Cutting Edge

A whole lot of gaming laptops and two all-new Google products barely scratch the surface of all the action that occurred in the world of tech recently

By Niraj Kakade

AMAZFIT GTR 2
Rs 11,999

Foraying into the world of wearable fitness tech, Amazfit has something interesting for us with its new GTR 2 smartwatch. Priced just north of Rs 12,000, this gadget comes with a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen with 3D curved glass and an anti-fingerprint coating. Apart from over 50 watch faces, it also has heart-rate and sleep tracking, an SpO2 sensor with water resistance and a 471mAh battery.

GOOGLE PIXEL FOLD
Rs 1.47 lakh approx

Google officially kicked off its foldable era with the launch of the all-new Pixel Fold. Priced at $1,799 (Rs 1.47 lakh), the smartphone will be available for sale from June. The Pixel Fold’s main highlight is a compact 5.8-inch OLED display, which can be unfolded into a bigger 7.6-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. Running things here is the latest Tensor 2 chip along with 12GB of RAM. Other highlights include a three-camera setup, including a 48-megapixel main camera and an IPX8 rating for water resistance.

GOOGLE PIXEL 7A
Rs 40,900 approx

Doubling down on the success of the Pixel 6a, Google also launched the Pixel 7a alongside its first foldable. A budget-friendly alternative to its flagship range, the Pixel 7a gets a 6.1-inch Full HD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, along with a 64MP primary camera and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera.

SONY FE 24-70MM F2.8 GM II
Rs 1,99,990

Taking its expertise in photography to the next level, Sony launched the world’s lightest and smallest F2.8 lens last month. Called the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II (model SEL2470GM2), Sony claims that the lens is capable of delivering ‘stunning resolution and beautiful bokeh’ for photographers, videographers, and newage content creators.

JIODIVE VR HEADSET
Rs 1,299

To make this year’s IPL even more immersive, Jio launched its first Virtual Reality headset, JioDive, earlier last month for Rs 1,299. The affordable VR offering is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, with 4.7 and 6.7 inch screen sizes. Jio claims it offers a 360-degree viewing of content (including the TATA IPL), on a 100-inch virtual screen.

GOOGLE PIXEL TABLET
Rs 41,000 approx

In a bid to revitalise the Android tablet space, the software giant also introduced the Pixel Tablet. Packing a Tensor G2 chipset, the Tablet gets a massive 11-inch display, with a charging speaker dock (included in the package). While India-specific pricing details are still awaited, Google will offer the Pixel Tablet in two trims — 8GB + 128GB and 8GB

256GB, both coming equipped with an 8MP camera at the back and an 8MP camera at the front.

GAMING LAPTOPS WE’RE EYEING

ACER PREDATOR HELIOS NEO 16
Rs 1.09 lakh

There was a barrage of gaming laptops making their debut last month, including Acer’s new Predator Helios Neo 16 for Rs 1,09,990. Available across all major e-commerce websites, the laptop gets a 16-inch WQXGA IPS screen with a 165Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, it packs a 13th Gen Intel core i5-13500HX and i7-13700HX processor, with 6GB NVIDIA RTX 4050 or 4060 GPU and support of up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, along with 1TB NVMe SSD storage. Acer also claims the Helios Neo 16 is made out of “89 custom-made all-metal 3D aero blades and liquid metal thermal grease” to keep temperatures in control.

ASUS FLOW Z13 ACRONYM
Rs 2.84 lakh

Asus launched not one, but 13 new gaming laptops in May, including the top-of-the-line Flow Z13 Acronym. Carrying a hefty price tag of Rs 2,84,990, the laptop features a Core i9-13900H processor with a GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. The screen size boasts of a 13.4-inch QHD+ Nebula Display with a refresh rate of 165Hz and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Other highlights include, support for up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 1TB of NVMe M.2 SSD storage and a fully detachable keyboard.

ASUS ROG FLOW X13
Rs 1.74 lakh

In a bid to combine performance with portability, the company also launched the Flow X13 gaming laptop for Rs 1,74,990. Weighing in at just over 1.3kg, this one sports a touch-enabled 13-inch QHD+ display with a 165Hz refresh rate. Power comes from Ryzen 9 (7940HS) CPU and RTX 4090 mobile GPU, with 8x2GB LPDDR5 of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.

DELL ALIENWARE M16 AND X14 R2
Rs 1.84 lakh, Rs 2.06 lakh

If you are serious about your gaming, you will want to take a look at the four new gaming laptops recently launched by Dell, including two new Alienware models — M16 and the X14 R2, for Rs 1,84,990 and Rs 2,06,990, respectively. Both come powered by 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs, with support for GeForce RTX 40-Series GPUs. The M16’s internals consist of an Intel Core i9 13900HX CPU, a GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, with 9TB of storage and a QHD+ display (you have the option to choose between a 165Hz and 240Hz refresh rate). The laptops come with support for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40-Series GPUs. Both devices feature a 16:10 display aspect ratio along with the Legend 3.0 design, advanced Alienware Cryo-tech thermal architecture, and the revamped Alienware Command Centre 6.0. The X14 R2 continues to be the world’s thinnest 14-inch gaming laptop, packing a QHD+ display with a 165Hz of refresh rate and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU.

Reproduced with permission from Mansworldindia.com

+ posts

Passion Into Purpose

Q&A With ADNAN AL RAJEEV

Diary Of A Student Protest

Into The Highs And Lows Of Internet Stardom