Gadgets Weekly: Amazon Astro robot, Dyson Air Purifier, Oppo A55 and more

Technology companies such as Amazon, Samsung, Oppo, Sonos, Sony, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo among others, launched new smartphones, smart TVs, smart wearables, earphones, voice recorder, and more 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.

Amazon Astro Of all the new gadgets Amazon unveiled this Tuesday (September), Astro, the home robot with Alexa voice assistant garnered the most attention among tech enthusiasts and prospective consumers alike.

. The interest in Amazon Astro stems from the fact it kind of resembles the adorable Wall-E robot of the multi-Academy Award-winning animation movie with the namesake.

. "Astro is a new and different kind of robot, one that’s designed to help customers with a range of tasks like home monitoring and keeping in touch with family. It brings together new advancements in artificial intelligence, computer vision, sensor technology, and voice and edge computing in a package that’s designed to be helpful and convenient," the company said.

. Astro features well-designed wheels at the base and a big display panel that features cute eyes animation. It is more like an advanced version of the feature-rich Amazon Show 10 model, which came with a rotating display.

. Here, Astro can move around with the owner at home and offer the latest information on weather, real-time updates on sports, set a reminder or alarm, control Internet-of-Things (IoT) gadgets and even make video calls, do most of the chores the current crop of table-top Echo smart speakers do.

. A key differentiator is that Astra can work as a guard inside the house. It can move autonomously around the home, navigate to check in on specific areas. It can also show a live view of rooms through the Astro app, or even send alerts if it detects an unrecognised person.

. If the owner wants to see if the stove is on or to confirm that have all the ingredients needed for dinner in the pantry while he/she is still at the store. The user can send Astro to check or use its built-in periscope camera to take a better look.

. As part of Amazon’s Day 1 Edition early device programme, Astro will be made available in the US to select customers with invites for $999.99.

. Amazon Glow Amazon Glow looks like a slim compact coffee machine with a screen. It is an innovative interactive projector-cum-video-calling device.

. It fuses projection, video, and sensing technologies to create a virtual experience that feels like being together in person, no matter how far the loved one is.

. For instance, a child can interact with grandparents far away and play puzzles or read stories with them or draw doodles on the virtual screen right in front of the screen.

. The person on the other side just has to install the Amazon Glow app on the phone to interact with children.

. Amazon also offers GlowBits accessory free with the device for a limited time. It comes with a popular Tangram puzzle game with actual physical pieces. With this, the child can complete the puzzle, and thanks to deeper integration with Amazon Glow, the in-built projector can beam virtual animation of completed puzzle art, which comes to life in 3D on the projection mat.

. Amazon Glow is available at an introductory, early access price of $249.99 (MSRP of $299.99). For now, it is available only in the US.

. Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool (HP07) and the Dyson Purifier Cool (TP07) Dyson launched two new air purifiers-- Purifier Cool and Purifier Hot+Cool.

. The new air purifiers not only meet the filter standards of the HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) H13 standard but the whole machine as well.

. They are capable of capturing H1N1 virus and 99.95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns such as allergens, bacteria, virus, pollen and mould spores.

. "Dyson engineers took a forensic approach to achieve a fully-sealed machine, creating high-pressure seals at an additional 24 critical points to prevent dirty air from bypassing the filters and carrying pollutants back into the room," said the company.

. Also, they are quieter than their predecessors. The machines have been re-engineered to be 20% quieter. To achieve this noise reduction, the company said Dyson engineers refined the overall airflow path by widening the aperture (slot in which the air exits the machine) and its geometry was improved. This reduces the amount of friction between the air and the surface of the machine, resulting in less sound.

. They also boast Dyson Air Multiplier technology. With this, the machine can project purified air to every corner of the room. The auto mode enables the machine to maintain a preferred room temperature and air quality levels, while the machine can be entirely controlled by the Dyson Link App and activated by voice control.

