OnePlus Nord 3 price tipped: Will a 3000 price hike over Nord 2 be justified

OnePlus is launching the Nord 3 on July 5 at 7 PM (IST). This so-called OnePlus Nord Summer Launch Event is being teased via an Amazon microsite. Meanwhile, we also have the rumoured price and other details. 

OnePlus Nord 3 price (rumoured)

As per 91Mobiles, OnePlus Nord 3 could be priced at ₹32,999 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. This is presumably the base variant. The Nord 2, which it succeeds is currently available at ₹29,999 for an 8+128GB model. So, that’s a ₹3,000 difference between the price of the two OnePlus phones.

So, the next obvious question is whether the Nord 3 warrants the ₹3000 price hike over its predecessor. Let’s find out.

Also Read: OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Review: Gets more than just the price right

Is the OnePlus Nord 3 price hike worth it? Here’s what the rumoured specs tell us

1. OnePlus Nord 3 has an arguably better design though we get looks are subjective. The new design look likens to the Nord CE 3 Lite which makes us think this is going to be the design language for 2023 OnePlus phones.

2. Coming to the front, the Nord 3 could house a bigger 6.74 OLED display with a higher 120Hz refresh rate and a larger 2772x1240 pixel resolution.

3. Unlocking the device, you will be welcomed by Android 13 while the Nord 2 boots on Android 11. Nord 3 is expected to bring a 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC, which will be a high-end chipset.  

Also Read: OnePlus 11R Review: One for the OnePlus fans

4. Although most of the camera setup is supposedly the same as before (with a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro module), the front camera could see a smaller 16MP sensor. Albeit smaller, only time can tell how these cameras fare in real-world scenarios. 

5. Even the battery powering all of these is expected to be a larger 5000mAh cell coupled with a faster 80W charging support. 

We should have more concrete details in the days leading up to the launch. 

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Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW Review: Musical but lacking on the feature front

If sound quality is your only concern, you can pick up the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW. It is one of the best, if not the best, sounding pair of earphones you can buy under ₹8,000. However, for everything else – look elsewhere. In 2023, these earbuds provide minimal bang for your buck. You miss out on features such as Active Noise Cancellation and app support, and the battery life is mediocre, at best.

Tokyo-based Audio-Technica is a legendary name in the audio space. I’ve tested headphones and earphones from this brand and have usually come away impressed. This time around, the company has brought a new entrant to the competitive TWS space in India dubbed the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW. These no-nonsense buds promise to deliver a musical experience, but this could come at the cost of features. At a similar price point, you get options such as the Jabra Elite 4 (review), Google Pixel Buds A-Series (review), and for ₹2,500 more, you can get even the shiny new Nothing Ear (2) (review). So, is the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW worth its asking price of ₹7,490 and how does it hold up against the competition? Let’s find out in my detailed review.

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW Review: Design and Fit

Audio-Technica has positioned the new ATH-SQ1TW as a stylish pair of truly wireless earphones; available for purchase in several colourways. Sadly, this is not the case in the Indian market where the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW is only available in the Black colour variant, which honestly, looks quite bland compared to the suave looks of the Jabra Elite 4 and Google Pixel Buds A-Series. And of course, it looks nowhere as cool as the Nothing Ear (2). The matte texture of the case also gets scratched pretty easily.

However, there are some design flourishes of note. The earbuds sit in a square charging box with rounded corners and subtle Audio-Technica branding on the top. The matte black case looks decent for the price and the shape is quite unconventional, but as we mentioned before, there are better-looking truly wireless earbuds at the same price. The USB Type-C charging port is situated on the back alongside a white LED indicator.

When you open the case, you will see the buds neatly tucked into their assigned Right and Left slots which are clearly indicated via text. The magnets are strong and the buds don’t slip out easily. The hinge of the case, however, feels a bit flimsy and could be prone to breakage with rough usage, so be warned.

The earbuds follow the same squarish design language, as the charging case, and feature tiny Audio-Technica logos on the back (which also doubles as a touch sensor). There’s an extra fin-like area jutting out from each earbud which is merely ornamental and doesn’t help with the fit. Instead, it houses LED-lit R and L logos that light up when placed inside the case or when the case is opened. This looks pretty fancy. 

