OnePlus 10 Pro launch in India scheduled to take place in the third week of March: Report

OnePlus fans might not have to wait too long as the OnePlus 10 Pro is purported to arrive on March 15 or 16 or sometime in the third week of March. That would be close to the festival of Holi and thus it is said to go on sale during the coinciding Amazon sale. This report comes from tipster Yogesh Brar through 91Mobiles and it also claims that we may get to hear the OnePlus 10 Pro launch date announcement at the upcoming Nord CE 2 unveiling event on February 17.

Now, since the device has already gone official in another market, let’s see what we can expect it to bring to India.

OnePlus 10 Pro India Specs and Features (expected)

OnePlus 10 Pro has a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED LTPO 2.0 display with a 2K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 480Hz touch response, HDR10+ support, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. There is a left-aligned cutout that houses the phone’s 32MP selfie snapper. 

Meanwhile, behind the phone, you could get a 48MP+ 50MP+ 8MP setup.

The phone is likely to board with Oxygen OS based on Android 12. The so-called unified OS has apparently been delayed as per the same aforementioned sources.

Anyhoo, the processor inside would be Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 coupled with LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, and a 5000mAh battery. The supported chargers are 80W SuperVOOC wired, and a 50W AirVOOC wireless.

As for the I/O options, you may expect 5G, dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, and a USB-C 3.1 port. 

Needless to say, until official confirmation, these are speculations based on the specs of the Chinese variant. We look forward to the OnePlus Nord CE 2 launch event set for tomorrow. Therein we may get some tease of the OnePlus 10 Pro. As for this Nord CE 2, a recent leak revealed that it would come in Bahama Blue and Gray Mirror colors, priced at ₹23,999(~$317) for the 6+128GB variant ₹25,999(~$344) for the 8+128GB model. Let’s see.

And for more news, buying guides, feature stories, reviews, and everything else tech-related, keep following Digit.in.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.5 With Free Next-Gen Upgrade for PS5, Xbox Series S/X Released

Cyberpunk 2077 next-generation upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles has arrived in the form of Patch 1.5 after a long wait, with Polish developer CD Projekt unveiling it during a livestream event on Tuesday.

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COVID-19: Omicron variant explained

After 2020, everyone took a much-needed breather, but what 2021 brought along in the form of the second wave of coronavirus infections globally, made everyone run straight back into their homes, while sending the medical system into chaos. When everyone thought that the second wave was over, the virus pulled another card out of its sleeve and presented us with its mutated forms, of which the Omicron variant is the newest.

After being a central figure in many conversations, and infecting people worldwide, the SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529, popularly known as Omicron, has been labelled a variant of concern. This has raised many eyebrows because the already active variants of the virus have been wreaking havoc, and no one knows what this has in store for us. For the most part.

Before we delve into the details, here’s a brief about how the coronavirus took the form of the Omicron variant. According to the UNICEF webpage dedicated to this variant of the virus, “When a virus is circulating widely and causing numerous infections, the likelihood of the virus mutating increases. The more opportunities a virus has to spread, the more opportunities it has to undergo changes.” This, for sure, indicates that the easing of the curbs across the globe is not an indication that our fight against the virus is over. We are very sad to say this, but it is still on.

As the world governments and administrative bodies prepare, in the wake of the increasing cases being triggered by the Omicron variant, it is important that you also stay informed. So, here we have brought for you a brief guide that will help you know the latest iteration of the coronavirus better so that you can give better information to the ones in contact with you, making them and yourself better prepared to fight the looming third wave, which we pray never comes.

What do we know?

When the first cases of this new variant were reported, no one knew what this exactly was. But since then, efforts of virologists and related researchers worldwide, day in and day out, have brought in some helpful information. One of the firsts in this very brief list is that the variant itself has a lot of variations. This means that this variant of the virus can take different forms and cause infections of varying nature, making it harder to identify and track. Reportedly, this variant hasn’t evolved from any other variant of note but has branched out distinctly, with its evolution starting around the second half of 2020. 

The second that we know about the nature of the Omicron variant is that it is less harmful or, to say, severe in terms of causing infections when compared to the Delta variant. This does not mean, though, that we can take it lightly. At the end of the day, be it the Delta or the Omicron variant, once in a person’s body can wreak havoc and cause severe health consequences.

