JBL Bar 1300 is a powerful audio system consisting of 11 audio channels, 1 sub-woofer, and 4 height/ceiling channels. You get surround sound experience thanks to this setup. Here is the complete repertoire you get for the asking price.
JBL Bar 1300 specs and features
JBL Bar 1300 boasts 1170W of sound output within 33Hz - 20kHz frequency. The total setup takes up 1376 x 60 x 139 mm in dimensions.
The main unit comprises of six up-firing drivers and the proprietary MultiBeam tech for a wider soundstage.
The speaker setup also consists of a 10” wireless subwoofer and two detachable battery-powered surround speakers.
You can also connect these detachable speakers to any Bluetooth device and use them as a standalone speaker.
Besides the hardware, the Bar 1300 also features PureVoice for enhanced voice clarity, EQ settings for customizing the sound profiles, and JBL One app for streaming music from 3rd party services. Well, it brags support for over 300 such platforms. You can access these services through Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and Alexa MRM. The soundbar is also capable of calling up voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri from the connected device.
JBL Bar 1300 price and availability
You can buy the JBL Bar 1300 at ₹1,49,999 from the official website.
The e-commerce giant, Amazon, had been hosting a sale in India this week, namely the Great Freedom Festival 2023 sale. However, today the sale is ending at 12PM IST. If you are looking for new headphones and you are someone who likes high quality music. I have picked these five headphones from Amazon, which are rated highly on the platform. Check them out below.
1. JBL Tune 760NC
The JBL Tune 760NC was launched in India at a price of ₹7,999. But you can get it for just ₹4,997. The sale offered a 38 percent discount on this one which reduced ₹3,002.
2. Sony WH-CH720N
The Sony WH-CH720N is available on Amazon at an original price of ₹14,990. But it is currently listed on an e-commerce platform at a discounted price of ₹9,897. The Amazon sale has reduced ₹5,093, offering 34 percent off. Additionally, you can also avail a bank discount of up to ₹1500 by using SBI bank cards. So after all the discounts, these headphones will cost you just ₹8,397.
Also read: 5 discounted smartwatches selling under ₹5000 in Amazon Great Freedom Festival 2023
3. Skullcandy Hesh
The Skullcandy Hesh can be purchased from Amazon at an exciting steal. It is available for sale at a discounted price of ₹8,039. You can also take advantage of SBI bank offers, which promise discounts up to ₹1500. After availing that, it will be available for ₹6,539 only. However, the headphones’ MRP listed on Amazon is ₹29,999.
4. Sennheiser HD 450SE
You can purchase the Sennheiser HD 450SE at a discounted price of ₹6,988. The sale price of headphones listed on Amazon are ₹8,488. But there are bank discounts available which can get you a discount of up to ₹1500, on ₹5000 above purchases. However, the original price of the headphones are ₹14,990.
Also read: 5 gaming laptops starting at ₹53,000 in Amazon Great Freedom Festival 2023 sale
HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Stealth Magnets Version
The HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Stealth Magnets Version is available on Amazon at ₹14,998. The original price of these premium headphones are ₹19,999. You can even get an additional discount of up to ₹1,500 by using SBI bank cards while purchasing.
We had a great time with the Keychron K8 Pro mechanical keyboard. Its sleek and sturdy design, flexible wireless connectivity, the convenience of hot-swappable switches, and long-lasting battery cater to both productivity enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts alike. If you’re looking for a TKL mechanical keyboard to add to your arsenal, the Keychron K8 Pro is definitely worth considering, be it for work, gaming, or both.
When it comes to mechanical keyboards, Keychron is a pretty well-known brand. Although we don’t see a lot of them in India, we’ve definitely heard about them. So when we found out that Keychron was not officially available in India and we had the chance to actually review the Keychron K8 Pro, we jumped at the chance. I used the Keychron K8 Pro for an extensive amount for time, as a daily-driver for both work and gaming, and I can confidently say that Keychron lives up to its hype. Let’s take a closer look at the Keychron K8 Pro.
