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Google Pixel 6a Review: Bringing Tensor’s advanced AI & ML experiences to a lower price point

Google introduced its affordable Pixel “a” series smartphone in 2019, focusing on offering pure Android OS, Google smarts, and flagship computational photography experiences at lower price points. In 2020, we used the Pixel 4a (review) and were impressed with its still photography capabilities. Now, we have the latest $450 Google Pixel 6a which brings several improvements over the predecessor.

The Pixel flagship smartphones up to the Pixel 5 were powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8-series SoC, whereas the “a” series devices were powered by a mid-or-high tier Snapdragon 6/7-series SoC. But that changes this year. In late 2021, Google introduced the Pixel 6 & 6 Pro smartphones powered by Google’s own custom silicon, the Tensor SoC. The Pixel 6a is also powered by the same flagship Tensor SoC, offering smart AI & ML capabilities at a lower price point. Below is our analysis of the Google Pixel 6a after using it for over a month.

WATCH: Google Pixel 6a Review

Compact form factor, refreshing dual-tone finish

The Pixel 6a has a more compact form factor than some competitor smartphones in the same price segment. This is thanks to the 6.1-inch OLED screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and 1080×2400 pixels resolution. Even though the refresh rate is just 60Hz, the software and hardware optimizations offer a fluid experience.

The smartphone has an aluminum alloy frame with curved edges offering a comfortable fit when you hold the device. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection is upfront, whereas the back is made from a transparent polycarbonate sheet that looks and feels like glass.

Just like the previous Pixel smartphones, the 6a also has a two-tone finish on the back, giving it a distinct look. The dual camera modules and LED flash sit slightly raised in the strip offering it a neat look. Google has also added an IP67 rating for water resistance, meaning it can survive under one-meter water for up to 30 minutes. And it is a good addition to a smartphone in this segment.

Google Tensor: Snappy Android performance, lots of smart AI features

One of the biggest highlights of the Pixel 6a is its Tensor SoC. Built on Samsung’s 5nm process node, it is a joint effort between Google and Samsung to enable machine learning and advanced computational photography experiences.

The CPU of this custom silicon offers a 2+2+4 core configuration, which is different from the 1+3+4 cores that we have seen on competitor chips. So, you get two Cortex-X1 cores clocked at 2.8GHz to do all the heavy lifting, and two Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.25GHz. Then there are four Cortex-A55 efficiency cores clocked at 1.8GHz. On the graphics side, you have a 20-core Mali G78 MP20 GPU for gaming and other intensive tasks. There is also Google’s Titan M2 co-processor adding a level of privacy and security to your data.

All that power from the flagship chipset along with 6GB of RAM, offers smooth and snappy performance. We played games like Call of Duty: Mobile & Asphalt 9: Legends, both of which ran smoothly. Even after 20 minutes of gaming, the device did not get warm, thus offering good thermal management.

Even with a few apps open in the background, multi-tasking is a breeze. Scrolling through the UI, social media feed, surfing favorite websites even with a few tabs open, gaming, and much more, the Pixel 6a can handle all this without any hiccup.

The Tensor SoC offers snappy performance with good thermal management.

The Google Tensor SoC unlocks a host of new experiences: –

New videography experiences:
Pixel smartphones have been known for offering a great still camera, but with the powerful Tensor chip, the videography experience has improved too. The Cinematic Pan mode slows down the panning movements to offer professional-looking cinematic shots. We shot a few cinematic videos, and they look awesome.

The “Speech Enhancement” feature in the camera app is an impressive addition, and great for vloggers. Here’s a sample clip where you can see how the noise-cancelling works well, focusing on the speech. #Pixel6a #CPReviews pic.twitter.com/8BuLg9Reaj

— Ritesh Bendre (@GadgetFreak4U) September 13, 2022

There is also a new Speech Enhancement feature that uses AI & Machine Learning to reduce the ambient background noise and focus on your speech, offering crisp and clear audio. This is a great and handy feature for vloggers and content creators. We tested this feature and were left quite impressed.

Speech Enhancement is a neat feature that vloggers will appreciate.

Object removal quickly gets rid of photobombers:
How many times have you come across scenarios where you visited a great place, and clicked a nice photo, but it got ruined by a photobomber? Well, Google’s Object Removal tool is now available in the Photos app. Simply select the photo > Tap on Edit > Tools > Magic Eraser.

The #Pixel6a powered by Google’s #Tensor SoC brings some cool AI & ML features such as Object Eraser, Blur, Colour Pop & Camouflage. Here is a quick look at how it works, showcasing how far AI has come. #CPReviews pic.twitter.com/HVbLVXysSG

— Ritesh Bendre (@GadgetFreak4U) October 4, 2022

By default, it will offer suggestions to remove unwanted objects or people from the frame. But you can also circle the objects and the AI will do its job. The feature is not 100% accurate but gets very close. The best part of the object removal feature is that it works on older photos too. Back in 2017, I visited Universal Studios in Singapore and clicked a few photos, but all had photobombers. Thankfully, five years later, I can now get rid of them, and it works brilliantly. The photos were shot on a Samsung Galaxy Note8. Below is a sample photo showcasing Google Tensor’s AI Prowess.

There is one more tick Google has up its sleeve in the Photos app, it’s called the camouflage feature. It is available in the Magic Eraser tool. According to Google, the feature lets you “change the color of an object so it pops out or blends into its surroundings.” It works pretty well, but on all photos.

The Magic Eraser feature offers a good demonstration of AI & ML capabilities.

Other than these, you also get other features like Blur & Colour-pop that have been around for a while, but with Tensor, the processing gets a little faster. With “Blur” feature, you can convert any photo into a portrait mode photo, by adding a nice background blur. The setting is available in the Photos app under Tools, and you can also control the depth and intensity of the blur. Lastly, there is also “Color Pop” feature that lets you keep the subject in color, and the rest of the background is in black & white. Both features work well, and below are some samples.

Built-in Live Translate:
The Pixel 6a comes with a Live Translate feature within the messaging app. This allows you to speak in your preferred language, say English, and translate it into any desired language. We tried speaking in English and translating it into Hindi, Marathi, Chinese and Spanish language, and it seems to work well. Thanks to Tensor SoC, the translation speed and accuracy are also improved.

In the messaging app, you can also tap the mic button and dictate the message. So, you don’t have to go through the hassle of typing long messages. With commands like Delete, Clear and Clear All, you can delete the last word, clear a sentence, or clear all text as well.

Besides, the Tensor SoC is also better at handling “ambient experiences” such as the “Now Playing” feature without draining the battery.

Live Translate & Speech-to-Text feature is very handy and could be helpful when traveling, or when talking to people with language barriers.

Great still cameras, good videography; but…

Google has once again succeeded in delivering a fantastic still camera, while also improving the videography experience. Daylight shots from both wide and ultrawide cameras have ample details, and the dynamic range is good too.

It is impressive how Google has been using the same primary camera since the Pixel 2 and still manages to bring improvements every year. The camera lets you capture portrait shots and 2X digital zoom photos with good details too. Below are some camera samples.

Ultrawide

Wide

2X Digital Zoom

The wide and ultrawide cameras capture great details, both in daylight and low-light conditions.

Both the ultrawide and wide cameras capture good low-light photos too. With Night Sight mode, the cameras capture more than the naked eye can see. Below are some samples.

While both cameras are great for capturing landscapes, the AI sometimes gets too aggressive and adds shadows to people’s skin tone. This is prominently seen when capturing photos against the sunlight. With HDR, the AI tries to get most elements right; like clouds, flowers, a glass of wine, and so on; but in that attempt, the skin tone gets a few shades darker. Fine-tuning the algorithms could possibly fix these issues. Below is an example showing how AI gets too aggressive.

The Pixel 6a offers great still photography capabilities, but the algorithms need fine-tuning to deliver consistent results.

In proper lighting conditions, the front camera also does a good job of clicking detailed selfies. The skin tones are close to natural, details are good and portrait mode also offers good separation of background and foreground. samples photo below.

In terms of videography, there are dedicated modes like Speech Enhancement & Cinematic Pan which we spoke about above. But the general videography experience is also much improved. Videos at FHD (1080p) resolution are very well stabilized, both at 30fps and 60fps. At 4K resolution too, both at 30fps and 60fps, the video is decently stabilized. However, frame drops and jerks are noticeable when you are shooting while running. But overall, you get a better videography experience at this price point compared to some competitors.

OS & battery life: stock Android never felt better

Coming to the software, the Pixel 6a ships with Android 12 out-of-the-box. But the Android 13 update is already available to download and installs right after booting the device. Android 12 was a major departure from previous Android versions, adding more customizations and enhanced privacy features. Android 13 brings further enhancements such as auto theming icons for third-party apps, more cosmetic additions to the Material You theming, and a double line clock on the lock screen to name a few.

But that’s not all, there are many under-the-hood changes, including bug fixes and performance improvements. Bluetooth LE and Spatial Audio support, Privacy, and Security updates offering more user controls are some of the other features of Android 13. The media player now has a cleaner layout, the clipboard now comes with nice visualizations. Also, you now get to edit the copied text in the clipboard. Lastly, you can also assign a specific language to different apps, which could be a handy feature for users in countries like India.

Google is promising three major Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates for the Pixel 6a.

In terms of battery life, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 4a would barely make it to the end of the workday with moderate-to-heavy usage. However, the Tensor SoC brings big efficiency gains, and even with heavy usage, you will still be left with enough battery before going to bed. Our Pixel 6a offers a screen time of just over five hours with moderate to heavy usage, which seems good enough for a phone with a 4,410mAh battery.

With the Tensor SoC, the Pixel 6a sees good improvements in battery life compared to the previous Pixel “a” series smartphone.

Similar to most OEMs today, Google is also not bundling a charging adapter, but you do get a Type-C to Type-C data cable in the box. The smartphone supports up to 18W fast charging speeds, and with some 60W fast chargers lying around, it took nearly one hour to charge the smartphone from almost empty to full.

Key Takeaways

• The Pixel 6a’s two-tone back finish and the camera strip offer it an attractive look and feel.
• The Tensor SoC adds value by bringing smart AI & ML experiences.
• The SoC also offers snappy performance, security, and improved battery life.
• The Pixel 6a offers great photography and videography experiences, however, Google needs to fine-tune the algorithms to improve skin tones.
• Theming and privacy features of Android 13 add a refreshing feel and safety to the stock Android experience.
• The Pixel 6a supports 5G (Sub-6GHz) and comes with eSIM capabilities, which is good to see in this segment.
• The optical fingerprint scanner is slow and sometimes fails in reading the fingerprint.

ALSO READ: Other Strategic Reviews on Smartphones, Smartwatches, TWS & More

Garmin Epix Gen 2 Smartwatch Review: Pretty, Costly

Garmin is a relatively niche player in the global smartwatch market, but it is by far the biggest producer of athletic watches. Its direct competitors include a pair of Finnish companies – Polar, which was the first to offer real-time heart rate monitoring in wearable devices, and Suunto – and US-based Coros. Coros is a relative newcomer in the athletics wearables market having been founded in 2016, but which has already developed a strong reputation that it bolsters by including multiple world champions among a roster of sponsored athletes. Apple has been eyeing the athletic watch market and its recent launch of the Watch Ultra signals its first attempt to muscle in on the scene.

