Heena Sharma Blog

  It hasn't been long since Vivo launched its X60 series (review) that placed the Chinese smartphone maker at a fine spot in the cluttered smartphone market in India. And Vivo did not take long to launch its X70 series , yet again in collaboration with lens major Zeiss. The X70 series is geared towards content creators as imaging remains a focus here, not just that, the new series also features Vivo’s V1 imaging chip, which the company claims took almost two years to develop. That said, Vivo’s X60 Pro and X60 Pro+ had already set the bar so high for rivals and now with a new iteration in the X series, it remains to be seen if Vivo lives up to the expectation. I took the X70 Pro+ for a spin—from photography to gaming, I put the phone to a stiff test to see what’s on offer. I’ll talk about everything this phone has to offer in this review: Vivo X70 Pro+: Design and build quality Vivo X70 Pro+ The very first thing one notices in the X70 Pro+ is the rear camera module that...

  The Galaxy Watch4 Classic is among the first smartwatches to come out from the partnership between South Korean electronics maker Samsung and American technology giant Google. Based on the WearOS platform, the smartwatch gains capabilities that the previous iteration of Samsung Galaxy-series smartwatches lacked simply because they were running on its proprietary operating system, Tizen. But how big are these gains and what else is new in the Galaxy Watch4 Classic? Let’s find out. Design Some radical changes in design would have been in order to mark the beginning of new era for Google WearOS platform-based Samsung Galaxy smartwatches, but Samsung chose to stick to its classic design language. That said, the Galaxy Watch4 Classic looks identical to its predecessor. The existing Galaxy Watch users might find that boring. First-time users, however, would appreciate the classic design with a rotating ring on the bezel and stainless steel case (46mm review unit). While the watch’...

  Samsung Electronics said on Thursday it will use recycled material in all of its new mobile products by 2025 as the South Korean tech giant vowed to minimise environmental impact. Samsung unveiled its new sustainable vision for the mobile business, "Galaxy for the Planet," at its Unpacked event on Wednesday, where the company also introduced new foldable smartphones. To achieve its initial sustainability goals, Samsung said it will first try to incorporate recycled material in all new mobile products and eliminate all plastics in mobile packaging by 2025. "Samsung is investing in new and innovative eco-conscious materials for its products," the company said. The world's largest smartphone vendor also plans to achieve zero power standby consumption of smartphone chargers, aiming for a reduction to below 0.005 watts by 2025. Read More

  Samsung on Tuesday announced that the upcoming Galaxy Z family will include the first-ever S (Stylus) Pen, a USP of its Note series. "Galaxy Z family will share some foldable surprises -- including the first-ever S Pen designed specifically for foldable phones," said Dr TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. The company will hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event on August 11, where the South Korean tech giant is likely to showcase new foldable devices, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. "We are also working with Google to enrich our foldable ecosystems with popular apps and services. For our third generation of Galaxy Z phones, we have lined up even more partner apps that make the most of the versatile fold-out format," Koh announced. "From hands-free optimised video calling with Google Duo and watching videos in Flex mode on YouTube to multitasking in Microsoft Teams, our foldable ecosystem will offer a we...

  Samsung Electronics is considering launching the upcoming budget model of the Galaxy S21 smartphone in the US and Europe only, industry sources said on Friday, due to global semiconductor shortages. Samsung is reviewing a plan to release the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE) in the US and Europe after skipping the domestic market and other countries following the tight supply of mobile application processors, according to the sources. The Galaxy S21 FE will be reportedly powered by the Snapdragon 888 processor from Qualcomm Inc. But due to supply issues, the South Korean tech giant may also use in-house Exynos chips, the sources said, according to Yonhap news agency. Industry insiders also predicted that Samsung may push back the launch of the Galaxy S21 FE from its planned schedule. Read More

  South Korean tech giant is all set to launch its upcoming smartphone -- Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3 -- on August 11, media report says. The new report claims that at the next Samsung Unpacked event the company will unveil the new smartphones along with a watch. The event will start at 10 a.m. ET and will be streamed on YouTube. Notably, Samsung has not publicly confirmed these details just yet, citing DigitalDailyNews, 9To5Google reported. A recent report said that the Galaxy Z Fold3 will feature an under-display camera and support the S-Pen stylus. Its next clamshell foldable Galaxy Z Flip3 is expected to have a bigger outer display. The Galaxy Z Flip3 is expected to feature a larger external display of 1.83 inches. It has a dual-camera system, which reportedly includes a 12MP main snapper and a 12MP ultrawide snapper. Read More

  South Korean electronics maker Samsung on Tuesday launched in India the Galaxy F22 smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy F22 comes in 4GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB configurations priced at Rs 12,499 and Rs 14,499, respectively. It will be available in Denim Blue and Denim Black colours on Samsung Online Store, Flipkart and select retail stores from July 13. As an introductory offer, Samsung is providing Rs 1,000 off to consumers on prepaid transactions on Flipkart. The introductory offer brings down the effective cost of the Galaxy F22’s 4GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB variants to Rs 11,499 and Rs 13,499, respectively. As for the specifications, the Galaxy F22 sports a 6.4-inch HD+ super AMOLED Infinity-U screen. The screen is touted to attain brightness level of up to 600 nits in the High Brightness Mode (HBM). The screen is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The Galaxy F22 packs a 6,000mAh battery supported by 25W fast charger. The phone, however, comes with a 15W USB-C fast charger in the ...