Keychron K8 Pro - Build and Design
The Keychron K8 Pro boasts an 80 percent TKL or tenkeyless layout, meaning there’s no numpad on this keyboard. And that’s fine, it’s kind of what they were going for. They've got even smaller and more compact options if that's what you're looking for. The idea is to promote a clean and efficient desktop where the keyboard doesn’t take up 70 percent of the space. Other than that, its sleek design and robust build quality are immediately noticeable. It’s surprisingly heavy for its size, and that’s thanks to the keyboard's metal frame which makes this a fairly rugged and durable keyboard (or weapon). The keyboard comes with matte texture keycaps which don’t attract fingerprints, which is nice. The keycaps are also double-shot PBT keycaps with sharp and clear legends. Certainly no holds barred when it comes to build quality. Oh, the Keychron K8 Pro is also a wireless Bluetooth keyboard and comes with a detachable USB-C cable.
The K8 Pro does not come with any official Keychron software support. It does however come with VIA support, through which you can pretty much program the keyboard to fuction as you please. All the macros and shortcut options you can dream of. Without VIA you have access to basic FN shortcuts, including the ability to cycle through the preset lighting modes. Speaking of which, the backlighting is fairly bright, but does not shine through the keys.
Keychron K8 Pro - Performance
The K8 Pro comes with Gateron G Pro switches. Our unit came with Gateron G Pro Blues, but you have options that feature Gateron G Pro Reds and Gateron G Pro Browns as well. While I personally prefer Red Switches, the typing experience on the Keychron K8 Pro with the Gateron Blues was still very satisfying. The keys are well-spaced and feel very responsive, which contributes to a fairly smooth typing experience, even over extended periods of time regardless of the task at hand, be it work or gaming.
The hot-swappable switch design of the K8 Pro makes it effortless to swap out switches without soldering, so if Gateron switches aren't your thing, you have the option to swap them out to the switches of your preference.
Wireless Connectivity and Battery Life
In terms of connectivity, the Keychron K8 Pro excels with both wired and wireless options. Utilising Bluetooth 5.1, the keyboard can be paired with up to three devices, and you can seamlessly switch between them. Any device with BT 5.1 support can pair with the keyboard, including phones and tablets. That makes this keyboard excellent for someone who constantly switches between gadgets.
During the times we did use the wireless connection, it remained stable for the most part, with no noticeable input lag. We wouldn’t normally game wirelessly on a Bluetooth keyboard, but for casual titles, the Keychron K8 works great even wirelessly. Need quicker response times? Simple switch back to wired. The K8 Pro can be used in both Bluetooth and wired modes simultaneously, allowing for charging while using the keyboard without any interruption.
The K8 Pro houses a 4000mAh lithium battery which according to Keychron can last up to 240 hours with the RGB lighting off, and around 72 hours with RGB lighting at maximum brightness. In our day-to-day use, we found that we needed to charge the keyboard roughly once a week at most, which is impressive.
Keychron K8 Pro - Gaming
We’ve already spoken about how comfortable the keyboard is and how good it feels to type with the K8 Pro. The same carries over to gaming as well, the actuation force on the Gateron G Pros feels just right, which coupled with the spacing and familiarity of the layout meant I never missed a key. Response feels tight and crisp. Plus, there’s a reason pros prefer TKL keyboards as it allows you to keep your hands closer together which helps with responsiveness and overall performance.
Keychron K8 Pro - Verdict
We had a great time with the Keychron K8 Pro mechanical keyboard. Its sleek and sturdy design, flexible wireless connectivity, the convenience of hot-swappable switches, and long-lasting battery cater to both productivity enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts alike. It certainly comes with a slightly higher price point compared to other mechanical keyboards, but the K8 Pro's combination of features, design, and performance justifies the investment. So, if you’re looking for a TKL mechanical keyboard to add to your arsenal, the Keychron K8 Pro is definitely worth considering, be it for work, gaming, or both.
We had a great time with the Keychron K8 Pro mechanical keyboard. Its sleek and sturdy design, flexible wireless connectivity, the convenience of hot-swappable switches, and long-lasting battery cater to both productivity enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts alike. If you’re looking for a TKL mechanical keyboard to add to your arsenal, the Keychron K8 Pro is definitely worth considering, be it for work, gaming, or both.
When it comes to mechanical keyboards, Keychron is a pretty well-known brand. Although we don’t see a lot of them in India, we’ve definitely heard about them. So when we found out that Keychron was not officially available in India and we had the chance to actually review the Keychron K8 Pro, we jumped at the chance. I used the Keychron K8 Pro for an extensive amount for time, as a daily-driver for both work and gaming, and I can confidently say that Keychron lives up to its hype. Let’s take a closer look at the Keychron K8 Pro.
