Category: Reviews

Categories
Mobile Reviews

Tecno Camon 18 Review: Long Lasting Battery, Decent Camera Saves The Day

Pros

  • Large 5,000mAh battery
  • 90Hz refresh rate
  • 3.5mm headphone jack

Cons

  • No AMOLED display
  • No 5G support

Several smartphone makers have launched devices in the affordable segment and Tecno is one of them. In fact, Tecno has recently announced the launch of the Camon 18 smartphone in India. The smartphone is priced at Rs. 14,999 and is already available on Flipkart.

The device is known as the successor of the Tecno Camon 17 device that was launched in July last year. The handset features 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It comes with the MediaTek Helio G85 processor and it is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery along with an 18W Type-C flash charger.

Meanwhile, we got a chance to review the Tecno Camon 18 smartphone and this is what we think about the newly launched device.

Tecno Camon 18 Review: Plastic Back With Glossy Finish

Let’s start with the design of the Tecno Camon 18 smartphone as it is one of the good-looking devices launched by the company. It is visible that the device is an upgraded version of the previous smartphones launched in the same series.

On the right side of the smartphone, you’ll find a volume rocker and power button, whereas the SIM card tray is on the left side of the smartphone. The USB Type-C port, 3.5mm audio jack, and speaker grille are at the bottom of the device, whereas the back panel supports a triple camera setup along with a quad flashlight. Then, there is a Tecno Camon branding at the bottom of the back panel.

Although, the smartphone is big and cannot be operated via a single hand, still, the glossy finish looks good and premium. The Tecno Camon 18 features a plastic body and is prone to fingerprint smudges.

On the display front, the Tecno Camon 18 features a 6.8-inch LCD display, a screen resolution of 1080×2460 pixels, and a 60Hz refresh rate, which is a bit disappointing as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G, Realme Narzo 30 5G, and the Samsung Galaxy M32 comes with a 90Hz refresh rate. On top of that, all devices are under Rs. 15,000.

The display also has 396 ppi and a peak brightness of 500 nits. Overall, the display is large enough for those who play games and watch content on YouTube and other OTT applications. Besides, the display is bright enough in the sunlight, provides good viewing angles, and offers bright colours.

Tecno Camon 18 Review: Triple Rear Camera Setup At The Back

On the imaging front, the Tecno Camon 18 comes with a triple camera setup at the back, including a 48MP primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro unit. The back camera also supports modes like Super Night, Portrait, Beauty, AI Cam, Film, Ultra HD, Wide Selfie, time-lapse, and AR Shot.

The imaging experience from the rear camera seems decent at night, while it captures ample details during the daytime. In short, the triple camera at the back produces good colors and clear images. In fact, the images that came out are much better than expected from the back camera.

Moving to the upfront, it has a 48MP selfie camera. The front camera also supports AI Cam, Beauty, Super Night, AR Shot, Ultra HD, Slow Motion, Wide-Selfie, and time-lapse.

In addition, there is a mode called Film, where you get different segments Vintage, Travel, Street, Party, Family, and Performance. There is another mode called Short Videos you can upload videos on social media platforms. Overall, the front camera captures good images in a proper light but struggles at night as images appeared grainy.

Tecno Camon 18 Review: 5,000 mAh Battery, MediaTek Helio G88 Processor, And Connectivity

The battery life of the newly launched Tecno Camon 18 is good enough for two days with normal usage and can last for 24 hours with heavy usage. The 5,000 mAh battery takes one hour 10 minutes to get fully charged. Besides, the screen time can range between seven to nine hours.

Also, the device comes with Ultra Power and Power Boost features that enable you to save the battery. Coming to the performance, the Tecno Camon 18 feature is equipped with MediaTek Helio G85 chipset, which you will find in the Realme Narzo 50 A, Moto G31, Tecno Pova 2, Infinix Hot 10s, and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9.

The Tecno Camon 18 features 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There is also 3GB of RAM support. The smartphone works smoothly in performing everyday tasks. Similarly, there was no lag during playing high-end games for the long run; however, there were some heating issues. The Tecno Camon 18 18 seems quite better than its predecessor in terms of performance.

