Gadgets Weekly: Samsung’s new dishwasher, Sony earbuds and more

Technology companies such as Samsung, Google, Microsoft, Portonics, Sony, Oppo, and Nokia, among others launched new smartphones, smart display, tablets, smart dishwashers, tyre inflators and more this week (January 10-16).

. 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.

. Samsung dishwasher

. The new Samsung dishwasher series is said to be developed specifically for Indian kitchens. It boasts an IntenseWash programme that can clean even the toughest of the stains including grease, leftover oil, burn stains from kadhai as well as other cookware. They come with stainless steel tub designed to transmit less noise and handle much higher temperatures for sterilising rinses.

. It features 13 place settings that can accommodate a large variety of dishes of different sizes in one wash cycle. The Height Adjustment option allows large pots and pans that are common in Indian kitchens to be accommodated easily.

. Furthermore, it boasts a smart leakage sensor that protects from any water leaks. It immediately stops the cycle, drains the water and shows an error message if any leakage is detected.

. Also, it comes with a large and wide LED display that is easy to read. Owners can quickly check the status, settings, remaining time and cycle progress at a glance, even from a distance. They can effortlessly monitor and control the washing performance.

. The new Samsung dishwasher series comes in two variants—stainless steel silver and white colours at a special price of Rs 38,990 and Rs 35,990 respectively. They will available during the ongoing Amazon Great Republic Day sale campaign (January 16-20).

. Portronics Vayu air inflator

. The new air inflator can support up to 150 PSI pressure, depending upon the vehicle and object type. Also, the device comes with a function where it can change the pressure unit from PSI to any other preferred unit (bar, kPA, kg/cm2) which is a standalone feature of the device.

. Also, the device can fill up a tyre in mere nine minutes which is faster than the usual tyre filling time. Portronics Vayu can auto-detect the pressure and stop once it sense, the pressure reaches the limit, and users can set it manually too as per their convenience. It comes with four intelligent modes for everyday needs.

. It comes with a 4,000mAh battery with 50Watt power output. It comes with a Type-C fast charging cable and a digital display with an LED interface. It costs 2,899.

. Oppo A16K

. It features a 6.52-inch HD+ (1600 × 720p) display with Waterdrop Notch, up to 480 nits brightness, and is protected by corning Gorilla Glass 3 shield and also, comes with triple slots— (nano SIM-1 + nano SIM-2 + microSD card).

. Oppo A16K comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Inside, it comes with 12nm class 2.3GHz MediaTek Hello G35 octa-core processor with IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU, 3GB LPDDR4x RAM, 32GB eMMC 5.1 storage (expandable up to 256GB), Android 11-based ColorOS 11.1 OS, and features a 13MP (f/2.2) camera with LED flash on the back, a 5MP (f/2.4) snapper on the front and a 4,230mAh battery. It comes in three colours— black, white, and blue— costs Rs 10,490.

. Nokia’s new earbuds

. Nokia Lite Earbuds BH-205 promises to deliver studio-tuned sound quality powered by 6 mm audio drivers. It can offer up to 36 hours of playtime enabled by the two 40 mAh batteries in each bud (with 6 hours on one charge) and an additional 30 hours with the 400 mAh battery in the charging case. The Bluetooth 5.0 allows the earbuds to connect with a wide range of devices. With just a few easy-to-use touch commands, users can make or answer calls, play music, or pause it. These earbuds also support Smart Voice Assistants – Siri and Google Assistant.

. The new Nokia Wired Buds WB 101 offers superior audio quality with rich and clear sound, enabled by a 10 mm efficient driver and passive noise isolation features. The in-line mic ensures clarity during voice calls and easy control with a simple press function. The buds also support Smart Voice Assistants - Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant. It has an ergonomic design that comprises of angled acoustic tubes for a comfortable fit that comes in 3 sizes to ensure a custom fit. For convenient usage, the Nokia Wired Buds come with a non-tangle soft flat cable, a 135° audio jack for durability and a cable clip for the stability and prevention of noise.