The subject of this review is the Garmin Epix Gen 2 smartwatch. This is not going to be an exhaustive analysis of everything that this watch can do – and it’s a lot – but I will aim to pick out some of the highlights in the way that I use it and what we can learn in more general terms about this particular part of the smartwatch market. As I say, the Epix 2 can do a lot of things and so it should; this is by any measure an expensive watch. So who is the target buyer for the Epix and why would someone buy this watch and what can we infer about the wider smartwatch market?

The Epix feels like a new branch in the Garmin family tree. But as the Gen 2 part of the name implies, it’s actually a re-launch of the Epix range which originally came out in 2015 featuring – back then – a color display and touch control for navigating maps. But Garmin felt that the technology wasn’t ready for prime time in 2015, so back-burnered the model for a few years.

Garmin is clearly happy that display technology has caught up with its vision now, so the Epix Gen 2 features a vibrant, always-on OLED touch display that really makes graphics pop in a way that even the best of its transflective Memory In Pixel (MIP) LCD displays on, for example, the Fenix and top-end Forerunner watches, can’t match.

Where Epix 2 fits into Garmin’s range?

Garmin has been extending its product ranges over the last few years; it sometimes feels like it is creating ever more tightly overlapping circles in a huge Venn diagram. Epix is aimed at dedicated sports enthusiasts – let’s call them athletes. Garmin has two strongly established ranges for athletes. The Forerunner series – that starts from relatively entry-level products through to the Forerunner 955 that retails for around $500 – and the Fenix range, which is targeted at multisport athletes and has a premium ruggedized aesthetic. The Fenix range starts at $700. Epix 2 is essentially a 47mm Fenix 7, but with an OLED display, a somewhat more refined design aesthetic and positioned with more lifestyle messaging. And it is priced at the premium end of the Fenix range, starting at $900.

I chose the Epix in white with the titanium bezel. I did this mostly because the black, that I would otherwise likely have opted for, was not available at the time. However, I have grown to like the white and the colorway works well with the titanium bezel. The 1.3” 416 x 416 pixel display’s cover glass is sapphire, which promises good scratch resistance. I have nevertheless managed to scratch mine already by clattering the metal part of a swimming pool lane marker while doing backstroke – but it’s barely noticeable and it didn’t break!

All its top end watches include detailed topographical maps that can be used for navigating. As the watch was purchased in Europe, it came pre-loaded with 11.5GB of active topo maps that allow me to navigate anywhere in Europe. For example on a recent trip to France, I was able to navigate around the unfamiliar lanes and trails of an obscure part of the Languedoc region with ease. If I travel to another part of the world – the USA for example – I can download maps for free – although they are hefty file sizes and the download process can be long as a result. The titanium Epix models are equipped with 32GB of storage, while the slightly cheaper stainless steel model makes do with 16GB.

The display is attractive. Graphics look great, and the included topographical maps are easy to read. However watch faces are functional but not amazing. Users used to the variety and beauty of, say, Apple Watch faces are likely to be underwhelmed. I am not bothered though – I can tune the face to display what I want it to and if I want to go deeper into any of the displayed data, I just need to tap and hold to access the underlying function.

So, it’s a nice looking watch, but worthy of the $900 price tag? That’s a matter for individual purchasers, but it’s a hefty premium for an OLED display, which is the most obvious point of differentiation over similarly capable watches in the Fenix and Forerunner ranges. And it’s also a $100 premium over the newly launched Apple Watch Ultra.

Garmin gets sports.

Garmin has founded its brand strength on tracking athletic performance. Unlike most other smartwatches, including Apple Watch, it has eschewed following the conventional approach of a touchscreen supported by one or two hardware buttons. Garmin watches are mostly non-touchscreen and have five physical buttons. The Epix has slightly changed the game by including an always-on OLED touchscreen. But it still has the five physical button layout familiar to users of other Garmin watches such as the Forerunner and Fenix series.

Garmin’s user interface presents a steep learning curve when first encountered. But once known, it becomes relatively intuitive. In the case of the Epix, the touchscreen allows for an additional and welcome level of control. But when a training session starts, the touchscreen becomes inactive and the watch is controlled solely by the hardware buttons. This is absolutely the way it should be and I would argue that any watch that relies on a touch interface to manage workouts is not aimed at serious fitness enthusiasts. A control interaction that seems simple when sat at a desk, becomes difficult in the depths of running reps when sweat is dripping from shaking fingers, or doing laps in the pool; hardware buttons are the only interface that makes sense in this context, so Garmin turns-off the touch interface during activities by default. But the user can change this in settings, along with more or less everything else.

And this is another benefit of Garmin compared to most other ‘standard’ smartwatches. It offers almost limitless customisation potential. A user can prioritise those sports they engage in most, change the layout of data screens to show only the data they want to see. And they can even change the functions assigned to the various buttons. This likely means that no two Garmin devices are exactly alike once the user has had time to personalize their device to their own preferences. The value of this capability only becomes fully apparent once you try another watch that doesn’t offer this level of personalization.

And while personalization can be managed on the device, it can be a bit fiddly. So Garmin has made it possible to make the changes in the Garmin Connect app, and then synchronize them to the watch. This is a good and long overdue innovation.

Battery performance – the display costs power as well as $

Garmin watches last a long time. The 47mm Fenix 7 will do 18 days between charges. The Epix manages only six days with the display in always-on mode. Switching to a mode where the screen lights up when you lift your wrist – which works amazingly well (no false negatives) – extends the battery life considerably, up to 16 days. With always-on display, full multiband satellite navigation, full-time heart-rate monitoring it will last up to 15 hours. In my experience, this seems about right. I did an ultra-marathon event in the mountains of Wales, with the display on full time, heart rate monitoring, location tracking and navigation. The event took me 12 hours to complete and I still had 35% battery capacity at the end. In endurance mode, when the GPS is used intermittently, and the display is not on full time, battery life can be extended to many days. Nevertheless, if you really want to maximize battery life, Garmin’s Enduro watch offers up to 77 days in ‘expedition’ mode.

Overall, I find the battery life tolerable. I do on average around an hour of activity per day and up to three hours per day on the weekend. I have the watch set so the display is always on. I have to recharge the watch once every four or five days or so. Recharging is relatively quick – although I haven’t timed how long it takes. For someone used to something like an Apple Watch, recharging once or twice a week might feel revolutionary, but for someone coming off of using one of Garmin’s other watches where you might only charge once in two weeks, it feels like a backward step.

Health and wellness – the (only) killer app for smartwatches

Optimal health is founded on three pillars: good sleep, good exercise and good nutrition. Tracking all three, accurately, is the holy grail for health and wellness applications. None that I have found can do them all well. Most wearables attempt to track the first two, sleep and exercise, but even with these it’s not straightforward.

Garmin has a strong track record in helping users to manage the exercise pillar. It was a long time licensee of First Beat, and then went on to acquire the company outright in 2020. First Beat provides the algorithms that power Garmin’s analysis of not only a person’s exercise and other physical activities, but also how rest and recuperation play a role in building fitness. Fitness improves through stressing the body through exercise and then allowing it to rebuild itself, which it does to a marginally stronger level than before. But the body can only do this through resting. This means that rest is as an important component in building fitness as any workout.

The Epix’s multiple sensors track activities as well as the body’s levels of, for example, fatigue. These are summarized in multiple ways, but the easiest to grasp, at a glance is the Body Battery that shows the level of overall resource depletion and then recovery. Another valuable indicator is Garmin’s Training Readiness index which takes into account sleep and sleep history, recovery time since the last workout, heart-rate variability – which is a key marker of fatigue – training load and stress levels. All are good markers to track. And I have noticed that when I am feeling fatigued or achy following a period of strenuous activities, and I then check, the Training Readiness index shows levels consistent with how I feel. This is good for determining whether to do a planned workout, to shift to something lighter, or skip the workout altogether.

These metrics can be looked at on the device itself, but a richer and more interactive experience can be garnered from the Garmin Connect application that enables a wide range of analyses. It also links to partner apps such as Strava and Training Peaks with which it shares data seamlessly. And the app can also be used to source additional workout and training programs, and more.

The ecosystem benefits also come through in the integration with, for example, Training Peaks. I have a coach to help me with running. She shares my running programme with me on Training Peaks. This automatically syncs with the Epix, so when I select a ‘Run’ on the watch it shows the planned workout for the day and off I go. If I am wearing headphones to listen to music from the watch or through a paired smartphone, I get voice prompts that tell me times and paces for each section of the workout. This is excellent and means I just have to lace-up my shoes and head-out.

After a workout, the watch gives an indication of how much rest is needed. This takes account of the workout intensity as well as environmental factors such as a heat, altitude and how well rested I was before the exercise session. If I take things particularly easy in the hours following a workout, the watch sometimes says that due to my good rest, I am recovering faster and can therefore train again sooner.

Sleep tracking – it tries

Sleep tracking is complex. To do it accurately requires the placing of electrodes on the scalp to carefully monitor brain activity that changes dramatically in different phases of the sleep cycle. A wrist-worn wearable can only approximate what is going on by monitoring heart rate, respiration, movement etc. Garmin wearables do a decent job of this and I can certainly see a correlation between my sense of whether I slept well and what Garmin reports. But it’s not fool proof. A few nights ago I found myself wide-awake in the middle of the night. I didn’t move, but lay quietly until sleep returned – but I was awake for five or ten minutes or so. In the morning the watch didn’t report any wakefulness, presumably because I remained absolutely still. So, as with all wearable devices it provides an approximation of sleep quality, but the Garmin Epix is likely as good as any and better than many.

And to track sleep, the watch needs to be on your wrist, so any watch that needs daily recharging is likely to be useless for sleep tracking as most people will opt to recharge overnight, although, I tend to recharge when sat at my desk during the day so the watch is ready to monitor my sleep.

Nutrition – nope, not really.

While sleep is likely the most important health pillar – actually more like a foundation on which everything else is based – nutrition also has a crucial role in determining health outcomes. However, Garmin’s smart watches are not equipped to track nutrition. The watch will estimate the calories expended during an activity and Garmin offers connected weight scales (Garmin Index) to track body weight and body composition. But for actually tracking calorie intake, Garmin has partnered with MyFitnessPal to exchange workout and nutrition information. MyFitnessPal has a great database and a well-designed app, but it’s tedious and time-consuming to log everything one consumes in a day, especially if making everything from scratch, so I rarely do it. But equally, most people are creatures of habit, so once you establish your own personal database of foods, checking the boxes next to each item can be relatively quick.

And as a smartwatch..?

The Epix delivers notifications from a partner smartphone and includes the ability to respond, albeit with canned messages and then only with Android devices; iOS doesn’t support this capability. The Epix (along with most higher-end Garmin watches) can store music playlists from Spotify and a few other music applications that can be listened to through Bluetooth headphones. It doesn’t support Audible, which is a shame, because I listen to books on longer runs, but I can download podcasts.

Garmin does have an app store of sorts, however few of the apps are particularly inspiring; most only offer variations on watch faces. There are a few professional apps, such as Spotify, Komoot, Amazon Music, Deezer etc, but these are limited in extent. However, the standard core functions are sufficiently complete that I don’t feel like I am missing anything significant.

