Technology companies such as Valve, Samsung, Asus, and Anker among others, launched a gaming console, affordable laptops, refrigerator, vacuum cleaner, phone, and more this week (July 12-18).
DH's Gadgets Weekly edition lists the latest prominent personal technology products to keep you abreast of everything that's happening in the world of consumer electronics.
Valve's Steam Deck
Out of the blue, Valve Corp on Thursday unveiled the company's first-ever hand-held gaming console Steam Deck, which competes directly with the popular Nintendo Switch series.
The new Steam Deck sports wide 7.0-inch HD+ (1,280x800p) LCD panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It supports up to 60Hz display refresh rate, and offers close to 400 nits of peak brightness.
Yes, the screen is touch-sensitive and also comes with an ambient light sensor, stereo speakers and a dual microphone array.
Inside, it houses AMD's custom APU, optimized for handheld gaming. The APU's power ranges from 4W to 15W, which promises to deliver more than enough performance to run the latest AAA games very efficiently.
It has an AMD Zen 2 architecture-based 8-thread quad-core CPU, which can clock speed in the range of 2.4GHz and 3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32). Its GPU comes with 8 RDNA 2 Compute Units (CUs) that range from 1.0GHz to 1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32). It features 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM (5500 MT/s) and the company is offering the Steam Deck in three storages-- 64GB eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1), 256GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4) and 512GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4). All three support microSD card slots and users can use SD, SDXC, and SDHC standard memory cards.
Valve's gaming console runs Arch Linux-based SteamOS 3.0 and users can install games in addition to install and use PC software. Users can browse the web, watch streaming videos, do the normal productivity stuff, install some other game stores.
It comes packed with a 40Whr battery and depending on the type of the game, it promises to deliver seven to eight hours of gameplay. The USB Type-C port supports 45W charging and also be used to connect to the PC, monitor, or TV too. Additionally, it also supports Dock to connect with HDMI or DisplayPort to an external display (price will be revealed ahead of the Christmas release).
As far as the controls are concerned, it features a standard D-Pad, two full-size analog sticks with capacitive touch one on each side, A B X Y buttons on the right, bumpers, triggers, two trackpads, and also comes with a built-in gyro (6-Axis IMU) sensor.
And on the back, it features four additional buttons that can be utilised to assign new controls during game playing. The Steam Deck can also be connected to wired/wireless peripherals including keyboards, mouse, and PC too. It supports 3.5mm stereo headphone / headset jack, Bluetooth 5.0 (support for controllers, accessories and audio), and Wi-Fi (Dual-band: 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac).
Among the three, the 512GB model will be the fastest and also come with premium anti-glare etched glass, exclusive carrying case, exclusive Steam Community profile bundle, exclusive virtual keyboard theme. It costs $649 (around Rs 48,453).
On the other hand, the 256GB model comes with faster storage (compared to 64GB), a carrying case, and an exclusive Steam Community profile bundle. It costs $529 (roughly Rs 39,494).
Whereas the based 64GB model comes with just the carrying case for $399 (approx. Rs 29,789). As said before, the new Steam Deck will be up for grabs in December 2021 initially in United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. The availability of Valve's gaming console will be expanded to other global markets in early 2022.
Asus Chromebooks
Asus earlier in the week launched four Chromebooks-- C214, C223, C423, and C523 in India.
The new Chromebook Flip C214 comes with an 11.6-inch screen with military-grade durability certification is constructed to withstand the everyday knocks, bumps, and rough handling commonly encountered in classrooms and homes. The Flip C214 also features additional safety features such as a spill and tamper-resistant keyboard that’s rated for a 10 million keystroke lifespan.
The device is powered by an Intel 64-bit dual-core processor, 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and a 50Wh battery that lets you stay productive or learning for up to 11 hours, and features 64GB of onboard storage that can be further upgraded up to 2TB using a MicroSD card.
It has a touch-screen display, versatile 360-degree hinge, and a front-facing 5MP autofocus camera that can be opened to 180-degree to lay flat on a desk. The laptops include a full complement of smart productivity features, including all-school-day battery life, and a versatile selection of I/O ports. Live two-way learning with video conferencing is a superior experience thanks to the HD 720p camera and stereo loudspeakers. It costs Rs 23,999.
Asus Chromebooks C223, C423, and C523 (touch and non-touch variants) can last up to a full productive 10 hours on a full charge with the help of its long-life lithium-ion battery pack.
Select Chromebook C423 and C523 models come with a touch-screen and can be opened to 180-degree to lay flat on a desk for easy collaboration. With displays up to a full-HD resolution, the ASUS Chromebooks offer clear colours for day-long computing.
They are powered by Intel 64-bit dual-core processor with an onboard storage capacity of 32GB (C223) and 64GB (C423 and C523), which can be further upgraded up to 2TB using a MicroSD card. 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM allows users to experience seamless multi-tasking on Chrome apps, Android apps, and even Linux apps. Three C223, C423, and C523 ASUS Chromebooks (5 variants) feature superior video conferencing ability thanks to the HD camera as standard and stereo loudspeakers.
Asus Chromebook C223 cost Rs 17,999, Asus Chromebook C423 (Non-Touch) is priced Rs 19,999, Asus Chromebook C523 (Non-Touch) comes with a price tag of Rs 20,999.
Asus Chromebook C423 (Touch) and C523 (Touch) costs Rs 23,999 and Rs 24,999, respectively.
