Call of Duty Warzone Introduces a God Mode That Makes Cheaters’ Bullets Bounce Off You

Call of Duty is increasingly looking for ways to make it less fun for people to exploit the games, and the latest idea gives honest players a cheat of their own.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/aO3n4Io

Sonos Roam Review: One of the better-sounding portable speakers

Priced at Rs 19,999, the Sonos Roam is a luxury portable speaker that impresses in more ways than one. Be it the seamless Wi-Fi + Bluetooth connectivity, powerful audio, or IP67 rugged build, the Sonos Roam justifies its price point, especially for those with an existing Sonos speaker system at home.

Sonos recently entered the Indian wireless speaker market to much fanfare. Given that the Sonos Move already impressed us tremendously and won the Digit Zero1 Award for the Best Performing Wireless Speaker of 2021, our expectations were high. However, it must be noted that this is only the company’s second attempt at a battery-powered speaker. The brand is otherwise renowned for its premium speakers that offer multi-device setups. Priced at Rs 21,999, the Sonos Roam is definitely exorbitantly priced in comparison to competitors from brands such as JBL and Ultimate Ears. However, it does come equipped with unique features such as Sonos’ multi-room setup. Aside from being Bluetooth powered, the speaker can also use Wi-Fi to work with your existing Sonos multi-room audio system. The speaker also packs a host of other features that we will discuss in this review. The ultimate question to be answered is if the Sonos Roam can set itself apart from the competition to be worth 20K. Let’s find out.

Sonos Roam: Build and design

With the Sonos Roam, the company retains the minimalist, classy aesthetic present in previous devices such as the Move. However, one major distinguishing factor is that, with the Roam, Sonos has focused much more on portability and overall ruggedness. The speaker is pretty diminutive, weighing merely 0.43 kg. In contrast, the Sonos Move, which is also a battery-powered Bluetooth/Wi-Fi speaker weighs a whopping 3kgs. The Roam, on the other hand, is easily portable and can be carried around in a bag or purse. The speaker boasts a honeycomb grille, however, it doesn’t wrap all the way around the speaker’s body so you won’t get a 360-degree sound.

It has a long, cylindrical shape that can be set upright or horizontally, as per your preference. If you place it horizontally, the button of the speaker has rubber anti-slip grips to keep it steady. The speaker comes with a feature dubbed TruePlay that automatically adjusts the sound based on the speaker’s orientation. We will speak more about TruePlay in the features section.

The lightweight build aside, the Sonos Roam is also rated IP67 dust and water-resistant which makes a worthwhile outdoors speaker, protecting it from elements such as debris and rain. You can even use the speaker in the shower without worrying about water damage. The speaker can even survive being underwater, according to the company, however, we advise against trying this out. 

The control buttons are on the left side of the speaker (when placed horizontally). There are volume controls, a pause/play button, and a microphone button. The pause/play button has multiple functions and can be used to seek tracks as well. The buttons are embossed and tactile, and we prefer them over the touch buttons on the Sonos Move.

On the back of the speaker, you have the power button. Pressing and holding this button activates pairing to connect the speaker to a source device. You also have the USB Type-C charging port situated under the power button. The speaker is available in two colours - Shadow Black and Lunar White. Both look classy and aesthetically pleasing, as most Sonos devices do. 

Sonos Roam: Features

The Sonos Roam comes packing a fair number of extra features that you don’t usually get with portable speakers to justify its exorbitant price. One such feature is called Sound Swap. What this feature does is, essentially allow you to “throw” the music from your Sonos Roam speaker to the nearest Sonos speaker in the area, and vice versa. Now, pressing and holding the pause/play button for one second will allow you to pair the Roam with other Sonos products and play music on the Sonos products simultaneously. Essentially, you can have a host of Sonos speakers set all over the house and pair them all together to play music all around the house at the same time. However, in order to activate the Sound Swap feature, you need to hold down the pause/play button for longer than a second. 

Now, your music should start playing automatically on the closest Sonos speaker. This feature worked seamlessly in our testing phase. We were able to easily “throw” the music from the Roam to the Move and vice versa, all without having to pull out your phone. If you want the Sonos Roam to pick up the music again, simply press and hold the pause/play button on the Roam for more than a second, once again.

