By Ashwin Rajagopalan
Your monthly ‘how to spend it’ guide to all the cool new gadgets
ONE FOR THE DEN
The OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro is elegantly designed with vibrant colours on its 4K UHD display. OnePlus claims that you can witness over a billion colours in very frame thanks to the 10-bit colour depth feature. It also offers HDR10+, HDR10, as well as HLG format support for a superior viewing experience. It’s not just the picture quality, the dual speakers (with a total output of 24W) also keep up. This 50-incher is powered by the Android TV 10.0 platform and allows you to lean on Google Assistant for easy controls. Rs 32,999
THE FOLDABLE TO BEAT
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip3 isn’t just our favourite foldable till date, it was also the fastest selling foldable smartphone of 2021. The Samsung Z Flip 4 might look similar to its 2021 sibling, but it comes with a whole bunch of improvements. Aside from the annual processor upgrade (this one’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1), it also features a more robust 3700 mAh battery under the hood. Samsung has also added fast charging: 0 to 50 per cent in 30 minutes, to the mix. But it’s the new FlexCam with new selfie previews that might be the Z Flip 4’s biggest party trick. Rs 89,999 onwards
A HI-FI SPEAKER IN YOUR POCKET
OPPO has pitched the OPPO Enco X2 TWS Earbuds as the equivalent of a HiFi speaker bundled into a pair of TWS earbuds. It’s a clever ploy to play up the brand’s partnership with iconic speaker brand Dynaudio to develop the soundstage for these buds. They’re packed in a pebble-shaped case with a glossy finish. Noise cancellation is impressive and there are other useful touches like wireless charging and an IP54 certification for dust and water resistance but it’s the acoustics that are the highlight. Rs 10,999
A STELLAR DEBUT
The Nothing phone (1) the first smartphone from the Nothing stable, makes a big impression. It sticks to the same transparent design of its first TWS earbuds, and it has the same wow effect. At its heart is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778+processor and comes in a choice of two hardware variants: 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB. The rear cam combines two 50MP lenses (wide and ultra-wide). Colours are vibrant and blacks are deep in the 6.55-inch OLED display (2400 x 1800 pixels / 402 PPI / 1200 nits peak brightness) with a 120Hz refresh rate. Rs 33,999 onwards
TAKE THE MOVIES OUTDOORS
At 2.3 kg, the BenQ GS50 is one of the most portable 1080p Full HD projectors you can buy. There’s a streaming stick that runs Android TV other than the multiple ports, including a convenient Type-C port, that allows you to connect your smartphone. You can take comfort in the IPX2 splash proof factor that protects the projector from an unexpected drizzle. It’s also drop proof (up to 2.3 feet). BenQ promises about 2.5 hours of battery life on Eco mode. More than the picture quality, it’s the sound quality that is the wow element of this projector. The built-in 2.1 channel audio features dual 5W midrange tweeters with a powerful 10W woofer. Rs 82,618
SOUND NO BAR
Samsung has positioned its newest soundbar as the world’s first built-in wireless Samsung Smart TV-to-soundbar Dolby Atmos connection. The Samsung Soundbar 330W 3.1.2ch S801B: boasts of an ultra-slim design featuring a 39.9mm profile, and also includes a compact subwoofer. You get an immersive audio experience with three channels, one subwoofer channel, and two up-firing channels. We dig the Adaptive Sound feature; the soundbar analyses the sound signal to automatically deliver an optimised sound based on each scene. This cool feature also picks dialogues on low volumes. You can also control your soundbar with Alexa or stream music straight off your smartphone or tab, thanks to Apple AirPlay 2 support. Rs 44,990
Reproduced with permission from Mansworldindia.com
