Qualcomm recently announced a collaboration with boAt to launch the very first Snapdragon Sound-compatible audio device in India, the Nirvana Eutopia 2 Pro headphones. The commercial availability of the device is still a few months away, so I got my hands on the EarFun Air Pro 4+, a pair of TWS earbuds that proudly wear the Snapdragon Sound badge, and can be bought off Amazon India for just about Rs 8,999. It's not a high price to pay, as I discovered over the course of my review. I'll excuse you if you haven't heard of EarFun before, but let me tell you – they do promise a lot of fun for your ears.


Snapdragon Sound, in case you're unaware, is a premium audio technology from Qualcomm that promises a pristine aural experience for audiophiles and delivers Hi-Res and lossless sound via compatible devices.

Design: smooth, matte and easy to carry

Features: a lengthy list

• Qualcomm QCC3091 SoC
• Codec support: aptX Lossless, aptX adaptive, LDAC, Auracast, LC3
• 10mm Dynamic drivers
• Bluetooth 6.0
• Adaptive Hybrid (50dB) ANC
• IP55
• Fast charging, wireless charging
• Google Fast Pair
• Multipoint connection
• AI translation

App and connectivity

Audio, performance and battery life

Verdict

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros:

• Great sound quality
• Advanced codec support
• Loaded with features
• Good battery life

Cons:

• ANC could be better
• Touch controls are iffy

The first Redmi Turbo-series smartphone, the Redmi Turbo 5, has debuted in India. Positioned as a performance-focused powerhouse, the handset is designed to handle intensive multitasking and gaming without slowing down. To support this claim, Redmi has equipped the Turbo 5 with its fastest processor yet, its largest battery, and one of its brightest displays. The handset is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra SoC, sports up to 3,500 nits bright AMOLED display, and houses a 7,540mAh battery.

While its true capabilities will be evaluated in our full review, here are our first impressions of the Redmi Turbo 5 after spending some time with the device.

Design: practical and durable

The Redmi Turbo 5 adopts a modern design with flat edges and two individually housed rear camera rings, giving it a clean and minimalist look. The camera rings feature Redmi Pixel Matrix for light effects for notifications, gaming, charging, and more. The smartphone is available in two colour options: Turbo White, Nitro Blue, and Asphalt Black. We received the Nitro Blue variant, which has a cool, understated aesthetic and a matte finish that does a good job of resisting fingerprints and smudges.

The smartphone delivers a premium in-hand feel, thanks to its glass back panel and aluminium frame. The build feels reassuringly solid, giving the impression that it can withstand the occasional bump or drop during everyday use. Adding to its durability credentials, Redmi claims the Turbo 5 comes with flagship-grade protection, including an IP69K rating for resistance against high-pressure and high-temperature water jets. The handset also carries IP69, IP68, and IP66 certifications for protection against water and dust ingress.

Measuring 157.5 x 75.2 x 8.2mm, the Redmi Turbo 5 feels relatively compact for a smartphone in its segment and sits comfortably in the hand. While its 204-gram weight isn't particularly light, the device feels well-balanced and never cumbersome during use. The power button and volume rocker are positioned on the right edge within easy reach, while the USB Type-C port is located at the bottom, flanked by the speaker grille and SIM card tray. The top end features an IR blaster for remote control of home appliances.

One area where the Redmi Turbo 5 could have been better is its optical in-display fingerprint scanner. Positioned quite low on the display, it doesn't feel as natural or convenient to use as an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner placed higher up, where the thumb would typically rest while holding the device. That said, this is an understandable compromise considering the smartphone's pricing.

What is harder to overlook is the bundled protective case. While the accessory itself feels sturdy and well-made, its design doesn't complement the phone's colour scheme, making it look somewhat out of place and taking away from the otherwise cohesive aesthetic of the device.

Specifications: speak volumes

The Redmi Turbo 5 features a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a centred punch-hole cutout. The panel offers a 1.5K resolution, Dolby Vision, a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support and a peak brightness of up to 3,200 nits, making it one of the more impressive displays in its segment on paper. The display is surrounded by razor-thin bezels, which help maximise the screen-to-body ratio and contribute to a more immersive viewing experience when watching videos, gaming, or browsing content. There is Corning Gorilla Glass 7i guarding the display.

During our brief time with the device, the display delivered a pleasing visual experience with vibrant colours and good sharpness. However, we will be putting it through more rigorous testing across a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions to evaluate its brightness, colour accuracy, and overall performance in our full review.

Under the hood, the Redmi Turbo 5 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra SoC, paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage. On paper, the hardware package appears well-equipped for the segment and should comfortably handle demanding multitasking, gaming, and everyday workloads.

The chipset previously made its debut on the Xiaomi 17T, where it delivered a strong balance of performance and efficiency for its target audience. As a result, expectations are high for the Redmi Turbo 5, particularly when it comes to sustained gaming performance and handling resource-intensive tasks. To keep temperatures in check and minimise thermal throttling during extended sessions, Redmi has equipped the smartphone with a 3D Ice-Loop Cooling system that features a large 5,300mm2 heat dissipation area.

Powering the Redmi Turbo 5 is a massive 7,540mAh silicon-carbon battery, which should comfortably deliver extended battery life even for power users. The smartphone supports 100W wired fast charging, allowing users to top up the battery quickly when needed. It also offers 27W wired reverse charging, enabling the device to function as a power bank for charging compatible smartphones, accessories, and other gadgets on the go.

Binding everything together is Xiaomi's latest HyperOS 3 skin atop Android 16 out of the box. The company promises several features with the software, including intuitive design, Xiaomi HyperIsland, Lock Screen personalisation, and cross-ecosystem experience, among other things. The cameras don't look like it's a major USP, but they should be serviceable, thanks to the 50MP Sony IMX882 primary sensor with OIS+EIS and 8MP ultrawide lens. The front camera is a 20MP shooter for selfies and video calling.

Other features of the smartphone include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth v6.0 for wireless connectivity. The Redmi Turbo 5 also sports an IR Blaster.

My takeaway...

The Redmi Turbo 5 leaves a strong first impression as a smartphone that prioritises performance and endurance above everything else. The handset gets several fundamentals right, including a comfortable in-hand feel, robust durability credentials, and modern connectivity options. Furthermore, its combination of strong build, upper mid-range chipset, a large battery, and bright display makes it a compelling package for power users and mobile gamers alike. 

However, specifications only tell part of the story. The Redmi Turbo 5 is priced in India starting at Rs 37,999. In this segment, the handset's closest competitor seems to be the Motorola Edge 70, which may not have a massive battery capacity but packs a variant of the same chipset used on the Redmi smartphone. While our initial impressions are that the Redmi Turbo 5 has all the ingredients of a strong contender in its segment, we'll reserve our final judgement for the full review.

For the longest time, Windows on ARM gaming has carried a reputation that wasn't exactly flattering. Great battery life? Absolutely. Impressive efficiency? Sure. But gaming? That usually meant crossing your fingers, hoping your favourite title would launch, and then praying the emulation layer wouldn't throw a tantrum halfway through.

So, when I walked into NVIDIA's gaming showcase at Computex 2026, I carried a healthy amount of scepticism with me. A few demos later, I walked out thinking something I never expected to say: I had stopped thinking about the processor altogether. And for Windows on ARM, that's probably the biggest compliment I can give.

The games looked good, but that's not what impressed me

NVIDIA's gaming demos revolved around a handful of blockbuster titles, with Pragmata and Black Myth: Wukong taking centre stage. Neither game is exactly known for being lightweight, making them ideal showcases for RTX Spark's capabilities. Both demos ran with DLSS and Multi Frame Generation enabled, allowing NVIDIA's AI-powered rendering technologies to shoulder a significant portion of the workload.

The company understandably kept the performance overlay hidden, so there was no official FPS counter for anyone to scrutinise. But after years of reviewing gaming laptops and monitors, I'd comfortably estimate both titles were running somewhere around the 45 to 50 FPS mark.

More importantly, though, they felt smooth. Camera movement was fluid, combat remained responsive, and I never encountered the kind of hitching or micro-stutters that typically remind you a game is fighting through an emulation layer behind the scenes. NVIDIA's latest DLSS 4.5 implementation, complete with improved Ray Reconstruction and Multi Frame Generation, was clearly doing a lot of heavy lifting, but that's precisely the point.

Modern graphics technology isn't just about pushing raw silicon harder anymore. It's about making smarter use of the hardware available. Halfway through my Black Myth: Wukong session, I realised I wasn't wondering whether ARM could handle the game. I was simply playing it.

Fortnite quietly stole the entire show

Ironically, the biggest highlight of NVIDIA's gaming demo was Fortnite. I'm much more of a VALORANT player myself, but I still enjoyed a few matches on the RTX Spark system. And if your first thought was "Can it run VALORANT?", hold your horses. Riot Vanguard still doesn't support Windows on ARM, so Riot's shooter remains off the table for now. Even so, this demo gave me real hope that the gap is finally starting to close.

On paper, Fortnite running on ARM might not sound like headline material. In reality, it's a huge deal. For years, Windows on ARM's biggest hurdle wasn't graphics performance but anti-cheat compatibility, with kernel-level solutions like Easy Anti-Cheat and BattlEye often refusing to work properly through translation layers.

NVIDIA seems determined to fix that. The company is working alongside Microsoft, game developers, and security providers to improve ARM compatibility, while Microsoft's Prism translation layer continues to make x86 games feel increasingly seamless. It may not be the flashiest announcement from Computex, but cracking anti-cheat support could be the breakthrough that finally brings mainstream multiplayer gaming to Windows on ARM.

RTX Spark feels like more than just another processor

On paper, RTX Spark is an impressive piece of engineering, combining a 20-core Grace CPU, Blackwell-based RTX graphics, and a unified memory architecture to seamlessly juggle AI workloads, creative applications, and gaming. But after trying it firsthand, I found myself caring less about the specifications and more about how effortlessly everything just worked.

That's perhaps the biggest achievement here. I never caught myself thinking, "This is good... for ARM." While I'd still reserve final judgment until retail devices arrive, the combination of DLSS 4.5, Prism, and improving anti-cheat support makes RTX Spark feel less like an experiment and more like a genuinely exciting new direction for portable gaming.

RTX Spark is about far more than gaming

Gaming was only one piece of NVIDIA's showcase. The company also demonstrated AI-assisted image generation inside Adobe Photoshop, intelligent video editing workflows in Premiere Pro, AI debugging tools for developers, and a range of local AI experiences that highlighted just how versatile RTX Spark can be. Even more impressive was the fact that these laptops maintained virtually identical performance whether plugged in or running on battery power, showcasing the efficiency benefits of the underlying ARM architecture rather than forcing users to choose between speed and endurance.

Even so, the gamer in me walked away most excited about the gaming demos. I'm not suggesting anyone will buy an RTX Spark laptop purely to play Fortnite or Black Myth: Wukong, but NVIDIA has undeniably chipped away at many of the barriers that have held ARM gaming back for years. Better translation, smarter rendering, and meaningful anti-cheat support paint a future that suddenly feels a lot more believable. And if I can spend an entire demo forgetting that I'm gaming on ARM, then perhaps that's the biggest sign yet that ARM gaming has finally grown up.

The Xiaomi 17T (review) and Vivo X200T (review) are both sub-Rs 60,000 smartphones that aim to deliver flagship-grade camera performance without the flagship price tag. While Xiaomi leans on its Leica partnership to enhance the photography experience, Vivo continues to rely on the Zeiss optics that have helped the X-series build a strong reputation among mobile photography enthusiasts. However, in doing so, both phones take slightly different approaches, with the Xiaomi 17T opting for a mid-range chipset instead of the sub-flagship processor found in the Vivo X200T.

How these differing philosophies translate into real-world usage is what we aim to find out in this comparison. Unlike our previous specifications-based comparison, this article focuses on everyday performance, camera experience, battery life, and usability to help you determine which smartphone is the better fit for your needs.

Design and in-hand feel

Both smartphones offer a design identical to their respective flagship offerings. However, corners have been cut on the Xiaomi 17T. Although you can't tell by looking at it, the handset boasts a plastic frame. The Corning Gorilla Glass 7i display protection on the smartphone is also inferior to the vanilla Xiaomi 17. That said, the Xiaomi 17T still feels sturdy and is IP68 water and dust resistance certified.

The Vivo X200T carries nearly the same build quality and durability as the Vivo X200. The handset features an aluminium frame. The display protection glass may have been swapped for Schott Sensation Core glass instead of Corning Gorilla Glass, but it has IP68, and a premium in-hand feel remains unchanged. 

While the Vivo X200T is marginally taller, it is not as broad as the Xiaomi 17T. This makes the Vivo smartphone relatively easy to handle, hold, and reach those far corners with minimum finger gymnastics with just one hand. The handset also feels easier to unlock with its ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, positioned naturally where the thumb would rest, as opposed to lower down the screen on the Xiaomi 17T, which uses a relatively slower optical fingerprint scanner for security.

However, if looks matter more than ergonomics, the Xiaomi 17T should be your pick. The handset exudes a cleaner look with its relatively compact, squarish camera module, matching the colour scheme of the smartphone.

Cameras

[comparative-benchmark type="6000" products="41546,41713,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The Xiaomi 17T and Vivo X200T are both camera-focused smartphones, but they take slightly different approaches to delivering top-tier photography in their segment. One of the most noticeable differences lies in their camera partnerships. Xiaomi has teamed up with Leica to fine-tune the imaging experience on the 17T, while Vivo continues its long-standing collaboration with Zeiss on the X200T.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-review03.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/01/Vivo-X200T-review04.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="Vivo X200T"]

Both devices offer a wide range of shooting modes and features within their camera apps. The Vivo X200T feels more feature-rich, with numerous AI-powered photography tools and additional shooting options aimed at enthusiasts. The Xiaomi 17T, on the other hand, takes a cleaner approach, offering a more intuitive and user-friendly camera interface that makes it easier to access key controls and modes.

Individually, we have observed that the Xiaomi 17T camera looks more versatile with a triple 50MP setup, including a 5x periscope telephoto lens that you won't find even on more expensive smartphones. The enhanced telephoto lens proves its worth with strong zoom performance, though images can sometimes appear soft or over-processed.

[smartslider3 slider=2134]

As for the rest of the setup, the images look crisp and vibrant across cameras. The Leica Authentic mode provides more natural colours and stronger contrast at the expense of some shadow detail. Additional Leica features, including Leica Ultra Pure optics, Live Moments, and creative shooting modes, enhance the photography experience. Selfies from the 32MP front camera tend to look soft with slightly oversaturated colours.

The Vivo X200T, on the other hand, offers a capable and visually appealing camera system, even though it ships with a 3x periscope telephoto lens instead of 5x. The handset's image processing favours punchy colours, strong contrast, and eye-catching results over strict realism, producing sharp photos with reliable exposure and good dynamic range in most conditions. The 3x telephoto camera performs well for portraits, creating pleasing background separation, although Vivo applies noticeable beautification that softens facial details.

[smartslider3 slider=2044]

A standout aspect of the X200T is its 32MP front camera, which captures detailed selfies with natural-looking skin tones and good clarity. Low-light performance is also impressive, with effective lens flare suppression, controlled noise levels, and solid detail retention after dark.

To evaluate how they stack up against each other, we put both smartphones through a series of tests across different scenarios using their default settings. Here's how they performed.

Daylight

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Xiaomi-17T-daylight.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Vivo-X200T-daylight.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="Vivo X200T"]

The Vivo X200T outputs images with superior details, colour accuracy and contrast, and relatively well-balanced exposure from its main camera in daylight. The Xiaomi 17T, on the other hand, tends to overexpose the image clicked in the same environment and angle. This results in slightly blown-out details, underwhelming dynamic range and contrast, and less accurate colours. 

Ultrawide

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Xiaomi-17T-ultrawide.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Vivo-X200T-ultrawide.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="Vivo X200T"]

A similar trend continues with the ultrawide camera, at least when it comes to colour science. The Xiaomi smartphone leans towards warmer, slightly overexposed tones, while Vivo keeps things closer to reality and maintains better contrast. However, the Xiaomi 17T pulls ahead by producing cleaner images overall. Its shots appear noticeably less grainy than those from the Vivo X200T, resulting in less distorted images.

Portraits

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Xiaomi-17T-portrait.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Vivo-X200T-portrait.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="Vivo X200T"]

Portraits are where the Xiaomi 17T truly shines. Captured using its 5x periscope telephoto camera, the handset delivers portraits with near-accurate skin tones and colours. It also retains more fine detail, giving subjects a sharper and more natural look. The Vivo X200T, meanwhile, tends to oversaturate skin tones and applies noticeable beautification effects even when Beauty mode is disabled. As a result, facial features appear softer, and the image takes on a slightly watercolour-like appearance when viewed closely.

As for the edge detection and bokeh effect, both smartphones appear on par with each other. There is minimal distortion while separating the foreground from the background, and the bokeh effect also looks pretty natural.

Selfie

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Xiaomi-17T-selfie.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Vivo-X200T-selfie.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="Vivo X200T"]

The Xiaomi 17T may offer near-accurate-looking selfies, but the Vivo X200T outshines it with more appealing images from the front camera. The Vivo smartphone also excels with superior details, although the exposure to background details and dynamic range looks better on the Xiaomi 17T.

Low light (night mode)

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Xiaomi-17T-night-mode-3.50.13 PM.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Vivo-X200T-night-mode.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="Vivo X200T"]

In low light, the Vivo X200T excels with better control over light flare, lower noise levels, and a more accurate representation of the scene compared to the Xiaomi 17T. While Xiaomi still manages to produce a pleasing image in challenging lighting conditions, it falls short of its rival, which delivers superior detail and overall image quality.

Display and audio

[comparative-benchmark type="2000" products="41546,41713,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The Xiaomi 17T and Vivo X200T both are backed by an AMOLED display with near-identical features. As a result, there isn't a day and night difference in the viewing experience on the two smartphones. Even the bezels are razor-thin. The Xiaomi 17T has an added advantage of superior 1.5K resolution as opposed to FHD+ on its counterpart, but it is difficult to tell them apart. The picture quality and colours on the Vivo smartphone appear just as sharp as those on the Xiaomi 17T.

However, the X200T has an advantage when used outdoors under direct sunlight. Its display, which can reach up to 5,000 nits of peak brightness, appears noticeably brighter than the Xiaomi 17T's panel, which tops out at 3,200 nits. As a result, if you spend a lot of time outdoors, the Vivo X200T may be the better choice.

Both smartphones ship with stereo speakers, but the audio from the Xiaomi 17T sounds fuller and louder than the Vivo X200T. This tilts the competition in Xiaomi's favour for multimedia enthusiasts.

Performance and software

The Xiaomi 17T is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra SoC, paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB/ 512GB storage onboard. It's a capable mid-range chipset, which, as observed in the phone's review as well, has enough firepower to deliver smooth performance for both everyday and demanding workloads. I don't have much to complain about the smartphone, except that it is not as snappy as the Vivo X200T.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="" products="41546,41713,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The Vivo smartphone is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ SoC, aided by 12GB RAM and up to 512GB storage. It might be last year's flagship chipset, but it easily outperforms the Xiaomi 17T's SoC on major synthetic benchmark apps such as AnTuTu and Geekbench. However, the Vivo smartphone seems less optimised to handle demanding workloads in the Burnout CPU Throttle test. This could be attributed to its cooling capabilities.

[comparative-benchmark type="888" title="Burnout Score" caption="Burnout assesses CPU throttling and sustained performance under heavy load (higher is better)" highlight="" products="41546,41713,,," values="48.8,34.4,,,"][/comparative-benchmark]

The handset's temperature rose by an average of 14.4 degrees Celsius after a 30-minute gaming session involving BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile. This is notably higher than the Xiaomi 17T, which recorded a temperature increase of just 9.2 degrees Celsius under the same conditions, graphics settings, and test duration. While the Xiaomi smartphone is the better choice for sustained performance, we did not notice any significant performance degradation on the Vivo X200T during intensive tasks such as multitasking, gaming, and photo editing.

[comparative-benchmark type="3000" products="41546,41713,,," pias=",,,,"][/comparative-benchmark]

On the software front, both smartphones prioritise longevity, offering five years of major Android OS upgrades and a largely similar user experience. The Xiaomi 17T runs HyperOS 3 based on Android 16 out of the box, while the Vivo X200T ships with OriginOS 6 atop Android 16. Both interfaces are heavily customised, offering a wealth of personalisation options alongside a growing suite of AI-powered features.

During my time with both devices, the Vivo X200T's interface felt more polished and feature-rich than that of the Xiaomi 17T. Features such as floating windows, a desktop-style app dock, and several thoughtful multitasking enhancements help elevate the overall experience. However, it falls short when it comes to ecosystem integration. Unlike HyperOS 3, which offers seamless connectivity with Xiaomi devices and even select third-party products such as Apple's AirPods, OriginOS lacks the same level of cross-device interoperability.

Battery and charging

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="" products="41546,41713,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

On paper, the Xiaomi 17T packs a 6,500mAh battery, which is superior to the Vivo X200T's 6,200mAh battery. This won't give it an edge in the PCMark battery test, but our internal testing shows the Xiaomi smartphone offering superior backup. When subjected to the same YouTube video streaming and gaming tests, the 17T consumed a total of 15 percent battery. The Vivo X200T's battery, on the other hand, dropped by 19 percent.