. The new Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool is the only air purifier and heater in one. It promises to offer fast, safe, efficient heating and can be used all year round. It can purify continuously and warm users throughout the colder months. With Self-regulating ceramic plates positioned at the front of the loop, heat the air as it leaves the machine. As the plates heat up, they conduct less electricity to help ensure they do not overheat.

. With thermostat control, once your target temperature is reached, the machine automatically stops heating, which saves energy. If the temperature starts to drop, it reactivates to maintain it.

. The Purifier Cool and Purifier Hot+Cool cost Rs 45,900 and Rs 55,900, respectively. Both come in two colours--Black-Nickel and White-Silver.

. Oppo A55 It comes with 6.51-inch HD+ (1,600x720p) display and offers up to peak brightness of 550 nits, 60Hz refresh rate, 120Hz touch sampling rate and is protected by NEG T2X-1 glass shield. It has a triple-slot tray and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor as well.

. Under-the-hood, it houses a 12nm class 2.3GHz MediaTek Helio P35 (MT6765) octa-core chipset with IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU, Android 11-based ColorOS 11.1, 4GB/6GB LPDDR4X RAM with 64GB/ 128GB eMMC 5.1 storage (expandable), and a 5,000mAh battery with 18W charger in-box.

. It also comes with a triple camera module-- main 50MP (f/1.8) + 2MP (f/2.4) macro + 2MP (f/2.4) depth camera with LED flash on the back. It also features a 16MP (f/2.0) camera on the front.

. Oppo A55 will be available in two colours--Starry Black and Rainbow Blue. It comes in two variants-- 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage-- for Rs 15,490 and Rs 17,490, respectively.

. Sony ICD-TX660 voice recorder It comes with a lightweight and ultra-thin design to carry in a pocket. It features a 16GB built-in memory for extended recording, improved digital stereo mic for high-quality recording, improved larger OLED screen, brighter REC LED, and USB Type-C port for charging.

. It has a built-in cell, which promises to offer up to 12 hours of battery life. It costs Rs 11,670.

. Sonos Beam It features four full-range woofers, which ensures the playback of mid-range vocal frequencies plus deep, rich bass. One tweeter creates a crisp and clear dialogue.

. It houses three passive radiators to help move air around inside the compact Sonos Beam and add warm sound to the bass. With adjustable bass and treble controls, users can customise the sound by individual room or groups of rooms.

. Sonos Beam also comes with five Class-D digital amplifiers perfectly tuned to match the speaker drivers and acoustic architecture. Additionally, it has five far-field microphone array used for advanced beamforming and multi-channel echo cancellation.

. When the microphone LED is on, Beam is ready for a voice command. When the light is off, the microphone is off.

. It has auto-switching 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz AC universal input, and one 10/100 Mbps ethernet port. With this, users can connect the wire directly to the router to operate the Sonos if Wi-Fi is unstable.

. It supports Apple AirPlay 2 on Apple devices [iOS 11.4 and higher]. Sonos Beam can playback all of your TV audio, once set up with the Sonos app is complete. One can stream audio from TV, movies, video on demand, music, radio, video games, audiobooks, and podcasts. It costs Rs 43,999.

. Must read | Samsung launches Galaxy F42 5G with MediaTek SoC in India

Linksys E9450 Dual Band WiFi 6 router It comes with the latest OFDMA and MU-MIMO in WiFi 6 technology. It can cover up to 2,500 square feet at speeds up to 5.4 Gbps. The router can also support up to 40 devices, all competing for the same bandwidth, without any interference for continuous 8K video streaming, social media, and uninterrupted use of heavy apps.

. It houses a powerful 1.5 GHz tri-core processor, 256MB Flash, and 512MB RAM that supports multiple, simultaneous activities across all wired and wireless interfaces. It can support 1Gbps WiFi speeds for blazing-fast streaming and downloading to client devices that support 160MHz bandwidth.

. The Linksys Dual-Band AX5400 WiFi 6 EasyMesh Router E9450 with the best coverage for 1 to 2-bedroom homes, costs Rs 14,999.

. The two-pack version of the product, E9452 is also available at an introductory price of Rs 28,999 and provides good WiFi 6 coverage for 2 to 3-bedroom homes.