From the numbers that are coming in each day from medical institutions and other statistical bodies across the world, it is evident that this variant has a much higher transmission rate than any other that we know of. It is to be noted that this is just a prediction of sorts. Despite the numbers on paper at the moment suggesting that this variant is transmitting rapidly, we would have to wait to know exactly what the situation is. For now, all we can do is continue practising the regular COVID appropriate behaviour, as directed by the medical institutions and experts.

When it comes to the symptoms, the matter is as ambiguous as the previous aspects. There is no evidence suggesting that the variant has a different set of infection symptoms compared to the previous iterations. There’s some bad news for the previously infected individuals. The reports that have come in at this early stage suggest that the people who had been previously infected by the coronavirus, despite having recovered from the infection, are at a higher risk of being infected again. This time, by this moderately known variant called Omicron. Other variants of concern that are already out there, such as the Delta variant, has been known not to show such behaviour. It hasn’t shown any sign of putting already infected people at a higher risk, but the Omicron indicates that trend.

The dos and don’ts 

With the situation of the outbreak, especially concerning the Omicron variant evolving every passing second, as research and infections continue, the best thing to do is prevent yourself from getting infected, because as they say, ‘prevention is better than cure’.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of the infection, instead of waiting for them to reach a stage where they are severely affecting your health, get yourself tested. The RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests have so far been successful in detecting Omicron infections, so that’s some good news. At least early diagnosis, followed by proper health care, will ensure that people are not that severely affected by the disease. It will also be better for the authorities to single patients out, making sure that proper precautions, isolation measures, and medications along with other aids are in order.

One of the most effective ways of protecting against getting infected and limiting the damage in case of infection has been to get vaccinated. And, as far as initial research goes, the results are not that great to be looked at, but one thing is for sure that the damage inflicted on a person’s body, potentially leading to death, can be limited by getting vaccinated. The vaccines that are available worldwide are effective enough to prevent severe infections against other variants too. So, if not Omicron, a vaccinated individual would be safe from infections that originate from other variants, at the least.

In terms of the medication, the more severely affected patients can be treated using Corticosteroids and IL6 Receptor Blockers. But, at the milder levels of infection, research is on to determine whether the current medicines will be effective against the virus or not.

What are the authorities doing?

Given the currency of this new variant’s surfacing and outbreak and the complexity of the process of conducting any meaningful research, the world authorities have scrambled teams of brilliant minds to study this variant. The World Health Organisation, which has been effectively leading the way in our fight against the virus, has coordinated with researchers across the world to hasten the research process. But everything, especially in the field of science, dealing with such a sensitive issue, takes its due time, and so will this.

While we await further information on the virus, we recommend you get vaccinated if you haven’t already. Ensure that you properly wear good quality masks, ensure hand and overall personal hygiene, stay at least 1 metre away from others, and practice other related appropriate behaviour to keep yourself and others around you safe. Also, do keep an eye on these two portals to keep yourself updated with the latest developments related to the Omicron variant: 

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https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/what-we-know-about-omicron-variant#omicron  

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Foxconn and Vedanta partner up to start manufacturing semiconductors in India

The Taiwanese iPhone maker Foxconn has joined hands with oil-to-metals group Vedanta to set up a semiconductor manufacturing unit in India. This new venture is worth $118.7 million and will leave Vedanta with a 60% share. It  envisages "a significant boost to domestic manufacturing of electronics in India." A joint statement released stated, “This first-of-its-kind joint venture between the two companies will support Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to create an ecosystem for semiconductor manufacturing in India,”.

Foxconn Vedanta Semiconductor Manufacturing in India Deal Details

To reiterate, the new joint venture born out of this partnership between Taiwan’s Foxconn (also called Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.) and India’s Vedanta Group aims to start manufacturing semiconductors in India. Although Foxconn is known primarily as a lead iPhone manufacturer, it has been lately venturing into semiconductors for EVs to other electronic goods. So, it’s not exactly clear what would be these utilized for.