However, the Xiaomi 17T has to work on its standby time to actually make its battery count for everyday usage. Despite the bigger battery, the handset delivered roughly 5.5 hours of screen time, which is marginally lower than the Vivo X200T's 6 hours of screen time during our review.

[comparative-benchmark type="4000" products="41546,41713,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The Vivo X200T also has an edge when it comes to juicing up the battery. The handset boasts a 90W fast charging solution, which takes just 44 minutes to fully charge an almost dead battery to 100 percent. Contrary to this, the Xiaomi 17T takes around 73 minutes for the same amount to be charged. This makes the smartphone less appealing to users who are always on the go. The Vivo X200T seems to be a better choice for users who want long battery endurance with minimum charging times.

Verdict

Priced identically at Rs 59,999 for the base variant, the Xiaomi 17T and Vivo X200T both cater to different priorities despite their camera-focused approach. The Xiaomi 17T stands out with its stylish design, versatile 5x telephoto camera, sharper portraits, richer stereo speakers, and better thermal management under sustained workloads. The handset also offers a cleaner camera experience and stronger ecosystem integration through HyperOS.

The Vivo X200T, however, emerges as the more complete all-rounder, delivering superior camera consistency across most scenarios, particularly in daylight, selfies, and low-light photography. Furthermore, its brighter display, significantly faster performance, quicker charging speeds, and more refined software experience further strengthen its appeal. While it runs warmer under heavy loads, the performance advantage remains evident in everyday use.

Which one should you buy?

The Rs 20,000 smartphone segment remains one of the most competitive and popular price ranges in India. However, the rising memory component costs have forced many brands to focus heavily on core essentials like massive batteries and reliable everyday performance while keeping costs in check. Despite these, buyers today expect more than just long battery life. With growing interest in quality cameras, smooth gaming, and thoughtful software experience, people have different preferences.

In this list, we've curated the top five phones worth buying around Rs 20,000 that cater to different priorities. Our picks include the POCO M8, which offers a well-rounded day-to-day experience, the Realme P4x for its strong performance capabilities, and the Moto G57 Power for its detailed camera outputs. For software, the Galaxy M36 excels with an expansive feature set, while the Realme C83 offers long-lasting battery life.

Best in day-to-day usage - POCO M8

Why we chose it

Amid the industry-wide price hikes on smartphones, the sub-Rs 20,000 segment has appeared to have taken the biggest hit, where brands are heavily cutting down on something or the other to keep pricing in check. As a result, phones with AMOLED displays have become scarce in this segment, with the POCO M8 (review) being an exception. If you're seeking a phone with the best possible display experience to binge-watch shows and movies, this phone is currently your best bet.

Featuring a 6.77-inch curved FHD+ AMOLED display, the M8 offers vibrant, high-contrast visuals while remaining comfortable to hold, thanks to its lightweight 178g body and slim 7.4mm thickness. While the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 SoC may not pull high numbers as its rival, the Dimensity 7300/7400 chipset, in benchmarks, the POCO smartphone remains suitable for daily tasks, thanks to the smooth animations of HyperOS 3.

The 50MP primary camera may not produce as detailed images as something like the Moto G57 Power, but it should deliver serviceable results. Paired with a 5,520mAh battery on board, the POCO M8 presents itself as a skilled midrange smartphone that covers almost all the basics.

Key specifications

Best in performance - Realme P4x

Why we chose it

Launched in early December last year, the Realme P4x's current price hovers around Rs 20,999 after the price hikes. Given that most newly released Dimensity 7400-powered smartphones are selling above Rs 22,999 this year, such as the iQOO Z11x and OnePlus Nord CE 6 Lite, the Realme P4x brings great value to the table. Also, unlike others, P4x features a UFS 3.1 storage that should ensure smooth and reliable UI operations in the long-run.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41672,41567,41839,41638," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The Realme P4x (review) supports 90FPS gameplay in popular titles like BGMI and CODM, similar to the much higher-priced OnePlus Nord CE 6. During our in-house CODM gaming tests, the P4x stayed well under 40 degrees Celsius while delivering 69 to 75 FPS in 30 to 40 minutes of gaming sessions. Furthermore, the 5,300mm2 vapour cooling should assist in keeping the temperatures under check, while offering sustained frame rates.

Key specifications

Best in cameras - Moto G57 Power

Why we chose it

Just like the Realme P4x, the Moto G57 Power (review) has received a significant price hike since its release. Launched at Rs 14,999 late last year, the phone now sells for around Rs 20,999 or under Rs 20,000 with bank discounts and offers. That being said, the camera hardware on offer is more than capable compared to what other companies are offering in the segment.

[smartslider3 slider=2032]

To begin with, the Moto G57 Power gets a 50MP 1/2-inch Sony LYT 600 primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and an 8MP selfie shooter. The half-inch main sensor on board should deliver superior details and relatively sharper results in low light over newer releases, such as OPPO K14 and POCO M8, both of which carry 1/2.88-inch sensors and also miss out on an ultrawide camera. Combined with a massive 7,000mAh battery, the Moto G57 Power is currently one of the best options for photography enthusiasts and hobbyists who spend long durations out in the wild capturing images.

Key specifications

Best in software - Samsung Galaxy M36

Why we chose it

If you're on the hunt for a phone with a feature-rich and highly customisable software that is promised to receive major OS upgrades for years to come, the Samsung Galaxy M36 (review) has got you covered. Currently flaunting One UI 8 based on Android 16, the software offers deep personalisation options, such as tweaking the toggles in the quick settings panel to change their positions or make them large or small, styling the lockscreen clock, using adaptive app icons, and much more.

Beyond customisation, One UI 8 shines with smart multitasking features like highly flexible split-screen ratios (including 90:10 mode), enhanced Now Bar with live updates, side bar to instantly open any app or shortcut, and thoughtful AI integrations in Sound Recorder and Gallery. Then comes the user interface of One UI, which looks completely distinct from other Android skins out there since most of them are now chasing similar glass and light effects. With the Android 16 update rolled out, the M36 is set to receive five more OS upgrades, the highest in its price class.

Key specifications

Best in battery - Realme C83

Why we chose it

While the Realme C83 (review) sells for around Rs 16,000, it's hard to ignore the smartphone if a long-lasting battery is your absolute top priority. In our in-house PCMark Battery Drain test, which assesses the endurance by simulating real-world tasks like editing and rendering videos, scrolling through documents, social media, web browsing, and more, the phone lasted 17 hours and 9 minutes.

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41754,41638,42001,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The handset delivers the best battery endurance we've recorded for any smartphone under Rs 20,000 in our PCMark tests, offering outstanding real-world backup. Its idle drain is almost negligible, easily delivering multi-day standby times. In our in-house tests, the phone lost just 5 percent battery after an hour of 2K YouTube playback at 50 percent brightness. Even after 40 minutes of CODM gaming, it consumed only 7 percent.

Key specifications

[block-highlights]Also read: Top 5 phones worth buying under Rs 50,000 in June 2026
[/block-highlights]

Conclusion

While most phones in this list deliver reliable day-to-day performance and solid battery life thanks to optimised software processors and large batteries, the best choice ultimately depends on what matters most to you. To make it easier, we've categorised our top picks based on their standout strengths, whether it's an excellent all-round experience, class-leading battery endurance, reliable gaming performance, feature-packed software, or workable cameras.

FAQs

Which smartphone around Rs 20,000 offers the best value?

The POCO M8 and Moto G57 Power stand out as great all-rounders in June 2026, delivering strong value for money. Both phones offer smooth software experiences and FHD+ displays, with the POCO M8 going a step further with its AMOLED panel. They also feature reliable cameras that handle everyday photography well.

Which smartphone is most suitable for gaming at Rs 20,000?

The Realme P4x with its MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra chipset scores around 10,00,000 on AnTuTu, indicating strong performance prowess for running games in medium graphics settings. Furthermore, it gains 90FPS support in both BGMI and CODM, while certain casual games like Brawl Stars can run in up to 144FPS. In our experience, the phone managed to deliver around 70FPS in CODM in a 30 to 40-minute gaming session.

Which smartphone at Rs 20,000 is best for cameras?

The Moto G57 Power remains one of the only phones to come with a flexible camera setup, thanks to the inclusion of an 8MP ultrawide lens alongside the 50MP Sony LYT600 primary camera. The G57 Power captures decently detailed images for its price, while rendering good dynamic range and contrast. The ultrawide aids in capturing wide perspective shots, suitable for clicking landscape images.

Motorola unveiled its latest TWS - Moto Buds 2 Plus - early last month and given how well the first generation of these earphones was received, there is a lot of buzz and excitement around these new wireless earphones. To be blunt, the wireless earphones segment in India is packed with good options across every price bracket, making it increasingly difficult for brands to stand out. The Buds 2 Plus attempt to do exactly that with features such as 'Sound by Bose' tuning, active noise cancellation, long battery life, and app-based customisation. On paper, the package certainly looks promising, but as we all know, the specifications only tell a part of the story.

Is the 'Sound by Bose' tuning a game-changer? Do these new earbuds have the features and capabilities to dominate the sub-₹7,000 segment? Should you consider buying these new Motorola earbuds? After using the Moto Buds 2 Plus as my primary pair of earphones for several weeks, here are my thoughts.

Minimalistic Design for Comfort

The first thing I noticed about the Moto Buds 2 Plus was just how comfortable they are to wear. Many earbuds start causing fatigue after a couple of hours, but that wasn't the case here. Even during extended listening sessions, I rarely felt the need to take them out and give my ears a break.

The charging case also deserves praise. It is compact enough to slip into any pocket without creating an awkward bulge, making it convenient to carry throughout the day. Motorola has also placed a USB Type-C charging port at the bottom of the case, which feels like the obvious choice in 2026 but is still worth mentioning.

As for the earbuds themselves, the stems are relatively compact and lightweight. More importantly, they stay securely in place. Whether I was walking, running, or aggressively shaking my head purely to test the fit, the earbuds remained firmly seated in my ears. That level of stability is always welcome, especially for users who intend to use them during workouts or outdoor activities.

Overall, Motorola has done a commendable job with the design. The combination of long-term comfort, secure fit, and a pocket-friendly case makes these earphones easy to live with daily.

App Connectivity and Features

The Moto Buds app adds a healthy amount of functionality to the experience. Beyond firmware updates, it allows users to tweak various settings and customise the listening experience according to personal preference.

The app itself is intuitive to navigate and provides access to equaliser settings, ANC controls, touch customisation, and several other useful features. Thanks to Bluetooth 6.0 support, connectivity performance was also impressive throughout my testing period. Pairing was quick, device switching was smooth, and I rarely encountered any connection drops.

The only area that felt slightly inconsistent was the in-ear detection functionality. While it worked correctly most of the time, there were occasions when playback didn't pause or resume as reliably as expected.

That aside, Motorola has delivered a well-rounded software experience that genuinely adds value rather than simply existing as a companion app. Unfortunately, the app is only available on the Google Play store and not on iOS.

Sound Quality

The Moto Buds 2 Plus come with dual (11mm + Balanced Armature) drivers and carry Sound by Bose branding, which naturally creates certain expectations regarding audio performance. Unfortunately, while the sound quality is perfectly decent, it never quite reaches the level I expected it to.

The easiest way to describe the experience is that the earbuds often feel like they stop just short of greatness. There is enough quality here to enjoy your music, but there is also a lingering feeling that the drivers are capable of more than what they're delivering.

Bass performance is perhaps the most obvious example. Low frequencies are present and reasonably controlled, but they lack the punch and depth that bass-heavy tracks often demand. Listening to tracks such as 'Blinding Lights' by The Weeknd or 'Starboy' revealed decent rhythm, but the impact wasn't as satisfying as it could have been.

The highs perform better. Tracks that rely on treble detail generally sound clean enough, and instruments such as cymbals and guitars retain a respectable amount of clarity. Songs like 'Hotel California' showcased this reasonably well, although there isn't a huge amount of sparkle in the upper frequencies.

The mids are where things become slightly inconsistent. Vocal-focused tracks occasionally sound natural and engaging, but the performance isn't always uniform across different genres. Listening to tracks such as Adele's "Hello" or Ed Sheeran's "Perfect," vocals generally came through clearly, but there were moments when the presentation lacked the richness and consistency I'd expect at this price point.

Instrument separation is acceptable for casual listening, though more complex tracks can occasionally feel congested. Similarly, the soundstage isn't particularly expansive, which limits the sense of immersion during live recordings and orchestral compositions.

To summarise the audio experience, the Moto Buds 2 Plus sound good, but the Sound by Bose branding doesn't translate into the major refinement or leap in audio quality that some buyers may expect.

ANC and Other Features

The 55dB active noise cancellation offered by the Moto Buds 2 Plus performs reasonably well for everyday usage. It is effective enough to reduce background sounds during commutes, office work, or while sitting in a café. While it doesn't completely isolate you from your surroundings, it does enough to improve the listening experience in noisy environments. Call quality was also dependable during my usage, with voices coming through clearly on both ends.

Battery Life

Battery life is one area where the Moto Buds 2 Plus genuinely deliver on their promises.

The earbuds consistently provided endurance that felt in line with Motorola's claims (up to 40 hours with the charging case and 9 hours without the case), and comfortably managed to get through 3-4 days of moderate usage. More importantly, I rarely found myself worrying about battery levels, which is arguably the biggest compliment you can give a pair of wireless earphones.

For frequent travellers, daily commuters, or users who simply dislike charging multiple devices every day, the Moto Buds 2 Plus are easy to recommend. The combination of efficient battery management and reliable backup from the charging case makes them dependable companions for extended journeys.

Verdict

The Moto Buds 2 Plus are a decent pair of wireless earphones that get several fundamentals right. They are extremely comfortable to wear, stay securely in place, offer a compact and practical case design, and deliver battery life that comfortably lives up to expectations. Motorola has built on the foundation laid down by the first TWS in this series but the upgrades feel mostly incremental, rather than true game-changers.

That said, the sound quality leaves some room for improvement. While it is perfectly enjoyable for everyday listening, it doesn't fully capitalise on the promise created by the Sound by Bose branding. Bass lacks impact, mids can be inconsistent, and the overall presentation occasionally feels like it's holding back from reaching its full potential. Also, the companion app for the earbuds is only available on Android and not iOS.

If your priorities are comfort, stability, reliable connectivity, and excellent battery life, the Moto Buds 2 Plus are worth considering. However, listeners seeking a more refined or engaging audio experience may find themselves wanting a little more.

Editor's rating: 7.5 / 10

Pros

• Comfortable and compact design
• Great battery life
• App customisation
• Decent ANC

Cons

• Sound quality could be better
• No app for iOS

If you're looking at the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ (review) and want a clear overview of its strengths and weaknesses, this article is for you. You've likely already seen the specifications and the price. What matters now is understanding how the phone performs in real use and whether it fits what you need.

We've shortlisted the key pros and cons of the phone from our full review. This is a simple guide to help you decide if the Edge 70 Pro+ is the right choice for you. Let's get started!

Reasons to buy

The slimmest phone under Rs 50,000

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ is the slimmest phone in its price segment, measuring just 7.19mm thick and weighing 190g. It feels light in hand and the overall comfort is excellent for long use.

The deep red Silk-inspired finish looks distinct and premium, and the phone is surprisingly durable with IP68, IP69, and MIL-STD 810H certification. If you want a phone that is easy to carry and comfortable to hold, the Edge 70 Pro+ is something you'll like a lot.

Bright 144Hz AMOLED display

The 6.8-inch quad-curved AMOLED panel is smooth, vibrant, and sharp. With a 144Hz refresh rate and 1.5K resolution, scrolling feels effortless, and content looks quite detailed. The screen reaches 1800 nits in high-brightness mode, so it stays legible even under direct sunlight.

It covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, and the panel is 10-bit, which makes for some vibrant, rich visuals. Alongside that, you get blue light and motion reduction certifications that make it gentler on the eyes during longer sessions. The display works well for videos, browsing, and night use without straining your vision. If you consume a lot of media on a day-to-day basis, the Edge 70 Pro+ is worth investing in.

It is worth noting that, at the time of writing, the Edge 70 Pro+ was limited to a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. While it may not give you the fluency of the 144Hz panel, the display is still good to look at.

Periscope camera system with vibrant, detailed photos

The Edge 70 Pro+ includes a proper periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, which most rivals skip at this price. The 50MP primary Sony LYT 710 sensor delivers sharp, detailed images with accurate colours in daylight. The dedicated night mode controls exposure well and handles lens flares better than many competitors.

[smartslider3 slider=2139]

The 50MP ultrawide stays consistent with the main camera, and the 50MP selfie sensor includes autofocus, which is rare here. The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ is a good choice if you want versatile and reliable camera performance without sacrificing other aspects.

Smooth performance with Dimensity 8500 Extreme

The phone runs on the Dimensity 8500 Extreme with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB UFS 4.1 storage, handling everything smoothly. There is no lag even with multiple apps running, and gaming is solid with 120fps support in COD Mobile and BGMI.

AnTuTu scores sit near the top of the segment, excluding performance-focused devices. If you want consistent, high-end performance for daily tasks and gaming, this chip delivers without compromise.

Reasons not to buy

Battery efficiency could be better

Despite the large silicon-carbon 6500mAh battery, the phone's actual real-world endurance is disappointing. In the PCMark test, it lasted just over 14 hours, below the segment average of around 16 hours.

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," ][/comparative-benchmark]

With 5G on most of the time, you will struggle to get more than 7 hours of screen-on time. Overnight drain is pretty low, but day-to-day usage does not reflect the capacity on paper. For a phone at this price and a battery this large, it should last longer. If you want longer battery life, the Vivo V70 (review) and OPPO Reno15 (review) are better suited to your needs within the same price bracket. 

Only three major OS updates

Motorola promises only three major OS updates and six years of software support in total. That is weaker than most rivals in this price bracket, many of which now offer four or more major updates. Over time, this could mean the phone feels outdated sooner than competing devices. If long-term software support matters to you, this is a clear limitation. The Samsung Galaxy A37 and Google Pixel 10A offer six and seven years of upgrades, respectively, within the segment.

Slippery design, prone to drops

The Silk-inspired finish looks beautiful but is quite slippery in daily use. The phone slides off your lap or any slightly angled surface easily, and the curved edges do not help with grip. Motorola does not include a case, and finding one is tricky due to the curved display. You will need to buy a case soon, and even then, the phone's grip will not be ideal for cautious users.

The handheld gaming PC market has grown ridiculously fast. A couple of years ago, it was mostly a niche playground dominated by enthusiasts willing to put up with awkward software, questionable battery life, and hardware that often felt like it was still figuring itself out. Today, every major manufacturer wants a slice of the pie, and the competition has never been fiercer.

MSI knows that better than anyone. The original Claw showed plenty of promise but also arrived with its fair share of growing pains. So when I picked up the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ at Computex 2026, I wasn't expecting a revolution. After spending some time with it, though, I quickly realised this wasn't just another yearly refresh. It felt like MSI had genuinely gone back to the drawing board.

Intel finally has a handheld chip that feels purpose-built

The biggest upgrade to the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ sits beneath the shell. Powering the handheld is Intel's new Arc G3 Extreme platform, built on the Panther Lake architecture and the company's cutting-edge 18A process. Unlike previous solutions that essentially adapted laptop chips for smaller devices, this one feels purpose-built for handheld gaming, pairing a 14-core CPU, 12 Xe3 GPU cores, and 32GB of LPDDR5X memory into a remarkably cohesive package.

That design philosophy shows in everyday use. During my hands-on session, everything from navigating Windows to launching games felt quick and responsive, with none of the awkward pauses or inconsistent behaviour that can sometimes plague portable PCs. Add support for hardware ray tracing and XeSS 3 with Multi Frame Generation, and Intel seems to have finally built a platform that's genuinely ready for modern AAA gaming.

But what impressed me most wasn't a benchmark number or a flashy feature. It was the fact that I stopped thinking about the processor entirely. The hardware simply got out of the way and let me enjoy the experience, and that's probably the highest praise I can give any gaming handheld.

MSI fixed more than just the silicon

A great processor doesn't automatically make a great handheld. Thankfully, MSI seems to understand that.

The moment I picked up the Claw 8 EX AI+, the revised ergonomics were immediately noticeable. Weight distribution feels much better balanced than before, making the handheld comfortable to hold without ever feeling unwieldy. The grips sit naturally in your palms, the thumbsticks offer reassuring resistance, and both the triggers and face buttons feel tactile enough to inspire confidence, whether you're racing through menus or frantically dodging enemies.

The 8-inch Full HD+ display is another highlight. It looked sharp even under the unforgiving lights of the Computex show floor, with vibrant colours and smooth motion that made everything from UI elements to gameplay easy to appreciate. Reading text, something that can often become a chore on smaller handhelds, never felt like a struggle.

Battery anxiety has also become one of the defining challenges of this category, and MSI appears determined to address it with a sizeable 80Wh battery. Naturally, a busy trade show isn't the right place to test endurance, but it's encouraging to see the company focusing just as much on longevity as raw performance.

The software experience finally feels polished

For all the focus on hardware, software often makes or breaks a gaming handheld, and that's another area where the Claw 8 EX AI+ feels noticeably more mature. MSI's updated interface acts as a proper console-style hub, letting users quickly switch performance modes, remap controls, adjust power settings, and tweak the system without digging through layers of Windows menus.

