Bharadwaj Chandramouli | Fone Arena

Samsung Galaxy S20+ Review: Consistently Dependable

2020 is a special year for Samsung. This is not only the first time the numbering of its flagship series takes a 2x jump, but it is also the first year since the launch of a new category of devices, the foldables. Naturally, this redefines the idea of a brand flagship in Samsung’s portfolio, and this reflects in subtle yet very important changes in the S20 series. There are not two, but three flagships this time, starting with the S20 and ending with the S20 Ultra, with the most dependable of them bang in the middle, the Samsung Galaxy S20+. Dependable, why? Let’s find out in the review.
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OPPO Enco Free Review: No-Compromise Productivity

True wireless earphones are trending at their peak right now. It’s true because so many products are coming out day by day, but it’s also true that the market is still not yet fully mature. Especially when it comes to a quality no-compromise experience you get very few options, unlike the smartphone market. At the top is Apple’s Airpods and its Pro version, then we have Samsung Galaxy Buds and its Plus version, then there are countless others from no-name new brands to audio specialist brands to mobile brands to style brands and whatnot. I’ve tested the Galaxy Buds, an in-ear solution and a few other varieties like neckbands, sports bands and even wireless glasses with directional speakers but never have I ever tried an Airpods-like true wireless solution. No, I haven’t tried the Realme Buds yet, but recently, during the launch of the OPPO Reno3 Pro, I got a chance to start trying the Enco Free true wireless earbuds. It’s a well-designed one-of-a-kind experience that falls under the Airpods-like category, which makes this my first time using such a device, so here I am, writing this piece to share my experience with what I consider to be an amazingly productive accessory. Read on for my review of the OPPO Enco Free True Wireless earbuds.

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Moto G8 Plus Unboxing and First Impressions

If you ask Motorola what this is, they will say this smartphone is bringing the best out of the One series into one device which is the Moto G8 Plus. It brings together the One Vision’s primary camera, the One Action video camera and the laser autofocus from the One Macro. If you ask me, we are looking for a smartphone in the end of 2019 and we want to spend only enough for a high quality experience at its basics. It’s a competitive market, every brand is launching a new phone and we are eternally confused, so in this crowd which is battling for our attention, what do Motorola’s words mean to us? Let’s find out in this Unboxing and First Impressions of the Moto G8 Plus.

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PLAYFIT 53 fitness band – Self Starter

PLAYFIT is a new entrant into the world of wearables. We had taken a look at their Smartwatch SW75 earlier, which proved to be a high quality solution to not only a fitness amateur but a wearable enthusiast as well. But, as with any other wearable brand, there are solutions for everyone. For those who want to focus mainly on fitness and are not concerned with wearing a wrist band can go for the PLAYFIT 53, which at Rs. 1,999 is a starter to motivation, the primary reason why one would get these bands. Let’s take a closer look at this particular product then.

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Titan EyePlus Smart Audio Sunglasses Musig X – Unboxing and First Impressions

Solutions to stereo wireless audio on-the-go have taken many forms before but this is the most comfortable unobtrusive solution I’ve used so far. You can not only escape the harsh light of the sun but the nagging feel of something on/in your ears as well, while still enjoying music/podcasts or answering calls. This is Titan Eyeplus’ first foray into the tech, with the Smart Audio Sunglasses Musig X, made by SkyFly in partnership with Mutrics and what you’ll be reading further is my first impressions of a fascinating new category in the world of wearables. Let’s go.

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Motorola One Macro Review – Macro for the Masses

Starting with One Power, Motorola has been consistently releasing devices with a focus on features that are highlighted with branding. The One Power was all about battery life, the One Vision was all about the low light camera with a big aperture and OIS, the One Action was all about that wide angle action camera and now we have the One Macro. Yes, you guessed it right, it’s all about that macro camera, at a relatively micro budget. At Rs. 9,999, the One Macro comes with a 6.2″ HD+ screen, is powered by a Helio P70, has 4,000 mAH of battery and comes only in one variant – 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM. Question is – how big of a difference does the Macro Vision camera make, in terms of experience? and overall, is this Motorola One series device worth the asking price? Lets find out in the review.

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Andy Rubin teases a radically re-imagined compact smartphone – GEM

Andy Rubin, creator of Android and CEO of Essential just tweeted out a colorful glimpse into one of the most radically re-imagined compact smartphones we have ever seen. It’s long, it’s thin, there’s a huge camera at the back and also a fingerprint scanner. The guys at Essential call this device “GEM” and the first tweet from Andy (after almost an year) shows how color-shifty the design is. But it didn’t stop there.

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Letstrack Special GPS tracking for bikes and cars

Unlike just 10 years ago, GPS tracking is ubiquitous in our lives these days, whether it is waiting for your Uber, waiting for food delivery or even just to find which railway station is next in your journey. But in all these scenarios, the end user is the constant, which means the tracking is entirely dependent on the smartphone which acts as the tracking device, but what if we want to track “things” instead of users? Like what do we do to track our cars or bikes? This is where companies like Letstrack come into play. With their products, we will be able to track, locate or even turn off our machines remotely, giving you complete control, constant oversight and a peace of mind. We tested out the Special GPS tracking device that can be used to track motorbikes, here’s how our experience went.

