While Xbox has its Insiders program, Sony fans aren’t left out of the new feature testing thanks to the PS5 Beta program. Much like Xbox Insiders, members of the PS5 Beta get to experience the latest features before anyone else and provide valuable feedback.
Sony generally pushes out fewer builds than you would find on Xbox, but they’re more substantial. The July PS5 Beta, for example, came with 1440p display output support, new UI elements, audio features, and much more. So it’s worth the effort if you’re OK running unfinished software on your console.
But who can sign up? And how do you do it?
Who can sign up for the PS5 Beta program?
The simple answer is that anyone is eligible for the PS5 Beta program with a few caveats. The biggest is location. You have to be in the U.S., Canada, Japan, the UK, Germany, or France to enroll. Other than that, you have to meet the following criteria:
You must be aged 18 years or older.
You must have a valid PSN account in good standing with a current email address.
You’re also expected to agree to provide feedback to Sony in the manner they request. It sounds a lot but it doesn’t take up much of your time and it’s important. Feedback is what helps make the PS5 experience better for everyone.
Guest accounts, child accounts, and offline accounts are not eligible.
How to join the PS5 Beta program
If you’re eager to participate, signing up is really straightforward. Simply go to the PS5 Program Beta website and click Register now. You’ll be asked to log in with your PSN account. And that’s it. From there it’s time to play the waiting game.
It’s also worth highlighting that signing up for the PS5 Beta program doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll gain access. If selected you’ll be notified by email with your invitation to join. Your access to the PS5 Beta is linked to your PSN account, so there’s no way to trick your console into access. You just have to be patient and hope.
If you’re lucky enough to be selected when the email comes through all you have to do is follow the steps as detailed and you’ll be able to download the latest version onto your console. You should receive a code to redeem on your PS5 console which will unlock access.
From there you’ll navigate into the update settings on the console in order to download the software:
Open Settings.
Select System.
Select System Software >System Software Update and Settings.
You should see an option for Update System Software (beta).
You’ll only see the final option if you have successfully been accepted into the program and access has been redeemed on your console. As newer updates of the PS5 Beta release, you’ll see a notification next to Update System Software (beta) to download and install rather than the regular system update area.
Also, if you have previously been enrolled in the PS5 Beta, you don’t need to sign-up again. Simply check your inbox for a new code to download the latest build. Non-publicly disclosed parts of the PS5 Beta are under NDA, so be careful what you share online.
The PS5 is still hard to get hold of but it's undeniably one of the best ways to game right now. Sony's library continues to impress and has some big hitters on the way.
The Redmi K50i is the latest phone in the K-series that’s titanically popular in India and beyond. This particular smartphone is a spiritual successor to the Redmi K20 Pro that debuted back in 2019. As is tradition for the K-series phones, the new Redmi K50i brings some powerful internals at an affordable price. There’s a lot to like about the Redmi K50i but its performance is the main attraction here and the phone cuts through tasks like a hot knife through butter.
The 6.6-inch 144Hz FFS LCD with a 270Hz touch sampling rate coupled with the octa-core Dimensity 8100 chipset makes the Redmi K50i a fantastic smartphone for gaming. It’s been fast and reliable with everything I’ve thrown at it, so I have no complaints with the general performance of this phone outside gaming too. The Redmi K50i also packs a massive 5080mAh battery which also charges fairly quickly thanks to the 67W charger that’s bundled with the phone. The Redmi K50i isn’t competing with high-end competitors to get everything right. Instead, it follows the basic ‘Redmi’ formula of offering a good set of specs at a low price for the masses.
If that sounds like something you’re interested in buying then I’ve got a lot more details about the phone in this Redmi K50i Review. Read on to find out if it’s worth picking up for you in 2022.
The Redmi K50i offers an incredible value for money with its stellar performance, a fast 144Hz LCD panel, and a long-lasting battery. Some other noteworthy features of the phone include a 3.5mm headphone jack and an IR blaster. You can check some other alternatives out there, but we think nothing comes close to matching the general performance of the Redmi K50i, at least in this price range.