Just as importantly, the whole experience feels cohesive. The Claw no longer behaves like a tiny laptop with controllers attached but like a gaming-first device that happens to run Windows. In fact, after a few minutes, I stopped analysing the hardware altogether and simply found myself enjoying the games.

This feels like a handheld built for the long run

Of course, I'll reserve my final verdict for a full review. A few hours on a crowded Computex show floor can only reveal so much about battery life, sustained thermals, software stability, and long-term performance. But as far as first impressions go, the Claw 8 EX AI+ couldn't have asked for a better start.

Rather than relying on one flashy gimmick, MSI has quietly improved almost every part of the handheld experience, from the purpose-built Intel silicon and refined ergonomics to the polished software and thoughtful hardware design. If this brief hands-on is anything to go by, the Claw 8 EX AI+ doesn't just feel like one of the best gaming handhelds you can buy today, but one that's ready to stay relevant for a long time to come.

The sub-Rs 50,000 segment has emerged as a new category in the smartphone market, driven in part by the shortage of memory components. While these smartphones offer flagship-level performance, premium designs, excellent cameras, and exceptional battery life, each tends to excel in one area while making compromises elsewhere. As a result, choosing the right one is less about finding a single "best" option and more about identifying the device that best matches your priorities.

We've tested as many as nine phones in this price range so far this year, and after putting them through real-world use and benchmark tests, only five stood out for us. The list includes: 

• Motorola Edge 70 Pro+
• QOO 15R
• Nothing Phone (4a) Pro
• Samsung Galaxy A37
• OnePlus Nord 6

Read on to find out where each one of them dominates and who it is better suited for:

Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ – Best all-rounder

Why we chose it

Price: Rs 47,999 (12GB + 256GB)

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ (review) is the safest recommendation for anyone who wants a phone that does almost everything well without any major compromises. The handset delivers strong performance with the Dimensity 8500 Extreme, a smooth 144Hz AMOLED display, a proper periscope camera with 3.5x optical zoom, and a slim, premium design that feels great in hand. Its 6,500mAh battery easily lasts through a day, and 90W charging is fast enough to refill it quickly.

The only downsides are that the battery doesn't match the endurance you'd expect from a 6,500mAh cell, and the software support is weaker than rivals, with only three major OS updates. But for someone who wants a balanced flagship experience under Rs 50,000, this is the phone that covers the most ground.

Key specifications

iQOO 15R – Best performer

Why we chose it

Price: Starting at Rs 47,999 (8GB + 256GB)

The iQOO 15R (review) is the clear winner for performance and gaming at this price. It packs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, which is a flagship-level processor, and comes with up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB UFS 4.1 storage. In daily use, it is blazing fast, and in games like COD Mobile and BGMI, it delivers consistent, high-frame-rate performance with strong thermal management.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41748,42053,41800,41555," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The handset also features a 6.59-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 144Hz adaptive refresh rate and 5,000 nits peak brightness, so multimedia use is smooth and vibrant. The 7,600mAh silicon anode battery is another major advantage, offering excellent endurance and fast 100W wired charging.

The camera setup is decent but not a key here, with a 50MP main and 8MP ultrawide, and the iQOO 15R also lacks wireless charging. But if raw performance and gaming are your priorities, the smartphone is the obvious choice in this segment.

Key specifications

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro – Best camera phone

Why we chose it

Price: Starting at Rs 49,999 (8GB + 128GB)

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro (review) is the best camera phone around Rs 50,000 based on our testing. The handset sports a 50MP Sony LYT700C primary sensor with OIS, a 50MP periscope telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom and OIS, and an 8MP ultrawide. The duo of main and telephoto lenses produces detailed, consistent results in daylight, portraits, and low light.

[smartslider3 slider=2075]

The phone is built with an all-metal unibody, feels premium, and comes with the Glyph interface for notifications. The handset runs Nothing OS on Android, which is clean and customisable, though software support is not as strong as Samsung's.

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 handles daily tasks well and is decent for gaming, but it's not as powerful as the iQOO 15R. The 5,400mAh battery with 50W charging is good enough, but not special for this price. If photography is your main priority, the Phone (4a) Pro is the best option in this group.

Key specifications

Samsung Galaxy A37 – Best software

Why we chose it

Price: Starting at Rs 41,999 (8GB + 128GB)

The Samsung Galaxy A37 (review) is the best phone here for software and long-term support. It runs One UI 8.5 on Android 16, with deep customisation options, a polished interface, and a wide range of Galaxy AI features like real-time call transcription, translation, and advanced photo editing. One UI feels smooth and refined in daily use, and Samsung's visual language and layout changes make the phone feel especially mature.

Samsung is offering 6 years of OS updates and 6 years of security updates, which gives the A37 a clear advantage for users who want a phone that stays relevant for years. The phone also has an IP68 rating, Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both sides, and a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED 120Hz display up to 1,900 nits. For anyone who prioritises software polish and long-term support, the A37 is the top choice.

Key specifications

OnePlus Nord 6 – Best battery life

Why we chose it

Price: Starting at Rs 42,999 (8GB + 256GB)

The OnePlus Nord 6 (review) is the best battery phone in this group. It packs a massive 9,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, the largest on any OnePlus smartphone launched in India to date. In our testing, the handset easily delivered close to two days of use in normal scenarios. Its run-time on our PCMark benchmark test was close to 21 hours, which is quite exceptional.

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41748,42053,41800,41555," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The OnePlus smartphone also has a 6.78-inch 165Hz 1.5K AMOLED display with HDR10+, and the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 delivers strong performance for daily tasks and gaming. As for its software, OxygenOS 16, it is fast, polished, and supports 5 OS updates and 6 years of security.

The camera setup is decent with a 50MP main, but it is not the key trait here. Charging is fast at 80W SuperVOOC, but there's no reverse charging. If battery life is your top priority, the Nord 6 is the easiest recommendation in this segment.

Key specifications

Conclusion

This segment is now much easier to recommend because each phone has one clear strength. The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ is the safest all-rounder, the iQOO 15R is for gamers and performance seekers, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is the camera-first option, the Samsung Galaxy A37 is for software and long-term support, and the OnePlus Nord 6 is the battery champion. If you want a phone that fits your priorities without too much compromise, this is a segment with very clear winners.

FAQs

Is it better to buy a well-rounded phone or a specialised one?

Since all these phones cover the basics well, the real difference is their key strength. If you want a generalist device, the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ is the safest choice. If you have a specific priority like gaming, cameras, software, or battery, pick the specialised phone that matches it.

Which phone is best for heavy users?

For heavy users, the choice depends on your usage patterns. The iQOO 15R is the best fit if you game a lot, while the OnePlus Nord 6 is better if long battery life matters more.

Which phone here offers the best long-term software experience?

The Samsung Galaxy A37 is the lead, thanks to its polished One UI experience and 6 years of OS updates.

Which is the best camera phone around Rs 50,000?

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is the strongest camera phone in this list, especially for daylight shots, portraits, and dependable low-light performance with its periscope telephoto.

As the poster child for smart homes for almost a decade, Amazon truly democratised the idea of connected home appliances with the Echo range of devices, and the Echo Dot Max is perfectly poised to be the new hub of it all. The "Max" suffix in product naming usually means more of the same, tweaked upwards for the sake of a new SKU, but what Amazon has genuinely made is the most capable Echo Dot ever, and at Rs 10,999, also the most expensive Dot ever!

Starting with the looks, there is a premium 3D knit fabric wrapping all around it with the signature blue ring LED around the circumference, and the forward-facing controls lend it a more modern look than the orbs that the earlier models were. It's still unmistakably an Echo speaker in its design, but a nicely refreshed one.

Sound: Better than before

Max, where it matters, this is also the first Echo Dot to feature a two-way driver system, and the upgrade is audible instantly. A 2.5-inch high-excursion woofer handles the low-frequency work while a 0.8-inch custom tweeter manages the top end. What's more amazing is that even though it clocks in at about the same size as the regular Dot, the internal audio architecture has been redesigned to double the air volume, and the first thing I noticed was the bass extension.

"Your Body is a Wonderland" by John Mayer opened with a more pronounced kick drum impact and a cleaner guitar tone than I remember hearing on any previous smart speaker of this size, HomePod Mini included. A microphone on/off button and the ability to delete previous voice recordings via the app ensure an acceptable level of privacy, given that its utility literally depends on the mic being on all the time.

In practical listening, the improvement over its predecessor is audible and immediate. The bass is more controlled and more present, vocals resolve with better clarity, and the Automatic Room Adaptation feature does a competent job of preventing the boomy, one-note low-end that spherical enclosures can succumb to. For a bedroom, study, or kitchen counter, this is comfortably the best-sounding Echo Dot to date. But that's not the same as most accurate or loudest or articulate because it is still limited by the laws of physics…and a real-world price tag.

So as long as you don't expect it to serve as a party speaker after an Ind vs Pak victory match, you're golden. It is a mono speaker, but using the Alexa app, you can configure two units as a stereo pair, and that makes for a much more room-filling experience. In fact, one of the coolest features is its ability to connect to compatible Fire TV sticks and serve as a five-channel home-theatre system! For what it is worth, it is a mono speaker.

Smart Home integration: Full-featured

Strip away the audio argument, and the Echo Dot Max makes a stronger case for itself as the most technically capable hub Amazon has ever packed into a Dot-class device. For the first time in this lineup, you get a built-in Zigbee coordinator, a Thread router, and Matter support alongside Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. That is a genuinely multi-protocol smart home hub at a price no standalone hub can match.

A quick browse on Amazon.in reveals a bunch of compatible appliances and gadgets from brands such as Wipro, Syska, Havells, Orient Electric, Xiaomi, and Atomberg. The caveat is that most of these brands use Wi-Fi and pair through Alexa Skills, not through the Matter, Zigbee, or Thread radios in the Echo Dot Max.

Where the integrated hub earns its keep is with devices that speak mesh protocols natively, like the Philips Hue ecosystem of lighting solutions that work on Zigbee, routed through the Hue Bridge, which exposes them to Matter controllers. Serious home automation experts may still recommend using Alexa only for the last-mile voice input or to handle non-critical aspects like AC and audio. For security system integration, you may want to pony up for the professional solutions. But, for the DIY buyer who plans to invest in a more serious smart home setup beyond Wi-Fi skills and IR blasters, the hub value compounds significantly.

The Omnisense sensor platform adds another layer, which is an ultrasound-based presence detection, and it works differently from motion sensors. Along with the custom AZ3 processor, it works like an invisible radar, using ultrasound, temperature sensor, and Wi-Fi radar waves to be more proactive rather than reactive in the room it's placed in. So you can set up devices to be triggered based on occupancy and ambient temperature. While it may not be a novelty in 2026, the fact that you can do it seamlessly through a budget gadget is transformative.

Verdict

For the most part, it's just another Echo device that we're all used to interacting with. The voice sensitivity isn't necessarily better, nor are the requests you make processed significantly faster, but it still gets the job done, is easy to set up, sounds better than ever before, and is equipped with more smart home intelligence than any Dot before it. You won't get the room-filling sonic goodies that the Rs 10,999 price tag might lead you to expect in isolation. For a small room where it also doubles as a smart home control node, though, it definitely earns its price.

Editor's rating: 8.5/10

Pros

• Audible acoustic upgrade with deeper bass.
• Native Zigbee, Thread, and Matter hub.
• Proactive room automation via Omnisense radar.

Cons

• High price tag for mono sound.
• Alexa response speeds remain unchanged.

Walking into MSI's booth at Computex 2026 felt a bit like stepping into a candy store for PC enthusiasts. Everywhere I looked, there was another laptop begging to be opened, another display showing off ray tracing, or another engineer passionately explaining why this year's hinge, cooling system, or display technology was better than the last.

After spending a good chunk of time hopping between machines, one thing became clear: MSI isn't trying to build one perfect laptop anymore. It's trying to build the right laptop for every kind of user. Whether you're a hardcore gamer, a digital artist, a creator, or simply someone looking for a stylish daily driver, there was something on display that felt purpose-built.

The Prestige series quietly stole the show

On paper, the biggest announcement was undoubtedly the MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+, the company's first laptop powered by NVIDIA's RTX Spark platform. MSI is pitching it as an AI-first convertible for creators, developers, and professionals, complete with a 16-inch UHD+ Tandem OLED display that exceeds 1,000 nits of peak brightness, covers 100 percent DCI-P3, carries Calman Verification, and delivers Delta E below 1 colour accuracy. Add the flexible 360-degree hinge and a 99.9Wh battery, and it feels like a serious productivity machine.

Unfortunately, the RTX Spark version itself wasn't available for us to try. Instead, MSI had the Intel-powered Prestige 14 Flip AI+ and Prestige 16 Flip AI ready for hands-on sessions, and honestly, I wasn't disappointed. That said, the star of the experience wasn't the processor. It was the Nano Pen.

I'd first encountered it back at CES earlier this year, but spending more time with it only reinforced how thoughtfully designed it is. Tracking feels remarkably precise, latency is low enough that quick note-taking never becomes frustrating, and perhaps best of all, the stylus slides neatly into its own hidden compartment inside the chassis. It's one of those tiny engineering decisions that make everyday use genuinely better.

Something for the artists, too!

MSI also dedicated a special corner of its booth to the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Vincent van Gogh Edition, and it was easily one of the most eye-catching displays on the show floor. Part of the company's Artisan Collection, the laptop is available in two distinct variants, inspired by The Starry Night and Starry Night Over the Rhône, giving buyers the choice between two of Van Gogh's most iconic masterpieces.

The artistic treatment extends well beyond the laptop itself. MSI bundles matching accessories, including a themed mouse pad, Bluetooth mouse, sleeve, ID badge, and custom packaging that ties the whole collection together. Beneath the artwork, though, it's still a capable everyday machine, pairing its slim and lightweight design with Intel Core Ultra hardware and a vibrant OLED touchscreen that creators and professionals would genuinely enjoy using.

Then I met a dragon

If the Prestige lineup showcases MSI's refined side, the Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic is pure excess in the best possible way. Created to celebrate MSI's 40th anniversary and inspired by the Draco constellation, the limited-edition flagship immediately grabs your attention. The precision metal etching on the lid isn't just for show, either. Running my fingers across it, I could actually feel the intricate texture beneath the anodised finish, while the embedded colours shimmer beautifully as the light hits from different angles, making it feel more like a collector's piece than a laptop.

The hardware underneath is just as over-the-top, packing an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, support for up to 128GB of DDR5 memory, and a stunning 18-inch UHD+ display, all bundled with an exclusive commemorative mouse, mouse pad, and collector's coin. It's wildly extravagant, completely unapologetic, and honestly one of the coolest laptops I saw at the entire show.

MSI's gaming laptops are growing up

The premium gaming section also housed the latest Raider and Stealth families, both carrying over the flagship hardware configurations first shown at CES 2026. While there weren't many surprises specification-wise, actually handling the machines gave me a much better appreciation for MSI's design work.

The Raider still feels every bit the desktop replacement, with its oversized cooling system and robust construction inspiring confidence that it's built for sustained heavy workloads. The Stealth, meanwhile, continues to impress in the opposite direction. It's astonishingly slim for the kind of performance packed inside, and picking it up almost makes you forget there's serious gaming hardware hiding beneath the understated exterior.

The displays on both machines also looked excellent under the brutally bright Computex show floor lighting, while the keyboards remained among the better implementations I've tried on gaming laptops recently.

Even the affordable machines feel thoughtfully designed

Not everyone needs an RTX 5090, and MSI seems well aware of that. The refreshed Katana lineup continues serving mainstream gamers with configurations combining Intel Core i9 or Core i5 processors and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, giving buyers access to serious gaming performance without venturing into flagship pricing territory.

Then there's the MSI Cyborg, which remains one of my favourite designs in the company's portfolio. The partially translucent chassis still gives off unmistakable cyberpunk vibes, revealing hints of the internal structure beneath while avoiding the aggressive RGB overload that dominates many gaming laptops.

MSI has also refined the latest generation with upgraded cooling and improved display quality, but what stood out to me most was simply how cohesive the package felt. It's playful without looking cheap, and in my conversation with Bruce from MSI, he confirmed that the products will be making their way to India, too.

A booth with something for everyone

Walking away from MSI's booth, I didn't leave with a single favourite laptop. Instead, I left impressed by just how diverse the lineup has become. Whether it's the over-the-top Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition, the creator-focused Prestige Flip series with its clever Nano Pen, or gaming machines like the Cyborg, Katana, Raider, and Stealth, every device feels like it's been built with a very specific user in mind.

And that's perhaps MSI's biggest win at Computex 2026. Rather than chasing one flashy headline feature, the company has put together a portfolio where every laptop has a clear identity and purpose. After spending hours trying them out, that's what stuck with me the most. And in a market full of lookalike machines, it's exactly what makes MSI stand out.

HMD has recently launched the Vibe 2 as its latest 5G offering in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment. Featuring the Unisoc T8200, a 6.7-inch LCD display, and multiple colour options, the HMD Vibe 2 was initially launched at Rs 10,999 for the base 4GB+64GB variant, but is now selling at Rs 12,999 after the price hike. That being said, in a segment where 4G smartphones are becoming prevalent, does the HMD Vibe 2 offer great value? Find out in this detailed review.

Quick verdict

The HMD Vibe 2 presents itself as a choice for those seeking a standout design with peppy colourways, a tall display for entertainment, clean software, and realistic camera outputs. However, if performance and quick battery top-ups are high up on your priority list, you may want to consider alternatives.

Design: distinguishes itself by rocking poppy colours

[pdp-expert-review]
The dual-texture rear panel, along with multiple colourway options, adds to the appeal of the HMD Vibe 2's design.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The HMD Vibe 2 manages to stand out from the crowd by opting for a dual-texture design, where the rectangular elevated camera features a glossy finish, while the rectangular box at the bottom utilises a muted colour with a matte finish. Apart from the camera module, the entire back of the phone manages to keep fingerprints and smudges at bay, resulting in a clean look every time you turn the phone to its back.

While we received the Nordic Blue and Peach Pink colour variants, the HMD Vibe 2 is also available in a Cosmic Lavender colourway. In my opinion, no matter which colour you choose, the phone is bound to catch attention with its bold and vibrant colour options. Weighing 210g and measuring 8.6mm thick, the Vibe 2 is definitely a two-handed phone and also feels relatively slippery to hold. Fortunately, the bundled TPU case provides a decent level of grip.

The HMD Vibe 2 gains protection in the form of an IP64 rating, while the display comes pre-installed with a screen guard. Upon removing the SIM tray, you'll find dual SIM slots and a dedicated microSD card slot that supports up to 512GB of external storage. Right beside the Type-C port, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Display: tall, colourful panel for entertainment needs

[pdp-expert-review]
Despite using an LCD panel, the HMD Vibe 2 produces sufficiently vibrant tones in the "Vivid" colour mode setting.
[/pdp-expert-review]

Like most budget and mid-range smartphones of the past, the HMD Vibe 2 features a U-shaped notch, which gives it a somewhat dated look. As for the actual display, it sports a large 6.7-inch HD+ LCD display with a 720 x 1600 resolution and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. With the colour mode set to "Vivid" setting, even though the contrast levels can't match those of an AMOLED panel, the display delivered enough vibrancy for viewing content.

What I particularly liked about the HMD Vibe 2's display is that on YouTube, it supports 2160p (4K) playback. Even though the native resolution is restricted to just 720p, selecting a higher resolution on YouTube relays a higher bit rate quality, resulting in sharper videos, compared to phones that are limited to 1440p or 1080p, such as the Realme C83 (review).

The display is sufficiently bright for indoor use, but it struggles under direct sunlight, making it difficult to view content clearly.

Performance: could've been better

[pdp-expert-review]
While the performance of the HMD Vibe 2 suffices for common tasks, the chipset may show signs of struggle during extended gaming sessions.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The HMD Vibe 2 is powered by the Unisoc T8200, the same 6nm octa-core chipset found on the Ai+ Nova 2 (review), which I reviewed earlier. Both the 64GB and 128GB storage variants of the Vibe 2 feature 4GB LPDDR4X RAM, which, frankly speaking, is on the lower end, especially for the Rs 14,999 variant. But due to the rise in memory costs, all brands have been cutting down on RAM capacity across price ranges.

In benchmarks, such as AnTuTu and Geekbench, the HMD Vibe 2 performs similarly to the Dimensity 6300 SoC found on the higher-priced Realme C83 and OPPO K14x (review). The performance delivered is workable for daily operations; however, the smartphone doesn't provide the smoothest experience in its price class. I found the Ai+ Nova to offer slightly smoother daily operations, be it opening or closing apps, summoning the quick settings panel, and more.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41369,41905,41754,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

[comparative-benchmark type="11" title="Geekbench multi-core score" caption="Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41369,41905,41754,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

With all my crucial and most used apps installed, the HMD Vibe 2's gaming experience was on par with the Ai+ Nova 2. The phone ran five to six matches of Brawl Stars on a trot at near 60 FPS, while in Subway Surfers City, minor lags started to crop up upon reaching a certain level of high score. Overall, the smartphone is suitable for light gaming for short durations.

Since the Unisoc T8200 is 5G enabled, I ran multiple 5G speed tests on the HMD Vibe 2. In all tests, the phone offered speeds of over 150 Mbps, suitable for 4K streaming and high-speed downloads of large files and media.

