<ul><li>Intel launched its latest generation of mobile processors virtually at CES 2022. </li><li>The new line-up comprises 28 processors, including Pentium, Celeron and 600-series CPUs. </li><li>Intel claims to have inched past Apple's M1 Max's performance with its Core i9 12900 processor. </li></ul><br />Despite <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/google-intel-decide-not-to-attend-ces-2022-in-person-amid-rise-in-omicron-cases/articleshow/88468838.cms">deciding to not attend</a> the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 in-person in Las Vegas amid rising Omicron cases, Intel has taken the wraps off its latest 12th-generation mobile processor line-up. Codenamed Alder Lake, this new generation aims to bring a few key upgrades to the outgoing family of mobile processors – scalability for a wider range of form factors, performance hybrid architecture and support for the spanking new DDR5 memory and PCI Express Gen 5 connectivity. <br /><br />“Intel‘s new performance hybrid architecture is helping to accelerate the pace of innovation and the future of compute,” said Gregory Bryant, executive vice president and general manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group.<br /><br />The American chipmaker also announced updates for the third-generation Evo platform for laptops and other on-the-go form factors, along with some enterprise-related enhancements. <br /><br />As many as 28 new processors belonging to three different series were announced. This can be a bit challenging to understand for many, and so we have crunched down the entire launch in easy-to-understand pointers so that you can make the right decision for your next tech upgrade.<br /><br /><div type="image" title="intel core 12th gen lineup-1" msid="88694604" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Intel launched 28 new mobile processors.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><div type="image" title="intel 12th gen line up 2" msid="88694615" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Intel launched as many as 28 new mobile processors.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><strong>Saying hello to the family</strong><br />Apart from the i3, i5, i7, i9 classifications, Intel’s 12th-generation mobile processors also belong to different series – the H-series is the top-of-the-line, best-performing series suited for gamers and high-productivity users, the U-series chips are made for ultrathin, fanless laptops, whereas the P-series processors offer the best of both worlds by combining enthusiast-level performance in a thin and light form factor. The 12th generation also includes the Pentium and Celeron chipsets for less demanding use cases along with the H670, H610 and B660 chips that are aimed at tinkerers and DIY’ers.<br /><strong><br />Performance Hybrid Architecture explained<br /></strong>One of the biggest buzzwords from this launch is ‘Performance Hybrid Architecture’. Remember the time when Intel went multi-core with the Core 2 Duo processors? The Performance Hybrid Architecture may be the next jump for Intel, and it basically means you get multiples of different cores. Simply put, Alder Lake processors feature two different types of CPU cores – one for an outright performance called the ‘Performance’ or ‘P’ core and another for efficiency, also called an ‘E’ core. These two types of cores are combined with Intel’s new Thread Director that works with the OS to ensure these two cores work together in symphony automagically. The P-cores are all about raw speed and are meant for reducing latency (or lag) and pushing the limits of single-threaded performance. The E-cores give the 12th-generation chips their flexibility. They are capable of packing in a punch while consuming less power and space, and as a result, four of these E-cores occupy almost the same space as a single P-core. The E-cores give the Alder Lake chips insane scalability across different form factors and are responsible for efficient multitasking.<br /><div type="image" title="e core p core" msid="88694627" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Intel&amp;#39;s new mobile processors feature Performance or P-cores and Efficiency or E-cores.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <br /><strong>Broader memory support</strong><br />It’s soon going to be time to say hello to DDR5 and LPDDR5 memory in your latest laptops, as Intel’s 12th-generation mobile chipsets have support for the new generation of memory along with existing DDR4 and LPDDR4 spec. What are the advantages, you ask? DDR5 and LPDDR5 spec memories allow higher density modules that make it easy to pack more memory in smaller spaces in your system. It also increases bandwidth, with a maximum data rate that’s double the outgoing spec. All this while consuming less voltage to improve power efficiency. The new generation also has PCI Express Gen 5 support, so you can expect the next-generation graphics to come soon to your laptops.<br /><br /><strong>Can it really beat Apple’s M1 Max?<br /></strong>According to Intel, the cream-of-the-crop 12th-generation mobile processor, the Core i9-12900HK, has managed to inch past the competition, including the much-coveted Apple’s M1 Max, although the former tends to operate at higher wattage. Nevertheless, with up to 5 GHz max Turbo frequency, 14 cores (6 P-cores and 8 E-cores) and 20 threads, it is indeed fast. Further, the new generation is about 40% faster than the outgoing family.<br /><br /><strong>Big on content creation<br /></strong>Intel says that users can expect equally respectable performance in content creation platforms too. According to the stats released by the company, rendering capabilities have gone up by up to 43% gen-over-gen, but this comparison was made between an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 12600 and 12th-gen Core i9 12900 processors on a PugetBench Premiere Pro benchmark tool. The same 12th-gen processor reported a 31% improvement over the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G in the same test. You may want to take this information with a grain of salt till the actual benchmarking figures surface on the web.<br /><br /><strong>Upgraded Evo-branded laptops &amp; support for foldable<br /></strong>Announced in early 2021, Intel Evo is a badge that requires laptop manufacturers to adhere to minimum standards to deliver a quality experience in an ultrathin notebook. This year, Intel’s high-performance H-series chips would be joining the Evo line-up. On top of this, other key attributes were also added to the Evo line-up, including larger screen sizes of up to 16-inches and creator oriented displays. Foldable display spec has also been added to the Evo line-up, wherein Intel said we can expect more foldable laptops with larger screens and various form factors this year. <br /><br /><br /><br /><meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Intel’s 12th-gen mobile processors: From going big on content creation to beating Apple’s M1 Max, everything you need to know

