Tag: oneplus

Best phones under Rs 50,000 (June 2023): OnePlus 11R 5G, Samsung Galaxy S22 5G to Motorola Edge 30 Ultra- Technology News, Firstpost

Post By Science And Technology , , , ,

Ameya DalviJun 12, 2023 09:34:24 IST

If you have a budget of Rs 50,000 for a smartphone, you get a lot of good options to choose from. From the latest to a generation old premium phones, the choice keeps getting difficult. Selecting just five handsets from the options available wasn’t an easy task for us either. To compound the problem further, the price of certain more expensive smartphones has dropped under 50K this time. Taking all factors into consideration, here are your top 5 smartphones within a budget of Rs 50,000 this month.

Best phones to buy under Rs 50,000 in India

OnePlus 11R 5G
We are quite pleased with the OnePlus 11 series of phones. While the flagship OnePlus 11 5G offers more bells and whistles, the more affordable 11R 5G offers excellent value for money, and also borrows a handful of features from its more premium sibling, which also includes the design. This stylish phone looks just like the 11 5G from the front and back, barring the placement of the front camera and the absence of a Hasselblad logo at the back.

The OnePlus 11R gets a 6.74-inch curved display too with an unusual (higher than Full HD) resolution of 2772 x 1240 pixels. You get a standard Fluid AMOLED display here instead of the more premium LTPO3 variant on the 11. This HDR10+ compliant screen supports 10-bit colour, 120 Hz refresh rate and can get up to 1450 nits bright. This phone is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, and you can get its top variant with a generous 16 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage in this budget.

While it doesn’t have the variety in the camera department present in the OnePlus 11, its 50MP primary camera with OIS is quite impressive, despite the lack of Hasselblad’s colour tuning. The support cast is modest with an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP selfie camera handles selfies and video calls well. Its 5000 mAh battery can last for a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 100W charger promises to juice it up in less than 30 minutes. The OnePlus 11R 5G runs OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13, and one can expect more OS and security updates in the future.

OnePlus 11R 5G price in India: Rs 44,999 for 16GB RAM/256GB storage

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra
The top variant of the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra is the first surprise entrant in this list. This Moto flagship too is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and is accompanied by 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. You get a 6.67-inch Full HD+ 10-bit P-OLED display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1250 nits. This HDR10+ compliant display is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The phone launched with Android 12, and an Android 13 update is available for this phone. Like all Motorola phones, you get a near-stock user interface.

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra

The camera department is quite impressive here. You get a 200MP primary camera with OIS, a 50MP ultra-wide shooter and a 12MP telephoto camera for 2X optical zoom. Thus, you have all the key bases covered. You also get a 60MP front camera to cater to the selfie enthusiasts. The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra’s 4610 mAh battery keeps it powered for well over a day of moderate use, and supports 125 Watts wired and 50 Watts wireless fast charging.

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra price in India: Rs 49,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is currently available under 50K on Amazon India; our second surprise. Samsung’s last-generation flagship phone has a compact design with an IP68 rating for dust and fluid resistance. The phone sports an aluminium frame and has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ at the front and back. It has a 6.1-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1300 nits, HDR10+ compliance and 120 Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy S22 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, and you get its 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant in this budget.

Samsung Galaxy S22

The photography department consists of a 50MP primary camera with dual pixel PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Super Steady video support and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom. The camera performance is excellent as expected, and can record videos in 8K resolution too. A 3700 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for a day of moderate use and supports 25W fast charging as well as 15W wireless charging. It debuted with Android 12 and Samsung’s One UI 4.1; the Android 13 update has started rolling out.

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G price in India: Rs 48,490 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G
The top variant of Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G can be comfortably purchased in this budget. The phone is packed with great features starting with a 6.73-inch LTPO 2.0 10-bit AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a QHD resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels. The screen is compliant with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision and can get up to 1500 nits bright. It is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, and you get a choice between 8 GB and 12 GB RAM along with 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage well under 50K. The phone launched with Android 12 with MIUI 13, and an Android 13 update with MIUI 14 has started rolling out.

Xiaomi 12 Pro

The rear camera department has three 50MP cameras with the primary module offering OIS, the ultrawide providing you with 115 degrees FOV and a telephoto camera for 2X optical zoom. The 32MP front camera handles selfies and video calls quite well. The Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G also boasts of features like a quad-speaker system tuned by Harman Kardon and superfast charging. Its 4600 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 120W charger claims to charge it fully in just 18 minutes. The phone also supports 50W fast wireless charging.

Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 43,990 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage; Rs 46,790 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

iQOO 9 Pro 5G
Last but by no means the least, we have another fully loaded flagship device that used to sell for more than 50K not long ago. Like several phones in this list, the iQOO 9 Pro 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, and you get 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage to go with it. You also get a 12 GB RAM variant, but it is not worth spending extra 5K on. The phone has a sharp 10-bit 6.78-inch HDR10+ compliant AMOLED display with a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels and 120 Hz refresh rate. The phone now runs Android 13 with FunTouch OS 13.

iQOO 9 Pro

The rear camera department here is quite versatile too. You get a 50MP primary camera with Gimbal OIS, accompanied by another 50MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus and 150-degrees FOV. There’s also a 16MP telephoto camera with OIS that provides 2.5X optical zoom. A 16MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls. The iQOO 9 Pro 5G’s 4700 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 120W fast charger claims to charge it fully in just 20 minutes. This phone too supports 50W fast wireless charging.

iQOO 9 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 44,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage



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OnePlus Pad Review: Best Mid-Range Android Tablet?

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OnePlus has long been known mainly for its smartphones in India. However, over the past three years or so, it has also introduced smart TVs, monitors, personal audio products, and smartwatches. The company also designs and sells its own smartphone accessories along with backpacks and other travel gear. At a recent event, the brand even announced its own mechanical keyboard which has yet to go on sale in India.

Bragging rights aside, OnePlus is also known for its unique designs and well-optimised software. So, what happens when OnePlus makes a tablet? Let’s find out.

OnePlus Pad price in India

The OnePlus Pad is available in a single finish called Halo Green. Thankfully, there are some options when it comes to the configuration. There’s the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, priced at Rs. 37,999. The second variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is available at Rs. 39,999. In my opinion, it makes sense to go for the top-end model.

OnePlus Pad design and accessories

OnePlus’ smartphones have generally maintained a rounded design language, with the exception of perhaps the OnePlus 10R 5G. With the OnePlus Pad, the company has stuck with this same design philosophy and this helps it stand out when compared to any other tablet currently available in India.

Its metal unibody design looks and feels very premium. The Pad is incredibly thin at just 6.5mm and will make any recent Apple iPad appear chunky in comparison. Despite its slim design, the tablet is quite sturdy with absolutely no flex or creaking sounds upon applying pressure.

The OnePlus Pad offers a premium metal unibody design

 

Even after using aluminium for its construction, the OnePlus Pad still feels quite heavy at 552g when performing regular tasks, or when simply holding it with one hand for browsing. I often ended up sitting on the couch or laying it on a table when using it, especially with the keyboard accessory which is sold separately. The finely etched texture on the back side gives it a very unique look, but it also makes it a smudge magnet and these marks are very difficult to wipe off. Thankfully, there are two optional cover accessories, to keep that messy rear surface covered at all times.

