OnePlus Hub 5G Router Unveiled, Coming to Markets in July

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Feb 7, 2023

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 was finally unveiled in the global market today alongside the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 11R. The second-generation earbuds from OnePlus come with several interesting features, including Spatial audio, Dynaudio tuning, Adaptive noise cancelation, and more. Notably, the brand has also unveiled a slightly cheaper version of earbuds, dubbed OnePlus Buds Pro 2R. It will be exclusive to India and offer almost the same specs as the standard Buds Pro 2. Here are the details.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2R arrives exclusively in the Indian market in White and Black colors. The earbuds will be available for purchase in the country for Rs. 9,999. OnePlus didn’t reveal the exact sale date of the buds but confirmed they will hit the shelves in March. For reference, the standard Buds Pro 2 carries a price tag of Rs. 11,999 in India.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2R Specifications

Except for wireless charging and head tracking, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2R has specs identical to the standard model. This means the earbuds have the same dual-tone design with a glossy stem and matte finish on the upper.

The Buds Pro 2R will be equipped with dual drivers measuring 11mm and 6mm in size. They come with adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 48dB and also feature a transparency mode for listening to environmental sounds. The hearables support LHDC 5.0 audio codec and 54ms low latency for gaming.

Further, the earbuds boast spatial audio but won’t support head tracking, which enables a 3D audio effect when you turn your head in apps like YouTube and Disney+. Featuring Bluetooth 5.2, the earbuds can be connected to two devices simultaneously. The Buds Pro 2R will offer 39 hours of total battery life with the charging case. The earbuds alone are claimed to last 9 hours of usage with ANC disabled and with the feature on, the playtime is reduced to 6 hours.

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Garmin Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965 Designs, Specs, and US Pricing Leaked by Retailer

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Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 7, 2023

The soon-to-be-released Garmin Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965 smartwatches have been leaked by a US retailer. The Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965 series come in multiple color variants. The listing by the retailer is not the first for the pair of new Garmin smartwatches. The leak also includes US pricing details for the two models and they are pricier than their predecessors.

The two Forerunner models will contain lots of improvements over the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955. The marketing renders for the two Garmin models were discovered by Gadgets & Wearables and they were listed by 5 Under Golf. There are no official launch details yet for the Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965 series. As per the specs, the Forerunner 265 has an AMOLED display with 42mm and 46mm case sizes. The Forerunner 265 has a 13-day battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours in GPS mode.

The Garmin Forerunner 965 has a 1.4-inch AMOLED display and a 46mm case. It has a lightweight titanium bezel and 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. The battery life reduces to 31 hours in GPS mode. Both model variants will support music streaming and the previously exclusive Training Readiness feature.

The Forerunner 265 has been rumored previously to launch at $499.99 but the latest listing shows a $449.99 price tag. The Forerunner 265 is thus slightly more expensive than its predecessor. On the other hand, the 5 Under Golf price of the Forerunner 965 starts at $599.99. This is a steeper increase than its predecessor by up to $100. Garmin has not made any statement yet on the leak. It is however expected that these leaks point to an imminent launch of the Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965 series.

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Bikee Announces Mass Production of the Lightest Mid-range e-Bike Kit

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Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 7, 2023

Bikee has announced that it has commenced mass production of the Lightest e-bike kit. The lightweight electric motor conversion kit weighs about 4kg and will be available in several versions.

The Lightest e-bike kit was first announced via an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign in 2020. You can use the kit to transform your bike into an electric bike. The product is going into mass production behind schedules, as the company had to grapple with a few setbacks. The models include an EU-compliant kit and a range-topping 1,000W 120Nm motor with an 840Wh battery pack.

Bikee says the new e-bike conversion kit is the lightest in the market. It has a 1.75kg mid-drive motor and a base 250W motor kit to go with a 250Wh battery. The additional weight of the bike is between 4kg and 5.5kg. As expected, the heaviest kit is the top-end model 100W variant. The e-bike conversion kit delivers a riding range between 35km and 120km. The top speed is between 25km/h and 45km/h. The bike features a zero-drag mode that gives the rider the feeling of riding a regular bike and a torque sensor is also included.