Garmin Pay is incorporated in the watch, but few banks where I live in the UK support Garmin Pay, so it’s essentially useless.

Summary – goodness, it’s pricey

Apple is coming after Garmin’s market with its Watch Ultra – a do-it-all watch that counters Garmin’s fine-grained and often confusing application-specific offerings. I will be testing Apple’s newly launched contender in the next few weeks and will share my thoughts in due course. For now, I am happily making good use of the Epix to manage my training and recovery. It’s a definite step up from my previous Garmin Forerunner 935. But considering the latest Forerunner, the 955, does more or less everything the Epix can do, but for several hundred fewer dollars, and the Fenix 7 is almost identical, but just lacks the OLED display, and is again quite a bit cheaper – the question of value for money is a difficult one to get over. Were I choosing again, I would think twice about opting for the Epix, but it’s a near-run thing.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Long-term Review: Great Combination of Durable Design, Productivity Features for Power Users

Foldables have been around for over three years now. They bring in good innovation by combining the smartphone and tablet experiences into one device. But still, questions like “Do we really need foldables?” and “Do foldables solve any problem that regular smartphones can’t?” continue to remain among the most asked when it comes to foldables. Well, the user needs and use cases are evolving. Consumers today are more demanding and look for productivity on the go. Samsung addressed this with the Galaxy Note and S-series flagship smartphones, and it is now doing the same with the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 shows how far foldables have improved in just three generations. The smartphone now has a more durable design, comes with ultra-thin glass on the main folding screen, and supports the S Pen stylus for taking notes and signing documents on the go. The folding smartphone also comes with an IP rating for water resistance.

We have been using the Galaxy Z Fold 3 for over nine months now, and Samsung has delivered on its promise of durability. Below is our detailed analysis of how the foldable smartphone has held up in the long term, its performance as a daily driver, and how the user experience has improved with consistent and timely software updates.

WATCH: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Long-Term Review

1) Sturdy Hinge: Unfolding Confidence

For any foldable smartphone, the hinge is the most crucial piece of hardware. The longevity and durability of the device are determined by the hinge design and mechanism. Even after eight months of using the Z Fold 3 as my primary driver, the hinge mechanism is still strong as it was when I first unboxed the smartphone.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3’s stable hinge shows off a solid engineering feat.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are the only folding smartphones with an IPX8 rating for water resistance, allowing you to submerge the device under 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.

During my usage, I did put the Z Fold 3 through the water test – submerging it in a bucket full of water and using it for clicking photos and making calls when caught in unexpected rains – and it survived without a hitch. Do note that the smartphone does not come with dust resistance, so avoid taking it around the beach or dusty area and avoid dunking it in the pool or seawater.

Now, while the hinge is sturdy and all, there is still some gap left when the screen is folded. This results in making the crease easily visible, especially when viewed from different angles.

You can feel the hinge gap when moving your fingers across the foldable screen. But it is not too intrusive during day-to-day use. We can expect Samsung to improve the hinge design for its next foldable smartphones to minimize the crease marks.

The crease is still visible on the folding screen, but it does not bother when the content is being played.

Flex Mode: Folding Screen Unlocks New Use Cases

Samsung has designed the hinge in such a way that the screen can hold itself between 75 and 115 degrees. This is where the Flex Mode gets activated, enabling some interesting use cases for compatible apps. Basically, the app interface is split into two parts where the view is on the top and the controls are at the bottom.

In the case of the camera app, the viewfinder is on the top, whereas the shutter button, gallery, and camera modes are at the bottom half. This also allows you to use it as a tripod when clicking photos and videos. Similarly, on the Netflix app, the viewing area is on the top half and the bottom half has play/pause, volume, and screen brightness options.

The Flex Mode is an interesting feature, but more apps need to adopt it.

Durable Folding Display: Great for Multimedia Consumption & Productivity

One of the biggest changes to the Z Fold 3 display over the Z Fold 2 is that the screen is now 80% more durable, as per Samsung’s claim. It does feel more like glass than plastic like it used to feel in the previous generation, thanks to Samsung now using UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass).

The screen is also brighter at 1200 nits of peak brightness, making it readable under direct sunlight. It is a 7.6-inch foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X LTPO panel that supports an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz. Lastly, the screen also supports HDR10+, making it perfect for all types of content consumption, whether you are reading eBooks, surfing the internet, gaming, or watching your favorite movies or TV shows. Being an LTPO panel, it can adjust the refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on the screen content.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3’s folding screen has one more trick up its sleeve in the form of the under-display selfie camera. The Fold 3 is Samsung’s first smartphone to come with this solution, offering a great full-screen and uninterrupted viewing experience, be it while watching videos or gaming.

However, the technology is still in its nascent stage. Due to the low-pixel density covering the camera sensor, it is easily visible when the screen is off, or under light background. We will talk about the image quality of this under-display camera later in the camera section.

The folding screen now feels more like glass and offers a great multimedia experience.

Content like music videos and movies are shot in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. However, the folding screen has an aspect ratio of 5:4, due to which there are thick black bars at the top and bottom while watching videos. There is an option to zoom in for full screen, but it ends up cropping a significant part of the video.

Cover Display: Traditional Smartphone Experience

Moving to the cover screen, you have a 6.2-inch AMOLED panel with HD+ resolution and a tall 25:9 aspect ratio. With a 120Hz refresh rate and vibrant color reproduction, the cover screen offers great viewing angles.

With its traditional smartphone experience, the cover screen is good for most tasks such as scrolling through your social timeline, surfing the internet, replying to messages, and more. However, apps like Instagram are not optimized for this aspect ratio, resulting in a poor experience.

Also, the tall aspect ratio and narrow width make typing a little cumbersome, resulting in many typos. A slightly wider cover screen, like in the OPPO Find N or HONOR Magic V, will be a welcome change to see in the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

2) Cameras: Good Performance But Could be Better with High-Res Sensor

Unlike Samsung’s flagship S-series, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 does not come with a high-resolution 108MP camera sensor or a periscope zoom lens. However, it does pack powerful cameras that can click some great pictures. Color science is good, and photos clicked between different lenses offer consistent results. Hopefully, with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, we can see an even better camera system.

There are a total of five cameras, including three 12MP sensors at the back, featuring ultrawide, wide and 2X telephoto lenses. Thanks to Samsung’s AI algorithms and post-processing expertise, you can capture some stunning photos, be it in daylight or low light. Portrait mode photos are also good with nice edge detection and proper separation of background from the foreground. Below are some samples:

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 cameras capture good photos under proper lighting conditions.

For selfies and video calling, there is a 10MP camera on the cover screen, which is good enough. There is also an under-display camera under the main folding screen. The quality is just decent for video calls on platforms like Zoom, Teams, or even WhatsApp.

Photos captured in bright outdoor settings may be passable on social media, but as the lighting gets dull, the under-display camera struggles to capture details. As it is a first-gen under-display solution, there is a lot of room for improvement. Below are some camera samples:

Day Light Camera Samples (Wide & Ultra wide Lens)

2X Telephoto Zoom

Close-up Camera Samples

Portrait Mode Camera Samples

Low Light Camera Samples

Selfie: Cover Camera vs Under-Display Camera

3) Smooth Performance: Thanks to Software & Hardware Optimizations

Under the hood is the Snapdragon 888 flagship SoC from Qualcomm paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. This hardware combination together with software optimizations does all the heavy lifting, making it a great productivity tool.

Whether you are playing the most demanding games or have three apps open in split-screen multitasking mode, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 handles all the difficult tasks without a hiccup.

Battery life with the 4,400mAh unit is good enough to last a day with moderate to slightly heavy usage, offering a screen-on time of up to five hours. Like other Samsung smartphones, there is no support for crazy-fast charging speeds, but even at 25W, the Fold 3 fully charges in about 90-100 minutes.

Swift performance and good battery life make the Galaxy Z Fold 3 a good choice for power users.

WATCH: Why the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a Great Productivity Tool

Timely Software Updates and Bug Fixes

Samsung has upped its software update game – the Z Fold 3 will get four major Android upgrades, and five years of security updates. Shipped with Android 11 and One UI 3.1, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 got an Android 12 upgrade with One UI 4 skin within three months, which is faster than most OEMs. The smartphone has also been getting regular monthly security patches that bring bug fixes and stability improvements.

One UI 4: A Big Differentiator Among Competitor Foldables

The best part of the folding display smartphone is that you get more screen real estate to run multiple apps side by side. To take full advantage of the folding form factor, Samsung has baked in some interesting features in One UI 4. For instance, the lock screen and home screen wallpapers can be different for the cover screen, and the same goes with the apps, thus offering a different identity to both.

Pop-up View

Second, select apps can open in a floating pop-up window that remains on top of other apps, offering a multitasking experience. This floating app can also be moved around the screen.

This feature comes in handy in scenarios like the one where you are surfing the internet on a browser and have a YouTube video playing in a floating pop-up window.

Multi-window Multitasking

There is also a multi-window, multitasking feature that allows you to run two apps side by side or one on top and the other at the bottom.

You can also add a third app to the mix, allowing you to have one vertical app on the left and two apps on the right with one below the other, or you can have one horizontal app on the top/bottom and two at the top/bottom, depending on your preference.

Multi-window feature in the Galaxy Fold series offers the best multitasking experience compared to any other smartphone.

Pinned Taskbar

Then there is the taskbar which can be pinned on the side of the screen with your favorite apps. These apps are easily accessible from anywhere in the UI, as they remain pinned on the side. You can also drag and drop apps to open or run in multi-window mode.

App Continuity

Another important feature is that apps on the cover screen can quickly scale to the big folding screen when you open it, offering an app continuity experience. The feature also works the other way where apps from the folding screen scale down to the cover screen when you close it.

This feature comes in handy when using apps like Google Maps on the cover screen. You get a full-screen experience when you open the folding screen, without having to open the app and search again. This also works on apps like Gmail, Chrome, LinkedIn and Netflix.

Microsoft Integration & DeX Mode

Besides these features, the integration with Microsoft apps takes the productivity and experience even further. For instance, the photos from the Gallery app can be synced with OneDrive. Even Samsung Notes can be synced with Microsoft OneNote, which is another good addition.

Samsung DeX mode is also included on the Z Fold 3, both wired and wireless, offering a desktop experience on your Galaxy smartphone. Simply connect to a TV or monitor using a keyboard and mouse, and you have a PC-like experience right from the smartphone. The DeX mode also works on Windows 10-powered PCs.

But there is more to Microsoft integration, one where Samsung Reminders can sync across the Microsoft To-Do app. On Windows 10 OS, Samsung smartphones have deeper integration with the YourPhone app, enabling cross-device continuity. The integration also allows users to access the notifications and messages, make or receive calls directly from the PC, and much more such as Xbox integration for cloud gaming.

Microsoft integration adds great value and differentiates the Galaxy Z Fold 3 from the competition.

4) S Pen Support: Galaxy Note with a Folding Display

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the first folding display smartphone to come with S Pen support, but this is sold as a separate accessory that consumers need to buy. Samsung has two different S Pen models – the first is a regular stylus called S Pen Fold Edition ($49) and the other is a Pro ($99) model with Bluetooth functionality that lets you remotely control the music/video playback, control slides, use it as a camera shutter to click photos, and much more.