<ul><li>The ViewSonic XG2405 is a 24-inch gaming monitor with 144Hz refresh rate. </li><li>It offers out-of-the-box support for AMD FreeSync and has a low input lag of 1ms</li><li>It has an understated design along with an ergonomic stand that offers practicality</li></ul><br />Venturing into competitive gaming for the first time can be a little tricky. You may have a decently specced gaming system, but you’d be spending most of your time interacting with the peripherals, and so choosing them wisely is paramount.<br /><br /><br />One such investment is a good gaming monitor and if you’re just starting out, you may get overwhelmed by the sheer cost and variety in the market. The ViewSonic XG2405 is a 24-inch gaming monitor that sets out to bridge this gap. It claims to offer several gamer-centric features such as support for AMD FreeSync, 144Hz refresh and low-input lag of 1ms, all at a price of ₹18,999. So should you consider buying it? Find out in our review.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Design &amp; I/O<br /></strong><br />  <div type="image" title="hero" msid="88616773" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The ViewSonic XG2405 has an understated design that blends in well with any desktop setting. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><br />Gaming monitors usually have the reputation of having gaudy, ostentatious designs marked by bright-coloured accents, RGB lights or angular lines. The ViewSonic XG2405 is a welcome deviation from this, as it has a rather understated design that’s tuned more towards practicality.<br /><br /><br />Despite a slightly wide chin with the ViewSonic logo, it has really slim bezels, which is useful if you plan on going for a multi-monitor setup in the future. The entire monitor has a single colour although the finish of the plastic is different on the base and stand.<br /><br /><br />Behind the display, on the right side, you’ll find five buttons that will help you navigate through the on-screen display (OSD) menu. While these are useful, I personally prefer a tiny joystick that makes selection much easier.<br /><br /><br />Moving on to the stand, I found it to be extremely useful. It allowed me to painlessly go from landscape to portrait modes, without using any tools or upper body strength, and even height and tilt adjustments were super easy to make. You get about 12cm worth of wiggle room for height adjustment and you can tilt it between -5° and 20°. If you wish you hang it on a wall, you also get 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility. Oh, and the stand also doubles up as a headphones holder.<br /><br /><br />The rectangular base is extremely sturdy and there’s absolutely no chance of wobbling. But because it’s so big, it does end up eating a bit of your table’s real estate. That’s the price you have to pay for such a versatile stand, but it would get better if the company can find a way to shrink its size in the upcoming models.<br /><br /><div type="image" title="base" msid="88616854" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The ViewSonic XG2405&amp;#39;s sturdy base may take up a bit of your table’s real estate.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><br />In terms of I/O options, you have two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort and an audio input jack that allows you to connect your headphones. <br /><br /><br /><strong>Display</strong><br /><br />The XG2405 has a 24-inch IPS LCD panel with Full HD resolution and pixel density of 93 PPI. In terms of display size, this isn’t the biggest fish in the pond, but it doesn’t even have to be. It’s suited well to those who have a rather cosy setup or are planning to have multiple monitors as an extended setup. <br /><br /><br />The IPS panel offers good viewing angles to the tune of 178°, but the contrast ratio of 1,000:1 isn’t as good as the ones provided by similarly price VA panels. There’s also a bit of visible blooming or a white glow around the corners, but it’s to an acceptable level for a monitor this price. It’s not too distracting and you’ll observe it only when you’ll watching or playing something that’s dark. Further, the monitor has a peak brightness of 250 nits it also comes with an anti-reflective coating that does a good job of keeping glares and reflections at bay. I used the monitor mostly in a brightly lit room, and I rarely ever had any issues using it. <br /><br /><div type="image" title="vertical" msid="88616932" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The ViewSonic XG2405 can be used in a portrait configuration with very little effort. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><br />Moving on, it offers 8-bit colour depth and is capable of covering the basic sRGB colour gamut. Although theoretically, the colours should seem neutral and not oversaturated, I found that the default colour temperature to be slightly cooler. Nevertheless, you can change this to your liking and it shouldn’t be much of a dealbreaker if you’re planning to mostly game using this monitor. If you’re, however, planning to create content, it also comes with a pre-calibrated sRGB mode in which you can change brightness, unlike other monitors in the same range. <br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Performance</strong><br /><br />Moving on to the response times and gaming performance, the 144Hz refresh rate makes things smoother, a characteristic of high refresh rate monitors. It’s not only beneficial in gaming, but also in the overall fluidity of your experience. <br /><br /><br />Further, it has a claimed MPRT or moving picture response time of just 1 millisecond, but to take advantage of this, you’ll have to enable a special mode in the settings. Once you do it, you’ll see a noticeable drop in brightness, but you’ll also observe reduced ghosting that enables smoother motion clarity. This should only be done in games that can achieve a steady FPS on your system that’s equal to the refresh rate of your monitor (so 144FPS:144Hz), or else you’ll not enjoy the intended result. I tried this on CS: GO on an Asus ROG Strix G15, and it does make things much, much faster. <br /><br /><br />Another gamery feature of this monitor is the ability to support AMD FreeSync out-of-the-box. Although there’s no official support for Nvidia’s G-Sync, it does work with supported GeForce cards (GTX 10-series or newer) without giving you much grief, although if you want to enjoy this, you’ll have to connect only via the DisplayPort.