How these earbuds will fit you depends entirely on the fit you get from the ear tips. Audio-Technica has provided a total of 4 sizes of eartips, so most users should find a suitable fit. I found the fit to be quite snug and secure, but the earbuds go in very deep into your ears, which some may find uncomfortable. The buds need to be twisted and locked into place to get a solid fit. I could even go jogging with these buds without having to adjust them often and they also are IPX4 rated – which means you get resistance against sweat and splash damage. 

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW Review: Features

For the asking price of ₹7,490, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW are surprisingly low on features. There’s no Active Noise Cancellation, no app support, no voice assistant control, no on-ear detection, no multipoint connection, and no wireless charging. Most of its competitors come with at least ANC and app support at this price, so sadly, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW feels very barebones.

Let’s talk about the features we do get. The Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW may lack ANC but it does come packing a Transparency Mode. This can be activated by long-pressing the right touch sensor. Sadly, this mode is not well-implemented. As soon as you turn it on, you will be presented with a soft static-like noise and the environmental sounds that are amplified sound very artificial. 

Since there’s no ANC, you mostly rely on passive isolation to drown out ambient sound when listening to music, and thankfully, the passive isolation is excellent – near perfect, in my opinion, since it is even more effective than some budget earbuds’ ANC.

The earphones also have touch controls on both earbuds, but when you pull them out of their case, these controls are disabled by default to prevent accidental taps. You simply have to tap the touch controls once on the buds to activate the controls. Since the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW doesn’t come with companion app support, there’s no way to alter the controls. The default controls are not very intuitive and I personally took some time to get used to them. 

The earphones are powered by Bluetooth v5.0, which seems a bit dated in 2023, but we didn’t face any major connectivity issues. There’s Google Fast Pair support as well which quickens the pairing process quite a bit. The earphones also support Mono mode, where a singular bud can be used by itself while the other one is still in the charging case. There’s also a low latency mode which attempts to eliminate audio-video lag. Worked pretty decently during my testing, so kudos!

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW Review: Performance

Equipped with 5.8 mm dynamic drivers, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW redeem themselves with their musical performance. The earphones have a balanced sound signature, a rarity at this price since most TWS earbuds veer towards the bass-forward sound signature. Sadly, the earphones only support the SBC audio codec, with support missing AAC and high-quality codecs such as aptX and LDAC. 

Despite this, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW are one of the best-sounding earbuds under ₹10,000. I compared the sound signature of these buds to the Nothing Ear (2) and Jabra Elite 4, and I found the Audio-Technica to be the best sonically. The bass response is punchy and consistent, with enough rumble to be enjoyable to listen to, but not excessively disruptive. 

As a result, the mid-range also sounds clean and precise and the notes present between 250 Hz to 500 Hz shine through despite heavy bass interference in some EDM and pop tracks. The vocals sound great but the detail is slightly better on the Nothing Ear (2). The highs are nice and sparkly but the drop-off is a bit sudden. Nevertheless, the dip at 4 kHz - 6 kHz kept the sound mostly sibilance free. The soundstage is surprisingly wide for a pair of in-ear TWS earphones and the imaging is excellent as well.

I really enjoyed listening to tracks such as Something from Nothing by the Foo Fighters where the instruments were accurately placed within the stage. Even pop songs such as Calm Down by Rema had good punchiness in the bass notes while still preserving the detail in Rema’s vocals. These are not the most detailed-sounding earphones, but if you get a good-quality FLAC file or listen to uncompressed audio, you can experience something truly musical.

The microphone on these earphones also impressed me a lot because of how clear my voice sounded on calls. There was tons of detail and clarity, which is often missing at this price. However, the microphone also picks up ambient sound, so don’t use these to attend meetings outdoors.

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW Review: Battery Life

The Audio Technica ATH-SQ1TW’s battery life can be characterised as weak. It is not necessarily horrible, but it doesn’t match its competition. The earbuds are rated to last for 6.5 hours on a single charge, and the case provides 13 more hours of battery. This totals to 19.5 hours of battery life – without ANC – which is absurdly low in 2023.