The speaker, as mentioned before, works on both Bluetooth v5.0 and Wi-Fi. It has something called an Automatic Switching feature that connects the speaker to Wi-Fi automatically when in range and pairs to your phone again when out of Wi-Fi range, making the transition between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modes smooth. The speaker also supports Apple AirPlay 2, which is excellent for iOS users.

The speaker is also compatible with the Sonos app, which you will need to get started. Once you download the app, you can go to Settings > System > Add Product. Follow the instructions on the screen and you should have the speaker connected to your Wi-Fi network and your phone in no time. The app also has a product tour that explains the speaker’s controls and features. When on Wi-Fi, there’s support for AirPlay2 and other music streaming services within the app such as Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Tidal, and a few others.

Now, the speaker is also compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa in some countries, however, the feature isn’t available in India yet, which is very disappointing. This is one of the main attractions of the speaker since it basically transforms the Roam into a smart speaker (on Wi-Fi only) capable of controlling itself handsfree, controlling other smart home devices, answering questions via the web, and more. So, it’s a shame that Indian users who buy this device will not be able to access this feature, for now. We hope Sonos will implement this feature for the Indian market as soon as possible, but there’s no clear date in sight yet.

The Sonos Roam also comes with a feature called Automatic Trueplay that optimises the sound for the location or environment you’ve placed it in. As per Sonos, the speaker’s microphone detects the environment and makes periodic tuning adjustments to ensure the best possible sound. The microphone needs to be turned on to use this feature, of course, so ensure that the mic button is on. In our testing, we noticed minor tuning differences in different environments, but it isn’t very apparent. Lastly, the speaker supports Qi wireless charging and Sonos sells a wireless charging dock separately that will charge the speaker at up to 15W. You can also wirelessly charge it with your existing Qi wireless charger if you have one.

Sonos Roam: Performance

Equipped with two Class-H digital amplifiers, one tweeter, and one mid-woofer, the Sonos Roam delivers powerful audio which is surprising given its compact size. The sound isn’t 360-degree but it fills a medium-sized room with ease. The Sonos Move, however, delivers more room-filling, fuller-sounding sonic performance. But the Roam does come surprisingly close to it.

The bass response is slightly over-emphasised but that works well in open environments since you can still feel the punchiness. The bass response is hefty but still controlled enough to avoid too much auditory masking. 

The mids are detailed and clear, however, the low highs are slightly weak in the mix therefore, you will lose some detail in cymbals and hi-hats. This isn’t an audiophile-worthy speaker like the Sonos Move but it is one of the best-sounding portable speakers of its size that we’ve come across. The detail in the mids and the heft of the bass easily beats competing products from JBL and Ultimate Ears, however, those speakers are also usually cheaper.

The overall representation of the music is slightly bass-biased but we prefer that in outdoor speakers. If you’re using the speaker indoors, you can EQ down the bass response slightly for it to be less jarring indoors.

As for battery life, Sonos promises up to 10 hours of wireless playtime (at moderate volume levels). We listened to the speaker at about 55-60 per cent volume and it lasted roughly 8.5 hours in our tests. The speaker can also last up to 10 days in sleep mode. The speaker automatically goes into this mode when not in use.

The speaker charges with the included cable to about 50 per cent in an hour but wirelessly charging it takes about 4 hours for a full charge. Overall, the battery life is mediocre or even lacklustre compared to some options that provide 16-24 hours while having a similar footprint.

Sonos Roam: Verdict

Priced at Rs 19,999, the Sonos Roam is a luxury portable speaker that impresses in more ways than one. Be it the seamless Wi-Fi + Bluetooth connectivity, powerful audio, or IP67 rugged build, the Sonos Roam justifies its price point, especially for those with an existing Sonos speaker system at home. Features such as Automatic Trueplay and Sound Swap are also welcome additions as well, however, the convenient voice assistant feature is absent in India, which is disappointing. Also, the battery life, at 10 hours, is pretty lacklustre at this price. Overall, the speaker is extremely impressive when it comes to sound, connectivity and build but the lacklustre battery life and missing voice assistant function are pretty significant drawbacks. Nevertheless, as a whole, the Sonos Roam is an excellent offering that should be an excellent companion both indoors and outdoors.