<br /><br /><div type="image" title="swivel stand" msid="88616975" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;ViewSonic XG2405&amp;#39;s offers a lot of freedom of movement in every axis.  &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><br />Just so you know, this tech allows the monitor to change its refresh rate dynamically, synchronized with the frame rate of your game. This helps eliminate a visual artefact called ‘screen tearing’, in which you literally see a tear between the content being displayed on your screen. It also helps in reducing stuttering without a noticeable input lag penalty.<br /><br /><br />There are also other notable features in this monitor such as Black Stabilization, which improves visibility in darker games, and some other pre-calibrated genre-specific picture presets such as FPS, RTS &amp; MOBA. You may dig some of these, I just set it either on Text or Standard presets as it suited my style more. <br /><br /><br /><strong>Verdict</strong><br /><br />In my month of usage, the ViewSonic XG2405 managed to offer good features and decent performance. It doesn’t break the bank, offers an IPS display and a decent choice of ports too. And when you toss in that ergonomic stand in the mix, it becomes difficult to recommend this monitor for anybody starting to get serious about gaming. Sure, it does struggle with a bit of blooming and the added heft of its base, but that’s not something that should break the deal.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 451.276pt;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><strong>Pros</strong><br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><strong>Cons</strong><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">144Hz refresh rate<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">The base of the stand takes up a lot of space<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IPS panel with good viewing angles<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Blooming may be visible when playing darker games at night<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Competitively priced<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nvidia G-Sync support only on DisplayPort<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">AMD FreeSync support out of the box<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Navigating through the OSD may be annoying<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Low input lag<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fantastic ergonomic stand<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

ViewSonic XG2405 gaming monitor review: Low input lag, high refresh rate and a practical stand make this a complete package

<ul><li>The Mi Air Purifier 3 aims to offers a minimalist design, decent performance and smart features at a reasonable price. </li><li>It comes with a true HEPA Class 13 filter with a CADR of 380 cubic metres per hour. </li><li>It has a touch-sensitive display that lets you interact with fan speeds and shows information like the ambient AQI. </li></ul><br />Air quality has become a legitimate concern over the decade, especially in a place like Delhi NCR, which becomes a gas chamber during winters. While there are several factors to be blamed, the usual suspects include rapid industrial growth, crop burning, and fumes released from internal combustion engines. The short term solutions, for ourselves at least, include wearing face masks and using air purifiers, and this is precisely what Mi Air Purifier 3 sets out to do. With its true HEPA Class 13 filter, smart features and simplistic design, the Mi Air Purifier 3 comes with improvements that may be pretty useful for your home to enhance its air quality. So is it worth your money? Find out in our review.<br /><br /><strong><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Mi Air Purifier 3 Design" comment="subhead" text="Mi Air Purifier 3 Design"><span data-til="noop">Mi Air Purifier 3 Design</span></cmsannotation></strong><br /><br />From the first glance, the Mi Air Purifier 3 looks pretty simple. It is a rounded box, about 52 inches tall and 24 inches wide, along with a matte white finish. Its job isn’t to stand out in your home but to blend in, and that’s something that it manages to do pretty well. While other air purifiers tend to have grills either on the front or the back, the Mi Air Purifier 3 only has an array of perforations on three of its four sides. The rear has an easy-to-remove panel for accessing the filter assembly. The top of the purifier has a grill that acts as an outlet for purified air to come out of. Given my experience of changing air filters, the Mi Air Purifier 3 is actually one of the more accessible options out there. My only gripes in design would be the lack of any colour option other than white and no handle to carry it around. Because it’s mostly going to be sitting in one place circulating air, it is more prone to getting discoloured due to dust.<br />                  <div type="image" title="4" msid="88408974" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Mi Air Purifier 3 has a touch-sensitive OLED display that cuts out the clutter of buttons. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>To interact with the purifier, you wouldn’t find any physical buttons. Instead, a single touch-sensitive OLED panel clears out the clutter. I honestly prefer physical buttons in appliances, but the controls here were responsive and it also helps that it’s an air purifier at the end of the day so there isn’t much in terms of interacting, you can change the modes and that’s that. So it makes total sense to have touch controls.