Technology majors such as Amazon, Apple, GoPro, LG, Sony, Xiaomi, and Flipkart among others launched new smartphones, tablets, camera, smart TVs, gaming console and related accessories such as a smart plug, smartwatches, earphones, and more this week (September 13-19)
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.
GoPro Hero9 Black
GoPro launched the new flagship rugged compact camera Hero9 Black. It comes with new sensor for 5K Video recording, 20MP Photos and HyperSmooth 3.0 video stabilisation, front-facing Display, larger rear-display, Max Lens mod accessory brings Max HyperSmooth and Ultra Wide-Angle Max SuperView.
GoPro Hero9 Black features a 1.4-inch front color display with live preview and status modes larger 2.27-inch rear touch display with touch zoom, 30% more battery life than Hero8 Black with improved cold-weather performance, removable, rechargeable battery, HyperSmooth 3.0 with in-camera horizon leveling, TimeWarp 3.0 featuring Real Speed and Half Speed, 1080p Live Streaming, 1080p Webcam mode, power tools: HindSight, LiveBurst, Scheduled Capture and Duration Capture, SuperPhoto + HDR Night lapse video, RAW photos, Digital lenses, voice control with 14 commands in 11 languages + 6 accents, three microphones with advanced wind-noise reduction, Stereo + RAW audio, sarger speaker for improved audio playback, removable lens cover, built-in folding mounting fingers, rugged + waterproof to 33ft (10m), compatible with Max Lens Mod, Light Mod, Display Mod and Media Mod. Video support: 5K at 30 frames per second (fps), 4K at 60 fps, 2.7K at 120fps, 1440p at 120fps, 1080p at 240 fps and more. It costs 49,500 and will be available in global markets including India in early October.
Also, Max Lens Mod, which costs Rs 10,500 boasts Max HyperSmooth video stabilization and low-distortion, ultra-wide Max SuperView to HERO9 Black at up to 2.7K at 60 fps. Max Lens Mod also allows for horizon lock even when the camera is rotated a full 360-degree.
The new Hero9 Black-compatible Mods also include the Media Mod for Hero9 Black (Rs 8,400), now with a removable foam windscreen; Display Mod (Rs 6,900); and Light Mod (Rs 4,700).
Max Lens Mod will be available globally starting October. The Media Mod for Hero9 Black and Display Mod will be available starting September 16. The Light Mod is currently available on GoPro.com as well as at select retailers.
Toshiba 4K smart TVs
Japanese consumer electronics major Toshiba launched seven new 4K LED smart TVs ranging from 43-inch to 65-inch, one 43-inch full HD and 32-inch HD. The price range between Rs 66,990 and Rs 12,990.
They come with the Full Array Local Dimming TV technology, peak brightness of 700-nits, HDR effect, Wide Colour Gamut technology, select models including U79 will have Motion Estimation and Motion Enhancement (MEMC) technology, Colour Re-master PRO technology restores the original, natural color of the image, Dolby Atmos,
Toshiba TVs feature the VIDAA interface and also Amazon Alexa voice-assistant support. The top-end 4K U79 and U50 series boast CEVO 4K HDR Engine, AMR+ technology, meaning Active Motion Resolution’s complex that captures the smallest of details of fast-moving objects, the Toshiba Ultimate 4K LED TVs also comes with 5G Support with built-in Dual-band Wi-Fi. Consumers can experience 5G speeds on your TV for that effortless 4K streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and more, the company said.
Furthermore, Toshiba Remote Now App is available across Android and iOS, so users can operate the Toshiba TVs through phones. Depending on the models, there will minimum of three or four HMDI ports and two USB ports if not more.
Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony's new WH-1000XM4 supports Hi-Res Audio for a full range of frequencies up to 40kHz, features Speak-to-chat Smart listening technology to enhance the listening experience.
It houses the SENSE ENGINE Customize music settings as per the preferred location with the location recognition feature. Over time, Adaptive Sound Control learns to recognize locations that the user frequently visits, such as the workplace, the gym, or a favourite café, and tailors sound to suit the situation. It offers battery life up-to 30 hours and quick charge for 10 min to get five hours playback.
Furthermore, it supports Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri enabled (built-in) access music, information, and much more. Sony WH-1000XM4 also can connect up to two devices for calls and music and supports LDAC and DSEE Extreme to upscale compressed digital music files in real-time.
"WH-1000XM4 headphones deliver Sony’s best noise cancelling performance, reducing high and mid-frequency sounds. The headphones feature two microphones on each earcup, which are used for noise cancelling. The Dual Noise Sensor technology captures ambient noise and passes the data to the trusted HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1. Then a new BLUETOOTH® Audio SoC (System on Chip) senses and adjusts to music and noise at over 700 times per second. Using a new algorithm, the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 applies noise cancelling processing in real-time. This allows the user to focus more on the music they love and blur out all the chaos of the outside world," the company said. It comes in black and silver colours for Rs. 29,990 from September 18 onwards. It can be bought for an introductory price of Rs 28,490 for a limited time.
