Sony Bravia A80L 65-inch Review: Premium OLED TV in a competitive market

The Sony Bravia A80L is a premium OLED TV that boasts a range of Sony's proprietary image and video processing technologies, enhancing the cinematic experience. This television excels in handling legacy SD content and motion, ensuring amazing performance. Moreover, the HDR10 and Dolby Vision experiences are also mostly impressive, though we noticed that highlights don’t get bright enough to pop. Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology adds realism and further elevates the overall viewing experience.

It is worth noting that the Sony Bravia A80L lacks a colour-accurate Filmmaker mode. Additionally, with numerous technologies dynamically optimizing picture quality, it becomes challenging to determine if the original intent of the content creators is faithfully preserved.

The Sony Bravia A80L is a premium OLED TV that boasts a range of Sony's proprietary image and video processing technologies, enhancing the cinematic experience. This television excels in handling legacy SD content and motion, ensuring amazing performance. Moreover, the HDR10 and Dolby Vision experiences are also mostly impressive, though we noticed that highlights don’t get bright enough to pop. Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology adds realism and further elevates the overall viewing experience.

It is worth noting that the Sony Bravia A80L lacks a colour-accurate Filmmaker mode. Additionally, with numerous technologies dynamically optimizing picture quality, it becomes challenging to determine if the original intent of the content creators is faithfully preserved.

Sony Bravia XR-A80L Review: Specifications

Panel Size: 65-inch (also available in 55, 77 and 83-inch as well)

Panel Type: OLED (WRGB), 100Hz native refresh rate

Panel Resolution: 3840 x 2160 - 4K

Panel Refresh Rate: 120Hz

Supported HDR Formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision

Speakers: 50W Acoustic Surface Audio+ (3 Actuator + 2 Subwoofer)

Audio formats supported: Dolby Audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS Digital Surround

Software: Google TV

Weight (with stand): Approx. 24.3kgs

HDMI Ports: 4 (2 full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports - HDMI 3, HDMI 4) 

HDMI 2.1 features - 4K@120, eARC, VRR, ALLM

Other connectivity options: 2 USB ports, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet, RF connection input, Headphone out, Digital audio out

Built-in storage: 16GB

Price: MRP: 3,49,990; Best Price: Rs 2,84,990

Sony Bravia A80L Design, Remote and Software

Sony continues to follow its minimalist design approach, and the A80L is a sleek and stylish TV that also feels solidly built and extremely premium. The aluminium slim-wedged stand of the TV can be mounted in three positions, with each successive angled-in position raising the TV a bit higher. With the feet set straight, the TV can accommodate most conventional soundbars at the front without blocking the display view.

The power cord is detachable and should be easy to replace. All ports are placed toward one side. The HDMI ports are properly spaced, and of these, HDMI 3 and HDMI 4 are full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports (HDMI 3 supporting eARC). HDMI 1 and HDMI 2 are based on HDMI 2.0. There are two USB-A ports on the rear positioned back to back, so it might be a tad inconvenient if, for some reason, you need to use both simultaneously.

The remote is quite ergonomic and has 6 hotkeys for popular apps. The buttons are sensibly laid out, and we got used to the layout in no time. However, they are not backlit, and we wouldn't be fussing about this if we hadn't experienced the luxury with the Sony Bravia A95K.

The Google TV interface on the Sony Bravia A80L ran perfectly smoothly during our testing. The TV further integrates Google Assistant, Chromecast Built-in, Apple AirPlay, and HomeKit, so you will be able to easily cast from all popular mobile devices.

Sony Bravia A80L Picture Quality

To start with, the Sony Bravia A80L uses the WBE OLED panel (WRGB) sourced from LG displays without any heat sink. While this is a good quality OLED panel supported by Sony’s deft image processing algorithms, it must be mentioned that the panel falls below the QD-OLED panel that Sony uses on the A95K or the latest MLA OLEDs available in this year's LG G3, both of which can achieve significantly higher brightness.

If this is your first experience with an OLED TV, the Sony Bravia A80L will definitely wow you. The deep blacks, high contrast, wide viewing angles, and fast response times are advantages that make watching good-quality OTT content truly amazing. Sony TVs are also renowned for their expertise in upscaling low-quality content, smoothing gradations, and handling motion in a balanced manner.