The Redmi K50i starts at ₹25,999 (~$325) for the base variant in India.
You can buy it in Phantom Blue, Quick Silver, or Stealth Black colorways.
It’s no secret that Xiaomi rebrands a lot of its smartphones with a different marketing name for different regions. Similarly, the Redmi K50i is a rebranded Redmi Note 11T Pro, featuring the same hardware. It’s indistinguishable from the Chinese model as Xiaomi hasn’t made any changes to its design either. The same phone is also being sold as the Poco X4 GT internationally, so it’s making rounds around the world with a different name. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s something you should be aware of in case you’re planning to buy this phone.
The Redmi K50i is a rebranded Redmi Note 11T Pro, which is also sold as the POCO X4 GT globally.
As for the pricing, the Redmi K50i starts at ₹25,999 (~$325) for the variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage in India. The 8GB+256GB model will cost you ₹28,999 (~$363). The phone has gone on sale starting July 23 and you can buy it in either Phantom Blue, Quick Silver, or Stealth Black colorways.
Redmi K50i Review: Specifications
Let’s take a quick look at the specifications to find out what the Redmi K50i brings to the table:
About this Review: Xiaomi India sent us the Redmi K50i unit in Quick Silver colorway for testing. This review was written after spending about a week with the device. Xiaomi had no input in this review.
Redmi K50i Review: Design and Display
The Redmi K50i is entirely made of plastic, but it has Gorilla Glass 5 on the front.
It comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack and an IR blaster on the top.
The Redmi series has established its own design language, so the Redmi K50i brings a very familiar design to the market. The handset has a boxy design and is entirely made of plastic. The back panel mimics the look of frosted glass and it seems to repel smudges and fingerprints. The Quick Silver variant which I’ve been using for the last few days, however, has developed a weird-looking spot at the back. It looks more prominent in the photos, and I can’t seem to get rid of it. This issue could be exclusive to my unit, but it’s worth making a note of. The back is almost completely flat but the camera island sticks out quite a bit, and the lenses protrude even further. This makes the device wobble when placed on a flat surface.
The right side of the phone has a volume rocker and a power button which doubles up as a rather reliable side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The USB-C port is at the bottom and it’s flanked by the SIM card tray and speaker grille on both sides. The top also has a bunch of grills which serve as an echo chamber for the left channel speaker. But it’s the 3.5mm headphone jack and the IR blaster that grabs the attention on the top as both of these are rarely seen on any smartphone these days.
Overall, the Redmi K50i is a fairly decent-looking phone. It’s not winning any awards with its muted design, especially when you compare it with the K20 series’ scintillating design with a gradient finish. The Redmi K50i is also not as thin or light as it appears in the press renders and images. It’s 8.87mm thick and weighs 200g, so it is a sizable phone to carry around. It comes with IP53 certification, so it should hold up pretty well against dust and occasional water sprays.
The screen is a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD panel with a slight chin at the bottom and a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera on the top. Not that LCD panels are bad by any means, but Xiaomi made it a point to emphasize the fact that the Redmi K50i sports a fringe-field switching (FFS) LCD which offers many benefits including low operating voltage, wide-viewing angle, and fast response times compared to other LCD types. In real life, the FFS LCD looks similar to the standard LCD panels used on many phones these days. You’re not going to see impressive contrast ratios or inky blacks as you would on an OLED panel, but there’s still a lot to like.
Redmi K50i's display boasts a rather exhaustive list of features
The lack of an OLED panel isn’t necessarily a pain point here because the Redmi K50i’s display boasts a rather exhaustive list of features including a 144Hz refresh rate, 270Hz touch sampling rate, support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and more. Notably, you also get 7-stage AdaptiveSync technology with which the display can dynamically switch the refresh rate between 30Hz, 48Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz based on the content. The software offers two different settings to control the refresh rate — a default setting to adjust the refresh rate dynamically based on what’s being viewed on the screen, and a custom setting that lets you choose between 60Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz.