The sides of the OnePlus Pad are also rounded which makes it comfortable to hold, unlike most other tablets which have flat sides and flat corners that can poke into your hands. While the bottom, left and right sides are rounded, the middle area at the top is flat because that’s where the magnetic connector for the OnePlus Stylo accessory resides. The three flat pins to power and use the keyboard accessory are at the bottom.

oneplus pad review back design ndtv OnePlusPad OnePlus

The rear of the OnePlus Pad turns into a smudgy mess which is hard to wipe clean

 

While the edges of the tablet have been given a rounded treatment, the display glass is flat and is  seamlessly integrated with the frame, making swipe gestures near the edges of the display a good experience. The display glass also gathers smudges, but these can be wiped off easily.

The OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard accessory is available at Rs. 7,999 in India. The quality is top-notch and it feels quite premium with a grippy faux-leather texture on the front and rear panels. The keyboard connects and is powered via its three pins so it needs to be physically connected to the tablet in order to function and cannot be used wirelessly as a Bluetooth keyboard.

The keys on the Magnetic Keyboard have good travel for its type and also produce a nice tactile feedback, which makes for confident and mostly error-free typing. However, they are a bit stiff so my hands did end up feeling fatigued after a few hours of typing. The keyboard layout is also quite compact, but I surprisingly got used to it almost instantly.

The keyboard has a function key, which when combined with the number keys, can be used to trigger special functions such as navigation for the back, home and recents functions or for adjusting the volume. There’s also a command key which can trigger numerous pre-defined keyboard shortcuts like locking the screen, when combined with other keys.

oneplus pad review top keyboard ndtv OnePlusPad OnePlus

The OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard lacks backlighting but offers a confident typing experience for light work

 

OnePlus has surely worked its magic when it comes to the keyboard experience. What I really like about it is that it has a minimal learning curve and most of the functions are easily identifiable as they are similar to the way Windows or macOS works. The trackpad was spot on, both in terms of sensitivity and function. Gestures worked beautifully once I turned off “tap to click” mode in the settings. The trackpad can be pressed down with little pressure but it’s just one large button, so it does not have a right or left click. I mainly ended up using it for selecting items or entering text fields. Selecting text has to be done using the shift and arrow keys, which is why this combination is better suited for light work.

However, I wish there was at least a 1cm gap between the top row of numbers keys and the tablet when mounted, as I did end up tapping the display accidentally when hitting the number keys.

The OnePlus Stylo stylus, which is priced at Rs. 4,999 in India, works as expected and charges quickly when placed on the magnetic area at the top edge of the tablet. However, it’s not easy to find the perfect contact patch on the stylus itself when docking it, so there were times when it did not snap on perfectly and came off easily even with a slight tap.

OnePlus Pad specifications and software

The OnePlus Pad has a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC, which is usually seen on premium smartphones. My review unit came with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The tablet does not have a SIM card slot, so there’s no mobile data functionality or expandable storage either.

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and support for the usual satellite navigation systems. The tablet lacks cellular connectivity, but OnePlus makes hotspot data sharing easier with its Cellular Data Sharing feature which auto-connects the tablet to a OnePlus smartphone. For this to work, the tablet has to be between one to five metres away from a OnePlus smartphone. The tablet is powered by a 9,510mAh battery and OnePlus includes a 100W charger in the box. However, the charging rate is capped at 67W for the tablet.

oneplus pad review top stylo ndtv OnePlusPad OnePlus

The OnePlus Stylo works as expected and sticks firmly to the top-edge of the tablet

 

OnePlus has cut a few corners by ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack and not including a secure biometric mode for unlocking the tablet like a fingerprint sensor. The tablet can be unlocked using the standard PIN or by using face unlock via the front camera which isn’t the most secure but works reliably under good lighting.

Despite lacking cellular connectivity, I was able to place voice and video calls via WhatsApp from the OnePlus Pad and everything worked as expected, with the person on the other end being able to hear me clearly using the tablet’s built-in mic. The selfie camera comes with OnePlus’ Limelight camera feature and it worked quite well during video calls and was able to keep my face centred, provided I did not move to the extreme edges of the camera’s frame.

The OnePlus Pad runs OxygenOS 13.1 which is based on Android 13, along with a few tablet-friendly customisations. These customisations come in the form of a dock at the bottom, which shows pinned apps and recently used apps much like one can find on an Apple iPad with iPadOS. A swipe up from the bottom reveals the app drawer.

OnePlus has added a few software features which make OxygenOS more useful on a bigger display. You can open one app in a resizable floating window and even two apps side by side by using the split window feature. This allows a total of three apps to be displayed at once. However, not all apps scale well when they resize to fit a floating window and this also includes some of Google’s own apps like Drive, Docs, Sheets and more. Indeed, this seems to be a bug and hopefully will be resolved in a future update.

OnePlus Pad performance

The OnePlus Pad has a 11.61-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2800 x 2000 pixels. The display is quite bright at around 500 nits, which is good enough to be viewed outdoors and under direct sunlight. Viewing angles are also quite good, but showcase slightly saturated colours at the default Vivid colour profile. Blacks are quite good, even though they cannot match up to an AMOLED panel. The tablet’s display is Dolby Vision-certified and content appears as expected on Netflix and YouTube. Accompanying that display is the quad-speaker setup which gets loud and sounds immersive thanks to Dolby Atmos support.

What sets this display apart from the rest of the competition is its aspect ratio. OnePlus has gone for a rather odd 7:5 aspect ratio with the Pad’s display. While I agree that it manages to deliver a bit more vertical screen space for browsing web pages or excel sheets, I did find the layout a bit squished when viewing two apps side by side or in split view. This is more so, because the display’s scaling has only two options, Standard and Small, with no setting higher than small, which would let me view even more content in the same screen space.

oneplus pad review front display ndtv OnePlusPad OnePlus

The OnePlus Pad offers a vibrant but slightly saturated 7:5 aspect ratio display

 

The LCD panel on the OnePlus Pad offers a 144Hz refresh variable refresh rate and can switch between 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz and 144Hz when needed. During the review period I did notice that the 144Hz refresh rate is only available in certain apps such as Chrome, which have been “whitelisted” by OnePlus. Even when using the interface or browsing the homescreen, the display automatically switches between 60Hz (when idle) and 120Hz (when in use) most of the time.

Most games including some casual titles (that actually support high refresh rate displays) were capped at 60Hz, with only some such as Call of Duty: Mobile which allowed to utilise 90Hz refresh rate when using the ‘Ultra’ framerate setting. I didn’t notice the screen drop to 30Hz in my testing and neither is it fully utilising its 144Hz capability most of the time.

The SoC in the OnePlus Pad performs as expected managing 8,29,370 points in AnTuTu (v10). In terms of graphics, the tablet managed 32fps, 55fps and 60fps in GFXBench’s Car Chase, Manhattan 3.1 and T-Rex test suites respectively.

Overall gaming performance is quite good. The tablet did get warm when playing Call of Duty Mobile at ‘Very High’ graphics and framerate settings, but did not get hot even after gaming for 30 minutes at a stretch. Asphalt 9 Legends appeared almost console-like in terms of graphics with buttery smooth frame rates as the device also supported the 60fps mode. What I did find a bit insufficient was the 120Hz/144Hz touch sampling rate when playing Call of Duty Mobile as it just wasn’t quick enough despite tweaking its sensitivity using its built-in gaming tools.

oneplus pad review front software ndtv OnePlusPad OnePlus

The OnePlus Pad can display three apps at a time, but is better used for light productivity work

 

Apart from the severe lack of tablet-optimised apps on the Google Play store, the OnePlus Pad manages to do a really good job at handling apps that are mainly stretched-out versions of smartphones apps. Sadly, there are some official apps from Instagram and Reddit which still refuse to run or support a horizontal layout, despite being available for tablets.