The Sony Bravia A80L does not include a Filmmaker mode to accurately reproduce the creator's intent. The most colour-accurate profile on the TV is Custom, but most people will understandably use Standard, Vivid, and Cinema modes that enhance colours and contrast to make the content look pleasant.

Since the Custom mode is the closest to a colour-accurate profile, that is what we tested using the Spectracal C6 colourimeter and Portrait Display’s Calman Ultimate software. Sony has a number of custom settings enabled by default, and we disabled power-saving and light sensor adjustments before our testing.

In SDR, the greyscale has a significant blue bias, thus impacting white-point accuracy. As you can see, the gamma over tracks the standard in the shadow region, resulting in some compromise in shadow details.

As for colours, the average delta error is below the humanly perceptible value of 3, with the maximum error occurring at 100% white. Skin tones felt natural in both SDR and HDR content.

Sony Bravia A80L HDR performance 

The Sony Bravia A80L supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG. It does not support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision IQ. However, we don't believe that is a deal breaker. Overall, the nuances of the HDR experience are handled really well.

Dark scenes with some bright objects thrown in are rendered beautifully. 

Like all White OLED panels, it struggles in the near-black region. For example, you can notice a lot of artefacts in scenes where a meteor shoots through a grey sky. 

The overall peak brightness of the Sony Bravia A80L is on the conservative side, which is noticeable in less-than-dazzling highlights in bright HDR scenes.

We measured a peak brightness of 1080 Nits on a 1 per cent window using our lux meter in the vivid mode. In the custom mode, we measured around 700 nits on a 10% window measured and full field brightness measured 140 nits. This is better performance than last year’s Sony Bravia A80K. 

As seen in the chart above, greyscale in HDR content is still skewed toward blue. The Sony Bravia A80L accurately tracks the EOTF curve in HDR content, although it slightly undertracks the reference in dark scenes.

Colours in HDR are once again fairly accurate, with maximum error at the white point. We measured an average delta error of 3 which means that the colour inaccuracies will not be easily discernible to users. 

As for colour volume, we recorded 72.04% of BT2020 colour space in the XY terms and 73.67% in the UV term, which is again standard for the White OLED panels. 

Sony Bravia A80L gaming 

With fast response time, fluid motion and VRR support, Sony Bravia A80L is quite good for gaming. The TV has two HDMI 2.1 ports, supports ALLM, and 120Hz VRR (NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium). Dolby Vision gaming is capped at 4K@60Hz. It also has a dedicated game mode where you can pull up a game bar to quickly enable or disable VRR and access a few other settings.

High-end TVs from Samsung and LG come with some additional perks like 4 HDMI 2.1 ports and HGiG mode for accurate tone mapping in game mode.

Sony Bravia A80L Audio

Sony Bravia A80L uses Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology where the screen becomes the speaker and this adds a lot of realism to the experience. The 50W audio system includes three 10W actuators and two 10W sub-woofers. 

This is certainly one of the best TV audio systems that we have experienced so far. Movie dialogues are crisp and clear, while the soundstage feels impressively expansive, occasionally simulating convincing surround sound effects. Additionally, the TV offers an auto-calibration option that employs a microphone in the remote control to gather data and optimize audio settings based on your typical viewing distance.

Sony Bravia A80L Review - Verdict 

The Sony Bravia A80L is a premium OLED TV that boasts a range of Sony's proprietary image and video processing technologies, enhancing the cinematic experience. This television excels in handling legacy SD content and motion, ensuring amazing performance. Moreover, the HDR10 and Dolby Vision experiences are also mostly stunning, though we noticed that highlights don’t get bright enough to pop.  Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology adds realism and further elevates the overall viewing experience.

It is worth noting that the Sony Bravia A80L lacks a colour-accurate Filmmaker mode. Additionally, with numerous technologies dynamically optimizing picture quality, it becomes challenging to determine if the original intent of the content creators is faithfully preserved.

The Sony A80L lies in the middle of the stack and costs a premium, but it justifies its price for cinema buffs who watch a lot of legacy content and for users who like how Sony handles and enhances content. Its main competitor, the LG C3, is a similarly priced OLED TV and might have a stronger appeal to gamers. When considering other OLED options, both the LG G3 and the Sony A95K are expensive but offer a brighter OLED panel. However, if you're looking for a more affordable OLED option, last year's Sony A80K provides a comparable experience and is currently available at a better value price. 