On the connectivity front, the Tecno Camon 18 supports 4G, USB OTG, FM radio, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, USB OTG, and FM radio. Additionally, there are ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and fingerprint sensor on the device.

The fingerprint scanner works fine and is integrated into the power button on the right side. The sound quality is also nice in comparison to the device that comes under the same price segment.

Tecno Camon 18 Review: Android 11 OS And Benchmark

The newly launched device is powered by Android 11 OS along with HiOS 8, which is similar to the Infinix smartphones. But, the major drawback of this smartphone is its interface as it is not clear and has several third-party applications, which keep sending notifications. However, Tecno allows you to uninstall all third-party applications.

Apart from the pre-installed applications, the Tecno Camon 18 features a Game mode that increases the performance of the device. On the benchmark front, the Tecno Camon 18 achieved 8141 points on the Work 3.0 performance score. Also, it has managed to get a 710 score on the Wild Life, 349 points on the single-core, and 1230 points on the multi-core benchmark.

Tecno Camon 18 Review: Should You Buy It Or Not?

The Tecno Camon 18 smartphone comes with a good design and battery backup. In fact, it can offer good shots during sunlight. Also, if you are looking for a smartphone that looks good in your hands, then you might go for the Tecno Camon 18 device.

Categories
Reviews Tech Gadgets

Qubo Smart Cam 360 Review: Fits All The Bills

Key Highlights

  • Indian consumers are starting to adopt smart home technology, and this trend will only accelerate
  • Hero Electronix’s subsidiary Qubo has been consistently supplying goods related to smart home security
  • These include locks, doorknobs, alarms, and cameras

Smart consumer electronics products are one of the most rapidly growing sectors across the globe. And ever since smartphone brands have started venturing in this space, the competition has grown stiffer. Not just audio products, but the market has to offer a plethora of smart products such as smart TVs, smart bulbs, and even CCTV cameras. In this article, we are reviewing one of such useful devices which have become a must for modern day’s lifestyle. We are speaking of 360-degree CCTV security cameras.

Giznext has received the latest Qubo 360 CCTV security camera from Hero Electronix. The smart 360-degree security camera is integrated with the latest innovations such as AI, motion detection, and 1080p FHD video recording. It tags a price tag of Rs. 2,890 in the country and is aimed towards delivering 24 x 7 security for smart homes as well as small offices and businesses.

This lower price tag pits the Qubo 360 against the Xiaomi Mi Home security camera and the Realme 360-degree security camera. How well the Hero Electronix’s offering fair against the competition and is it suitable for your daily usage? We have broken down all the aspects of whether you should go for it or skip it. Take a look:

Also Read: Best CCTV Camera Under Rs. 5,000 With Memory Card Support In India

Qubo 360 Security Camera Design: Fits Best Indoors

The Qubo 360 security camera will give you a familiar design appeal at the first look. It is a sphere-shaped camera with the upper casing housing a rotatable lens. You’ll be able to relate the design with Xiaomi’s MI Home security camera. It’s the bottom mount that gives both indoor cameras a distinctive appeal.

The overall build material is plastic (except for the lens). The quality is decent and doesn’t seem like the brand has compromised here on the durability aspect. Besides, it offers a compact form factor and would take the least of space on your desk or the corner of the wall you would want to mount it. The smaller size also makes it unnoticeable if it’s tucked in any corner adding to the stealth factor.

It is advised to seat this camera in the areas from where its blind spots can be avoided. Yes, there are a few blind spots since the camera rotation isn’t entirely 360-degree. It rather seems to be flat 180-degree. A microSD card slot supporting up to 256GB storage is placed right below the lens (on the black portion).

The lower mount inscribes the Qubo labeling at the front and speaker grille at the rear along with a microUSB port and the “Set” key. It is worth adding that the company ships a charger and a USB cable with the retail box. There is also an LED that confirms the status of the camera (active/ inactive).

Also Read: Hero Electronix Launches Smart Cam 360 And Smart Door Lock: See Here For Details

Qubo 360 Security Camera Installation Process: Is It Easy?

