Gadgets Weekly: Dell Alienware m18 R2 series and more

Technology companies Dell, Asus, BenQ, Samsung and others launched smartphones, computers, projector, smartphones and more this week (March 11-17, 2024).

DH's Gadgets Weekly edition lists the latest personal technology products to keep you abreast of everything that's happening in the world of consumer electronics.

Dell Alienware m18 R2 laptop

Dell Alienware m18 R2 laptop series.

It sports a massive 18-inch QHD+ display with hardware-based low blue light Comfort View Plus technology and supports 165Hz refresh rate, to deliver for immersive viewing experience.

Under the hood, it latest 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processors and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, which is more than enough to perform most of the tasks be it work or playing graphics-rich games.

It also boasts proprietary Alienware Cryo-Tech cooling technology, which includes quad ultra-thin fans that pull air through seven copper heat pipes and out 5 vents, for smoother gaming sessions.

It supports up to 10TB of SSD storage and 64GB of DDR5 memory, ensuring high performance and low latency during gaming sessions.

Dell's latest PC houses an ultra low-profile CherryMX keyboard with an improved haptic experience and has a total key travel of 1.8mm.

It also comes with a new Alienware Command Centre 6.1 (AWCC 6.1), an upgraded FHD webcam with HDR support, an AI-powered far-field microphone, and next-gen connectivity with Wi-Fi 7 capabilities. It costs Rs 2,92,490 on Amazon, the official Dell e-commerce site, Dell retail stores and select retail outlets in India.

Samsung AI Ecobubble smart fully-automatic front-loading washing machine

Samsung AI Ecobubble washing machine 2024 series

It sports a modern design with a rear control panel and comes in black.

It features proprietary Q-BubbleTM and QuickDriveTM technologies to ensure proper washing of clothes and consume less time.

The Q-Bubble technology combines dynamic drum rotation with additional water shots to create more abundant and powerful bubbles for faster detergent penetration.

And, the QuickDrive tech reduces wash time by up to 50 per cent and this cuts power consumption to a great extent.

It also boasts AI Wash sensors, which enable the washing machine to sense the weight of the load and optimise the amount of water and detergent required. It can also detect the softness of the fabric and adjust the wash and spin times to protect it.

AI EcobubbleTM washing machines can be monitored and controlled anytime and anywhere through the Samsung SmartThings smartphone app. These come with personalisation features such as Habit Learning and Informative Display that remember a consumer’s usage habits, suggest cycles and display timely information. Samsung SmartThings offers additional wash programmes including advice on cycles, planning and troubleshooting. It also automatically selects the perfect drying course.

Depending on the model, its price ranges between Rs 67,990 and Rs 71,990.

BenQ W5800 4K projector

BenQ W5800 4K projector

The new BenQ W5800 series can project True 4K(3840 x 2160) image quality on a Large ALR screen with up to 100-inch size. It can support up to 2600 ANSI lumens brightness and 1700 lumens in 100% DCI-P3 colour accuracy.

The new TV projector is capable of achieving a high contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 with dynamic black, enhancing visual depth. With the 2D Lens shift feature, the projector will be able to deliver perfectly straight edges without loss of resolution.

It features 1.6x optical motorized zoom, which enables customers to place the projector in different available spots in a room. It will be able to deliver high-quality motion picture projection on the screen without pixel decay or latency that can occur with digital zoom.

It also supports ARC/eARC for lossless transmission of audio signals up to 7.1 channels and Dolby Atmos. It costs Rs 6,500,000 in India.

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304MA)

Asus Zenbook 13 OLED (2024).

The new Zenbook S 13 OLED features an all-metal chassis, measuring just 1 cm thin and weighs just 1 kg. The company has used recycled metals and plastics, and the device also features eco-friendly plasma ceramic aluminium with U.S. military-grade durability certification.

It flaunts a four-sided NanoEdge design with 85 per cent screen-to-body ratio. It has a 13.3-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED display with 600-nit peak brightness.

Inside, it comes equipped with up to Intel CoreTM Ultra 7 Processor-155U, Intel Graphics and a 63Wh lithium-polymer battery. It supports up to 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory and 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs. Connectivity features include Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and Wi-Fi 6E. It also comes with a full HD 3DNR IR camera and ErgoSense TouchPad.

The price of the Zenbook S 13 OLED series ranges between Rs 1,29,990 and Rs 1,41,990. It comes with Windows 11 OS and a lifetime subscription to MS Office 2021 Home and Student.

Asus Vivobook 15 (2024) series.

Vivobook 15 is a little bigger than the Zenbook series and comes with MIL-STD 810H certification. It measures 17.9mm thickness and weighs 1.7kg.