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Samsung Galaxy S23 FE launch is still shrouded in mystery for the Fan Edition fans

The state of the Samsung Galaxy Fan Edition has been up in the air for a while now. Is a new phone named Galaxy S23 FE launching in July? Or is it Samsung Galaxy S21 FE coming out next month? The rumours suggest both and see for yourself if it clears up things or confuses you even more.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE purported details

 Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is rumoured to bring a 6.4-inch AMOLED display, an Exynos 2200 SoC, 6/8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, and a 4500mAh battery with 25W fast charging, and a design akin to the Galaxy A54.

Today, a Samsung phone (with model number SM-S7110) believed to be Samsung Galaxy S23 FE has been spotted on the Chinese smartphone certification site, 3C. This raises our confidence about earlier rumours that the phone will launch soon, probably in July 2023.

The reason for our scepticism is that the rumours of new Fan Edition phones in the last few years have been a miss.

Here’s a timeline of these rumours so far:

1. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE debuted in January 2022. A few months later in April, we started hearing about the Galaxy S22 FE. The early rumours claimed the phone could ship with a MediaTek SoC, making them the first flagship-grade Samsung phones to have this brand of chips. But, within a few this rumour was squashed by a trusted tipster. 

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy M34 teased: Will it offer something more than a Galaxy S23-like design?

2.  In June of that year, we heard the Galaxy S22 FE has been cancelled and there will be no Fan Edition phones in the future too. At first, the reason given was that the chips had to be reallocated to the top-end Galaxy S22 Ultra’s production.

3. But the rumours of the Galaxy S22 FE resurged in December 2022. This time, it was being said that the phone would be coming alongside the Galaxy S23 series at the first Unpacked event of the upcoming year. Didn’t happen.

4. Now by February 2023, it was time for the Galaxy S23 FE rumours, which suggested the phone will see daylight in the second half of this year. Some of the aforementioned specs also started becoming part of the conversation soon. 

5. The launch timeline also reportedly got pushed to the third quarter, which starts in July.

6. Before it got the 3C certification, the Samsung handset codenamed SM-S711 also got the South Korean certification for its battery this month, ie., a couple of weeks back.

7. Earlier this day, we came across a Galaxy S21 FE relaunch with supposedly a processor refresh. 

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE with Snapdragon 888 for ₹40,000 could be a big ask

Based on the rumoured specs at least, we find the Galaxy S23 FE more interesting. But, since they are rumours, we urge you to take them with a pinch of salt. 

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GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4060 graphics cards launched: Check price and features

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, known for its premium gaming hardware, has launched its  GeForce RTX 4060 series graphics cards today. Powered by NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture, these graphics cards claim to deliver top gaming performance. 

This latest launch includes DLSS 3 neural rendering and third-generation ray-tracing technologies at high frame rates. The cards have been available for sale since June 29.

The GeForce RTX 4060 Series is presented with five models including AORUS GeForce RTX 4060 ELITE 8G, GeForce RTX 4060 AERO OC 8G, GeForce RTX 4060 GAMING OC 8G, GeForce RTX 4060 EAGLE OC 8G, and GeForce RTX 4060 WINDFORCE OC 8G graphics cards. All the models have been crafted to delight gamers who like playing AAA games. GIGABYTE claims to have perfectly tuned all its graphics cards for lower temperatures and quieter operation.

The AORUS GeForce RTX 4060 ELITE 8G graphics card, known for its cooling capabilities and performance, is craved by many gamers and fans, according to GIGABYTE. It features the notable RGB Halo, creating unique lighting effects with its rotating fans. This colourful illumination is a favourite among AORUS fans and DIY enthusiasts, as it allows customisation through the GIGABYTE CONTROL CENTER software.

The GAMING OC graphics card, the classic and popular series of GIGABYTE, concentrates on performance and stability. It incorporates gaming elements in its black design, making it adaptable to most gaming PC builds. On the other hand, the EAGLE OC graphics cards showcase some futuristic design elements, providing a unique and personalised identity.

Lastly, the WINDFORCE OC graphics card adopts a dual fan design for gamers, aiming for a balance in performance, cooling, and durability. With less than 20cm in length, it’s highly suitable for gamers who prefer a compact PC.