from Audio Video Reviews https://ift.tt/vmHzTNx

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Release Date, Price, PC System Requirements, Preload, Review, and More

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is a major expansion pack for Destiny 2 — the popular free-to-play online-only multiplayer first-person shooter. The new expansion pack gets new location, maps, weapons, weapon crafting, mission, and more. It will be released on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/qrS7ZgO

Garmin Fenix 7X Solar Review: The ultimate wearable to answer the call of the wild

The Garmin Fenix 7X is possibly the best multi-sport watch you can buy right now. It can do and track pretty much anything. And on top of that, it’s very accurate and the Garmin Connect app gives very detailed information. It has a solid build, excellent accuracy and a host of activity tracking options. Additional features such as the solar panel and built-in flashlight can be genuinely useful. But, at nearly a lakh, it isn’t something most of us will be able to afford. Regardless, if you want the best, money no bar, and are ok with limited smart features, then Garmin Fenix 7X Solar is the wearable for you. 

If you want something more affordable, and only run or cycle, then you could consider the Garmin Forerunner 55. It offers you excellent accuracy and all the juicy stats via the Garmin Connect app. But, you will not have to say goodbye to a number of features including a touchscreen. If you are looking for a multi-sport watch with a pretty design, then the Fitbit Sense might just fit the bill. It’s pretty and offers a nice colour touchscreen as well.

If you still want something that can handle the great outdoors but want better smart features, consider the Suunto 7 Black. And if you just want a smartwatch with decent activity tracking, then an Apple Watch Series 7 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic might just be the thing for you.  

Garmin’s wearables aren’t usually aimed at the typical first-time buyer who is just thinking about trying out a wearable. They are aimed at hardcore users who know exactly what they want. The Garmin Fenix 7X Solar follows that trend to a T. For starters, it is priced at Rs 98,990, which means it’s definitely not aimed at your typical buyers. So, who is the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar’s ideal user, and is the huge asking price worth it? Let’s find out!

Garmin Fenix 7X Solar: Build and design

Let’s cut to the chase, the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar is huge and heavy. If the Apple Watch Series 7 is a sleek and svelte sports car, the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar is a bulldozer. It is big, bulky, and butch. But this doesn’t mean it’s ugly. It has its own charm and the liberal use of brushed metal oozes machismo. In many ways, it reminds me of the CAT S60 (review) I had reviewed many years ago. Its beauty lies in its functionality.

The case in the wearable is made from fibre-reinforced polymer with a metal rear panel. The bezel itself is made from Titanium and DLC (Diamond-like Carbon coated in Titanium). The strap is made from Silicon. It should be noted that the strap features the classic buckle style for fastening.

On the right, you’ll find two buttons, one for starting/stopping activities, while the other is used to mark laps or go back in the menu. On the left are three buttons. The one on the bottom is used to scroll down, while the one in the middle is used to scroll up and access the menu itself. The one on top turns on the backlight and can also be used to turn on the flashlight. 

The flashlight offers multiple brightness levels and also offers red light. This light can be tweaked to strobe, pulse or blitz. It can also be used to signal for help and will light up to signal SOS in morse code. When in strobe mode, the light can be set to sync with cadence. So when the arm is in the forward stroke, it will light in which, and on the backstroke, it will light up in red. This can be quite helpful for those going for runs at night. 

With such a build, you would expect the wearable to be rugged and the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar feels like it can take on the elements. In a non-COVID world, I would have loved to take it out for a hike. But alas, I wasn't able to test the device to its limits. So I had to make do with dunking the device in a bucket of water. Needless to say, it passed. It should also be noted that while most wearables are rated at 5 ATM for water resistance, the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar is rated at 10 ATM.

Garmin Fenix 7X Solar: Display and UI

The Garmin Fenix 7X Solar packs a 1.4-inch trans-reflective memory-in-panel display. It’s very similar to the one we see in some Huami watches and offers pretty good legibility in bright outdoor conditions. While the display is fine, I really wished I could have had something like an OLED display, especially considering that the display isn’t that bright indoors, even with the backlight on. 

Of course, the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar lives up to its name by offering solar charging. Just around the outer bezel, one can see the solar charger. I will get into details about the wearable’s solar charging abilities in the ‘Battery’ section of the review.