  Samsung Galaxy M32 goes on sale for the first time in India on June 28 at e-commerce platform Amazon, Samsung online store and select retail stores. The budget smartphone boasts super AMOLED fullHD screen of 90Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy M32 comes in 4GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB configurations priced at Rs 14,999 and Rs 16,999, respectively. As an introductory offer, consumers can avail an instant cashback of up to Rs 1,250 while paying with ICICI cards. The cashback offer brings the effective ownership price of the 4GB+64GB variant to Rs 13,749 and 6GB+128GB variant to Rs 15,749. As for the specifications, the Galaxy M32 sports a 6.4-inch fullHD+ super AMOLED screen of 90Hz refresh rate. The screen is touted to push the peak brightness in High Brightness Mode (HBM) to about 800 nits for good sunlight legibility. The display is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection against scratches. Read More

  Samsung Electronics will skip in-person exhibitions at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2021 in Barcelona due to novel coronavirus concerns, the company said on Tuesday, although it plans to join the event online. The world's largest smartphone vendor will not showcase its products and technologies "offline" at the mobile technologies trade fair, to be held between June 28 and July 1 in Barcelona, Spain. "The health and safety of our employees, partners and customers is our number one priority, so we have made the decision to withdraw from exhibiting in-person at this year's MWC," the company said in a statement. "We look forward to participating virtually and continuing to work with GSMA and industry partners to advance new mobile experiences." MWC is considered one of the top three tech events in the world, along with the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States and IFA in Germany. It has been held in Barcelona usually bet...

  India’s premium smartphone market has bolstered with offerings from brands that were not there in the competition until last year. Among many other things, imaging yet again taking the centre stage and each of the new offering in the segment has something novel to offer. Of the many new entrants in the segment, Vivo seems to a promising one, thanks to its recent partnership with German lens maker Zeiss. One of the first products to come from this partnership is the Vivo X60 Pro , a camera-first premium smartphone with Zeiss optics. Vivo calls the X60 Pro "camera in a phone". Is the phone all about its cameras, or does it utility goes beyond imaging? Let us find out: Design and display Vivo X60 Pro The Vivo X60 Pro looks premium, and its visual appeal is second to none, considering the bulky and heavy smartphones of the present time. It takes design cue from its predecessor, the Vivo X50 Pro, but sheds some weight and dimensions to look even better and feel right in...

  Aiming to boost its laptop users, Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled two new laptops, Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 , under its Galaxy Book Pro series , which is designed around the needs and routines of modern mobile-first users. Both the laptops under the Galaxy Book Pro series will be available in two variants -- 13-inch and 15-inch -- and are Samsung's first-ever Windows PCs with Super AMOLED displays. "The new Galaxy Book Pro series offers true mobile computing for the connected world, enabling ultra-light, yet mighty portability, boundless connectivity and a window into your wider Galaxy ecosystem," TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, said in a statement. The Galaxy Book Pro Series is powered by next-generation hardware, including an 11th Gen Intel Core processor and Intel Iris Xe graphics. Read More

  Samsung Electronics has expanded its presence in the Indian smartphone market in the first quarter of the year on the back of multiple new handsets, a report showed Tuesday, as the South Korean tech giant aims to fend off challenges from Chinese players. Samsung represented 20 per cent of the smartphone shipments in India in the first quarter, up from 16 per cent a year earlier, according to market researcher Counterpoint Research. Among the top five brands, Samsung posted the highest on-year growth in smartphone shipments in the first quarter. "Samsung remains the second-largest brand for India's smartphone shipments with 52 percent on-year growth driven by its focus on the budget segment with the new M02 series and multiple other launches," the market researcher said. "It refreshed its A-series with the A32, A52 and A72, and the M-series with the M12. It also launched its latest flagship Galaxy S21 series earlier than its normal launch period." Read...

  Samsung is all set to launch Galaxy M42 , its first mid-segment 5G smartphone in India, later this month that will be priced between Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000, industry sources said on Monday. Galaxy M42 will be the first 'M' series smartphone with 5G connectivity. Industry sources told IANS Galaxy M42 is tipped to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor and is likely to launch in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants. Galaxy M42 will also get 'Knox Security', the first for a Galaxy 'M' smartphone. Samsung Knox offers multi-layered security to smartphones and defends the most sensitive information from malware and malicious threats. Galaxy M42 5G will be available on Amazon.in and Samsung.com, besides select retail channels. Samsung has launched a number of 5G smartphones in India this year in the premium segment. Read More

  Samsung is the only smartphone brand in India with a product line-up covering almost the entire price spectrum. Though the company is competitive in the premium market, it lags behind others in the midrange and budget segments because its smartphones are generally on the expensive side when you look at the price-specifications ratio. The South Korean electronics maker has taken steps to make its affordable offerings as competitive as premium ones, and the efforts are seen in the company’s recently launched Galaxy A52 midrange smartphone. It is loaded with premium features, including a sAMOLED screen of 90Hz refresh rate, stereo speakers, 64-megapixel-based quad-camera array on the back, and a water- and dust-resistant design. Design The Samsung Galaxy A52 looks different, and attracts attention thus, which does not always translate into liking because of a cheap plastic construction. While there are many smartphones with a plastic construction that look good and premium, i...