Also read:Zotac Gaming launches Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics cards: Price and features

With the on-shelf date of the GeForce RTX 4060 series graphics cards slated for June 29, each series of graphics cards offers a unique appearance and thermal design. This ensures not only excellent performance but also smoother and higher-quality gaming experiences for gamers.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE with Snapdragon 888 for 40000 could be a big ask

Forget the Galaxy S23 FE rumours for a moment as Samsung is said to re-launch the Galaxy S21 FE in India in July with upgraded specs. Well, the key upgrade could be the Snapdragon 888 SoC. Here’s why we think this could be a bit disconcerting for some.

Snapdragon 888 SoC at ₹40,000 in 2023?

A tipster named Tarun Vats tweeted that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is likely to come in July at about ₹40,000. He, however, claims the handset will be shipping with Snapdragon 888 chipset. This is a chip that debuted in late 2020. So, it’s around a year and a half old at this point.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy M34 features revealed: Monster display, camera, and battery explained 

Not just that. Some other Snapdragon 888 phones like the Realme GT 2 (8+128GB at ₹23,999) are available in the market at a way lesser price. We even think an upcoming phone like the OnePlus Nord 3 which has the latest and much more powerful Dimensity 9000 SoC could undercut this phone with price to performance ratio.

So, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could still seem interesting to you only if its design and the rest of the package offset this concern with the choice of processor. Moreover, if you have a special affinity towards Samsung, then also you may want this over other options.  

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is expected to sport a 6.4-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED screen with a pun hole housing a 32MP selfie snapper. On the back, there could be a 12MP+12MP+8MP triplet. For the asking price, we would like to see Samsung implement the camera tuning and display brilliance found in its higher-end phones.

Inside, besides the aforementioned processor, there could be 8 gigs of LPDDR5 RAM and a 4500mAh battery with 25W fast charging and 15W wireless charging support. We appreciate the latter while feeling the 25 watts charging pales in comparison to the speeds offered by some Chinese phones. 

Also Read: OnePlus V Fold leaks leave very little to the imagination: Should Samsung be worried?

Being a phone from the Galaxy S21 series, you could also expect nice-to-have features like DeX, and IP68 dust and water resistance.

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OnePlus V Fold leaks leave very little to the imagination: Should Samsung be worried

The OnePlus V Fold’s specs and design have leaked. So, we now have a good picture of what the OnePlus foldable will look like and most of what it will be bringing to the table. But could it pose a threat to Samsung’s dominance in the foldable market, with the launch of the new Galaxy foldable looming near? That’s the question. Although we still don’t know a lot about these two folding phones, be it about their features, specifications, or price, here’s what we think based on the details we have.

OnePlus V Fold: What it needs to take on the Samsung Z Fold 5?

1. Starting with the design, the OnePlus V Fold renders by OnLeaks (via Smartprix) suggest a Vegan Leather back, which should be a different offering from the rest of the glass slabs. It should also offer better durability compared to glass. Even Gorilla Glass can have a trade-off between scratch and drop protection.

Additionally, if the device is lighter because of the new Vegan Leather material and other reasons, that would be appreciated by buyers. However, that remains to be seen because we have seen some hefty vegan back phones in the market.

If OnePlus borrows the hinge mechanism of Oppo Find N2 and manages to hide the crease on the inner screen, which leads to the whole thing closing flat, OnePlus could have a leg-up over Samsung.

2. If OnePlus V Fold comes with a 7.8-inch 2K main screen and a 6.3-inch cover screen without any under-screen camera-like implementations and slim bezels, then people could be swayed towards it. We have these spec details thanks to OnLeaks (via MySmartPrice).

Also Read: OnePlus Nord 3 price tipped: Will a ₹3000 price hike over Nord 2 be justified?

3. The OnePlus V Fold is speculated to be powered by a 4,800 mAh battery. If this is larger than the battery present on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, OnePlus could have a possible winning formula. Bigger batteries are always appreciated on large form factor devices like foldables.

Similarly, a 67W charger seems to be inbound with this device, and we suppose Samsung is unlikely to ship such a high-speed charger with its foldable. Too early to be sure about this. Let’s see.

Let’s also hope the rest of the rumoured repertoire, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, up to 16 GB RAM, 256 GB onboard storage, 48MP+48MP+64MP triple rear camera setup, and a 32MP front camera fare respectably.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy M34 features revealed: Monster display, camera, and battery explained

Not to forget, the Android 13-based OxygenOS needs to have custom features for enhanced multitasking on the folding format to compete with the likes of Samsung. 

