AMD has announced the launch of its new Ryzen PRO 7040 Series Mobile processors, raising the bar for x86 processor performance and efficiency in Windows 11 business laptops and mobile workstations. The company also unveiled the Ryzen PRO 7000 Series processors for desktops, bringing the power of "Zen 4" and AMD RDNA 2 integrated graphics to the professional desktop user segment.
The Ryzen PRO 7040 Series Mobile processors leverage AMD's "Zen 4" architecture and RDNA 3 integrated graphics to provide optimal performance for business applications. The processors also feature AMD PRO technologies and a dedicated AI engine on select models, named Ryzen AI. This integrated AI engine marks a world-first for AMD x86 processors, enabling premium AI experiences and transforming business laptops. It is expected to offer unique advantages in next-gen collaboration, creation, productivity, predictive UI, and AI-powered security features.
AMD's new processors do claim to present a significant bump in performance. The Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U processor, for example, supposedly offers an average 17 per cent increase in performance over the x86 competition and up to 15 per cent better battery life while video conferencing, compared to an Apple M2 Pro processor.
On the desktop side, the Ryzen PRO 7000 Series processors come with up to 12 high-efficiency "Zen 4" cores and up to 5.4 GHz boost frequency. These processors also feature RDNA 2 architecture-based integrated graphics, delivering impressive performance for professional workloads. The processors support the latest technologies, including DDR5 memory, PCIe Gen 5.0 storage, and ultra-fast Wi-Fi 6E.
In addition to performance and efficiency improvements, AMD's new processors offer enterprise-grade security features via AMD PRO technologies. These features include AMD Memory Guard, Secured-core PC, and chip-to-cloud security technology enabled by Microsoft Pluton.
The Ryzen PRO 7040 Series Mobile and 7000 Series Desktop processors are expected to be available in systems from leading PC vendors, including HP and Lenovo, starting this month.
The AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro is a great speaker in its own right. AIWA has positioned its speakers as premium offerings in this space, and this speaker stays true to that philosophy. Like its pricier cousin, the MI-X330 Meteor, the speaker boasts great sound quality with a fixed set of well-implemented features. The build quality also adds to the experience of owning the speaker, with control-cluster being the only let-down there.
If you are looking for a hassle-free and great audio experience, then the AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro should be on the top of your list of considerations. However, if you are looking for a similar experience with some added features, then Marshall Acton II should be your choice. And, if you want a middle ground between portability, outdoor use, and features, then Bose SoundLink Revolve+(Series II) and Sony SRS-XP500C should be the speakers that you look at.
It won’t be wrong to say that there is an abundance of Bluetooth speakers in the Indian market. With brands like AIWA, Marshall, JBL, Sony, LG, and the like bringing in offerings across budgets, it can be really tricky for buyers to make the right choice that would get them the best for their money. Even inside a budget segment, the positioning of products is so different that, at times, it becomes really difficult to pick the right one.
When the AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro speaker showed up at the Digit Test Centre, I wanted to know what the positioning of the speaker was. This is because even AIWA has offerings across budget segments. I spoke with Mr Ajay Mehta, Managing Director at AIWA India, to understand what the brand has been gunning for in India. With some clarity after the discussion (Read here), I dived into our testing, putting the speaker through our test process to see if it lives up to its price tag of ₹27,990. The speaker is priced pretty close to some offerings by brands like Sonos, LG, and Sony, which have fared pretty well in our testing in the past. So, the competition was going to be stiff for the Natsukasii Pro.
Here’s a look at how the AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro fared in our testing and whether it was able to live up to the expectations set by its pricier cousin, the MI-X330 Meteor, which had won the 2022 Digit Zero1 Award for being the Best Bluetooth speaker –
AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro: Build and Design
The AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro’s design can be described in a single phrase – all that glitters is not gold. When you look at the speaker from afar, you will instantly draw parallels with offerings by a closely competing brand *cough* Marshall *cough*. If you were to slap the other brand’s logo onto this, you could easily pass this as that brand’s product. I love the retro look it sports, and the colour choices made by AIWA’s designers fit in perfectly!
But, on closer inspection, you start to see the differences. Let’s start with the control cluster at the top. To my disappointment, it is made of plastic and the kind that doesn’t fit into the premium build and design of the speaker. The dials have a nice step-by-step tactile feel to them, but apart from that, there’s nothing to write home about. For the price that one is paying, even a polished stainless steel casing for the dials and buttons would have been adequate. It is not like AIWA could not do this. The on-off flick switch that is there in the same cluster is metallic. And the difference in feel is very apparent. If you look past it, the control cluster has a solid selection of things that you can alter from there. For someone like me, who is a stickler for physical controls, this is a huge win!
