Latest news with #SahilBhalla
Mint
16 hours ago
- Mint
Nothing Phone (3): Cool, capable, but with several flaws, not quite a flagship
Sahil Bhalla It is the brand's most ambitious smartphone yet, with a unique design, clean software, and strong battery life, but can it hold its own in a tough category? The Glyph Matrix (top right hand corner) is a dot matrix display for basic animations Gift this article Nothing has built its identity around being unconventional—transparent designs, quirky glyph lights, and now, a dot matrix display. With the new Phone 3, priced at ₹ 79,999, the company is attempting a leap into flagship territory. But while it's the best phone Nothing has made so far, it still falls short of being a true flagship. Nothing has built its identity around being unconventional—transparent designs, quirky glyph lights, and now, a dot matrix display. With the new Phone 3, priced at ₹ 79,999, the company is attempting a leap into flagship territory. But while it's the best phone Nothing has made so far, it still falls short of being a true flagship. Let's be clear: the Phone 3 doesn't come with the most powerful Snapdragon chipset, nor does it pack top-tier camera hardware. It lacks an IP69 rating, Qi2 wireless charging, and several other premium features. In fact, the glyph lights from earlier generations have been replaced by a minimalist dot matrix display. This phone might offer solid upgrades over the Phone (3a) Pro, but it doesn't quite justify its premium price in the Indian market. Realistically, the Phone 3 is trying to compete with base models of flagship series like the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25, Pixel 9, Vivo X200, and Oppo Find X8—a tough crowd to stand out in. Also Read | Can you live with an EV as your main vehicle? Unusual design choices The new Glyph Matrix features 489 individually firing LEDs that form a dot matrix display for basic animations and 'Glyph Toys" like a clock, stopwatch, volume/battery indicators, spin the bottle, and more. A button on the back lets you cycle through these. It's more fun than functional, but does add personality—something Nothing excels at. The rest of the back design is divisive. The asymmetrical camera layout, with individually ringed lenses, has triggered mixed reactions. That said, the design eliminates table wobble, and it has grown on me over time. At 218g, the Phone 3 is on the heavier side. Flat sides and an aluminium frame give it a solid in-hand feel, and the Gorilla Glass Victus back adds durability. Up front, there's a 6.7-inch OLED display with slim bezels, 1.5K resolution, and 120Hz refresh rate. It hits 1,600 nits brightness in auto mode. However, the front uses Gorilla Glass 7i—a downgrade from Victus—and there's no LTPO panel, just a standard LTPS one. Still, the display is crisp, colourful, and vibrant. Under the hood Nothing's Carl Pei recently dismissed the industry's obsession with chipsets, and perhaps that's why the Phone 3 uses Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, instead of the higher-end 8 Gen 3 Elite. For everyday users, the difference is negligible—everything feels snappy and responsive. But push it with gaming or benchmarks, and it runs noticeably hot. Where it really impresses is battery life. The 5,500mAh battery easily lasts over a day, even with heavy use. I watched videos, took hundreds of photos, made calls, and still ended each day with charge left. There's no charger in the box, but it supports 65W fast charging via USB PD 3.0, delivering 50% in 22 minutes and a full charge in about an hour. Android skin Running on Android 15, Nothing OS 3.5 continues to be one of the best Android skins out there. It's clean, fluid, customisable, and free of bloatware—head and shoulders above the likes of FunTouch OS and HyperOS. New this time is Essential Space, an AI-powered universal search tool that debuted with the Phone (3a) series. It can search through your entire device and, if needed, perform web searches. It's genuinely useful, but privacy-conscious users may hesitate since it requires deep permissions. Overall, the UI experience is one of the Phone 3's biggest strengths. The Phone 3 features four 50MP sensors: a primary, ultra-wide (114°), periscope telephoto (3x zoom), and a selfie camera. The camera UI is minimalist—no clutter or unnecessary filters, just simple shooting modes and toggles. Photo quality has improved significantly. In good lighting, images are detailed, colour-accurate, and natural—without the oversharpening common in mid-range phones. Low-light shots were surprisingly good too, with minimal noise and strong contrast. That said, it's still not up to the level of the top camera phones of 2025. And oddly, the Phone (3a) Pro has a better telephoto lens, even though the Phone 3 has better image processing overall. The verdict So, should you buy it? Well, the truth is, despite its strengths, the Phone 3 doesn't offer great value at ₹ 79,999. It's trying to do a bit of everything but doesn't truly excel in any one area. The optical fingerprint scanner is less secure and awkwardly placed. The Gorilla Glass 7i and LTPS display are mid-range components. USB 2.0 port feels outdated. No IP69 rating or Qi2 wireless charging. All these choices raise eyebrows for a phone priced this high. There's no denying that it is a bold and polished product—the best Nothing has produced. It's got an innovative design, fantastic Android experience, good cameras, usable AI tools, and excellent battery life. But at this price, there are just too many better options—OnePlus 13 being one of them, offering stronger specs at a lower price. Topics You May Be Interested In
News18
16-06-2025
- News18