Be that as it may, this could be a one of a kind setup that propels domestic manufacturing in the country. The deal is said to be worth $118.7 million with Vedanta as the majority shareholder at 60-per cent. The indigenous group had said back in December 2021, that it will invest up to ₹60,000 crores in the establishment of a chip and glass manufacturing ecosystem in the country over the coming three years.

Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal’s efforts in this direction have finally seen some development. He has also been chaired as the chief of this new venture. 

Further, the companies are apparently in talks with various state governments to finalize a location for this unit.

And as you may know, the Union Government is also promising support for such endeavours under its Electronics Manufacturing & Production Linked Incentive scheme. This would come in the form of not just infrastructure support but also speedy bureaucratic approval and clearances. This Foxconn Vedanta deal will thus be the first in the Government’s plan of building at least two semiconductor and two display fabricators in the country. Let’s see how it all comes to fruition.

We will keep you posted on related updates. And for other similar news, buying guides, feature stories, reviews, and everything else tech-related, follow Digit.in.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Optimised Version for Xbox Series S/X Consoles Spotted Ahead of REDstreams Event

Cyberpunk 2077 could soon be announced as an enhanced version for Microsoft’s Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5 consoles, after the Polish game maker announced it has scheduled a REDstreams event on Tuesday. The game was reportedly spotted as an “optimised” title for Xbox Series S/X consoles on the Xbox Store. Cyberpunk 2077 was listed as the top selling game on...

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Redmi Smart TV X43 4K HDR TV Review: A good budget 4K HDR TV

What the Redmi Smart TV X43 has going for it are the same features that made its larger siblings an enticing offering. The TV is packed with features including support for almost all HDR formats, a host of connectivity options and a simple design. Its build is at par with other budget TVs we’ve tested. The panel of the TV has very good colour reproduction for HDR and SDR but the peak brightness is lower than what we’d like for an immersive HDR experience. The audio output is average. Considering the 29K price point, this is a good option for those looking for a budget 4K 43-inch TV. 

The 43-inch screen size is the only one in India where you have the option of a 4K TV and an FHD TV to choose from. More than the resolution, it is the representation of content in HDR vs SDR that matters more. While a 4K image will look crisper than 1080p, it’s the adoption of HDR on budget TVs which is underwhelming and at times, the SDR image looks better than the HDR. 

Today we have with us the Redmi Smart TV X43. It is a 43-inch addition to the Redmi Smart TV X series now available in 43, 50, 55 and 65-inch screen sizes. We have reviewed the 65-inch Redmi Smart TV X65 and found it to be quite the value for money offering. In the 43-inch space, we have reviewed the Redmi FHD which is currently priced at Rs 24,999. We’ve also reviewed offerings from Realme as well. As of writing this review, the Redmi Smart TV X43 is priced at Rs 28,999 and comes with all the features of its larger siblings including support for Dolby Vision and HDR. Is it a worthy consideration above the FHD Redmi Smart TV 43? 

Redmi Smart TV X43 specs at a glance

Panel Size: 43-inch (Also available in 50, 55 and 65-inch screen sizes) Panel Resolution: 3840 x 2160p - 4K Panel Refresh Rate: 60Hz HDR 10 support: Yes HDR 10+ support: Yes Dolby Vision Support: Yes Weight: 6.5 kgs HDMI Ports: 3 USB Ports: 2 Bluetooth: Yes, 5.0 Wi-Fi: Yes, dual-band Ethernet: Yes Speakers: 30W  Built-in storage: 16GB RAM: 2GB Price: MRP: 28,999

Redmi Smart TV X43 Display Panel and Picture Quality

The Redmi Smart TV X43 has D-LED backlighting. As far as peak brightness is concerned, in the Vivid preset, we recorded a peak brightness of 372 nits, but in the Movie and Standard preset, you can expect peak brightness between 250 and 300 nits, which is low for HDR content. However, whether this hampers your viewing experience is something we will comment on below. Where the device impressed was with the Colorchecker Analysis, giving an average delta error of 2.9 which is quite good. Even in the grayscale 2pt, the error was below 2 indicating good performance overall. In the saturation sweeps, we have an average delta error of 2.5 which is very good, indicating a good representation of colours overall. So, while the brightness of the TV may be low for consuming HDR content, it has fairly good colour reproduction. 