In my testing, the earbuds lasted a cool 6 hours and 2 minutes on 70 per cent volume. The case offered another two full charges. In contrast, the Jabra Elite 4 is rated for 28 hours of total battery life while the Nothing Ear (2) can go all the way up to 36 hours in total, both without ANC turned on.

The case can be charged using a USB C cable and as far as I could tell, there’s no fast charging support. You also don’t get wireless charging support. In our tests, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW charged to full in about 1.5 hours, which is decent enough.

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW Review: Verdict

If sound quality is your only concern, you can pick up the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW. It is one of the best, if not the best, sounding pair of earphones you can buy under ₹8,000. However, for everything else – look elsewhere. In 2023, these earbuds provide minimal bang for your buck. You miss out on features such as Active Noise Cancellation and app support, and the battery life is mediocre, at best. The design isn’t particularly striking and the one black-coloured variant looks quite ordinary. Opt for the Jabra Elite 4 which brings in several additional features and better battery life. If you can spend ₹2.5K more, the Nothing Ear (2) really stands out.

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Best 55-inch value for money Smart TVs on Amazon you can get today

Although the best screen size for you will depend on your personal needs and requirements, 55 inches comes across as the sweet spot as it is neither too small nor too big. It could sit at the focal point of the room, and be large enough for viewing movies and games. Here, we have the best 55-inch TVs on Amazon that may appeal to you because of the huge discounts they offer.

5 Best 55” TVs on Amazon 1. Mi L55M6-ES TV

Mi has been in the TV business for a while now and this 55-inch model can be bought for ₹44,999 after a 36% discount. The display is of 60Hz refresh rate and 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and MEMC support. It is equipped with 3 HDMI ports, 40-watt Dolby Atmos speakers, and PatchWall UI which offers 300+ Live TV channels, and iMDB integration.  

2. LG 55UQ7500PSF TV

You can buy the LG 55-inch TV at ₹42,990 after a 43% flat deal discount and a ₹3000 coupon offer. It is a 4K TV with a 60Hz refresh rate, 3 HDMI ports, 2 channel speakers, and WebOS software with ThinQ enhancements.

Also Read: Sony Bravia X90L, the big Sony TV is available in India with a massive discount offer

3. Samsung UA55AUE70AKLXL TV

This is also a 4K TV with a 60Hz refresh rate. You also get 3 HDMI ports, 20W speakers, and Alexa support, among other features.  The Samsung TV retails for ₹46,990 after a 39% discount.

4. TCL 55P635 TV

After a 54-per cent flat discount and ₹1000 coupon, you can snag the TCL TV for ₹34,990. On the front, there is a 55-inch display with a 60Hz refresh rate and HDR10 playback support. The visuals are aided by a 24W audio setup with Dolby Audio optimization. In the mix, there are 3 HDMI ports too.

Also Read: Nu 65 inch Ultra HD (4K) Smart TV ( LED65UWA1) Review: Great value for money!

5. iFFalcon iFF58U62 TV

iFFalcon 55-inch TV can be bought for ₹31,999 after a 60% discount and ₹2000 coupon discount. The repertoire consists of a 4K 60Hz panel, 3 HDMI ports, 24W speakers with Dolby Audio enhancement, and Google TV software.

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Sony Bravia X90L the big Sony TV is available in India with a massive discount offer

Sony India has brought the Bravia X90L TV to India. This is their upstate product with top-notch smart TV chops. The Sony TV launches in 55-inch and 65-inch now, and will soon be joined by a 75-inch model. The base variant begins at ₹139,990 and will be retailing through Sony outlets, major electronic stores and e-commerce sites starting June 26, 2023.

Here’s what you ought to know before you add this TV to the shopping cart.

10 Bravia X90L smarts that are unique to Sony

1. Cognitive Processor XR 

By using AI, Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR tries to process audio and visuals based on how humans see or hear the world around them. It is said to be even capable of understanding the focal point of a picture and enhancing the content accordingly. Similarly, it boasts the ability to judge depth or your distance from the TV and optimize both the audio and video so that you can experience them the best from wherever you are present in the room. 

2. XR Contrast Pro Booster

XR Contrast Pro Booster ensures the darks stay dark and light areas stay light. Shadows and highlights are tried to be maintained close to reality. The Full Array LED and a higher peak brightness than ever allow for this contrast control. 