New Proof Points To RAT Activation On Doomed Air India Flight. Here's What It Means
Last Updated: The Ram Air Turbine is a device used on aircraft to generate emergency power when the primary engines fail Did a dual engine failure lead to the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 in which over 250 people were killed? New evidence in the aftermath of the AI171 crash has shed light on the sequence of events leading up to the disaster, with probe into the emergency systems aboard the aircraft suggesting that a dual engine failure may have played a significant role in the incident. According to aviation experts, the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), which was activated shortly after takeoff, could be a critical clue. WHAT IS RAT? The Ram Air Turbine is a device used on aircraft to generate emergency power when the primary engines fail. It deploys into the airstream and uses the aircraft's forward motion to generate power for essential systems, such as flight controls and hydraulics. Its activation on AI171 suggests that the plane may have faced a catastrophic loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. Depending on the aircraft and configuration, the RAT can power flight control systems, instruments, communications, hydraulic systems, and basic navigation systems. HOW/WHEN IS IT DEPLOYED? Automatic Deployment: Triggered automatically when there is a complete loss of electrical power or both engines fail. Manual Deployment: The pilot can manually deploy the RAT by activating a switch or lever in the cockpit (used if the automatic system fails). Turbine Spins in Airflow: As the aircraft moves forward, air pressure spins the RAT's small propeller. Power Generation Begins: The RAT drives an emergency generator (electrical) or hydraulic pump, restoring enough power to operate essential systems. According to a Times of India report, the Air India Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad used the entire 3.5-kilometre runway for take-off—longer than the usual 2.5 to 3 kilometres typically required for that type of aircraft. No irregularities were noted before departure. An airport source confirmed there were no requests for changes in runway, engine thrust, or flap settings. Weather and visibility were stable, and ambient temperatures remained within operational norms. These conditions indicate that the take-off seemed routine, making the sudden failure shortly after liftoff—and the rapid descent that followed—all the more baffling for investigators. Aviation expert Captain Sahil Bhalla said the quick activation of the RAT on AI171 is indicative of a dual engine failure. In an interview with The Financial Express, Bhalla explained that the RAT's deployment, which occurs within seconds after the engines fail, is a clear sign that the aircraft had lost power from both engines. 'The activation of the RAT is almost instantaneous. It tells us that the aircraft was relying on emergency backup systems due to a significant loss of power," Bhalla said. Experts suggest that the dual engine failure may have been caused by mechanical issues or a fuel-related problem, which would explain the aircraft's reliance on the RAT system. The aircraft's rapid descent after takeoff and the deployment of the RAT add weight to the theory that the flight was unable to maintain altitude due to engine power loss. An interesting detail that has emerged from the crash investigation is the 'small gray dot" noticed in early images from the crash site. This dot is believed to represent the RAT in its deployed state. This observation has fuelled further speculation that the RAT may have been deployed at a critical time during the flight—right after the engines failed. As reported by Business Today, experts have suggested that this small gray dot could be a physical manifestation of the RAT's location or deployment. It's a detail that could help aviation experts pinpoint when exactly the emergency power system kicked in, adding valuable context to the timeline of the crash. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BOTH ENGINES FAIL? In modern commercial aircraft, dual engine failure is an extremely rare event, but when it occurs, it can be catastrophic. In normal circumstances, aircraft are designed to fly and navigate with one or more engines running. When both engines fail simultaneously, no engine power is available to propel the aircraft forward, which affects aerodynamic stability. The aircraft will still retain momentum and altitude briefly, but the pilots must rely on emergency power and control systems to maintain control of the aircraft. If both engines fail, the RAT will deploy automatically, offering enough power to keep essential flight systems active, though not necessarily enough for normal flight operations. The RAT provides critical time for the pilots to regain control or land the aircraft. Immediate power loss in both engines likely would have left AI171 unable to climb to altitude safely. The RAT was deployed to provide emergency hydraulic or electrical power for essential systems like flight controls and navigation instruments, without which the aircraft could not have continued to function properly. The RAT's role in maintaining basic control systems would have been vital in helping the pilots attempt to bring the aircraft to a safe landing. But without engines, the aircraft would have struggled to regain enough lift to reach a safe altitude. WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE DUAL ENGINE FAILURE? The exact cause of the dual engine failure remains unclear, but experts have been considering several potential scenarios: Mechanical Malfunctions: A failure of both engines, due to