<br /><br />The display also gives you a glance at current AQI levels in the room, with a smaller row displaying the ambient temperature, humidity level, as well as selected mode.<br /><br />                  <div type="image" title="3" msid="88409003" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The latch at the rear of the Mi Air Purifier 3 offers easy access to its filter.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><strong><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Mi Air Purifier 3 Specifications" comment="subhead" text="Mi Air Purifier 3 Specifications"><span data-til="noop">Mi Air Purifier 3 Specifications</span></cmsannotation></strong><br /><br />Before we take a deeper dive into the performance of the Mi Air Purifier 3, I’d like to take a brief moment to simplify the technical mumbo-jumbo of its filter technology.<br /><br />The Mi Air Purifier 3 boasts a HEPA Class 13 filter instead of an EPA filter that was included with previous models. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air (filter) and, as you might have guessed it, when you remove the ‘high’ from this acronym, you get efficient particulate air (filter).<br /><br />The basic difference lies in the filtration efficiency – HEPA can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mould, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns. An EPA filter can capture 99% of particles that are 2 microns or larger.<br /><br />Does HEPA kill Coronavirus? Nope. But it does have an odour filter, that claims to capture foul-smelling particles in your room.<br /><br />Further, the spec sheet of the Mi Air Purifier 3 reads a CADR or clean air delivery rate of 380 cubic metres per hour, thanks to a centrifugal fan at the core of it. Simply put, the higher the CADR number, the quicker an air purifier can clear the air of a room. Further, it’s officially rated to provide a clean airflow for an area up to 484 sq. ft, so it’s alright for a medium-sized room.<br /><br />Another buzzword here is 360-degree coverage, which means it can purify the air from all directions. This is actually useful, as you can place this purifier anywhere in a room to get optimal results.<br /><br />                  <div type="image" title="5" msid="88409022" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The top of the Mi Air Purifier 3 is an outlet for purified air. It claims to offer 360-degree coverage.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />The Mi Air Purifier 3 can also be integrated into your smart home, as it can be paired with Xiaomi’s Mi Home app. It also has Google and Alexa integration.<br /><br /><strong><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Mi Air Purifier 3 Performance" comment="subhead" text="Mi Air Purifier 3 Performance"><span data-til="noop">Mi Air Purifier 3 Performance</span></cmsannotation></strong><br /><br />I’ve used the Mi Air Purifier for a little more than a week, and so far, dropping the ambient air quality from 250+ to a stable 60-70 PM2.5 mark took roughly around 48 minutes when the purifier was set at the auto setting.<br /><br />The readings were taken from the appliance’s sensor itself, as I did not have an independent air quality detector.<br /><br />This performance is acceptable, given my room opens towards an open space, but it does get kind of loud, especially during the first 15 or so minutes as it rigorously tries to clear the air. After that, it drops to a manageable decibel level that doesn’t bother you much. I’d recommend using the purifier much like an AC, keeping your door and windows closed while it's doing its job.<br /><br />While I didn’t expect it to eliminate really offensive odours, it did a fairly decent job of removing the characteristic chalky smell of Delhi’s pollution.<br /><br />The bundled app adds a layer of convenience, as you don’t have to physically change the settings of the purifier or keep it in your line of sight to check the AQI – it all can be done via your smartphone. Pairing it up with your smartphone is pretty painless, but connecting it to my Google Nest Hub required me to enable the Mi Home skill.<br /><br />One thing that I really, really liked about the smart features was the ability to add routines. So, I programmed it to turn itself off every time I stepped out of the house using a Google Home routine and it worked like a breeze.<br /><br /><strong><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Mi Air Purifier 3 Verdict" comment="subhead" text="Mi Air Purifier 3 Verdict"><span data-til="noop">Mi Air Purifier 3 Verdict</span></cmsannotation></strong><br /><br />Given the price tag of Rs 9,999, the Mi Air Purifier 3 is actually one of the more affordable products of the lot and offers a lot of value thanks to its smart home integration. It is easy to use, has an understated design and works reliably. Sure, it can’t stand up to the CADR of a more expensive air purifier, but it’s a great stepping stone for someone who’s starting to venture into this product category.<br /><br /><table class="redcator-table-advance" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px !important; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: none; max-width: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important; box-shadow: none; width: 451.276pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Merriweather; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong>Pros</strong><br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong>Cons</strong><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Minimalist design<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Available only in White<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Good value for money<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Can be loud when set at highest fan speed<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Smart features<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">No handles to carry it around</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">True HEPA Class 13 filter<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br /></td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/best-video-editing-apps-for-android/articleshow/88408681.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Best video editing apps for Android</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-starts-iphone-13-trial-production-in-india-production-to-begin-in-february/articleshow/88408049.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Apple expected to kick off iPhone 13 production in India starting February 2021 as trials begin</a><br /><meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Mi Air Purifier 3 Review - Clears the air sans the premium