Keychron K8 Pro - Build and Design
The Keychron K8 Pro boasts an 80 percent TKL or tenkeyless layout, meaning there’s no numpad on this keyboard. And that’s fine, it’s kind of what they were going for. They've got even smaller and more compact options if that's what you're looking for. The idea is to promote a clean and efficient desktop where the keyboard doesn’t take up 70 percent of the space. Other than that, its sleek design and robust build quality are immediately noticeable. It’s surprisingly heavy for its size, and that’s thanks to the keyboard's metal frame which makes this a fairly rugged and durable keyboard (or weapon). The keyboard comes with matte texture keycaps which don’t attract fingerprints, which is nice. The keycaps are also double-shot PBT keycaps with sharp and clear legends. Certainly no holds barred when it comes to build quality. Oh, the Keychron K8 Pro is also a wireless Bluetooth keyboard and comes with a detachable USB-C cable.
The K8 Pro does not come with any official Keychron software support. It does however come with VIA support, through which you can pretty much program the keyboard to fuction as you please. All the macros and shortcut options you can dream of. Without VIA you have access to basic FN shortcuts, including the ability to cycle through the preset lighting modes. Speaking of which, the backlighting is fairly bright, but does not shine through the keys.
Keychron K8 Pro - Performance
The K8 Pro comes with Gateron G Pro switches. Our unit came with Gateron G Pro Blues, but you have options that feature Gateron G Pro Reds and Gateron G Pro Browns as well. While I personally prefer Red Switches, the typing experience on the Keychron K8 Pro with the Gateron Blues was still very satisfying. The keys are well-spaced and feel very responsive, which contributes to a fairly smooth typing experience, even over extended periods of time regardless of the task at hand, be it work or gaming.
The hot-swappable switch design of the K8 Pro makes it effortless to swap out switches without soldering, so if Gateron switches aren't your thing, you have the option to swap them out to the switches of your preference.
Wireless Connectivity and Battery Life
In terms of connectivity, the Keychron K8 Pro excels with both wired and wireless options. Utilising Bluetooth 5.1, the keyboard can be paired with up to three devices, and you can seamlessly switch between them. Any device with BT 5.1 support can pair with the keyboard, including phones and tablets. That makes this keyboard excellent for someone who constantly switches between gadgets.
During the times we did use the wireless connection, it remained stable for the most part, with no noticeable input lag. We wouldn’t normally game wirelessly on a Bluetooth keyboard, but for casual titles, the Keychron K8 works great even wirelessly. Need quicker response times? Simple switch back to wired. The K8 Pro can be used in both Bluetooth and wired modes simultaneously, allowing for charging while using the keyboard without any interruption.
The K8 Pro houses a 4000mAh lithium battery which according to Keychron can last up to 240 hours with the RGB lighting off, and around 72 hours with RGB lighting at maximum brightness. In our day-to-day use, we found that we needed to charge the keyboard roughly once a week at most, which is impressive.
Keychron K8 Pro - Gaming
We’ve already spoken about how comfortable the keyboard is and how good it feels to type with the K8 Pro. The same carries over to gaming as well, the actuation force on the Gateron G Pros feels just right, which coupled with the spacing and familiarity of the layout meant I never missed a key. Response feels tight and crisp. Plus, there’s a reason pros prefer TKL keyboards as it allows you to keep your hands closer together which helps with responsiveness and overall performance.
Keychron K8 Pro - Verdict
We had a great time with the Keychron K8 Pro mechanical keyboard. Its sleek and sturdy design, flexible wireless connectivity, the convenience of hot-swappable switches, and long-lasting battery cater to both productivity enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts alike. It certainly comes with a slightly higher price point compared to other mechanical keyboards, but the K8 Pro's combination of features, design, and performance justifies the investment. So, if you’re looking for a TKL mechanical keyboard to add to your arsenal, the Keychron K8 Pro is definitely worth considering, be it for work, gaming, or both.
Oppo A58 has landed in the country at ₹14,999. This is powered by the MediaTek Hekio G85 chipset. It has 5G support. A 5000mAh battery runs the thing and the device should last long.
Here are the complete details:
Oppo A58 specs and features
Oppo A58 has a 6.72-inch display on the front with FHD+ resolution, 100% sRGB and up to 680 nits peak brightness. The front camera is a 32MP sensor sitting within a central punch hole.
The back cameras, a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP portrait lens reside on a pill-shaped island.
Inside, the phone is carrying a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and 128GB eMMC 5.1 storage. You can expand the latter further up to 1TB via a microSD slot.