As for the rest of the speaker, on the front, you get a small AIWA logo on the fabric front of the speaker, which looks and feels great! The body of the speaker is covered in a leather-like material. Such materials, in my experience, are prone to fraying if you don’t take good care. So, keep that in mind. The included handle also has the same material on the top, with the inside being velvet. It hooks onto the speaker using the two metal studs, which are sturdy, and you never feel that they’ll detach from the speaker.
Sometimes in speakers, the lack of robust feet can be a killer for the overall experience, especially for something that can get as loud as this one. However, when I was playing the speaker at about full volumes, there was minimal rattling. Props to the engineers at AIWA for that!
What you are getting for the money that you are spending on the AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro, in terms of the overall build and design of the speaker, is adequate for the price. Nothing out of the ordinary. I would have loved it if the speaker had a metallic control cluster. But the fact that it is plastic was a bummer for me, especially given that the rest of the speaker was solid!
AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro: Features
As was the case with the last AIWA speaker I tested, the features on the AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro are limited but robust. Let’s start with the connectivity and related features. One of the best things about this speaker is the ample amount of ports and connectivity options that it comes with. On the speaker, you will find – AUX-IN, USB, micro-SD and Bluetooth connectivity. Many Bluetooth speakers these days are limited to two connectivity options, AUX and Bluetooth. So, having an additional USB and a micro-SD card slot is always nice to have. Some of us still like to load up some of the classics on our USB drives and micro-SD cards and jam to them!
Additionally, with the TWS functionality, you also get the luxury of daisy chaining multiple speakers to create a stereo setup, which with this speaker, would be awesome! And, if you are connected using Bluetooth and are worried about the sound quality, then you can stay assured that you will not have to worry much. In addition to SBC and AAC, the speaker also supports LDAC codec.
Natively, the speaker can play the following four audio formats – MP3, WMA, FLAC, and WAV.
Given the popularity of smart assistants, most speakers these days come with support for them. However, this speaker does not have that. One of its closest competitors, Marshall Acton II comes baked in with the support for voice assistant, albeit Amazon’s Alexa specifically. I would have personally loved to see that included in the speaker. It is a quality of life addition, which many appreciate.
There’s not much that I could find to fit into this section. As I mentioned earlier, the speaker has a limited selection of features. However, those features have been implemented well. And where this speaker shines is what we will talk about next.
AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro: Performance and Battery Life
AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro lives up to the expectations set by the MI-X330 Meteor in terms of performance, in my opinion. The speaker has a three-diver setup – 5”x1 (woofer) and 2”x2 tweeters. There are louder speakers that you find at this price. However, finding something that sounds as crisp and detailed as the RS-X150 is rare. This is where the speaker gains the most amount of lost ground from the performance section.
We have a selection of tracks that we play when testing Bluetooth speakers. And, with every track that I played when testing this speaker, I could see heads peeping from across the office to see what monstrosity had walked in. The balance in the bass was shown when I played Uptown Funk and Hump de Bump. The champion-like performance of the speaker, with the balanced mids, shone through when I played Skyfall by Adele. And the speaker’s sparkly highs were put to show with utmost pride in tracks like Selkies by Between the Buried and Me.
When pumped to full, the bass was enough to cause the objects around the speaker to rattle. I also tried watching a couple of videos when I was connected to the speaker, and the balanced mids and highs made sure that the vocals were always reproduced with ease and were clear at all times. There was no noticeable latency between the audio and video as well.
If the out of the box, balanced sound, which is our benchmark here at the Digit Test Centre, is not something that you are fond of, then you can adjust the bass and treble on the fly. Whether you are a fan of pop, rock, hip-hop, or some niche genre of music, I am sure with some minor tweaks, you will find the sound signature that is perfect for you! I was also blown away by the connectivity of the speaker. There’s a long story how I discovered its range for the first time, but I can tell you this much the speaker was connected to my phone with four walls and a good 30ish feet of distance.
At the maximum volume, there was almost no distortion in the audio, which is also a rare find these days. There are some speakers which perform well up to the 70 per cent mark, but as soon as the audio peaks beyond that mark, there’s noticeable distortion. The 60 W sound output of the speaker is enough to fill a large room. And, if you are having to push the speaker to its limits, at max volume levels, then I don’t think that will be an issue as well.