mechanical failure, could explain why the RAT was activated. If, for example, there was a fuel problem or an engine defect, this could have led to a simultaneous shutdown of both engines. Fuel-related Issues: A sudden fuel contamination or fuel starvation scenario could cause both engines to fail unexpectedly. This theory is supported by the timing of the RAT deployment, as the aircraft would have been forced to rely on emergency systems until the situation was addressed. Electrical or Hydraulic Failures: The RAT may have also been deployed due to a failure of critical electrical or hydraulic systems, which are necessary for operating the aircraft's primary functions. top videos View all The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8200 hours of experience, and was being copiloted by First Officer Clive Kundar, with 1100 hours of flying experience. Seconds after takeoff, the pilot issued a Mayday call before losing contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and crashing into a hostel for MBBS students. About the Author Apoorva Misra Apoorva Misra is News Editor at with over nine years of experience. She is a graduate from Delhi University's Lady Shri Ram College and holds a PG Diploma from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Ahmedabad Plane Crash Location : Ahmedabad, India, India First Published: June 16, 2025, 10:28 IST News explainers New Proof Points To RAT Activation On Doomed Air India Flight. Here's What It Means | Explained
Mint
29-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Motorola Edge 60 Fusion: A few thoughtful features make it stand out
Sahil Bhalla The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion impresses with its design, display, and solid battery life, but faces challenges in camera performance and software optimization. Is it worth the price for budget-conscious consumers? Icy cold Gift this article There's one smartphone brand that has flown under the radar over the past year, and yet, quietly releasing smartphones alongside low-key marketing has helped the brand reap a 135.9% year-on-year (2023 to 2024) growth in market share. Yes, according to International Data Corporation's (IDC) 'Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker' February 2025 release, Motorola, now under the tutelage of Lenovo, is a winner. Its mid-range smartphones are its strongest suit and have helped propel the company's market share to grow from 2.7% in 2023 to 6.0% at the end of 2024. There's one smartphone brand that has flown under the radar over the past year, and yet, quietly releasing smartphones alongside low-key marketing has helped the brand reap a 135.9% year-on-year (2023 to 2024) growth in market share. Yes, according to International Data Corporation's (IDC) 'Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker' February 2025 release, Motorola, now under the tutelage of Lenovo, is a winner. Its mid-range smartphones are its strongest suit and have helped propel the company's market share to grow from 2.7% in 2023 to 6.0% at the end of 2024. Over the past month, the company has released the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion and the Motorola Edge 60 Stylus, with the Motorola Edge 60 Pro set to launch in a few days. I've been using the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion for some time now, and it's an easy, breezy, no-frills smartphone that one can recommend to many budget-conscious consumers out there. The Edge 60 Fusion starts at ₹ 22,999 and features an IP69 ingress protection rating, as well as MIL-STD-810H standard testing for enhanced durability. This time around, there is a significantly improved OLED display (with Gorilla Glass 7 protection), a larger battery capacity, increased storage, a microSD slot (for those who still use it), a refreshed chipset, and faux vegan leather finishes in three different Pantone colours; Slipstream, Amazonite and Zephyr. Let's talk design and display Pastels continue to be popular in smartphone design Let's start with the design and its vegan leather finish. The design doesn't veer too much from its predecessor. The device features a soft-touch vegan leather back, a thin plastic side frame, a curved front panel, and a small, minimalist camera island that doesn't protrude significantly. Thanks to a larger battery, the smartphone is slightly thicker, but the difference isn't noticeable in day-to-day usage. The Edge 60 Fusion comes in at 180g light and 8.2mm thick. In fact, it's lighter and thinner than the recently launched Nothing Phone (3a). It now boasts a military-grade certification for durability, as well as IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust resistance. In this price segment, it's one of the most durable smartphones available. The bezels are slim, and there's just the Motorola logo at the centre of the back panel. The handset offers a good in-hand feel, with one-handed usage being very much achievable. The only quibble I'd have is that the in-display fingerprint scanner is placed too low for convenience. Also read: This summer, bond with your kids in a no-Wi-Fi getaway The 6.7-inch pOLED panel is identical to its predecessor but offers a higher 1.5K (1220x2712p) resolution and a significantly improved peak brightness of 4,500 nits, one of the highest in this price segment. The refresh rate has been reduced from 144Hz to 120Hz, but for daily usage, the latter is more than sufficient. Curved displays may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they do add to the premium feel of the device. The colours are vivid, the text is crisp, and the contrast ratio is excellent. Couple this display with stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos), and