As for software performance, the 12GB of RAM is more than sufficient to handle the multitasking capabilities and widgets, along with keeping app pairs and floating windows in RAM for a long time. In terms of bloatware, OnePlus has kept it under control by including only the Netflix and WPS Office apps, both of which are useful but can also be uninstalled.

OnePlus Pad cameras

Image quality from the OnePlus Pad’s 13-megapixel rear camera is decent at best. While colours appear mostly natural, resolved detail is quite low, even with objects closer to the camera. The 8-megapixel front-facing camera is not the best when shooting selfies as the details are on the lower side and the images often have a dream-like, HDR effect.

Still image quality in low light using auto mode was below average and passable when using Night mode because they showcased a noticeable watercolour-like effect with flat textures.

OnePlus Pad camera samples. Top to bottom: Close-up (primary), Portrait selfie, Night mode (primary) (Tap to see full size)

 

The rear camera is capable of recording video at 4K 30fps and it appeared sharp with good dynamic range and details, but was quite shaky. 1080p 30fps video utilises electronic stabilisation for reducing hand shakes but appears a bit soft with less detail. Low-light video quality isn’t good with plenty of noise and softer textures.

OnePlus Pad battery life

The OnePlus Pad’s battery life is quite good and lasts over two days with regular casual use. My usage mainly included playing casual games and streaming video, scrolling through social media apps and two email accounts in sync. It seems quite good for a regular-sized tablet which is this slim. Our HD video loop test also managed a good 18 hours and 10 minutes of runtime, which is impressive for a slim tablet.

oneplus pad review back case ndtv OnePlusPad OnePlus

The optional OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard accessory has a very premium look and feel

 

I also used the tablet in proper work mode doing everything I would normally do on my laptop. With the display set to 50 percent brightness and a timeout of five minutes, it surprisingly managed to last two whole work days (about nine hours each), which was pretty impressive.

Charging the OnePlus Pad was also quite fast despite the capped charging speeds. The tablet managed to charge to 47 percent in 30 minutes, 85 percent in an hour and completed the charge in an hour and 29 minutes.

Verdict

Until Google’s Pixel Tablet arrives in India (if it ever does), the OnePlus Pad might be the best Android tablet experience you can currently get. This is especially true when you consider its high-refresh rate display, fast charging capability and quality accessories, which are offered at reasonable prices. At a starting price of Rs. 37,999, I did find it to be bit expensive when it was announced but after using it, I think there’s plenty of raw performance available that should be good enough for light work or casual use,  and it all comes in a package that’s easily lighter than most laptops at this price point.

OnePlus has also done its magic with software, balancing sustained performance with features such as split-screen mode and floating windows, all of which work as expected thanks to the capable hardware which powers this device.

In short, there’s very little to nit-pick and complain about, unless you crave an AMOLED panel for which you can take a look at Lenovo’s P11 Pro Gen 2 which is similar to the P11 Pro we reviewed earlier. It’s priced at Rs. 44,999, but does not offer the same software experience as the OnePlus Pad.

On the Apple side of things, there’s the new Apple iPad (2022) (Review) which starts from Rs. 44,900 for the Wi-Fi-only model, but you will be stuck with an standard refresh rate display and just 64GB of storage as only other variant costs Rs. 59,900 (for 256GB). Those looking for cellular connectivity or a robust app ecosystem with tablet-friendly apps will also find the Apple iPad an attractive option. However, accessories for it aren’t cheap, especially if you are going to use it for work.

OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that’s dominated by Apple’s iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review: More of the same again- Technology News, Firstpost

Post By Science And Technology , , , , ,

Ameya DalviMay 30, 2023 09:09:41 IST

Pros:
– Good build quality and design
– Surprisingly good main camera in good lighting
– Android 13 with periodic updates
– 256 GB internal storage option available
– Good battery backup
– 3.5 mm headphone jack, MicroSD card slot, 5G ready

Cons:
– Hardly any substantial changes from the Nord CE 2 Lite
– Camera performance drops drastically even in average light
– No ultra-wide camera, sub-par macro camera
– Charging speed is a lot slower than it should be

Price: Rs 19,999 onwards
Rating: 3.3/5

Typically, OnePlus launches a new Nord series with the top-of-the-line phone from the series with respectable specifications and features. In the subsequent months, the company starts to cut corners and add suffixes like CE and Lite to come up with scaled-down but more affordable versions of the new Nord phone. This year, the company is looking to take a different route. The first of the Nord 3 series isn’t the Nord 3 itself but the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G which target’s the sub-20K segment.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Exactly 12 months ago, we reviewed the Nord CE 2 Lite and were far from impressed. We termed it the most non-OnePlus phone ever as it was underpowered, missed out on certain signature elements of the brand and didn’t offer anything special. If we compare the spec-sheets, its successor doesn’t seem to offer anything drastically different either, barring an 108MP primary camera. Would that be enough to make the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G a viable option that trumps the competition? Let’s find out.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Design (3.5/5)
The Nord CE 3 Lite design, though not striking, isn’t bad at all, especially the new Pastel Lime shade. The phone is constructed out of good-quality plastic with a smooth matte finish on the frame and all-out gloss at the back. The build quality is good but the back does attract smudge marks. There are no rough edges on the phone though. Just like its predecessor, the bottom bezel is quite thick, and the punch-hole for the front camera has moved from the top left to the top centre.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review Back
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

A volume rocker and a SIM + MicroSD card tray are located along the left edge of the phone, while the power button can be found on the right side. The surface of the power button also doubles up as a fingerprint scanner. The scanner here is a lot more responsive than the one on our Nord CE 2 Lite unit and unlocks the phone briskly. The placement of the volume rocker and power button are well thought out and you don’t have to stretch your fingers much to reach them.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review Buttons and SIM slot
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The bottom edge of the phone has a speaker, a USB-C charging port and a 3.5mm headphone jack that’s present on all CE series phones so far. There are dual speakers on this phone with the other located behind the earpiece on top of the screen. The phone is 8.3 mm thick and weighs 195 grams which is on the heavier side for a phone without a metal frame or a glass back. The phone also feels fairly large in hand courtesy of its sizable display which we will talk about next.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review Bottom edge
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Display (3.25/5)
The display on Nord phones keeps getting larger. The Nord CE 3 Lite 5G has a 6.72-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The display is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass (version not specified). While the display is large and fairly bright, it isn’t the best we have come across in phones around Rs 20,000. It could have done better in sharpness and colour accuracy. There aren’t too many screen calibration options either that you get in more expensive OnePlus phones.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review Display
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

You get to choose between Vivid and Natural colour profiles, and you also get a manual colour temperature adjustment slider, which is certainly handy given that the default colour temperature of this screen is on the colder side. The vivid profile makes the colours look over-saturated, while Natural makes them appear dull. If you have to choose between the two, we would suggest going with Natural and pushing the colour temperature slider halfway towards the warmer side from the centre for the best results.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Hardware and performance (3/5)
OnePlus literally went Lite on processing power on the Nord CE 2 Lite by using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chip, and a year later, they have decided to continue using the same on the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G too; a questionable decision. You get two variants of the phone, but unlike the CE 2 Lite, you get 8 GB RAM on both and a choice between 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 2.2 internal storage. You can expand the storage further with a MicroSD card.

The performance of the phone is acceptable for general usage but not special. Things work smoothly in day-to-day tasks like using social media apps, browsing, watching videos or switching between multiple apps. You can do a bit of casual gaming too but at medium to low settings. The phone doesn’t get too hot, which is good. The speakers on this phone produce a loud and punchy sound output with a decent stereo effect. You also get a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a slightly downgraded Bluetooth 5.1 (its predecessor had v5.2) to plug in wired or wireless earphones. The call quality and reception were fine during testing.