As far as the UI goes, Garmin has taken its traditional UI and integrated touch controls. This makes it much easier to use and makes scrolling through menus much easier. But the fact that it can still be operated by the buttons means that users can still access all the features of the wearable, even if they were wearing gloves. A neat touch.

The downside is that the UI is sort of stuck in the middle. Using the physical buttons isn’t nearly as intuitive as Samsung’s rotating bezel or Apple’s digital crown. Thankfully, users have pretty much full control over menus. So they can choose to have their most-used apps and features shown. This helps to negate the issue of long and cumbersome scrolling. 

As far as smart features are concerned, the Garmin is not a full-blown smartwatch, but you do get some basic features. This includes notifications, caller ID, and the ability to send some limited responses to messages. 

Garmin Fenix 7X Solar: Fitness

The Fenix 7X is a multi-fitness device and Garmin takes that claim very seriously. The watch can track anything from walks to runs, to cycling, to workouts and more. It can even track the different types of cycling, bouldering, skiing, surfing, rowing, racquet sports, and more. In fact, you can also download the different golf courses. The app can search for nearby golf courses and gives you the option to download those. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

I tried doing my 7-minute exercises using the watch and it gives you all the basic information that you’ll need such as length of the workout, calories burned and average heart rate. But you can always dig into the app to get very detailed information such as the primary benefit of your workout, exercise load, intensity and more. You can also access charts that track your heart rate. As far as heart rate tracking goes, the device seemed quite accurate and I saw a spike towards the cardio-heavy part of the workout.

As far as GPS tracking goes, I went for a walk around my society and it tracked my walk pretty accurately. It even tracked the moment where I cut a corner. The only issue I noted was that the GPS doesn’t seem to work very well when indoors. 

As far as sleep tracking goes, the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar can track sleep quite well. The device can track sleep length and mark stages such as deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and awake time. It will also take SpO2 readings and measure respiration as well as movement during sleep. This is quite useful for those who may be suffering from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. The only problem is the huge size of the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar makes it very uncomfortable to sleep with. More often than not, I just took it off before sleeping. 

Garmin Fenix 7X Solar: App

The Fenix 7X Solar pairs with the smartphone via the Garmin Connect app. Pairing with the app is quite straightforward simply log in to Garmin and then the app will start looking for nearby devices. Then simply follow the on-screen instructions to pair. 

The app is quite rich in terms of information provided to the user. The main page provides information condensed into cards. Tapping on any card gives detailed information for the same. Speaking of detailed information. While the sheer amount of information that is presented may seem overwhelming, Garmin has done a pretty good job of explaining each metric and how it affects you. Simply tap on any of the metrics to know that. 

The app also features challenges that can help motivate users. In fact, users can also create their own challenges and share them with the Garmin community. Speaking of community, the News Feed section is a sort of social platform for Garmin users where they can add friends and share their workouts. Finally, there is the calendar section where users can select any day and see all their activities for that day.  Of course, as with everything, users can edit these if they want by heading over to the drop-down menu,

However, the app has a lot more to offer! Head on over to the drop-down menu and you will see even more options to help you customise your experience. From here, you can download a plethora of different workouts which you can then access via the wearable. This includes HIIT workouts, Yoga and more. If you’re into golf, then there is a separate option from where you can download courses.

While the Garmin Connect app is very detailed, there are times when I feel overwhelmed with so much information. I hope Garmin can find a better way to present the information without removing any of the features. 

There is another app called Garmin Connect IQ. This app gives users customisation options for their wearables. Users can not only install watch faces as well as apps such as Spotify or Deezer. The app can also be used to create your own watch faces via the ‘Face It’ section.

Garmin Fenix 7X Solar: Battery

The Fenix 7X Solar should easily offer you week-long battery life. In fact, as of writing this review, The wearable hasn’t been charged in just over a week and according to the device itself, there are still nine days of battery life left. But it should be noted that this is with continuous heart rate and SpO2 monitoring turned on. Slightly more judicious use can be extended even further. 