It sports a 15.6-inch full HD LCD IPS panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It comes with Intel Core U-series processors, featuring 10 cores and 12 threads. It comes with up to 16GB DDR4 RAM(3200MHz), 512GB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and a 42Wh lithium-polymer battery.

Additionally, it comes with a 720p HD webcam featuring a physical privacy shutter and precision touchpad (PTP) technology with support for up to four-finger smart gestures.

It also comes with USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-C) ports and two USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm combo audio jack. It also features ASUS Antimicrobial Guard Plus for protection from viruses and bacteria.

Asus Vivobook 15's price ranges between Rs 49,990 and Rs 67,990. It comes with Windows 11 OS and a lifetime subscription to MS Office 2021 Home and Student.

Voltas brings new air conditioners

Voltas' new Smart IOT AC series.

Voltas earlier in the week introduced six new ACs. Among them, three units are 5-star Inverter Split ACs and three are 3-star Inverter Split ACs.

They come with five-state adjustable modes. It offers preset cooling by adjusting the inverter compressor's running frequency based on the number of occupants in the room and the ambient temperature.

With Voltas Smart mobile app, customers can control the modes and also monitor the energy consumption of the ACs. It also supports Internet-of-Things (IoT) tech and allows users to control the ACs with smart speakers (with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant).

Also, the new Voltas ACs can operate with less noise as low as 28dB (decibels).

The price of Voltas' new Smart IOT ACs ranges between Rs 40,000 and Rs 60,000.

Samsung Galaxy A55 and A35 series

Samsung Galaxy A35 and A55 series.

Samsung unveiled Galaxy A55 and A35 series phones earlier in the week.

Both the new Galaxy A35 and A55 feature the same design language. They sport a 6.6-inch full HD+ super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and vision booster technology. And, on the back, they feature a triple camera module.

But, the new smartphones differ in terms of processor and camera hardware.

The Galaxy A55 features Exynos 1480 octa-core processor, 8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage and a triple-camera module-- main 50MP (f/1.8, autofocus, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation) backed by 12MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2) and 5MP macro camera (f/2.4) with LED flash on the back. It also features a 32MP (f/2.2) front camera for selfies and video calls.

Galaxy A35 5G comes with an Exynos 1380 octa-core processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage and a triple-camera module-- main 50MP (f/1.8, autofocus and OIS: Optical Image stabilisation) backed by 8MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2) and a 5MP macro camera (f/2.4) with LED flash on the back. On the front, it houses a 13MP camera (f/2.2).

The new Galaxy A55 comes in three configurations--8GB RAM +128GB storage, 12GB RAM + 128GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 36,999, Rs 39,999 and Rs 42,999, respectively.

The new Galaxy A35 comes in two configurations--8GB RAM +128GB storage, and 8GB RAM + 128GB storage -- for Rs 27,999, and Rs 30,999, respectively.

Acer's Air Conditions

Acer AC series.

Indkal Technologies, the official licensee of the Acer brand in India launched a new line of air conditioners.

They come with a minimalistic design and feature LED display. The new Acer ACs boast Arctic Wrap Cooling technology and promise reliable cooling at homes in areas with temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius.

With intelligent AiSense technology, these machines can provide adaptive cooling based on the ambient temperature, and reduce overall energy consumption, and electricity bills and also there is low noise.

Depending on the variant, the prices range between Rs 28,999 and Rs 44,999.

Samsung to kick off Holi festival sale next week in India (March 15-26)

Samsung Holi 2024 festival sale.

During the 10-day festive season, Samsung will offer up to 60 per cent off on select models of the Galaxy S series, Galaxy A series, and flagship models of the Galaxy Z Series.

Consumers can also avail up to 45 per cent off on GalaxyBook laptop models such as Galaxy Book4 360, Galaxy Book4 Pro, Galaxy Book4 Pro 360, Galaxy Book Go, Galaxy Book3 Ultra, and Galaxy Book3.

Also, Samsung's Galaxy tablets, wearables and accessories will be available with up to 55 per cent discount.

On premium televisions, Samsung is offering up to 48 per cent off with an additional exchange benefit of up to Rs 15,250. Consumers buying select models of Neo QLED will also get an assured special gift of a 50-inch Serif TV series.

Even other home appliances such as refrigerators will get up to 49 per cent off, on select models and may also get exchange benefits of up to Rs 15,125.

Select models of the Samsung Windfree AC series will be available at up to 39 per cent discount with an additional 5 per cent off on the purchase of two or more ACs.

On select models of the Ecobubble range of fully automatic washing machines, Samsung will be offering 50 per cent off with exchange benefits up to Rs 15,125.

There are also discounts on microwave ovens, smart PC displays and gaming monitors.

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