The iQOO Z9 was announced this week and will be available to Amazon Prime subscribers first, but that’s only for a one-day exclusivity period – anyone can buy it now. This mid-range phone has a plastic body (IP54) and comes with a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display and Dimensity 7200 chipset.
There is a microSD slot available, but you can get double the storage for Rs 2,000 more. The 5,000mAh battery charges at 44W fast, but the 50MP rear camera is pretty basic (it does have OIS, though). For more details, check out our first impressions.
There is also a new arrival of Poco X6 Neo this week, which is still available for pre-order. There’s a lot of overlap between it and the Z9 – a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz display and the like, though it has 10-bit color and Gorilla Glass 5 (as opposed to Dragontrail Star 2 Plus glass).
Also, the rear camera here has a 108MP sensor. In addition, this product also comes with a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the iQOO comes with stereo speakers. The battery capacity is the same at 5,000mAh, but the charging speed is slightly slower at 33W. Finally, the Poco is cheaper, but its Dimensity 6080 chipset is also weaker.
Launched on Monday, Lava Blaze Curve is a premium product aimed at the mid-range range. It gets its name from its curved 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz display (with Dragontrail Star 2 glass) and Dimensity 7050. There’s a basic 64MP main camera on the back (it doesn’t even have OIS), and there’s an 8MP ultra-wide angle. The main camera can record 4K video (30fps), while the Poco can record up to 1080p (iQOO, which has a more powerful chip, can also record 4K). The 5,000mAh/33W battery is on par with the Poco.
Meanwhile, both the Samsung Galaxy A55 and A35 are available for pre-order and will start shipping this week. Both feature 6.6-inch FHD+ 120Hz displays, 5,000mAh batteries, 25W wired charging, and 50MP main cameras.
However, the Galaxy A55 stands out with its aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass on the front and back (Victus+ on the front). It also comes with the new Exynos 1480, which is the first time an AMD GPU has appeared in mid-range Android. Also, the 12MP ultra-wide angle is slightly better.
The Samsung Galaxy A35 has a plastic chassis and back, and uses the older Exynos 1380 (from last year’s A54). Note that the base model here has 6GB RAM, and if you want 8GB RAM, you’ll need to buy the 256GB version. Note that both phones have a microSD slot and IP67 dust and water resistance. Neither has a headphone jack.
Samsung Galaxy A25 is a weaker version of A35. It has a 6.5-inch 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED display and the older Exynos 1280 (A53 Retro). The 50MP camera has a smaller sensor (1/2.76-inch vs. 1/1.96-inch), but it does retain OIS and the 8MP ultra-wide angle. And the selfie camera is on a notch (and can’t record in 4K).
You can also take a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G, which is very similar to the A25. It comes with the less powerful Dimensity 6100+ chipset (and only 6GB of RAM if you buy the base model). The 50MP main camera loses OIS, and the ultra-wide angle is reduced to 5MP. There are no cameras on board that can record 4K.
A few weeks ago, the Tecno Camon 20 Pro 5G was priced at Rs 20,000 and is now Rs 2,000 cheaper. This buys you a 6.67-inch 120Hz FHD+ display and Dimensity 8050), 64MP main camera (1/1.7-inch, no OIS). While there’s no ultra-wide angle, the 32MP selfie camera is impressive with a 24mm lens and dual-LED flash. The charging power of the 5,000mAh battery is 33W.
The iQOO Neo9 Pro has been around since February, and while it’s pricier than the models above, it’s also more powerful – it’s powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. The powerful Adreno 740 GPU is paired with a 6.78-inch 144Hz LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,260 x 2,800 pixels. The 50MP main camera features a 1/1.49-inch sensor and OIS, and is complemented by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The 5,160mAh battery is slightly larger and has 120W fast charging.
We’ll wrap things up with a few Samsung laptops. The Galaxy Book3 comes with a 15.6-inch IPS display, and you can choose between Intel Core i5 (1335U) and i7 (1355U). Weighing only 1.58 kg, this laptop is quite lightweight and comes with Windows 11 and MS Office Home & Student 2021.
Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 is both a laptop and a tablet. It has an S Pen-enabled AMOLED display – 13.3-inch or 15.6-inch, your choice. Their weights are 1.16 kg and 1.46 kg respectively. Both are powered by a Core i5 (1335U).
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