Installing the Qubo 360 security camera isn’t a big task. You don’t need any specific professional help to get this camera mounted on the tabletop or wall. Once you have finalized the location for the indoor cctv camera to be placed, just get the connections done. This is where you will need the USB cable and the power brick that ships with the retail box. But make sure you have an active power connection close by.

Once you have plugged in all the electricals, you would need to download the Qubo app on your respective Android or iOS smartphones. After the installation is complete, launch the app and select the hamburger icon from the ‘Devices’ tab and then click on “Add Device.” You will now need to select the ’360 cam’ option to get started. That’s all the steps you would need to perform to install the Qubo 360 camera and pair it with your smartphone.

Qubo 360 Security Camera Review: Features, Performance Feedback

It is worth mentioning that to use all the features you would first need to register your account with Qubo. You just need your basic details such as name, phone number, and email address handy. This is an important procedure as you will need a valid account to buy subscription plans later on. As mentioned in the beginning, the  Qubo 360 security camera is fully-loaded with features.

It comes with AI tech and supports FHD and SD recording. Speaking of the specifications, the Qubo 360 security camera packs a 2MP GC2053 sensor which supports 10X Digital Zoom and 106-degree FoV (Field Of View). You can set the camera recording in FHD or SD from the app itself.

This camera also records in the night or low-light situations without compromising on the quality. This is something which we liked. Also, using the app you can set night recordings to infrared or color as per your convenience. The latter would require a bit lesser of space compared to the colored recordings.

The company has also packed in some nifty features which enhance the overall security layers offered by it. Motion detector, Face tagging, and trigger alarms are a few to be named. You can also play police siren audio to fend off intruders in your absence. The audio quality offered by the cam is loud enough to warn people around. Our overall user experience with this new indoor security camera has been satisfying.

No complaints related to the features and video quality. But one of the aspects which we would like to highlight is the absence of dual-band Wi-Fi support. The camera only has 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi which makes, so you’ll have to switch to the same network on your smartphones. It also has Digital voice assistant support which you will come across first during the setup process. Alexa and Google Assistant are the voice assistants that are supported.

Qubo 360 Degree Indoor Camera: Is It Worth An Investment?

The Qubo 360 indoor security camera is a complete package overall in our opinion. You should invest in this product if you want to enhance security in your home or any other required space. The wider coverage area with the moving lens and good image/video quality isn’t the only factor that makes it the best fit for modern days smart homes but the advanced AI features as well.

The only shortcomings we found are the dated microUSB port and single-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz). Besides, the company is promising a secure environment for the data to be stored both online as well as offline. The data is claimed to be safeguarded with end-to-end encryption which makes it private even at the company servers. If you are considering upgrading your in-house security using a 360-degree security camera, the Qubo 360 is worth an investment. The credit goes to its cheaper price tag and all the advanced set of features.

Also Read: Everything You Should Know About Qubo Handheld Gimbal

Categories
Reviews

JioPhone Next Review: A Complete Package For First-Time Smartphone Users!

The Indian smartphone market is one of the most crowded when we speak of the budget segment. We have seen some major growth in this segment with numerous devices being introduced by the Chinese as well as homegrown brands. While a major chunk of the budget audience has transitioned from feature phones to smartphones, there’s still a large number that is yet to get on board with this process. Reliance Jio is one of those few brands which have been ruling the feature phone market ever since it ventured into the mobile space in the Indian market.

The brand has now opted for a new strategy of grabbing the audience with its first feature-rich smartphone. Called the JioPhone Next, the most affordable 4G phone in the market has finally arrived in the country and is already up for pre-bookings. Bundled with several user-friendly features, this device aims at getting 2G users to get a taste of the fast-speed 4G networks.

Reliance has launched the JioPhone Next at Rs. 6,499 in India and can be purchased in black and blue shades. We at Giznext managed to get our hands on India’s most affordable 4G phone and below is our feedback if it makes the cut. Will the affordable pricing or the user-friendly features save the day for this handset? Or will the budget Chinese phones have an edge? We are breaking it down for you in this quick review:

JioPhone Next Review: Design And Display

We’ll start things off with design since appeal is a crucial aspect in determining the success of a handset. The JioPhone Next doesn’t fall in line with modern-day’s smartphones where you get a slim and tall profile and non-removable battery setup. Rather, it brings a basic entry-level design where you get thick bezels without any notch or punch-hole and a removable back/battery setup.

