Orbital

When will 5G come to India? And what should I expect? COAI director general Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar and Deloitte India telecom sector leader Peeyush Vaish join Gadgets 360 reviews editor Jamshed Avari and host Akhil Arora to offer their expert insight. Expect an initial rollout by August 2022, Kochhar says, though it won’t be at the same time for everyone. After all, India needs 8 lakh new towers for 5G, in addition to 1.5 lakh we have today. Moreover, the approach must be different for rural vs urban areas. Along the way, we delve into how 5G is a lot more than an upgrade to 4G. It allows for dozens of B2B applications (revenue for operators), and new government rules afford more freedom with B2C applications. 5G is set to change cars, gaming, weapon systems, telemedicine, and the Indian Railways. Fire up the episode to discover why. What you pay hence will depend on what you want out of 5G. Beyond the obvious B2B and B2C, there are a lot of acronyms in this episode. Here’s a quick guide to the most u

Looking to buy new headphones? You have come to the right place. Gadgets 360 audio guru Ali Pardiwala and Headphone Zone founder and CEO Raghav Somani join host Akhil Arora to offer up their expert advice. We discuss the minimum you need to spend to get good earphones and headphones, why the Rs. 10,000 price bracket is really interesting, and what you get when you pay for top-end cans. Read: The best active noise cancelling headphones and earphones in India We dispel layman misconceptions along the way, from the promise of hi-res audio to why headphones that reproduce sound well aren’t always the best. We also briefly dive into the world of drivers — don’t worry we won’t put you to sleep. Along the way, we tell you what you should avoid, and what you can get at different price points, as we namecheck several models that are the pick of the lot. Read: The best true wireless earphones in India Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com Chapt

The Galaxy S22 and OnePlus 10 series are nearly here. Why then are we getting new entries in the old series? Gadgets 360 deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo and senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto join host Akhil Arora to discuss the Galaxy S21 FE and OnePlus 9RT. Read: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G first impressions: riding the wave We put the new Samsung phone up against the S20 FE — Samsung is switching from Snapdragon to Exynos here — and talk about why that might be a better option. Later, we wonder how the launch of 9RT will impact the OnePlus 10 series, why the OnePlus 9 is effectively dead, and touch upon OxygenOS being taken over by ColorOS. Read: OnePlus 9RT 5G first impressions: a beautifully crafted powerhouse Along the way, we delve into why these new Samsung and OnePlus phones are launching now — and the alternatives you might wish to consider. Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com Chapters Intro (00:00) Shared thinking (00:27) S21

Xiaomi is kicking off 2022 with the 11i HyperCharge 5G that offers 120W fast charging. Wait, what? Xiaomi India chief business officer Raghu Reddy, senior marketing manager Sandeep Sarma and product marketing manager Rahul Dubey join Gadgets 360 reviews editor Jamshed Avari and host Akhil Arora to take us behind the scenes. We discuss why Xiaomi is pushing for the bonkers 120W figure, how fast charging — sorry, HyperCharge — works on the 11i, concerns around battery safety and longevity, and why wireless charging is lagging behind. Along the way, we delve into what Xiaomi India learnt from 2021, how user demands and component price increases are changing the phone industry, and whether Xiaomi India will continue to offer 4G phones. Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com Chapters Intro (00:00) Xiaomi’s 2021 in India (00:31) What sells, what’s desired (04:34) 5G vs 4G phones (10:23) The 11i HyperCharge (13:24) 120W fast charging (18:37) Char

It’s been a big year for gaming, be it the next-gen consoles, industry malpractice revelations, or the games themselves. Gadgets 360 chief sub-editor and gamer Shayak Majumder and industry insider and Orbital veteran Rishi Alwani join host Akhil Arora to talk about the year of 2021 in gaming. Read: Gadgets 360’s favourite games from 2021 We discuss our favourite games from the year that was, the struggles to get your hands on a PS5 and Xbox Series X in their first year of launch, and how that’s likely to change in 2022. We also touch upon the various reports of sexual harassment and abusive workplaces at major gaming studios. And we close out by discussing our hopes and dreams for 2022. Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com Chapters Intro (00:00) Our favourites (00:44) Cross-play still lag (07:34) Next-gen consoles (15:01) Demand is there, but… (20:21) Bombshell issues (26:28) Exciting for 2022 (33:52) Outro (48:21) Photo credits: Anee