Let’s look at some benchmark numbers for reference. We cannot have a direct comparison with its predecessor in Geekbench as we have moved on to version 6 of the benchmark, while the older phone was tested using version 5. The Nord CE 3 Lite managed to score 911 and 2107 points in the single-core and multi-core benchmarks respectively. In PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark, it returned a score of 8347 as compared to 7777 on the Nord CE 2 Lite despite using the same SoC.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review Benchmark scores
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Clearly, the newer version of Android and further optimisations is getting more out of the Snapdragon 695 chipset. The same cannot be said in gaming benchmarks where the scores are neck and neck. In 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme – Vulkan benchmark, the Nord CE 3 Lite goes as high as 2754 points, which is just 21 points higher than the CE 2 Lite. Similarly, in the 3DMark Wild Life benchmark, the Nord CE 3 Lite scores 1215 points as opposed to 1213 on the CE 2 Lite. Thus, not even a 1% jump in performance. Clearly not a phone for gamers, this.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: OS and User interface (3.5/5)
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G runs the latest Android 13 with OxygenOS 13.1. If you are expecting one more rant on this topic, it is not happening! No no, not because OxygenOS is back in its old glory, but we have just given up on it. It is now very much ColorOS, and not ‘like ColorOS’. We are done ranting; it’s time for you to deal with it and move on too. For those who haven’t experienced older iterations of OxygenOS in its glory days, OxygenOS 13 is perfectly usable.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review User interface
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

It remains free of ads and excess bloatware, which is great. The UI is smooth, lag-free and fairly easy to comprehend even for a novice. It offers a handful of tweaks to customise it further, and it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. Even better, the company has committed to two years of major Android updates and three years of security updates for this phone. That is one promise OnePlus has delivered on over the years.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Camera performance (3/5)
The new Nord CE 3 Lite gets a 108MP main camera as compared to the 64MP unit on its predecessor; probably the only notable change on this device. The 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor have been retained, while an ultra-wide camera remains absent. The 16MP front camera also keeps its place (though it has moved under the earpiece from the top left. Neither the main camera nor the front camera can record videos at 4K resolution.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review Cameras 2
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The max video resolution is capped at 1080p at 30 fps courtesy of the not-so-powerful processing hardware. It drops further to 720p at up to 120 fps in case you wish to record slo-mo videos. At first, I thought the 108 megapixels that the main camera flaunts is also a marketing gimmick, but I am happy to report that it’s not. In fact, in good light, the performance is surprisingly good.

When shooting outdoors in good light, the captured images exhibit lively colours and good dynamic range. The colours feel slightly over-saturated (especially the reds) and look more vivid than the original subject. Ironically, some users may actually like it that way. There is a good amount of detail in shots and most areas are well exposed. When shooting indoors or in sub-optimal lighting, the captured images look noticeably soft and low on detail.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Long Term Review Cameras
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

As the light drops, the quality of the output gets progressively worse. Night Mode does make certain low-light photos usable but a great amount of detail is lost and the photos look flat probably due to the aggressive noise reduction algorithm. The macro camera output is just like that of any other low-end 2MP macro camera, barely usable. The portrait shots come out reasonably well in proper lighting with good foreground and background separation.

While there is no telephoto camera on this phone, you get a 3X zoom toggle in the camera app, but that’s a digital zoom. If you need 2X zoom, you will need to manually adjust the level of zoom from the app. Again, images captured using up to 3X zoom in good lighting are more than decent, but beyond that, they look dull and void of detail. I would strongly advise against using Zoom in low light. The results are bad. The 16MP front camera does a fair job with selfies and video calls.

Click here for uncompressed camera samples clicked on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G:

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Battery backup (3.5/5)
The battery backup on this phone is pretty decent. The phone retains the 5000 mAh battery that easily lasts for a day and a half of moderate use, and at times even touches two full days. While the battery capacity is the same as its predecessor, the charging capacity has almost doubled in theory with the Nord CE 3 Lite supporting 67W SuperVOOC charging as compared to 33W on the Nord CE 2 Lite. The company includes an 80W fast charger in the bundle. Strangely, it takes about 70 minutes to charge this phone fully, which is just 5 minutes less than what a 33W charger takes to charge the Nord CE 2 Lite fully.

At launch, we were informed that the company has taken note of this issue and a fix is being worked out in an upcoming firmware update. Post that update, the bundled charger is expected to charge 80% of the battery in just 30 minutes. As of now, it only gets to 50% in half an hour. The Nord CE 3 Lite did receive a couple of updates during the course of our long-term review, but neither of them improved the charging times. We also tried using older 65W and 80W chargers from OnePlus with this phone, but they didn’t charge it any faster.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Price, verdict and competition
The 128 GB storage variant of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G can be purchased for Rs 19,999, while you will need to shell out Rs 2,000 more for the 256 GB storage option. That makes it the most affordable OnePlus phone around, but not necessarily the best option around 20K given the competition. While the CE 2 Lite had some tough competition to deal with a year ago, things may get even tougher for the CE 3 Lite.

Two options that come to mind straight away are the Motorola G82 5G and iQOO Z7 5G. Both phones offer much sharper OLED/AMOLED displays and flaunt primary cameras with optical image stabilisation (OIS) that’s lacking in the Nord CE 3 Lite. The Motorola also has an ultra-wide camera at the back. While the Moto packs the same Snapdragon 695 chip, the iQOO has a much more powerful Dimensity 920 chip at its core, making it a better phone overall.

As you can see, the competition is better equipped in this segment, and we don’t have a compelling reason to recommend the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G over it. OnePlus had a full year to empower the CE 3 Lite with more than just a higher-megapixel camera and faster charging (in theory). If OnePlus is serious about competing in this highly competitive sub-20K segment, they really need to do a lot more. They cannot afford another strike against the next CE Lite.



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OnePlus Nord Buds 2 Review: Nord Buds with ANC and better value for money- Technology News, Firstpost

Post By Science And Technology , , , ,

Ameya DalviApr 18, 2023 18:42:04 IST

Pros:
– Punchy sound output
– 6-band equaliser to tweak the sound further
– Comfortable in-ear fit, good passive noise isolation
– IP55 dust and fluid resistance
– Impressive battery backup, fast charging
– Good call quality

Cons:
– Average ANC
– No wear detection sensors or volume control on the earbuds
– Bulky charging case, though it looks better than before

Price: Rs 2,999
Rating: 4/5

The first OnePlus Nord Buds was an interesting pair of TWS earbuds that introduced a few firsts from the brand despite being their most affordable then. It had a unique design and was the first time that OnePlus provisioned custom audio presets, a feature that was later added to their more expensive audio products. The sequel has arrived that looks a bit more polished and offers active noise cancellation (ANC) at a similar price point. Time to take a closer look.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

OnePlus Nord Buds 2: Design and Comfort (7.5/10)
OnePlus took a different design approach with the first Nord Buds with the unique pill-shaped stems, and they have stuck to that design language here too. In fact, the Nord Buds 2 earbuds have the same shape, just with different colour options and finish. We got the Thunder Gray variant for review and it has a smooth matte finish on the buds and the case. It is a big improvement from the glossy finish of its predecessor that made it look too plasticky. 