As for the battery life, AIWA claims that this speaker can last for 11 to 12 hours at 50 per cent volume. In my time with the speaker, I found that the speaker missed the claimed mark of 11 hours by one hour. It lasted for 10 hours. Now there are a ton of factors that could affect the battery life of the speaker so that you could still get the claimed duration of playback, possibly even higher with this speaker. When the speaker is out of charge, you can juice it up using the USB-C cable that is included in the box.
AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro: Verdict
The AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro is a great speaker in its own right. AIWA has positioned its speakers as premium offerings in this space, and this speaker stays true to that philosophy. Like its pricier cousin, the MI-X330 Meteor, the speaker boasts great sound quality with a fixed set of well-implemented features. The build quality also adds to the experience of owning the speaker, with control-cluster being the only let-down there.
If you are looking for a hassle-free and great audio experience, then the AIWA RS-X150 Natsukasii Pro should be on the top of your list of considerations. However, if you are looking for a similar experience, with some added features, then the Marshall Acton II should be your choice. And, if you want a middle ground between portability, outdoor use, and features, then Bose SoundLink Revolve+(Series II) and Sony SRS-XP500C should be the speakers that you look at.
The MSI Titan GT77, with its head-turning specs and awe-inspiring performance, asserts its place as a game-changer in the world of gaming laptops. Powered by the 13th Gen Intel Core i9 and Nvidia's RTX 4090, it virtually closes the gap between desktop and laptop gaming performance. The Mini LED 4K HDR display brings games to life with vivid visuals. The battery life may not impress those on the move, but for those who demand unrivaled performance, it's a minor caveat. The mechanical keyboard enhances the gaming and typing experience, despite its undersized numpad. If budget isn't a constraint and you're after sheer power, the MSI Titan GT77 is a compelling choice.
Ever since we were kids, many of us dreamed of taking our gaming desktops on the road to enjoy our favorite games anywhere. With the advent of gaming laptops, that dream is now closer to reality. However, portability often requires a trade-off in terms of power, resulting in laptops that typically lag behind their desktop counterparts.
The interesting part about performance, though, is that it has a defined threshold. For instance, if your laptop can smoothly run games at 4K 60FPS, you probably don't need much more firepower.
This is what makes today's review subject, the MSI Titan GT77, so noteworthy. It's recognized for its outstanding performance and at the time of writing this article, it's arguably the world's most powerful gaming laptop. The Titan GT77, fortified with the 13th Gen Intel chip, aims to pack desktop-grade power into a laptop's body.
In the sections to follow, we'll dissect the features of this device, evaluating its design, performance, display, battery life, and overall value proposition.
Also Read: Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 13th Gen Core i7-13700HX Review: The Tesla Model 3 of Gaming Laptops
MSI Titan GT77 Design And Build Quality Review
The MSI Titan GT77 combines a strong and powerful design, mirroring its high-performance capabilities. Despite its weight of 3.30kg, it feels sturdy and built to last. The laptop sports a black exterior with various design elements and RGB lighting, adding a touch of gamer aesthetic. Users can customize or turn off the RGB lighting using the Steelseries GG app for a personalized experience.
Despite its size, the Titan GT77 features a large 17.3-inch screen packed into a relatively small frame for such a high-powered gaming laptop. MSI's experience in hardware production is evident in the laptop's superior build quality, making the Titan GT77 feel durable and reliable.
MSI Titan GT77 Display Performance Review
The laptop's 17.3-inch screen is impressive, boasting a 4K (3840x2160) resolution with an IPS panel. The thin bezels around the display enhance the viewing experience, and the HDR 1000-supported panel provides bright, vibrant colors. Brightness tests show the display peaks at 832nits, and color accuracy is high with 99.4% sRGB, 84.2% Adobe RGB, and 95.1% DCI-P3 coverage. The MSI Titan GT77 delivers great visuals for gaming or multimedia creation.
Mini LED displays use minuscule LEDs for precise backlighting, enhancing image quality. They deliver high contrast ratios, vibrant colors, and deep blacks akin to OLED displays, but without burn-in risks. Offering higher brightness and superior local dimming, Mini LEDs are excellent for displaying HDR content, creating an immersive viewing experience.
MSI Titan GT77 Performance Review
MSI Titan GT77 sports cutting-edge components, the Intel Core i9-13950HX processor (24 cores) with a max turbo frequency of 5.5GHz, and Nvidia's RTX 4090 mobile GPU. It is complemented by 64GB DDR5 RAM and a 4TB SSD, making it a behemoth in terms of tech specs.