Software: clean experience all around

[pdp-expert-review]
The HMD Vibe 2 offers a fairly clean software experience out of the box, with only a few pre-installed apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and Sarvam AI.
[/pdp-expert-review]

Coming to HMD Vibe 2's software, the handset boots Android 16 with the company's own custom user interface layered on top, unlike previous HMD releases, like the HMD Fusion that sported stock Android. Just like new-age brands, such as Ai+ and Lava, HMD has avoided including third-party games, marketplaces, and theme stores for a clutter-free experience out of the box. However, a few of the pre-installed apps include Facebook, Instagram, and Sarvam AI, while the installation of Sanchar Saathi is optional.

[gallery link="file" columns="2" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="704597,704598"]

Moving to the experience of operating the software, I did notice minor stutters and frame rate drops when using the phone with multiple apps opened in the background. On a positive note, the performance should suffice if your use case mainly revolves around using social media apps, chatting, web browsing, watching videos, and playing light to medium-level games.

Some of the additional features the HMD Vibe 2 gains, which were not found on earlier stock Android-based HMD phones, are call recording without alert announcements, app sidebar, multiple gestures and motion support, scheduled power on/off, and more. The company hasn't stated the number of OS upgrades the Vibe 2 is set to receive. The handset is confirmed to gain two years of security patches every quarter, though.

[comparative-benchmark type="3000" products="41369,41754,42105,41905," pias="32,65,43,30,"][/comparative-benchmark]

Camera: manages to deliver realistic outputs

[pdp-expert-review]
The 50MP primary camera captures natural-looking images, though contrast levels are occasionally off.
[/pdp-expert-review]

For photography, the HMD Vibe 2 comes with a 50MP primary camera and an auxiliary lens at the rear, while the U-shaped notch up front houses an 8MP selfie shooter. The main camera supports video recordings at up to 4K 30 FPS; on the other hand, the front camera is limited to 1080p, also at 30 FPS.

The camera can produce respectable results, meaning the shots turn out realistic without being too lively. While the detail levels are on the lower side, which is to be expected for the price the phone sells for, I wish the images were a bit more contrasty in daylight scenarios. In instances where there's a lot of backlight, the Vibe 2 struggles to maintain the original colours, resulting in blown-out backdrops.

In low light, the cameras fall apart as the outputs carry heavy grains, and the subjects are generally rendered soft, even with night mode enabled. The front camera offers a wide enough field of view to comfortably fit three to four people, while the images tend to lean towards warmer tones, with above-average details.

[smartslider3 slider=2140]

To assess the cameras better, I compared the HMD Vibe 2 against the Realme P4 Lite 4G (review) in various scenarios:

Daylight

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/HMD-Vibe-2-daylight-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Realme-P4-Lite-4G-daylight-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="HMD Vibe 2" after="Realme P4 Lite 4G"]

While the detail levels seem on par at first glance, the HMD Vibe 2 shot carries slightly more sharpness. However, the Realme P4 Lite 4G's output contains balanced contrast levels, making it appear less hazy compared to the HMD Vibe 2. The Realme smartphone also delivers poppy colours.

Portrait

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/HMD-Vibe-2-portrait-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Realme-P4-Lite-4G-portrait-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="HMD Vibe 2" after="Realme P4 Lite 4G"]

In portrait mode, the HMD Vibe 2 completely falls behind the Realme P4 Lite in terms of details, contrast, and edge detection.

Selfie

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/HMD-Vibe-2-selfie-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Realme-P4-Lite-4G-selfie-1-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="HMD Vibe 2" after="Realme P4 Lite 4G"]

In selfies, the Realme P4 Lite 4G's shot carries muted colours, while the HMD Vibe 2 does a better job of representing the actual scene. However, this natural approach results in minimal to no processing, which leads to highlights on the face getting blown out.

Night mode

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/HMD-Vibe-2-lowlight-night-mode-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Realme-P4-Lite-4G-night-mode-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="HMD Vibe 2" after="Realme P4 Lite 4G"]

In the comparison above, while the HMD Vibe 2 does its level best to highlight the scene in extremely low light conditions, the Realme P4 Lite struggles to deliver a well-exposed image. Upon zooming in, we also find that the HMD Vibe 2's shot carries slightly more details compared to the Realme P4 Lite.

Battery and charging: takes a while for a full charge

[pdp-expert-review]
The 6,000mAh battery of the HMD Vibe 2 can provide a day's worth of endurance, while topping it up can take close to three hours.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The HMD Vibe 2 comes equipped with a 6,000mAh battery with 18W charging support. In our in-house PCMark Battery drain test, which simulates multiple tasks in real-time, such as viewing documents, playing videos, browsing the web, and more, the handset clocked 10 hours and 42 minutes.

Compared to phones with 7,000mAh running on the Dimensity 6300/6400, such as the Realme C83 and Moto G37 Power, the HMD Vibe 2 falls behind, as you can see in the chart below. However, the 6,000mAh cell offers similar endurance to the Ai+ Nova 2, which features the same battery capacity.

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41369,41754,42105,41905," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Overall, the HMD Vibe 2 is capable of offering a day's worth of battery life, given your usage doesn't include gaming or high-intensity tasks, such as continuous video recording or editing. When it comes to topping up, it took us almost three hours to charge the device from 20 to 100 percent using the 18W charger and cable that comes along with it. This is significantly higher than the phones under Rs 20,000.

[comparative-benchmark type="4000" products="41369,41862,42105,41754," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Final verdict

The HMD Vibe 2 is yet another 5G budget offering this year under the Rs 15,000 price segment (unless it receives a price hike in the future). Right off the bat, the HMD Vibe 2 distinguishes itself from others by sporting a dual-texture design with peppy colour options, making it suitable for those seeking a vibrant phone design. Another major highlight of the Vibe 2 is its clean software experience, while the LCD display delivers colourful tones for entertainment.

That said, the HMD Vibe 2 falls short in a couple of areas. It takes over three hours to fully charge its 6,000mAh battery, and the Unisoc T8200 chipset could do with further optimisation to run casual and light games without frame drops during extended gaming sessions.

At its current price of Rs 12,999 for the base 4GB RAM and 64GB storage option, the HMD Vibe 2 has a design-first approach, while other 5G offerings like the Realme C83 and OPPO K14x around Rs 15,000 should offer a snappy, more refined software experience. However, if you prioritise clean software above all else and don't play games, the Vibe 2 can be a decent choice.

Editor's rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy the HMD Vibe 2

• A standout design with multiple poppy colours to choose from.
• Tall LCD display that produces colourful tones.
• Clean software experience with minimal third-party apps.
• Cameras that produce realistic tones

Reasons to skip the HMD Vibe 2

• Takes over three hours to charge
• Needs performance improvement, especially in casual games.

The Motorola Edge series has long been known for offering great value for money, with devices that generally deliver across key areas like performance, design, cameras, and battery life. This year, though, things are a bit different. With the ongoing memory shortage, brands have had to adjust priorities and cut back on certain hardware aspects. That is where the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ comes into play.

Priced under Rs 50,000, the Edge 70 Pro+ aims to offer a more complete experience. It brings a proper periscope camera system, something that is missing on the more affordable Edge 70 Pro (review). Alongside that, Motorola has equipped it with the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 SoC, fast RAM and storage, and a large 6,500mAh battery.

On paper, it does seem like a well-rounded package for the price. But how well does it actually hold up in day-to-day use? That is what I will be looking at in this review.

Short verdict

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ is one of the most balanced smartphones under Rs 50,000. It delivers good performance, a vibrant 144Hz display, a capable periscope camera system, and a slim, comfortable design with excellent durability. Although battery life falls slightly short of expectations and software support lags behind rivals, for anyone wanting a phone that does everything well without crippling compromises, this is the clearest choice in the segment.

Design: Incredibly thin and oh so light!

[pdp-expert-review]
The Edge 70 Pro+ is the slimmest phone at its price, just 7.19mm thick and 190g, with a comfortable, premium feel. Its deep red Silk finish looks distinct, and it boasts IP68, IP69, and MIL-STD 810H durability. The finish is slippery, though, and you'll want to buy a case since none is included.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Edge 70 Pro+ is actually the slimmest phone around its price point, measuring just 7.19mm thick (in this Silk-inspired finish) and weighing around 190g. In hand, that combination works really, really well. It feels light yet durable, and the overall in-hand feel is exceptionally comfortable for long periods of use.

[comparative-benchmark type="1000" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The unit I have is the Silk-inspired finish in this deep, velvety red, and it looks so distinct from most other phones at this price. It is not overly flashy, but it does stand out quite enough, especially when the light hits it right. Motorola has also packed in a fair bit on the durability front, with IP68 and IP69 ratings, along with MIL-STD 810H certification, which is reassuring for a phone this slim.

All that said, there are some minor annoyances to confront here. The finish, while nice to look at, is quite slippery in daily use. If you rest it on your lap or any slightly angled surface, it tends to slide off rather easily. The curved edges improve the feel in the hand, but they do not help much with grip. The handset also does not come with a case, and finding a good one might take some effort because of the curved display.

Even so, as a whole, it is an extremely well-designed device. The Edge 70 Pro+ is slim, light, and comfortable to use and is rather durable with IP68 and IP69, but you will want to put a case on it sooner rather than later.

Cameras: vibrant, detailed, appealing output

[pdp-expert-review]
The Edge 70 Pro+ packs a 50MP triple rear setup with OIS on the primary Sony LYT 710 and a 3.5x periscope telephoto, plus a 50MP ultrawide. The 50MP selfie camera includes autofocus, which is rare for this price. Colour reproduction stays close to reality in daylight, and night mode controls exposure well, though portraits and selfies lag slightly behind competitors.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ comes with an all-star 50MP camera setup. At the rear, the handset boasts a 50MP OIS Sony LYT 710 primary camera, a 50MP OIS periscope lens with 3.5x optical zoom and a 50MP ultrawide lens.

For selfies, you've got a 50MP snapper with auto focus, which is a rather rare feature around this price. The cameras are capable of delivering likeable results in nearly all lighting conditions, be it daylight or nighttime, when things get tricky.

[smartslider3 slider=2139]

To get a better idea of how it performs, I compared it against the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro (review), another capable camera phone in this price segment. Check it out below: 

Daylight

In daylight conditions, the Edge 70 Pro+ delivers better results compared to the 4a Pro in some key areas. The former's image is sharper, better detailed, and its colour reproduction is closer to the actual scene. The 4a Pro colours look a bit dull compared to the actual scenario, although it does offer better dynamic range compared to its peer. 

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Edge-70-Pro_daylight-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Nothing-Phone-4a-Pro-daylight-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+" after="Nothing Phone (4a) Pro"]

Ultrawide

For the ultrawide shot, the results are largely the same as the daylight scenario. Motorola delivers a more detailed image, and its colours are actually consistent with the primary camera, unlike Nothing's ultrawide shot, which has a substantial shift in colours. 

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Edge-70-Pro_ultrawide-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Nothing-Phone-4a-Pro-ultrawide-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+" after="Nothing Phone (4a) Pro"]

Portrait

This scenario is where the Nothing phone is squarely at the front compared to the Motorola smartphone. The handset offers better skin colour accuracy compared to its rival. Additionally, its detail level and edge detection are a fair bit superior. Unlike Motorola, the 4a Pro manages to retain the stray hair of the subject in the image and delivers a more likeable result. 

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Edge-70-Pro_portrait-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Nothing-Phone-4a-Pro-portrait-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+" after="Nothing Phone (4a) Pro"]

Selfie

If you like selfies, the Nothing phone would be a better choice for you. While it may be lacking in colour accuracy, the phone manages to deliver better detail level and sharpness compared to the Edge 70 Pro. 

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Edge-70-Pro_selfie-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Nothing-Phone-4a-Pro-selfie-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+" after="Nothing Phone (4a) Pro"]

Lowlight (night mode)

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ is a superior camera phone at night when you enable the dedicated night mode. It manages lens flares from light sources a lot better and has more controlled exposure. Although its colour accuracy isn't as good, it makes the shot vibrant to produce a more likeable result. 

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Edge-70-Pro_nightmode-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Nothing-Phone-4a-Pro-nightmode-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+" after="Nothing Phone (4a) Pro"]

Performance: powerful and smooth throughout

[pdp-expert-review]
The Edge 70 Pro+ uses the Dimensity 8500 Extreme with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB UFS 4.1 storage, delivering snappy, lag-free performance. Its AnTuTu score sits near the top of the segment, and gaming is smooth with 120fps support in COD Mobile and BGMI. That said, the phone heats up noticeably during gaming.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Edge 70 Pro+ is powered by the Dimensity 8500 Extreme, paired with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage. It's all top-end hardware, and the result is a snappy, responsive experience.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The phone's AnTuTu results sit towards the top of the segment, excluding performance-focused devices like the iQOO 15R (review). Against general rivals such as the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, the Motorola smartphone delivers enough juice to manage even the most demanding tasks.

[comparative-benchmark type="10" title="Geekbench single-core score" caption="Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," ][/comparative-benchmark]

There's no lag, even with multiple apps running in the background, and the overall experience is buttery smooth throughout. Gaming performance is also impressive for such a thin phone. Both COD Mobile and BGMI are well optimised, with 120fps support across both titles, and the phone handles them without breaking a sweat.

[comparative-benchmark type="10" title="Geekbench single-core score" caption="Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," ][/comparative-benchmark]

One thing to note is that it tends to heat up quite a bit. Over 30 minutes of gaming, the average temperature increase is around 7.5 degrees Celsius. That's not a huge problem in day-to-day use, especially since the device is more lifestyle-focused. The thinness, which is a strength in comfort, also means it's not as well equipped to disperse heat like thicker phones.

Display: big, bright, beautiful

[pdp-expert-review]
The Edge 70 Pro+ has a 6.8-inch quad-curved AMOLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and 1.5K resolution, making content look sharp and animations smooth. Peak brightness reaches 5200 nits, with 1800 nits in HBM for sunlight legibility. This is backed by stereo speakers, which sound decent. However, occasional mistouches happen on the curves, and the fingerprint sensor sits low. 
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ features a big 6.8-inch quad-curved AMOLED panel that you really notice the moment you start using it. It's smooth and responsive, with a 144Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling and animations feel effortless.

The UI and most games we tested only run at 120Hz for now, so this could be something that will come in handy further down the line once more games get the proper support through an OTA update. The resolution is 1.5K (2772 x 1272p), so the content looks extremely sharp and detailed.

[comparative-benchmark type="2000" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," ][/comparative-benchmark]

In bright conditions, the screen could theoretically hit a peak brightness of 5200 nits, but the 1800 nits in HBM is more than sufficient to keep things legible under direct sunlight without killing the battery too fast.

Colour-wise, it's rich and vibrant, with the panel covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 space and a 10-bit display capable of showing over a billion shades. That last bit is more observable when you're watching HDR content or looking at photos with subtle gradients. There's also Water Touch support to improve input with wet hands.

What I do like is that it's quite gentle on the eyes. The blue light and motion reduction certifications make a difference during longer viewing sessions, especially at night and when you're travelling in cabs. The quad-curved edges give the phone a refined look and add a bit of elegance, even if I still prefer flat panels for day-to-day use.

Naturally, there are also a couple of downsides. You do get occasional mistouches on the curved sides, especially if you hold the phone more firmly, as I do. Furthermore, the in-display fingerprint sensor is placed quite low on the screen, which is a bit awkward if you have smaller hands like mine, especially on such a tall device.

The stereo speakers are capable and get loud with decent vocal clarity, though at max volume, the audio does feel slightly muffled compared to a similar competitor. In normal use, that's not an issue.

Battery: decent run-time, fast charging

[pdp-expert-review]
The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ has a silicon-carbon 6500mAh battery, but it lasts just over 14 hours in PCMark, below the segment average of 16 hours. With 5G on, you'll get around 7 hours of screen-on time. Charging is excellent, with 90W wired charging filling the battery in under 50 minutes, plus 15W wireless charging and reverse charging options for flexibility.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Edge 70 Pro+ packs a silicon-carbon 6500mAh battery, which is pretty substantial for such a slim phone. In practice, though, based on our tests, it's not quite pulling the endurance you'd expect from that capacity. In the PCMark battery test, it lasted just over 14 hours, which is a bit below the segment average of around 16 hours.

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," ][/comparative-benchmark]

It's likely that the battery will improve over time as usage patterns settle in and software updates roll out, but right now, it doesn't reflect the same longevity you'd want from a battery this size. For most people, it will still easily carry you through a full day, just not much beyond that. If you want longer battery life, the Vivo V70 (review) and OPPO Reno15 (review) are better suited to your needs within the same price bracket. 

[comparative-benchmark type="4000" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Charging, on the other hand, is very good. The 90W TurboPower wired charging gets the massive 6500mAh battery to full in just under 50 minutes, which is excellent. There's also 15W TurboPower wireless charging, 10W wireless reverse charging, and 5W wired reverse charging, which adds a lot of flexibility. 

Software: new customisations

[pdp-expert-review]
The Edge 70 Pro+ runs Hello UI on Android 16 with new lock-screen clock customisation and a redesigned notification panel, but it offers little beyond the Edge 70 Pro. Motorola promises three major OS updates and six years of support, which is weaker than rivals. The OS is minimal and snappy with Motorola's AI features, but pre-installed apps and ads like Newsroom and suggested games tarnish the clean experience.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ doesn't really offer anything drastically different from its more affordable sibling, the Edge 70 Pro (review), when it comes to the software experience. You get the same Hello UI based on Android 16, along with some new customisation options for the clock widget on the lock screen and a redesigned notification panel.

Motorola is promising three major OS updates and six years of software updates in total, which is still the clearest limitation here. Most rivals in this price bracket now offer better long-term support.

[comparative-benchmark type="3000" products="42053,41800,41487,41658," pias="47,30,71,50,"][/comparative-benchmark]

Otherwise, the software experience is largely what you'd expect from any Motorola phone: a minimal OS that's mostly clean. I say "mostly" because both the new Edge 70 Pro and Pro+ come with a fair amount of pre-installed apps and ads baked into the UI. You'll see things like Newsroom, app suggestions in the search tool, suggested games, and more. You can remove all of it, but it does tarnish the otherwise clean experience Motorola has offered until now.

The OS itself is still quite snappy and performs well. The handset includes all the AI features introduced in Motorola Signature's (review) suite, so you're sorted on that front. What doesn't quite work yet is the overall implementation and the lack of software support.

Verdict

The memory shortage has changed expectations at pretty much every price point, and brands have had to make some difficult choices as a result. For buyers, that means being a little more careful about what they prioritise and where they are willing to compromise. In that context, the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ ends up making that decision a lot easier. 

The handset does well across all the main areas that matter most: performance, display, design, cameras, and battery life. That is more than what most phones in this segment can claim, including rivals like the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro (review) and the Vivo V70 (review), both of which are more specialised towards cameras while giving up ground elsewhere, like performance. The Edge 70 Pro+ feels more complete by comparison against most of its competitors. 

For someone spending this much money (Rs 47,999) and wanting a phone that does most things well without any crippling compromises, the Edge 70 Pro+ is one of the clearest options in the segment. It may not be perfect, but it gets the balance right in a way that matters. 

Editor's rating: 8.3/10

Reasons to buy:

• Slimmest phone at this price, weighing just 190g with a comfortable, premium feel
• Big 6.8-inch 144Hz AMOLED display that is bright, vibrant, and gentle on the eyes
• A capable periscope camera system with vibrant, detailed outputs across most lighting conditions
• Powerful Dimensity 8500 Extreme chip delivers reliable performance and gaming output

Reasons not to buy:

• Battery life falls short of expectations despite the large 6,500mAh capacity
• Weaker software support, with only three major OS updates promised
• Design is a bit slippery and is prone to accidental falls

Sometimes, being among the first to adopt a brand-new platform comes with a premium, and that's exactly where the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11 finds itself. As one of the first laptops in India powered by Intel's new Panther Lake architecture, it brings Copilot+ capabilities, AI-powered features, and the promise of next-generation computing. After spending some time with it, though, I was curious to see whether the latest hardware translates into a noticeably better overall laptop experience or not. Let's find out in our in-depth Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11 review.

Lenovo still nails the everyday essentials

If there's one thing Lenovo has consistently done well over the years, it's creating laptops that are genuinely pleasant to use every single day. Thankfully, the IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11 continues that tradition.

The first thing that stands out is the keyboard. Typing feels immediately familiar, thanks to the generous key travel and satisfying tactile feedback that Lenovo keyboards have become known for. Whether you're drafting documents, replying to emails, or spending hours in spreadsheets, this is a keyboard that's easy to get comfortable with. The inclusion of a dedicated numpad is another welcome addition, especially for finance professionals and students dealing with numbers on a regular basis.

Supporting it is a large touchpad that performs reliably throughout daily use. While it doesn't have the silky feel of premium glass implementations, tracking is accurate, Windows gestures register consistently, and I never found myself fighting against it.

The display deserves a mention, too. Our review unit comes with the standard 15.3-inch WUXGA IPS panel rather than the optional OLED configuration, and while it won't win any awards for color reproduction, it gets the basics right. Text appears crisp, the 16:10 aspect ratio offers a little extra vertical workspace, and the 400 nits brightness means using it outdoors or in brightly lit rooms isn't much of a challenge.

The top-firing stereo speakers also punch above their weight. Audio remains clear enough for casual Netflix sessions, YouTube videos, and online meetings, while Dolby Audio tuning adds a bit of fullness to the overall presentation.