  The South Korean giant on Wednesday announced the launch of Samsung TV Plus , a service which offers consumers ad-supported select live channels and on-demand videos, with no additional device such as a set top box, in the India market. To access the service, the consumers will need is a Samsung Smart TV (2017 model onwards) and an internet connection, the company said in a statement. TV Plus will also be available on most Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablet devices with O OS (operating system) or higher software version. Services for Galaxy smartphones are expected in April. The TV Plus app can be downloaded from both, Samsung Galaxy Store and Google Play Store. "Consumers now immensely value great media content, reason why we chose to introduce Samsung TV Plus in India. Over the next few months, we expect to scale TV Plus to add more channels and content," said Reshma Prasad Virmani, Director, Services, Samsung India. Read More  

  Samsung on Wednesday launched in India the 5G variant of its Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) smartphone, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip at an introductory price of Rs 47,999. "Galaxy S20 FE 5G brings all flagship innovations at an accessible price point. The launch is a testimony of our consistent efforts to deliver the best to our millennial consumers enabling them to do what they love," said Aditya Babbar, Senior Director and Head, Mobile Marketing, Samsung India. The phone features a 6.5-inch fullHD+ Infinity-O display of 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch response rate. The Galaxy S20 FE sports a triple camera set-up on the back including a 12MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and an 8MP telephoto lens. The rear cameras support up to 30x digital zoom through its telephoto lens. The smartphone features large image sensors including AI multi-frame processing. Read More

  Although global TV sales are expected to decline slightly this year, shipments of premium TVs will grow which will be led by Samsung , a report said on Tuesday. The sales of QLED TVs, anchored by the world's largest TV maker Samsung, is likely to surpass 12 million units this year, up 26 per cent from a year ago. Samsung last year sold 7.79 million QLED TVs, accounting for more than 81 per cent of global QLED TV sales. Global TV shipments are projected to reach 223.09 million units in 2021, according to market researcher Omdia, which is down 1 per cent from last year's 225.35 million units. The latest figure is also down from Omdia's previous estimate of 224.22 million units late last year. The robust TV sales propelled by the pandemic-induced stay-at-home economy will continue through the first half of 2021. However, it expected TV sales in the second half of the year to decline from a year earlier, reports Yonhap news agency. Read More

  Samsung which started rolling out the March 2021 security update for the entire Galaxy S20 lineup, has now released a software update to improve the camera performance of the devices. The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra are currently receiving the new software update in Germany. "The latest update for the three phones, which carries firmware version G98xxXXU7DUC7, is around 500MB in size," reports SamMobile. With the latest update, Galaxy S20 and Note 20 series now have access to camera features such as portrait mode in low-light conditions through a new software update. The Galaxy S20 and Note 20 users can also use pro mode with the ultra wide camera. The update also adds support for using exposure or the maximum exposure possible in night mode. Read More

  Expanding its successful Galaxy A series , Samsung on Wednesday unveiled Galaxy A52, A52 5G and A72, saying that the devices will enable people to experience awesome technology at a price that suits their needs. The new Galaxy A Series with Super AMOLED display will be available in Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue, Awesome Black, and Awesome White colours globally, and Galaxy A52 and A72 will arrive in India soon. "Samsung strives to give consumers what they want and need most. That's why we set out with a vision for the Galaxy A series to democratize Galaxy innovations for everyone," said Dr TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. "The Galaxy A52, A52 5G and A72 encapsulate the Galaxy brand philosophy with cutting-edge innovations, services and features at an accessible price," he added. The devices have a versatile quad camera with 64MP high-resolution. The users can turn their favorite moments from 4K videos i...

  Samsung Galaxy M12 goes on sale in India on Thursday. The budget smartphone from the South Korean electronics maker Samsung is available online on Amazon India and Samsung online store, and offline on select retail stores. The phone comes in 4GB RAM + 64GB on-board storage (Rs 10,999) and 6GB RAM + 128GB on-board storage (Rs 13,499) configurations, and black, blue and white colour options. The Samsung Galaxy M12 is currently available with cashback offer from ICICI Bank wherein customers using ICICI credit cards can avail up to Rs 1,000 cashback on both equated monthly instalment (EMI) and non-EMI transactions. Similarly, customers using ICICI debit cards can avail up to Rs 1,000 cashback on EMI transactions. This limited period introductory launch offer is available on Samsung online store, Amazon India and select retail stores. Read More