3. XR Triluminos Pro

The Bravia X90L sports a billion colours along with the different shades required to bring a vivid colour representation on screen. This has been dubbed XR Triluminous Pro by the brand.

4. XR Clear Image

As the name suggests, XR Clear Image reduces noise and blur for clearer visuals on the Sony X90L display.

5. XR 4K Upscaling 

The top-end Sony TVs like the titular model come equipped with a 4K upscaling tech that uses AI to fill in lost textures and detail. This lets you watch even lower-res content in better quality.

Also Read: Redmi 32-inch HD Ready Smart LED Fire TV (L32R8-FVIN) Review: Interesting deal for the price

6. XR Motion Clarity technology 

Through advanced techniques like frame insertion, LED backlight control, and blur reduction, the fast-paced motion content like sports appears smooth.

7. XR sound positioning with XR Surround

Sony has packed in a 10W+10W+5W+5W speaker arrangement and Dolby Atmos. The company claims the TV can produce sound from the right place on the screen. You get to hear sound from multiple directions and if the content isn’t Dolby Atmos-supported, it resorts to vertical surround sound.

8. Bravia Cam

Bravia Cam doesn’t come bundled but if you purchase it, you get to enjoy video calls via Google Meet, sound and picture adjustment based on your distance from the TV, auto-brightness and gesture controls.

9. Bravia Core

Bravia Core is a built-in app that lets you watch up to 10 movies (including Sony’s own titles) in 4K quality.

Also Read: Sony BRAVIA XR 65 inch 4K OLED TV (65A80K) Review: Great sound, even better picture quality

10. PlayStation 5 support

If you connect a PS5 via the TV’s HDMI 2.1 port, this Sony TV will match the HDR settings, reduce the input lag and ensure low latency while playing games.

Sony X90L price and release in India

You can buy the Sony Bravia X90L 55-inch model at ₹139,990 and the 65-inch model at ₹179,990. It goes on sale starting today. As part of an introductory offer starting July 1, if you purchase a PS5 with this TV, you can get up to ₹24,000 discount.

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5 incredibly affordable 5G smartphone deals on Amazon India awaiting you

Amazon India has a massive catalogue of 5G smartphones, but it may take a lot of work to sieve through to find the one that best fits your bill. Let’s make that easy for you with this list. These are the most affordable 5G-powered smartphones on the platform that you may consider if you have a tight budget.

Best 5G smartphones under ₹20,000 1. Lava Blaze 5G (4+128GB)

You can buy the base variant of Lava Blaze 5G on Amazon at ₹10,999. This is after a 27% discount. Although the base memory may seem less, you get up to an 11GB virtual RAM expansion option. The device comes in Glass Green and Glass Blue colours, both of which appear fresh to the eyes. The phone has got a very basic design with a waterdrop notch on the front. It is running on MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset with support for 5G bands like n1, n3, n5, n8, n28, n41, n77, and n78. It also offers anonymous call recording, 2K video recording, a 90Hz display, and a 5000mAh battery. 

2. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G (8+128GB) 

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G’s 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant is available at ₹16,999 after a 35% discount. This one too supports major 5G bands like n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n66, n38, n40, n41, and n78. Other highlights include a 6000mAh battery, a 50+8+2+2 MP quartet, OneUI software and Samsung’s brand value. 

3. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (6+128GB)

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G’s 6GB RAM+128GB storage model is one of the bestselling 5G phones on Amazon. After a 10% discount, you can grab this OnePlus phone for ₹17,999. You can further avail of a bank discount of ₹500 and an exchange discount of ₹4000, and the final price becomes ₹13,499. The phone rocks Oxygen OS, a 64MP triple rear camera setup, and a 120Hz display. It is equipped with Snapdragon 695 chip and 5G bands like n1, n28A, n41, n77, and n78.

