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Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
5 hidden iPhone features I swear by - and you will love too
Many of you use iPhones and might have been using them for countless years. Perhaps you have never even used an Android phone, and you swear by an iOS device. That said, over the years, Apple has introduced several new features, some of which you may not even be aware. Some solve real-world problems, whilst others simply exist for aesthetics and quality of life. iOS 18 introduced a slew of new features that everyone should use.(Shaurya Sharma - HT) Here, let us tell you about five underrated features on your iPhone that you may not be using or have heard of. Please note that this feature list is only applicable for iOS 18 and phones with the TrueDepth camera system. 1. Show Vehicle Motion Cues - iOS 18 This feature exists to reduce motion sickness. So, if you are vulnerable to experiencing motion sickness whilst you are in a moving vehicle, you can simply enable this feature by going into Settings, then into Accessibility, Motion, and then turning on Show Vehicle Motion Cues. You can also leave this setting on 'automatic,' so the dots will appear on your display if your phone detects that you are in a moving vehicle. This reduces motion sickness to a large extent. MOBILE FINDER: iPhone 16 LATEST Price And More 2. Haptics During Music - iOS 18 Recently, Apple released a haptic trailer for the F1 film, and this got everyone excited because they could actually feel the rumble in their iPhone as the cars went by. But what if I told you that you could do this in the Music app as well? This feature is called Music Haptics, and this is again available in Accessibility, under Hearing. You can enable Music Haptics, and then, if a song supports it in the Music app, you will be able to feel the haptics when the song plays. We tried this with 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran, 'Blinding Lights' by The Weeknd, and a whole lot more. This makes the whole musical listening experience a lot more immersive, especially if you are holding your phone. The haptics actually sync with the beats of the music, and this is what makes it so immersive. There are subtle ticks; the haptics increase and decrease in intensity. It is just something you have to experience for yourself. 3. Limit Your Charging - iPhone 15 And Later It has been said time and again that you should not really charge your phone fully to 100% or keep it plugged in where it stays at 100%. This has reportedly been proven, time and again, to damage your battery's health. So, if you want to protect your battery's health, you can limit the charge. You can do this by going into Battery settings, then into Charging, and then setting a charge limit to 80, 85, 90, or 95%. Of course, you would want to set it to 85 or 90 per cent in order to make it work for you. 4. Play Ambient Music from Your Control Centre - iOS 18.4 If you are in the mood for some relaxation, your iPhone with iOS 18 allows you to play ambient sounds right from the Control Centre. All you have to do is open the Control Centre, long-press, then tap on Add a Control. Now, scroll down and you will see an option called Ambient Music. You can quickly add various shortcuts like Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Well-being. You can simply tap on these shortcuts from the Control Centre, and as soon as you do, music will start playing in the background. 5. Lock an App - iOS 18 You can actually lock an app behind the biometric of your choice. So, if you have an iPhone with a FaceID sensor or an iPad with a Touch ID sensor, you can lock an app by long-pressing it on the home screen and then tapping on Require FaceID or Touch ID, respectively. Once you tap that, your iPhone will ask if you require Face ID or want to hide the app and require Face ID. This brings more privacy to the iPhone and is especially handy if someone wants your phone to do something and you do not want them snooping around your private data.
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Nothing Phone 3 overpriced? Three mobiles with Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC at less than half the price
The Nothing Phone 3, along with the Headphone 1, launched yesterday on 1 July. The brand has notably launched a flagship phone for the very first time, which also happens to be the successor to the Nothing Phone 2, launched almost two years ago. Poco F7 (left), Realme GT 7 (right).(Shaurya Sharma / HT) Expectations for this phone have been quite high, but popular sentiment online suggests that people are unhappy about the price: ₹ 79,999 for the base model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That said, the primary dissatisfaction stems from the fact that, despite being positioned as a flagship, the phone ships with a processor that isn't flagship-grade: the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which can, in fact, be found in phones that cost several thousand rupees less. Now, if you're looking for a phone with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 but aren't keen on spending ₹ 80,000, we've got you covered. Here are two alternatives from other brands that feature the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and offer a similar set of specifications. There's also a third model, but it's not yet available in India. Read on for the details. Poco F7 The Poco F7 was launched last month in June. For ₹ 31,999, you get 12 GB of RAM alongside the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset and even UFS 4.1 storage. If you want the phone for performance-centric needs, for your gaming, and want a huge 7,550 mAh battery, a triple IP rating, and a glass and metal finish with a large display, the Poco F7 is certainly a phone you should have a look at. However, do note that it has Xiaomi's HyperOS 2, and there will be a lot of bloatware to deal with. Luckily, most of it