The Redmi K50i has a good display overall but I just wish it was a little brighter. With 500 nits of peak brightness, it doesn’t get nearly as bright as some other phones out there, making it less visible outdoors, especially under direct sunlight. The phone also doesn’t support HDR playback from popular OTT platforms like Netflix too, so keep that in mind.
Redmi K50i Review: Performance and software
The Redmi K50i is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset and it comes with LPDD5 memory and UFS 3.1 storage.
This is the best-performing phone in this price range with barely any competitors in sight.
The Redmi K50i is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 8100 chipset, and I have absolutely no complaints about its performance. The base variant of this phone comes with 6GB of LPDDR5 memory and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, but you can also splurge more to get the variant with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. The Dimensity 8100 is a reliable chipset that’s running the show behind the scenes for many devices, and the Redmi K50i takes full advantage of the CPU chops to become one of the fastest phones in its segment.
One of the best things about the Redmi K50i is that it doesn’t heat up even under sustained load thanks to the Liquidcool 2.0 technology. And because of this, the Redmi K50i performs admirably well to score good numbers in benchmarks and also delivers a fantastic gaming experience. It maintains 87% of its peak performance in the CPU throttle test and was also able to finish 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme stress test without getting unbearably hot as some other phones do. Here’s a quick look at some benchmark numbers for those who care about a phone’s performance across benchmarking apps:
All your day-to-day apps run extremely smoothly on this phone. You can expect to see snappy animations and buttery smooth scrolling which isn’t exactly commonplace in the budget category. You can thank the hardware — and likely software too — for delivering a lightning-fast performance for all your day-to-day activities.
Gaming on the Redmi K50i is also a treat thanks to the reliable performance and 144Hz display. The device is powerful enough to run even the most demanding titles at competent graphics settings with high frame rates on the board. Popular mobile games like Battlegrounds Mobile India (Indian version of PUBG Mobile) and Apex Legends Mobile can run at max graphics settings without a hitch. I also tried a bunch of games that support a 144Hz refresh rate, and it was a smooth experience through and through. Games like Dead Trigger 2, Alto’s Adventure, and Real Racing 3 run smoothly at 144Hz, and the Redmi K50i continues to run them smoothly over an extended period.
The Redmi K50i is powerful enough to run even the most demanding titles at competent graphics settings with high frame rates.
We would like to give special thanks to the team at GameBench for the tool they provided us. Their tool makes it possible for any person, whether it be a regular user, journalist, or engineer, to test a mobile game’s performance on an Android device. Check out GameBench to learn more.
As for the software, the Redmi K50i runs MIUI 13 out of the box. It’s based on Android 12 and offers a plethora of customization options. Xiaomi’s MIUI has evolved a lot over the years and it also offers some under-the-hood improvements now such as better CPU utilization, better RAM management, and more. I am not a huge fan of heavy custom skins on top of Android, but MIUI is very easy to get used to. Some features like the split between notifications shade and control center are a bit niche, but it’s a very welcoming UI otherwise. You get a bunch of pre-installed applications out of the box, but most of them can be uninstalled and they don’t hinder the performance of the phone whatsoever.
Cameras
The Redmi K50i sports a triple camera setup at the back which includes a 64MP Samsung GW1 primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro shooter.
The phone captures decent photos during the day but starts to struggle with low-light photos and videos.
The Redmi K50i sports a triple camera setup at the back which includes a 64MP Samsung GW1 primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro shooter. Again, the Redmi K50i isn’t competing with high-end competitors, so I suggest you keep your expectations in check. I was able to capture a bunch of photos in both daytime and low-light conditions, and the results are broadly satisfying. The images, as you can see below, look sharp and have a good amount of detail provided there’s enough light in the scene.
