Audio

The upcoming Black Shark 4 Pro has been crowned the new smartphone audio champion in DXOMARK’s rankings, pushing the Xiaomi Mi 10S into second place. The Black Shark 4 Pro impressed with its clear playback and excellent trio of microphones. The gaming smartphone with Snapdragon 888 and 144 Hz AMOLED will be launched on March 23.

ENACFIRE has announced A9 TWS earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC). This spec is delivered via "smart noise-detect mics" rated to cut out up to 80% of ambient noise while also providing a 'Transparency' mode. The buds also feature IPX7 ingress-protection, a quad-mic system for call quality and a launch price of US$40.

The Redmi Smart TV X50, X55 and X65 have been unleashed onto the Indian market. Their 4K LED panels are enhanced with MEMC, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. The series also features dual 15W speakers, and will start at INR 32,999 (~US$455) on their March 26, 2021 release.

Google has released a revamped version of its Nest Hub. The device, while looking quite similar on the surface includes a number of enhancements including the ability to monitor sleep.

Contrary to an earlier leak, analyst Ming Chi-Kuo's report indicates that Apple only plans on ramping up AirPods 3 production by Q3 2021. This could potentially mean a holiday 2021 or 2022 time frame for the wireless buds.

The latest AirPods 3 leak seems to confirm that Apple’s major redesign of its next-gen buds will lean heavily on the look of the AirPods Pro. There will be important differences, however, including a lack of silicone ear tips and the omission of active noise-cancelling.

Carl Pei asserts that his new Nothing brand can disrupt the consumer tech space with innovative, unique products. The company has just given the world the first hint of their design in its new Concept 1 TWS earbuds. However, they are also what they say on the tin, and apparently won't actually resemble Nothing's actual inaugural buds.

Cambridge Audio has revealed the Melomania 1+, the successors to the Melomania 1 that the company released in 2019. The Melomania 1+ offers all the great features of its predecessor, but with USB Type-C charging, Melomania app support and a High Performance Audio Mode.

DXOMARK has published an early verdict of the audio capabilities of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 10S. The Mi 10S managed to outscore the well-received Asus ROG Phone 5 to claim the top spot in the audio rankings. The latest phone from Xiaomi is to be launched on March 10 and features Harman Kardon speakers.

The Mijia Mi Smart Projector 2 Pro is a relatively portable FHD projector launched by Xiaomi with the potential advantage of a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor for added focus capabilities in late 2020 in China. Now, it has a Global variant, which means it runs Android TV and is available on Banggood from now.

Google is expected to release two new Pixel devices in Q2 2021, and one in as soon as mid-April. According to a new report, a third-generation Pixel Buds will arrive first and will be followed by a new Pixel smartphone in June. In all likelihood, Google will release the Pixel 5a, the follow-up to last year's Pixel 4a (5G).

Razer is known for gaming audio peripherals; however, its new Anzu product is something else altogether. They are of the smart-glass type that incorporate personal speakers for the wearer's audio, which, as the OEM claims, will reach the user's head with reduced latency and increased immersion. They are available in Razer's store from now for US$199.99.

Marshall has launched its first TWS earbuds joining a highly competitive field of listening options. The new Marshall Mode II true wireless earbuds of course carry the famous Marshall name to help them stand out from the crowd, but they also come with a very strong list of features.

Qualcomm offers a range of products that support or serve mobile wireless audio, ranging from its aptX technology to the entire 8-series of mobile SoCs. Now, it has announced that this panel of technology has a new, unified platform: Snapdragon Sound. It will also act as a badge to signal to the consumer that its specs are present in a given product.

Realme has launched its first flagship device of 2021. The OEM asserts that the new GT 5G has been designed and equipped to get the most out of its Snapdragon 888 platform, from its "gaming" 120Hz E4 AMOLED display to its new stainless steel-augmented cooling system. It also does indeed come in finishes that include "racing-stripe" vegan leather, and starts at just under ~US$450 in China.

Razer DevCon is a new event set to debut in 2021 via Twitch. It is slated to present discussions on the up-to-date innovation and technology that might most benefit the future of gaming across multiple platforms. Therefore, it might interest developers involved in mobile, console or PC ecosystems.

Laser TVs are devices much more like ultra-short-throw projectors than conventional big screens. Therefore, they can deliver larger display sizes with less harmful blue light, which is what customers want these days - according to Hisense, at least. This OEM claims that it sold over three times more laser TVs in 2020 internationally compared to 2019.

Nothing is the name of Carl Pei's new tech start-up, his first since leaving OnePlus in 2020. It has been introduced as based in London; however, it also now has an Indian presence. It is to be led by Manu Sharma, formerly a Samsung executive. Pei projects that he will "play a pivotal role for our growth in India".

Xiaomi has recently launched the new Redmi AirDots 3 true wireless headset with Bluetooth 5.2 support. The third-generation Redmi earbuds utilize a Qualcomm QCC3040 chip solution to provide the best audio performance, with aptX audio technology being part of the package. The price in China for the Redmi AirDots 3 is 199 yuan (US$31).

Carl Pei's new start-up, Nothing, has announced that it has a new founding partner: teenage engineering. This Stockholm-based group has been involved in "craftsmanship" and industrial design for 10 years now, and is possibly best-known for its OP-1 synthesizer. Pei claims that its involvement in Nothing has resulted in a "product roadmap" that is "true to the company's vision".

Spotify has announced that it is finally bringing lossless quality audio to its popular music streaming service. The company made the announcement at its Stream On online event and said that customers in ‘select markets’ will be able to upgrade their subscription to the CD-quality audio later this year.