you have a winner in the segment. Outdoor usage is comfortable, and you needn't squint, thanks to 1400 nits high-brightness mode. The display does exhibit a fair amount of reflections and the viewing angles aren't the best (just in case you want to watch the latest IPL match with your co-passenger). It's worth noting that the display is equipped with 'wet touch technology'. It works even when used with wet fingers. Under the hood The smartphone has transitioned from Qualcomm to MediaTek. The Edge 60 Fusion is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor, with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of USFS 2.2 storage. While the smartphone excels in day-to-day tasks, it stumbles while gaming. Motorola just hasn't optimised the chipset for gaming. Many games are locked at 60 FPS, while similarly priced smartphones can achieve 90 or even 120 FPS. Thankfully, the smartphone never gets too hot to handle. Multitasking is handled with aplomb, and if you're a camera enthusiast, you're in luck. The smartphone features a microSD slot, allowing for storage expansion of up to 1TB. This is rare in the mid-range phone, and I'm glad Motorola has kept the flag flying high. Battery life is the Edge 60 Fusion's strongest suit, as the larger 5,500mAh battery shines. I easily got around 8 hours of screen-on-time with my medium-to-heavy usage pattern, and I didn't have to charge the smartphone until lunch on day two. With the 68W fast charger (included in the box), the smartphone can be juiced from 0-100 percent in approximately 44 minutes. Motorola includes a 68w fast charger in the box, allowing you to charge the Edge 60 Fusion from 0-100 percent in approximately 48 minutes. Less than perfect Yes, even after praising the smartphone extensively, there are things I didn't like about it, and I hope they will be improved in next year's successor. Those stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos are merely good on paper. It's acceptable to watch an IPL match with 60 percent volume. Anything above that, or anything with bass and heavy vocals, will get distorted. The cameras are truly a mixed bag. The camera setup is nearly identical to that of its predecessor. There is a 50MP (Sony LYT-700C) primary lens. A 13MP ultrawide lens flanks it. The device features a 32MP front-facing camera. This time around, Motorola has introduced a 3-in-1 ambient light sensor to help with exposure and improve white balance. The problem is not much the camera hardware and the processing. It's with the buggy camera app. It's laggy, unresponsive, and crashes at times. The experience is far from smooth, but something that can be easily fixed with a software update. With the Edge Fusion 60's primary camera, you get photos with punchy and vibrant colours, a good amount of sharpness and good details. It's the post-processing that can oversharpen the image a tad too much. Processing takes a little longer than you'd expect. There are Natural and Enhanced styles of processing. With Natural processing, white balance is mostly fine. Enhanced is essentially unusable, mainly because it takes too long to process and offers no meaningful improvements. The ultrawide is good. It has a narrower dynamic range, and the photos are sharp and vibrant, similar to those from the primary camera. I used the ultrawide a lot more than I thought I would, and I came away impressed. During low-light photography, I noticed that the noise was under control, but the details were missing. There's a lot of oversharpening here, and it feels like Motorola isn't optimising the software to take full advantage of the sensor at hand. Portrait mode shots are decent, with good edge detection (though not perfect) when shooting in daylight. Selfies are acceptable for sharing on social media, but videos appear off because of the colour reproduction (Motorola uses the ancient Rec.601 colour space). Software is something I haven't touched upon because it's nothing to write home about. Hello UI (based on Android 15) offers good customisation and theming options, along with a sprinkling of AI features, but it needs a smoother experience to succeed in this space truly. Bloatware is still present in some places, although it has considerably reduced from previous versions. While most AI features are standard and present across Android smartphones, there is one notable exception: Catch Me Up, a Motorola exclusive that has the potential to be useful. It's there to provide a summary of all the notifications you may have missed but doesn't discuss the notifications you've dismissed. Then there's Pay Attention, Remember This, Canvas AI and more. Motorola has promised three years of OS updates and four years of security patches. Verdict There's the Poco X7 Pro, with its superior performance, which is the Edge 60 Fusion's biggest competition. The only other alternative I can think of is the Nothing Phone (3a), which comes with a unique design and a dedicated telephoto camera. Also read: Nothing Phone 3, 3a review Still, at ₹ 22,999, the Edge 60 Fusion has all the makings of a solid choice for a good budget smartphone. There's the premium build (with IP68+IP69 ratings), excellent battery life, AI cops, and a base variant that comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The pOLED display is bright and vibrant with sharp text, and the camera is good (barring the video quality) for this price segment. Performance is good, and only gamers should look elsewhere. Motorola's Edge 60 Fusion is a solid all-rounder, and as they say, it just gets the job done. It's a no-frills smartphone with a premium design, smooth experience, and reliable battery life. Topics You May Be Interested In