. Sony WF-C500 earbuds

. It supports Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) for unparalleled sound and calls quality. It promises a long-lasting battery life of up to 20 hours for calls and uninterrupted music playback. It comes with IPX4 rating and can sustain accidental water splashes, and sweat during heavy workouts. It offers a trouble-free and effortless listening experience with easy control buttons. It costs Rs 5,990.

. Must read | Sony WF-1000XM4 review: Exceptionally good earbuds

. Soundcore

. The new wireless earbuds come in a glossy case with Carbon Fibre Pattern finish. The new Life Note 3 TWS promises to deliver thumping sound by its custom 11mm composite drivers. The exclusive Bass Up Technology further intensifies bass in real-time.

. The TWS headset works wirelessly up to 10m range with a power-packed battery life of up to 35 hours. The TWS supports multi-mode noise cancellation, a distraction-free listening experience that syncs the noise cancelling as per the location for an optimized experience. Transport, Outdoor, and Indoor modes (can be switched via Soundcore app) are tailored to block out irritating background noises in each environment.

. The TWS earbuds offer three different transparency modes – full, vocal and enhanced vocal mode. The Transparency mode keeps the user aware of the surroundings. It is designed for the moments when being fully absorbed in music or phone call isn’t ideal. For instance, hear the traffic or the knock on the door. The earbuds can be controlled via the Soundcore app. The app allows users to create an EQ profile and choose from 22 different EQ settings.

. Furthermore, Life Note 3 noise-cancelling earbuds have 6 microphones and an exclusive algorithm to tune out background noises for a better calling experience. The TWS also supports Gaming mode, which can be activated via the Soundcore app for an immersive audio experience. “Find my headset’ can be activated on the Soundcore app to find the lost earbud; that will emit a loud noise to help locate the missing earbud. It costs Rs 7,999.

. Optoma UHZ50 4K UHD laser projector

. It is said to come with a long-lasting laser engine with a life span of up to 30,000 hours and IP6X certified optical design.

. Also, it boasts enhanced Gaming mode is even more enhanced, not only with the 240Hz refresh rate but also with extremely low input lag down to 4ms at 1080P (16.9ms @4K 60Hz).

. The advanced panoramic view at 21:9/32:9 aspect ratios and the eARC audio support also allow the truly immersive experience. With smart features such as Optoma Marketplace, Creative Cast and File Manager apps, and connectivity to a voice assistant, Optoma UHZ50 brings multimedia entertainment to the next level. UHZ50 can be flexibly installed with the 1.3x zoom, vertical lens shift, and be freely adjusted with 4-corner correction and warping with a 3x3 matrix.

. It supports 3480x2160 4K UHD resolution with HDR mode brightness adjustment and offers a peak brightness of 3,000 ANSI lumens with a contrast ratio of 2,500,000: 1 and the device’s noise doesn’t go beyond 26 decibels. It comes with two HDMI 2.0 ports, one HDMI 2.0 port with eARC, support HDCP 2.2 and two USB ports. It costs Rs 3,99,999.

. Must read | Motorola Moto G71 5G with Snapdragon 695 silicon launched in India

. Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen

. The new Nest Hub 2 flaunts an edgeless glass display design language with no visible housing plastic. It makes it easy for users to clean and also if they have a good number of memorable family photos, they can be uploaded to the device and make it function as a beautiful digital photo frame. Its sensors are capable of understanding the light conditions of the room and automatically adjust the temperature of colours on the screen so the photos aren’t too bright or too dim.

. A notable aspect of the new Google device is that it is made using recycled materials with its plastic mechanical parts containing 54 per cent recycled post-consumer plastic. The new Google Nest Hub 2 is said to offer 50 per cent more bass than the original Nest Hub. It costs Rs 7,999.

. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

. Samsung earlier in the week launched the new Galaxy S21 FE 5G in India with prices starting at Rs 49,999. It comes with 6.4-inch full HD+ (2340 x 1080p) dynamic AMOLED Display. It supports 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz Touch Sampling Rate in Game Mode, Eye Comfort Shield with AI-based blue light control, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus shield on top and also comes with IP68 rating. It also features an in-display optical fingerprint sensor and dual-SIM slots (in select markets), USB Type-C audio, stereo speakers, surround sound with Dolby Atmos, and Samsung Pay with NFC.

. Under-the-hood, it comes with Android 12-based One UI 4 OS, Exynos 2100 octa-core CPU, 6GB/8GB RAM with 128GB/256GB storage, 4,500mAh battery with 25W fast charger, a triple-camera module-- main 12MP camera (with Dual Pixel AF, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation), f/1.8) + 12MP Ultra Wide camera (f/2.2; Field-of-View: FoV: 123-degree) + 8MP telephoto camera ( f/2.4, PDAF: Phase Detection Auto Focus, OIS, 3X Optical Zoom, 30X Space zoom) with LED flash on the back and a 32MP (f/2.2, FOV: 80-degree) on the front.

. Must read | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: First impression

. OnePlus 10 Pro

. It comes with 6.7-inch (3216 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD+ 3D flexible curved AMOLED (LTPO 2.0) with support for adaptive 1Hz-120Hz refresh rate, in-screen fingerprint sensor, dual SIM slots, 4nm class Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, by 8GB/12GB RAM LPDDR5 with 128/256GB (UFS 3.1) storage and Android 12-based ColorOS 12.1 OS (in China), triple camera module—48MP (1/1.43-inch Sony IMX789 sensor, f/1.8, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation)+ 50MP 150-degree ultra-wide (1/2.76-inch Samsung JN1 sensor) + 8MP telephoto sensor (f/2.4 aperture, OIS 3.3x optical zoom) with LED flash on the back, a 32MP (Sony IMX615 sensor, f/2.4) snapper for selfies and a 5,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging. Its prices start at ¥4699 (approx. Rs 54,490).

. Microsoft Surface Pro X

. Microsoft’s tablet sports a 13-inch PixelSense (2880x1920p) display with a pixel density of 267 pixels per inch, 8GB/16 GB RAM (LPDDR4x), 128/256/512GB (SSD), and the device can last up to 15 hours of normal usage. They come with custom-built Microsoft -Qualcomm SQ silicon series. The company is offering two SQ 1 with Adreno 685 GPU and SQ 2 with Adreno 690 GPU processor options.

. It runs on Windows 11 OS and come with Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial. They also feature firmware TPM chip for enterprise security and BitLocker support, enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing), 5MP front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video, 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD and 4k video, Dual far-field Studio Mics, and 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio sound. Its price starts at Rs 93,999.

. Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

. It features a 10.5-inch (pixel) WUXGA(2000×1200p) TFT display, 12nm class 2.0Ghz UNISOC T618 octa-core chipset, Mali G52 MP2 GPU, Android 11-based One UI OS, 3GB RAM/4GB RAM with 32GB/64GB internal storage (expandable up to 1TB), MP camera with autofocus on the back, a 5MP sensor on the front and a 7,040mAh battery with a 15W charger in-box. Samsung 's new tablet's prices start at Rs 17,999.

. OnePlus 9RT

. Though there is no official word on when the OnePlus 10 Pro may come to India, the company has an affordable version— OnePlus 9RT series.

. OnePlus 9RT 5G comes with a 6.62-inch full HD+ (1080 x 2400p) fluid AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, pixel density of 397 ppi (pixels per inch), in-display fingerprint sensor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 silicon backed by Adreno 660 graphics engine with Vapour Chamber cooling system, Android 11-based OxygenOS 11, 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB (UFS 3.1) storage, triple camera module— 50MP (with Sony IMX766 sensor, 1μm pixel size, f/1.88, OIS)+ 16MP 123-degree ultra-wide camera (Sony IMX481 sensor, f/2.25, EIS) + 2MP 4cm macro camera ( f/2.4) with LED flash on the back, a 16MP front snapper and a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging support. Its prices start at Rs 42,999.