The Lightest e-bike kit is currently being sold at a discounted rate starting from €499 (~$537) for the 250W kit. The top model with a 1,000W motor is priced at €1,312 (~$1,411). Bikee is offering a discount regime of up to 25% for the Lightest e-bike conversion kit. The earliest deliveries for the e-bike kit will be from March 2023.

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Xiaomi 12 Pro Gets Android 13-based MIUI 14 Update in India

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 7, 2023

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has been receiving MIUI 14 update based on Android 13 in multiple markets. Recently, the device got access to the latest software update in India.

The update is currently available for Mi Pilot testers. It should be rolled out to all users in the coming days.

The Android 13-based MIUI 14 update for Xiaomi 12 Pro in India arrives with firmware version V14.0.1.0.TLBINXM. It weighs a whopping 4.4GB in size.

Though we are in February, the update only brings along January 2023 security patches. Also, the official changelog doesn’t talk about the new features. Anyway, the phone gets all the new features of MIUI 14 that are intended for global markets.

Going by MIUI rollout history in India, the update should reach all the users within a month or less. After pilot testing, the update will enter ‘Stable Beta’ phase, followed by ‘Stable’.

Android 13 is the first Android update for the Xiaomi 12 Pro. Similarly, MIUI 14 is also its first MIUI update. Since the smartphone is eligible for three Android updates, it should receive up to Android 15 and at least MIUI 16.

Samsung, Oppo, and OnePlus now promise four Android updates. Hopefully, Xiaomi also joins this bandwagon.

OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro Launched in India With a QLED Display & 70W Speaker

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Feb 7, 2023

Back in September 2019, OnePlus launched its very first smart TV, the Q1 Pro series. Now, after several years, the brand has unveiled its sequel— the OnePlus TV Q2 Pro. The TV from the Chinese brand comes with a 65-inch QLED 4K display and a 70W speaker setup. Running Android TV 11 operating system with OxygenPlay 2.0, the TV support voice commands. Let’s take a closer look at the specifications and pricing of the newly launched OnePlus TV.

OnePlus TV Q2 Pro is touted to feature the brand’s best large-screen display. It comes with a 4k 65-inch display with a flagship-level QLED panel alongside a Blue LED backlight. It offers DCI-P3 of 97 percent and has 120 local dimming zones for accurate lighting and shadows with a peak brightness of 1200nits and 120Hz of refresh rate.

OnePlus says the TV is powered by a Gamma Engine Ultra, which apparently optimizes picture quality in real time. For audio, the TV gets a 70W speaker setup with 2.1 channel support. There are seven speakers in total with a 30W sub-woofer tuned by Dynaudio. There’s also support for 120Hz MEMC and AI Super Resolution.

The OnePlus TV is powered by a MediaTek processor, paired with 3GB memory and 32GB flash storage. On the software front, it runs Android TV 11 with OxygenPlay 2.0. Indian consumers will be able to enjoy content from over 21 platforms and 270 live channels. The TV carries support for voice commands, which is powered by Speak Now and works with Google Assistant as well. There’s also support for NFC cast and OnePlus Connect 2.0 to offer seamless interconnectivity.

The new OnePlus TV Q2 Pro comes in India with a price tag of Rs. 99,999. It will be available for purchase from 10th of March through various online channels including Amazon and OnePlus’ own store.

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OnePlus Pad Unveiled With a 144Hz Display, Dimensity 9000 SoC, Magnetic Keyboard, & a Stylus

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Feb 7, 2023

After a series of teasers, OnePlus has finally unveiled its first-ever tablet— the OnePlus Pad. The latest slate from the Chinese company comes with a powerful MediaTek processor and flaunts a large display with up to 144Hz refresh rate. At a time when even a charger is barely included in the retail box, OnePlus Pad comes with a bundled stylus and magnetic keyboard. Continue reading to learn more about the tablet’s specifications and pricing.