Moving to benchmark tests, the Titan sets the bar high, with a PCMark 10 score of 11752 - the best we've ever recorded for a laptop. Even in Cinebench R23, the Titan delivered an unbeatable multicore score of 28289.
However, focusing only on the processor doesn't do justice to the Titan GT77, as its Nvidia RTX 4090 mobile GPU, with 16GB GDDR6 memory, is equally powerful.
Also Read: HP Pavilion x360 14 (2023) Review: Portable, efficient, and versatile
The new RTX 4090 mobile GPU establishes its supremacy with a phenomenal Time Spy score of 19396, leaving competitors like the RTX 3080 Ti in the dust. The RTX 4090 also performed splendidly in gaming benchmarks, displaying a significant lead in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and setting an unprecedented average score in Metro Exodus.
For a more challenging test, I fired up AC Valhalla at 4K resolution and ultra details. The Titan still delivered an impressive 79 FPS. Its ability to deliver such performance even with demanding titles proves its potential for future games, especially as ray tracing and 4k gaming gain popularity.
Battery and Mobility
The MSI Titan GT77, being a performance-driven laptop, demands a substantial power supply, provided by a substantial 330-watt power brick. Though a bit challenging to pack and certainly not ideal for coffee shop use, the laptop is armed with a robust 99-watt-hour battery for on-the-go operations.
However, due to its immense power, the Titan's battery can be rapidly depleted in under 45 minutes while doing intensive tasks like 3D gaming or video encoding at full brightness. Nevertheless, the Titan can sustain over an hour or two of work with less demanding applications, proving its versatility despite its power-hungry nature.
MSI Titan GT77 Keyboard And Trackpad Review
The MSI Titan GT77 comes with a SteelSeries mechanical keyboard boasting Cherry MX switches, delivering a stellar typing experience. The keys offer long travel and firm bottoming action, providing satisfying tactile feedback. Although the clicky sound of keystrokes is audible, it's hardly bothersome.
From a day-to-day usage perspective, it excels in both writing tasks and web browsing. Moreover, it's perfectly apt for gaming. The keyboard features per-key RGB LED backlighting, customizable via the user-friendly SteelSeries GG app, instead of an MSI proprietary one - a definite bonus. The app also allows customization of keyboard functions, handy for creating shortcuts for gaming or productivity apps.
The keyboard has an undersized numpad, featuring half-sized keys. Considering the laptop's size, a full-sized numpad could have been accommodated. But to be fair, MSI allocated the space for front-facing speakers, which I appreciate more.
The touchpad doesn't disappoint either. It's spacious (5 inches x 3.25 inches) and provides a smooth, responsive surface, facilitating easy activation of Windows' multitouch gestures. It comes with clicky left and right mouse buttons and feels smooth and precise to use.
Verdict
The MSI Titan GT77 is a formidable gaming laptop, tailored for enthusiasts craving unrivaled performance. With a potent Intel Core i9-13950HX processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, and a heap of DDR5 RAM, it delivers outstanding performance in gaming and heavy-duty tasks. The 4K 17.3-inch HDR-enabled display presents vibrant visuals, immersing you in games and multimedia. While its portability and battery life may not be its strong suit, it compensates with its stellar performance and solid construction.
For those seeking a gaming laptop that marries desktop-like performance with a visually stimulating experience, the MSI Titan GT77 should be on your radar. Remember, this beast comes with a hefty price tag, making it a contender for those with a generous budget. If uncompromising performance is your anthem as a serious gamer or content creator, the MSI Titan GT77 is a worthy contender that won't disappoint.
CoWin data breach is in the news since yesterday and although the Govt. has brushed off the incident as not concerning, there has been a leak and the data in it is very sensitive. This includes your personal information like phone number, Aadhaar number, etc. Here, we have listed down all the data that are part of this leak:
CoWin data leak: What personal details are exposed to threat actors?
The personal information you used to sign in and book a vaccination slot through CoWin is part of the leaked database accessible through a Telegram bot. If you visit the CoWin FAQ section, you can see the following data are treated as valid ID proof for registering on the CoWin portal:
If you are 18 years or above
Aadhaar Card PAN Card Driving License Passport Voter ID (EPIC) Ration Card with Photo NPR Smart Card Unique Disability Identification Card (UDID) Pension Passbook
Also Read: Google Pay lets you activate UPI using Aadhaar: Here's how it works
If you are 12 years and above
Aadhaar Card PAN Card Passport Ration Card with Photo Unique Disability Identification Card (UDID) Student Photo ID card
So, any of these data could be part of this leak. So far, we have heard about data like the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number, ID card details, mobile phone number, gender, date of birth, and the name of the vaccination centre, etc.