Unlike the Galaxy Note series, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 does not come with a slot to tuck the S Pen, and you need to buy a cover separately for that. While it does make the smartphone bulky, it does add good protection to it.

Low latency of S Pen offers a good writing and sketching experience.

Do note that the S Pen support is only for the main folding screen and not for the cover screen. It supports ultra-low latency of under 9ms, which makes the writing experience smoother and like you are writing on a paper. While the S Pen is thick and big as an actual pen, it offers a great in-hand feel when holding. The S Pen is good enough for signing documents on the go, taking notes, or just sketching on apps like Pen Up or Sketchbook.

The Samsung Notes app is very well optimized to use with the S Pen. It can also convert the handwriting to text, which is a good feature, and it works quite accurately, provided your handwriting is clear.

Key Takeaways:

• The Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with a durable design and IPX8 rating for water resistance.
• Both the cover and folding displays support 120Hz screen refresh rates and offer a good viewing experience, be it multimedia or gaming.
• The smartphone is equipped with capable cameras that let you capture beautiful photos in good lighting conditions.
• Performance-wise, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 does a lot of heavy lifting without any issues.
• Samsung has been consistent in delivering timely software updates with new features, bug fixes and security patches.
• Samsung has upped the software game by a notch by committing to four major Android upgrades and five years of security updates.
• Features like multi-window multitasking, app continuity, pinned taskbar and pop-up window add to the versatility of the folding smartphone.
• S Pen compatibility makes the Galaxy Z Fold 3 a great productivity tool, making it easier to take notes, sign documents on the go, or even sketch.

ALSO READ: Other Strategic Reviews on Smartphones, Smartwatches, TWS & More

GT2 Pro Review: realme Enters Premium Segment With a Bang

The premium Android smartphone camp has become more crowded since Huawei’s fall. OEMs including OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi and HONOR have been upgrading product lines to strengthen their positions in the premium market. The latest entrant is realme and its GT2 Pro model.

realme traces its origins to OPPO. The OEM started its business in 2018 with India, launching budget smartphones there before entering its home market China in the following year.

realme has been described as the fastest growing smartphone OEM. It has registered triple-digit growth in some months and has stayed at a relatively high level through quarters.

Source: Counterpoint Market Pulse Service

The brand is also diversifying its product portfolio, shifting focus from the mass market to becoming a full-fledged smartphone brand covering all price bands. Coming into Q1 2022, the share of the <$200 price band in realme’s global sales decreased to 75% from 80% in Q1 2021, while the share of the $200-$400 price band grew to 24%, up from 20% in Q1 2021.

Source: Counterpoint Market Pulse Service

After more than three years of global expansion, realme has launched its first premium smartphone. This is the most profitable segment, and thus selling more premium smartphones can help companies reap higher profit to navigate through the market downturn as well as win mind share of customers with deeper pockets and in more developed markets.

Meanwhile, by adding a premium product, realme now appears more like a full-fledged OEM rather than a second-tier niche brand that focuses on the online and budget segments. realme’s young and energetic brand image can also woo different kinds of premium customers.

Now, let us look at realme’s premium offer GT2 Pro. GT is short for Grand Tourer, a term that refers to a kind of fancy sports car that can travel long distances at a high speed. This is the equivalent of what users will expect from a premium smartphone, which is top performance with long durability.

Key Specs Overview

Source: Counterpoint Research

realme has retained its value-for-money strategy for the premium segment. The product has been priced relatively low. This will appeal to realme’s fan base, which is labeled as tech-savvy and cool.

Premium Design and Racing Inspired CMF

Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Paper biopolymer back, matte finish
189/199g (6.67 oz)

At the very first glance, the GT2 Pro’s striking back cover grabs the attention. Different from conventional back cover choices such as glass and ceramics, the GT2 Pro’s back cover adopts biopolymer, and the texture with light grooves evokes a feeling of a piece of paper. It also echoes the GT2 Pro weight, which is 189g. We were amazed by the sense of lightness, and it did not feel brittle.

Source: Counterpoint Research

The iconic signature of Japanese designer Naoto Fukusawa can also be found on realme’s Master Edition products. This again evokes a sense of a premium product.

Looking at the front, the GT2 Pro uses the latest LTPO 2.0 screen, enabling it to adjust the refresh rate from 1 Hz to 120 Hz based on what the user is viewing. This means the refresh rate can be as low as 1 Hz when the user is reading a webpage and can be as high as 120 Hz when the user is playing a game.

The display capabilities put the GT2 Pro right among the top premium flagship smartphones launched in 2022. realme claims about 50% lower power consumption compared to other OLED solutions. We will put this to gaming tests later on.

The front cover uses Gorilla Glass Victus and the screen has discreet curves around the edges rather than curved screens. This makes it stand out from many premium smartphones. Our opinion is that the flat screen is more suitable for gaming, a core function realme has prioritized since the brand started.

Top-of-the-range camera settings with broadly premium performance

Triple-rear-camera settings
- 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS
- 50 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 150˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76″, 0.64µm
- 3 MP, f/3.3, 20mm (microscope), AF, 40x magnification
Selfie camera settings
- 32 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74″, 0.8µm

Source: Counterpoint Research

In the era of computational photography, premium smartphones tend to have more than one primary-level camera. The GT2 Pro is a perfect example. Its triple-rear-camera setup includes a 50MP main camera and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. The third camera is a microscope at 3MP.

Camera performance is an important element for a premium smartphone because it puts the device’s hardware and software capabilities in an even match, and only ones with the right balance come on top. We believe the GT2 Pro’s photography is premium grade. The primary camera uses Sony’s IMX766 50MP, 1/1.56″ in size with 1.0µm pixels. It also has OIS and supports multi-directional PDAF with a wide f/1.8 aperture.

Under daylight conditions, realme delivers a good camera experience. The sharpness of the photos is up to the level of established industry players and details are properly retained. The dynamic range looks good too.

Source: Counterpoint Research

The ultrawide camera does click good photos. When compared to the main camera, the photo shot by the ultrawide camera looks uncompromised with recognizable color reproduction. Though the ultrawide photo is a little bit sharper than expected, the blemishes are within the range of error and will only be identified by the most sharp-eyed observer.

The GT2 Pro doesn’t have a telephoto camera, which is contrary to most competitors in the premium range and is a disappointment. We suspect this is due to cost constraints as the GT2 Pro is priced a notch below the other premium products. However, the zoomed-in photos, handled by the digital zoom of the main camera, do have high quality and are more than qualified for a good social media post.

Ultrawide Photo; Source: Counterpoint Research

Source: Counterpoint Research

3X Zoomed-in Photo; Source: Counterpoint Research

The GT2 Pro’s ultrawide camera has a 150-degree field view, unlike the usual 120 degrees used by many smartphones. The 150-degree ultrawide camera can shoot fisheye photos, a function rare in most smartphones.

Fisheye Photo; Source: Counterpoint Research

The GT2 Pro also has a ‘Microscope’ feature, which allows for a 20-fold optical magnification and 40-times digital magnification. With a short focusing distance, the GT 2 Pro can take a photo from a distance of 1-3 mm. While we see limited day-to-day practicality of this feature, we did have fun discovering a new dimension of random objects. We believe this feature will attract children.

Microscopic view of the surface of a kiwi fruit; Source: Counterpoint Research

Microscopic view of the back of a hand; Source: Counterpoint Research

The low-light pictures are also very impressive. Photos are generally sharp with plenty of detail, especially in the treatment of shadows. Even though there is some noise in the picture, the overall performance is more than qualified for most social media uses.

Photo shot by main camera; Source: Counterpoint Research

Looking at the GT2 Pro’s front camera, it is 32 MP with f/2.4. When it is in portrait mode, the faux bokeh effect is satisfactory and users are allowed to adjust the strength of the effect by using the slider.

Sefile Mode on; Source: Counterpoint Research

Selfie Mode off; Source: Counterpoint Research

Supreme display on paper and in practice, with top entertainment experience

7 inches LTPO2 AMOLED, 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, 1400 nits (peak)
1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~526 ppi density)

The GT2 Pro’s display is probably the best selling point of the device. It is arguably one of the best screens one can buy on a smartphone today. With a flat screen of 6.7 inches and a screen-to-body ratio of 92.6%, the phone’s front is huge, which immensely boosts its gaming experience. With LTPO 2.0 technology, the 2K AMOLED panel is capable of a variable refresh rate from 1 Hz to 120 Hz, making the device power efficient. We did feel we could squeeze a little bit more out of its battery in daily use (more on this below). With an incredible touch sampling rate of 1000 Hz and an impressive peak brightness of 1400 nits, the phone is extremely responsive when playing technically sophisticated games.

We put the GT2 Pro to the test by playing League of Legends: Wild Rift and Call of Duty: Mobile at the top gaming enhanced setting (you can see the video samples below). Overall, the experience was immaculate. In both play-throughs, the standout feature was the smoothness of character movements. In the case of Call of Duty, the lag was negligible when moving the character’s view around. This of course is attributed to the high touch sampling rate. Furthermore, we noted that the graphics performance was very consistent, as the FPS rate rarely dipped below 60. This is especially impressive in the Call of Duty’s case as the objects in the near and far field views were equally realistic. In all our tests, the phone’s temperature never increased to above 38°C, which helps the stability of gameplay immensely.

As expected of flagship smartphones these days, the GT2 Pro comes with gaming enhanced features (named Game Turbo mode). We are overall satisfied with this feature – the device is capable of automatically switching on the GT mode when it detects gaming activity. But it also allows the option to not be in the GT mode if the user wishes to save battery.

Source: Counterpoint Research

There is a range of customization options in the GT mode. What we found particularly useful was the option to edit the apps on the mini-app list. For hardcore gamers, there are some interesting customization options that can really impact gameplay.

Source: Counterpoint Research

The only blemish of the GT2 Pro’s GT mode is the typing interface. We found it very difficult to type on the keyboard. Sending out a message is also a chore.

Decent battery and impressive charging performance

5000 mAh battery
Fast charging 65W, 100% in 33 min (marketed)
No wireless charging support

The GT2 Pro has a 5000mAh battery, which is above the average for premium smartphones that usually have top-notch screens and cutting-edge chipsets consuming more power than lower-tier smartphones. However, the GT2 Pro, with a good screen and the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 SoC, is impressive in terms of endurance. As my main phone for months, the GT2 Pro can survive the day with about 30% of battery after being used for sending text messages, playing games for about an hour, listening to music for 2.5 hours and browsing social media for 3 hours. For those who do test the limits with heavy-duty use, there are many features that help in extending battery life a little more.

The charging speed is amazing too. In the first 30 minutes, about 90% of the battery can be charged, which means a 10-minute emergency charge can always save you from low-battery anxiety. Perhaps the only drawback is the lack of wireless charging support, which tends to be mainstream among other flagship smartphones this year.

Satisfactory OS customization that brings out the best of Android 12

The GT2 Pro runs on Android 12 with the realme UI 3.0. In general, we were satisfied with the balance of customizations and the feasibility of additional features.

Source: Counterpoint Research

Source: Counterponit Research

Visually speaking, the UI elements have been improved a lot as compared to previous realme UI versions. The Settings menu and iconography of app logos have been fairly well designed. There are also lots of different gestures which we felt were easy to set up and more than meet our day-to-day needs.