Also Read: OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G Review: Shines in some areas, falters in some

4. Redmi K50i 5G (6+128GB)

Redmi K50i, after ₹5000 exchange discount, and ₹2,000 bank discount, will be available on Amazon for ₹18,999. It is powered by a 5nm MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC, coupled with LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, and support for 5G bands like n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28A, n38, n40, n41, n77, and n78. The phone has also got a 144Hz refresh rate AMOLED display, a 64MP triple rear camera setup, and a 5080mAh battery with 67W charging.

Also Read: Redmi K50i Review: Performance Without Panache

5. iQOO Z6 Lite 5G (6+128GB)

At ₹13,999, iQOO Z6 Lite 5G is one of the good smartphone deals you can grab today on Amazon. Note that this is after a bank discount of ₹1,500 and an 18% flat discount on the original price. You get support for the most sought-after C-band frequency, which includes the n77 and n78 5G bands. This is also armed with Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor, a 120Hz panel, a 50MP main camera, and a 5000mAh battery.

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Passkeys wont replace passwords because of key implementation flaws

I remember the first email account I had created back in 1997 or 1998. Hotmail was the hottest service, albeit with a rather quirky name, and everyone who had the privilege of accessing the Internet wanted to have a mail account for themselves. My brother had an account and I wanted one too, even though there was barely anyone I knew whom I could send emails to. When the time came to create the password, I was told to make it as hard as possible to guess. Being a smart cookie, I cooked up an alphanumeric pattern-based password which was easy to remember and was nine characters long. That password served me well for a decade, until I started refreshing passwords on a cyclic basis.

Computers were getting more powerful and breaking passwords was getting easier. And users had to think of unique passwords for each service and refresh them regularly. For the internet-savvy, it is a task unto itself. Last year, we saw a lot of news around passkeys and how tech companies around the world were scampering to quickly implement passkeys.

Passkeys were intended to replace passwords and provide a single, standardised method of authentication across various browsers and operating systems. Users would no longer need to remember and manage multiple passwords or rely on weak, easily compromised SMS or app-based one-time passwords. Instead, they could use biometric sensors, PINs, or patterns for secure and convenient access to apps and websites.

The introduction of passkeys as an alternative to traditional passwords is a move that has gained significant attention, with proponents arguing that it is a safer and more convenient solution for user authentication. However, the recent implementation of passkeys by major tech companies has demonstrated that they are not being standardised across different operating systems, resulting in a disappointing vendor lock-in scenario and an unsatisfactory user experience. In fact, rather than solving problems, passkeys may be creating new ones.

Regrettably, the way passkeys are being rolled out does not align with this vision. Major tech companies have opted to implement passkeys in a manner that ensures seamless functionality with their own ecosystems. And using passkeys across different ecosystems requires the use of QR codes or some other work around. This approach creates a vendor lock-in system, where users are limited to using passkeys only on devices with the same operating system. For example, a Windows-based passkey will only work on other Windows devices, while an Apple-based passkey will only function seamlessly across other Apple devices. You can use the passkey across ecosystems but it will be a pain. 

Such a twisted implementation is problematic for several reasons. Firstly, it runs contrary to the idea of standardisation, as users still have to rely on different authentication methods depending on the device they are using. This defeats the original purpose of passkeys, which was to simplify and streamline the authentication process across all devices and platforms.

Secondly, vendor lock-in can lead to a negative user experience, as it restricts users' freedom of choice when it comes to their devices and software. For instance, a user with a Windows-based passkey may find it difficult to switch to an Apple device, as their passkey will not work seamlessly across the two operating systems. This limitation discourages users from exploring different platforms and products, ultimately hindering competition and innovation in the tech industry.

Furthermore, the current implementation of passkeys is not going to replace passwords anytime soon. The widespread adoption of passkeys will take years, if not decades, to become a reality. Until then, users will still have to rely on traditional passwords, negating the supposed benefits of passkeys. This slow transition could potentially create confusion and increase security risks, as users juggle between passwords and passkeys.

It is worth noting that the concept of passkeys is not inherently flawed. If implemented correctly, it could provide a more secure and convenient authentication solution than passwords. However, the current approach taken by major tech companies is detrimental to both the user experience and the broader technology ecosystem.

To truly reap the benefits of passkeys, it is crucial for tech companies to work together and establish a standardised implementation that is compatible across different operating systems and devices. This would allow users to enjoy a seamless and secure authentication experience, regardless of their choice of device or platform. By prioritising collaboration and interoperability over competition, the tech industry can create a more inclusive and innovative digital landscape.