Also Read: Government refutes CoWin data leak rumours: Here's clarity on what actually happened
How does the CoWin Telegram bot work?
The bot named truecaller***** was available in a Telegram channel called Hak*****. Once you were part of this channel, you just have to enter the phone number or Aadhaar details to fetch the rest of the details about the person that is available in the leaked CoWin database.
It is not currently available since the government took it down around 9 AM yesterday.
There are several Opposition leaders which include: 1. Rajya Sabha MP & TMC Leader Derek O'Brien 2. Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram 3. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh & K.C. Venugopal@derekobrienmp @PChidambaram_IN @Jairam_Ramesh @kcvenugopalmp (2/7) pic.twitter.com/JnD5EKhPBO
The NU 65-inch 4K TV offers very good picture performance at an aggressive price. Paired to the fact that it also brings support for webOS and the Magic Remote makes this a very good value-for-money offering. Our only qualm with the NU 65-inch 4K TV is its average audio performance.
The last 24 months have seen a lot of movement within the smart televisions space. New players have thrown their hats into the ring in a bid to capture this growing market. One such player is NU, which recently launched new smart TVs in the Indian market across multiple sizes and budget segments.
Arguably the most interesting of its TVs line-up is the 4K 65-inch smart TV, that in our opinion offers very good value for the Rs 49,990 price tag slapped on it. From its impressive build quality to its good picture performance and support for some interesting features, there are multiple reasons why this TV is the value-for-money king in the 65-inch 4K TVs segment. Read our review for an in-depth take on all of them.
NU TV 4K 65: Picture performance
Let's dive right into what's arguably the most important factor in making a TV buying decision: the picture performance!
The NU 65-inch 4K TV offers brilliant picture performance for the price. In fact, as we found in our display tests, it managed to punch above its weight, not only managing to hit similar numbers in crucial tests as more expensive TVs from the likes of Sony and OnePlus but also surpassing them.
For example, in the Calman Ultimate's Color Checker test, the Spectracal C6 Colourmeter recorded some really good numbers on the TV. Clocking an average DeltaE of just 2.2 and a max variance of 5.9 at Point 2G -- shade of blue -- the NU 65-inch 4K TV easily surpassed the testing results of far more expensive TVs such as the Sony X75K.
Gamma tracking on the TV was also good and along with it also the RGB balance, with reds and greens, staying very much in check, and some over tracking on the blues. However, the TV maintains a good balance for these colours and the average correlated colour temperature also remains very close to the D65 point.
The panel also covered almost the entire container of the sRGB colour space. While the numbers were good, the gamut coverage number at 95 per cent was nothing to get too excited about. This was also the case for the peak brightness of the panel, which remained stable at 332 nits. To the TV's credit, this number was higher than we've seen on competing LED backlighting TVs such as the Sony X75K, OnePlus U1 and the Micromax Matrix QLED.
In our opinion, much of this is because the TV brings with it some really well-tuned colour presets, with the Cinema preset generally giving very good results not only in benchmark testing but also in real-world usage -- especially while watching movies and shows on the TV.
For HDR content, the TV again performs well. However, it does have some limitations, like the lack of Dolby Vision, that need to be mentioned. Although, it'll only be fair to mention that Dolby Vision is a standard that despite being supported on a lot of 4K TVs these days, is not something that you should be basing your buying decision on, because it's still a standard that remains unavailable from the entire line-up of TVs from many brands like Samsung. To compensate for the lack of Dolby Vision, we do get support for HDR10+ on the TV, which does a good enough job of handling content that's mastered to take advantage of it.
The dark scene performance of the TV is also good, with very little blooming effect. Blacks look closer to black, and no noticeable grey tinge is noticed in such scenes, which again is impressive for a TV in this budget segment. Apart from this, we also get decent content upscaling on the TV, however, it's not on the same level as we've seen on TV from more premium brands.
Overall, the picture performance is quite good, with the NU 65-inch 4K TV adopting a mature approach, and instead of going down the path of oversaturated visuals, choosing well-balanced colours to reproduce scenes on the TV, which in my opinion makes the experience of watching movies, shows and even live sports on the TV a more enjoyable experience than you'd find on competing TVs.