In terms of Android features that we liked the most, the Digital Wellbeing dashboard came on top. The data is extremely granular but equally intuitive to look at, with straightforward options that are easy to set up. The Privacy Dashboard has a similar feel and is extremely useful to understand when and where information was accessed by different apps.

Source: Counterpoint Research

Also, when an app is accessing information via the mic or camera, a green dot appears on the top right of the screen (see below).

Source: Counterpoint Research

We were also very impressed with the accuracy and speed of the fingerprint reader. It worked well for us even in less-than-ideal scenarios, such as sweaty fingers after a run. Furthermore, hidden under ‘realme labs’, there is a heart rate monitor feature. It is fairly accurate at resting state. Though an interesting feature, we feel its actual use case may be fairly limited.

Source: Counterpoint Research

Conclusion

The realme GT2 Pro is the OEM’s first premium smartphone. With its top-notch screen, uncompromising camera experience and cutting-edge Snapdragon chipset, the smartphone is truly qualified to be called premium. The GT2 Pro exemplifies realme’s ambition to expand its position in the ever-competitive smartphone market.

As its first premium product, realme turns in a satisfactory result. It can be expected that realme will deliver more premium options to charm customers who are longing for a smartphone with more fashion elements.

Analyst Contacts:

Archie Zhang

Yang Wang

Sony WF-1000XM4 vs Apple AirPods Pro: Battle of the Best True Wireless Earbuds

There is no shortage of truly wireless earbuds in the market, and you can easily get a good-sounding pair for under $100. However, it is the sound quality, battery life, and features like active noise cancellation (ANC), wireless charging, and more, that differentiate premium true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds from their affordable counterparts. The Sony WF-100XM4 (review) and Apple AirPods Pro have already set a high benchmark and impressed us with their sound quality and performance.

While the WF-1000XM4 is relatively new, the AirPods Pro was launched back in 2019, and it is a top contender in the TWS segment. The AirPods Pro is available for $249, whereas the XM4 is slightly more expensive at $279. We’ve been using both TWS earbuds for a few months now. Here’s our analysis of what differentiates the offerings of Sony and Apple.

Ecofriendly Packaging

Sony does not use any plastic in the packaging and the box is made from 99% paper using recycled and sustainable materials. Even the sections where the charging cable and ear tips are kept are made from paper. This highlights Sony’s philosophy of being more socially responsible.

Even Apple has a packaging box made from recycled paper. However, the box comes wrapped in a single-use plastic cover, unlike on iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks where there is no plastic used.

Comfort & Design

Comfort: AirPods Pro is more comfortable, but Sony offers a secure fit

When it comes to comfort and fit, it differs from person to person, and their ear structure. In my case, both the earbuds snugly fit my ears, but the AirPods Pro tends to slip out of the ear after a few minutes. Especially when working out and doing jumping jacks. I have a habit of watching some content while eating, and with this jaw movement, the earbuds come off easily.

The 1000XM4 fits perfectly and does not slip out whether I’m running, cycling, doing jumping jacks, or watching while eating. The foam ear tips on XM4 ensure a perfect and comfortable fit, compared to silicon ear tips on AirPods Pro.

However, with the bulky shape of these TWS earbuds and weight, which is on the heavier side, you start to feel a little discomfort after over two hours of continuous use.

WATCH: Sony WF – 1000XM4: Unboxing & First Look

Earbuds Design & Charging Case

Both Sony and Apple have different approaches to design. The AirPods Pro earbuds have a stem, whereas the 1000XM4 comes with a stem-less design. The stem of the AirPods Pro features pressure-sensitive controls. Single press to play/pause music or answer calls, double press to skip music forward and triple press to skip backward. Pressing and holding the stem allows toggling between ANC and transparency modes.

The Sony WF-1000XM4, on the other hand, features touch controls on the surface of the earbuds. The working is a little different here – a single tap on the right earbud allows to play/pause music, and double and triple tap to skip tracks forward and backward. On the left earbud, single tap to toggle ANC and transparency modes, and double tap to receive or end calls. Tapping and holding on the left earbud enables Quick Attention Mode (transparency) and turns off as soon as you remove your finger.

Case Design: Sony’s Case with Matte Finish is better than Apple’s Glossy One

Talking about the case design, the AirPods Pro has a sleek, but slightly tall case. It is made from a polycarbonate material and has a glossy surface, which makes it a little slippery and more prone to scratches. Also, as the earbuds themselves are made from glossy plastic, they are a little difficult to remove from the case if your fingers are sweaty.

The Sony WF-1000XM case and the earbuds are also made from polycarbonate material. However, they both come with a matte finish which makes them easier to grip. Also, as the size of the earbuds is thick and bigger, they are easy to remove without any struggle.

Companion App, Connectivity & Gesture Control

Sony’s Companion App Offers More Features and Control over Apple

Both the Apple and Sony TWS can be connected and used with Android and iOS smartphones. You can also use them with macOS, Windows, and Linux-based laptops. Sony has a companion app called “Headphones” which is available to download from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The companion offers battery information for each earbud and the case. It also lets you customize and set the equalizer, adjust the level of ambient noise, and enable or disable features like Speak-to-Chat. Lastly, it also lets you customize the touch sensor functions (play/pause, skip tracks), quickly turn on/off ANC and ambient noise with a tap, and much more.

In the case of AirPods Pro, there is no companion app. But all the features that you would get in a companion app – to assign touch gesture controls, switch between ANC/transparency modes, and more, as built within the iOS or macOS. Here instead of tapping on the earbuds, you will need to press the stem of the AirPods Pro to play/pause music, skip songs, and more. All these settings can be customized after you connect the AirPods Pro with the iPad, iPhone, or macOS PC.

The AirPods Pro comes with Bluetooth 5.0, whereas the WF-1000XM4 comes with Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. Sony has a Fast Pair feature which uses a Low Energy connection to automatically discover Bluetooth accessories to pair and connect. This eliminates the hassle of manually going to Bluetooth settings, searching for available devices, then connecting and pairing.

Apple has a similar approach, simply opening the lid of the case; the iPhone, iPad, or a mac PC detects the AirPods Pro. Once detected, simply tap on “connect” and you’re done.

Performance: A Choice Between Better Audio or Better Mic

Codec Support: Sony one-ups Apple with support for LDAC codec

Performance-wise, both AirPods Pro and the 1000XM4 offer top-notch sound quality and noise cancellation, but Sony takes a lead here. And before we talk about sound quality, it is important to highlight the codecs situation first. Sony’s TWS supports SBC, AAC, and high-res lossless audio with LDAC codec (bit rate up to 990kbps, 32-bit/96kHz). But you will need a source that can transmit high-res audio.

Flagship Android smartphones powered by Qualcomm chipset featuring Snapdragon Sound tech support LDAC codec. Do note that the music files also need to be downloaded in high-res. Apple Music (on Android) supports downloading and streaming lossless audio. But if you are listening to music on Spotify, you will not get the same experience as it does not support lossless audio.

On iPhones, you can download lossless audio, but as Bluetooth streaming supports AAC codec, you will not be able to take full advantage when listening to wireless audio. The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, supports an AAC codec, so whether you connect it with iOS or an Android device, you will get a consistent audio experience.

Sound Quality: Sony Wins with Detailed Audio, Good Bass, and Wide Soundstage

The Sony WF-1000XM4 offers a stellar audio experience. I never had to turn the equalizer on, and at times when I felt a little punch is needed, setting the Clear Bass to Level 2 would do the job. Otherwise, the overall audio definition was crisp and immersive, especially when listening on Android smartphones with LDAC codec. But you can notice differences when playing music on iPhone with AAC codec.

The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, does a great job too with a neutral sound signature. But due to the lack of high-res audio, the listening experience isn’t as detailed as the Sony ones. The audio strength is also soft, and if you prefer strong audio, you can do that via Accessibility settings, and heading over to Headphone Accommodations > Balanced Tone > Strong.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Sony Leads with Better Overall Noise Cancellation

Both Sony and Apple offer excellent ANC, but once again the XM4 takes a slight lead here. The AirPods Pro with its H1 processor, dual microphones and AI does a good job of cutting out AC and fan noises. It can even cut down the keyboard typing noise, but the noise canceling isn’t too strong when outdoors on a noisy road, a subway station or even cutting off human voices.

The XM4, on the other hand, with its V1 integrated processor and dual microphones, is not strong enough when it comes to cutting off AC and fan noise but does a great job of cutting outdoor and wind noise. In busy and crowded places like airports, subway stations, and outdoors; Sony does a much better job than Apple to zone out from the noise. It also effectively cuts human voices around you to a great extent.

Microphone: Apple Takes the Crown here

For mic quality on phone calls, recording, and even video calls on platforms like Skype, Teams, and Zoom, the AirPods Pro offers crisp and clear sound. The noise cancellation works well in even cutting out ambient background sounds, thus delivering crisp audio to the recipient.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 has a good mic, perfect for phone and video calls. However, it is not up to AirPods Pro level in delivering crisp audio. Sometimes on phone calls, recipients complained to me about muffled voices and echoes, especially when sitting close to walls or windows. But otherwise, there were no issues.

Battery life & Charging: Sony Edges out Apple with up to 30 Hours of Battery Life

The Sony WF-1000XM4 lead once again in the battery department. On a single charge, the earbuds last a little over seven hours with ANC on, and without ANC, the battery life stretches a little close to 10 hours. The case holds additional two charges. This means, depending on whether you use ANC or not, you can get between 20 to 30 hours of usage before the case needs a charge.

The battery life on the AirPods Pro is a little lower at around four-and-a-half hours with ANC on, and a little over five hours with ANC off. The case holds about four additional charges. This means you can get a battery life anywhere between 20-22 hours of total usage before needing to charge the case again.

The Sony case charges via a USB Type-C port, whereas the Apple case charges using a Lightning Port. Both also support Qi Wireless charging, and a fast-charging feature for TWS earbuds, where even five minutes of charging offers up to one hour of music listening.

Extra Features: Transparency, Spatial Audio & More

Sony WF-1000XM4: Speak-to-Chat and Voice Assistant Are Good Addition

The XM4 comes with impressive features such as bone conduction for Speak-to-Chat, voice assistant support (Google Assistant or Alexa), 360 Reality Audio, and DSEE Extreme to name a few. The Speak-to-Chat feature uses bone conduction technology to pick vibrations from your voice to temporarily pause music and start ambient noise. This feature comes in handy when you want to talk to someone while listening to music. But it is very sensitive and starts the mode even when you are humming the song.

With the voice assistant feature, you can quickly tap and hold the earbud to summon the assistant to perform various tasks like calling or texting someone, setting an alarm, adding reminders, and much more. The integrated V1 chip on the XM4 also enables Sony’s DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) feature that upscales low-quality music to a near-lossless level. It helps in offering an enhanced listening experience on old songs that are encoded in lower quality. But you may not notice any difference with the current music with high-quality encoding.

Sony also offers support for 360 Reality Audio via the Artist Connection app to experience spatial sound technology. It also supports other platforms like Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, and others. It tried the feature with the Artist Connection app and while you do get an immersive experience, the content is very limited. Also, it does not feature head tracking like the AirPods Pro, which we will talk about in a minute.