Both the exposure and dynamic range were on point across all the daytime samples I captured with the phone. The primary sensor was also quick to focus, meaning you can rely on the Redmi K50i to capture some moving subjects. The ultra-wide images didn’t turn out as sharp as I’d like, but the overall image still looked pretty good. The secondary sensor offers a nice 120-degree FoV to capture more of the scene, so it’s nice to get a different perspective. Keep in mind that the Redmi K50i doesn’t have a telephoto camera, which means you’ll have to rely on digital zoom as opposed to optical. However, you do get a 2MP macro sensor, which works as advertised to get a quick close-up shot of a subject.
Low-light photos from the primary sensor are decent at best. The images aren’t too bad but I noticed that the phone overexposed many of the shots captured in low light. And the phone’s built-in night mode also does very little to add more details to the images. Both the ultra-wide and the macro camera also struggle to capture good-looking photos in low light, so keep that in mind.
The Redmi K50i packs a 16MP selfie camera that sits on the punch-hole cutout on the front. The selfies will turn out sharp with enough details on the subject’s face. You also get to see natural-looking skin tones, which is always a good sign. Here’s a quick look at some camera samples I was able to capture using the Redmi K50i during my time with the device.
The Redmi K50i can capture 4K videos at 30FPS using the rear camera setup. You’ll have to switch to 1080p resolution to record 60FPS footage.
Redmi K50i Review: Battery Life and Charging
The Redmi K50i’s 5,080mAh battery will keep the lights on for at least a day and a half with moderate usage.
The phone also comes with a fast-charger in the box that can quickly top up the phone.
The Redmi K50i packs a 5,080mAh battery inside which is bigger than what you get with a lot of smartphones these days. This massive battery adds to the overall thickness and the weight of the phone, but it offers reliable battery backup. The battery life was solid, lasting me about a day and a half with what I’d describe as moderate usage. If you only use your phone for basic activities like scrolling through social media apps, taking a bunch of phone calls, and watching some videos on YouTube or Instagram, then you should be able to get a similar battery backup.
On the days with heavier usage, especially when I played a bunch of games, ran benchmarking apps, and shot a lot of camera samples for the review, the phone would still comfortably last me through the day with more than 5 hours of screen on time.
Redmi also bundles a 67W charging brick with the phone which I’d say is very quick to charge the device. If you ever run out of battery during the day, then you can get up to a 50-percent charge in just 30 minutes. The phone doesn’t support wireless charging, but that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker in this price range.
Should you buy the Redmi K50i?
For a starting price of ₹25,999 in India, the Redmi K50i delivers an excellent budget Android phone experience. You get a zippy 144Hz FFS LCD panel, a MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset with reliable performance, a long-lasting battery with a fast charger inside the box, and more. Xiaomi has made some sensible sacrifices, so you don’t get all the bells and whistles. But there’s no denying that the Redmi K50i offers the best value for money. It’s perfect for those who are looking to buy a reliable device to get features and performance that — in many ways — is similar to many other upper mid-rangers or flagships too. You also get 5G support, which you’d need if you’re planning on keeping the phone for a few years.
The Redmi K50i delivers an excellent budget Android phone experience.
You should buy the Redmi K50i if:
You’re looking to buy an affordable smartphone and don’t want to compromise on performance.
You want to play mobile games at high frame rates.
You want a phone with a long-lasting battery and fast charging support.
You shouldn’t buy the Redmi K50i if:
You want a phone with an OLED display. The Redmi K50i comes with an FFS LCD panel which looks exactly the same as any other LCD type in the real world.
You want your phone to stand out from the others with its design. The Redmi K50i follows the same language as many other Redmi phones and has a fairly muted design, unlike the Redmi K20 Pro that came out in 2019.
You want a phone with a close-to-stock Android experience.
The Redmi K50i is arguably the best phone out there if you want the absolute best performance in this price range. But the Redmi K50i isn’t competing with the big players, and it’s not without its flaws. If you’re looking for some alternatives in India, then you can look at other options including the Moto Edge 30 with a Snapdragon 778G+ 5G or the Mi 11i Hypercharge. The POCO F4 is also a great alternative to consider for ₹27,999 if you can find it in stock.