The internal space is also occupied by a 5000mAh battery that supports 33W SuperVOOC fast charging.
Also Read: iQOO Z8 5G to arrive with Mediatek Dimensity 8200 SoC as per Geekbench listing
Among other features, you also get a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a 3.5mm audio jack, Stereo speakers, a USB-C port, dual-band WiFi ac, dual 4G VoLTE, 5G SA/NSA, and Bluetooth 5.3.
You can pick the phone in Glowing Black and Dazzling Green colours.
Oppo A58 price and availability
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy F34 5G launched at ₹18,999: What is unique about the phone?
The Oppo A58 is available in a single 6+128GB variant at ₹14999 on Flipkart. As part of the launch offer, you can grab a ₹1500 discount.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a gaming powerhouse, offering top-tier performance at a competitive price. Its understated design houses a potent combination of a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7 and Nvidia's RTX 4070 GPU, delivering impressive frame rates for gamers. However, it's not without its flaws. The touchpad's inconsistency, the keyboard's slightly mushy feel, and the noticeable fan noise during gaming sessions detract from its overall appeal. Additionally, the battery life is relatively short when gaming. Despite these shortcomings, for gamers seeking power and affordability, the Aorus 15 is a solid choice, but it may not be ideal as a daily driver.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a gaming laptop that, at first glance, doesn't scream "gamer." Its exterior is unassuming, almost stealthy, a design choice that may appeal to those who prefer a more professional aesthetic. However, this understated exterior belies the powerful tech housed within. The Aorus 15's 2023 model is equipped with a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7 and Nvidia's RTX 4070 mobile GPU, a combination that packs a serious punch in terms of performance.
The RTX 4070 mobile GPU is particularly noteworthy as it allows the Aorus to utilise Nvidia's Frame Generation AI tech. This technology uses Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) to boost game frame rates, adding around 20 additional frames per second in benchmarks. This is a significant advantage for gamers, offering smoother gameplay and a more immersive experience. With a price tag of Rs. 171599, the Aorus offers impressive performance for its price. But how good is it in everyday use? Here's my review after weeks of intensive testing.
Gigabyte Aorus 15 Review: Design And Build Quality
The Aorus measures 20.8mm high when closed, but its angular chassis gives it a bulkier feel. Weighing in at 2.24kg, it's not exactly lightweight, either. The top display is metal, while the base is plastic – but both feel remarkably sturdy. The plastic base has no discernible squishiness or creaking, and the lid glides open smoothly.
The Aorus features a 15.6-inch 2560x1440 display. Gigabyte markets it as a “Thin Bezel” frame, but this is somewhat of a stretch. The sides are relatively small, but the top and chin are quite large. The top bezel houses a large camera array, supporting Windows Hello sign-in. However, the webcam's performance is lacklustre in less-than-ideal lighting conditions, producing images that are often darker than they should be.
The Aorus features an appealingly large glass touchpad, reminiscent of the MacBook's best-in-class touchpad. For many tasks, it makes a mouse nonessential. However, if you prefer a tactile click over a touch click, you may find the touchpad's inconsistency frustrating. It requires a deep press to register reliably, which can lead to missed clicks.
The keyboard, while better than the touchpad, is still a bit mushy. The keys on the right side feel different from those on the left, with the left side having a bit of give under the keyboard, while the right feels firm. This inconsistency can be distracting during extended typing sessions.
Also read: Gigabyte launches new gaming laptops from the Aorus, Aero, and G5 Series
Gigabyte Aorus 15 Review: Display Performance
Gigabyte has done a fantastic job in calibrating the Aorus 15's display. It features a 1440p 165Hz refresh rate IPS LCD panel in a more conventional 16:9 aspect ratio. The screen has all the essentials of a good display. First and foremost, the display has a matte finish and a peak brightness of 315nits. This combination makes the laptop very adept for indoor usage, especially where there are a lot of overhanging lights.
Moreover, the laptop also has 100% sRGB and 99% DCI P3 coverage as well. Thus allowing you to enjoy content on the web and HDR content with a wide gamut of colours. Moreover, the average Delta E value for the Aorus 15's display is pretty good as well. At 3.8, the Delta E doesn't make this display colour accurate technically but it serves its primary purpose well enough which is playing games.