Lastly, the WF-1000XM4 also supports a transparency mode where you can stay aware of the ambient surrounding. While the feature works well, it does not sound natural, and feels more like the audio is filtered and amped up. But it is still quite useful when commuting on a metro or a bus.

Apple AirPods Pro: Impressive Spatial Audio with Head Tracking & Natural Transparency Mode

Similar to the XM4, the AirPods Pro also comes with an impressive list of features such as always listening, Siri Assistant, Spatial Audio with head tracking, transparency mode, and multi-point connection between Apple ecosystem devices. Talking about assistants, you can simply say “Hey Siri” and ask for weather updates, call contacts, add appointments, play music, and more. There is also an announce notification feature, after enabling it, Siri will announce the notifications you get from apps like WhatsApp, Messages, Teams, and more.

Spatial Head tracking is an interesting feature that offers an immersive, theatre-like surround sound experience. You can set up this feature by heading over to Settings > Bluetooth and then tapping on Spatial Audio. It works when watching videos on OTT platforms such as Apple TV, and Netflix, or when watching videos on YouTube on the Safari browser. The feature also works on Apple Music and Spotify as well.

Transparency mode allows users to stay aware of their surroundings. It works well on AirPods Pro and sounds very natural compared to the XM4. Lastly, the AirPods Pro also comes with a multi-point connection, allowing you to link more than one Bluetooth device with the TWS. The feature enables intelligent and seamless switching between devices (iPhone, iPad, mac) without having to manually disconnect and reconnect. For instance, if you are watching a video or listening to music on mac, and you get a call on iPhone, the AirPods Pro will automatically switch to iPhone while pausing media on mac. Once the call is complete, it will then switch back to the mac and playback will resume.

Conclusion

Selecting the best TWS between Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4 is a little tricky. A lot will depend on the devices that you use (Android or iOS), and your music listening preferences. The Sony earbuds offer stellar audio thanks to the LDAC codec, impressive noise cancellation, and better overall battery life on earbuds between charges.

The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, offers good audio and noise cancellation, excellent mic and transparency mode, and an immersive Spatial Audio experience with head tracking. While the battery life of Apple earbuds is less, a little more than four charges that the case holds bring it closer to Sony. If you are within the Apple ecosystem, the multi-point connection for seamless switching is an added advantage for Apple compared to Sony TWS.

ALSO READ: Other Strategic Reviews on Smartphones, Smartwatches, TWS & More

Samsung Galaxy M53 5G Review: Good Specs & Software Update Promise Make it a Value for Money Option

The Samsung Galaxy M53 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC.
The smartphone comes with a 108MP main camera and a 5,000mAh battery.
It flaunts a sAMOLED+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Samsung revamped its affordable and mid-range smartphone portfolio by launching the Galaxy A-series and M-series in 2019 as an answer to rising competition from Chinese smartphone brands. The M-series smartphones are available via online-only channels in India. Battery capacity as a differentiator with “Monster” as a tagline, and multi-band 5G support on the latest smartphones, the M-series has been quite popular among consumers. Since its launch in 2019, Samsung has shipped over 40 million Galaxy M-series smartphones, according to our Monthly Model Shipment Tracker.

The recently launched Samsung Galaxy M53 5G brings some key improvements over its predecessor, the Galaxy M52 5G. It is the first smartphone in the segment to come with a 108MP primary camera sensor. The smartphone also supports 12 5G bands, and Auto Data switching among other features. Offered in two variants, both offering base storage of 128GB, the 6GB RAM variant is priced at around $330, whereas the 8GB RAM variant is priced at around $360.

Unlike competitors in this segment, Samsung is not offering crazy fast charging speeds or even bundling a fast charger in the box. So, does multi-band 5G support and a 108MP main camera, among other features make the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G a good challenger?

Below is our detailed analysis after using the smartphone for over two months.

Design and Finish: Lightweight and Sturdy

The Galaxy M53 5G comes with a very basic design, featuring a polycarbonate shell and plastic back. The back has a gradient finish, and it shines as light falls on it from different angles. Though, it would have been better if Samsung had focused on offering an even more attractive CMF to stand out from the competition. One good thing about the Galaxy M53 5G is that Samsung has offered a matte finish at the back, which prevents fingerprint smudges and makes the device less slippery in hand.

The Galaxy M53 5G weighs only 176 grams, which is good considering its 5,000mAh battery. Competitors having similar battery capacity weigh above 190 grams. Even Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge 5G with a 4,500mAh battery and polycarbonate shell weighs more than 200 grams.

Construction-wise, the device is solid and feels good in the hand. The volume rocker and power button (which also integrates a fingerprint sensor) are on the right. If you are right-handed the power button is easily accessible and within the thumb’s reach. But volume buttons are a little bit of a struggle to reach. Also, if you are left-handed, you’ll need to register one of your fingers to unlock the smartphone or rely on the face unlock feature, which is also quite fast in unlocking.

Display: Multimedia Entertainer

The smartphone comes with a 6.7-inch display featuring full HD+ resolution. It is a Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate which does a good job of producing vivid colors, deep blacks, and bright whites. The 120Hz refresh rate option is set by default and there is an option to switch to 60Hz for battery-saving purposes. However, there is no option for an adaptive refresh rate, which is something that Samsung can focus on providing in the M53 successor.

Streaming TV shows on OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video offers a good viewing experience. I watched popular shows like Stranger Things, and I was happy with the picture quality. While the display quality is good for content consumption, readability under bright sunlight could have been better with slightly higher nits for brightness levels. Features like the Eye comfort Shield to limit blue light and use warm colors are a good addition. It causes less strain to the eyes, especially now when we consume more content.

One UI with Android 12: Smooth and Functional

Software and security updates are key areas where Samsung is trying to differentiate itself from the competition. Samsung is promising two years of major Android software updates and four years of security updates, which is a good thing considering the long-term usability of the device. It also puts Samsung ahead of the competition in its price range.

The Galaxy M53 5G ships with Android 12 and Samsung’s One UI 4.1 out of the box. It comes preloaded with some bloatware apps such as PhonePe, BYJU’s, Swiggy, and DailyHunt among others showcasing Samsung’s content and commerce partnerships to make them available to the masses and in the process earn some revenues. The good part is that these apps can be uninstalled if you want.

In terms of usage, Samsung seems to have worked hard in optimizing the software and hardware which is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G SoC. Scrolling through the interface, social media apps, and even multitasking is a smooth experience without any noticeable lag. Samsung has also included features like a pop-up view where the app can run in a floating window above the interface. You can even minimize this pop-up window based on your needs. It is a handy feature for certain use cases and very helpful for power users who want to multitask.

Samsung has also included the RAM Plus feature where you can allocate between 2GB to 6GB of internal storage space as virtual RAM to ensure you get smoother performance even when running multiple apps.

Besides, users also get to experience the continuity experience between Android smartphones and Windows 10 PC, thanks to Microsoft integration. With Link to Windows, users can access their text messages, and answer phone calls right on the PC without having to pick up the phone. With supported apps such as Samsung Notes and Samsung Internet, you can pick up where you left from one Samsung device to the other. Photo in the Gallery app and be synced with OneDrive, and Samsung Notes can be synced across Microsoft OneNote. Premium features like these from the flagship Galaxy S and Fold series on M and A series differentiate it from the competition.

Calls and connectivity

The audio on both voice calls and even in-app calls like WhatsApp are satisfactory in terms of quality and loudness. The Voice Focus feature helps deliver decent quality audio in a noisy ambient environment. Support for 12 5G bands makes it ready for future 5G connectivity. There is a feature called Auto Data Switching that automatically switches between SIM cards if one of them is not available to make data transfers and calls, a very small feature but helps in seamless connectivity.

Camera: Not all 108MP Camera Sensors are Equal

The Galaxy M53 5G comes with a quad camera setup boasting a 108MP primary camera. With this smartphone, Samsung is bringing the premium photography experience to the masses at lower price points. However, this 108MP (ISOCELL HM6) isn’t the same sensor as on the premium Galaxy S22 Ultra (ISOCELL HM3). There are key differences are in the sensor and pixel size. The premium HM3 has a pixel size of 0.8μm vs 0.64μm on the HM6 sensor. Similarly, the sensor size of HM3 is 1/1.33″ compared to 1/1.67″ on the HM6. With a big sensor and bigger pixel size, the premium HM3 performs better. Here, a lot also depends on the chipset and ISP processing capabilities, and the AI algorithms as well.

Talking about quality, daylight photos look good enough producing natural colors with good dynamic range. As you can see in the below image, the clouds, blue sky, mud, and the building color is all captured well. The photos also have enough details when you zoom in.

We compared 108MP photos taken on the Galaxy M53 and S22 Ultra. Below, we are sharing the full res photo (which takes about 38MP disk space) and a quick comparison.

As you can see in the above photos at max zoom, the text on the photo taken with Galaxy M53 is a little sharper, but in terms of overall details and structure like the bricks, the excavator, and the mud, the S22 Ultra does a better job. Though, what the Galaxy M53’s 108MP sensor achieves is commendable at this price point.

The main camera works well in the night mode too. As you can see in the below image, the camera has captured different elements of the picture very nicely. You can see the shadow on the grass, neon lights, details, and the structure of the fountain structure. The lens flare on the street light is visible too, but that is fine considering the device’s price point.

There is also an 8MP ultrawide camera, and two 2MP cameras – one for macro, and one for depth sensing. Ultrawide camera also captures good photos with very little distortion around the edges. However, if you observe the below photos closely, purple fringing is noticeable between the branches and the sky.

Macros are decent but could have been sharper and more detailed if the camera resolution was a little higher at 5MP instead of 2MP. Lastly, the edge detection of the depth-sensing camera is also decent. Portrait mode photos have a good separation of background and foreground.

Lastly, the 32MP front camera does its job well in offering detailed selfies with good skin tone and color balance. Under well-lit conditions, portrait selfies are good too, but AI processing in ambient and low-light conditions can be improved with software updates.

Dependable Battery Life

The 5,000mAh battery on the Galaxy M53 5G easily lasts a typical workday. With usage mostly on Wi-Fi, some phone calls, browsing through social media apps, and light gaming, the battery is still around 30% around the end of the day.

While Samsung does support up to 25W fast charging, it does not bundle a charging adapter in the box. Consumers have to buy the charger separately which costs about $15. This is where competitors have an advantage both in terms of bundling the charger in the box and also offering fast charging speeds up to 60W and even more in some cases.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy M53 5G delivers what it promises. It offers decent photography and a good multimedia experience along with reliable battery life. The guaranteed Android OS and security update promise give Samsung an edge over the competition. Also, Microsoft’s app integration within One UI and other features like pop-up view and auto-data switching add-on the overall user experience. Slightly faster-charging speeds, the inclusion of a charging adapter in the box, and a better overall camera experience would have been an added benefit. These are the things Samsung can focus on in the M53 5G’s successor.

ALSO READ: Other Strategic Reviews on Smartphones, Smartwatches, TWS & More

Sony WF-1000XM4 Review: Great ANC TWS Earbuds With Stellar Audio

The TWS hearables are one of the fast-growing segments in consumer electronics seeing a 24% YoY growth in 2021. OEMs removing wired headphones from smartphone packaging, and the work-and-learn from home scenario post-pandemic are some of the factors contributing to this growth. The wireless earbuds also have a higher attach rate than other accessories such as smartwatches. In 2022, we expect the trend to continue and the TWS earbuds market is expected to grow by another 24% YoY.