The OnePlus Pad comes with an aluminum alloy frame and a camera centered on the back of the device, making it more useful when used horizontally. It is claimed to be ergonomically designed with a cambered frame, allowing users to hold the tablet comfortably for an extended period of time without fatigue. The tablet is offered in a new Halo Green shade. The slate is around 6.54mm thick and weighs 552g.

Moving to the specs, the first-ever OnePlus tablet comes with an 11.6-inch display that produces a 144Hz refresh rate, 2,800 x 2,000px resolution, and a 500 nits peak brightness. Under the hood, the tablet features MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000. This powerful processor is paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

The OnePlus Pad should offer an immersive entertainment experience with support for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. It supports cellular data sharing and has Omnibearing Sound Field. The slate is fueled by a massive 9,510mAh battery that supports fast 67W charging. The company says the tablet can offer up to 1-month standby.

OnePlus did not reveal the price of the OnePlus Pad but confirmed that it will be available for pre-order in April. The tablet will be sold in India, North America, Europe, and the Middle East. We’ll keep you posted.

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OnePlus 11 5G With Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 100W Charging Debuts Globally

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Feb 7, 2023

OnePlus conducted its biggest global launch event today. The brand announced as many as six new products including smartphones, smart TV, TWS earphones, tablet, and a PC accessory. The Chinese brand debuted the OnePlus 11 5G (review) in the global markets. It was released in the home country last month and the global variant comes with the same specifications. The smartphone competes against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23, iQOO 11, iPhone 14 Pro, and more in the market.

Beginning with the display, the OnePlus 11 5G boasts a 6.7-inch Samsung E4 AMOLED screen with curved edges. It offers a QHD+ resolution and LTPO 3.0 technology with a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The device is equipped with an in-screen fingerprint scanner. The display is shielded by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.

Design-wise, the OnePlus 11 5G comes with a glass sandwich built with a metal frame. There is a redesigned camera island with a half-pill-shaped border that stretches from the side frame to the middle of the back panel. It houses a circular camera bump with three sensors and an LED flash. The smartphone also features an alert slider and it is IP54-rated splash resistant.

On the optics front, the OnePlus 11 5G has a triple rear camera setup comprising an OIS-enabled 50MP Sony IMX980 primary sensor, a 48MP Sony IMX581 ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 32MP telephoto unit with support for OIS and 3x optical zoom. There is a 16MP front-facing selfie snapper. The smartphone comes with legendary camera maker Hasselblad’s image technology for enhancing photography capabilities.

Under the hood, the OnePlus 11 5G is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. It packs up to 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. There is a VC liquid cooling system for heat dissipation. The smartphone runs on a 5,000mAh battery unit with support for 100W wired charging. Software-wise, the OnePlus 11 5G runs on Android 13-based OxygenOS 13 out of the box. It is confirmed to be the first device from the brand to receive 4 years of future OS versions and 5 years of security patches.

Connectivity options on the OnePlus 11 5G include WiFi-7, dual SIM, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, dual-frequency, NFC, and a USB Type-C port

The OnePlus 11 5G starts at Rs 56,999 for the base 8GB + 128GB variant whereas the 16GB + 256GB model carries a price tag of Rs 61,999. It is offered in Eternal Green and Titan Black colours. In India, the smartphone is available for pre-orders from today with open sales commencing February 14th from Amazon, the brand’s official website and offline experience stores, and leading retail outlets across the country.

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OnePlus 11R 5G With Curved Display, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC Launched In India

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Feb 7, 2023

OnePlus announced two new smartphones alongside other devices for the global market. The two phones launched by the brand are the OnePlus 11 5G and OnePlus 11R 5G. While the former is already available in China, the latter has debuted as rebranded OnePlus Ace 2 in the home market. The OnePlus 11R 5G arrives as the successor to the last year’s OnePlus 10R with significant upgrades. Read on to know what the device offers out of the box.

