OnePlus 11R Solar Red, Rs 45,999, and Google Pixel Watch 2, Rs 39,900.
It’s been raining smartphones, but this should come as no surprise. Diwali, India’s festive buying season, is around the corner, and it coincides with a flurry of global gadget launches. From the new 2023 iPhones to OPPO’s new foldable and a sporty new red smartphone from OnePlus, you will be spoilt for choice. It’s not just smartphones in the mix, Google unleashed the second-gen Pixel watch along with its 2023 flagship phones and Samsung’s new tablet makes the perfect binge watch screen. We round up the best new launches for your festive shopping list:
1. Google Pixel Watch 2: the Google Pixel Watch was one of the most good-looking wearables from 2022. The Pixel Watch 2 becomes the first Pixel watch to debut in India and comes with key improvements. It features a reimagined chassis but the big enhancements are under the hood. It’s powered by an all-new processor – Qualcomm 5100; Google claims an improved, 24-hour battery life with the always-on display. It addresses one of our gripes of the first Pixel watch. The Pixel Watch 2 comes with Google’s new Wear OS 4 and new features like Safety Check (Rs 39,900)
2. iPhone 15 Plus: last year’s iPhone 14 Plus was probably the iPhone battery champ of all time. The 15 Plus takes over the mantle this year. It’s the bigger sibling of the iPhone 15 duo and comes with some key upgrades over its predecessor. The first thing you are likely to notice is Dynamic Island (that first debuted on last year’s iPhone 14 Pro twins), Apple’s pill-shaped cut-out that creates new interaction capabilities for the iPhone. The iPhone 15 Plus comes with the new, universal USB Type-C cable that makes it easier to move files from devices like an iPad or MacBook. And then there’s the camera upgrade – the main camera is now 48 megapixels and gets a low light performance boost thanks to pixel binning. (Rs 89,900 onwards)
iPhone 15 Plus; starting at Rs 89,000.
3. OnePlus 11R Solar Red: this new edition of the OnePlus 11R might give you an adrenaline high. It seeks design inspiration from high-performance sports cars. The charging speeds add to the experience – the 150W SUPERVOOC charger takes your battery from 1 to 100 percent in 19 minutes flat. The laser-sculptured curvature and the understated shiny finish of this device as well as the rear camera lens are noteworthy. Other highlights include a 6.74-inch Super Fluid AMOLED display (2772 x 1240 pixels / 450 PPI) and a triple rear cam with a 48MP primary lens (Rs 45,999)
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+: Samsung unveiled a slew of new FE (or Fan Edition) devices that include a new tablet. The FE series brings many of the flagship-class features to a more competitively priced device. The FE+ is the bigger of the Tab S9 twins, with a 12.4-inch display that features a 90hz refresh rate.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+; Rs 46,999 onwards
Samsung’s Vision Booster solution improves visibility when you’re flipping through an E-book or catching your favourite show under direct sunlight. Samsung claims 20 hours of video playback on a single charge while the in-box S Pen is a handy add-on to take notes or doodle (Rs 46,999 onwards)
5. BenQ V5000i: laser TV projectors are presenting an alternative to big-screen TVs; for those who don’t mind the price tag. This ultra-short throw projector needs just a few inches for a massive projection and offers a 4K Ultra HD resolution with 2500 ANSI Lumens of RGB Laser brightness. It features Android TV, doing away with the need for external ‘casting’ devices. The other highlight is the integrated 40W speaker system with dual 5W tweeters and dual 15W woofers. (Rs 5,49,000)
BenQ V5000i; Rs 5.49 lakh
6. OPPO Find N3 Flip: is this the best flip smartphone you can buy? OPPO certainly builds a case for foldables with its latest flagship. One great design element here is the Cosmos ring that embellishes the rear camera. It’s certified for 600,000 folds, so you don’t have to worry about longevity of the foldable screen. The other headline feature is the vertical cover screen that offers better navigation and support for over 40 apps. OPPO has also upped the camera game for foldables with its triple rear cam developed in partnership with Hasselblad (Rs 94,999)
OPPO Find N3 Flip; Rs 94,999
7. Lexar Jumpdrive F35: if you constantly move data across devices, you will appreciate the extra ring of security that Lexar’s new pen drive delivers. This fingerprint-enabled pen drive comes with 256 AES encryption for extra security. Lexar’s Jumpdrive is designed to store up to 10 unique fingerprints, eliminating the need for passwords for authentication. It comes with USB 3.0 support and transfer speeds of up to 300MB/s (Rs 4,500 onwards)
Lexar Jumpdrive F35; from Rs 4,500
8. Portronics Buddy Spinlight: if you’re among the growing list of laptop users with posture issues, this new laptop stand might come in handy. It’s light and you can cart it from home to your office work desk without a fuss. The sturdy aluminium frame offers 360-degree rotation. You also get a clever integrated RGB cooling fan with RGB lights for extra bling at your workstation. You can ergonomically adjust the height and viewing angles to arrive at a comfortable posture. It supports tabs and laptops up to 17 inches. (Rs 2,349)
Portronics Buddy Spinlight; Rs 2,349