A new foldable is in the house, though sadly it won’t be in stores anytime soon. Gadgets 360 deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo and senior reviewer Aditya Shenoy join host Akhil Arora to talk about the Oppo Find N. We discuss how the Find N compares to the foldable leader, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. The hinge sits flush and offers multiple angles, the battery is bigger, and the display is shorter but wider (less annoying black bars in video). Read: Oppo Find N first impressions But it lacks an IP rating, ample software optimisation, and under-display camera (though that is good). Some of that is because the Find N is only launching in China. That said, it does have gestures and intuitive tricks like the Fold 3. Along the way, we delve into its many cameras, and speculate why Oppo is not bringing the Find N to India. Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com Chapters Intro (00:00) vs Galaxy Z Fold 3 (00:24) Hinge and heavy (07:06) UI and

The end of 2021 is nearly here, and it’s time to take a look back. Gadgets 360 reviews editor Jamshed Avari, deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo, senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto and techARC founder Faisal Kawoosa join host Akhil Arora to talk about the best phones of 2021. We discuss if phones have become boring: 5G chips are leading to feature compromises, supply chain constraints mean brands have to play it safe, and the industry has become increasingly commoditised. Read: The best smartphones of 2021 That said, there is innovation happening in foldables, with Samsung leading the charge. And despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, buyers inched upwards the premium ladder in 2021, Kawoosa notes. Along the way, we touch upon the best phones that didn’t make it to India, and delve into what we want and expect from smartphones in 2022. Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com Chapters Intro (00:00) Are phones boring? (00:28) Trends, trends (03:

It’s only been five months since the Redmi Note 10T, and its successor is already here. Gadgets 360 senior reviewer Aditya Shenoy and deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo join host Akhil Arora to talk about the Redmi Note 11T 5G. We discuss why Redmi — along with its parent Xiaomi and the likes of Realme — refresh their phones so soon, how different models of different phones overlap one another, and hence why there isn’t much to set them apart. Read: Redmi Note 11T 5G review But the Note 11T is also hobbled due to other factors. With chip shortages and supply chain constraints driving the price of components up, Redmi has had to compromise on features here. For one, we’re going from a 120Hz AMOLED to 90Hz LED display. And while the Note 10T could record 4K video, the Note 11T can’t. And it only has dual cameras at the back, which can be enough but they aren’t here. Is this what happens when manufacturers go all out on a new-age 5G chipset? Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube

Qualcomm Snapdragon is now simply Snapdragon, as the company looks to new frontiers and rebrands itself in more than one way. Gadgets 360 reviews editor Jamshed Avari and senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto join host Akhil Arora to talk about Snapdragon’s new 2022 chips. We discuss why Snapdragon is shifting to the 8 Gen 1 nomenclature (it ran out of numbers?), what its new 18-bit ISP camera tech means for most users, and whether it can deliver on some suspect AI-based features it’s touting. We touch upon Snapdragon’s renewed push for Windows on ARM with 8cx Gen 3. While Apple is now all in, it hasn’t worked out historically on Windows. The 5nm chip — available in the first half of 2022 — looks promising though, as always. We delve into Snapdragon’s new (handheld) gaming ambitions with the G3x. This seems like a response to Nintendo Switch (Nvidia) and Steam Deck (AMD) where Qualcomm clearly missed the boat. First, it needs to create a market for itself among developers. And we close out by addressing the elep

The American holiday season is in full swing — and it’s time for deals galore. Gadgets, clothes, subscriptions, you name it. Gadgets 360 community manager and deals expert Harpreet Singh joins host Akhil Arora to talk about all things Black Friday 2021. We discuss how you can shop Black Friday deals while sitting in India, the things you should know about shipping and customs, and the best product categories that are worth exploring. Read: The best Black Friday 2021 deals We touch upon the early Black Friday deals we have seen at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target — and the plethora of video gaming offers from Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, and Epic Games that are also available. Along the way, we look at why you shouldn’t hang around too long on a good deal this year, and what you can expect from Black Friday’s counterpart Cyber Monday. Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com Chapters Intro (00:00) What is Black Friday? (00:22) How can Ind