While the case is smooth to the touch, the finish looks a tad grainy due to the ‘tasteful speckled accents’ that OnePlus has added. Tasteful is a matter of individual taste; I mistook it for dust and tried to clean it in vain. The good part is the charging case is pretty much smudge-free and now has rounded edges all around making it look much better than that of the first Nord Buds. It is marginally smaller and lighter too but still far from pocketable (over an inch in thickness), unless you don’t mind a big bulge in your pocket.  

OnePlus Nord Buds 2 Review Earbuds
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Battery capacity is still the same at 480 mAh, but it promises better backup. A charge indicator LED is located at the front of the case, while a USB-C charging port along with a perfectly camouflaged Bluetooth pairing/reset button are present at the back. The buds are fairly light too at 4.7 grams each. The fit is snug and comfortable, and they don’t pop out of the ear during a workout or a jog. The right-sized silicon tips offer good passive noise isolation and eventually, help in improving ANC too. 

The touch-enabled zones at the back aren’t marked with metallic paint and elevation like before but are more subtle with a bit of gloss. The touch sensitivity is good and the buds produce a small beep every time you tap in the zone. The Nord Buds 2 are IP55-rated dust and fluid resistant, which is good. But unlike more premium OnePlus TWS earbuds like the Buds Z2 or Buds Pro 2, the charging case does not have any ingress protection.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2: Features and Specifications (8/10)
Each earbud is fitted with a 12.4 mm dynamic driver with titanized diaphragm; same size as the original Nord Buds. They still have two microphones each despite the addition of active noise cancellation here. Yes, ANC is the biggest change in these new buds. OnePlus has kept things simple in this department by not bothering with varying degrees of noise cancellation like in the Buds Pro series. You get to choose between ANC On, ANC Off and Transparency mode that lets ambient noise through. More on this in a bit.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2 Review Charging case
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

While the company has added ANC, wear detection sensors continue to be absent on the Nord Buds 2, something I would have preferred to see here. While codec support remains the same – SBC and AAC, the Bluetooth version has been upgraded from 5.2 to 5.3. There’s support for Dolby Atmos too when paired with compliant devices. You don’t need to install any app if you use these buds with a OnePlus 6 or a more recent OnePlus phone running OxygenOS 11 or later. You get access to various settings of the buds in the Bluetooth settings itself. 

For other phones, you will need to install the HeyMelody app and sync the earphones to access the same features. The app is available for Android and iOS both. You get to alter the sound profile, configure the controls and update the firmware. You can assign play/pause, previous/next track, voice assistant or nothing to single tap, double tap and triple tap gestures. Touch-and-hold lets you switch between the ANC profiles. Just like all OnePlus buds, volume control cannot be assigned to any of the gestures on the Nord Buds 2 either. 

OnePlus Nord Buds 2: Performance (7.5/10)
For starters, loudness won’t be an issue on these buds as they are perfectly audible close to 50% when indoors, and I don’t remember pushing the volume beyond 60% too often even in noisy areas outdoors. Similar to its predecessor, the default sound signature of the Nord Buds 2 on the ‘Balanced’ preset is clearly bass-heavy. If anything, the treble is a bit more distinct in this mode this time. However, the excess bass impacts the midrange frequencies and causes noticeable auditory masking. 

OnePlus Nord Buds 2 Review Nord buds vs Nord Buds 2 - buds design
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

And yes, we are still talking about the Balanced preset and not ‘Bass’, that’s also one of the four options available here; one that needs to be ignored. The ‘Bold’ preset actually offers better balance, and the ‘Serenade’ preset tends to lower the bass further and offers a brighter sound which isn’t very enjoyable in music but can be useful in voice heavy content like podcasts. As we learnt from the first Nord Buds, the sound presets are just a formality and the real deal is the Sound Master EQ (Equaliser) that lets you tweak the audio to your liking, which is available here too in the companion app.  

You get a 6-band equaliser, two each for lows, mids and highs, that lets you readjust the sound profile and create your own audio presets. While it doesn’t turn things on its head, it does make a noticeable difference to the sound output. Pushing the 1KHz and 4KHz bars up by a few units improves the vocal clarity and certain midrange sounds. Similarly, you can reduce the bass EQ to your liking. Feel free to play with the equaliser till you get the best possible results. You also get a BassWave slider here that’s best left untouched.

After a few sound tweaks, the Nord Buds 2 produce a punchy sound output with a better balance and sharpness, and still with ample bass. The soundstage here is not too broad but fine for the segment. The latency is low enough as there was no noticeable lag between the video and audio when streaming videos from OTT platforms. The wireless range is as advertised with a strong connection up to 10 metres with a clear line of sight. 

Coming to the final point about the new addition to the Nord Buds series – active noise cancellation. These buds can reduce ambient noise up to 25 dB, which used to be the mark for entry-level earphones with ANC over a year or two ago. Numbers aside, the ANC here is far from impressive and just about functional. It does reduce certain ambient sounds but doesn’t come close to cutting you off from your surroundings when ANC is turned on. Even indoors, it cannot eliminate the sound of the fan entirely.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2 Review Nord buds vs Nord Buds 2 case
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Thankfully, the passive noise isolation is good here, and that plus the ANC helps you reduce some background chatter when in public transport once the audio starts playing. The Transparency mode is decent but could have done with a bit of boost to the vocal frequency range. Now, while the ANC here is not something I would recommend these earphones for, one must factor in its sub-3K selling price, which is close to that of its predecessor that did not offer ANC. So some degree of noise reduction is better than none at all when you aren’t paying a big premium for it.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2: Call quality (8/10)
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2’s call quality is quite good indoors as well as outdoors. People on the line were clearly audible to each other. When outdoors, the AI noise reduction does a more than decent job of isolating your voice from the ambient noise, and though it cannot eliminate the background noise entirely, it doesn’t impact the conversation much. Even in noisy areas your voice is transmitted with very good clarity. The Nord Buds 2 can be a good option for those looking for budget TWS earbuds primarily for calling.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2: Battery life (8.5/10)
Just like its predecessor, the battery backup remains impressive. The company claims 5 and 7 hours of audio playback for the buds with ANC on and off respectively, and 27 and 36 hours overall with the charging case in similar operating conditions. With the loudness mostly under 60% during the test process, the earbuds actually managed to match those figures with the buds going on for close to 5 hours with ANC on and a shade over 7 without ANC. The case could recharge them four more times. 

OnePlus Nord Buds 2 Review USB port, Bluetooth pairing button
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

That translates into an overall battery backup of about 30 hours for the buds and case combined with intermittent use of ANC, and close to 35 hours if you do not use ANC or Transparency at all, which is quite impressive and even better than the first Nord Buds. And they support fast charging too! A 10-minute charge promises close to 5 hours of playtime with the buds and case combined without ANC, which is not bad at all. The buds can be charged fully in less than an hour, while the case takes 30 more minutes for a full tank. 

OnePlus Nord Buds 2: Price and verdict
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 can be purchased for Rs 2,999 with a one year warranty. That makes it just Rs 200 more than the first Nord Buds, and you get some form of ANC, a better looking case, marginally improved sound quality, better battery backup and much better call quality for that tiny premium. Good elements like a custom equaliser, configurable controls, fast charging and that striking buds design have been carried forward here. All things considered, the Nord Buds 2 is a feature-rich pair of TWS earbuds that’s fairly easy to recommend under 3K.

As for competition, there isn’t much except for two of its ever-present not-so-distant cousins – the Realme Buds Q2 and the Realme Buds Air 2. They both offer slightly better ANC in this budget, comparable sound quality, customisable touch controls, three sound profiles but no custom EQ. Their battery life and call quality is pretty decent but not as good as the Nord Buds 2. The Buds Air 2 that sells for a similar price has wear detection sensors. The Buds Q2 is more affordable at Rs 2,499 and even cheaper during online sales. Choose one depending on the features that matter to you most.