This column was originally published in Digit magazine's May 2023 edition

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Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 Review: The premium gaming laptop experience

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is a very enticing gaming laptop. It offers a high-end gaming laptop experience at a very reasonable budget. The combination of the 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700HX and the NVIDIA RTX 4050 is enough to handle most modern games with ease at high settings. This is paired with a bright 165 Hz WUXGA IPS display, great overall build quality, a decent keyboard, and surprisingly decent battery life as well, for a gaming laptop, that is. At Rs.1,24,990, we certainly wouldn't call this a cheap or a budget gaming laptop, but we can very confidently say that you're getting the best bang for your buck. 

 

The new Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sits in between Acer's high-end Predator lineup and the budget Nitro lineup. With the Nitro lineup, Acer usually opts for fewer features, comparatively weaker build quality and entry-level gaming hardware. On the other hand, the Predator lineup comes with all the frills, great build quality and displays, and top-end hardware. With the new Predator Helios Neo 16, Acer is hoping to fill the gap with a laptop that compromises on some of the frills but offers top-end hardware at a reasonable budget.

The variant we're reviewing comes with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700HX paired with the new NVIDIA RTX 4050 Laptop GPU. There are 13th Gen Core i5 variants and variants with higher-end GPUs as well, including the RTX 4060 and 4070. Moreover, all the GPUs are configured with the highest TGP values so you're getting all the juice out of them. Considering the specs on board, at an asking price of Rs.1,24,990, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is not a bad deal on paper, but is it actually worth your money? Read the complete review to find out.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 - Build and Design

Let's start things off with the build and design. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 doesn't scream gamer like the Nitro does, but it definitely looks the part of a gaming laptop. Some might appreciate the more muted gamer aesthetic, especially if they use the laptop in more professional work settings.

The laptop is matte black in colour overall, with turquoise accents. The same turquoise can also be seen around the borders of the WASD, and arrow keys. In the centre of the lid, you have a glossy Predator logo. It's not lit up or anything, and it's actually pretty hard to see clearly on the matte black. Similarly, you also have a bunch of cryptic numbers and crosshairs on the side of the lid, along with a grid on the other side. This is actually a puzzle that Acer has put on the lid, which if you solve it, you can reach out to Acer for a reward apparently.

Coming to the build quality, Acer has opted for a mix of aluminium and plastic for the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16. The display lid is made out of metal and is very sturdy, while the rest of the body features plastic. The mix of plastic and metal makes sense if you consider what Acer is going for, and we honestly can't fault the build quality at all, save for the display which flexes more than we'd like. That said, the display itself remains very stable and sturdy with close-to-zero wobble.

The laptop features a 16-inch display and weighs around 2.6 kg, which is a bit on the heavier side as far as gaming laptops are concerned. Then again, you are getting a slightly larger than-usual display with this laptop as well.

The Predator Helios Neo 16 features chiclet keys, much like the kind that are present in the Nitro series of gaming laptops. We've mentioned in the past that we quite like the feel of the Nitro's keyboard, and that still stands. There's decent travel and feedback which makes for a good overall experience when using the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16's keyboard. You get 4-zone RGB lighting for the keyboard, but no per-key lighting which is reserved for higher-end Predator laptops, but RGB is a small sacrifice to make when cutting costs. The touchpad is slightly off-centre towards the left, which prevents the touchpad from getting in the way of typing too much. However, you're probably going to use a mouse while gaming and will be disabling the touchpad entirely. If you do need to use it in a pinch, the touchpad is accurate enough.