Battery life is another area where the laptop performs well. In our PCMark 10 battery test, it managed 12 hours and 27 minutes on a single charge, which should comfortably get most users through an entire workday or a full day of college lectures without scrambling for a charger.

[smartslider3 slider="2138"]

Performance, too, is perfectly adequate for what most buyers are likely to do. Powered by Intel's Core Ultra 5 322 processor, everyday multitasking feels snappy, browser tabs stay responsive, and productivity applications run without any noticeable hiccups. Being part of Intel's latest Panther Lake family also means you get access to Microsoft's Copilot+ ecosystem and local AI acceleration for supported workloads.

It doesn't quite feel like an Rs 1 lakh laptop, though

While the overall experience is solid, the first impression isn't quite as convincing. Lenovo markets the IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11 as featuring a premium metal construction, and visually, it certainly looks the part. The clean silver finish, understated styling, and minimalist lid design give it a modern appearance. However, once you actually pick it up, the in-hand feel doesn't quite match those expectations.

At around 1.5kg, portability isn't an issue, but the materials feel more functional than luxurious. The hinge also requires two hands to open consistently, although it redeems itself by keeping the display remarkably stable once opened.

The port selection is similarly a mix of practical and puzzling decisions. On the positive side, you still get two USB Type-A ports alongside a full-sized SD card reader, something many modern thin-and-light laptops have abandoned altogether. However, there's only a single USB Type-C port, and while it supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort output, it isn't backed by USB4 or Thunderbolt speeds. The bundled charger also relies on a traditional barrel connector, meaning users who switch to USB-C charging effectively occupy the laptop's only Type-C port during use.

The display follows a similar story. While brightness is commendable and viewing angles remain excellent, the 45% NTSC color gamut means it lacks the richness and accuracy that creators or media enthusiasts may expect. It's perfectly usable for office work and entertainment, but the optional OLED panel would have elevated the overall experience considerably.

The biggest challenge is simply the asking price

Here's where things become a little complicated. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11 starts at Rs 1,09,990, and that's where expectations naturally rise. Benchmark numbers tell an interesting story. Across Cinebench, Geekbench, and PCMark workloads, the Core Ultra 5 322 performs competently but doesn't establish a commanding lead over either previous-generation Intel processors or competing Ryzen AI chips.

Performance is perfectly adequate for everyday workloads, but it doesn't quite stand out in this price segment. In our testing, the Core Ultra 5 322 trailed behind several Ryzen AI-powered rivals and even some older Intel Core i5 systems in CPU benchmarks. The integrated graphics are capable enough for casual gaming, while the 12-hour 27-minute battery life is solid, though competing laptops with similar battery capacities manage to last even longer.

None of these observations makes the IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11 a poor laptop. In isolation, every single one of these results is perfectly acceptable. The challenge is that buyers shopping in this price segment have no shortage of alternatives that offer OLED displays, stronger graphics performance, or faster processors without asking for significantly more money. In many ways, the biggest competitor to this laptop may actually be Lenovo's own previous-generation models, several of which deliver a more attractive balance of features and performance at considerably lower prices.

Verdict: A good laptop that needs better pricing

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11 gets most of the basics right. It offers a comfortable keyboard, dependable everyday performance, solid battery life, a bright display, and the latest Panther Lake platform with Copilot+ features. Its biggest drawback isn't the laptop itself, but the fact that similarly priced rivals offer better displays and stronger performance, making its Rs 1,09,990 price tag a tough sell.

Lenovo does soften the blow with a generous set of launch offers, including an instant cashback of Rs 10,000, an additional Rs 10,000 exchange bonus, 12-month no-cost EMI options, and a one-year Perplexity Pro membership worth Rs 24,000 for just Rs 999. Buyers can also customize their configuration through Lenovo's online store and get it delivered in select locations within four days. If these offers or festive discounts bring the effective price closer to Rs 80,000, the IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11 becomes a far more compelling package.

Editor's Rating: 7.8 / 10

Pros:

• Comfortable keyboard with numpad
• Good battery backup
• Bright IPS display
• Reliable everyday performance

Cons:

• Dated port implementation
• Build feels less premium than expected
• The value proposition could be stronger

Imagine walking up to a spotless desk with a monitor, a mouse, and… that's it. No CPU tucked under the table, no mini PC hiding behind the display, and no laptop awkwardly sitting closed on a stand. Just a keyboard connected with a single braided cable. That's exactly what the HP EliteBoard G1a looks like. Except this isn't just a keyboard. Hidden underneath those keys is an entire Windows 11 Copilot+ PC.

If the idea sounds strangely familiar, that's because it is. Back in the ‘80s, computers like the Commodore 64 packed everything inside a keyboard. HP has taken that old-school concept and given it a thoroughly modern twist, turning it into a sleek AI PC aimed at hybrid workers, enterprise users, and anyone who appreciates a clean workspace. It's unusual, undeniably cool, and after spending time with it, surprisingly practical too.

Looks Like a Keyboard, Hides an Entire Computer

The biggest achievement of the EliteBoard G1a is that it doesn't look like a gimmick. Instead of feeling chunky or oversized, it looks like a premium wireless keyboard that happens to conceal a full computer inside.

The chassis measures just over a centimeter thick at the front and weighs roughly 676 grams on the wireless variant, making it incredibly easy to carry around. It slides into a backpack without a second thought, and HP even bundles a neat canvas sleeve for extra protection.

Thankfully, HP hasn't sacrificed typing quality in pursuit of this compact design. The keyboard offers 2mm key travel with responsive scissor switches that feel comfortable for everything from writing long documents to working through spreadsheets. The inclusion of a full numpad is also a welcome touch, especially for business users, although the arrow keys do feel slightly compressed.

Small details add to the premium experience. There's a dedicated Copilot key for quick AI access, while the power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner for Windows Hello logins. The spill-resistant construction and EasyClean design mean it can also withstand repeated cleaning with disinfectant wipes, making it well-suited for shared office environments.

One Cable to Rule the Entire Desk

The whole idea behind the EliteBoard G1a is reducing clutter, so its connectivity is intentionally simple. At the back are two USB-C ports, including a full USB4 connection capable of 40 Gbps alongside another 10 Gbps USB-C port. Both support DisplayPort output and power delivery, allowing the keyboard to connect directly to compatible monitors. Wireless connectivity is equally future-ready with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.

Audio performance is surprisingly good, too. The built-in Poly Studio speakers and microphones are clearly tuned for video calls, delivering crisp voice quality during meetings. The whole setup also manages to get adequately loud, especially considering the tiny size. In fact, they're perfectly usable for casual media consumption, although anyone planning to binge movies or music will still be better served by a good pair of headphones.

Small Form Factor, Surprisingly Big Muscle

Our review unit packs an AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 350 processor paired with 32GB of DDR5 memory and a 512GB SSD. For everyday use, performance never really becomes a concern. Dozens of Chrome tabs, Microsoft Office, Teams calls, Photoshop projects, and background applications all run simultaneously without slowing the system down.

[smartslider3 slider="2093"]

The integrated Radeon 860M graphics also deserve credit. While nobody should buy the EliteBoard expecting a gaming machine, it comfortably handles creative workloads like photo editing, vector graphics, and even lighter video editing. Casual gaming is certainly possible too, with esports titles and several modern games running well after dialing back the settings.

HP has also done a good job balancing performance within the compact chassis. Rather than chasing peak benchmark numbers, the system operates within a 25W power profile while using its System Resource Optimizer to prioritize whichever application you're actively using. In day-to-day usage, that optimization is surprisingly noticeable and helps the machine feel consistently responsive.

Cool Under Pressure and Easy to Tinker With

Packing this much hardware inside something as slim as a keyboard naturally creates thermal challenges, but HP has approached cooling quite intelligently. Push the system with sustained workloads, and the tiny internal fans do become audible, producing a noticeable high-pitched hum. Thankfully, the typing surface itself stays impressively cool. HP uses an internal recycled copper thermal shield beneath the keys that prevents heat from transferring to the area where your hands actually rest.

Even better is the serviceability. Unlike many modern ultrabooks, where upgrading anything feels impossible, opening the EliteBoard is refreshingly straightforward. Removing the bottom cover provides direct access to both DDR5 SODIMM slots, the M.2 SSD, and the replaceable battery. The keyboard assembly itself is modular too, allowing enterprise IT teams to replace an entire keyboard deck without disturbing the motherboard or storage. It's a thoughtful design choice that fits perfectly with the product's business-first focus.

About That Battery, Though...

The EliteBoard G1a includes a replaceable 32Wh battery, though the battery life isn't nearly as great as you'd expect. Then again, that's by design.

You see, this isn't designed to become a portable all-day computer that you can use at a café. Battery life away from the wall hovers around three to four hours, depending on your display setup, which isn't its intended purpose. Instead, HP treats the battery as a built-in UPS for your workflow.

Imagine finishing work at home before heading to the office. Rather than shutting everything down, you simply unplug the USB-C cable, drop the keyboard into your bag, and leave. During transit, Windows remains suspended on battery power. Once you arrive, plugging into another monitor instantly restores your entire workspace exactly where you left it. It sounds like a small convenience, but for professionals constantly moving between hot desks or multiple offices, it's genuinely clever.

Where Does This Even Fit in the Indian PC Market?

While Mini PCs have a good following globally, what's the Indian market scene for Mini PCs like? While it's a slow rise, Mini PCs have slowly gained popularity in India, particularly in commercial deployments where companies want compact systems that stay permanently attached to desks or monitors. Currently, the market already has products like the ASUS ExpertCenter and Lenovo's ThinkCentre Tiny lineup. They're compact, reliable, and powerful enough for most office tasks.

The EliteBoard G1a approaches the problem differently. Instead of shrinking the PC itself, HP has effectively hidden it inside the device you're already using every second. That means fewer cables, less desk clutter, and a setup that can travel with you without carrying an additional box. For organizations embracing hybrid work or hot-desking, it actually solves a real problem. It's a niche idea, but one that makes a surprising amount of sense once you experience it.

Verdict: Should Anyone Actually Buy This Thing?

The HP EliteBoard G1a starts at Rs 89,900 and stretches up to around Rs 1.9 lakh for higher-end enterprise configurations like the one we reviewed. That's undeniably expensive, and if all you need is a stationary desktop, there are cheaper ways to get similar performance. A traditional mini PC or even a good laptop will often deliver more ports and better value on paper.

But that's also missing the point. The EliteBoard isn't trying to replace conventional desktops. Instead, it reimagines what a personal workstation can look like in today's hybrid workplaces. For professionals moving between shared desks or anyone who values a clean, clutter-free setup, HP has created something genuinely unique. It may sound unconventional at first, but after using it, going back to a desk full of boxes and cables feels surprisingly outdated.

Editor's Rating: 8.2 / 10

Pros:

• Ingenious all-in-one keyboard design
• Excellent typing experience
• Upgradeable and easy to service
• Clean, clutter-free desk setup

Cons:

• Expensive for most buyers
• Very niche target audience
• Limited built-in connectivity

Remember when buying a gaming laptop in India was simple? You either hunted for the magical Rs 80,000 "sweet spot," or you went full enthusiast, buying a desktop-replacement heavy enough to double as a gym weight. Well, times are changing. The strict borders separating the hardcore gamer, the engineering student, the creative professional, and the hybrid worker are completely dissolving. Nobody wants to be pigeonholed anymore. Today's buyer wants one machine to rule them all.

To figure out how the industry is handling this identity crisis, we caught up with Bruce Lin, Regional Marketing Manager for MSI at COMPUTEX 2026. Amidst a sea of flashing RGB and cutting-edge cooling tech, we chatted about everything from component inflation to MSI's aggressive, localized strategy to conquer the Indian mainstream.

The Death of the Niche: Enter the 'All-Rounder'

We kicked things off by talking about form factors. For years, massive flagships like the legendary MSI Titan dominated the enthusiast conversation. But do people really want those behemoths anymore, or is the future strictly thin and light? According to Bruce, consumers are shifting toward a hybrid mindset.

"Nowadays, people do crack the boundary. People no longer consider themselves individually as just 'gamers' or 'workers,' 'employees' or 'content creators.' They want an all-rounder device for suiting all scenarios."

Let's be real for a second: as much as we'd all love a top-tier graphics card crammed into a chassis that weighs less than a bag of chips, physics is a bit of a party pooper. Squeezing massive power into an ultra-thin frame without it melting through your desk is still a pipe dream. Bruce even joked that until someone figures out how to make a next-gen GPU weigh under a kilogram, those beefier gaming rigs aren't going anywhere.

However, India's massive demographic of engineering students and creators has forced a fascinating middle ground. They need serious horsepower, but they don't want a laptop that looks like a neon spaceship when they open it in a lecture hall.

The New Math

Let's talk money, because component inflation is very real. Defining a "budget" device in India used to be easy. For most, it meant keeping an eye on an Rs 80,000 price tag. But global macroeconomic forces, chip costs, and memory inflation have forced a sharp reality check. Bruce was refreshingly transparent about how the entry-level goalposts have moved.

"Surveys show that for the base entry layer, people still stick with 80k. But due to the price increment on the chipset, memory, and storage, there's now a 20% higher acceptance in the market already. People are starting to accept that maybe a 90k or 1 Lakh laptop for a base is okay."

But for MSI, which has its roots firmly planted in the premium segment, the real sweet spot is actually a bit higher. Because we are all holding onto our laptops longer these days, investing in something that won't feel ancient in two years is paramount. According to Bruce, if you want a truly future-proof mid-tier machine today, you're looking at a baseline of Rs 1.5 Lakhs to Rs 1.6 Lakhs.

Now, dropping Rs 1.5 Lakhs up front definitely hurts the wallet, but the way we buy tech in India has secretly transitioned into a subscription mindset. Instead of compromising on a stuttery entry-level machine, buyers are leaning hard on digital fintech. By integrating options like Bajaj, Pine Labs, and leveraging India's incredibly smooth UPI ecosystem, MSI is making that premium price tag way easier to swallow. Breaking a premium machine down into zero-cost monthly chunks makes upgrading to a future-proof laptop a no-brainer.

The "Made in India" Mandate and the Customization Myth

One of the coolest moments of our chat came when we brought up supply chain logistics. In a market where some competitors heavily market "custom-to-order" laptops online, promising a tailor-made system in a few weeks, we asked Bruce if MSI planned to copy that model. Honestly, his response blew the doors off standard industry marketing jargon.

"Their strategy is a bit apart from ours. They make a huge scale of bookings. It sounds like a customizable laptop, but in fact, in the real supply case, it's not. They just book all the configurations, stock them in their warehouse, and make people feel like they are customizing it. But they have all the variants already in stock."

It's a clever bit of marketing theater, really. Instead of playing that warehouse guessing game, MSI is leaning into a completely different superpower: aggressive domestic manufacturing. By pivoting to "Made in India" production lines for their mainstream and high-volume models, MSI can drastically compress the time it takes for fresh silicon to hit retail shelves. Sure, global component shortages still happen, but local manufacturing gives MSI the agility to respond to real-time spikes in regional demand without waiting on a cargo ship.

Turning Brand Stores into Community Hubs

As backed by our Laptop Buyer Insights Survey, Gen Z is undeniably digital-first: they read reviews, pore over benchmarks, and track Reddit threads. Yet, when it comes to dropping serious cash on a performance machine, they still want an offline, physical handshake with the device. They want to feel the chassis stiffness, test the keyboard deck flex, and see the display with their own eyes.

MSI's response to this has been massive. Back in 2022, they had a modest footprint of just 10 dedicated standalone stores across India. Today, that network has expanded fivefold to 50 dedicated brand stores. They've also nearly doubled their service infrastructure to 175 locations, backed up by on-site support. But what's really cool is how MSI is reinventing the otherwise boring after-sales service experience.

"We organize service events at our brand stores so people can have a free service experience in the shop. People just need to register, and we help them with changing thermal paste, cleaning dust, and doing basic maintenance—entirely free of charge."

This is honestly a brilliant customer retention move. Think about it: by inviting you into the store for a free spa day for your laptop, MSI strips away the usual anxiety associated with tech repairs. They are successfully turning cold, transactional retail storefronts into actual, service-oriented community hubs.

Ultimately, MSI's playbook for India is incredibly clear. By combining a rapidly multiplying store network and free laptop spa days with a localized "Made in India" strategy that's firing on all cylinders, they aren't just passively watching the market identity crisis unfold. They are actively building the foundation for what comes next. As the old boundaries between work, play, and creation continue to shatter, MSI isn't just keeping up with the modern Indian tech buyer. Instead, they're already a few steps ahead, holding the line (and the thermal paste).

We recently reviewed the HP OmniBook X 14 and came away impressed by its blend of portability, battery life, and everyday performance. The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 follows a similar philosophy but sits a notch higher in HP's lineup, targeting users willing to pay a premium for a sleeker, more refined package.

While the two laptops share a similar DNA, the Ultra model stands out with its noticeably thinner profile and more premium construction. The tradeoff, however, is a leaner selection of ports, making it a device that prioritises aesthetics and portability over connectivity. The question then remains whether these refinements are enough to justify the added cost over its already capable sibling. Here's our full review.

Slim, sophisticated, and surprisingly sharp

At first glance, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 doesn't stray too far from the design language established by the OmniBook X 14. Available in Eclipse gray or Silk sand colour options, it features a clean, minimalist aesthetic with a sandblasted matte finish and HP's reflective logo centered on the lid. The understated look gives the laptop a premium appeal without drawing unnecessary attention, making it suitable for both professional and personal use.

The chassis is constructed from aluminium and feels exceptionally sturdy with no flex in the lid or keyboard deck. HP has also done an excellent job with the overall fit and finish, as there are no visible gaps anywhere on the machine. Despite packing high-performance hardware, the OmniBook Ultra 14 maintains a slim profile and is marginally lighter and slimmer than the OmniBook X 14 at 1.27 kgs and measuring 311.1 x 215.6 x 10.7 mm.

Opening the lid reveals a clean design with thin display bezels on all four sides and a subtle HP branding beneath the display. The hinge mechanism feels solid and allows the screen to open smoothly while providing minimal wobble during use. The bottom panel is equally pleasing with a large ventilation section and wide rubber feet. My only critique about the design is the chamfered edges. While they look nice and shiny, they are noticeably sharp.

Port selection is fairly minimal, with the left side housing two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, while the right side includes another USB Type-C port alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack. While the inclusion of multiple USB-C ports is welcome, users who rely on legacy peripherals may still need to carry a dongle or USB hub.

Overall, the OmniBook Ultra 14 strikes an excellent balance between portability, premium build quality, and understated design. It may not be the most visually striking laptop in its segment, but its clean aesthetics, solid construction, and slim form factor make it a highly polished package.

Comfortable inputs, promising sound

The keyboard offers a similar layout to the OmniBook X 14, including the new HP Progress Typeface. However, the keycaps are larger with a more flattened design and less space between them. The keyboard also features two levels of backlighting and dedicated LED indicators for the volume and mic mute F-keys, as well as the function (Fn), caps lock, and power keys. Overall typing experience is excellent, despite only a 1.3 mm keystroke travel. I got used to the keyboard within two days of usage and was satisfied with the feedback, while the palm rest area felt spacious for a comfortable typing experience. As mentioned earlier, the edges feel sharp and depending on how you rest your palms, you may find the metal chassis digging slightly into your wrists during extended typing sessions.

Below the keyboard sits a generously sized glass trackpad that is responsive, accurate, and offers haptic feedback. Multi-touch gestures are registered reliably, while the smooth surface allows fingers to glide effortlessly across it. HP also offers optional gestures for volume and screen brightness that can be enabled or disabled using the included HP software.

Audio duties are handled by a quad-speaker setup firing downward through discreet slits on either side. The speakers are loud enough to fill a large room and remain clear even at higher volume levels, making them suitable for watching movies, attending video calls, or casual media consumption without external speakers.

As expected from a slim-and-light laptop, bass response is limited, so music and action-heavy content lack some of the depth and punch, especially compared to the MacBook Pro. That said, HP has included a number of software enhancements to improve the listening experience, including DTS Ultra, HP Audio Boost, and Poly Studio tuning. Users can also choose from various audio presets tailored for different types of content, allowing the sound profile to be adjusted depending on whether you're watching videos, listening to music, or attending meetings. Overall, the speakers are among the better implementations in this category, prioritising clarity and volume over low-end performance.

A display worth paying extra for

HP continues to impress when it comes to display quality, as the OmniBook Ultra 14 features the same excellent 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED touchscreen panel found on the OmniBook X 14. The display offers impressive brightness levels of up to 500 nits in SDR and 1,100 nits in HDR, ensuring excellent visibility even in brightly lit environments. At the other end of the spectrum, reducing the brightness in a dark room doesn't result in a washed-out or dull viewing experience. The panel remains evenly lit throughout, with no noticeable blooming.

Colour reproduction is equally impressive, with full 100% DCI-P3 coverage making the display well-suited for photo and video editing. HP also allows users to switch between multiple colour profiles, including sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3, through its bundled software, giving creators greater flexibility based on their workflow.

The display further enhances the experience with support for a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, dynamically adjusting based on on-screen content to deliver smoother visuals while potentially helping conserve battery life. Combined with a fast 0.2 ms response time, the panel feels exceptionally responsive in everyday use.