A new leak about the WF-1000XM4 has fleshed out some of the details about Sony's upcoming TWS earbuds. Apparently, the WF-1000XM4 will be Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified, which points to the adoption of Sony's high-resolution LDAC codec. The earbuds will support ANC too and up to 18 hours use between charges.

Huawei has introduced its latest TWS earbuds alongside its new Mate X2 foldable. The accessories are definitely the more affordable of the two; nevertheless, they have high-end specs such as active noise cancellation (ANC), wearer detection and up to 10 hours of battery life. They have an AirPod-clone look, albeit with a new style of charging case and 3 color choices.

A new leak has set expectations for the AirPods 3, Apple's next TWS earbuds. The AirPods 3 look like a cross between the AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro, as does its charging case.

The first sighting of the Sony WF-1000XM4 may have appeared online. The WF-1000XM4 looks radically different compared to the WF-1000XM3, which Sony released in 2019.

AMD's official Reddit account has posted requesting reports from users about an increasingly well-publicized issue in which USB devices installed in or attached to 500-series chipset motherboards disconnect randomly and without warning. It seems to be fairly constant across this range and across board manufacturers.

Realme has announced that its second-gen Buds Air will launch in India on February 24, 2021. It has also confirmed multiple leaks about these TWS earbuds in teasing their specs prior to this event. They include the (expected) ANC, as well as the fact that they will have 10mm "Diamond class" drivers, improved battery life and a low-latency Gaming Mode.

Sennheiser has announced that it wants to leave the consumer headphone and speaker markets, and has put its corresponding division up for sale. In the future, Sennheiser wants to focus on professional products going forwards.

Asus launched the PN50 mini PC with Ryzen 4000 processors in 2020. Now, a device described as the bare-bones version of its successor, the PN51, has appeared on the website ProShop. According to this listing, its chassis has not changed in 2021, and thus still boasts a configurable port that can add anything from a DisplayPort to a second RJ-45 to the device.

The Xbox Wireless Headset may be Microsoft's latest pair of over-ear headphones, but it is a pair that the company first teased in October 2020. Easter egg or a delayed-release, the Xbox Wireless Headset is available pre-order now for US$99.99 and will begin shipping from March 16.

Realme is rumored to launch its second-gen Buds Air in India soon, in partnership with the Chainsmokers EDM group. These upcoming TWS earbuds have allegedly popped up on an OEM's app early, inadvertently revealing that they have active noise cancellation (ANC). They may also boast features such as Transparency and a Game Mode.

Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus and now most recently Nothing has made one of the more surprising acquisitions in recent times. It has been revealed that his new venture has picked up parts of what is left of former Android supremo Andy Rubin’s defunct Essential mobile devices company.

Lenovo offers a balance between high-end materials and mid-range internals in the Tab P11 Pro. Nevertheless, the OEM asserts that the user can get their work or gaming done on this 11.5-inch Android tablet in the manner suggested by its suffix. It has now been released on platforms such as Amazon.in and Flipkart for INR 44,999.

JLab Audio is known for its personal audio devices; however, it claims to have translated its expertise in that market to the plug-and-play USB-connected mic. There are three of these new products: the Talk GO, Talk and Talk Pro. They all have a 24-bit rate, although the recording sampling rate rises from 96k to 192k in the Pro.

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei recently unveiled his new company as being called Nothing, which, as he also had no new devices to launch at that time, was pretty apt. Now, however, Pei has confirmed that the new OEM will roll its products out soon, with true-wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds to start.

The sPot takes a fourth-generation iPod and converts into a Spotify streamer. Using a Raspberry Pi Zero W, the sPot offers built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi while retaining the iPod's iconic click wheel. The sPot should cost around US$100 to create.

The original soundtrack of the SNES classic Super Mario World is immediately recognizable to many retro gamers, but some fans of the title have gone a step further. Using data from the massive Nintendo leak last year, they have recreated uncompressed and lossless versions of the game's original soundtrack. Take a listen below.

Optoma claims that its new DuraCore ProScene laser projector is rated to throw images with a brightness of 7,000 lumens. It is also short-throw, which means it can has use-cases up to and including whole-room, 24/7 immersive effects. The ZU720TST also weighs only 28 pounds, which could allow one person to mount it, even to a ceiling.

Apple has more or less phased out its iPod brand, once a stable of its hardware business. Nonetheless, concept renders have shown how Apple could utilise the Watch Series as a portable music player with a click wheel.

Samsung marketed the latest generation of their Galaxy Buds with a number of new modes, an Ambient Sound mode being most prominent among them. It is a form of ANC with environmental awareness mixed in. The TWS earbuds' latest updates should improve the hand-off between these two modes.

MediaTek has posted an arguable win by securing a contract with Apple to supply it with components for next-gen audio accessories. Then again, these products are not future AirPods, but those of the Beats series instead. This would be the first incidence of this product line not being made with completely in-house hardware.

Realme is mostly known for its phones and audio devices; however, like Xiaomi and Huawei before it, it is now rumored to get into the laptop game as well. According to a well-known leaker, the first of these new products will debut in June 2021. Meanwhile, the OEM has teased a new initiative called TechLife, which will launch in February.

Today (27 January 2021), OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei launched his first company formed since leaving that OEM in 2020, and it's...Nothing. This new brand-name apparently applies to new and innovative tech Pei and his team plan to build from the ground up with no reference to what has gone before. However, there is still no word on what forms these products are to take yet.

The Realme Buds Q are TWS earbuds that launched for about US$30 in 2020. Now, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has inadvertently confirmed that their second generation is likely to launch soon. They have been registered as Bluetooth devices with black and fluorescent green colorways.