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OnePlus 11 5G Long-term Review: The most loaded OnePlus non-Pro phone to date- Technology News, Firstpost

Post By Science And Technology , , ,

Ameya DalviMar 20, 2023 18:47:58 IST

Pros:
– Sturdy build, feels great in hand
– Certain features are even better than OnePlus 10 Pro
– Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC – as fast as they come
– Excellent QHD+ LTPO3 AMOLED display
– Good main camera performance even in low light
– Capable support cast in photography department
– Good battery backup, charges fully in less than half hour

Cons:
– RIP OxygenOS
– No ingress protection
– Bulky charger, no wireless charging

Rating: 4/5
Price: Rs 56,999 to Rs 61,999

At the start of 2022, a lot of techies and OnePlus fans were excited about what the company would bring to the table in the supposed OnePlus 10; a number that fascinates many. By the end of year, the excitement turned into disappointment as the phone was a no-show. To make matters worse, the OnePlus 10T that the company released towards the end of the year seemed more like a R series phone, thus fueling rumours that the iconic series was on its deathbed.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Come 2023, OnePlus put to bed all those rumours with the launch of the OnePlus 11 5G, a fitting representative of the series (non-R/non-Pro). In fact, the new phone is packed with certain features that one would generally associate with the Pro series. So much so that it creates an existential crisis for the OnePlus 10 Pro. After having used the OnePlus 11 5G for over a month, it is time to see if it is indeed worth its not-so-modest asking price and also a better alternative to the 10 Pro.

OnePlus 11 5G Design: Premium build; smart design makes the phone feel compact
The OnePlus 11 5G looks a lot like the 10 Pro with a curved display, slim bezels and a punch-hole at the top left of the screen for the selfie camera. The same applies to the back of the Titan Black variant that we got for review, with a matte glass that is a neat little throwback to the sandstone finish of the first OnePlus phone, and it also remains smudge-free. For the first time since the OnePlus 8T/9R, you get an Aluminium frame on a non-Pro OnePlus device. The frame is a touch glossy here as compared to the matte finish on the 10 Pro. 

OnePlus 11 Review
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The alert slider is back, which inexplicably went missing on the 10T. While the position of the rear cameras remains similar to the 10 series phones, the squarish camera island now makes way for a circular one on the 11. It is hard to say which one looks better, but neither look bad, so no complaints. It does blend nicely into the frame just like the display. The display is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, while the back has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection against scratches.

The OnePlus 11 5G is 0.3 mm slimmer than the 10T, but the weight is quite similar, and tilts the scale at 205 grams. I wouldn’t term this phone compact or light, but courtesy of its smart design and even weight distribution, the phone neither feels too big nor too heavy in hand. The volume rockers are placed along the left edge while the power button and alert slider are on the right. A SIM tray, speaker and a USB-C port can be found along the bottom edge. The in-display fingerprint scanner is located a good inch and a half above the bottom edge, which makes it ergonomic. 

OnePlus 11 5G Display: Non-Pro goes QHD with a LTPO3 AMOLED display
One of the big changes here is the display, and it’s not just the curved edges I speak of. For the first time ever on a non-Pro OnePlus phone, we have a QHD+ display with a resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels, as opposed to a Full HD+ screen. That’s similar to what you get on the 10 Pro. The display on both phones has an adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz, but while the Pro uses a LTPO2 AMOLED display, the OnePlus 11 5G flaunts the new LTPO3 standard with a variable refresh rate ranging from 1 Hz all the way to 120 Hz for better power efficiency. 

OnePlus 11 Review
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

Both phones have 6.7-inch HDR10+ compliant displays, but the one here offers Dolby Vision compliance too; a welcome addition. The 10-bit display on the OnePlus 11 can get up to 1300 nits bright, and is bright enough even under direct sunlight. You get four screen colour modes – Vivid, Natural, Cinematic and Brilliant, along with a slider for colour temperature adjustment. Natural mode lives up to its name, but if you find the output a tad dull, you can always try Vivid or Brilliant and move the colour temperature slider a bit to the warmer side for good results.

OnePlus 11 5G Performance: As fast as it gets at the moment
OnePlus has opted for the latest and the most powerful Qualcomm SoC around, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; the first phone in India with that SoC. You get two variants of the phone here, one with 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128 GB UFS 3.1 storage and the other with 16 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 4.0 storage. Needless to say, it is blazing fast, and the scores are consistently higher than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip found in the OnePlus 10T and 10 Pro.

We ran a few synthetic benchmarks to gauge the difference in performance between the OnePlus 11 5G and OnePlus 10 Pro. In Geekbench 5, the 11 5G scored 1079 and 4077 in the single-core and multi-core tests respectively, while the 10 Pro managed to score 968 and 3377 in the respective tests. Thus the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip delivers a 11.5% and 20.7% jump in single-core and multi-core performance respectively, which is impressive. The PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark score was neck and neck with the two phones scoring 10355 and 10374 respectively. 

OnePlus 11 Review

To test the gaming capabilities, we ran the Wild Life and Wild Life Extreme tests from the 3DMark suite, and both phones were too powerful for the Wild Life benchmark and maxed it out. In the Wild Life Extreme benchmark, the OnePlus 11 5G managed to score 3623 with 21.7 average FPS, while the 10 Pro scored 2581 with 15.5 average FPS. That is a massive 40% jump in performance for the Adreno 740 GPU over the Adreno 730, which is mighty impressive. Needless to say, the OnePlus 11 5G managed to run every game we tried on it smoothly without a stutter at the highest setting.

This phone has two speakers, one behind the earpiece and the other at the base of the phone. Collectively they produce a fairly loud sound output with good stereo separation. The phone is Bluetooth 5.3 compliant and has dual-band WiFi with support for a/b/g/n/ac/6/7 standards. We had no reason to complain about the call quality or reception during the course of our testing. 

OnePlus 11 5G Battery performance: Good battery life, brisk 100W charging
The battery capacity has seen a slight increment from 4800 mAh on the 10T to 5000 mAh here. It lasts for almost a day and a half of moderate use thanks to the powerful yet power efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. Of course, long hours of gaming will drain the battery faster. But worry not, the bundled 100W charger takes the battery from 1% to 100% in the promised 25 minutes. Charging speed is the only area where its predecessor, the OnePlus 10T has the upper hand, thanks to its 150W SuperVOOC charger. 

 

OnePlus 11 Review
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The bundled charger here is relatively slower in comparison and takes 5 additional minutes to charge the OnePlus 11 5G as compared to the 10T, which is perfectly acceptable. Since I had an older 65W OnePlus charger at hand, I tried using that with the 11 too. Interestingly, it takes just 30 minutes to charge this device fully. Now, the bundled 100W charger is quite bulky and heavy, so if you have an older 65W charger lying around, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use that during travel, leaving the big guy at home.

OnePlus 11 5G Camera performance: Smart choice of rear cameras, very good image quality
You get three cameras at the back of the OnePlus 11 5G, and no, it is not that typically boring 50MP+8MP+2MP combination that the company slapped on most of their phones over the past year or two right from the Nord series to the 10R to even the 10T. The choice of cameras here is far more sensible and versatile; no unnecessary units to fill up marketing sheets. The star of the show is a 50MP primary camera with a Sony IMX890 sensor and optical image stabilisation (OIS). 