Other notable features include Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for added durability and an integrated low blue light filter to help reduce eye strain during extended usage sessions.

Balancing performance and portability

Under the hood, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is powered by Intel's latest Panther Lake Core Ultra Series 3 processors and is offered in a single configuration for the Indian market. This includes the Core Ultra 7 356H processor, a 16-core, 16-thread chip that can boost up to 4.7 GHz. Complementing the processor is 16 GB of LPDDR5x memory running at a speedy 8533 MT/s and a 1 TB PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD, ensuring plenty of bandwidth for multitasking and fast storage access.

Given its premium positioning, the hardware package appears well-balanced for a wide range of workloads, including productivity, content creation, and light gaming. On paper, the specifications are nearly identical to those of the OmniBook X 14, making it particularly interesting to see whether HP's thinner chassis has any impact on sustained performance and thermals.

To evaluate its performance, we compared the OmniBook Ultra 14 against the HP OmniBook X 14, which features the same Intel Core Ultra 7 356H processor, as well as the ASUS ZenBook S16 powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 and the ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED equipped with Intel's Core Ultra 9 285H. This provided a good mix of direct and cross-platform comparisons, helping us understand where the OmniBook Ultra 14 stands in the premium ultraportable segment.

In CPU-focused workloads, the OmniBook Ultra 14 delivered respectable results, although it consistently trailed the OmniBook X 14 despite sharing the same processor. For instance, it scored 779 points in Cinebench R24 multi-core compared to 814 points on the OmniBook X 14, while Cinebench R23 multi-core scores stood at 14,096 and 16,328, respectively. This suggests that the slimmer chassis of the OmniBook Ultra 14 may be slightly more conservative when it comes to sustaining higher multi-core boost frequencies over extended workloads. Unsurprisingly, the Ryzen AI 9-powered ZenBook S16 and the Core Ultra 9-equipped ZenBook 14 OLED pulled ahead in most CPU-heavy benchmarks, particularly in Cinebench and Geekbench multi-core tests. That said, the performance gap is going to be far less noticeable in day-to-day usage.

[smartslider3 slider="2137"]

The laptop also posted a strong PCMark 10 score of 8,349, marginally ahead of the OmniBook X 14 and not too far behind the ZenBook S16. It also delivered healthy Geekbench 6 scores, indicating that productivity tasks such as web browsing, office work, photo editing, and multitasking are handled with ease.

The integrated GPU falls behind the Radeon-powered ZenBook S16 and the Arc graphics on the Core Ultra 9-based ZenBook 14 OLED in synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark and Geekbench GPU tests. That said, it remains more than capable of handling creative workloads. Despite its thin and light design, the OmniBook Ultra 14 is suitable for casual gaming, with around 74 FPS in GTA V and over 100 FPS in competitive esports titles like Valorant and Apex Legends.

One area where the OmniBook Ultra 14 clearly shines is storage performance. The included PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD delivered excellent results in CrystalDiskMark, achieving sequential read and write speeds of 10,341MB/s and 8,691MB/s respectively. These speeds translate into near-instant boot times, rapid application launches, and quick file transfers, ensuring that storage never becomes a bottleneck during everyday use or heavier productivity workloads.

Good endurance, travel-friendly charger

Despite its slim chassis and powerful hardware, the OmniBook Ultra 14 delivers respectable battery life thanks to its 70Wh battery pack. In PCMark 10 Video battery benchmark with the display set to 80% brightness, the laptop lasted an impressive 14 hours and 39 minutes on a single charge. Real-world endurance naturally varies depending on the workload, but during my daily usage involving web browsing, document editing, video streaming, and a healthy amount of multitasking, the laptop consistently delivered around 8 to 9 hours of runtime.

Users looking to maximize battery life can stretch this further by lowering the refresh rate, switching to a more power-efficient performance profile, and reducing screen brightness when needed. When it does run out of juice, the bundled 65W USB-C GaN charger supports fast charging, allowing the battery to reach roughly 50% capacity in about 45 minutes. The charger itself is compact and lightweight enough to carry around comfortably, making it a practical travel companion. Since it uses a standard USB-C connection, it can also double as a charger for smartphones, tablets, and other compatible devices, reducing the number of power bricks you need to carry.

A refined ultrabook that comes at a cost

The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 stands as a premium ultraportable that gets most things right. It offers a sleek and sturdy aluminium chassis, an excellent 3K OLED display, fast PCIe Gen5 storage, respectable battery life, and enough performance to handle demanding productivity and content creation workloads.

What makes the OmniBook Ultra 14 particularly interesting is how it balances portability and performance. Despite its thin profile, the laptop remains cool and quiet during everyday tasks while delivering a premium user experience across the board. The display is among the best in its class, the speakers are surprisingly capable, and the compact USB-C charger further enhances its appeal as a travel-friendly machine.

That said, there are minor compromises. The sharp chassis edges can occasionally become uncomfortable during extended typing sessions, the integrated graphics performance lags behind some competing premium ultrabooks, and the battery life, while good, falls somewhat short of what we observed on the OmniBook X 14.

Starting at Rs 2,19,999 for the Eclipse Gray variant and Rs 2,21,999 for the Silk Sand option, the OmniBook Ultra 14 occupies the premium end of the market. At this price point, it faces competition from offerings such as the ASUS ZenBook S16 as well as HP's own OmniBook X 14. However, if you're looking for an elegantly built Windows laptop with a stunning OLED display, excellent everyday performance, and strong portability credentials, the OmniBook Ultra 14 is easy to recommend. It may not be the absolute performance leader in its class, but it delivers a refined and well-rounded experience.

Editor's rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros:

• Premium aluminum design
• Sharp, vibrant 3K OLED with 120Hz VRR
• Portable 65W GaN charger
• Speedy PCIe Gen 5 SSD

Cons:

• Sharp edges
• Limited ports

The Xiaomi 17T is the company's latest offering in its flagship series and arguably the most compelling one. The handset is priced in India at Rs 59,999 for the base variant with 256GB of storage, while the top-end 512GB variant costs Rs 64,999. Sales of the smartphone start on June 10th via the major e-commerce platform Amazon.in and Xiaomi's official retail stores. We analysed its value in our Xiaomi 17T review. Here's a concise summary of who this smartphone makes the most sense for and who may be better off without it.

Reasons to buy the Xiaomi 17T

Dynamic camera setup with 5x optical zoom

[smartslider3 slider=2134]

The Xiaomi 17T's biggest highlight is its 50MP 5x periscope telephoto camera. Unlike many rivals that rely on shorter zoom lenses, the dedicated 5x setup enables users to capture detailed distant subjects and flattering portraits without needing additional accessories. For photography enthusiasts, the telephoto camera adds a level of versatility rarely seen at this price point.

Sharp AMOLED display

The smartphone features a 6.59-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and vibrant colour reproduction. Whether you're streaming videos, scrolling through social media, or browsing the web, the panel delivers a crisp and immersive viewing experience. Outdoor visibility is also good enough for comfortable use under sunlight.

Reliable battery life

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41546,41713,41718,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Equipped with a large 6,500mAh battery, the Xiaomi 17T comfortably lasts a full day with regular usage. Even with extensive camera use, video streaming, and navigation, the handset manages dependable endurance. Most users are unlikely to experience battery anxiety during a typical workday.

Smooth everyday performance

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41546,41713,41718,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

While the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra may not be the fastest chipset in the sub-flagship segment, it remains more than capable for everyday workloads. The smartphone handles multitasking, content consumption, social media, and casual gaming with ease. Thermal management is another strong point, helping the device stay relatively cool during demanding tasks.

Reasons not to buy the Xiaomi 17T

Charging speeds lag behind rivals

[comparative-benchmark type="4000" products="41546,41713,41718,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Although Xiaomi bundles a 67W charger in the box, the charging performance feels underwhelming compared to competing devices. Charging the battery takes approximately 73 minutes, which is noticeably longer than on some rivals with similarly sized battery packs, many of which can reach a full charge in under an hour.

If you're looking for a smartphone that charges quickly in this segment, the Vivo X200T is a better choice. It packs the same battery capacity as the Xiaomi 17T but supports 90W fast charging, taking just 44 minutes to charge from 20 to 100 per cent in our internal testing.

Software and display quirks remain

HyperOS 3 offers plenty of features and useful AI tools, but it still lacks the polish of some competing Android skins. Additionally, the display's refresh rate behaviour can occasionally be inconsistent across certain apps, preventing the panel from fully utilising its 120Hz capability at all times.

The Motorola Signature, which offers a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, feels more consistent in everyday use. On top of that, the Motorola smartphone delivers a more power-efficient display and better overall performance, thanks to its LTPO panel and Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC, respectively.

To conclude...

The Xiaomi 17T's rivals, such as the Vivo X200T (review) and Motorola Signature (review), may have a few advantages of their own, including better performance and faster charging speeds. They also offer more versatile camera systems and sharper displays.

Nevertheless, the Xiaomi smartphone manages to carve out a niche for itself with its reliable performance, well-optimised battery life, and flagship-grade Leica camera setup that, in some areas, even surpasses more expensive smartphones. The 17T features a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, enabling it to capture distant subjects with impressive detail and clarity. This makes the smartphone a reliable companion for photography enthusiasts and content creators, especially at its price point.

As part of its smart wearables push, Realme recently debuted the Realme Watch S5, alongside the Realme 16T (review) and Buds Air8 Pro. The new smartwatch retails for Rs 7,999 and places heavy emphasis on its bright, large display, strong battery endurance, and support for a slew of sports modes. Having used the watch daily for two weeks straight, I have a few thoughts on how Realme's latest smartwatch fares across multiple key aspects.

Design: lightweight and subtle

The Realme Watch S5 follows the 'S' series's tradition of using rounded dials and an AMOLED display. Encased in an aluminium alloy body with Panda Glass protection on the display, the watch weighs just 49.63g with the strap included. In comparison, the similarly priced CMF Watch 3 Pro (review) comes at 51g, making the Watch S5 a tad lighter, not only on paper but also on the wrist.

Speaking of which, even after wearing and using the watch for 10 to 12 hours, the rubberised silica gel straps don't cause any discomfort or skin itching. However, sweat certainly accumulates under the back case when engaging in intensive activities, such as weight lifting or cardio sessions. With 5ATM water resistance on board, the watch is durable enough to withstand rain, surface-level swimming, and sweat.

The two buttons on the side of the watch possess excellent tactility, while the digital crown provides subtle haptic feedback when scrolling. However, this is one area where the experience could have been better, since the CMF Watch 3 Pro delivered noticeably tighter and more responsive haptic feedback during my brief use. Flipping the watch over to its back, the glossy panel houses multiple sensors for tracking and health monitoring, speakers, and a microphone.

Coming to the colourways on offer, while I'd have preferred to daily drive the Rock Grey variant of the Realme Watch S5, I quickly got used to the Sand White colour within a few days. This is particularly because of how it can be styled and worn with a light-coloured top wear and white shoes for a cohesive and clean look.

Display: bright and vivid output

The Realme Watch S5 features a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with a 466 x 466 resolution and 302 PPI pixel density. During regular use, the elements in the interface, like icons, time, health monitoring charts, and others, look vivid thanks to the deep blacks and contrasty nature of the AMOLED panel. Furthermore, for a display this small, I found the level of detail to be more than adequate, unless you're pixel-peeping.

The display offers a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. While indoors, the panel offers sufficient legibility even at around 50 percent brightness, the watch manages to keep up in bright sunny days as well, when the brightness is cranked up to 100 percent. Just like other smartwatches in the segment priced above Rs 5,000, the Realme Watch S5 gains a 60Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling. During my hands-on, I didn't encounter any lag or jitter while navigating the UI.

Moving on, protecting the display from scratches and scuffs is a major concern for many long-term users. The Realme Watch S5 uses Panda Glass, the same protective layer found on many budget and mid-range smartphones. Even after heavy use, my unit's display remains in pristine condition with no visible scratches or scuffs.

User interface and features: fully loaded

As is the case with most Realme smartwatches released in the past, navigating features and menus is straightforward. Swiping down from the main screen summons the quick controls, such as the brightness switcher, DND mode, Find My Phone, battery saver mode, and other toggles. By default, the left side pane reveals the step and calories tracker, while the right pane features some key widgets, like weather, music player, events, alarm, stopwatch, and others. Both panels are highly customisable and user-friendly, letting you easily rearrange, add, or remove menus.

[gallery link="file" columns="2" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="703958,703959"]

The bottom swipe-up gesture shows all your notifications received on your smartphone. For notifications from chat-based apps like WhatsApp, the watch even offers predefined quick reply options for you to respond to messages directly from the watch. Swiping left from any screen takes you back, while tapping the digital crown instantly exits you from a menu or app.

[gallery link="file" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="703957,703961,703960"]

Speaking of customisation, the Realme Watch S5 lets you rearrange menu positions and offers hundreds of watch faces to choose from. Most of them also support Always On Display (AOD). Personally, I found myself sticking with the default watch faces, as I preferred their subtle and well-designed aesthetics.

The watch also comes equipped with all the basic apps and functions you'd expect, such as a calculator, a calendar, camera control, Bluetooth calling, and even internal music playback, which uses its 200MB of storage to save music locally. Since the watch runs on basic proprietary software, you are limited to the pre-defined set of applications, unlike WearOS-based watches.

Coming to some peculiar aspects of the software, even though the main clock is set to 12-hour format, the time display in the watch's menus and apps shows in 24-hour format. Apart from that, if you have multiple pending WhatsApp notifications, at times, older chat notifications are delivered to the watch instead of the new message.

Fitness tracking and monitoring: lots of stuff on offer

Coming to one of the most crucial aspects of the Realme Watch S5, the device supports heart rate tracking, blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking, sleep tracking, women's health tracking, noise monitoring and even stress measurement.

To assess the watch's heart rate tracking capabilities and accuracy, I compared it with the Fitbit Versa 2. After a few seconds of measurement, the Realme Watch S5 recorded 93 BPM, while the Fitbit Versa 2 showed 94 BPM, demonstrating strong heart rate accuracy. Similarly, the Watch S5 can measure the stress levels by outputting a score between 0 and 100. The lower the score, the lower your stress level.

[gallery link="file" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="703945,703950,703944"]

While I didn't get the chance to test the sleep tracking functionality, I did use the watch for outdoor walks and workouts. Since the Watch S5 comes with GPS, it can precisely track your route, along with other metrics such as walking pace, calories burned during a walk/run, and the total duration of the activity. This is one of the aspects that separates the watch from its sub-Rs 5,000 counterparts, which usually miss out on GPS.

Among the hundreds of sports modes, gym-goers or powerlifters can select the 'Functional strength training mode' to get an overview of how their workout fared over a specific duration. Since it tracks the data in real-time, the watch delivers metrics like average and maximum heart rate, calories burned, the level of intensity achieved, and, of course, the total duration of the workout. These metrics can be particularly useful for those who want to closely monitor their gym performance and adjust their calorie intake based on their long-term fitness goals.

[gallery link="file" columns="2" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="703948,703946"]

During my workout sessions, I found the tracking UI on the watch to be straightforward and concise, meaning it only shows the information that is required during exercises, such as heart rate (BPM) in real-time, burned calories, and the aerobic training effect level. The full-fledged data of the outdoor walk/runs, strength training, and other activities can be accessed from the "Health" tab of the Realme Link app, which organises the sessions by date and even offers a comprehensive stats overview for the year.

App controls: Realme Link does the job well

The Realme Link is the sole all-in-one hub to control the Realme Watch S5. Once you log in to the app and grant the necessary permissions, such as location, contacts, notifications, SMS, and others, you can access tons of health and workout statistics after performing physical activities.

Apart from that, while most of the basic settings on the watch can be altered from the watch itself, the Realme Link app offers advanced controls for an enhanced experience. These include setting health reminders, adding or removing workout modes from the watch, downloading third-party apps, which aren't many to begin with, and more.

Battery and charging: charge once, live worry-free

The Realme Watch S5 comes with a 460mAh battery, and the company claims it can last 16 days in standard mode and 20 days in light smart mode. Without having turned on the power saver mode or other battery-saving measures, the watch lasted me two whole weeks on full charge. I unplugged the watch from the charger on May 19th at around 10 AM, and plugged it back in on June 2nd when the battery had dropped to 7 percent.

During my two-week usage period, I kept AOD enabled throughout the day (it automatically turned off at night via the scheduler), while the watch remained connected to my phone via Bluetooth. Also, as noted above, the watch was also used during workout and walking sessions, constantly receiving and viewing phone notifications, and playing around with the customisation options.

[gallery link="file" columns="2" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="703956,703954"]

For charging, the Realme Watch S5 comes bundled with a charging puck that has pogo pins and attaches to the base of the watch magnetically. It's also worth noting that since the retail box doesn't include a Type-C cable, users will have to rely on their own cables for charging purposes.

Verdict

With the Realme Watch S5, the company has come up with a smartwatch that delivers on most fronts. The key competition comes from the CMF Watch 3 Pro, which features a more cohesive interface, a more refined companion app, and tighter haptics. 

That said, thanks to its lightweight aluminium alloy dial, scratch-resistant AMOLED display, tactile side buttons, and comfortable straps, the Realme Watch S5 is thoughtfully designed and looks premium as well.

The watch is well-suited for those willing to keep a tab on key health metrics, as the Realme Watch S5 is loaded with a myriad of fitness features and trackers for all kinds of exercises and activities. While the heart rate (BPM) accuracy is just as good as that of smartwatches priced a tier above, the strength training and outdoor walk modes in particular impressed with the amount of detailed stats they record and present in a clear, concise manner. Combine all this with a battery that easily lasts over 14 days on a single charge, Realme has ticked all the basics.

Overall, for Rs 7,999, the Realme Watch S5 has nailed the basics, making it a great choice if you value a lightweight smartwatch with top-notch battery life, offering a bunch of workout and exercise modes. 

Editor's rating: 7.9 / 10

Pros

• Bright and vivid AMOLED display
• Elegantly designed and lightweight
• Exceptional battery life
• Accurate tracking with loads of workout modes 

Cons

• Software requires polish and refinement
• Haptic feedback could've been stronger

I reviewed HUION Ink earlier this year and found it to be a decent e-ink tablet. It came across as a worthy alternative for the reMarkable 2 at a more affordable price. However, I categorically stated that e-ink tablets are not for the masses, and these are productivity-centric devices that will make most sense to creators and professionals only. Now, the brand has come up with a new product that seems to be aimed at a wider audience - HUION Note E.

Unlike the Ink, HUION Note E is a compact tablet with an anti-glare LCD display that aims to offer the tactile feel of real paper along with the benefits of a full colour digital display. Broadly speaking, the brand is targeting business professionals, students, academic researchers, beginner creators, and portable reading enthusiasts with the Note E.

I managed to get hold of the Note E and have used it for around three weeks at this point. Now that I have a good idea of this tablet's capabilities, I'll try to answer whether it offers good value for your money or you would be better off skipping it entirely.

Anti-glare Display that encourages you to take notes and sketch

The Note E ships with an 8.4-inch anti-glare Soft-Light FHD+ (1,920x1,200 pixels) LCD display with an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a pixel density of 270ppi. The Soft Light display utilises AG nano-etching technology for a refined matte surface that aims to offer the traditional pen-on-paper experience. 

In practical terms, the anti-glare coating allows for a better daylight viewing/reading experience and the paper-like texture enables a better writing experience than a traditional tablet with a glossy display. The display comes with a 60Hz refresh rate, which is more than enough for most use cases. The peak display brightness of 300 nits might feel a bit less on paper, but in actual use cases, the panel holds up well with its matte finish.

With DC dimming technique, which controls display brightness by reducing the electrical current supplied to the pixels instead of flickering them on and off like OLED displays, the Note E minimises strain on the eyes. Apart from a reduction in blue light emission, the tablet's display also comes with an anti-fingerprint coating, which minimises fingerprints and smudges. This means that even extended reading and writing sessions are more enjoyable in comparison with tablets that feature glossy displays.

If you find e-ink displays to be a bit bland and glossy colour displays to be straining to the eyes, this is a comfortable middle ground. I found myself going back to this tablet more often than some of my other devices simply because I didn't feel any fatigue even after using it for two or more hours in a single session. In fact, it is hard to even define use sessions in the case of this tablet as it was always besides me even when I was using my laptop or phone as it came in really handy for taking notes.

Compact and lightweight design, plus a magnetic pen 

As a working professional, I have to make to-do lists and keep a tab of tasks and their priority order on a daily basis. While I used to do this with Huion Ink earlier, the large display size often made it difficult for me to carry it around. The Note E measures 203x143x7.4mm and weighs 348g, which meant that I had no hesitation in taking this tablet almost anywhere I went.

The tablet's power button is easily accessible on the top right side and also comes with an embedded fingerprint sensor, which allows for convenient, secure, and fast unlocking.

Unlike some other tablets that require separate stylus purchase, the Note E comes with a battery-free magnetic pen, the PW510, which is powered by PenTech 3.0. The company claims that this tech allows for a natural writing experience, thanks to its felt pen nib in combination with the textured display surface.

On the technical side of things, the PW510 supports 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition. The magnetic pen comes with a 1.6mm pen tip and a 9mm grip to give it the feel of an analogue pen. With a report rate exceeding 400 PPS, the pen promises to deliver a highly responsive and low-latency experience. 