The battery life could be even more extended if I was outside more. The solar panel on the outer bezel of the watch helps to extend battery life. And who is gonna say no to that?  However, it should be noted that the watch cannot run on solar power alone, it will have to be charged via the cable and this is where things get a little disappointing. The Fenix 7X Solar is charged via a proprietary cable that sticks into a slot on the bottom of the device. Ideally, I would have liked to have wireless charging or at least a magnet-based charger. It feels very archaic at this point, especially considering the cost of the device. 

Garmin Fenix 7X Solar: Verdict

The Garmin Fenix 7X is possibly the best multi-sport watch you can buy right now. It can do and track pretty much anything. And on top of that, it’s very accurate and the Garmin Connect app gives very detailed information. It has a solid build, excellent accuracy and a host of activity tracking options. Additional features such as the solar panel and built-in flashlight can be genuinely useful. But, at nearly a lakh, it isn’t something most of us will be able to afford. Regardless, if you want the best, money no bar, and are ok with limited smart features, then Garmin Fenix 7X Solar is the wearable for you. 

If you want something more affordable, and only run or cycle, then you could consider the Garmin Forerunner 55. It offers you excellent accuracy and all the juicy stats via the Garmin Connect app. But, you will not have to say goodbye to a number of features including a touchscreen. If you are looking for a multi-sport watch with a pretty design, then the Fitbit Sense might just fit the bill. It’s pretty and offers a nice colour touchscreen as well.

If you still want something that can handle the great outdoors but want better smart features, consider the Suunto 7 Black (review). And if you just want a smartwatch with decent activity tracking, then an Apple Watch Series 7 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic might just be the thing for you. 

from Wearable Devices Reviews https://ift.tt/DZSaGn9

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Review: A mixed bag

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 does not do anything outstanding. At this price point, there are other phones like the iQOO Z3 and the Realme 9 Pro+ that offer better value. Both these phones bring powerful hardware, and the Realme 9 Pro+ also brings slightly better cameras. But then again, both these phones also have their fail points. For example, the iQOO Z3 does not sport an AMOLED panel, while the Realme 9 Pro+ loses to the competition in the design department. In comparison, the Nord CE 2 successfully manages to avoid falling into this trap. OnePlus' new mid-range device does not offer segment-leading performance in any of the main departments. In fact, it remains strictly above-par overall. But what the Nord CE 2 does right is that it does not fail in any of these departments. Be it cameras, general performance, or even gaming, it offers above-par results everywhere, thereby establishing itself as a good contender for your money -- even if not an outright winner. 

Back in 2020, OnePlus changed the rules of the game when it decided to launch the Nord series. With the original Nord, the company made its way back to a budget segment it gradually vacated a few years ago. The phone was met with a good response, helping it become a fan favourite.

A few months later, OnePlus upped its mid-range game with an even more aggressively priced device, the Nord CE. This one, however, did not turn out to be such a hit. And now, the company has launched a follow-up device in the form of the Nord CE 2. On paper, the phone offers a good price to performance ratio, along with a gorgeous design. But how does it perform in real life? Let's find out in our in-depth review of the Nord CE 2. 

OnePlus Nord CE 2: Build and design 

OnePlus has had a history of building good-looking phones, and the Nord CE 2 is no exception. It features clean lines and a glossy back panel. Consistent with other Nord series phones, the Nord CE 2 also attempts to keep things simple and classy. However, because of certain design decisions, the phone now looks more eye-catching than the other Nord series phones we've seen in the past. 

The biggest among these is the decision to equip the phone with a raised camera module that protrudes quite a bit. This gives the phone a distinct look from the back -- unlike anything we've seen on a Nord series phone in the past. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 is being launched in two colorways. First up is Gray Mirror. OnePlus explains that this one offers a smooth, mirror-like finish with flashy overtones that looks like "luxurious polished metal". And the other one is the more understated Bahama Blue colorway. While OnePlus may want you to believe this one is understated and classy, the reality is quite different. Make no mistake, it looks good. But sadly a phone that's trying hard to look good. 

Because of the materials used on the device, the phone feels slippery in the hand, and its back panel is also a major smudge magnet. But because of the presence of a light-reflecting gradient pattern at the back, the effects of smudges are nullified a bit. Apart from this, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 also offers solid build quality which definitely proves to be a pro in the phone's favour. 