Gigabyte Aorus 15 Review: Gaming And Performance
The laptop's internals are impressive, with 16GB DDR5 48000MHZ SODIMM memory (upgradable to 64GB), and a terabyte of NVMe storage for the OS drive. The Aorus has plenty of fan vents to keep its powerful components cool, with most of the heat being expelled from the rear exhaust. This design choice adds about an inch of overhang to the laptop, but it's a small price to pay for effective cooling.
While gaming, the Aorus 15 is a powerhouse. It's capable of running games at 60+fps on Ultra settings. Titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider easily delivered over 150 FPS at 1080p high settings without DLSS. Proving the raw power of the RTX 4070. Meanwhile, the Intel Core i7-13700H's performance is also praiseworthy, thanks to the Aorus 15's awesome cooling system. The mere 300-point drop in scores during a Cinebench R23 test is a great example of this system's real-world performance. For reference, usually, the drop in performance is around 800-1000 points.
When it comes to real-world gaming performance, The Gigabyte Aorus 15 easily beats out the other 4070 laptops in this category. The QHD Display is stunning, with high contrast and vibrant colours. The 165hz refresh rate ensures smooth gameplay, and even during intense gaming sessions, there was no noticeable longing for a faster refresh rate. However, the fan noise becomes quite noticeable during gaming sessions, and the laptop's speakers are not powerful enough to drown it out.
During day-to-day usage, the Aorus stays quiet. The fan noise isn't noticeable while watching videos, browsing the internet, or performing other mundane tasks. But as soon as you start a game, it's an entirely different story. The fans get loud, and it doesn't matter if you're playing a less demanding game or a high-end title. The battery life in everyday usage is around 4.5 hours under normal conditions. However, the battery reduces to just 67 minutes.
Also read: Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master Review: Geared to power Intel’s 8-core beast
Verdict
In conclusion, the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a gaming laptop that offers a lot of power at a competitive price. Its understated design may appeal to those who prefer a more professional aesthetic, while its powerful internals will satisfy most gamers' performance needs. The Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and 13th-Gen Intel Core i7 make for a potent combination, capable of running most games at high settings with impressive frame rates.
However, the Aorus 15 is not without its flaws. The touchpad's inconsistency and the keyboard's slightly mushy feel can be frustrating during extended use. The laptop's speakers are also underwhelming, and the fan noise can be quite noticeable during gaming sessions. Additionally, the battery life is relatively short, particularly during gaming.
Despite these shortcomings, the Aorus 15's gaming performance is undeniably impressive. For gamers seeking a powerful laptop at a reasonable price, the Aorus 15 is a solid choice. But if you’re also looking for a gaming machine that can double up as a work laptop, then Aorus 15 does not fit the bill, due to its average keyboard and trackpad combination. If you're looking for another value-for-money laptop in this price range then the Acer Predator Helios Neo and the Lenovo Legion 5i can be a great choice.
Nipun Marya, CEO of iQOO India, has confirmed the iQOO Z7 Pro through a tweet recently, where shared some renders of the smartphone. Following that, we got another new iQOO smartphone news. MySmartPrice has spotted a new smartphone on Geekbench. The moniker it shows is Vivo V2314A. The speculations are that this smartphone is iQOO Z8 5G. The benchmark website reveals the processor, RAM and operating system of the smartphone.
The iQOO Z8 5G, most likely to be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset because the listing revealed that this chipset will have a 1+3+4 core configuration with up to 3.10GHz peak frequency. In addition to that, the Geekbench listing also revealed the presence of 12GB of RAM. The iQOO Z8 5G is rumoured to be powered by Android 13 and is expected to feature the OriginOS skin as usual.
Also read: iQOO working on interesting smartphone innovations for 2023, says India CEO Nipun Marya
According to the Geekbench 6 benchmark test, the iQOO Z8 5G achieved a single-core score of 1273 points and a multi-core score of 4011 points. The smartphone is expected to be powered by a MediaTek chipset with a k6895v1_64 motherboard and Mali G610 GPU.
As the iQOO Z7 Pro 5G has been officially announced, we can expect the iQOO Z8 5G to launch once the Z7 Pro 5G is out. However, the speculations are that the launch of iQOO Z8 5G will happen in this month only.
Also read: iQOO Z8 leaks: Will switch to LCD display from AMOLED be a good move?
Previously another leak surfaced on the internet which suggested the LCD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate in the iQOO Z8 5G. Along with this, a 5000mAh battery is also expected in the smartphone with the support of up to 120-watt fast charging.