The Redmi K50i offers an incredible value for money with its stellar performance, a fast 144Hz LCD panel, and a long-lasting battery. Some other noteworthy features of the phone include a 3.5mm headphone jack and an IR blaster. You can check some other alternatives out there, but we think nothing comes close to matching the general performance of the Redmi K50i, at least in this price range.
Google’s new Pixel 6a smartphone is now official and it enters the Pixel 6 lineup as an affordable option. Unsurprisingly, this new smartphone borrows many of the same design features from the more expensive flagships, the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. It features the same camera visor that looks like the visor on Thomas Bangalter’s Daft Punk helmet. You also get a two-tone color scheme, which is another thing that we’ve come to love about the Pixel phones over the years. Google is also offering the Pixel 6a in a few fun color options, so let’s take a look at them. Here’s a list of all the available Google Pixel 6a colors to make it easier for you to decide.
Google Pixel 6a: Colors
Google Pixel 6a colors from left to right: Sage, Chalk, and Charcoal
The Google Pixel 6a is now available to purchase in three different colors — Sage, Chalk, and Charcoal. All three colors, as you can see have a black-colored camera visor towards the top that houses the camera sensors. It’s safe to say that all these colors look very similar to existing Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro colors, except in slightly different hues. The “Sage” colorway looks very similar to Pixel 6’s “Sorta Seaform” color. The “Charcoal” variant looks like the “Stormy Black” Pixel 6, while the “Chalk” variant looks similar to the Pixel 6 Pro’s “Cloudy White” colorway, albeit a in lighter shade. It’s also worth pointing out that Google is offering translucent cases in ‘Charcoal’ and ‘Seaform’ colorways too.
We like how Google has decided to stick to its bold design language for these Pixel phones. Even the upcoming Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have a very similar design, with some minor changes. These new Pixel phones definitely stand out from the crowd. There’s a lot to like about the Pixel 6a, especially considering its affordable price tag in the US. You can read our Pixel 6a review to learn more about this phone before making a purchase decision. We’re adding separate links for each Pixel 6a color below, so visit them to see if your favorite color is available in stock.
The Pixel 6a in charcoal looks the most elegant out of all the available options. Pair it with Google's translucent case in Charcoal color and you're good to go.
You can't go wrong with white-colored smartphones as they make the phone stand out in the sea of phones in darker shades. The contrasting black-colored camera bar looks great on this one.
Sage is the most fun color for the Pixel 6a as it looks different from a lot of other green-colored smartphones that have come out this year. You can pair it with Google's official Seaform translucent case too.
Out of all the available colors, we think the new Sage colorway for the Pixel 6a looks the best. We’ve started seeing a lot of green-colored phones on the market but this one stands out with its lighter shade and dual-tone finish. So which color of the Pixel 6a do you like the most and which one are you planning to buy for yourself? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below.
Twitter Blue brought new features to Twitter that were meant to enhance the user experience. Upon launch, the service was priced at $2.99 and offered a decent amount of incentives. But after a little over a year, it looks like prices will now be going up.
Matt Navarra, a Twitter Blue user, shared an email explaining that prices for the service will be going up immediately. The price will remain the same for those currently enrolled in Twitter Blue until October 2022. After that, the monthly price will increase by two dollars; while all new enrollments will see the new and higher pricing. Twitter will reach out one more time to current subscribers before the price hike. This should give users plenty of time to decide whether they want to continue the service. Unfortunately, increased prices for products and services are nothing new, with the trend likely to continue as the world recovers from the pandemic.
According to Twitter, Twitter Blue offers a next-level experience. The service features ad-free articles, a bookmark folder, custom app icons, themes, an undo tweet function, and more. Blue subscribers also gain early access to features that are still being tested. While these features will change over time, as of July 2022, the features include longer and higher resolution video uploads and NFT profile pictures. If this doesn’t like many valuable features, you aren’t alone.