Above: Peak brightness

Above: Grayscale 2 point. 

Above: Saturation sweeps of the Redmi Smart TV x43 Above: Colour Gamut Coverage

Above: ColorChecker Analysis

HDR

Like we said above, the peak brightness of the TV is nothing to write home about. But that's not the biggest problem with budget HDR TVs. It is that the dark sequences shouldn't look too dark and the colours should look good. That’s exactly what we found here. In a show like Our Planet (available in Dolby Vision on Netflix), we didn't get the specular highlights as we did on other TVs with higher peak brightness, but the dark areas of this show were still quite enjoyable. Same for a show like the Grand Tour (available in HDR 10+ on Prime Video). A stark standout has to be the dark sequence we use in Jack Rayan, another HDR 10+ show on Prime Video. The sequence we use to test has a slightly darker tone on budget HDR TVs but that wasn’t the case here. It was crisp and easily enjoyable.  

There are some occasions where the content on-screen looked slightly darker than was expected, but these moments were far and few. The Dark Knight Rises is a good example of this with most of the action in the first two-thirds of the movie taking place at night. Even though a lot of these dark sequences were easy to watch, there was some loss of detail due to the low peak brightness of the TV. But this is one example as with other pieces of content with dark sequences be it Altered Carbon, the content was easily enjoyable.

The TV does come with a lot of settings options giving you a decent amount of control. For Dolby Vision content there is Dolby Vision Bright and Dolby Vision dark and as always, keep the TV in Dolby Vision Bright irrespective of the lighting in the room. HDR 10+ only has one option while HDR 10 content has HDR Standard, HDR Vivid and HDR Movie. Here I found HDR 10 Movie worked best for almost all HDR content.   

SDR

A new addition to Netflix recently was Spider-Man Far From Home. This title is available in 4K but in SDR. The details on Spider-Man's suit are quite detailed with the reds and blues standing out. The battle with Mysterio which begins at the 1 hour 15 min mark and ends with Spider-Man being hit by a train is a good example of SDR playback with a healthy mix of colours and bright and dark sequences. The TV does a good job of reproducing these sequences and with a little bit of bias light in the room, there are almost no halo or blooming effects on the screen. The overall performance is very good for SDR.

Regular SDR content, be it from a set-top box or even streaming services, look good on this TV. For watching movies and most TV shows, I recommend using the Movie preset. However, as we’ve seen on other TVs, we found that some shows like Young Sheldon, for example, look best using the standard preset despite its slightly cooler colour bias. The one thing I recommend is going into the settings and switching off motion smoothing as I am one that does not like the artificial smoothing effect in movies. That's a personal choice as you may like it.

Redmi Smart TV X43 Gaming performance

Gaming on this TV is good overall, though we faced the same problem found on other budget HDR TVs. When you connect a PS5 (review) to the TV for the first time, you are asked to calibrate the brightness. Firing Dirt 5 (review) after calibration and you immediately realise that the TV is trying to punch way above its weight. Since Dirt 5 is an HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) game, it relies on the brightness calibration between the TV and the console. You need to go into the settings of the game and readjust the brightness so the content doesn't look burnt. Other games like Ghost of Tsushima (review) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales (review) and more look like they did on the Redmi Smart TV X65 we reviewed - good overall with the loss of some detail which is acceptable for this price point. 

Redmi Smart TV X43 Audio Performance

Loud is the first thing that will come to mind when you hear the audio from this TV. It can get quite loud and fill a small room with ease. While there are a bunch of audio presets to choose from, I found leaving the TV on Standard or Movie based on the content gave the best results. The audio does lose clarity at high volumes and I found that going beyond 20-25 was just too shrill especially for movies. Below 25, the volume is clear and audible with clear dialogue in TV shows. But to enjoy a good movie, you’ll have to invest in a soundbar.

Redmi Smart TV X43: UI

Xiaomi still offers the best of both worlds - PatchWall and Android TV. Android TV UI has seen some slight changes making it more in line with Google TV UI. It has a Discover Tab that shows a curation of content from OTT apps. The home screen offers a mix of content from OTT and your app library. It's an evolution of the Android TV UI to bring it more in line with the new Google TV UI. You also get PatchWall which has a better content-first approach and is the same that we saw on the Redmi 43-inch FHD TV, Mi QLED TV 75 (review) and even the 65-inch Redmi TV. It has the same content curation with space for lists such as IMDB top 100 list, and more lists like HDR 10+ content, Dolby Vision content, etc. 

