the audio front. The Mi QLED TV came with 30W of sound output with 6 drivers, which made the TV sound quite good. Could we see something similar on the Redmi TV?

The teaser page also highlights “XL Awesome Experience ready for the future” and the accompanying image is that of a gaming controller. Once again, the Mi QLED TV was the first in its price range to come with all three HDMI 2.1 ports with support for eARC and ALLM for gamers. Could we see the same or at least a game mode on this TV?

Redmi TV remote control

The Redmi India Twitter handle posted an image of the remote control of the TV and unsurprisingly, it is the same remote control we have seen accompany Xiaomi’s TVs and the Mi Box 4K (review). It has dedicated hotkeys for Netflix and Prime Videos. Those with a keen eye for detail will notice that the PatchWall button now has a slightly different design.

Redmi TV price

The biggest question is “How much will the XL experience cost?” Redmi has offered customers devices at prices lower than the competing Xiaomi devices. So, it is safe to assume that the Redmi TV will be cheaper than what we can expect from Xiaomi. Rather than speculate what the Redmi TV will be priced at, below are the prices of some 65-inch budget TVs in India as listed on e-commerce websites like Amazon and Flipkart.  

The Nokia 65-inch Android TV is priced at Rs 54,999. The TV has a 4K panel with support for HDR 10 and sound powered by Onkyo. We also have 65-inch Android TVs from Kodak and Thomson priced at Rs 51,999 and Rs 52,999, respectively. It’s safe to speculate that the Redmi TV could be priced around Rs 50,000 to make a splash in the budget big-screen space. Nonetheless, we will only know when the price of the TV is officially revealed tomorrow, March 17.

 

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