NU 65-inch 4K TV: Sound
For sound, we have two 20W speakers, which are not only loud but also offer clean and crisp audio for watching shows and movies. In scenes with a lot of chatter, the audio remains clear, and loudness also is not a problem. However, there's not enough thump in the bass, to offer fuller audio if you plan to use this TV for listening to a lot of music. For that, we'd recommend getting a nice soundbar, or even a good budget home theatre system to improve the cinema and music listening experience on the TV. Another thing to note is that it comes with Dolby Audio support, along with MPEG, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and HE-AAC.
NU 65-inch 4K TV: Design, UI and Remote
One of the most interesting features of the NU 4K TV is that it brings a premium UI experience with it thanks to the fact that it rocks the latest version of LG's webOS. This is a custom UI which is generally found on premium segment TVs from LG. It brings with it access to thousands of applications and over and above that, some well-tuned colour presets that set this TV apart from the crowd present in this segment.
It also gets support for LG's ThinQ app, which lets users control the TV and its various applications straight from their phone. It's one of the best, if not the best, applications for controlling a smart TV from your phone.
Thanks to NU's partnership with LG, we also get access to Magic Remote, which again is picked up straight from LG's line-up of premium TVs. While there is the NU branding on it, there is thankfully nothing new about the remote. It feels solid and offers impressive control of the TV through its mouse cursor-like navigation support. Apart from this, the remote also comes with a variety of functions, including voice assistant and predefined app shortcuts.
We also get a good number of connectivity options on the TV, with 3 HDMI ports, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It also comes with support for Miracast and Apple Airplay.
All of this is inside a frame that's quite premium for the price. There are very slim bezels around the panel and the plastic used for creating the TV's shell is also of high quality. Both these are things that we definitely appreciate in the NU 65-inch 4K TV.
NU 65-inch 4K TV: Verdict
This is a simple one.
The NU 65-inch 4K TV offers very good picture performance at an aggressive price. The resultant price-to-performance ratio, paired with the fact that it also brings with itself support for webOS and the Magic Remote make this a very good value-for-money offering. Our only qualm with the NU 65-inch 4K TV is its average audio performance. But that's honestly both understandable and expected because of the price point it retails at. So if you're looking for an upgrade for your living room, then do consider this TV.
Apple iPhone 15 series could be pricier than its predecessor, as per Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. He told CNBC that the average selling price of the iPhone 15 lineup will touch $925 (~₹76,300). But that isn’t surprising considering the iPhone price trajectory over the years. What’s interesting though is he estimates there is still demand for the new iPhones.
Mr Ives tells there are about 250 million iPhones in the market waiting for an upgrade for the last 4 years. iPhone 15 lineup could satiate this demand.
The expected list of new iPhone 15 series features is also appealing like a USB-C port, a periscope lens camera on the Pro models, and perhaps Dynamic Island for all iPhone models.
Also Read: Everything we know so far about the iPhone 15 series
Apple's pricing over the years: Business as usual
Well, just in the last quarter, CIRP found the average selling price of iPhones rose to $988. The report highlights how this is against the conventional wisdom to be more value-oriented and hold back since the new iPhones will be there in a matter of few months.
Still, tempting exchange offers nudge some folks in this direction.
The graph has been on the rise for the past several years. For instance, the ASP was $892 in the September quarter and $944 in the December quarter (source: Counterpoint Research).
Some reports suggest the overall ASP was somewhere in the $821 to $873 band in 2021 thanks to demand for iPhone 12 and 13 series.
Also Read: 5 iOS 17 features that you won’t be able to use right now
For context, the figure was only $690 in late 2015. In two years, this soured to $724. This is notable as it was in 2018 that Apple started focussing more on revenue over volume.
Now it is looking to shift to “lifetime user value,” which refers to the revenue it generates from services and not just iPhones.
Also Read: Get iOS 17 early! Here's how to download the iOS 17 beta for free
With more new iPhones in the market, the demand for Apple Services could also rise. Ives echoes this by forecasting about $100 billion (~₹8,24,500 crore) in revenue from Apple Services which will be an impressive double-digit growth.
These growth estimates are good for investors and the brand but it may not be for the customers who end up paying more, as they are not shelling out for just the phone now… but also for the services that come with it.
The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro offers an intelligent fusion of design, functionality, and affordability. Powered by an Intel Core i7-13700HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, 16GB DDR5 memory, and a 1TB SSD, the laptop stands out as a potent contender in the mid-tier gaming laptop sector. Its robust CNC aluminum and PC-ABS chassis, coupled with impressive connectivity options and a 16-inch 240Hz display with superb color accuracy, sets a high bar. While its GPU might not be the most advanced, it ensures a satisfying gaming experience across most modern 3D titles, making the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro a compelling choice for mid-tier gamers in 2023.
