Technology majors such as Samsung, Google, Microsoft, and Xiaomi among others launched new smartphones, tablets, and related accessories such as smart speakers, multimedia streaming devices, and smartwatches this week (September 27-October 3).
DH's Gadgets Weekly edition lists the latest prominent personal technology products to keep you abreast of everything that's happening in the world of consumer electronics.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
The world's leading smartphone-maker Samsung launched the new affordable Galaxy Tab A7 in India.
It comes with a big 10.4-inch WUXGA+(2000x1200p) TFT LCD display with uniform bezels, 80% screen to body ratio, stereo sound with quad speakers that offer an immersive cinematic experience, Android 10 OS, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage (expanded up to 1TB), 8MP rear-side, 5MP front camera for video conference, Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 octa-core (2.0GHz x 4 cores + 1.8GHz x 4 cores) processor and a 7040mAh, which is more than enough to last a full day under normal usage. It also supports adaptive fast charging.
The new Galaxy Tab A7 comes in three colours-- Dark Gray, Gold and Silver. The Galaxy Tab A7 comes in two variants-- LTE model for Rs 21,999 and the Wi-Fi model for Rs 17999. Consumers can pre-book Galaxy Tab A7 starting today on Samsung.com, select retail stores and leading online portals.
On pre-booking Galaxy Tab A7, consumers can get the Keyboard Cover at a special price of Rs 1,875 (Rs 4,499) and an additional cashback up to Rs 2,000 when paying with ICICI credit and debit cards.
Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve
The new Mi Watch Revolve comes with a classic circular dial having a 1.8-inch AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 5 ATM rating and a peak brightness of 450 nits.
It boasts the Firstbeat Motion algorithm and offers advanced performance analytics for stress, recovery, and exercise that is used by leading athletes and sports teams across the world.
"Working on the principles of Heart Rate Variability (HRV), the new Mi Watch Revolve analyses heartbeat data to provide rich, user-friendly, and actionable feedback," the company said.
It houses a 420 mAh battery and can last up to 1-2 weeks (based on usage pattern), on a single charge. Mi Watch Revolve will be available at a starting price of Rs 10,999 on Mi.com, Mi Homes, Amazon.in, and retail stores. As part of an introductory offer, it is being priced Rs 9,999 till Diwali 2020.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5
The new Mi Band 5 features a 1.1-inch color AMOLED display, 20% more screen than the predecessor. It also comes with all-new hassle-free magnetic charging dock.
With the Xioami Wear app, users can access weekly Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) scores which is based on the lifestyle. It also provides suggestions to improve the fit and become healthy. It also comes with 11 professional sports modes that track all indoor and outdoor activities like walking, running, yoga, rowing machine, jump rope, and many more. It costs 2,499.
Mi Smart Speaker
It comes with metal mesh with 10, 531 sound holes, and a 63.5mm sound driver. The company has incorporated a 12W Speaker at the front to good sound delivery in wider angle and with less distortion. It comes with DTS Professional tuning and Texas Instruments’ TAS5805M Hi-Fi Audio Processor to offer 360-degree rich surround sound effect.
It comes with Google Assistant support and users can connect it to thousands of Internet-of-Things (IoT) such as smart bulb, smart AC, thermostat and more, and control them with the voice commands.
Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a
It comes with 6.0-inch full HD+ (2340 x 1080) OLED screen, IP68 rating, fingerprint sensor, Android 11 OS , Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G octa-core processor (1 x 2.4GHz + 1 x 2.2GHz + 6 x 1.8GHz Kryo 475 CPU cores + X52 modem for 5G) backed by Adreno 620 GPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, and a 4,000mAh battery with 18W USB-C fast charging cable and also support wireless charging.
On the other hand, 6.2-inch full HD (1080 x 2340p) OLED screen, fingerprint sensor on the back, Snapdragon 765G chipset (1 x 2.4GHz + 1 x 2.2GHz + 6 x 1.8GHz Kryo 475 CPU cores + X52 modem for 5G), Adreno 620 graphics engine, 3.5mm audio jack, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage and a 3,885mAh battery with 18W fast charger.
However, both the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G feature the same photography hardware. They come with a dual-camera module-- main 12.2MP wide sensor (1.4 μm pixel width, Autofocus with dual pixel phase detection, Optical + electronic image stabilization, ƒ/1.7 aperture & 77-degree field of view) backed by 16MP ultra-wide (1.0 μm pixel width, ƒ/2.2 aperture & 107-degree field of view) and LED flash. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 30 Frames Per Second (FPS), 60 FPS, 120 FPS, and 240 FPS and 4K at 30 FPS & 60 FPS. Also, they support Live HDR+, Cinematic Pan, Night Sight on Portrait Mode, new Google Photos editor offers studio-quality light to the portraits of people with Portrait Light.
On the front, They boast an 8MP with 1.12 μm pixel width, ƒ/2.0 aperture, fixed focus, and 83-degree field of view.
New Chromecast with Google TV
The search engine giant also unveiled a new Chromecast with Google TV. It supports 4K content with HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision. It can also offer content with Dolby Atmos, DTS, and Dolby Digital+ surround sound, but only if your TV has some specific hardware. New Chromecast is powered by Amlogic S905D3 processor backed by 2GB RAM and 4GB storage. It costs $49.
Google Nest Audio
The new Nest Audio smart speaker features fabric mesh, 19mm tweeter for consistent high-frequency coverage and clear vocals, and a 75mm mid-woofer to deliver the enhanced bass effect. It costs $99 and is expected to be released in India soon.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go and Surface Pro X
The new Surface Laptop Go comes with a 12.4-inch PixelSense (1536 x 1024p) display with 148 pixels per inch, 4GB/8GB RAM (LPDDR4x), 64GB (eMMC)/ SSD- 128GB/256GB storage) 10th gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor, Intel UHD Graphics card, Windows 10 Home in S mode, Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial, firmware TPM, enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello one-touch sign-in, One Touch sign in with fingerprint reader power button (Surface Laptop Go model with 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage does not biometric sensor)HD (720p, f/2.0) camera (front-facing), Dual far-field Studio Mics, Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Audio, 39W Power Supply and can last up to 13 hours.
It has multiple ports-- USB-C (1), USB-A (1), 3.5 mm headphone jack, Surface Connect port (1), Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax compatible.
The Surface Laptop Go flaunts Aluminum top case, and the base is made of polycarbonate composite resin system with glass fiber and 30% post-consumer recycled content. It comes in Ice Blue, Sandstone, and Platinum colours with prices starting at $549.
Whereas the Surface Pro X features a 13-inch PixelSense (2880x1920p) display with a pixel density of 267 pixels per inch, 8GB/16 GB RAM (LPDDR4x), 128/256/512GB (SSD), Custom Microsoft-Qualcomm SQ 1 or SQ 2 processor options, Microsoft-Qualcomm SQ 1 Adreno 685 GPU/Microsoft-Qualcomm SQ 2 Adreno 690 GPU, Windows 10 Home on ARM, Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial, firmware TPM chip for enterprise security and BitLocker support, enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing), 5MP front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video, 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD and 4k video, Dual far-field Studio Mics, 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio sound and the device can last up to 15 hours of normal usage.
As far as the connectivity is concerned, it has multiple ports-- USB-C (2), Surface Connect port (1), Surface Keyboard port, nano SIM ( 1 slot), compatible with Surface Dial off-screen interaction, Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE modem, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ac.
It comes with a sturdy casing having signature anodized aluminum with carbon composite fanless thermal cooling and it will be in Matte Black, Platinum colour finish with prices starting at $999.99.
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