Twitter does state in the email that the price increase will help it build out some of the features that users have been asking for. While it doesn’t detail what exactly is in the pipeline, this could finally mean that Twitter could get an edit button. But we won’t hold our breath. The email was sent out later in the day, so there could be many fresh opinions and reactions when people wake up and see this in the morning.
As laptops get thinner and lighter, one of the big sacrifices that’s often made is in the ports. Many premium laptops nowadays only include USB-C ports and not much more than that. While we agree that USB-C is the future, relying on USB Type, HDMI, Ethernet, and others is still a reality for many of us. That’s where USB-C hubs come into the frame, and we’ve rounded up the best ones to help you out.
USB hubs bring back some or all of the missing ports and allow you to connect a multitude of devices to your laptop. They give you back the versatility some laptops may be lacking, but they allow you to still travel light if you don’t need all those extra ports. If you want even more connectivity, you may also want to consider the best Thunderbolt docks you can buy right now. Those offer even higher speeds, but not every USB-C port supports Thunderbolt. The ones on this list will work with just about any laptop.
Satechi’s multi-port is a great USB Type-C hub that packs a number of ports and slots. It's made of aluminum, giving it a premium feel. You get microSD and SD card slots, three USB Type-A ports (capable of 5Gbps transfers), an HDMI port (supports 4K at 60Hz), Ethernet port, and a Type-C for power delivery.
If you don’t need all the ports present in Satechi’s other USB hub, this hub can probably entice you. The slim USB hub from Satechi is also made of aluminum, and comes with two Type-A ports, one Type-C port for power delivery, and one HDMI port.
Having a bunch of ports is important, but so is style, and the Hiearcool USB-C hub gives you seven ports including a couple of USB Type-A ports, USB-C power delivery, HDMI, and more. It comes in a few colors to choose from, so you can get something that looks a bit more unique.
TheAnker PowerExpand USB-C Hub features a number of useful ports, including USB-C power delivery, two USB Type-A ports, a headphone jack, and even RJ45 Ethernet for wired internet access. It's got a fairly unique design compared to most other hubs, and it has a nice nylon cable built in so it feels really well built.
If you're planning to connect multiple displays to your laptop, this aluminum Totu Hub can be very useful. It packs two HDMI ports and a VGA port. The HDMI ports support up to 4K 30Hz output, whereas VGA supports up to 1080p. You can also get three USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an SD card slot, a microSD card slot, and a Type-C port for PD.
If you're looking for a decent Type-C hub with multiple ports and an affordable price-tag, this Anker hub is your friend. It has a good selection of ports and slots, like two Type-A 3.0 ports, a Type-C port for data transfer, a Type-C port for power delivery (up to 85W), an HDMI port, microSD card slot, and a SD card slot.
With all the ports you could ever want, this Baseus USB-C hub is one of the best option to have at your desk. It has 17 ports, including three HDMI ports, five USB-A ports, three USB-C ports (one for power delivery), and Ethernet.
This Plugable dock is special because it supports three 4K displays at 60Hz, even on Apple M1 and M2 Macs. Plus, it has a ton of other ports, including power delivery to your phone and laptop, Ethernet, and more.
This compact Cable Matters USB C Hub comes with five ports to cover most basic needs, including a Type-C port for power delivery (up to 60W). The other four ports include Ethernet, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, and HDMI with support for a 4K display at 60Hz.
This compact hub from Microsoft carries the modern disng language of the Surface line and gives you a solid supply of ports. It includes USB Type-C, USB Type-A, HDMI, VGA, and gigabit Ethernet. However, it doesn't support passthrough charging.
Packing a total of 11 ports, the Anker PowerExpand+ is a very versatile hub. It includes HDMI, DisplayPort, three USB Type-A ports, two USB-C (one for 85W charging), a headphone jack, and SD and microSD card readers. It even has RJ45 Ethernet if want wired internet access.