The personalized content consumption from music listening to podcasts, video streaming, and gaming has increased during the pandemic. Even video conferencing needs to connect & communicate with clients, colleagues’ school, and family has grown significantly. And these trends have catalyzed the need for reliable earbuds with features that include Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), great audio, mic quality, and chords free being increasingly preferred. While these features have been available in premium earbuds but with growing demand, scale and innovation are quickly trickling down to relatively lower price points. There are only a handful of OEMs those package all of the above features really well, and Sony is one of them carving out mindshare alongside Apple and Samsung.

Sony’s TWS earbuds in the 1000XM-series are very popular and have set a benchmark for features like ANC, superior audio quality, and design. Focusing on the premium market and limited distribution reach compared to Apple or Samsung, the Japanese manufacturer was still able to capture a 3% volume share globally in 2021. However, Sony is also expanding its TWS line-up and premium features for models in the mainstream $100-$200 segment which should help it gain more share in 2022.

Talking about TWS growth in the high-end segment, Counterpoint Research Senior Analyst Liz Lee said, “The premium TWS earbuds segment saw robust growth in the second half of 2021 and we believe despite the recent macro-uncertainty due to the Ukraine crisis, lockdowns in China and inflationary climate, the demand for premium and mainstream TWS earbuds will continue to rise. Sony is expected to do well being the vanguard of driving key features such as ANC and audio experience in the TWS earbuds market.”

We have been using the premium Sony WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds for a few months now. The new XM4 version sports advanced features such as LDAC codec for higher bit-rate audio transmission, Speak-to-Chat using bone conduction sensors, ambient sound mode, and 360 Reality Audio support, vs the previous generation XM3 model. So, while the WF-1000XM3 was arguably one of the best all-round TWS, what has Sony done differently this time with the new 1000XM4 to take it to the next level?

Following is our detailed analysis of the new XM4 model right from packaging to performance after making it our daily driver for the last three months:

♻️ Plastic-free Unboxing Experience: A Move Towards Sustainable Future

Sustainability and efforts toward reducing the carbon footprint are becoming a key strategy for several tech companies and it’s good to see Sony going above and beyond.
The WF-1000XM4’s packaging does not use any plastic, and the box is made from recycled paper.
Sony also used embossed logos instead of printing the box with ink, a small effort without compromising the user experience.

WATCH: Sony WF – 1000XM4 – Unboxing & First Look

Compact Design, Comfortable Fit

Compared to the 1000XM3, the new 1000XM4 comes with a more compact design where the charging case is now 40% smaller, and the earbuds are 10% smaller.
The compact case makes it even easier to carry in the pocket, whereas the earbuds also now fit well, without popping out of the ear, like on the predecessor.
The earbuds snugly fit in the ear and are comfortable to wear for hours, provided, you don’t push them too hard in your ears to get a tight fit.
Even when working out – like doing a few jumping jacks or high stepping, the earbuds were firmly secure in the ears.
Sony has done away with silicone ear tips, and bundled foam ear tips instead.
Foam ear tips are a good addition as they offer great passive noise isolation while fitting comfortably in your ears.

Sony WF-1000XM4 Specifications and Features

Hi-Res Audio Streaming, Quick Pairing

The earbuds come with 6mm dynamic drivers that support a frequency range of 20-40,000Hz.
With Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, the earbuds support AAC, SBC, and LDAC (bit rate up to 990kbps) codecs.
The pairing process is straightforward, and if you have an Android smartphone, the Sony WF-1000XM4 also supports the Google Fast Pair feature.
Though, the multi-point connectivity feature as seen on Jabra, Apple AirPods, and Samsung Galaxy Buds series, could have been a good addition.
The earbuds are sweat-resistant and come with an IPx4 rating, so you can wear them during workouts, or even in light rains when you go on a walk or run.

Companion App and Features

Both on Android and iOS, Sony has a companion app called “Headphones” which gives you can access to some core features.
You can adjust the equalizer, ambient sound control, ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), and more.
Once you set the equalizer, the profile is created and saved on the earbuds, which is a good differentiator over competitors.
So, even if you pair the earbuds with a new smartphone or a PC on which the “Headphones” app is not installed, you can still enjoy music with the equalizer profile you set using the app on another smartphone.

🎙Speak-to-Chat for Quick Communication

Speak-to-chat is an interesting feature that uses bone conduction technology to pick vibrations from your voice to temporarily pause music and start ambient noise.
This feature comes in handy when you are listening to music and want to talk to someone, say while commuting or walking on the road and asking for direction.
The feature works like a charm, but if like me, you too like humming to the tunes while listening to music, better to keep the feature off as the bone conduction is very sensitive in picking voice, and it activates the ambient sound while pausing music.
There is also a Quick Attention feature, where you can “Tap and Hold” on the left earbud to quickly pause music and activate the ambient sound mode, and it turns off as soon as you release your finger.

Sony WF-1000XM4 Performance: More Bang for your Buck

Ambient Sound: Stay Aware of Surroundings

Activating the ambient sound mode, you can hear your surroundings more clearly, thanks to the two noise-sensing mics on each earbud.
It lets you stay connected with the surroundings while listening to music, very useful when commuting on a metro or bus.
The app even lets you adjust the strength depending on the amount of ambient noise you want to let in.

🔇Excellent ANC: Zone Out from the Noise

Sony has included a new V1 integrated processor in the earbuds which powers ANC and LDAC Bluetooth codec support.
The V1 processor takes its noise-canceling capabilities even further than the predecessor by cutting off more noise at different frequencies.
We tested the ANC capabilities on a long-haul flight while traveling to MWC 22, and locally while traveling in metro and cabs.
With ANC ‘On’ and listening to music even at 50% volume, the earbuds block out ambient noise effectively while letting you immerse in the music.
There is also a wind noise reduction feature which worked very effectively in blocking out noise when sitting on a window seat on a local train.

🔊Clean, Immersive Sound Quality

Sony has consistently delivered great personal audio devices, and the WF-1000XM4 is no different.
The earbuds are very well tuned to instantly get yourself lost in the groove.
It offers a versatile performance irrespective of the music genre you are listening to.
With most TWS, I prefer customizing the equalizer to suit my listening preferences, but with the XM4, I mostly kept the EQ off.
Though, at times when I felt like having some bass punch, I would set Clear Bass to +2, while keeping the rest of the frequencies flat.
Most of my listening is generally on iPhone with Apple Music as a source, and despite having songs in Lossless quality, the iPhones only support AAC codec.
Though audio on flagship Android smartphones sounds a little better due to support for LDAC codec.
The connectivity is stable too, as long as you are within a five-meter range.
Apple Music lossless, Tidal, or Prime Music on Android lets you take advantage of high-res audio listening, but the same is not possible with Spotify.
Mic quality on calls was good and recipients had no issues hearing me.

🔋Reliable Battery Life

On a full charge with mixed usage and ANC On, the WF-1000XM4 offered a good battery life of a little over six hours.
The charging case adds two full charges for the earbuds, so you get a total of 18-19 hours of battery life before needing the charge the case again.
The earbuds also support a quick charge feature where even five minutes of charging can offer up to 60 mins of playtime and during my testing, it worked for close to 50 mins, which is good.
The case takes about 90 minutes to fully charge with a wired Type-C fast charger.
There is also support for wireless charging, but it takes a little over three hours to fully charge.

Key Takeaways

The Sony WF-1000XM4 delivers excellent sound quality catering to audiophiles and general users.
The active noise cancellation (ANC) is among the best that we’ve tried on TWS earbuds.
Battery life even with ANC ‘On’ is not an issue with the 1000XM4, and with ANC ‘Off’, it covers you for almost the entire workday.
Additional features like saving the audio profile on the earbuds, IPx4 rating, and wireless charging, offer a value package.

Wishlist for WF-1000XM4 Successor

While the attention awareness feature using bone conduction technology is a good addition, the low sensitivity needs more refinements to not trigger aggressively.
In-ear detection could be better, currently, even if the earbuds are kept on the table, the music playback does not stop, and it continues to play.
Multi-point Bluetooth connection to quickly and automatically switch between devices will be a good addition, especially as most of us extensively use a smartphone and a laptop in our daily life.
Gaming latency could be better, as it will come in handy when playing games like BGMI or COD: Mobile on a connected smartphone.

ALSO READ: Other Strategic Reviews on Smartphones, Smartwatches, TWS & More

OPPO Find N Review: Small Wonder

The smartphone industry is going through a transition phase where form factors are evolving from regular candy-bar ones to foldables that promise different forms and designs. Samsung has been at the forefront of foldables, commanding nearly 84% market share in 2021. It is also driving the clamshell and book-type form factor, making them the industry standard for foldables. But the entry of Chinese smartphone brands should drive further adoption and healthy competition.

HONOR, Xiaomi, Huawei, and OPPO have all entered the foldable smartphone space. Even TCL being a vertically integrated player (display business) has showcased its foldable smartphone prototypes for years and is (finally) expected to launch some of them later this year. OPPO took its time to enter the space but ensured to address some concerns users had with other foldables. The Chinese smartphone maker first unveiled a prototype with a rollable display. However, getting the foldable hinge engineering, software optimization, and getting the form factor right has delayed most of the efforts from these upstart brands. Further, getting manufacturing scale and supply for the same is also challenging.

It has been a work in progress, for example, OPPO recently launched a book-type folding smartphone, the Find N, priced at around $1,400. Although it is currently only available in China, we got to test out the OPPO Find N for a few weeks, and here is our analysis of its potential from the form factor, hinge engineering, display, camera, and above all software perspective.

WATCH: OPPO Find N Review

Compact Design Winning Praises

Whenever I meet my friends, cousins, and even colleagues, the common question they ask me is “so which new gadget did you bring today?” Everyone was excited to see and try out the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in person. But their reaction after seeing the OPPO Find N was completely different. One of them said, “Wow, this is so compact and perfectly sized. When are they launching this in India?” He was a little disappointed when I said it is not coming to India, and his next question was, “Can I import it from some other country?”

These reactions clearly show that OPPO put a lot of thought into designing the Find N and is winning the mindshare. In my case, switching to the OPPO Find N, after using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 for over five months, felt different and refreshing. I instantly appreciated its compact form factor which makes it easy to hold, and it is pocketable too.

The tall and narrow cover screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 isn’t the most intuitive to accurately type without errors unless you use the swipe-to-type feature. But that wasn’t the case with the Find N. The small, yet wider cover screen makes typing easier. Even single-handed use is quite easy.

OPPO found the right balance with a compact design while being powerful and functional.

Solid Hinge Mechanism with Gapless Design

For any foldable smartphone, the hinge design is a crucial element as it has a lot of moving parts, and most of the engineering efforts go there. Unlike Samsung’s wedge-shaped design, OPPO has gone for a teardrop-style hinge that folds the center of the foldable screen in a curved manner. This type of engineering offers two major benefits – to ensure there is no visible crease on the folding screen and ensure there is no gap left when in the folded state.

OPPO says that the hinge has over 136 components that ensure smooth functioning. Similar to Samsung, OPPO also employs the ultrathin glass (UTG) cover on the foldable display and is tested to bend over 200,000 times without causing any problems. During my usage, the hinge mechanism seemed quite robust.