The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Review: The Tesla Model 3 of Gaming Laptops
Christian Von Koenigsegg, CEO of Koenigsegg Automotive AB, called the Tesla Model 3 as the “best EV daily driver”. You must be wondering then that the Tesla Model 3 must be one really fast car, and objectively, it is. You must also think that the Tesla Model 3 must be the best-handling, the most feature loaded, or the most reliable car out there. Well, I am afraid, it isn’t so either. What it really is is a very clever mixture of performance, design, and features that feel just right for the money you have to spend in order to own one. And in the same sense, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is also just like the Tesla Model 3 of the gaming laptop world.
By now you must have gotten an idea about where the new Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2023 stands as a gaming laptop. But if you didn’t get my reference, then here’s what you need to know. The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is a high-end gaming laptop that isn’t exactly “super-premium” but delivers performance to easily play games at 1440p 60FPS and even higher in most cases. So what can we concur from this? Is the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro worth the price tag? To answer that question here’s the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro (2023) review.
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro - Specifications
Processor - Intel Core i7-13700HX 24-core CPU with 5.00GHz maximum turbo boost frequency.
Display - 16-inch WUXGA+ IPS LCD 240Hz display with 500 nits of brightness
Storage - 1TB SSD
Battery - 80Wh
Weight - 2.55kg
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro - Design And Build Quality
The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro chassis uses plastic as well as metal. The lid cover is made up of CNC or Computer Numeric Control aluminium, in which metals, in this case, aluminium, are precisely cut with the help of machines. And the CNC process does not affect the strength of aluminium in any way and the lid does indeed feels very sturdy.
The rest of the laptop’s chassis meanwhile, is made up of PC-ABS, which stands for polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. These two plastics combine resulting in a material that is strong and also heat resistant. The ABS part of the “PC-ABS” also helps prevent cracking or breaking in the laptop chassis.
Also Read: Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15IAH7 Review: The Ideal Budget Gaming Laptop?
My Legion 5i came in a greyish colour but obviously, Lenovo being a brand has to call it something fancy. And it indeed does, my laptop’s colour name is Onyx Grey. I think all the Pokémon fans just got hit with a wave of nostalgia. Nevertheless, it looks stealthy, with no RGB lights sticking out on its lid, and with a 22.45mm thickness and 2.55kg body weight, it is also decently portable.
Both sides of the chassis and the back of the laptop feature air vents and a wide variety of I/O ports. However, one small detail that impressed me a lot was the curved corners of the laptop. I mean, they're not excessively curved but curved enough to prevent discomfort in your wrist while typing.
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro - I/O Ports Review
In terms of connectivity, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro earns impressive accolades. A standout feature is its USB-C port, which boasts DisplayPort Alternate Mode and Power Delivery up to 140 watts. While this doesn't match the full power the laptop requires at maximum load, as it's supplied with a 300-watt power adapter, it's ample for less intensive tasks. This versatility allows users to leave the hefty 300-watt power adapter behind when the laptop's peak performance is not a necessity.
Complementing the primary USB-C port is another USB-C port, which supports DisplayPort but lacks Power Delivery, and three USB-A ports. The combined count of five USB ports is commendable for any laptop available in 2023. These are supplemented by an HDMI 2.1 port, an Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. The strategic placement of most of these ports at the rear of the laptop enhances desk-based cable management.
On the wireless front, the Legion 5 Pro incorporates Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1, in line with the standards set by contemporary gaming laptops. The Wi-Fi performance proves to be quite robust when linked to a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E router, negating the need for a wired Ethernet connection for many gamers, though it's available if required.
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro - Keyboard Review
The Legion Pro 5i from Lenovo is a substantial piece of machinery that doesn't bring the tactile satisfaction of a mechanical keyboard to the table but still provides an unexpectedly comfortable and pleasing typing experience. Its keys function with a level of discretion that would appeal to noise-sensitive users, while still offering the personalization of a color-customizable keyboard, separated into four unique zones.
Lenovo has incorporated a full-size keyboard which means it has a dedicated number pad. Despite the numerical keys being somewhat less expansive compared to the standard keys, they offer a streamlined way to for using programs like Google Sheets, Excel, etc. As for the touchpad, Lenovo has opted for a plastic construction that, though smaller compared to the increasingly oversized touchpads that have become somewhat standard in recent releases (the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra being a case in point), still capably handles navigation within Windows 11. That said, in the realm of gaming where precision is paramount, my preference was towards a wireless mouse when I was using the Legion Pro 5i.