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PLAYFIT SW75 Smartwatch Review – Good design at Rs. 2,999/-

10 years back, it was the PC and the various devices around it, these days it’s the smartphone and a bunch of devices around it. From USB to Bluetooth, the smartphone has replaced the PC as the center of our day-to-day lives. On this evolutionary path, we have been seeing many kinds of sensory devices slowly getting adopted into our lifestyles, one of them being “wearables”. PLAY, a new Indian start-up has just jumped onto this opportunity with a newly launched PLAYFIT SW75 smartwatch, which, currently selling at Rs. 2,999 on Flipkart, is a great minimalist entry point into the world of health-focused smartwatches. Here’s how my experience with this device went.

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Apple iPhone 11 First Impressions – Made for Fence Sitters

Apple is back with a best seller. Last year it was the iPhone XR, the coming year, it’s going to be the iPhone 11. Write this down, because the upgrades include an extra camera sensor with an ultra wide angle lens, we thought the A12 was faster but then we get the A13 Bionic in this one, which brings amazing features like extended dynamic range at 4K 60 fps, even on the ultrawide. The really average 7MP front camera on the XR gets upgraded to a 12MP crisp sensor with a wider angle field of view lens on the 11, and again thanks to A13, it does 4K 60 fps, with extended dynamic range up to 30 fps and of course, slofies. Personally, it is a dream come true upgrade from the iPhone XR I have been using till now. The best part? It is going to sell here, in India, for a starting price of Rs. 64, 990 (58, 990 if you pre-ordered) which is way lesser than the 74, 990 price with which the XR started selling. Fear not fence sitters, I used to be one of you and I know how you feel so hear me out – there’s a new phone in town and it’s made for you – here are my first impressions of the iPhone 11.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Review – the OG “Pro”

No there is no single definition for the “pro” that everyone uses as a tag on their phones’ boxes. It could mean anything in the mid range, but when it comes to flagship devices, the “Pro” tag is definitely meant to target the professional. Increased productivity is the goal here. Can we do everything we do on the phone, fast and quick? Because, for a professional, the phone needs to get out of the way, not stand in the way. So now the question becomes, which is the best “Pro” device in the market that lets you do this? Enter the 10th generation of a device that pretty much created this segment – the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+. It’s built for the creative professional and is geared towards productivity. Has Samsung perfected the Pro device? Let’s find out in the review.

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Realme 5 Pro Unboxing and First Impressions

The Realme 5 Pro is official. At a starting price of Rs. 13,999, the 5 Pro will replace the not-too-old Realme 3 Pro, with the main advantages in the upgrade being a Quad Camera setup, a refreshed design and the spruced up Snapdragon 712. The mid range market gets a new boost yet again and Realme pre-empts the competition which is already working on offerings for this hotly contested market segment. But the question always remains – Is the Realme 5 Pro the best combination of specs and value? Here’s our unboxing and first impressions of the device.

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10+ years of Apple and Mobile Gaming – Why do developers still prefer the App Store?

Remember Angry Birds? Doodle Jump? Temple Run? Around this time, after the App Store launched in 2008, the iPhones suddenly became the biggest portable gaming device in the world. Bigger than gaming giant Nintendo. This changed the world of games forever. Realising the scale of mobile gaming and its potential, so many easy to play mobile games hit millions of downloads making millions of dollars for tons of indie game developers. Even if the movement started more than 10 years ago, Apple occupies a highly important place making major strides in hardware, software and most importantly, the ecosystem. While we talk a lot about what Apple does in Hardware and Software, the most important sustaining role is played by the ecosystem players, to get to know the people behind these hit games paints the big picture. What kind of a role has Apple played in nurturing this ecosystem and why do these developers still prefer the App Store? Let’s find out.

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(Long Term) Samsung Galaxy A70 Review – Maximum Media

If there’s one thing I can never forget in my long term experience with the Samsung Galaxy A70, it is One UI. Gone are the days of Touchwiz and the annoying bleep-bloop sounds. Also gone are the days of Samsung’s illogically priced mid-range phones. In 2019, a renewed focus on the Indian market has brought the world’s no.1 smartphone maker back into attention, with them belting out smartphones at a pace faster than T20 matches. There are multiple M series smartphones and several A series smartphones, apart from the flagship S and Note series. In this review, we are going to take a look at the A series smartphone that is purpose built for “Maximum Media”. The Samsung Galaxy A70, powered by a Snapdragon 675, is a great phone for media consumption and a generally great experience, especially in the long run. There are a lot of good things to talk about, like the great display, the almost full-screen design and of course, One UI, but of course, like every other phone, there are a few missteps as well. We shall discuss everything in detail, in this long term review of the Samsung Galaxy A70.

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HUAWEI P30 Pro Review: A Leap Forward

Imagine the speed at which technology has evolved if in the last hundred years, we have gone from silent B/W films shot on celluloid to audio-rich 4K HDR videos shot on smartphones. Even if the camera and the computer had their own distinctly separate evolutionary paths, in the recent years, they have started to merge in very interesting ways. 2019 marks the second year of “computational photography” as the computer and the camera come together once again, on the Huawei P30 Pro, to push the limits beyond what’s possible on smartphones. In our extensive time with the latest camera flagship from Huawei, it is clear that in very key areas of photography, the P30 Pro has taken a visible leap forward in smartphone camera technology. But is that good enough to persuade the professional into buying the Huawei P30 Pro? Is it just for the photographers or is it for everyone? This is our review.

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