. Must read | Flipkart brings Nokia QLED smart TVs, PureBook S14 series to India

Flix Blaze Lite 100 and Lite 110 series earphones Blaze Lite 100 comes in black for Rs. 1499. The neckband features a sporty look with 10mm drivers for an HD Sound experience and a long battery life of up to 7 hours. With a 110 mAh battery, the neckband offers a swift 1.5-hour charging time. It also comes with a stylish and snug-fit design for long hours of use.

. Additionally, the feature-rich neckband offers voice control via Google Assistant and Siri. Also, the neckband offers dual pairing and an actual Hassle-free experience.

. On the other hand, Blaze Lite 110 is available in red for Rs 1,399. The neckband sports a secure fit, light on collar design for everyday use. It has 14.2mm Large drivers, which promise to produce high-detail sound giving the user the ultimate musical experience. The advanced neckband comes with a playtime of up to 7 hours and can be recharged in about 2-hours’ time.

. The ergonomically designed Blaze lite neckbands feature magnetic ear tips that keep the earphone together when not in use. They feature Bluetooth Version 5.0 and enable a transmission range from up to 10m in a barrier-free area.

. Samsung M52 5G It comes with a 6.7-inch full HD+ (1080×2400p) super AMOLED Plus screen, 6nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset, Adreno 642L GPU, Android 11-based Samsung One UI 3.1, 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB UFS 2.1 (expandable up to 1TB), support 12 bands of 5G, Samsung Pay (NFC), Knox security system, and a 5,000mAh battery with 25W charger in-box.

. As far as the photography hardware is concerned, it features a triple-camera module-- 64MP (f/1.8) + 12MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide-angle camera + 5MP (f/2.4) macro camera with LED flash on the back. It also houses a 32MP (f/2.2) front camera. Its price starts at Rs 29,999.

. Must read | Samsung M52 5G: All you need to know

iQOO Z5 It features a 6.67-inch full HD+ (2400x1080p) LCD screen with a 120Hz display refresh rate and up to a sampling refresh rate of 240Hz.

. Inside, it houses a 6nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon Snapdragon 778G octa-core processor (with 5G modem) It is backed by Adreno 642L graphics engine, backed by Android 11-based Funtouch OS 12, 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM with 128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1) storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 44W charger out-of-the-box.

. As far as the photography hardware is concerned, it comes with a triple-camera module-- 64MP main camera (with Samsung GW3 sensor, f/1.79 ) and is backed by an 8MP 119-degree Ultra Wide lens ( f/2.2) and 2MP (f2/2.4) macro sensor with LED flash. On the front, it features 16MP (f/2.45) snapper. Its price starts at Rs 23,900.

. Must read | iQOO Z5: All you need to know

Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G Xiaomi 11 Lite NE (New Edition) 5G comes with a 6.55-inch full HD+ (1080 × 2400p) AMOLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate, offers a peak brightness of 800nits, support Dolby Vision, HDR10+.

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Xiaomi 11 Lite NE features a 6nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G octa-core processor, Adreno 642L GPU, backed by liquid cool technology. It runs Android 11-based MIUI 12.5 OS (three major OS update + 4 years of security support) with 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128GB UFS 2.2 storage (expandable memory up to 512GB) and a 4,250mAh battery with 33W charger in-box.

. As far as the photography is concerned, it features triple-camera module-- main 64MP (f/1.79) + 8MP (f/2.2) 119-degree ultra-wide sensor + 5MP (f/2.4) tele-macro macro camera with Contrast AF (3cm-7cm) with LED flash on the back. On the front, it features a 20MP (f/2.4) camera. Its price starts at Rs 26,999.

. Must read | Xiaomi Mi Lite NE 5G: First impression

Vivo X70 Pro series

. The new Vivo X70 Pro comes in two variants-- standard X70 Pro and X70 Pro+. They share a similar design language but differ in terms of internal hardware. They come with powerful processors, upgraded camera hardware, and moreover the predecessors. The price starts at Rs 46,990.