is uninstallable, so if you can work with Xiaomi's HyperOS 2, the Poco F7 is definitely a great option. iQOO Neo 10 The next option on the list is the iQOO Neo 10, which was also launched in India recently. For the base model, you have to pay ₹ 31,999, which comes with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. You can also opt for the 12 GB RAM plus 256 GB storage option, and that will set you back ₹ 35,999. This phone also packs the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, and it too, like the Poco F7, gets a super-large battery in the form of a 7,000 mAh cell. The display is certainly a highlight, being 144 Hz, so you can, in theory, play games at 144 FPS if they are supported. There is also a large vapour cooling chamber that helps keep temperatures down for long hours. Xiaomi Civi 5 Pro (Not Available In India) Xiaomi Civi 5 Pro, which could come to India as the Xiaomi 15 Civi, is expected to be the successor to the Xiaomi 14 Civi and feature Leica optics. It, too, gets the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset and comes with a 6.55-inch display, a triple camera setup tuned by Leica, and a large 6,000 mAh battery. Again, this is not available in India as of now, and there is no word as to when or if it will launch in the country. However, the good news is that the last-generation model, the Xiaomi 14 Civi, did make its way to the Indian market. MOBILE FINDER: iPhone 16 LATEST Price In India
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Forget power banks, smartphones with massive 8,500 mAh batteries coming soon
We have seen phones coming out recently with huge batteries. We're talking 7,000 mAh and even 7,550 mAh in some cases. It is safe to say these are notably larger than what we see in flagships these days, which top out at around 5,000 to 6,000 mAh. Poco F7 comes with a 7,550 mAh battery, and the Realme GT 7 sports a 7,000 mAh unit.(Shaurya Sharma / HT) This expansion has primarily been attributed to advancing silicon-carbon tech, which makes it possible to include larger capacity batteries in a smaller surface area. This is why you are seeing huge batteries in smartphones that are, more or less, a similar size to normal phones. But what if we told you that there could be plans in the future to bring even larger batteries, with as much as 8,500 mAh capacity? This information comes from the tipster Digital Chat Station. 8,500 mAh batteries in phones: What we know so far The tipster, citing supply chain sources, says that the battery capacity of upcoming next-generation smartphones could reach as much as 8,500 mAh for single-cell designs by next year, 2026. There is also preliminary research at the lab stage, where 9,000 mAh batteries are seemingly being tested. Now, how will these batteries gain such a huge capacity without increasing in size? Well, it could primarily lie with the fact that the silicon content in these batteries could increase from the current percentage, which revolves around 10%, and this may be boosted to around 25 to 30%. There is also potential talk about metal-shell batteries, which also offer larger capacity, but the volume remains the same. So, all in all, this is good news for people who want no battery anxiety and who do not like to charge their phones. But the interesting part is that we have already had smartphones with 7,500 mAh batteries, so this is definitely not a far-fetched dream. These smartphones already offer huge batteries If you think about large batteries in phones released recently, a few names immediately come to mind. The Poco F7 was released earlier in June, and it offers a huge 7,550 mAh battery. You can check out the unboxing here, as well as the comparison with the Realme GT 7. Speaking of the Realme GT 7, it is another phone with a massive 7,000 mAh battery. So, if you think about it, we have already seen huge batteries in phones, and all of these are notably powered by silicon-carbon batteries. The direction that the smartphone industry is taking in this regard already seems to be towards large batteries becoming a reality. MOBILE FINDER: iPhone 16 LATEST Price
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Big batteries, big fight - Performance, design and more compared
The era of performance-centric phones with upwards of 7,000mAh batteries is here, thanks to silicon carbon tech. The Indian market has seen two launches in the same category, with the Poco F7 launched recently, as well as the Realme GT 7, which also launched last month in May. Now, both phones more or less follow the same key formula: maximum specs for a minimum price. Poco F7 (left), Realme GT 7 (right).(Shaurya Sharma / HT) This is why both are performance-centric. Both are designed to pack in a lot of hardware for budget to mid-range pricing. We have used both phones for a solid while: the Realme GT 7 for almost a month and a half and the Poco F7 for a couple of weeks as well. Now I can take you through what I liked about both phones, how they compare, and where they go ahead of each other. So, if you are confused between the two, considering they are priced quite similarly, with the Poco F7 coming in at ₹ 31,999 and the Realme GT7 coming in at ₹ 39,999. Both phones pack new chipsets from rival companies. The Poco F7 gets the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, while the Realme GT 7 gets the MediaTek Dimensity 9400e. Now, both are 4nm chipsets, but it's worth noting that the Realme GT7 comes with up to 16 GB of RAM, while the Poco F7 in India is limited to 12 GB. The storage type also differs, with the Realme GT 7 having UFS 4.0 storage, while the Poco F7 gets UFS 4.1 storage. In terms of synthetic benchmarks, we have taken both phones through them. The Realme GT7 scored a multi-core score of 7,238 and a single-core score of 2,210 in the Geekbench 6 CPU Benchmark, while the Poco F7 with its Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip scored a multi-core score of 6,210 and a single-core score of 1,978. So, in terms of both, the Realme GT7 is a little ahead in terms of the Geekbench scores, but in terms of real-world performance, you will have no problems using either. Both fly through their respective operating systems. But one thing worth noting is that the Realme GT 7 supports 120 FPS in games like BGMI, while the Poco F7 supports 90 FPS for now. Having said that, during the press briefing conducted by the brand, they mentioned that they were working with Krafton to bring 120 FPS support. Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Camera Now, when it comes to the optics, both phones sport different setups, with the Realme GT 7 offering a triple camera setup compared to the dual camera setup of the Poco F7. This difference is majorly attributed to the addition of a telephoto lens with the Realme GT 7, which the Poco F7 misses out on. So, the Poco F7 gets a 50MP main wide camera and an 8MP ultrawide shooter, while the GT 7 gets a 50MP main wide camera, a 50MP telephoto 2x camera, and an 8MP ultrawide shooter. Poco F7 gets a dual camera setup while the Realme GT 7 gets a triple camera shooter.(Shaurya Sharma / HT) Now, on paper, the Realme GT 7 certainly has an advantage when it comes to the possibilities you have with it. It makes for a more diverse camera setup. But talking about the images from the main camera, both phones offer reliable output. In daylight, both offer sharp results, in mixed lighting as well. But we've observed that the Realme GT 7 often results in photos with much less noise, especially while shooting in extreme low light. Having said that, the colours do look better on the Poco F7. The highlights, although, are better controlled on the Realme GT 7. All in all, both feature quite competitive camera setups, but if we have to pick one, the Realme GT 7 wins it. Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Build quality and display Coming to the build, we have had access to the Realme GT 7 in both its special edition Aston Martin Edition, as well as its IceSense Blue colour. And the Poco F7 we have is in the limited edition colourway. From what we can tell, the Poco F7 certainly feels more premium out of the two. It has Gorilla Glass 7i on the back as well as the front, and the sides are metal. Whereas the Realme GT 7 has a plastic back as well as a plastic frame, so it certainly misses out on the premium feel. But the Realme GT 7 is more comfortable in the hand because of its lighter weight. Both phones have large displays, with the Poco F7 getting a 6.83-inch panel and the Realme GT 7 sporting a 6.78-inch panel. As for the display itself, we think the Realme GT 7 goes ahead with its LTPO AMOLED panel, which can reach a whopping 6,000 nits of peak brightness. We feel it also renders colours better. Both also have Gorilla Glass 7i protection. Both are also protected using IP ratings. The Poco F7 gets an IP68 plus IP69 rating, and the Realme GT 7 also has an IP69 rating. So, all in all, it depends on what you prefer. If you want something more comfortable in the hand, the GT 7 certainly takes it. But if you want premium materials, the Poco F7 is certainly ahead in this regard, but you should know that it is quite heavy, coming in at above 220 grams for the Indian variant. Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Battery life Now, finally addressing the elephant in the room, battery life with both phones has been excellent. Both phones are the latest entrants in the 7,000 mAh battery club in India. The Realme GT 7 gets a whopping 7,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery and supports 120W wired fast charging and 7.5W reverse wired charging. While the Poco F7 certainly one-ups this with its huge 7,550 mAh battery for the Indian model. It is also silicon-carbon and supports 90W wired charging and 22.5W reverse wired charging. Now, both have large batteries, but in terms of real-world testing, we think the Poco F7 certainly has an advantage of 10 to 15 percent in real-world use. While the GT 7 could go on easily for two days, we typically had to plug it in by the end of the second day, but with the Poco F7, it could go beyond that, and consistently at the end of the second day, we ended up with around 10 to 15 percent battery life left. But again, both are excellent performers, and you can't go wrong with either. Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Verdict Now, after using both the phones, there are two key areas where both phones differ. The first one is the software, and the second one is the camera setup. When it comes to software, both phones are running on their respective skins on top. The Realme GT 7 runs on Realme UI 6.0, based on Android 15, while the Poco F7 runs on Xiaomi HyperOS 2.0, based on Android 15. Now, what I feel is that the Realme UI 6.0 is definitely lighter and more pleasing out of the two. The haptic feedback is also better integrated. Plus, there is a lot less bloatware that comes with Realme UI compared to the Poco F7. So, in terms of software, I think the Realme GT 7 takes the win here. But Xiaomi's HyperOS 2 isn't far behind either. It is quite feature-rich, but Xiaomi should have got rid of the bloatware to begin with. Yes, it is uninstallable, but it does present a jarring experience when you just boot the phone. Finally, the cameras. Here in this regard, the Realme GT 7 does offer more thanks to its telephoto camera, but it is worth noting that the Realme GT 7 is also the more expensive out of the two. The Realme GT 7 costs ₹ 39,999, while the Poco F7 can be bought for around ₹ 32,000. So, if the camera is not a priority for you, the Poco F7 could be a better option. It sports a premium display, a premium design, and certainly the best-in-class battery life and performance. So, there you have it. If you want to save money and opt for a phone that costs around ₹ 30,000, go for the Poco F7. But if you want a good camera experience alongside performance, pay the extra premium for the Realme GT 7.