This Mokin USB-C hub is extra compact and affordable, but it doesn't miss out on ports. You get one USB Type-C port for power delivery, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, and microSD and SD card readers. It's very compact and affordable, so it's a no-brainer.
This Belkin offering is similar to a lot of other USB Type-C hubs in this list, but Belkin is a reliable brand you may prefer. It packs two USB Type-A ports with up to 5Gbps data transfer speeds, an audio jack, HDMI port, Type-C port capable of delivering 85W power, and card slots.
If you don’t want to spend too much on a USB-C hub and you only want USB ports, Targus may have something for you. This super affordable USB Type-C hub packs three Type-A ports as well as a Type-C port for up to 100W power delivery.
The Anker PowerExpand USB-C Hub is one of the most compact multi-port hubs around. Despite its slim form factor, it packs two USB Type-A ports, Ethernet, HDMI, and two Type-C ports. One of the Type-C ports is meant for power delivery up to 65W.
And those are what we’d consider the best options for USB-C hubs right now. As you can see, there’s plenty of choice with different designs, features, and price points. Anker particularly has some great hubs, with the PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB C hub being a good option on the affordable side and the Anker 565 packing a large selection of ports. If you want to organize your desk setup, the Plugable USB-C Triple 4K Display Docking Station is probably the best option you can find.
The Asus Zenfone line of smartphones is the company’s “normal” flagship that it releases every year. It pivoted towards releasing a smaller flagship when it came to the Zenfone 8, and this time around it’s done the same thing. The Asus Zenfone 9 is a compact 5.9-inch flagship smartphone with a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 in tow. It being small isn’t the only trick that it has up its sleeve, though.
The Asus Zenfone 9 packs an improved primary sensor supported by a miniature gimbal stabilization system, a lightweight chassis thanks to the materials used in its production, and a fingerprint sensor inside of the power button that also doubles up as a gesture key. Asus went all out on its latest Zenfone, and from the specification sheet alone, you can tell.
If none of that is enough to convince you, this is very likely to be the first smartphone with the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 to arrive in the United States, and it debuts at $699. If you weren’t interested before, maybe you are now.
Asus Zenfone 9: Specifications
Specification
Asus Zenfone 9
Build
IP68 dust and water resistance
Polycarbonate back
Gorilla Glass Victus front
Dimensions & Weight
146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1 mm
169g
Display
5.9-inch Samsung AMOLED
120Hz
1080 x 2400
800 nits peak brightness
SoC
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
RAM & Storage
8GB LPDDR5 RAM + 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
8GB + 256GB
16GB + 256GB
Battery & Charging
4,300mAh
30W wired fast charging support
Security
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera(s)
Primary: 50MP Sony IMX766, f/1.9, supported by gimbal system
Ultra-wide: 12MP IMX363, f/2.2
Front Camera(s)
12MP IMX663
Port(s)
USB Type-C
Audio
Stereo speakers
Connectivity
Dual 5G
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.2
BLE Audio support
Snapdragon sound support
AAC/LDAC/LHDC/aptX Adaptive
Multi-functional NFC
Software
ZenUI based on Android 12
Other Features
Headphone jack
30W charger included
Design
Previous Asus Zenfone devices have featured pretty boring designs, not exactly deviating far from the norm. The Zenfone 9 shakes things up a little bit, arriving with a more unique design. The back is made of polycarbonate plastic with a soft touch feel, and it’s a boxier design more akin to an iPhone. It still has chamfered edges to make it comfortable to hold in the hand, but it’s definitely not rounded like most other phones are. Even still, there’s a camera bump as well — a pretty sizeable one at that.
On the front, the 5.9-inch Gorilla Gliss Victus display is unimpeded aside from a punch-hole camera on the top left. The bezels aren’t quite symmetrical the entire way around and there’s a bit of a chin, but it’s nothing that I’d consider to be unsightly or weird. The phone’s headphone jack is located at the top, and there are a pair of speakers at both the top and the bottom. Finally, there’s IP68 dust and water resistance so you know your phone can withstand a splash or two.