<ul><li>The Dell Latitude 7320 is a portable 2-in-1 business laptop.</li><li>It provides easy access to IT thanks to vPro functionality.</li><li>Starting at ₹85,000, it can be set up in a variety of configurations according to an enterprise’s needs.</li></ul><br />What do you think of when you come across the word ‘business laptop’? A plain-Jane design, barely enough performance so that you can fill out your spreadsheets, right? Well, Dell is trying to add a bit of flair to this category of laptops with the Dell Latitude 7320. There are actually two variants in this line-up, the vanilla Latitude 7320 which is a 2-in-1 laptop capable of a full 360-degree split and the Latitude 7320 Detachable which comes with a detachable folio keyboard.<br /><br />I got to spend a couple of weeks with the former and I found it pretty refreshing, to say the least, and here’s how it fared in my review.<br /><br /><strong>Design &amp; I/O</strong><br /><br />  <div type="image" title="ports - cropped" msid="88126237" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Dell Latitude has a bunch of ports to offer, including a full-sized HDMI and two USB type-C ports.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><br />Let’s start with one of the things that I really came to like about the Dell Latitude 7320 — its design. It’s not too mundane like most business laptops in the wild nor is it trying too hard to impress with something gaudy. It has a minimalist yet timeless design.<br /><br />It’s crafted out of aluminium, which yields it a premium feel and its overall footprint is pretty portable. Although it’s marketed as a lightweight laptop, tipping the scales at 1.12kg, it feels a bit heavy in your lap because of how dense it is. But given all this, it still can be carried around easily in a backpack.<br /><br />Opening the lid is manageable with a single hand, and once you do that you are greeted with a 13-inch display, keyboard and trackpad. Thanks to the aluminium build, there’s very little flex on the keyboard deck as well as the lid.<br /><br />In terms of I/O options, on the right side of the laptop, you’ll find a microSD card reader, a USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-A port, an HDMI port, and the wedge lock slot. The left side features another Thunderbolt 4 port and a combo audio jack.<br /><br />This laptop only charges via Type-C and ports on both sides can be used — something that I find really practical. It usually sucks when the direction of your AC socket is opposite to that of your charging port, so the ability to charge your laptop via both sides is really convenient.<br /><br /><strong>Specifications and Pricing<br /></strong>Since this is a business laptop, it comes in a plethora of configurations to choose from. This is because employers buy such laptops in bulk, and configure them to their liking. But Dell says that in its top configuration, you can power it up with Intel’s vPro-enabled 11th-Generation i7-1185G7 processor paired with Iris X integrated Graphics, 32GB of LPDDR4X RAM and a terabyte of PCIe Gen 3 M.2 SSD. It is also TPM 2.0 compliant, so you may get support for Windows 11.<br /><br />The vPro badge basically means IT can have remote access to your laptop and can also provide timely updates tailored to your company’s needs.<br /><br />In terms of pricing, Dell says the bare basic version of Dell Latitude 7320 starts at Rs. 85,000 (exclusive of taxes) and then you can start building it up according to your enterprise’s needs.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="intel core i5 - cropped" msid="88126258" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Dell Latitude 7320 comes in a plethora of configurations but all of them feature Intel&amp;#39;s latest 11th-generation processors. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Having said that, my review unit came with an Intel i5-1135G7 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB PCIe NVMe Class 35 SSD. All this was backed by a 42WHr battery that was accompanied by a 65W charger.<br /><br /><strong>Hardware performance<br /></strong>The hardware was good enough to get through most of my casual work which mostly included some heavy Chrome browsing. Heavy spreadsheets along with some docs and CMS duties worked just fine -- both with and without the charger.<br /><br />This laptop also comes with Dell Optimizer pre-installed. Once I took out the time to set it up (and not treat it as yet another piece of bloat), I ended up liking it. For starters, it gave me access to ExpressConnect, which made sure I connected to the fastest access point available around me, something that I found really useful in the office. ExpressSign-in is another such feature that I found useful. It used the laptop’s proximity sensor enabled by Intel’s Context Sensing Technology to determine when to ask me for the four-digit pin to log in. It worked well in the day, but the night I could see it faltering. Then you also have ExpressResponse, which may be the most undervalued of all these. It lets you prioritise the apps you use the most so that you can open them faster.<br /><br />I didn’t expect much in terms of video editing or gaming, as my unit lacked standalone graphics and sufficient RAM, and I was mostly right. Adobe Premiere Pro was mostly unusable due to the stuttering and 13-inch screen size. The same is the case with gaming. F1 2020 was too slow to be played. But older titles, such as Age of Empires 2 and Stronghold Crusader HD from Steam worked fine. So if you’re a person who is into casual gaming, you may not mind it all that much.