OnePlus Nord CE 2: Display

In the display department, the Nord 2 comes with a 6.43 inch 90Hz Fluid AMOLED display which performs as expected. The panel is HDR10+ certified and offers a peak brightness of 800 nits. It also comes with HDR support for platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video.

The panel itself is par for the course and works well for all intents and purposes. It gets plenty bright -- even under direct sunlight -- and outputs vibrant and punchy colours. OnePlus has included two display profiles. Of these, we found the Gentle the more balanced for all basic use, however, if you're looking to watch movies on Netflix, or play games, we'd recommend switching to the Vivid profile for access to a wider colour gamut. The OnePlus Nord CE 2's panel also offers good viewing angles and text legibility is also up to the mark, and overall the display is good for games and also watching videos and movies on it.

OnePlus Nord CE 2: Specification and performance

The OnePlus Nord 2 is a phone for the masses, and as such, the company has attempted to cover all bases with the device -- including core hardware. Under the hood, we get a powerful mid-range chipset in the form of the Dimensity 900 SoC, which is paired to either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This hardware interacts with a copy of Android 11 based OxygenOS  11. While we would have preferred Android 12, the wait will not be too long as the device is expected to get the Android 12 update soon. 

This combination of the Nord CE 2's core hardware and clean software ensures that the phone offers just about enough to handle day-to-day tasks with ease. In our time with the phone, there was no noticeable lag, and apps of daily use worked without any hitches.

However, it was in the benchmarks and gaming department that the phone did leave a little to be desired. We put the phone to the sword by testing it using benchmarks such as AnTuTu, Geekbench and 3DMark WildLife, and in all these tests, the results thrown up by the device were a little underwhelming. 

In fact, all the benchmarks that we ran on the device proved one thing, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is not even making the best use of the chipset at hand, with its scores lesser than the Oppo Reno 7 which also sports the same chipset underneath the hood. While the difference in the scores isn't night and day, it's still enough to point out in this review. 

Thankfully though, the phone's below-par performance in benchmarks is not carried over to gaming, where the device managed to run simpler titles such as Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt 9 Legends without any troubles. Playing these games, we noticed no frame drops and the performance was generally smooth. The Nord CE 2 also performed well in the CPU Throttling Test, where it only throttled to about 95 per cent of its performance. This is a good hint that the phone handles its thermals well, and also that it could offer sustained peak performance during long gaming sessions.

OnePlus Nord CE 2: Cameras

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 offers some decent hardware in the camera department. The phone has triple cameras on the back with a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-megapixel macro lens completing the set-up. On the front, we have a 16-megapixel selfie camera. 

In the limited time we've had with the device, we found the Nord CE 2's cameras to perform quite well. The primary camera on the device is capable of clicking some really good-looking pictures in daylight with a good amount of detail and clarity. Backed by OnePlus' advanced photography algorithm, pictures clicked in daylight come with natural colours. This is also largely the case for the ultra-wide lens which manages to capture a good amount of details and the colour accuracy is again on point. 

However, because of the lower megapixel count of this lens, the photos don't come out looking as sharp as the ones from the primary lens. There is also some barrel distortion effect in these photos, but thankfully it's maintained to a minimal level. 

Low light performance for both lenses is decent, with the phone's computational photography algorithm mostly bumping up the brightness in night mode shots, rather than filling the shot with more details. Additionally, there is also some level of noise in these low-light shots. 

The phone also offers a 2-megapixel macro camera lens. But this one appears to be there just to make up the numbers. It is largely held back by its low megapixel count, as macro shots clicked using it come out with low details and lack sharpness too. The front camera on the device does a decent job capturing accurate skin tones and details. I'll be honest, this lens is not in the segment, but it's good enough and it gets the job done. 

OnePlus Nord CE 2: Battery 

The battery department is where the OnePlus Nord CE 2 makes up a lot of lost ground. This is because OnePlus has not only equipped the device with a big 4500mAh battery but also added support for its top-of-the-line 65W Warp Charge. These two working together help it not only get one over the Nord CE but brings it on par with the Nord 2. 