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro - Display Review
The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2023 gaming laptop features an expansive 16-inch display and a resolution of 2560 x 1600, all framed within a 16:10 aspect ratio, and enhanced by a 240Hz Hz refresh rate. The goal? To provide an excellent visual experience.
Transitioning to the more technical side of things, a comparison with the previous Gen 7 model reveals some adjustments Lenovo has made in the Gen 8 variant. According to my readings, the Legion Pro 5i achieved a peak brightness of around 540 nits, making it one of the brightest laptops in its segment. Moreover, the Legion 5i Pro maintained commendable scores in both the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces, registering at 106.4% and 78.2% respectively.
The Legion 5i Pro’s display also has a very high degree of colour accuracy. During the Calman ColorChecker analysis test, the laptop’s display scored an Average Delta E value of 1.3. For context, this value is inversely proportional to the display. And the maximum Delta E value is 2.4, making the Legion 5i Pro’s display one of the best in its segment in terms of colour accuracy.
To conclude, it's clear Lenovo has successfully elevated the display capabilities in their transition from the previous generation to the Legion Pro 5i.
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Lenovo Legion 5i Pro - Performance Review
Performance is one of the main reasons why you could consider buying this machine. Let me talk about some numbers - 19133 Multicore scores in Cinebench R23, 8665, and 20133 in 3d Mark’s TimeSpy and Firestrike. For reference, here are its CPU and GPU benchmarks in comparison with the MSI GL66 and HP Omen 16. The Legion 5i Pro easily beats both of them.
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro flexes its robust mid-tier specifications, boasting an Intel Core i7-13700HX processor with an aggregate of 16 cores - eight Performance and eight Efficient ones - reaching a maximum clock speed of 5GHz. This powerhouse couples with 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 512GB solid-state drive, whose read and write speed you can see down below.
As you're undoubtedly aware, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is equipped with high-performance components that consume considerable power. Consequently, after extended periods of gaming, it's not unusual to observe a significant rise in the laptop's surface temperature. Moreover, with an initial PCMark 10 score of 9424, the Lenovo Legion starts on a strong footing. Though this score may not shatter records, it’s indeed commendable and situates the Legion 5 Pro amongst the top mid-tier gaming laptops, demonstrating its potential for impressive overall performance.
The performance of the RTX 4060, while not a top-of-the-line GPU, is still robust enough to tackle most modern 3D titles at high settings, ensuring a satisfying gaming experience. It is noteworthy that the laptop was able to recover and sustain high frame rates in Shadow of the Tomb Raider without Nvidia’s DLSS technology turned on. But its performance in games like Metro Exodus positions RTX 4060 as a less significant upgrade compared to last year's RTX 3060.
Overall, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro's real-world gaming performance should satisfy most mid-tier gamers. The gaming experience is generally smooth and enjoyable, especially for those who value high frame rates and are ready to make some minor concessions on the highest possible settings for the most demanding titles.
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro - Verdict
In the world of gaming laptops, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro, priced at Rs 186,837, stands out as a significant player. Much like the Tesla Model 3 in the realm of electric vehicles, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is a high-performance machine that presents an intelligent blend of design, functionality, and value for money. It’s a well-built, robust laptop, delivering a commendable gaming performance at 1440p 60FPS and higher. The device is powered by an Intel Core i7-13700HX processor, paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, 16GB DDR5 memory, and a 1TB SSD, presenting itself as a substantial contender in the mid-tier gaming laptops. Although the laptop's base model only comes with a 512GB SSD you can upgrade it to 1TB and other specifications on Lenovo's official website as well.
The laptop's chassis, built with a precise CNC aluminium lid and sturdy, heat-resistant PC-ABS body, exudes strength and durability. Coupled with its connectivity prowess, which includes two USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, an Ethernet port, and wireless capabilities, the laptop sets a high bar for versatility. The quality continues with a pleasing keyboard experience and an expansive 16-inch 240Hz display with excellent color accuracy and brightness. Although the RTX 4060 GPU may not be the most advanced on the market, it is more than capable of providing a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience across most modern 3D titles. Despite the significant power consumption and resultant heat output, the laptop maintains impressive performance, positioning the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro as a compelling option for mid-tier gamers in 2023.