<br /><br /><strong>Display</strong><br />While we are on the topic of screen size, I think the 13-inch display of this laptop is actually pretty good at what it does. As the full HD resolution isn’t being stretched much, it looks crisp. I also like the colour saturation of the display— it’s vibrant and very much to my liking. The display also comes with ComfortView technology that claims reduces blue-light emissions, making sure your eyes aren’t stressed when you’re working for long hours.<br /><br />The display has a glossy finish, so reflections are going to be problematic if you’re planning to work outdoors or in a brightly lit room. But indoors, it’s pretty much manageable.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="glare - cropped" msid="88126275" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Dell Latitude 7320 comes with a 13-inch full HD touchscreen that is prone to catching fingerprints and reflections.  &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><br />The touchscreen performance was nothing to write home about. Sometimes it was pretty responsive to my inputs, sometimes it wasn’t. But swipe gestures were a bit difficult to execute precisely overall. The speakers, though downward-firing, sounded a little tiny to my liking and lacked thump. Further, the glossy nature of the display also makes it a fingerprint magnet, something that becomes more noticeable when you use it in tablet mode.<br /><br />It was nice, nevertheless, to have 2-in-1 functionality. I’m a bit of a loner and I liked having a big-ish display to accompany me in the kitchen (I don’t recommend you do this) as I watched the latest episode of Young Sheldon.<br /><br />The top of the display also houses a 720p webcam with a privacy slider. It doesn’t take up a lot of bezel real estate and is compatible with Windows Hello, which means you can unlock your laptop with it. The webcam quality is nothing extraordinary, but it’s not terrible either and you can totally use it to attend Zoom calls or Google Meets.<br /><br /><strong>Keyboard and trackpad<br /></strong>Given its small footprint, the Latitude 7320 has a surprisingly well-spaced keyboard. But that didn’t translate into a good typing experience. While I did like the size and travel of the keys, I didn’t like the feedback. I wasn’t quite sure about my inputs getting registered at times, which is a bummer for a work laptop. One thing I did like was the distinctive feel of the power button and how well it was integrated into the keyboard. I never pressed it by accident, and whenever I did press it, it felt purposeful and deliberate. The trackpad, though small, was pretty responsive and I had no issues with it.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="keyboard - cropped" msid="88126284" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Dell Latitude 7320&amp;#39;s keyboard is nice and spaced out, but has poor tactile feedback. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><br /><strong>Connectivity</strong><br />In terms of wireless connectivity, you have the latest WiFi 6 offering along with Bluetooth 5.1 across the lineup. Connecting to a network is quick and so are the data speeds. I also connected a pair of headphones and speakers wirelessly via Bluetooth, and the results were acceptable, offering about 7-8m of uninterrupted wireless connectivity.<br /><br /><strong>Battery</strong><br />Battery backup is pretty important for a business laptop like this and I was able to extract eight hours easily. This was achieved while browsing some Chrome, filling spreadsheets, playing videos and writing documents. Playing Age of Empires 2 for an hour, cut the backup by an hour and a half, which isn’t terrible by any measure.<br /><br /><strong>Verdict</strong><br />Given the great design, portability, build quality, crisp display and good battery life, the Dell Latitude 7320 makes for a good business laptop. The keyboard, though pretty well laid out, wasn’t very comfortable for my long fingers, but the typing experience may be slightly different for you. Given the vPro functionality, it can be a great choice for enterprises, but if you’re trying to buy something for yourself, there are better options available in the form of Dell Inspiron 15 and HP Envy x360 13 that are better specced for end consumers.<br /><br /><table style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px !important; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: none; max-width: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important; box-shadow: none; width: 468pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Merriweather; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; table-layout: fixed;" class="redcator-table-advance"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong>Pros</strong><br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong>Cons</strong><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Great design &amp; build quality<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Unpredictable keyboard feedback<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Crisp display<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Expensive for end consumers<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Good battery life<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">2-in-1 functionality<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 5pt; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1pt solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; list-style: none; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br /></td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table><meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Dell Latitude 7320 Review — A good-looking compact convertible let down by the keyboard