Gapless hinge design with less visible crease marks is a solid engineering feat from OPPO.

Similar to Galaxy Z Fold 3’s Flex Mode, the OPPO Find N also comes with a hinge mode of its own. For instance, in the camera app, where shutter button and other options appear on the bottom half whereas the top half has the viewfinder. The mode can come in handy when the phone is placed on a table, thus mimicking a mini tripod. More apps are expected to get support as foldable smartphones become more popular.

Superb Displays for Content Consumption, But…

In terms of specifications, the OPPO Find N comes with:

The cover screen has a 5.49-inches OLED panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and 18:9 aspect ratio.
The folding screen is a 7.1-inch LTPO OLED with ultra-thin glass, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 1000 nits of peak brightness.

Let’s first talk about the cover screen. It’s got nice, rounded corners and a curved edge on the right. This design language adds to its looks and also offers an immersive viewing experience when watching videos on YouTube, Netflix, and other platforms.

Even the app experience on Find N’s cover screen is good – be it scrolling the Instagram timeline, Twitter, or even reading news on Feedly or Flipboard apps. Viewing experience under direct sunlight was no problem either, and the screen offers a punchy color reproduction too, making the content look more lively. Viewing angles on both the inner and cover screen are good too.

When unfolded, the inner screen transforms itself into a mini-tablet. The variable refresh rate of the LTPO folding panel is between 1Hz to 120Hz. So, depending on the on-screen content, it can dynamically adjust the refresh rate to conserve battery life. The bright display, punchy colors, and fast refresh rate add to the great experience for content consumption such as reading e-books, internet browsing, and app multitasking.

But the same cannot be said for video consumption. The 8.4:9 screen aspect ratio means you have thick black bars along the top and bottom. This is also prominent on the Z Fold 3, but the bars aren’t as thick as on the Find N.

Multitasking support means you can even have apps like Twitter on one side and a Gallery, Notes app, Video Player, or Calculator on the other side.

Capable Cameras, But Needs More Fine Tuning

Before we talk about the camera quality, let’s first look at the setup. There are a total of five cameras:

A 32MP camera sensor each, one on the cover screen and one on the folding screen for clicking selfies and for video calling.
There is a triple camera setup at the back having a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 13MP camera sensor with a telephoto lens 2x optical zoom (52mm), and the third is a 16MP camera sensor with an ultrawide lens.

Talking about camera quality, the primary camera can click some good close-up and landscape shots with enough details and sharpness. Low-light photography is good as well, but it does not match the level of the flagship Find X-series. Here are some sample shots.

The ultrawide camera is also good enough to capture punchy colors and good details. For landscape shots, there is no visible distortion around the edges, but when clicking photos of buildings and structures, the fisheye effect is noticeable around the edges.

The 2x telephoto camera lets you zoom into the subject, and while it retains good details and structure, the color science is a little inconsistent when switching from main to tele camera.

Wide (1X)

Zoom (2X)

OPPO camera algorithms need more fine-tuning to offer more consistent results between lenses.

The OPPO Find N also supports 1080p and 4K video recording capabilities at up to 60fps. The OIS works well and even at 4K 60fps, the footage I shot was quite stable.

Selfies shot from both the cover screen and folding screen camera look detailed and retain skin tones. Portrait mode offers a good separation of background and foreground, but the AI also overexposes the clothes, especially outdoors, if you are wearing bright ones. It also makes the skin a little brighter. But other than that, it does a pretty good job.

Useful Software Features, Swift Performance

Boots Android 11 with ColorOS 12 UI.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G SoC, 8GB/12GB of RAM, 256GB/512GB storage.
4,500mAh battery, 33W wired fast charging, 15W wireless fast charging.

The Find N comes with Android 11 OS and ColorOS 12 UI on top. OPPO has added some features and optimizations to take advantage of the folding screen form factor like app floating windows and multitasking. There are also screen-off gestures where you draw “V” or “O” to quickly start the Flashlight or Camera app. Swiping down the middle of the screen with two fingers activates split-screen mode. There is also a smart sidebar that gives you quick access to apps like Calculator, Browser, and your choice of apps too.

Now, as the OPPO Find N is only available in China, our review unit did not come with Google Play Store. Instead, it came with the OPPO app store, but most apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook that we use were missing. I was able to download these apps from third-party app stores, but it seems like the OS is optimized for popular Chinese apps only. For instance, the Instagram app does not support floating windows or split-screen mode.

ColorOS 12 on Find N has some neat and super useful gesture control features.

Talking about performance, the flagship 5nm Snapdragon 888 SoC can handle the processing needs without a hitch. Whether it is multitasking, gaming, binge-watching and just spending time on social networking apps, the Find N can handle all the stress. Though I had come across app crashes at times, those were the APKs downloaded from third-party apps that were likely not optimized for the Find N.

Gaming experience when playing Asphalt 9: Legends was good both on the cover and main screen. The back did get a little warm after 20 minutes, but not to an uncomfortable level.

Lastly, the battery life on the Find N was good too. My usage included watching videos on YouTube or Netflix for an hour, some music listening on Spotify using the phone’s stereo speakers, browsing through Feedly, and some gaming. With all this, I would still be left with a 30% battery at the end of the day, with a screen time of four hours (both using the cover and folding screen). So normally, the battery should be good to last a workday, depending on your usage.

Key Takeaways:

OPPO has impressed us with the Find N’s compact form factor which finds the right balance between being too big and too small.
The compact design also offers a comfortable in-hand feel.
The hinge engineering and near-invisible crease promise a good future for foldables.
Gestures on ColorOS for supported apps make using the Find N a breeze.

Wish-List for the Find N Successor:

IPXX rating for the Find N successor will be a good add-on.
ColorOS software needs more polishing and optimizations for apps to take full advantage of multitasking, floating window, and gesture support.
The cover screen should also feature a refresh rate of 90Hz or above.
Faster charging support for 66W or even 100W like other flagships would add more value.
Better cameras with more optical zoom capabilities, like periscope-style zoom, will be welcome.

Jabra PanaCast 20 Review: Premium Personal Video Conferencing Experiences for the New Normal

The last couple of years of the pandemic has completely transformed how we interact with each other. Virtual communication especially video conferencing & collaboration has taken center stage and has become the new normal. This is true not only for connecting with family but also for enterprise users connecting with colleagues or clients, content creators and live streamers, knowledge workers – both students and teachers, healthcare professionals or patients among others. Video conferencing has thus become extremely popular and an important part of our communication and collaboration in our daily lives, irrespective of whether we are in a remote or hybrid, or even physical environment.

The Need for a Good Video Conferencing Camera is Growing

The major gripe, however, for professionals and creators, is that a good personal video camera for PCs has remained elusive. The average resolution for the camera in laptops is 720p HD or lower, lacking – clarity, resolution, proper framing, focusing, zoom, and decent performance in different lighting conditions. This warrants for every individual to invest in a quality web camera that can solve all of the above pain points and offer an optimized video conferencing and content creating experience.

We have been testing various cameras for personal and professional use, and, Jabra PanaCast 20 has proved to be a very capable and one of the best solutions available. After using the PanaCast 20 for almost eight weeks attached to a desktop PC and interchangeably with a laptop, it has left us impressed.

Jabra PanaCast 20 Design & Features

Impeccable Unibody Metal Design

The PanaCast 20 is a beautifully built and engineered video conferencing camera. It is housed in an all-metal casing which itself acts as a heat-sink for the under-the-hood powerful AI processor.
PanaCast 20 weighs a mere 136gms.
The striped, unibody design gives it a premium look and stands out compared to other plastic body cameras.
The camera features a clip that helps fix the camera nicely on a monitor or a laptop even with thinner bezels.
The in-built minimalistic privacy cover is a nice touch.
The PanaCast connects to the PC via a USB 3.0 (Type C to A 1.8m) cable enabling higher speed video experience.
The camera comes in a premium carry case making it ultra-portable to use in a hybrid environment.

Premium & Intelligent Video Conferencing Experience

The PanaCast 20 sports a 13MP, 1/3.2” camera sensor capable of delivering multiple resolutions from 4K Ultra-HD @30fps to 720p HD @30fps in different scenarios.
PanaCast 20 camera’s Filed of View (FoV) is Horizontal: 90°, Vertical: 75°, Diagonal: 117°.
The advanced camera sensor capabilities are further enhanced with an advanced “on-device” AI chip. The AI chip is fast, secure, and accurate unlocking the following features:
- Intelligent 4K video: This offers a sharp, crystal clear stable streaming video at ultra-HD resolutions also includes Vivid HDR to enhance colors and contrasts.
- Intelligent Zoom & Focusing: This is the flagship feature making the camera smarter and intuitive as it follows the users’ movements to perfectly zoom, frame, adjust pictures in real-time. PanaCast features up to 3x lossless digital zoom at 720p. This is super useful when we try to adjust the chair or move slightly, the camera auto-adjusts the frame as per the user’s face in the frame automatically. This helps reduce the cognitive load and effort by auto-adjusting helping maintain a high-quality video conferencing experience. There are also a couple of preset options available along with manual PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) controls for personalized custom focusing and framing.

Intelligent Zoom Off

Intelligent Zoom On

- Intelligent Lighting Optimization: This is another feature where the on-device AI does its magic coupled with a larger sensor to analyze the environment and automatically adjust the image in real-time to produce well-lit, sharper, and noiseless quality. Even if the rooms have poorly distributed light or a minimum amount of light.

Picture-in-Picture Mode: The edge-AI processor combines two real-time video streams in the same video, displaying the second stream in a PIP window and the feature works across all the UC platforms. This is a very cool and meaningful use case where you want the camera to focus on a particular object (e.g., a whiteboard) which takes up the mainstream and the speaker’s face as a second stream shown in the PIP window.

Audio: The PanaCast 20 features three MEMS microphones to provide enterprise-grade Noise cancellation. It also offers high sensitivity at -37dBFS to accurately capture sound pickup experience in 1-2m distance and offer a decent output. We have been using a microphone from the camera instead of the headphones and found decent performance. This is a great feature for users who don’t own good ANC/ENC headphones.
Security & Privacy: Jabra has put security and privacy at the center of the design of its PanaCast series of products. The “on-device” AI chip offer edge-based security to process the data at the edge securely and no data leaves the camera. At the same time, the privacy cover helps protect privacy when the camera is not in use. We would love to have software-based control to slide the cover via the software or automatically cover the lens when the webcam is not in operation vs manually sliding the privacy cover which we may often forget.
Software: Jabra has also made available a couple of software solutions – Jabra Direct (installed on PC) and Jabra Express (Web-based interface) to manage these products securely in terms of features, control, settings, and getting regular firmware updates to keep the device in the optimal conditions. The PanaCast 20 is certified for the leading UC platforms including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, and more.

Wrapping Up

Webcam has become our window to the world, hence, having the best representation of us on the video call has become very important.
Finding really good high-resolution webcams has been elusive and investing in a good one is the need of the hour.
Jabra PanaCast 20 is reinventing this segment by offering high-quality 4K video conferencing with AI-powered meaningful smart features such as Intelligent Zoom, Lighting, PiP in a premium and portable form factor.
Having used it for more than two months, this is a great investment even though it commands a premium price, the Return on Investment is pretty high.

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