Flipkart MarQ smart TVs and smart speakers
With the festive season soon begun in India, Walmart-owned Flipkart launched three new MarQ smart TVs--32-inch HD and 43-inch full HD and 43-inch 4K Ultra HD.
All three come with pretty much the same features. They run Android 9.0 smart TV OS, Retina-safe display technology, 20W speakers with Dolby Audio surround sound (total harmonic distortion is less than 1%), Custom picture and audio tuning and Chroma Display Engine, Vivid Pro 4K technology + HDR 10 (only in 4K model), Built-in Chromecast, Dual-band Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz/5GHz (in 4K model only), MediaTek CA53 Quad-Core Processor, Mali 470 GPU, Bluetooth 5.0, 3 HDMI ports (4K version has 4 ports) , 2 USB ports (4K version has 3 ports), 8 GB storage, 1GB (4K version 1.5RAM). The new MarQ smart TV prices start at Rs 11,999.
Flipkart also unveiled the new MarQ smart speakers with Google Assistant (also supports Hindi). It offers personalized organizer, weather and traffic updates, Bluetooth enabled to enjoy music through various compatible music streaming apps such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and TuneIn along with a free 3-months subscription to JioSaavn Pro, sound output with 2x stronger wattage and far-field voice recognition technology. It costs Rs 3,499.
Infinix Note 7
Infinix Note 7 comes with 6.95-inch HD+ (1640 x 720p) with 20.5:9 Infinity-O 2.5D curved glass display with 1.5% screen-to-body ratio, 450 nits brightness, 12nm class MediaTek Helio G70 octa-Core (2GHz Cortex-A75 x 2 + 1.7GHz Cortex-A55 CPU x 6), ARM Mali-G52 2EEMC2 GPU, Android 10-based XOS 6.0, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage (expandable), triple slots (nano SIM + nano SIM + microSD), quad-camera module-- main 48MP (f/1.79 aperture) + 2MP macro lens (40mm) + 2MP depth (f/2.4 ) + low-light sensor (f/1.8 ) with quad-LED flash, a 16MP AI selfie camera and a 5,000mAh battery with video playback of 20 hours and support 18W super charger, wherein the phone can fully charge from zero to 100 per cent under two hours. It costs Rs 11,499.
Panasonic smart TVs
Panasonic launched a new HX range of televisions and all the new models are made in India. The HX series features four new models – HX700, HX635, HX625 and HX450 with screen size ranging from 43-65 inches. Along with the HX series, eight new models ranging from 24 inches to 65 inches have also been introduced to cater to first time buyers.
The new HX range TVs boast dynamic picture (Hexa Chroma Drive), powerful sound (built-in Home theatre & Audio Booster+), and a smart (Android) 4K viewing experience.. The pricing of 43-inch models of HX625, HX635 and HX700 starts at Rs 42,990 onwards. HS450 and HX450 is available exclusively across our online platforms on Flipkart and Amazon.
OnePlus Q1 TV series now available on Flipkart
OnePlus forayed into the Indian market in 2014 and since then, Amazon has been the sole e-commerce partner in the country. Now, for the first time ever, OnePlus has officially collaborated with Flipkart to offer the premium Q1 smart TV series.
OnePlus TV comes in two variants-- Q1 and the Q1 Pro. There is only one big difference between the two. The latter comes with a built-in motorised 50W output speaker with front-firing eight speakers--two woofers, three tweeters, and four full-range drivers. The rest of the features are the same for both TVs.
The new OnePlus TV Q1 series models come with a 55-inch custom-made 4K QLED screen, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos system, Google-certified Android TV 9.0 OS and is powered by Gamma Color Magic processor. The OnePlus TV Q1 series price starts at Rs 69,900.
Must read | OnePlus Q1 TV series: All you need to know
Amazon Alexa-power Smart Plug
Smart Plug is said to be developed exclusively for the Indian market and comes with a 3-pin socket design, 6A power rating and a state retention feature, which ensures that appliances go back to their last state (on/off) in case of a power outage and resumption. Amazon Smart Plug supports most of the kitchen and home appliances in India including such as lamps, table fans, electric kettle, room coolers, televisions, mobile chargers, air-purifiers, soundbars, etc.
With the Amazon Smart Plug, customers can add smart control to their existing appliances by pairing the smart plug with a compatible Alexa device (like Echo smart speakers) for hands-free voice control. It costs Rs 1,999. If the consumer buys Echo Dot, they can claim the Smart Plug for Rs 999.
Read more | Here's how to set up Amazon Smart Plug
Apple Watch Series 6, Watch SE series
Apple's new Watch Series 6 comes with an S6 chipset, which is developed based on the iPhone 11 series' processor A13 Bionic (System-on-Chip). It is said to be 20 per cent faster and offer all-day battery life.