While this might not be suitable if you are an ardent smartphone user, it is practical for users who are transitioning from feature phones to smartphones for the first time. What we liked is despite a thick body (plastic built), the handset is lightweight which makes it all practical for daily usage. As mentioned earlier, the device comes with a removable back. It has dual SIM and microSD card storage support.

Do note that you will have the option to use one Jio SIM and one SIM from any other operator. The internet connectivity/ mobile data can be used only via the Jio SIM. The remaining design aspects are the same as you would find on any other budget handset. It has the volume and the power keys on the right spine, while the bottom panel only accommodates the micro USB port. The speaker grille is at the lower bottom of the back panel. You get a textured back that allows for a good grip.

Speaking of which, the JioPhone Next flaunts a 5.45-inch display that supports standard 720 x 1440 pixels screen resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, and 60Hz refresh rate. It gets a Corning Gorilla Glass layer that safeguards the panel from accidental scratches. The display does its job fine and you will have no issues consuming 720p videos on the go. Besides, the compact form factor makes single-hand usability quite easy. The brightness levels seem optimum, but it might not be sufficient outdoors. But, that’s okay considering this is an entry-level phone and has all the basic elements in place.

JioPhone Next: Camera Review

The JioPhone Next features basic camera hardware with both rear and front panels featuring a single sensor for imaging. At the rear, this budget phone packs a 13MP main camera. The image clarity is ample if you are clicking pictures in broad daylight or well-lit areas. The edge-detection as well as the color production is decent in such scenarios. The camera app has an integrated Google lens support which comes in handy to get details related to any image. 

Several pre-set shooting modes will enhance the imaging experience. But, the night shots would be average and it would be criminal to expect a high-resolution output from a budget phone with a single camera. To capture selfies and video calling, the JioPhone Next features an 8MP camera up front. The selfie camera setup is adequate for social media platforms. You get clean and subtle-looking self-portraits which you can easily flaunt at Instagram, Facebook, and other similar websites.

JioPhone Next: Hardware, Software User Experience

The JioPhone Next runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon QM215 processor. This is a low-end Qualcomm chipset that has quad-cores and a clock speed of 1.3GHz. This processor is specifically designed for budget phones with Android Go Edition. That said, the device will ship with Pragati OS which seems to have borrowed some key aspects from the Android Go.

During our brief usage, we didn’t notice any major lags while loading apps or using them. Several pre-loaded apps make user operability simple. The device has been launched with 2GB RAM and a 32GB storage configuration. The RAM capacity is also ample for a low-end phone that uses a quad-core chipset. The JioPhone Next also has an expandable microSD card support which will take care of the additional storage space. Performance-wise, this handset lives up to the expectations.

As far as the UI is concerned, there are all the Google apps pre-installed along with a few other third-party apps. You also will get a bunch of Jio apps pre-installed including MyJio, JioTV, JioSaavn, JioMeet, JioMart, and others. The UI experience is decent and isn’t too laggy. Thankfully, the company hasn’t added any extra set of customizations over the interface (Pragati OS) that would hamper the user experience.

JioPhone Next: Battery Performance

The JioPhone Next, unlike most budget smartphones, packs rather a smaller 3,500 mAh battery unit. You can get a setup bigger than 4,000 mAh on the competitions. There is no fast charging support, but the device still gets a complete refuel within an hour. We are yet to test the battery capacity to its full potential. But with the brief testing, we can say that the device can last more than half a day on a single charge.

JioPhone Next: Verdict

Reliance had a successful run with the Jio feature phone lineup. The brand’s primary focus right from the beginning has been on the budget audience which doesn’t change with the latest offering. The JioPhone Next also caters to price-conscious consumers in India. Specifically, this device comes as the best option for users who are yet to own a smartphone. So getting used to a large touch display and other modern features would be easy for such masses. Besides, the company aims to get onboard the large number of masses that are still using a 2G internet connection. The JioPhone Next comes as an all package deal for the audience looking for a 4G handset that retails below Rs. 7,000.