OnePlus will have to do a whole lot to attract prospective folding phone buyers because they would otherwise move to the more mature Galaxy Z Fold market.

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Amazon teases the most affordable phone deals to check out on Prime Day 2023

Amazon India has announced that Prime Day 2023 will be on July 15 and July 16. Like every year, there will be a deluge of offers and new product announcements. The company is already trying to lure us with some hints about some of these deals. Here, in particular, we will take a look at some of the budget-centric smartphones that will be available at more affordable prices during the sale.

Although the sale prices will be unveiled in time, let’s learn about the phones first so that you can add them to your wishlist ahead of the sale.

5 affordable smartphone deals on Amazon Prime Day 2023   1. Redmi A2 (Current price: ₹8,999)

Redmi A2 runs on a Mediatek Helio G36 processor with Android 13-based MIUI software on top. This one also has a 5000mAh battery. You get to shoot 1080p videos from the back and front. The display is fairly big at 6.52 inches for media consumption and it is of IPS LCD type. 

2. Realme Narzo N53 (Current price: ₹10,999)

Realme Narzo N53 comes powered by a Unisoc Tiger T612 with Android 13 software (out of the box). A 5000mAh battery keeps the lights on backed by 33W fast charging. On the front, there is a 90Hz snappy FHD+ display, and on the back, there is a 50MP camera capable of taking 1080p videos at 30fps.

Also Read: Realme Narzo N53 vs Redmi 12C: Which budget phone offers best value for money?

3. itel S23 (Current price: ₹10,999)

Itel may not be a household name but it is a sister concern of Infinix and Tecno Mobiles. Its S23 model offers 16GB (including 8GB virtual RAM) support, a 90Hz 6.6-inch screen, a 5000mAh battery, a USB-C port, and a 50MP main camera. 

4. Samsung Galaxy M04 (Current price: ₹11,499)

If you want an ultra-affordable Samsung smartphone, then Galaxy M04 should be right for you. It has a 6.5-inch LCD screen on the front, a simple sober design, a 13MP dual camera setup on the back, and a big 5000mAh battery. The phone is engined by MediaTek Helio P35 chipset and Android 12-based One UI Core 4.1 software.

Also Read: Amazon Prime Day 2023 set for July with amazing deals on phones, laptops, and other categories

5. Tecno Spark 9 (Current price: ₹11,499)

Tecno Spark 9 sports a 90Hz 6.6-inch IPS LCD screen which should be smooth and big enough screen to interact with. There is Android 12 software onboard. Although not the latest version, the HIOS skin offered should be feature-rich for many. You get to record 1080p videos from the back camera. A MediaTek Helio G37 chip propels the phone and a 5000mAh battery keeps it active.

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Amazon Prime Day 2023 set for July with amazing deals on phones laptops and other categories

Amazon India has announced the Prime Day dates and along with it the max discount percentages you can get on leading categories like mobile phones, laptops, etc. First the dates: July 15 and July 16. We expect Prime members of Amazon to get access to the sale a day earlier. They may also have faster shipping and other benefits. But, here, we will discuss the offers that are common for all users.

Amazon Prime Day 2023 discounts and highlights

1. The key banking partners of Amazon are ICICI and SBI. So, if you have an ICICI debit/credit card or an SBI credit card, you can grab a 10% discount on your Prime Day purchases. 

Also Read: OnePlus Nord 3 price tipped: Will a ₹3000 price hike over Nord 2 be justified?

2. This is besides the “great deals” awaiting you in this sale. Some of these include up to 40 percent discount on mobile phones and accessories, and up to 75 percent off on laptops, wearables, earphones, and other electronics and related accessories. You could also snag Alexa, Fire TV, and Kindle at up to 55% discount. 

For instance, the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Support at Rs. 2,199 while its original price is ₹4,999. Similarly, during the 2-day affair, you could fetch the combo of Echo Dot (4th gen)+ 9W Smart LED light bulb at ₹2,399 (which is a steep discount from its original price of ₹6,598.

Also Read: Hurry! Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra price dips to its lowest ever

3. Amazon also teases blockbuster entertainment (possibly new content on the Prime Video platform).

4. There will be a variety of new product launches lined up for July 15-16. You can already check out some of these new releases, based on both category-wise and brand-wise. We will cover the best deals in a separate article.

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