The OnePlus 11R 5G is the first R-series device from the brand to feature a curved AMOLED display measuring 6.74 inches. It offers an FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 1,450 nits peak brightness, an integrated fingerprint scanner, and support for HDR10+. The smartphone has the same design as the OnePlus 11 5G with a circular camera module beneath a half-pill-shaped glossy pattern. The alert slider that was missing on the predecessor model makes a comeback on the latest offering.

On the imaging front, the OnePlus 11R 5G features a triple rear camera. The setup consists of a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS support, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro unit. Up front, there is a 16MP selfie snapper.

Internally, the OnePlus 11R 5G is equipped with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. It packs up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB storage. There is a RAM-Vita feature that accelerates the relocation of memory usage through machine learning and AI. The device has an eight-channel VC cooling system for heat dissipation. The smartphone draws its power from a 5,000mAh battery unit with support for 100W fast charging. Software-wise, it runs on Android 13 with OxygenOS 13 skinned on the top.

The OnePlus 11R 5G is offered in Sonic Black and Galactic Silver colour options. It is an India-specific device and is priced at Rs 39,999 and Rs 44,999 for the 8GB + 128GB and 16GB + 256GB RAM and storage configurations. The device is up for pre-orders starting today with sales commencing from February 16th

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OnePlus Buds Pro 2 With ANC, 360 Spatial Audio Launched Globally

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Feb 7, 2023

OnePlus unveiled a host of products at a global launch event today. It has launched the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 as the successor to the original Buds Pro that debuted way back in 2021. The latest offering looks similar to its predecessor but packs some new features. Read on to know what it offers out of the box.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 looks the same as its predecessor with a stem and silicone ear tips. It features a dual-tone design where the stem has a glossy finish and the earbuds have a matte finish. The TWS earphones are IP55-certified water-resistant. There is also ear-canal detection feature.

On the audio front, the OnePlus Bud Pro 2 are equipped with dual drivers measuring 11mm and 6mm in sizes. They offer active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 48dB for eliminating surrounding noise. The is also a transparency mode for becoming aware of the surroundings without having to remove the earbuds. The audio device supports LHDC 5.0 audio codec and 54ms low latency for gaming.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 have 360-degree Spatial Audio for surround sound. The TWS earphones feature Master EQ (Equalizer) tuned by Hans Zimmer, a Hollywood music composer who has worked on popular movies like The Dark Knight Trilogy, Dune, Top Gun: Maverick, and more. The Master EQ is called ‘Soundscape’ and is claimed to have fewer low frequencies than the default setting as well as a brighter and wider sound field. OnePlus says the Master EQ will let the users enjoy the full orchestral sound of classical and the multidimensional score of an action film.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 feature Bluetooth 5.2 and can be connected to two devices simultaneously. It is claimed to be powered by 39 hours of total battery life with a small rectangular storage and charging case. The earbuds are said to deliver 9 hours of usage with ANC disabled and with the feature enabled, it is said to last for 6 hours. The audio device supports wired as well as wireless charging.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 carries a price tag of Rs 11,999 in India. Pricing for the global markets is set at $179. The TWS earphones are offered in Obsidian Black and Arbor Green colour options. In India, they can be purchased from Amazon, the brand’s official website, and partner retail stores starting February 14th.

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Vivo V27 Stops by Geekbench With 12GB Ram & Android 13

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Feb 7, 2023

A recent report revealed Vivo has a bunch of new smartphones in the works. This includes the Vivo V27 series— the successor to the Vivo V25 series. Just like its predecessor, the V27 lineup could include multiple devices, including vanilla V27, higher-end V27 Pro, and maybe a stripped-down V27e. Ahead of an official announcement, the standard Vivo V27 has appeared on the Geekbench website with 12GB RAM and Android 13. Here are the details.