I/O options

The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a great selection of I/O port offerings. You've got two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port and a charging port behind the laptop's display. On the left side of the laptop, you have the RJ45 ethernet port, a USB-A port, a microSD card reader and a 3.5 mm combo port. On the right-hand side, you have two more USB-A and a Kensington lock. We couldn't have asked for a better selection of I/O offerings at this price range.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 - Display

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 comes with two display variants, 1920x1200 and 2560x1600  resolutions. As you can see, these are 16:10 aspect ratio displays, so you have a little more screen to work with. The variant we received came with a WUXGA or 1920x1200 display. Despite being the cheaper of the two display options, you still get around 400 nits of peak brightness which is great; we tested an average of around 382 nits. Additionally, you get close to 100 per cent sRGB coverage, we tested 99.6 per cent, and 83.2 per cent DCI-P3 coverage, which is great. That makes the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 a pretty solid laptop for your content creation needs as well.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 - Thermals

The Acer Predator Neo 16 performs exceptionally in the thermals department, especially if you consider this is a gaming laptop. Not only do the temps remain low, but even the noise is also lower than average as well. The highest temperature we recorded was the CPU, which peaked at around 70 degrees Celsius during the stress test. Both the CPU and GPU in the Acer Predator Neo 16 use Acer's AeroBlade 3D fans for cooling, and they both share six heat pipes. While the bottom of the laptop can get pretty warm, surface temps stay around the 25-degree mark for the most part, such as around the palm and touchpad, except for the WASD cluster which hits 32 degrees Celsius and the centre of the laptop which goes to around 36 degrees Celsius. 

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 - Performance

With that, we come to the performance. As we mentioned in the intro, Acer hasn't held back with the hardware in the Neo 16, so we've got the latest 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700HX paired with the new NVIDIA RTX 4050. While the RTX 4050 is the lowest-end variant in the new RTX 40 series lineup, it's certainly no slouch and is comparable to the RTX 3060 Laptop GPU when it comes to gaming performance. 

Starting things off with the synthetic GPU benchmarks ala 3DMark, we're comparing the 4050 with one of our best-performing 3060 laptops from last year, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 16IAH7 which also features a 12th gen Core i7.

You can see that the 4050 beats the 3060 in just about every 3DMark benchmark save a few, where the scores are very close.

Coming to productivity, for which we use the PCMark 10 benchmark, we're once again comparing the same two laptops, this time pitting the 13th Gen Core i7-13700HX in the Predator Helios Neo 16 with the 12th Gen Core i7-12700H in the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3.

No surprises here, the newer processor wins out. Coming to the Cinebench R23 benchmark, we found that the single-thread performance in both processors is very similar, however the Core i7-13700HX inches ahead of the Core i7-12700H in multi-thread performance.

The trend continues in our encryption and decryption benchmarks as well, for which we use WinRAR and 7-Zip, where the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is leagues ahead.

RAM

The Neo 16 comes with 16GB of DDR5 memory clocked at 4800 MT/s with support for up to 32GB. We tested RAM speeds using the AIDA64 memory benchmark, and it's certainly among the speedier RAMs we've tested this year.

Storage

This continues with the NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD storage onboard as well, which is among the fastest in the price segment. We saw read speeds close to 7000 MB/s and write speeds around the 5000 MB/s mark during the CrystalDiskMark NVMe SSD benchmark.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 - Gaming performance

Finally, we come to real-world gaming performance. We use a mix of both GPU and CPU-intensive games to gauge how well the Acer Predator Helio Neo 16 performs in real-world gaming. As we mentioned at the start of this section, the RTX 4050 certainly holds its own. We're once again comparing it with the RTX 3060 in the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3.

 

The RTX 4050 outperforms the RTX 3060 in every single gaming benchmark. Clearly, the RTX 4050 is the new best entry-level gaming laptop GPU. Of course, this specific combination in the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is fantastic and should have no trouble handling any modern title you throw at it, at least for the coming year.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 - Verdict

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is a very enticing gaming laptop. It offers a high-end gaming laptop experience at a very reasonable budget. You may miss out on a few features here and there, but honestly, who needs per-key RGB lighting or an OLED display when you're getting top-of-the-line hardware onboard? The combination of the 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700HX and the NVIDIA RTX 4050 is enough to handle most modern games with ease at high settings. Both the processor and GPU scored fantastically in our benchmarks, and this is paired with a bright 165 Hz WUXGA IPS display, great overall build quality, a decent keyboard, and surprisingly decent battery life as well, for a gaming laptop, that is. At Rs.1,24,990, we certainly wouldn't call this a cheap or a budget gaming laptop, but we can very confidently say that you're getting the best bang for your buck. 

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