<ul><li>The Sony SRS-XG500 is a cylindrical speaker covered in a high-quality mesh fabric.</li><li>It packs two subwoofers, two passive radiators and two tweeters.</li><li>Priced at ₹32,990, it goes up against the JBL Boombox 2.</li></ul>Sony’s party speaker line-up is packed to the gills, boasting features ranging from crazy gesture controls to nightclub-style lighting. The latest addition to it is the SRS-XG500, which is a modern take on the traditional boombox.<br /><br />Powered by two subwoofers, two passive radiators and two tweeters, the SRS-XG500 seems to be tuned specifically for high-energy house parties that require a ton of bass. It goes up against the JBL Boombox 2 in terms of features, but is a little pricey, at ₹32,990. So what justifies the premium? Find out in this review.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Built like a tank" comment="subhead" text="Built like a tank"><span data-til="noop">Built like a tank</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />One of the biggest highlights of the SRS-XG500 is its design and build quality. It is a cylindrical speaker covered in a high-quality mesh fabric and reinforced with a sturdy matte finish plastic frame, it is built to last. The front of the speaker hosts a bunch of buttons that let you turn it on and off, toggle the Bluetooth pairing mode, skip, play and pause tracks and also enable the Mega Bass mode. That’s it, no digital display or any bells and whistles — just simple tactile buttons with great feedback that get the job done easily without thinking or looking twice. <br />                                <div type="image" title="3" msid="86009538" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The front of the speaker hosts a bunch of buttons that let you interact with it.&amp;lt;span class"><payload><![CDATA[The front of the speaker hosts a bunch of buttons that let you interact with your music.]]></payload></div><br />The speaker is IP66 certified, which ensures it’s dust and water-resistant. Additionally, it has a thick cover on the back to protect the buttons and connectivity ports — including two USB ports, an audio-in jack and a quarter-inch port. Here, you’ll also find the ‘Battery’ button at the back that summons the lady in the speaker to tell you how much battery percentage you have left, as well as the Party Connect button that lets you connect to other compatible Sony Speakers for a stereo experience. In the same enclosure, you’ll find the Guitar button that’ll let you mute or unmute the quarter-inch input and a Light button that’ll let you toggle the LED lights on or off.<br /><br />The two USB ports can charge devices but only one of them can actually connect to a storage device and play music. On the downside, it misses a USB Type-C port, which for me is a tradeoff as many smartphones these days ship with Type-C to Type-C or Type-C to Lightning cables, so it just makes sense.<br />                              <div type="image" title="4" msid="86009586" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The rear of the speaker hosts a ton of connectivity options but lacks a USB Type-C port.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Calling the speaker portable would be a stretch, as it weighs 5.5 kg; so heavy that you can easily do weights with it. To make things easier for you, it has a massive handle on the top that merges with the frame around the passive radiators. Honestly, it was because of this handle that I had the confidence to move the speaker around to different rooms in my house when I wanted to listen to music while doing chores. <br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Two apps, double the confusion" comment="subhead" text="Two apps, double the confusion"><span data-til="noop">Two apps, double the confusion</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />When you first connect to the speaker using an iOS device, you’ll be prompted to download the accompanying Sony Sound Centre app. The app lets you control various aspects of the speaker, including sound profile, music source, power options, lighting and mostly childish DJ effects, but the problem is it can get a little too overwhelming at times. I found myself using the app mostly to change the equaliser options, the source of the audio and sometimes to turn on the battery saver mode.<br /><br />Sony has its own profiles (Mega Bass and Live Sound) that can be used once you turn on the ClearAudio+ mode. You can also make your own adjustments to the EQ by selecting the custom option in the Sound Settings, but your scope is limited to only three broad frequencies of Bass, Middle and Treble. We recommend using the DJ effects (flanger and isolator) only when the party in the house reaches its peak — trying these among fully functioning people may get you the moniker of the most annoying person in your group. Just in case you want to take things up a notch, you can try the Fiestable app for even more DJ effects — yes, here you get the ability to control flanger and isolator effects using your phone’s motion sensor, which is honestly clumsier than a monkey riding a bike. The lighting effects in the app are fun, but since you’ll mostly be seeing the speaker straight up, the accents on the sides would barely ever be noticed by you. <br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="All about that bass" comment="subhead" text="All about that bass"><span data-til="noop">All about that bass</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />As I mentioned before, the SRS-XG500 packs great hardware — two subwoofers, two passive radiators and two tweeters, all of which produce good quality sound. In terms of codecs, it supports SBC, AAC and Sony’s own LDAC. <br /><br />I listened to a variety of songs on the speaker, from Bollywood bangers to high-energy EDM songs and even had a mini weekend party to get a sense of what it’s capable of.<br /><br />In its most ‘organic’ settings, with all the fancy equalisation turned off, it’s a very balanced and capable speaker. One thing I’ve observed with several speakers with passive radiators is that the high frequencies or the treble kind of get lost in the quest for bone-shaking bass. But that’s not the case here. The frequencies are separated very nicely and the bass doesn’t overpower the mids and the highs. The voice of an artist isn’t veiled by other sounds and more importantly, a lot of times you can figure out the way a certain song was intended to be heard by the music producer. <br />                              <div type="image" title="2" msid="86009613" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Two passive radiators can be found on the sides of the SRS-XG500 that are illuminated by LED accents.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />For instance, the ambient sounds of a street in Tom Misch’s rendition of Isn’t She Lovely were so well reproduced that I had to pause for a moment to appreciate it. This airy atmosphere is something that several Bluetooth speakers struggle to reproduce.