In my experience, I found the PW510 to be convenient to hold. It attaches magnetically to the side of the tablet, and due to the strong magnetic attachment, the pen managed to stay in place easily during my usage. As far as writing experience is concerned, I found that the pen was fairly responsive, and the latency was better than I had initially expected.

Customised Android 15 that keeps note-taking front and centre

The Note E runs a customised version of Android 15 that keeps note-taking apps and tools front and centre. The rest of the operating system stays close to stock Android, so there is little to relearn if you have used an Android device before. You can install apps of your choice from the Google Play Store, and the tablet comes with a few standard Google apps such as YouTube, Meet, Maps, and Gmail pre-installed out of the box.

Although the device has been built around note-taking, this app support gives it a good deal of versatility. The tablet also lets you project its display onto other screens, something that came in handy when I had to walk through a presentation.

Decent battery life held back by slow charging

Powering the Note E is a 4,500mAh battery that the company claims can deliver around 6.5 hours of screen-on time at 50% brightness, with a full charge taking close to 2 hours. In my use, the tablet lasted somewhere between 5 and 6 hours at 50% brightness, which falls broadly in line with that claim. Charging is where it slips up. With support for 18W fast charging, a full top-up took me around 1.5-2 hours, and that feels slow next to most modern devices that refill in a fraction of the time.

An 8MP camera and single speaker that cover the basics

There is an 8MP rear camera on board, useful for scanning documents but in no way meant to replace your primary camera. Image quality is average, though for the kind of work this tablet is built for, such as scanning paper documents or capturing reference images, it does the job well enough.

The single speaker tells a similar story. It is nice to have, but it does not come close to even a smartphone in terms of loudness or clarity. If you find yourself in an urgent meeting with no other device around you, it will get you through, but I would not lean on the Note E as your main device for calls or media.

Verdict

The HUION Note E sets out to bridge the gap between e-ink tablets and traditional tablets, and for the most part, it manages to do just that. It holds on to the calm, paper-like reading and writing experience that pulls people towards e-ink, while bringing in the colour, responsiveness, and app support you would normally associate with a regular tablet.

That makes it an easy device to recommend to a certain kind of user. Professionals who live by their notes and to-do lists, budding artists who want something to doodle and sketch on, and anyone who would rather not stay glued to a glossy, backlit screen all the time will find plenty to like here. In simple words, this is the kind of tablet you reach for when you want to detox from eye-straining screens without leaving your work behind. However, as it is not segment-leading in any particular aspect, you will have to be sure of what you're getting here before you add it to the cart.

Unfortunately, the device is currently not available to buy in India, but could be launched soon as some of the other products from the brand are already available on Amazon India for purchase. On the global website, the HUION Note E has been priced at $369 (~₹35,000), which is a reasonable price given the specific nature of this tablet.

Editor's rating: 8.3 / 10

Pros

• Compact and portable
• Effective anti-glare display 
• Engaging writing experience
• Bundled PW510 pen

Cons

• Average speakers
• Slow charging speed

The newly launched Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ seems to complete the brand's Edge 70 lineup for this year, unless of course the brand decides otherwise. The latest Edge 70 Pro+ is priced at Rs 47,999 for the single 12GB + 256GB variant and, from the looks of it, is a pretty well-balanced device across all major aspects.

Due to the ongoing global memory shortage, brands have been limiting hardware upgrades like telephoto sensors and powerful processors to keep costs in check. The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ addresses many of those concerns and brings a complete premium package at its price. I've been using this device for a couple of days now, and it has definitely left a strong impression so far. Here are my thoughts.

Lovely design, great multimedia output

The moment I laid my eyes on the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+, I was immediately in love with it. The Satin-Luxe finish is smooth to the touch, and the deep red colour is very appealing if you enjoy more flamboyant designs. The device is also impossibly thin at just 7.19mm, despite its rather large 6,500mAh battery.

For context, the Motorola Edge 70 (review) was the brand's slimmest smartphone yet, measuring just 5.99mm thick with a 5,000mAh battery, which makes the Pro+ even more impressive in my eyes. The quad-curved display, extremely thin body, and beautiful colourway all make the design one of the strongest aspects of the Edge 70 Pro+.

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ features a 6.8-inch quad-curved AMOLED panel with a high 5200 nits peak brightness level, 144Hz refresh rate, and 1.5K resolution. I didn't notice much of a gap between the panels when compared against the Edge 70 Pro (review), which is fine. It did become a bit more apparent under direct sunlight, where the higher peak brightness helps keep things more legible.

The display itself is something you'll enjoy. It's big, vibrant, and the curved sides add a slight elegance to it, even though I personally prefer flat displays. The content looks rich and detailed and is very enjoyable. The paired stereo speakers are also capable and can get pretty loud, with a good level of vocal clarity and soundstage. Although at max volume, the audio does feel slightly muffled when I compare it against a similar competitor. In isolation, however, you won't notice much of a difference.

All in all, the multimedia experience on this device is quite enjoyable, and you won't really face any problems here. I didn't encounter any issues with mistouches during my limited experience so far, but I'll be able to share a more detailed opinion in the full review.

Impressively specced, but does it perform just as well?

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ is loaded in terms of hardware. It carries a capable MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Extreme, paired with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage. That alone should ensure that you'll be able to run almost anything you want at impressive speeds, whether that's gaming, heavy video renders, or juggling multiple apps.

While we have yet to run it through our regular gauntlet of benchmarks and tests, the hardware does suggest the phone will be a capable performer in most aspects. Once we've got concrete numbers, we'll share how the device performs, both in comparison to its competitors and in day-to-day usage, in the detailed review.

The phone's cameras look similarly impressive on paper. You get a quadruple 50MP camera setup, including a 50MP periscope lens with 3.5x optical zoom and a 50MP selfie camera with autofocus. Both of these features are pretty rare, considering how brands seem to be optimising either for performance or camera quality at this price bracket.

It remains to be seen how the camera actually performs in real-world usage, and that's something we will evaluate in detail very soon.

Among other things, another notable change is the UI. The phone's interface has undergone slight refinements based on the Material 3 Expressive design language. The notification panel now looks entirely different, with rectangular pill-shaped toggles for features that can also be resized.

There are also additions like Live Updates, which are essentially the same as One UI's Now Bar alerts when you play music, open Maps, turn on the torch, and so on. I like these additions a lot, as they harmonise well with the stock Android interface and add a bit of character to it. The overall OS is also very snappy and smooth to use throughout.

Finally, the phone is powered by a massive 6,500mAh cell paired with 90W fast charging support. While I haven't used it enough to gauge how the battery performs, the standby time is very impressive. 

Final thoughts 

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ is shaping up to be a very competitive, well-rounded device at Rs 48,000. That becomes even more apparent when you consider that much of the original competition in this price range has moved up due to multiple price hikes, like the OnePlus 15R (review) or the iQOO 15R (review), which currently sits here. Other competitors include the Vivo V70 (review) and Nothing Phone (4a) Pro (review), though both are more specialised devices.

All these phones either excel in performance or focus heavily on camera quality. Motorola seems to be offering a good all-around deal at a reasonable price, considering the current market scenario.

Stay tuned for our full review of the device, where we'll go in-depth on real-world performance, detailed camera impressions, battery life, and any other relevant details that will help you form an informed opinion about the Edge 70 Pro+ and if it's worth your money. 

Here's what Acer is attempting with the Aspire 5 A514-54H: take a chip that usually sits inside Rs 90,000-plus ultrabooks, stuff it into a familiar slab chassis that's been around in various forms since the Tiger Lake era, and sell it at a price that undercuts the competition by a meaningful margin. On paper, it's a strange proposition. Intel's Core Ultra 5 125H is a Meteor Lake part with a hybrid 14-core architecture, a dedicated NPU, and Intel Arc integrated graphics that, in theory, can handle light gaming. None of that is typical Aspire 5 territory.

In practice, the A514-54H turns out to be one of the more interesting budget laptops to land in India this year. It is a machine that is bluntly utilitarian on the outside but quietly competent on the inside, backed by performance benchmark results that punch well above its class. Whether the compromises are acceptable is a different question.

Specifications at a Glance

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (14 cores, 18 threads, up to 4.5GHz)
• RAM: 16GB DDR5
• Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
• Display: 14-inch FHD IPS, 1920×1080, Anti-glare
• GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
• Battery: 50Wh
• OS: Windows 11 Home Single Language (64-bit, Build 26200)
• Weight: 1.2kg
• Price (India): Rs 79,999

Design, Build & Connectivity

Let's be clear about what this laptop is and is not. It is not a premium machine. The Aspire 5's chassis is unchanged in all the ways that matter: a plastic lid, a silver-grey body, and build quality that feels adequate rather than inspiring. The lid flexes when you press on it, and the base chassis has a bit of give around the keyboard deck. Nothing creaks, nothing rattles, but there's no mistaking this for a ThinkPad or a Dell XPS.

What it does well is remain genuinely portable. At 1.2kg and measuring 312 × 218 × 17.5mm, it's thin enough to slide into a bag without thought, and light enough that you'll forget it's there on a short commute. The hinge opens with one hand from the front, which is a small but appreciated quality-of-life detail, and it lifts the rear of the chassis slightly when opened, improving airflow and giving the keyboard a mild tilt.

The port situation is better than you'd expect. On the left spine, you get a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, a USB-C (which supports display output and charging), a Kensington Lock, and an HDMI 2.1 port. On the right, there are two more USB-A ports, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, and a microSD card slot. Ethernet, however, is absent, a meaningful omission for anyone who needs a reliable wired connection in an office. Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, and both performed reliably throughout testing.

The webcam is a 720p unit that produces acceptable but not impressive video quality in well-lit conditions. In low light, it softens noticeably. There is no IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition, but a fingerprint reader is embedded in the power button and works quickly and consistently.

Display

The 14-inch FHD IPS panel here is the compromise that most clearly separates this machine from the tier above. At 1920×1080, it's a 16:9 display with an anti-glare treatment, narrow bezels, and adequate brightness for indoor use. Acer doesn't publish a nits rating for this specific panel, but it falls within the 250–300 nits range typical for this segment, which means outdoor legibility is limited to overcast conditions at best. Direct sunlight is not this screen's friend.

Colour reproduction is serviceable for productivity but nothing more. The IPS panel covers a reasonable portion of the sRGB spectrum for an entry-level offering, making it fine for document work, coding, browsing, and light photo review. Creatives working with colour-sensitive material will find the gamut limiting and should look elsewhere. Viewing angles are solid, as expected of IPS, and there's no significant colour shift when moving off-axis.

The panel is not the display story of this laptop. That story is the processor and what it can push through it, which we'll get to.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard is one of the Aspire 5's stronger points. The full-sized layout with numeric keypad gets a comfortable amount of key travel, tactile feedback, and a backlight that's adjustable between two brightness levels. It's not the springiest keyboard in the category. We think that the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 and HP Victus 15 both edge it out, but for a day of sustained typing, it is genuinely comfortable. Key placement is conventional, and the layout avoids the cramped function row that plagues some 14-inch competitors.

The trackpad is a smooth surface, large enough for comfortable multi-finger gesture use, and integrates well with Windows 11's precision touchpad implementation. Scrolling, pinching, and three-finger swipes all register cleanly. It won't be confused with a MacBook trackpad, but it sits near the top of what's achievable in this price band.

Performance and Graphics

This is where the A514-54H makes its most compelling argument. Intel's Core Ultra 5 125H is a Meteor Lake chip with 6 Performance cores (P-cores, up to 4.5GHz), 8 Efficient cores (E-cores, up to 3.4GHz), and a dedicated NPU. It is the kind of architecture that was still considered mid-to-upper-midrange just twelve months ago. Acer has given it 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD, both of which remove two common bottlenecks that plague budget machines at this price point.

The benchmark results across our suite of tests are measurably strong for the segment.

[smartslider3 slider="2131"]

• Cinebench R23 returned a multi-core score of 9,350 points and a single-core score of 1,709 points, placing it solidly in the current tier of capable H-series laptop chips. The MP ratio of 5.47x is consistent with a chip that's not being aggressively power-limited by the chassis.
• Cinebench 2024 showed 527 points multi-core and 100 points single-core (5.29x MP ratio), which aligns with typical Core Ultra 5 125H performance in a ventilated 28W-class chassis.
• Cinebench 2026, Maxon's latest iteration, pushed the chip to 2,169 points multi-core and 557 points single-core, with a 5.34x MP ratio that indicates consistent, sustained performance.
• Geekbench 6 results tell a similar story: 2,256 single-core / 8,309 multi-core. These are numbers that sit comfortably above what you'd see from an Intel Core i5-1235U or even most AMD Ryzen 5 7430U configurations in this price range.
• On CrossMark, the overall score of 1,552 broke down into Productivity: 1,545, Creativity: 1,557, and Responsiveness: 1,561, giving a balanced result that reflects the chip's suitability for multitasking workflows.
• The SSD deserves a special mention. CrystalDiskMark clocked sequential reads at 7,040 MB/s and writes at 5,245 MB/s (Q8T1), numbers that are frankly remarkable for a laptop in this class. Real-world transfers, application launches, and cold boot times reflect this. The system feels fast in a way that many Rs 80,000+ laptops with cheaper NVMe drives simply do not. The Q1T1 sequential results of 4,956 MB/s read / 5,228 MB/s write confirm this isn't a queue-depth fluke.
• PCMark 10 delivered a score of 7,118 in the standard benchmark, with Essentials at 10,365, Productivity at 11,353, and Digital Content Creation at 8,316. The Extended test came in at 6,589, with a Gaming sub-score of 3,732 that reflects the integrated graphics ceiling. Spreadsheets (17,015) and Photo Editing (13,465) particularly stand out for productivity-heavy use cases.

On the graphics side, the integrated Intel UHD Graphics in the Core Ultra 5 125H delivers performance that is more than satisfactory for an integrated service.

• 3DMark Time Spy scored 2,450 overall (Graphics: 2,207, CPU: 6,549), which is below the 3,365 average for this hardware category, while Time Spy Extreme came in at 1,130 (Graphics: 1,017, CPU: 3,099).
• 3DMark Fire Strike returned 4,571 (Graphics: 4,962, Physics: 20,115, Combined: 1,663), Fire Strike Extreme scored 2,279, and Fire Strike Ultra came in at 1,318, both telling the same story: the iGPU has headroom the chassis doesn't fully exploit.
• 3DMark Night Raid, designed specifically for integrated graphics workloads, was the most flattering test at 18,327 (Graphics: 22,070, CPU: 9,347), sitting below the 24,183 average for comparable hardware but well within daily-use gaming territory for lighter titles.
• Geekbench 6 Compute returned 24,535 (OpenCL) and 25,054 (Vulkan), confirming the iGPU has genuine compute capability for GPU-accelerated tasks.
• Geekbench AI produced two runs: the first showed Single Precision: 2,342 / Half Precision: 1,165 / Quantised: 4,944; the second returned Single Precision: 2,267 / Half Precision: 2,307 / Quantised: 5,770. The variance across runs is typical for NPU workloads. The numbers indicate the NPU is functional for on-device AI tasks like background blur and noise cancellation, but won't run serious local inference on large models.

What does all this mean in practice? The A514-54H handles everyday office work, browser-heavy multitasking, video calls, and even moderate creative workloads like Lightroom adjustments, 1080p video timelines, without complaint. For casual gaming: titles like Valorant, CS2, and older esports games run at 1080p with settings tuned to medium with acceptable frame rates. Don't expect the UHD GPU to keep up in Cyberpunk or anything demanding at full settings.

Fan noise during sustained load is noticeable but not aggressive. The machine warms up under extended CPU stress, although the keyboard deck stays comfortable, but the bottom can get warm to the touch.

Audio and Battery

The dual-speaker setup on the Aspire 5 delivers sound that is adequate for calls and YouTube but unimpressive for music. Midrange clarity is reasonable at moderate volumes, but bass is essentially absent, and at high volume, treble can get harsh. There's no DTS or Dolby processing on this model to compensate. Headphones are the obvious solution, and the combo audio jack supports them well.

Battery life, by contrast, is a genuine strength. PCMark 10's Video playback test, which loops a video from 100% to 4% with display at a standardised brightness, ran to 11 hours 15 minutes. Real-world mixed usage (browsing, documents, occasional video) consistently delivered 8–9 hours in our testing. This is comfortably all-day battery territory, and it's a direct result of the Meteor Lake chip's improved efficiency at typical laptop TDP levels. Recharging via USB-C is supported, and the included adapter charged the laptop to full in approximately 90 minutes.

Final Verdict

The Acer Aspire 5 A514-54H is not a laptop that tries to be everything. The display is merely acceptable, the build quality is functional rather than premium, the speakers are forgettable, and the lack of Ethernet means it's not the ideal desk-bound workhorse. None of that is surprising for the price.

What is surprising, and what makes this machine worth paying attention to, is what Acer has put inside it. The Core Ultra 5 125H is a legitimately capable processor that delivers Cinebench R23 multi-core numbers in the 9,000+ range, integrated graphics that handle tasks older iGPUs couldn't, and a PCIe Gen 4 SSD with 7GB/s sequential reads that is a genuine outlier for this segment. Battery life crossing 11 hours in a standardised test is the icing on top.

For a student, a first-time professional laptop buyer, or anyone who needs a capable daily driver without spending Rs 90,000+, the Aspire 5 A514-54H makes a strong case. Just plan on using headphones.

Editor's Rating: 7.8 / 10

Pros:

• Intel Core Ultra 5 125H delivers well above-average performance for the price
• Exceptional NVMe SSD speeds
• Great battery life
• Good keyboard with comfortable travel and backlight

Cons:

• FHD IPS panel is serviceable but unambitious
• Plastic chassis feels budget-grade
• Speakers lack bass and sound flat at volume

The Xiaomi 17T arrives amid a broader shift driven by rising smartphone prices, much like the OPPO Find X9s. It's a sub-flagship offering from the brand, first since the Xiaomi 14 Civi launch a couple of years ago. The Xiaomi 17T aims to retain a flagship-like experience, at least with the cameras, thanks to its Leica-tuned camera system and a dedicated 5x periscope telephoto lens, which is said to be better than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra (review).

Does it stand out as the best Android sub-flagship in its class? Let's find out in this review.

Verdict

The Xiaomi 17T impresses with its competitive pricing, versatile camera system, and reliable battery life. While its performance falls short of true flagship standards and charging speeds aren't the quickest in the segment, it remains well-suited to its target audience. Overall, the smartphone delivers a well-rounded experience with few major compromises.

Cameras: a zoom-focused experience

[pdp-expert-review]
The Xiaomi 17T's camera system is highlighted by a versatile 50MP 5x periscope telephoto lens that delivers excellent zoom shots and portraits. Its primary camera captures vibrant, social-media-friendly images, while Leica modes offer a choice between punchy and more natural colours. However, the ultrawide, selfie, and low-light performance struggle with softer details, less accurate colours, and noticeable image processing.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Xiaomi 17T focuses heavily on its camera system, featuring a triple rear setup comprising a 50MP OIS Light Fusion 800 primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP OIS periscope telephoto lens. The periscope unit, in particular, stands out with its 5x optical zoom, making the setup far more versatile than that of some more expensive smartphones.

[smartslider3 slider=2134]

The Xiaomi 17T offers an effective focal range of 15mm to 115mm, enabling flexible framing without additional accessories. This makes the setup much more dynamic, and you can feel it in everyday usage. Capturing images from the 5x telephoto camera definitely enhances the results, whether it is a regular shot or a portrait. Moreover, the built-in setup is far more convenient to use than the extender kit included with the Vivo X300 FE.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Vivo-X300-FE.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T 5x telephoto" after="Xiaomi 17T telephoto extender"]

However, as our comparison image shows above, the Vivo X300 FE's telephoto extender kit produces slightly more detailed results. This is likely due to its longer 200mm focal length compared to the Xiaomi 17T's 115mm reach. In comparison, the Xiaomi device's telephoto shots appear a bit soft and slightly over-processed, with less natural colour rendering, particularly under artificial lighting.

The Xiaomi 17T's primary and ultrawide cameras are a step down from those on the Xiaomi 17. Unfortunately, we did not have both devices available for a direct comparison of their camera performance. Nevertheless, the 17T still retains several features from its higher-end sibling, including Leica Ultra Pure optics with a glass-and-coating system, Live Moments for capturing quick video snippets alongside stills, and a range of creative shooting modes such as Silhouette, Frame, and Fireworks. There is a new Leica watermark available for Live Moments as well.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-leica-authentic.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-Leica-vibrant.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T vibrant" after="Xiaomi 17T authentic"]

As for the results, the Xiaomi 17T's primary camera performs well in daylight, capturing vibrant and eye-catching images that lean towards punchier tones rather than outright accuracy. The smartphone also offers Leica Authentic mode, accessible from the top-right corner within the camera app. Unlike the default Leica Vibrant profile, this mode tones down HDR processing and delivers more contrast-heavy, true-to-life images. However, the output appears less visually pleasing overall, with less exposed details, particularly around the shadowy areas. The difference is only apparent in daylight and well-lit conditions.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-normal-shooting-mode-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-stage-mode-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Normal mode" after="Stage mode"]

The main camera is also capable of adjusting ISO levels with different shooting modes to output more pleasing results. Moving on, the Xiaomi 17T's ultrawide lens may not deliver the best detail retention or colour consistency, but the resulting images still appear fairly clean overall. For selfies and video calls, the handset uses a 32MP front camera that captures soft-looking images with slightly oversaturated tones.