Cameras
The Asus Zenfone 9 doesn’t go all out on the number of cameras that it includes, but it does have two fairly decent specced cameras. The first is the big one: an IMX766 sensor supported by gimbal stabilization and capable of snapping up to 50MP shots. It’s a big improvement over the company’s previous camera hardware, and the gimbal can stabilize on both the x and y axes and on the z-axis, adjusting for yaw. The ultra-wide camera isn’t too much to write home about, as it’s just a 12MP IMX363 shooter.
It’s capable of recording at 8K 24 FPS with OIS and EIS enabled, can take macro shots at up four centimeters, and the wide-angle camera has a field of view of 113°. HyperSteady uses the wider view camera to help analyze the situation and stabilize further, and this is only available when recording in 1080p.
Performance
The Asus Zenfone 9 goes all-out on specifications, particularly for a small smartphone. Typically we’d expect smaller phones to cut back on some hardware features, but this phone has all of the flagship basics. A high-refresh-rate full HD display? Check. High-speed RAM and storage? Check. The latest and greatest Qualcomm chipset? Check. If you’re unconvinced, it even has a headphone jack!
To actually hone in some of the specifics, this phone packs an AMOLED full HD 120Hz panel and up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The screen also has a default max brightness of 800 nits, with a high-brightness mode capable of 1100 nits.
If you’re worried about the battery size which may seem small coming in at 4,300 mAh, keep in mind that due to the phone’s size, the smaller display consumes less power. As we’ve also noted, the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 uses less energy anyway, so it’s entirely possible that this size battery is completely fine. The phone can also charge up at 30W.
Software
On the software front, the Asus Zenfone 9 runs ZenUI. It’s Asus’ own Android variant that remains pretty close to stock Android in a lot of ways, surfacing useful features and adding a little bit more on top. It’s teeming with cool things you can try out, with one example being ZenTouch. ZenTouch turns the fingerprint sensor in the power button into a gesture control slider, and you can assign actions to it from your phone’s settings.
The Asus Zenfone 9 will have two years of major updates, and two years of security patches.
Pricing & Availability
The Asus Zenfone 9 will launch in Europe, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, North America, Indonesia, and parts of South America.
In the U.S., the Asus Zenfone 9 has a price of $699 for the base 8GB/128GB model, and in Europe, it will start at €799.
8GB + 128GB storage, $699/€799
8GB + 256GB storage, unknown
16GB + 256GB storage, unknown
Pre-orders are available today outside of the U.S. from Asus’ website.
When Apple develops some of its products, it sometimes pretends that no other devices exist outside its walled garden. For example, the company never supported Bluetooth file sharing between iOS and Android — even when the technology was still popular and actively depended on. That’s because it has its own proprietary AirDrop feature, which works on its devices only. Another example is AirPods. While you can use AirPods for basic listening on an Android device, you still miss out on a lot of privileges that are exclusive to newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs. These include checking the individual battery percentages of each earbud and the case, remapping the playback controls, etc. CAPod is a free companion app for AirPods users on Android. While it doesn’t support all of iOS’ features, it still bridges part of the gap on Android.
CAPod has been around for several months, but it’s now available as an open-source app on GitHub. Considering Apple doesn’t provide Android users with a companion app for AirPods, CAPod can act as a decent alternative for those unsatisfied with the default offerings.
What does CAPod do?
The Android app scans your surrounding for compatible AirPods and Beats models. It then reveals a card that shows how strong the signal is and the listening device’s state. You get to view the battery percentage of each earbud and the case, whether an earbud is in your ear or in the case, if you’re playing audio or not, which earbud is acting as the microphone, etc.
Perhaps one of the most useful aspects of this AirPods companion app for Android is the battery levels. By default, Android OS doesn’t break down the individual percentages of each earbud and the case. Through this application, you get a better idea of how much power each of these tiny devices are packing. Though, you still miss out on remapping capabilities, Siri support, Personalized Spatial Audio, and more.