There’s a new PUBG in town — there’s no creative naming this time, to get around the bans and the controversies — and it’s already crossed the 10-million download mark in less than a week. Gadgets 360 deputy video head Cyrus John and in-house PUBG expert Robin John join host Akhil Arora to discuss PUBG: New State. We talk about what the return of the PUBG moniker means to Indian players. Though frankly, it’s the return of international servers that is arguably more important. You can play PUBG with the world again. Read: PUBG: New State first impressions We delve into how it compares to PUBG Mobile, I mean Battlegrounds Mobile India — it looks better (close to PC), and plays a bit different (you’ve drones, EV cars, and the gameplay is more realistic). But will players migrate? Gamers have invested a lot of time and money in PUBG Mobile. And there’s less incentive for pros as well, given BGMI players can qualify for e-sports at the 2022 Asian Games. Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and

Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot in one Netflix movie. Made with a budget of $200 million (about Rs. 1,489 crores). What could go wrong? Turns out, everything. Gadgets 360 deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo joins host Akhil Arora to discuss Red Notice. We talk about what the superstar trio bring to the film — Red Notice is all about them and no one else, with audiences turning up to see what they do best. Naturally, they are not playing characters, but a version of themselves. Read: Red Notice review And though Reynolds supplies plenty of one-liners and Gadot charms her way through Red Notice, the action in what is meant to be an action comedy is entirely forgettable. Plus, you never feel like you’re there on location. What did Red Notice do with its $200 million, beyond the $20 million (about Rs. 149 crores) salaries paid to the three stars? Along the way, we touch upon Johnson’s career and how that affects this film, and delve into Netflix’s desperate hunt for an action franchise. Follow

It’s finally here — the fruits of Jio and Google’s partnership have come home this Diwali with a new entry-level phone that Reliance hopes will be the 4G smartphone for everyone. Gadgets 360 video producer Aditya Nath Jha and senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto join host Akhil Arora to discuss the JioPhone Next. We talk about the phone’s 5.45-inch 720p display and the 1.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 quad-core processor, neither of which is class-leading. The JiPhone next is also stuck with Android Go — rebranded here as Pragati OS — though thanks to Google, the camera’s AI processing is definitely class-leading. Watch: JioPhone unboxing, in Hindi But there are problems elsewhere too. The JioPhone Next must have Jio as its primary SIM, Jha tells us, while the secondary SIM is restricted to 2G network. So much for Reliance’s ‘2G-Mukt Bharat’ vision. And though Jio is bringing EMIs (that can also be paid in cash) to low-cost phones with the JioPhone Next, there are catches. With the most affordable EMI plan, the J

Nokia brand licensee HMD Global has launched a list of smartphones and feature phones in India in the last one year. But how it is planning to take on the likes of Realme and Xiaomi? We discuss. Gadgets 360 senior reviewer Aditya Shenoy joins host Akhil Arora to talk about the past, present, and future of Nokia phones in India with HMD Global VP for India and MENA Sanmeet Singh Kochhar. Kochhar tells us about the different Nokia smartphone series that are aimed to target a variety of Indian consumers. He also talks about the newly launched Nokia XR20 and encourages our listeners to drop the phone to test its ruggedness live. We also discuss on the ongoing ‘Make in India’ moves by HMD Global and how it is doing research and development (R&D) natively in the country. Kochhar also reveals plans to start importing Nokia phones from India to global markets. Apart from phones, HMD Global also has accessories under the Nokia brand. Kochhar tells us that there are plans to launch the Nokia T20 tablet in India

Time to go Pro — Apple announced two new MacBook Pros with its new powerful chips M1 Pro and M1 Max this week, alongside Pro-like features for the new AirPods and a Siri-driven Apple Music plan. Okay, that last one may not be Pro. Gadgets 360 reviews editor Jamshed Avari and deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo join host Akhil Arora to discuss the MacBooks and the chips. We talk about what Apple is promising with the M1 Pro and M1 Max, and why they can’t be compared directly to laptop chips by other manufactureres like Intel and AMD. We dive into the pricing for the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, which might seem incredible but there’s more to it. Along the way, we touch upon the good (ports are back!) and the bad (Jamshed rants about the notch). Later, senior reviewer Ali Pardiwala hops on to talk about the third generation of AirPods with Roydon and Akhil. Ali explains how useful the Pro-like features are, be it spatial audio, head-tracking, or the supposed “superior” codec. We delve into the long-