[smartslider3 slider=2134]

The phone is capable of recording 4K 60 fps video, except for the ultrawide and selfie cameras, which are capped at 4K 30 fps. That's a slight inconsistency, but most short video content creators should be fine with 1080p recordings on this phone for an even output across cameras.

To give you a better perspective on the Xiaomi 17T photography, we compared the results with another sub-flagship OPPO Find X9s in different lighting scenarios.

Daylight

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-daylight.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/OPPO-Find-X9s-daylight-1.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="OPPO Find X9s"]

In daylight, the Xiaomi 17T captures more vibrant, eye-catching shots. However, it lacks the accuracy in colours, sharpness, and dynamic range that the OPPO Find X9s brings to the table.

Ultrawide

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-ultrawide.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/OPPO-Find-X9s-ultrawide-1.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="OPPO Find X9s"]

The Xiaomi 17T's ultrawide shot appears more contrasty than the one captured from the primary lens. The image also appears relatively clean, but lacks the details and colour accuracy where the OPPO Find X9s excels.

Portrait

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-portrait-5x.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/OPPO-Find-X9s-portrait-1.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="OPPO Find X9s"]

The Xiaomi 17T's telephoto lens does a better job of capturing images with cleaner edge detection and a more consistent bokeh effect. The portraits also appear punchy, but with slightly oversaturated tones and soft details compared to the OPPO Find X9s.

Selfie

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-portrait-5x.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/OPPO-Find-X9s-portrait-1.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="OPPO Find X9s"]

The oversaturated tones can be seen in Xiaomi 17T selfies as well, which again, appealingly, deviate from the overall reality ever so slightly. The OPPO Find X9s, on the contrary, leans towards a warm tone, bringing out those facial details and dynamic range.

Low light (night mode)

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/Xiaomi-17T-night-mode.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/05/OPPO-find-X9s-Night-mode-1.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Xiaomi 17T" after="OPPO Find X9s"]

In low light, the Xiaomi 17T leans towards smoothening the details to keep the noise level down. While it does a tremendous job controlling the light flare with the night mode, the colours don't look as accurate as the OPPO Find X9s.

Design: solidly built despite a plastic frame

[pdp-expert-review]
The Xiaomi 17T keeps things practical with a sturdy build, comfortable in-hand feel, and a lightweight design that remains easy to use for long periods. While the plastic frame and smudge-prone finish make it feel less premium than some rivals, the phone still delivers a solid overall experience with IP68 protection and a clean, understated look.
[/pdp-expert-review]

While not as compact as the Xiaomi 17, the Xiaomi 17T still retains the same core design language. The handset uses a squircle-shaped camera module with Leica branding that protrudes slightly from the rear panel. Despite the raised module, the phone remains stable on a flat surface, aided by its flat back and even edges. The flat frame also improves grip, though the wider footprint makes it feel a touch less comfortable for one-handed use compared to the more compact model.

Thankfully, Xiaomi has kept the Xiaomi 17T's weight close to the 200-gram mark, which helps it remain comfortable to handle during extended use. The smartphone's plastic frame could have helped with it. While it feels less premium than an aluminium frame, the handset feels as solid as it can get. There's no noticeable bend when force is applied. The Xiaomi 17T may lack resistance to high-pressure water jets, like some other sub-flagships, but it is IP68-certified for water and dust resistance.

The phone is available in three colour options: Violet, Black, and Blue. We received the Violet variant for review, which also appears to be the finish Xiaomi is prominently showcasing in its marketing material. Compared to other sub-flagships, such as the OPPO Find X9s in its Sunset Orange finish, the Xiaomi 17T looks slightly understated but subtle.

That said, the Violet finish on the fibreglass back is prone to smudges, which can spoil its clean look over time. A TPU case is included in the box, offering basic protection against accidental drops, though its black colour somewhat masks the phone's colour. Xiaomi should take note of Vivo, OPPO, and other manufacturers, which have started providing a matching colour case with their smartphones.

As for I/O, the Xiaomi 17T features a USB Type-C port sandwiched between the speaker grille and a SIM ejector tray at the bottom edge. The phone comes with an optical in-display fingerprint scanner, which feels accurate and responsive but is less accessible than an ultrasonic sensor placed higher up, where the thumb would naturally land.

Display: sharp and vibrant

[pdp-expert-review]
The Xiaomi 17T delivers a solid multimedia experience with its sharp 1.5K AMOLED display, vibrant colours, and loud stereo speakers. Outdoor visibility is good, HDR support works reliably across streaming apps, and the 120Hz panel keeps the UI feeling smooth. However, inconsistent refresh rate behaviour across a few apps and the lack of full high-FPS for popular games slightly hold it back from being an ideal choice for mobile gamers.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Xiaomi 17T features a 6.59-inch 12-bit AMOLED display with a centred punch-hole, razor-thin bezels, 1.5K resolution, up to 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and a maximum claimed brightness of 3,500 nits. The handset supports HDR content via YouTube and other streaming platforms out of the box. The display appears sharp with colours closer to reality in its default Original Colour PRO settings. If you prefer a bit more punchy, vibrant tones, the colour profile can be tweaked to 'Vivid' in settings.

The display offers decent brightness for outdoor visibility under direct sunlight. It also maintains a consistent 120Hz refresh rate across the UI. But for apps, I found the refresh rate inconsistent. Despite manually setting it to 120Hz, the phone would drop the refresh rate down to 60Hz even on system apps. In games such as BGMI, the Xiaomi 17T consistently delivered 90 fps, which is respectable but falls short of its full potential.

Moving on, the Xiaomi 17T comes equipped with stereo speakers that may lack balance but get considerably loud. Overall, the display delivers a solid multimedia experience, though it may feel less appealing to gamers who prioritise high-FPS performance. The display is also quad TUV Rheinland-certified for flicker-free viewing, low blue-light emission, enhanced eye care, and improved sleep-friendly use, making it more comfortable for extended viewing sessions.

Performance and software: can't be underestimated

[pdp-expert-review]
The Xiaomi 17T offers smooth everyday performance, good thermal management, and a feature-rich HyperOS 3 experience backed by long software support. While its Dimensity 8500 Ultra chipset isn't the most powerful in the segment and the software could use further refinement, the phone remains fast, reliable, and well-equipped for most users.
[/pdp-expert-review]

At the core of the Xiaomi 17T is the mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra SoC, paired with 12GB RAM and up to 512GB of storage. This puts it at a slight disadvantage against some rival sub-flagships that offer more powerful chipsets. Interestingly, the Dimensity 8500 Ultra is the same processor found in the POCO X8 Pro, a device positioned in the sub-Rs 40,000 segment.

Xiaomi has backed up the performance with a 3D Ice Loop cooling system to dissipate heat during demanding workloads. My usage has mostly kept the phone's thermal in check. I didn't find the device warming while navigating my way home through Google Maps, while streaming a YouTube video in between, and extensively using the cameras to capture moments. In our internal gaming test, the handset's thermals increased by just 11 percent, which is normal, while playing BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile for 30 minutes each.

The smartphone also features Xiaomi's Surge T1 Plus and T1S chips, which are designed to enhance connectivity. I stay in a metro city, and the network on the Xiaomi 17T acted normally. The Xiaomi 17T also supports Astro Communication, a feature claimed to enable offline communication over distances of up to 1.3 kilometres in select situations. However, I wasn't in a suitable environment to test the feature during my review period.

I can vouch for the Xiaomi 17T's performance. The handset handled everything I threw at it smoothly, not slowing down even under demanding workloads. This could partly be attributed to its software, which remained fluent for the most part. There were a few minor bugs which I encountered during testing, such as occasional camera lag and frame stutters while gaming. However, these were infrequent and usually resolved with a quick app refresh. Given their minor nature, a future software update should be able to address them.

The Xiaomi 17T runs on Android 16-based HyperOS 3 out of the box. This is the same software that comes preloaded on the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Pro smartphones. Things remain pretty much the same here, with a bunch of pre-installed apps and a highly customisable experience. The animations feel just as smooth, and there is Super Island, similar to Apple's Dynamic Island, for contextual information and quick access to active background apps.

The device also includes a range of AI-powered features, allowing users to generate wallpapers, assist with writing, translate text, recognise speech, and transcribe calls. In addition, it offers handy image-editing tools such as object erasing, image expansion, and the ability to create short video clips from a set of photos. The AI tools are pretty reliable and enhance the overall experience. The HyperOS 3 also enhances connectivity, iPhone integration, AirPods support, and more.

However, it doesn't feel as refined as OPPO's ColorOS skin, which has recently received improvements to the notification panel and app drawer for better accessibility and usability. Xiaomi could benefit from taking similar cues and addressing these gaps in future updates. The Xiaomi 17T is promised five years of major OS upgrades and six years of security updates.

Battery: reliable for everyday use

[pdp-expert-review]
The smartphone offers dependable all-day battery life for regular users. That said, its charging speeds feel slower than some rivals despite the bundled 67W charger, and overall power efficiency could have been better, especially for demanding workloads.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Xiaomi 17T packs a 6,500mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging, and Xiaomi includes a compatible charger in the box. The charging speeds feel relatively slow in day-to-day use. The handset takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes to charge from 20 to 100 percent, whereas rivals with similarly sized batteries, such as the Vivo X300 FE, can achieve the same in under an hour.

As for its optimisation, the Xiaomi 17T nicely handles everyday use all day long. We got roughly 5-5.5 hours of screen time after using the phone to capture images, stream videos, browse the internet, and navigate the streets. However, it isn't the most power-efficient device out there. During our internal testing, the handset consumed almost 15 percent of its battery after streaming a YouTube video and playing games for two hours. This is marginally higher than some of the similarly priced smartphones.

Heavy users may find themselves reaching for the charger by the end of the day. That was the case for us as well after subjecting the phone to intensive usage or multitasking. The handset could also do with better standby efficiency, as battery drain during idle periods appears to be higher than expected. The Vivo X300 FE, which offers a similar battery pack, has the best battery backup on a sub-flagship as of writing this review.

Having said that, regular users won't have trouble with the backup currently being offered by the Xiaomi 17T.

Final verdict

The Xiaomi 17T may not be the best sub-flagship on the market, but its starting price of Rs 59,999 makes it one of the most compelling options in its segment. The standout 5x telephoto camera brings a level of versatility rarely seen at this price point, complemented by a sharp AMOLED display, dependable battery life, and a reliable chipset that remains stable even under sustained workloads.

Having said that, the phone isn't without shortcomings. The bundled 67W charging feels relatively slow for a device with a 6,500mAh battery, while the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra falls short of the performance offered by some competing sub-flagships. If raw performance and faster charging are your priorities, the Motorola Signature (review) and Vivo X200T (review) are worth considering within the segment. Buyers willing to stretch their budget can also look at the OPPO Find X9s (review) and Vivo X300 FE (review), both of which deliver a more premium, near-flagship experience with stronger performance and quicker charging.

However, those devices cost significantly more, with prices starting above Rs 75,999. The Xiaomi 17T, by comparison, offers excellent value while retaining a feature set that stands out in everyday use. More importantly, its versatile 5x telephoto camera gives users the freedom to get closer to the action without spending flagship money, making it an easy recommendation for photography enthusiasts shopping in this price range.

Editor's rating: 8.5/10

Reasons to buy

• Excellent telephoto camera
• Reliable all-day battery life
• Sharp, vibrant display
• Smooth everyday performance

Reasons not to buy

• Slow charging speeds
• Inconsistent screen refresh rate

Let's face it – charging isn't fun. It's something we need to do to ensure our mobile devices and accessories continue to function when we're out and about. Phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, TWS earbuds, smartwatches, Bluetooth speakers – they're nothing more than fancy paperweights when they're out of juice. UltraProlink is one of the brands that's trying to take the pain out of charging, and its portfolio includes charging solutions that are made and certified in India.

Design

Specs and features

Usage and performance

Verdict

[gallery link="file" columns="2" size="medium" ids="703737,703736"]

Editor's rating: 8 / 10

Pros:

• Can charge up to 6 devices
• Fast charging
• Supports multiple protocols
• Safety features

Cons:

There is something about Japanese hardware makers. They know what matters at a particular price point and how to ensure you get the best features for the price. Take the Honda City, a legacy car in India that has stood the test of time. Despite the market being dominated by Korean and German players, Honda has endured by offering a quality product that lasts and is easy to maintain. Sure, the competition offers "fancier" features, but the Honda excels where it truly matters: drive quality, comfort, and reliability.

The same can be said about Sony. It isn't always chasing the spec sheet others are gunning for in the budget segment. Rather, it offers something that matters the most: consistently excellent picture quality. Using the BRAVIA 3 II for a few days, I can tell you what passersby said when consuming content on the TV without knowing the brand or the price. They were:

• "Wow, the colours look great!"
• "Is this a mini-LED TV?"
• "Can't be an OLED, right?"
• "Must be expensive."
• And my personal favourite: "It's a Sony; naturally, the picture quality will be excellent."

The statements above prove one thing: the specs on paper might not be the absolute best. In fact, there are budget TVs that surpass the Sony Bravia 3 II where pure "specs" are concerned. But put the pedal to the metal, and there are aspects where this Sony TV will leave the competition gathering dust. Let's break down the experience.

Build and Design: Sturdy, Sleek, and Sorted

The TV is a standard Sony, which means the company has gone with an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" policy. The TV features thin bezels, a premium build, and two very sturdy feet to hold it up. The back of the TV is a tad thick, but nothing you wouldn't expect.

The TV has four HDMI ports, and lo and behold, Sony has fixed the one issue I've had with its TVs since 2019: all four HDMI ports are now HDMI 2.1. The Bravia 3 II gets support for 4K 120Hz with VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), making it a great option for gamers (more on that in the performance section). My only gripe with the design is that some of the HDMI ports are downward-facing, which can make them a challenge to reach if the TV is wall-mounted. You may want to consider your cable management before putting this up on the wall.

Picture Quality: Painting with Pixels

This is where Sony thrives. As I said above, Sony may not offer the best specs for the price when compared to the competition, but it can easily surpass them when it comes to colours and overall picture quality, largely thanks to the cutting-edge XR Processor running the show under the hood, along with the brilliant XR Triluminos Pro display.

Some key specs to keep in mind: The TV is a Direct-Lit LED with frame dimming (no local dimming or dimming zones). It supports HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision, along with Dolby Atmos. It features the standard set of picture modes and also comes with Sony Pictures Core (formerly known as Bravia Core), offering a Sony-curated list of movies at the highest bitrate possible alongside DTS:X Audio, a massive treat for cinephiles. Put simply, if you want support for all the best picture formats under the sun, this TV almost has it all.

Before we get into performance, here is a quick look at some of the numbers I captured for the TV in HDR and SDR:

HDR: High Dynamic Realism

Before diving into HDR performance, let's understand the difference between HDR and SDR. In SDR, the TV maintains uniform brightness across the panel, which is why it is okay for a TV to have 250 nits of peak brightness and no dimming zones. In HDR, there is a lot more going on. For example, if there is a man exiting a dark cave into a bright desert, the dark areas of the cave need to be pitch black (requiring dimming zones and a high contrast ratio), while the entrance needs to be super bright, almost blinding the viewer for a few seconds as the person steps into full sunlight (requiring high peak brightness).

This is why you need fancy tech to truly enjoy HDR. However, where the Sony Bravia 3 II succeeds is in giving you a fantastic content consumption experience by cleverly enhancing the colours and maximising the capabilities of its Direct-LED panel.

When you watch a movie like Top Gun: Maverick in HDR or Dolby Vision, you do get wonderfully punchy highlights during the final dogfight. In the opening flight mission, which features a lot of dark scenes, there is almost no blooming, especially if you keep a small light on in the room (with all the other lights turned down). You genuinely get that cinematic, dark-room movie experience. Sure, the HDR performance isn't flawless, but unless you are downgrading from the much pricier Bravia 5, 7, or 8, you won't know what you are missing out on. As a mid-range TV, it's the colours and Sony's exceptional picture processing that stand out to give you a solid HDR experience.

Note: I also watched Spider-Man: Homecoming using the Sony Pictures Core app. Mastered in IMAX with DTS:X audio, the visuals looked stunning. The reds and blues in Spider-Man's suit were perfectly accurate, and even the skin tones felt incredibly natural. For all HDR content, I recommend the Cinema preset with Motionflow turned off.

SDR: Standard Definition, Stellar Results

The TV's performance in SDR is simply phenomenal. There is no doubt here. It covers 99.8% of the Rec 709 colour space and offers some of the best colours I've seen. Watching movies like Mission: Impossible or TV shows like Young Sheldon, the colours look natural, skin tones are accurate, and the image is incredibly immersive. Even low-resolution 720p content looked very crisp sitting about 6.5 feet away from the 55-inch panel, aided heavily by Sony's XR Clear Image upscaling.

If you are someone who watches the everyday news, TV shows, set-top box content, and sports, you will absolutely not be disappointed with the performance of this TV.

Gaming: Power Up Your Play

As I said above, finally, we have a Bravia TV with all four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K 120Hz with VRR and ALLM. Console and PC gamers, rejoice! I connected my PS5 and Xbox Series X to the TV, and the performance was stellar. The PS5 is auto-recognised by the TV and calibrated for HDR, and Sony has integrated a handy Game Menu that lets you manage your gaming settings in one single place.

I played a standard suite of games on the PS5, including Dirt 5, Gran Turismo 7, Ghost of Yōtei, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Spider-Man 2. They all provided an immersive experience, especially in a game like Spider-Man 2, where you can uncap the framerate and smoothly swing across the city. The visuals are also excellent—the sun streams bright and clear in Dirt 5 without looking blown out. Even in the darker environments of Gran Turismo 7, the races feel incredibly rich and immersive.

Audio: Small Watts, Big Impact

On paper, the 20W of sound output might seem low, but it is anything but. Sony has equipped this TV with two full-range X-Balanced Speakers with one key focus: delivering rich, clean sound with exceptionally clear vocals. Watch a movie like Ready Player One or Spider-Man: Homecoming via Sony Pictures Core, or even standard YouTube content and news, and you'll notice one thing—the vocals are so clear I could actually switch off the subtitles.

The race at the 11-minute mark in Ready Player One is a great example. With cars flying and crashing across the screen, you can still clearly hear the two protagonists talking to each other. The same applies when characters are whispering on screen. It's phenomenal. Sure, if you want a massive, cinematic, room-filling experience, I recommend a soundbar (you can read my review of the Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 here). But for everyday content consumption and TV viewing, with the occasional movie thrown into the mix, the TV itself does a remarkably fine job.

Remote Control: Blind Navigation, Brilliant Design

The remote control is comfortably simple. Sony claims it was "crafted through an inclusive design process with feedback from blind, low vision, and sighted users, made with recycled plastic, complete with a finder function—or the BRAVIA Connect app. With either, you can adjust volume, fine-tune settings, or check your setup, all without the on-screen menus."

And yes, it's entirely true. The remote is easy to navigate without even looking at it. It features a dedicated Sony Pictures Core button front and centre, with other OTT hotkeys at the bottom. The rest of the buttons follow a standard, comfortable layout. If I had to nitpick, I feel some of the buttons, like the Settings or Source buttons, could have been larger. Since they are the ones I use most frequently, I occasionally found myself accidentally clicking a nearby button instead.

User Interface: Google Goodness & Cloud Dreams

The Bravia 3 II runs on the Google TV UI, with Sony's own neat overlay for settings. It is the same reliable Google TV UI we've seen on past TVs, so there's nothing radically new to write about here, though it's worth noting the inclusion of the new Eco Dashboard 2 to easily monitor and manage your power consumption. I switched off all power-saving features to ensure the TV was firing on all cylinders.

The TV also comes with the PS Remote Play app pre-installed. While I play a lot on the PlayStation Portal, I can tell you that Remote Play directly on the TV is a fantastic way to jump into a quick gaming session if your primary TV is occupied by other family members. However, this feature holds even more value if your PS5 is at home and this Bravia is at your parents' house, where you haven't brought your console. Now, it's time for Sony to bring its cloud gaming service to India so I don't have to rely on my PS5 being in rest mode at home every time I want to play away from base.

The Final Verdict: Value Meets Visuals

The Bravia 3 II is available in screen sizes of 55, 65, 75, and 85 inches. We reviewed the 55-inch variant (K-55XR35M2). It currently has a Market Operating Price (MOP) of around Rs 95,000 on Croma India, while Sony's official website pegs it at an MRP of Rs 150,000.

At Rs 1,50,000, you could easily get a 55-inch OLED. However, when you shop around offline or during sales, you will easily get this TV for a much lower price, which is where it becomes a stellar value-for-money proposition. The TV boasts a phenomenal Sony panel with excellent colour reproduction, four HDMI 2.1 ports, impressively clear audio, and a highly functional remote control. Needless to say, the build is premium too. The UI can occasionally stutter under heavy use, and the placement of the ports can get awkward if the TV is wall-mounted. Apart from that, like I said at the beginning, you can't go wrong with this TV. It's a Sony!

Rating: 8.8/10

Pros:

• Excellent SDR picture quality and colour accuracy
• All four HDMI ports are 2.1
• Crisp and clear vocal audio
• Premium build quality
• Very good picture upscaling

Cons:

• Port placement can get awkward when the TV is wall-mounted
• Google TV UI can occasionally stutter