A new Vivo smartphone has been spotted on the Geekbench benchmarking site with model number V2246. This model number is believed to be associated with the upcoming Vivo V27. Geekbench reveals the smartphone packs an unknown SoC codenamed MT6886V. While we don’t know the official name of the processor, the “MT” in the model number suggests it will be manufactured by MediaTek.

Further, the SoC is listed to have eight cores, with two cores clocked at 2.8GHz and the other six cores at 2.0GHz. The chip will be paired with a Mali-G610 MC4 GPU. In addition, the Vivo V27 will have at least 12GB of RAM and run Android 13 out of the box. The OS will likely have a Funtouch OS 13 skin on top.

The V27 has managed to get 845 points in Geekbench’s single-core test and 2217 points in the multi-score test. Apart from this, the listing did not reveal any other specifications of the upcoming smartphone.

Details about the Vivo V27 5G are pretty scarce at the moment. Reports suggest it may share some features with the Chinese Vivo S16 series. However, there’s no official confirmation from the brand yet. We hope to learn more about the device in the coming days. Stay tuned.

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Pre-Order Now Open for LG’s Groundbreaking 240Hz OLED Gaming Monitor in the UK

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Feb 7, 2023

Back in November, LG introduced its new 27-inch OLED gaming monitor called the LG UltraGear 27GR95QE-B. The brand claims it to be the world’s first 2K 240Hz OLED gaming monitor, and the hype surrounding it is quite real. I mean who wouldn’t want to game on such a snappy OLED panel? More than two months after its announcement, the monitor is finally getting ready to hit the UK market as pre-orders for it go live.

The UltraGear 27GR95QE is priced at £998.99 including taxes, and is currently available for pre-order at Overclockers UK, though no release date has been confirmed. LG has not yet listed the gaming monitor on its website, suggesting that pre-orders won’t start shipping for a few more weeks. Let’s check out its specifications and features in more detail.

LG UltraGear 27GR95QE-B specs

The LG UltraGear gaming monitor boasts a 27-inch OLED display with 98.5% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut and an impressive contrast ratio of 1.5 million to 1. As mentioned above, this is a 1440p resolution OLED monitor with 240Hz refresh rate. In addition to that, the monitor has a snappy 0.03 ms gray-to-gray response time.

It is compatible with AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, but without hardware acceleration. The monitor features an adjustable stand that can be raised up to 11cm, with a 20-degree swivel capability in both horizontal and vertical directions.

The LG device is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a digital optical audio port, and two USB 3.0 downstream ports along with one upstream port. Despite its minimalist design, it still showcases gaming-oriented features, such as the RGB LED lights at the back.

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Samsung Galaxy A34 5G Screen Protector Packaging Reveals Design

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Feb 7, 2023

After the successful launch of its flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra series phones, Samsung is now getting ready to debut the new Galaxy A-series mid-range offerings. We have already heard the news that the brand is getting rid of the top-of-the-line Galaxy A7x entirely. So the Galaxy A54 5G will be the highest-tier offering this year.

Logically, the Galaxy A34 5G should be the second-best offering in the lineup, however, Samsung has made some interesting design choices for this device. Renders have already revealed that the Galaxy A34 5G looks a lot like the Galaxy S23 from behind. This is due to the clean and linear triple camera arrangement design that roots from the Ultra devices of the brand. However, the front panel appears to feature an aging notched display.

pic.twitter.com/gX2EB1RCf3
— SnoopyTech (@_snoopytech_) February 6, 2023

If there was any doubt that this could change, that has been laid to rest in a recent leak from SnoopyTech. The tipster has shared a packaging image of the Panzer Glass screen protectors of the Galaxy A34 5G that features a notched display image of the device.