The second camera is a 48MP ultra-wide shooter based on aSony IMX581 sensor with 115-degrees FOV and auto-focus. This is probably the first time since the OnePlus 7T that auto-focus returns to the ultra-wide camera on a non-Pro OnePlus phone. That lets this camera double up as a macro camera too. And lastly, there is a 32MP telephoto camera with Sony’s IMX709 sensor and 2X optical zoom that can also be used for clicking high quality portrait shots.

OnePlus 11 Review
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The OnePlus 11 5G benefits from Hasselblad’s colour tuning as well as their expertise in portrait photography. Moving on to image quality, the primary camera clicks some excellent shots with very good detail and impressive dynamic range. Colours are indeed close to natural in most cases, though not as natural as the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s images. The hint of extra saturation is something several users may actually prefer for social media posts. 

The low light photography here sees a big improvement over its predecessors, especially on the main camera. It preserves a great amount of detail in low-light captures with minimal noise. Even the colours look natural. When the light drops further, the Night mode kicks in automatically. I quite liked the Night mode here as it makes things just a tad brighter without making the image overly bright, which is the case with several other phones.

The ultra-wide camera is equally impressive in well lit conditions. The colour reproduction and dynamic range are comparable, and the images have a good amount of detail. But as the light drops, the images tend to get softer, and I would suggest switching to the main camera in low light. As I mentioned earlier, the ultra-wide camera has auto-focus, and lets you capture macro shots too. When you get closer to a subject, the phone automatically switches to macro mode. 

Phone back
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The macro shots can be a hit or a miss as it tends to struggle with the focus at times. So best to click a couple of extra shots in this mode with steady hands. When it focuses right, the captured images are quite good and way better than most ‘dedicated’ 2MP and 5MP macro cameras that you get on several phones. The telephoto camera does a good job, and 2X zoomed shots look sharp enough. Anything beyond 2X is digital zoom and up to 5X zoomed shots are usable. Beyond that they look washed out.

The real purpose of the telephoto camera here is to capture ‘professional grade’ portrait shots, somewhat on the lines of Hasselblad cameras with XCD 30 mm and 65 mm lenses.  Yes, the 2X optical zoom is quite handy when capturing portrait shots. Since I haven’t used the above lenses, I cannot compare the results here with what they are capable of, but the portrait shots here are quite impressive, especially with human subjects. It works well with animals too if they stay still long enough, but the edge detection isn’t as smart with other subjects.

The 16MP fixed focus front camera remains unchanged for a while now. It does a decent job with selfies with natural skin tones when the face is well lit. While the front camera is limited to 1080p video recording, the main camera can now record 8K videos at 24 fps. You also have an option for recording 4K videos at 30 and 60 fps, and can go as high as 240 fps for 1080p videos. You get OIS and EIS support to compensate for shaky hands. Best results are obtained with 4K videos and the footage is sharp and stabilised. You get quite a few modes to play with.

Click here for unedited camera samples.

OS and user interface: OxygenOS 13, who?
Don’t get me started! I will try and keep it short. The OnePlus 11 5G runs Android 13 with ColorOS… OK fine, OxygenOS 13, if you say so. When OxygenOS 12 was criticised for having quite a few elements of Oppo’s ColorOS, OnePlus had promised that the next iteration would restore the popular UI’s past glory, but they have clearly gone in the other direction. If OxygenOS 12 had shades of ColorOS, version 13 has sucked the Oxygen out of it completely and is very much ColorOS itself. 

If you have never used an older OnePlus phone with OxygenOS 11 or prior, or are willing to let go of the past, OxygenOS 13 is perfectly usable. It remains free of ads and excess bloatware. The UI is smooth, lag-free and fairly easy to comprehend even for a novice. For the fans of the older interface, you can either live with that or live in hope for the coming of ‘the UI that was promised’. The good part being, OnePlus has promised three major Android updates on this phone along with regular security updates over the next few years. That’s more than handy.

Final words: Oh so pro… almost!
The OnePlus 11 5G can be purchased for Rs 56,999 for the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant and Rs 61,999 for the one with double the RAM and storage, with a one year warranty. That would make it probably the most expensive non-Pro OnePlus phone to date. But then, it is also their most loaded, and does offer certain features that are comparable and some even better than the OnePlus 10 Pro. It does miss out on a couple of features like IP68 rated ingress protection and wireless charging that is available on the Pro, but what you get here far outweighs what you don’t.

You get a phone with the most powerful SoC around, ample RAM and storage with a faster interface, an excellent LTPO3 QHD+ display, good battery backup with fast charging and last but not the least, versatile and competent rear cameras. User interface aside, one can expect OS and security updates for another three years keeping the phone relevant for a lot longer. All things considered, the OnePlus 11 5G is a good all-round phone and easily the best from the company in the past two years. As for alternatives, check this out.



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Best phones under Rs 30,000 (Feb 2023): iQOO 9 SE 5G, Poco F4 5G to OnePlus Nord 2T- Technology News, Firstpost

Post By Science And Technology , , , , ,

Ameya DalviFeb 14, 2023 11:03:40 IST

Not too long ago, certain phones in this segment were termed as flagship killers as you could get flagship-grade features and performance at a reasonable price. Though that moniker isn’t as commonly used these days, the rest holds true for the phones in this list. One can expect high quality AMOLED displays with high refresh rate, powerful processors, impressive cameras with features like optical image stabilisation (OIS) and more. It’s a given that all handsets in this list are 5G ready. Time to meet the top 5 phones that we believe are the best under Rs 30,000 this month.

Best phones to buy under Rs 30,000 in India

iQOO 9 SE 5G
Here’s a surprise entry in this collection. The iQOO 9 SE 5G is currently selling under Rs 30,000, though its price has been fluctuating between 29K and 31K in the last few days. It is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 888 chip, which is a fantastic option in this segment. You can get the phone’s base variant with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage in this budget. It has a 6.62-inch HDR10+ compliant Full HD+ AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 1300 nits and 120 Hz refresh rate.

The rear camera department consists of a 48MP primary camera with OIS, along with a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The 16MP front camera does a good job with selfies and video calls. The iQOO 9 SE 5G has a 4500 mAh battery that lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 66W fast charger promises to charge it fully in under 40 minutes. The phone runs Android 12 with FunTouch OS 12. One can expect more OS updates in the future.

iQOO 9 SE 5G price in India: Rs 29,990 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Poco F4 5G
Poco F4 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, which is a fairly powerful chip itself. You can get even the top variant of this phone with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage with this much money. It has an impressive 6.67-inch AMOLED Full HD+ screen with 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance. The display has 1300 nits peak brightness and is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

Poco F4 5G

The Poco F4 5G has an attractive design with a glass back, and is quite slim at just 7.7 mm in thickness. Photography is handled by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. The 20MP front camera is quite good for selfies and video calls. Its 4500 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 67W fast charger can juice it up fully in less than 40 minutes. This phone runs Android 12 with MIUI 13, and is one of the rare phones to offer a 2-year warranty in India.

Poco F4 5G price in India: Rs 29,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

OnePlus Nord 2T
The OnePlus Nord 2T remains arguably the best value-for-money phone from the company in the whole of 2022. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1300 chip that’s not a bad option at all in this segment. You get the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. This 5G-ready phone has a sharp 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ compliance. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and the protection extends to the phone’s glass back too. 

OnePlus Nord 2T

The rear camera department consists of a 50MP primary camera with OIS that does a good job in different conditions. Giving it company are an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP monochrome camera. The 32MP front camera is good enough to have the selfie enthusiasts interested. The OnePlus Nord 2T has a 4500 mAh battery that lasts close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 80W Super VOOC charger juices it up fully in just 33 minutes. It launched with OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12, and an Android 13 update with OxygenOS 13 was released recently.