Realme isn’t just a leading smartphone brand anymore — it’s also number one in tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and ANC earphones (on Flipkart). How did this happen? We hear it from the horse’s mouth. Madhav Sheth, Realme VP and CEO for Realme India, Europe and Latin America joins Gadgets 360 reviews editor Jamshed Avari and Orbital host Akhil Arora for a wide-reaching conversation. Sheth talks about why Realme is making so many products, some that are not even connected to its Internet of Things ecosystem, why Realme and other brands are so big on 5G chipsets, and their plans for the new Realme GT series that expanded this week with the GT Neo 2. Along the way, Sheth touches upon Realme’s Make in India push that he hopes will move beyond “Assemble in India”, and why Realme doesn’t have different local and global strategies. It’s about understanding the consumer — someone in Mumbai and Madrid might be more similar than next-door neighbours. Sheth also dicusses deceiving marketing tactics from companies, and a

Vivo’s new flagship smartphone, coming just six months on from the previous one, improves upon every problem we had with its predecessor. Gadgets 360 senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto and deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo join host Akhil Arora to discuss the Vivo X70 Pro+. We talk about its double USP: the X70 Pro+ offers optical image stabilisation (OIS) on all four rear cameras, and the ultra-wide lens also has gimbal stabilisation that does GoPro-like horizon levelling. It’s quite cool. Read: Vivo X70 Pro+ Review Along the way, we touch upon Vivo’s imaging chip V1 (that is used for night-mode photography, the Zeiss-branded photo modes, and gaming), and the hybrid Funtouch and Origin OS offering (the latter, heavy on widgets, was exclusive to China). The big question though, is whether the X70 Pro+ can be recommended — given it’s priced at nearly Rs. 80,000, alongside the iPhone 13 and the Samsung Galaxy S21+. And does Vivo intend to sell it, or is it a halo product like Xiaomi’s perpetually-unavailable

India’s festive season is here — and with it, comes the return of Amazon’s month-long sale event, the Great Indian Festival, starting October 2 for Prime members and October 3 for everyone else. Amazon India consumer electronics category leader Akshay Ahuja speaks to host Akhil Arora to give us insight into the Great Indian Festival. We discuss what customers can expect across the month of October (a lot of new launches!), and how they can enhance their shopping experience (you can shop with Alexa, and on Amazon in eight languages). Read: How to find the best deals at Great Indian Festival Ahuja talks about the trends and challenges Amazon India has seen during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with the lockdown impacting the Great Indian Festival last year, and which categories have seen higher interest during the pandemic. Along the way, we touch upon how Amazon prepares for these big sales, and how it deals with “high-velocity” items such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X. Follow Gadgets 360 on F

Surface, surface everywhere. Microsoft announced a bunch of new hardware this week — with the highlights being the Surface Pro 8, Surface Go 3, Surface Duo 2, and Surface Laptop Studio. Gadgets 360 senior reporter and Orbital producer Jagmeet Singh and reviews editor Jamshed Avari join host Akhil Arora to discuss all four new Microsoft devices. We talk about how the Surface products are about setting the vision for what Microsoft wants Windows 11 hardware to be. The Surface Pro 8 — priced as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro at $1,100 — brings much-needed upgrades with 120Hz refresh rate, better performance, longer battery life, and Thunderbolt ports. While the Surface Go 3 is the poorer cousin of Pro 8, with Microsoft billing it as a family device. Read: Surface Laptop Studio, Pro 8, Duo 2, and Go 3 launched The Surface Laptop Studio, on the other hand, is meant to be a halo product, not practical for most to buy. Starting at $1,600 for the Intel Core i5 variant, it goes up to i7 and Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti. The USP th

They are here — Apple announced the iPhone 13 series this week, alongside two (surprise) new iPads and the Apple Watch Series 7. And they are all on pre-order now, except the new Watch. Gadgets 360 reviews editor Jamshed Avari and IDC India research director Navkendar Singh join host Akhil Arora to discuss everything from Apple’s California Streaming event. We talk about what the iPhone 13 prices mean for India, how they will offer a boost for older models (that are also getting price cuts), and why India being in the first wave of launches is important (hello, festive season sales). Read: Is iPhone 13 the best new reason to buy an iPhone 12? We delve into the 2021 iPad 9th-gen refresh (it’s boring but will be the one most buy), and the massive iPad mini update that takes a lot after the redesigned iPad Air. But we wonder who it’s for, beyond the industry use cases that Apple is hoping for.p> Read: New iPad and iPad mini launched Lastly, we touch upon the disappointing Apple Watch Series 7 announcement,