Additionally, he has also shared the screen protector packaging images of the Galaxy F14 5G/M14 5G and Galaxy A14/A14 5G. This reveals that the screen dimensions and design of the Galaxy F14 5G and M14 G5 will be identical. The same will be the case for the Galaxy A14 and A14 5G models.

Coming back to the Galaxy A34 5G, the device was spotted on Geekbench with Dimensity 1080 SoC. However, it is rumored to feature the Exynos 1280 chipset in some regions. The device could support up to 8GB of RAM, and a 6GM variant is all but confirmed.

Other leaked details available on the device suggest that it will have a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a refresh rate of 90Hz. We can expect a 48MP primary camera and a 13MP front camera. The battery will likely have a 5,000mAh capacity with 25W fast charging.

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Samsung Galaxy S23 Series Can Run at Full Power While Gaming Thanks to GOS Toggle

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Feb 7, 2023

Last year, Samsung got into hot waters with its users and the tech community as it was secretly throttling the performance of nearly 10,000 apps using its Game Optimizing Service (GOS). However, the kicker was that benchmarking apps were not being throttled by GOS, which can be seen as a blatant breach of trust. Worse yet, there was no way of disabling it manually.

Although a service like GOS made sense if you want to game for extended periods without burning your fingers on your smartphone or draining the battery too quickly, the app should never have interfered with non-gaming apps and should have allowed users to choose if they wanted to implement this low-performance mode.

Ever since this issue was brought to light, Samsung has made amends and has enabled a toggle within One UI that allows users to turn off GOS manually. By turning off Game Optimizing Service, users are able to access the full power of their chipsets in scenarios like gaming.

With Samsung launching the Galaxy S23 series last week, GOS has made a return of the device along with a toggle to turn it off. This means that users of the new Samsung flagships have the option to push their devices to the limit while gaming. This means that users can take full advantage of the supposedly more powerful custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets especially made for the Galaxy S23 series. We already know that these custom chips have an overclocked applied to their CPU as well as GPU. We recently reported that the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s GPU outperforms the one on the Apple A16 Bionic, which the current iPhones are using.

So should you try letting the beast loose? Well, Samsung does claim that they have made major improvements with cooling on their flagships. Specifically, the Galaxy S23 has 1.6 times better cooling than the Galaxy S22, the Galaxy S23+ has 2.8 times better cooling than its predecessor, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 2.3 times better cooling system than the one found on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. So yes, the device will be able to handle the heat. That however doesn’t mean that your fingers won’t feel the heat as all that extra heat will likely be dissipated through the back panel.

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Samsung Achieves Record Galaxy S23 Series Pre-Orders In India In Less Than 24 Hours

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Feb 7, 2023

Samsung launched its next-generation flagship Galaxy S23 series last week. The lineup comprising of standard, Plus, and Ultra models are expensive than the previous generation models. Now, the South Koren brand announced that it has received 1,40,000 pre-orders within the first 24 hours of opening up of pre-bookings. The number is twice as many as the last year’s Galaxy S22 series. This also shows a strong demand for premium smartphones in the country.

The record pre-booking numbers of the Galaxy S23 series is attributed to cashbacks, bundled ecosystem products, and affordable schemes. Samsung India’s Vice President said that the average selling price of a Galaxy S23 series device is Rs 1 lacs which almost rakes up Rs 1,400 crore in revenue. He also added that Samsung’s proprietary financing scheme has been extended to 18,000 pin codes from 12,000 last year covering almost 60,000 stores from 40,000.

With the record pre-bookings, Samsung expects to grow in double digits in the premium segment this year on the back of strong pre-orders for the flagship Galaxy S23 series as well as other devices.

Additionally, Samsung also confirmed that all Galaxy S23 series units sold in India will be manufactured at the brand’s Noida facility in the country. The local manufacturing of the flagship lineup will ensure that products will be available across all regions from the first day of the sale.

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Asus ROG Phone 7 Series First Leaks: Model Numbers, Launch Timeline, Specs & More

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