Redmi Smart TV X43 Remote control

What has changed for the better is the remote control that comes with the Redmi Smart TV X43. While it still lacks a dedicated mute button you get a new dedicated button for Disney+ Hotstar and a dedicated button to pull up the app drawer. The rest of the design and ergonomics of the remote control remain the same with a dedicated button for the voice assistant, D-pad, back button and dedicated buttons to bring up PatchWall and Android TV UI.   

Redmi Smart TV X43: Build and design

The build and design of the Redmi Smart TV X43 are almost identical to the Redmi 43-inch FHD TV we reviewed earlier, except for a few points here and there which you wouldn't notice if you didn't know what you were looking for. The TV has relatively slim bezels all around considering the price point and the TV is held in place by 2 simple plastic feet. 

For connectivity, we have 3 HDMI ports, 2 USB ports, an optical port, a 3.5mm port, AV in and an ethernet port, along with an antenna port. There is also Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band Wi-Fi which is nice. Overall, it is a simple looking TV and that's ok, considering you'll spend more time with the display which has decent performance.

Bottom Line

What the Redmi Smart TV X43 has going for it are the same features that made its larger siblings an enticing offering. The TV is packed with features including support for almost all HDR formats, a host of connectivity options and a simple design. Its build is at par with other budget TVs we’ve tested. The panel of the TV has very good colour reproduction for HDR and SDR but the peak brightness is lower than what we’d like for an immersive HDR experience. The audio output is average. Considering the 29K price point this is a good option for those looking for a budget 4K 43-inch TV. 

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Optoma introduces the WUXGA Projector series with up to 21000 lumens of brightness

Optoma, the Taiwanese projector brand has announced a new WUXGA line of projectors in India. These projectors boast high brightness with up to 21000 lumens. There are three models namely ZU1600, ZU1800, and ZU2100 with 16,000 lm, 18,000 lm, and 21,000 lm respectively. They also claim 4K HDR compatibility, 24/7 operation capabilities, and easy installation with support for 8 interchangeable lenses.

Here are the full details.

Optoma WUXGA series Specs and Features

Optoma brandishes the brightness capability of this new WUXGA crop of projectors. Out of the three variants, the ZU1600 can hit 16000lm, while ZU1800 can reach 18000lm, and as you could guess, the ZU2100 with 21000lm of luminosity.

Besides the lumen count, these projectors sport 1920 x 1200 WUXGA resolution, 4K HDR projections, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The company is proud of the colour, detail, and overall picture quality of these projectors. It has also equipped the devices with its proprietary Visual Suite software offering automatic image adjustments, required digital warping, blending, and tweaks for brightness and fidelity. 

The brand also extols how the device is flexible to install. It comes with a metal and modular design with redundant input and fast switch support, eight interchangeable lenses, ranging from short throw to long throw ratios (0.65 –10.8:1), and the option to shift the lenses both horizontally and vertically. 

And once it’s ready and set, Optoma quotes up to 30,000 hours of laser lifetime, and you should be able to run it all day. The projectors are rated with IP5X against dust, as well as claimed heat endurance up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit/50 degrees Celsius.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Vijay Sharma, Country Head-India, Optoma corporation said, “We are enthralled with the launch of the range of High Brightness projector series which is going to deliver an unmatchable viewing experience in PROAV solutions. We are constantly innovating to address the unique and evolving performance needs of the ProAV market, and are thrilled to enhance Optoma’s award-winning projection portfolio, offering a full line-up of projector solutions ranging from 3,000 to 21,000 lumens.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Gordan Wu, APAC Head, Optoma Corporation said, “The Ultra Bright Series ZU1600, ZU1800 and ZU2100 projectors are carefully designed additions to our extensive range of professional display products, providing customers with high brightness, flexible solutions that deliver both on price and visual performance.”

For more such news, buying guides, feature stories, reviews, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.

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