<br /><br />Live performances too can be enjoyed very well with these. I tried out John Mayer’s magnum opus concert Where The Light Is Live at LA and it delivered. Since the concert has three different sets (acoustic, rock trio and a full orchestral band), I could put the speaker’s spatial resolution to its limits. Here, the SRS-XG500 did have its limitations as a standalone speaker, but it was able to give a good sense of which instrument was making what sound and from where. <br /><br />If you are hoping to get a good soundstage, you may have to pair this up with another compatible Sony speaker. <br /><br />But where this speaker really feels at home is playing upbeat, high tempo, bass-heavy music. Cranking that MegaBass mode on a club-banger does take the party to a different level. This is more pronounced at higher volumes, as the passive radiators can be unleashed then. <br /><br />I played a variety of songs in a mini house party by artists including (but not limited to) Doja Cat, Kanye West, Drake, BTS, Sean Paul, Lil Nas X, Diljit Dosanjh, Micky Singh, Guru Randhawa, Kid Laroi, Enrique and Pitbull, and it consistently delivered punchy audio. <br /><br />I also tried the guitar plugin feature while jamming to a track I made on GarageBand. The raw output of my electric guitar (without a guitar processor or interface) was a little too warm to my liking. Connecting my guitar processor helped a lot and I also liked the fact that there’s a separate knob for changing mic/guitar input volume. If you’re planning to connect a semi-acoustic guitar, make sure it has an equaliser on it. <br /><br />That being said, if you want to entertain yourself or your guests with your guitar chops or just by plugging in a microphone for a karaoke night, you’re going to have a lot of fun. <br />                            <div type="image" title="5" msid="86009626" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The speaker comes with a nifty little handle to carry it around. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />While all of this was mostly on Apple Music with the highest streaming settings, the speaker managed to perform well even on video streaming platforms such as YouTube. There’s a noticeable difference in sound quality, but that’s only because of the bitrate of the two services.<br /><br />Watching movies, TV shows or podcasts can be a bit tricky though, as the sound is too bassy, and it can quickly get a little distracting. I observed that the background score or laugh tracks often overpowered the vocals. In podcasts, the low end seeped into the speaker’s voice, making it a bit difficult to hear. For this, I recommend diving down into the sound settings of the app and turning down the Low frequency in the custom EQ. <br /><br />The best part is, there is no compromise on thump even at low volumes — that’s the sweet spot that you’d mostly be hitting while chilling by yourself or working from home. <br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Big on battery" comment="subhead" text="Big on battery"><span data-til="noop">Big on battery</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />The SRS-XG500’s bulky design helps it accommodate a large battery that has a claimed playtime of 30 hours (with MegaBass turned on and volume at 19%). It also ships with a proprietary fast charger that claims to provide 3 hours of playtime with just 10% of charge. These are impressive figures, and they somewhat hold up in real life as well. It managed to sustain my excitement (read abuse) of playing loud music at 60-80% volume for almost two and a half days. I also managed to fully charge my phone twice during this period. These are impressive figures. Charging the speaker entirely took about two and a half hours. If you aren’t planning on holding parties every day, you may want to keep this plugged in, and Sony did think about it. They have included a Battery Care feature in the Sound Centre app that doesn’t charge the speaker beyond 90% to save the battery in the long run. <br /><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><strong>Pros</strong><br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><strong>Cons</strong><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Window-rattling bass<br /><br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Accompanying apps can be too overwhelming<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Great design<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Heavy<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tons of battery life<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sound can be too warm for some people<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Easy to connect<br /><br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Not enough punch for outdoor situations<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Guitar/mic input with separate audio controls<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Water and dustproof<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><br /></td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table><br />You can’t go wrong with this speaker if you’re somebody who likes hosting small house parties. It packs quite a punch, along with great connectivity options and an everlasting battery. The IP66 certification is a great peace of mind feature, as parties do tend to get messy more often than not. And even if you aren’t a party person, the ability to carry around a powerful Bluetooth speaker around the house is a great thing to have. Yes, a Type-C port is sorely needed, so is a lower price tag, but hearing your windows rattle on a party night may help justify it.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/jio-and-googles-low-cost-smartphone-check-out-expected-price-camera-display-ram-and-battery-specifications/slidelist/85974170.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">JioPhone Next — All we know about Jio and Google’s low-cost smartphone</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/bad-news-for-gamers-gpu-prices-are-increasing-once-again-this-time-because-of-ethereum/articleshow/85968902.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Bad news for gamers – GPU prices are increasing once again, this time because of Ethereum</a><br /><br /><meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Shubham Raheja

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