OnePlus Nord 2T price in India: Rs 28,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Redmi K50i 5G
Redmi K50i 5G is another phone with a powerful processor and ample storage, and primarily targeted at gamers. It is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 8100 SoC that is found in more expensive phones like the OnePlus 10R. The performance is comparable to a Snapdragon 888 chip, and you get 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 internal storage comfortably in this budget. The photography department comprises a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide snapper and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP front camera handles selfies and video calls quite well. 

Redmi K50i 5G

The Redmi K50i 5G has a 6.6-inch Full HD+ Liquid FFS display that’s HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliant. It is protected against scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It supports 144 Hz refresh rate for a smooth experience in compatible apps, and should be handy in certain games too. A 5080 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W turbo charger claims to charge it to 50% in just 15 minutes. This Xiaomi phone runs Android 12 with MIUI 13. 

Redmi K50i 5G price in India: Rs 26,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Motorola Edge 30
The Motorola Edge 30 continues to sell under 25K currently but is an excellent all-around device that can hang with the best in this list on multiple fronts. This phone is powered by a Snapdragon 778G chip and comes with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. It may not have the most powerful processor in this budget, but it more than makes up for it in the display, photography and software departments. 

Its 6.5-inch Full HD+ OLED display flaunts a 144 Hz refresh rate along with HDR10+ compliance and the capability to display over a billion colour shades. The screen has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection against scratches. This phone runs Android 12, and like most Motorola phones, you get a clean and near-stock user interface, which many prefer. An Android 13 update is expected soon.

Motorola Edge 30

The photography department on the Motorola Edge 30 is impressive too, courtesy of two 50MP cameras, with the primary offering OIS and the secondary camera letting you capture some high-quality ultra-wide shots. A 2MP depth sensor completes the pack. The 32MP front camera will interest selfie enthusiasts. Its 4020 mAh battery lasts for a day of moderate use and supports 33W fast charging. 

Motorola Edge 30 price in India: Rs 24,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage



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OnePlus 11 5G Preview: Initial impressions and what’s different from the OnePlus 10T- Technology News, Firstpost

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Ameya DalviFeb 07, 2023 21:19:26 IST

It is time for the next generation of OnePlus phones, mainly the OnePlus 11 5G. By the time you read this piece, it would already been officially unveiled in India. We had access to the device for the past few days, and though the full review will take a bit longer, there are a handful of things about the phone we can tell you about. We can also tell you how it differs from its predecessor, the OnePlus 10T, across various key parameters like design, display, camera etc.  

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

To be brutally honest, beating the 10T was always going to be a walk in the park for its successor, as it didn’t set the bar particularly high. In fact, personally, it was arguably the most disappointing product from the company last year after Oxygen OS 13, of course. It seemed more of an R series phone. Come 2023, the need of the hour was not just to beat it with some incremental updates but overhaul it, and that’s what OnePlus has attempted with the 11 5G. 

We will hold back the camera samples and performance benchmarks for the final review, not because we want to keep you waiting, but from our past experience, we expect another software update or two in the coming days that might change things. Today, let’s look at the upgrades the OnePlus 11 5G brings to the table over its predecessor.

OnePlus 11 5G vs OnePlus 10T: Design
From the front, the OnePlus 11 5G looks more like the 10 Pro than the 10T, with a curved display, slim bezels and a punch-hole at the top left of the screen for the selfie camera. The same applies to the back of the black variant that we received, with a matte glass that serves as a throwback to the sandstone finish of the first OnePlus phone. For the first time since the OnePlus 8T/9R, you get an Aluminium frame on a non-Pro device, and even better, the alert slider is back, which was inexplicably removed in the 10T.

OnePlus 11 5G First look - Phone back
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

While the position of the rear cameras is similar, the squarish camera island on the 10 series now makes way for a circular one on the 11. It is hard to say which one looks better, but neither looks bad, so no complaints. The OnePlus 11 is 0.3 mm slimmer than the 10T, but the weight is quite similar. The biggest change here is the display, and it’s not just the curved edges I am talking about but a lot more. Let me elaborate further.

OnePlus 11 5G vs OnePlus 10T: Display
For the first time ever on a non-Pro OnePlus phone, we have a QHD+ display. That’s a resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels, as opposed to a Full HD+ resolution of 2412 x 1080 on the 10T. The display on both phones has a refresh rate of 120 Hz, but while the 10T uses a standard Fluid AMOLED display, the OnePlus 11 has an LTPO3 AMOLED screen with a variable refresh rate ranging from 1 Hz all the way to 120 Hz for better power efficiency. 

OnePlus 11
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

While both phones have 6.7-inch HDR10+ compliant displays, the one here flaunts Dolby Vision compliance too. The 10-bit display on the OnePlus 11 can get up to 1300 nits bright. The screen protection has also been upgraded from Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. 

OnePlus 11 5G vs OnePlus 10T: Processing hardware
No surprises here. OnePlus has opted for the latest and the most powerful Qualcomm SoC around, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; the first phone with that SoC in India, if my memory serves me right. Speaking of memory, you get up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM on the OnePlus 11, and up to 256 GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Not sure if the 512 GB storage variant will be available anytime soon. Needless to say, it is blazing fast, and the scores are consistently higher than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip found in the 10T. 

OnePlus 11 5G vs OnePlus 10T: Camera
A 50MP primary camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro/depth sensor is the combination OnePlus offered on most of their non-Pro phones in 2021-2022. The Nord 2, Nord 2T, OnePlus 10R and OnePlus 10T all had the same, and finally, thankfully that streak is broken. The OnePlus 11 too has three cameras at the back, but the combination is drastically different.

OnePlus 11 5G First look - Camera module
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

You get a 50MP primary camera with a Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS. The second camera is a 48MP ultra-wide shooter with auto-focus. This is probably the first time since the OnePlus 7T that we have an ultra-wide camera with auto-focus on a OnePlus non-Pro phone. That feature generally lets your ultra-wide camera double up as a macro camera too. We will explore that aspect in more depth in the OnePlus 11 review. 

The third camera here is a 32MP telephoto portrait camera for clicking high-quality, professional-grade portrait shots. Hasselblad is back to handle the colour calibration and also lend some pro tricks for portrait shots. You also get a Pro mode for finer control over the exposure, white balance, shutter speed and more if you like to play around with the camera settings. We will reserve our judgement about the camera performance for the final review.

OnePlus 11 5G vs OnePlus 10T: Battery and charging
The battery capacity has seen a slight increment from 4800 mAh on the 10T to 5000 mAh here. However, the 10T still has the upper hand when it comes to charging times, thanks to its 150W SuperVOOC charger. OnePlus has bundled a ‘relatively slower’ 100W charger with the OnePlus 11 that claims to charge it fully in just 25 minutes, which is just about 5 minutes slower than its predecessor. I will update you with the exact charging time in a few days, but it is definitely under half an hour with the bundled charger.

OnePlus 11 5G First look - Inside OP11 box
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

OnePlus 11 5G initial thoughts
Our initial impressions of the OnePlus 11 5G are quite positive, and it feels like a big upgrade over the OnePlus 10T in most departments. In fact, at times it feels more like a successor to the OnePlus 10 Pro. OnePlus is yet to announce the price of this device at the time of writing, and I sincerely hope they don’t get too greedy. They badly need a win early in 2023 after a largely lacklustre 2022. Let’s wait and watch what Cloud 11 rains upon us.



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