The USP of the new Watch Series 6 is the SpO2 monitor. It tells the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body, and this shows how well this oxygenated blood is being delivered to all organs and muscles throughout the body. Also, it boasts an always-on altimeter.
It has an always-on Retina LTPO OLED display (1,000 nits brightness), a U1 chip (ultra-wideband), ECG (Electrocardiogram), Irregular heart rhythm notification, Fall Detection, W3 wireless chipset, second-generation optical heart rate sensor and water-resistant up to 50 meters.
It has a U1 chip and Ultra-Wideband antennas, which will enable short-range wireless location to support new experiences, such as next-generation digital car keys.
The company also says that the Apple Watch Series 6 offers faster charging, completing a full charge in under 1.5 hours, and improved battery life for tracking certain workouts, such as indoor and outdoor runs.
On the other hand, the new Watch SE comes with the same design as Series 6, but everything is different. It features ceramic and sapphire crystal casing with a Retina LTPO OLED display having 1,000 nits brightness. It will be powered by S5 SiP (System-in-Package) with 64-bit dual-core processor, altimeter, Fall detection, W3 wireless chipset, second-generation optical heart rate sensor, Irregular heart rhythm notification, and water-resistant (up to 50 meters).
Both the Watch SE and Watch Series 6 come in two sizes-- 44mm and 42mm. They will be offered with GPS only and GPS+LTE--with prices starting at Rs 29,900 and Rs 40,900, respectively.
Must read | Apple Watch Series 6, SE: Everything you need to know
Apple iPad Air 4, iPad 8 series
Apple iPad Air 4 comes with a 10.9-inch LED-backlit Liquid Retina display, a new six-core A14 chipset, the world's first 5nm class processor architecture, 12MP wide-angle snapper with ƒ/1.8 aperture on the back, 7MP FaceTime HD camera, offers 10 hours of battery life of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi or watching videos up to 9 hours of surfing the web using a cellular data network. Its price starts at Rs 54,900 (64GB).
On the other hand, the Apple iPad 8 features a 10.2-inch LED-backlit Retina display, A12 Bionic chipset, 8MP wide-angle camera, 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera, and can offer up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi or watching video up to 9 hours of surfing the web using a cellular data network. Its price starts at Rs Rs 29,900.
Read more | Apple iPad 8, Air 4: Everything you need to know
Sony PlayStation 5
The new Sony PlayStation 5 comes with a custom processor and graphics engine to offer the immersive gaming experience with high-fidelity visuals, including 4K graphics, ray-tracing support, ultra-super-fast SSD with integrated I/O for lightning-fast loading of games. Sony console retail box also includes the new DualSense Wireless Controller.
As far as the price is concerned, PS5 Digitial Edition will cost $399.99/¥39,980/€399.99/£359.99 in respective markets, while the PS5 Blu-Ray Drive model will set you back by $499.99/¥49,980/€499.99/£449.99 (MSRP).
Read more | Sony PlayStation 5: Everything you need to know
LG Wing
Unlike the Microsoft Surface Duos, which come with conjoined screens held by a hinge in the middle, LG Wing has two panels placed on top of each other. And the top main screen can rotate to 90 degrees clockwise, transforming from normal mobile to a T-shape screen.
The primary display has a 6.8-inch full HD+ (2,460 x 1,080p) P-OLED full vision panel with a 20.5:9 screen ratio and below it, there is a smaller 3.9-inch G-OLED secondary screen with a 1.15:1 aspect ratio. This unique form factor allows users to multitask such as watch videos on YouTube or any multimedia streaming application on the main screen in landscape mode ( or LG like call it Swivel mode) and type messages in the secondary display below.
Have to say, this LG Wing falls in a niche segment and the company needs to collaborate with app developers to create value-addition to its peculiar design form factor.
Other features specifications of the LG Phone include Android 10-based LG Q OS and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G octa-core processor, triple-camera module-- 64MP (f/1.8) + 13MP ultra-wide angle lens (f/1.9) + 12MP ultra-wide big pixel (f/2.2), a 32MP (f/1.9) front snapper and a 4,000mAh battery. The price will be revealed during local launch events in the coming weeks.
Must read | Everything you need to know about LG Wing
Xiaomi Redmi 9i
Xiaomi Redmi 9i comes with 6.53-inch HD+ LCD display, 12nm class 2.0GHz MediaTek Helio G25 octa-core, Android 10-based MIUI 12, 4GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage (expandable up to 512GB via microSD card), and a 5,000mAh, which is more than enough to keep the phone running two days under mixed usage.
It also boasts a 13MP main camera with AI portrait mode, document scanner, kaleidoscope, and a 5MP front camera AI Portrait mode. Its price starts at Rs 8,299.
Read more | Xiaomi Redmi 9i: All you need to know
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