Samsung 3-Door Convertible French Door Refrigerators
Samsung's new refrigerators sport a minimalistic Water Dispenser to get chilled water without opening the door and retain the fridge's cooling.
It comes in Stainless Steel and Black Matt finish in two capacities – 579 L with water dispenser and new 580 L without water dispenser.
The French Door Refrigerators come with Twin CoolingTM Plus technology which cools the fridge and freezer sections separately, helping stop odors from spreading and retaining the original flavour of food items. Easy to activate Power Cool & Freeze feature reduces the wait time when you need ice or chilled drinks faster.
To offer convenience to store more fruits and vegetables, it sports Large Crispers with a capacity of 21.7 L each and Bigger Door Bins that can easily hold 2 L bottles. Convenient Freezer Storage with two shelves and a movable ice-maker offers ease of access and more space. These new refrigerators come with a 10-year warranty on the compressor and digital inverter technology that provides up to 50 per cent energy savings.
The 580L French Door Refrigerator will be available at a starting price of Rs 89,990 while the 579L French Door Refrigerators will be available at a starting price of Rs 95,990.
As part of the launch offer, consumers buying French Door Refrigerators will get up to 10 per cent cashback on credit and debit cards of leading banks and can also avail of no-cost, easy EMIs as low as Rs 2,499.
G-Shock Night Surf series
The interesting thing about the Night Surf is series is that it shows tide graph, moon data, high and low tide times, tide levels, and sunrise/sunset times as well.
It comes with a high-resolution MIP LCD screen, which promises better readability. It offers world time, Training Function Display of distance, speed, pace, and other calculated values based on accelerometer, target alert setting (time, calories burned) on/off, raining Data (Up to 100 runs, up to 140 lap times per run) Life Log Data, and Flight mode
Like all G-Shock watches, the new Night Surf series comes with a high durability rating, has a shock-resistant body, and can also survive water pressure up to 200-meter water. It costs Rs 12,995.
Anker's Eufy Robovac 35C vacuum cleaner
Robovac 35C comes with a 3-point cleaning system – Three brushes and strong suction power effectively loosens, extract, and vacuums dirt to give a superior clean. It has a dual-layer, triple filter, and one high-performance filter.
With Boost IQ Technology and 1500Pa of suction power, it can suck up dirt, dust, and crumbs on floors, and carpets.
And with WiFi built-in, users can manage the cleaner through the EufyHome app on their smartphone. Also, it supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant too.
RoboVac cleans with the equivalent sound of an operating microwave and has been reduced to only 2.85-inch height compared to the predecessor to clean under low-hanging furniture with ease. A larger 0.6L dustbin allows RoboVac to pick up more dirt and dust to take full advantage of 100 minutes of continuous cleaning, eliminating the need to empty it halfway through cleaning
When the vacuum is finished cleaning or has less battery, it goes back to its charging base and connects automatically with no assistance required. It is available for Rs 14,999 on Flipkart.
Tecno Camon 17, 17 Pro series
Tecno's new Camon 17 comes with a 6.6-inch HD+ (720 x 1600p) display, support 90Hz refresh rate, 12nm class MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core CPU, 1000MHz ARM Mali-G52 2EEMC2 GPU, 6GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB internal storage, HiOS 7.6 based on Android 11, triple-camera module-- main 48MP (f/1.79) + 2MP depth sensor + AI lens with Quad-LED flash, 16MP front-facing camera with dual-LED flash, fingerprint sensor on the back, and a 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charger support. It comes in three colours--Frost Silver, Spruce green and Magnet Black-- for Rs 12,999.
Tecno Camon 17 Pro features a 6.8-inch full HD+ (1080 x 2460pp) display with 90Hz refresh rate, 500 nits brightness, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, 12nm class MediaTek Helio G95 octa-core processor with 900MHz Mali-G76 3EEMC4 GPU, 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB internal storage, Android 11-based HiOS 7.6, 64MP (f/1.79) + 8MP ultra-wide sensor + 2MP depth for portrait + 2MP (Black and White) with Quad LED flash, 48MP front snapper with dual LED flash and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charger. It comes in Arctic Down colour for Rs 16,999.
Oppo Reno 6, 6 Pro 5G series
Oppo Reno 6 comes with a 6.5-inch full HD+ (2400 × 1080p) OLED screen, features an in-display fingerprint sensor, supports a 90Hz refresh rate, offers up to 800 nits brightness, and is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 shield.
Inside, it houses a 6nm class 2.4GHz MediaTek Dimensity 900 octa-core chipset, Mali-G68 MC4 GPU, 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB (UFS 2.1) storage, Android 11 with ColorOS 11.3, triple-camera module- 64PM + 8MP ultrawide angle lens+ 2MP macro with LED flash, a 32MP front snapper and a 4,300mAh battery with 65W charger in-box.
Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G features a 6.55-inch full HD+(2400 × 1080p) OLED curved display, in-display fingerprint sensor, support 90Hz refresh rate, 3GHz Octa MediaTek Dimensity 1200 octa-core CPU with ARM G77 MC9 GPU, 12GB LPDDR4x RAM, 256GB (UFS 3.1) storage, Android 11 with ColorOS 11.3, quad-camera-- main 64MP + 8MP +2MP macro + 2MP depth with LED flash, 32MP front camera and a 4,400mAh cell with 65W charger in-box.
Oppo Reno 6 series price starts at Rs 29,990 in India.
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