After a full charge, the phone can generally last a day and a half on moderate use. However, if you plan on watching movies or playing games on the device the battery life does suffer a little. To give our readers an idea, in our video loop test this meant the Nord 2 managed around 9 hours of screen time at the loss of 40 per cent charge and for games such as Call of Duty Mobile 4 per cent battery drop after 20 minutes of use. When we did run out of charge, we hooked the device to the OnePlus 65W Warp charger to fill up the battery to about 50 percent in 13 minutes, and a full charge in about 32 minutes.

OnePlus Nord CE 2: Is it worth buying?

In my opinion, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 does not do anything outstanding. At this price point, there are other phones like the iQOO Z3 and the Realme 9 Pro+ that offer better value. Both these phones bring powerful hardware, and the Realme 9 Pro+ also brings slightly better cameras. But then again, both these phones also have their fail points. For example the iQOO Z3 does not sport an AMOLED panel, while the Realme 9 Pro+ loses to the competition in the design department. 

In comparison, the Nord CE 2 successfully manages to avoid falling into this trap. OnePlus' new mid-range device does not offer segment leading performance in any of the main departments. In fact, it remains strictly above-par overall. But what the Nord CE 2 does right is that it does not fail in any of these departments. Be it cameras, general performance or even gaming, it offers above-par results everywhere, thereby establishing itself as a good contender for your money -- even if not an outright winner.

from Mobile Phones Reviews https://ift.tt/2CLxGmI

Sony PlayStation 5 up for pre-booking on February 22, 2022

For gamers who have still not gotten their hands on the PS5 (review), there’s some good news on the horizon. The PS5 will be available for pre-booking on February 22 on ShopAtSC and GamestheShop. It’s been a harrowing time for gamers in India as a lot of gamers have still not been able to purchase a PS5 but here's your chance.  

PS5 up for Pre-Booking on February 22, 2022

Games the Shop and ShopAtSC will have the console up for pre-order on February 22, 2022 at 12 PM Indian Standard Time. The PS5 has a handful of exclusives such as Returnal (review), Demon Souls, Astro's Playroom, Destruction AllStars, to name a few. First party heavy hitters like Spider-Man Miles Morales (review), Sackboy: A Big Adventure and more are available on the PS4 as well. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (review) is exclusive to the PS5 only. The market for Blu-Ray discs isn’t as big in India as it is elsewhere in the world so we do think that more units of the Digital Edition will ship this time. Or, at least we’re hoping they do.  

Getting a next-gen console has been difficult in India. Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X (review) are hard to get and a big reason for this is the ongoing global chip shortage. Despite the global shortage, Sony says the PS5 is the best-selling console, with more than 7.8 million units sold. Sony still has highly anticipated games such as God of War: Ragnarok scheduled to launch in 2022, respectively for the PS5. In fact, you can check out our full review of the latest Sony exclusive in Horizon Forbidden West right here. 

from Mobile Phones News https://ift.tt/KBeXdtz

Realme Narzo 50 could launch in India on February 24: Heres what we know so far

Realme has started teasing an imminent launch of its Narzo 50 smartphone. Although the date of arrival is not confirmed yet, 91Mobiles through its retail sources, have learned that Realme Narzo 50 will be out on February 24. We could be getting the official date any time soon as the phone is already visible on Amazon India. It’s one of the main online outlets and in its teaser tweet and the Amazon microsite, the phone is being promoted with the phrase— “The Performance Boost” slogan.

Realme Narzo 50 Specs and Features (Expected)

So, the Realme Narzo 50 is said to feature a MediaTek Helio G96 chipset, the same that’s rumoured to be part of the forthcoming Redmi Note 11 Pro India edition. 

The offered memory combinations could be 4+64GB and 6+128GB and the colour choices could be Speed Black and Speed Blue. 

A 5000mAh battery could also be powering the device. The supported charger could be a 33W and you are likely to insert this through a USB-C port. 

Other specs in the mix may include a 50MP+ 2MP+ 2MP rear camera setup, a 16MP front camera, and Realme UI 3.0 software based on Android 12.

Realme Narzo 50 Price and Availability (Expected)

The 4+64GB and 6+128GB variants of Realme Narzo 50 could come at ₹15,990 and ₹17,999 respectively in India. Let’s see if these turn out to be true at the launch event.

In the meantime, you can read Digit.in for more news, buying guides, feature stories, reviews, and everything else tech-related.

from Mobile Phones News https://ift.tt/A29biwK