Author: DA Gadgets

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Nothing Phone 3a Series Price in Europe Leaked Ahead of Launch Next Month

Nothing Phone 3a series is set to launch on March 4 with two models — the Phone 3a and the Phone 3a Pro. Nothing has been hyping up the phones ahead of its anticipated debut. Meanwhile, the pricing of the phones in select European regions has been leaked. The base model in the lineup is said to get a price hike by almost EUR 20 (roughly Rs. 1,800), now costing EUR 349 (roughly Rs. 32,000) for the 8GB+128GB configuration, while the higher configuration may cost more.

Nothing Phone 3a Series Price Leak

In a report, French publication Dealabs highlighted the expected pricing of the Nothing Phone 3a series. The base Phone 3a model is said to be available in 8GB+128GB and 12GB+256GB configurations, priced at EUR 349 and EUR 399 (roughly Rs. 36,000), respectively. Thus, it is likely to follow a similar pricing strategy as the Nothing Phone 2a Plus which was launched around a similar price point. The handset is likely to be available in two colourways — black and white.

On the other hand, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro may be offered in a single 12GB+256GB configuration, costing EUR 479 (roughly Rs. 43,000). If the information provided by the publication turns out to be accurate, it would make the Phone 3a Pro the most expensive non-flagship Nothing smartphone to date. Upon launch, it is expected to be available in black and grey colourways.

The report further suggests that the Phone 3a will be available for purchase starting March 11, while the Pro model’s sale may commence on March 25.

Nothing Phone 3a Series Features (Leaked)

Both models in the Nothing Phone 3a series are reported to share several characteristics, including a 5,000mAh battery, fast charging at 50W, Nothing OS 3.1, and IP54 rating against dust and water ingress. The base model is speculated to sport a 6.77 Inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

The report claims that Nothing will introduce a new “Essential” key with its latest smartphones, which may have multiple capabilities, such as capturing a screen recording or voice recording.

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I’m amazed by the Bose Smart Soundbar’s features for the money, and am also impressed with its Dolby Atmos sound

Bose Smart Soundbar: Two minute review The Bose Smart Soundbar is a great way to elevate your TV experience in the bedroom or other small room. It’s not up to the task of a home theater setup, especially without a subwoofer, but that’s not its purpose. if you’re looking to bring Dolby Atmos sound to a smaller setup, it’s one of the best soundbars you can buy. The Bose Smart Soundbar’s lack of low-end will frustrate action and superhero movie fans and its narrow soundstage keeps it from truly elevating the audio experience, especially when listening to music. However, it still is one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, with two upward-firing speakers that provide a sense of space and immersion that somewhat offsets that narrow soundstage. In a smaller setup, it almost completely masks it. Just as important, this soundbar is stacked with features. There’s an A.I. dialogue mode, Alexa and Chromecast support, plus a whole lot more. My favorite feature lets you use specific Bose earbuds as the rear speakers in a surround sound setup for a unique experience. Unfortunately, those are sold separately. And, of course, the Smart Soundbar has the typical Bose markup, so this is not necessarily a great deal, though I wouldn’t call it overpriced either. If you’re looking to upgrade your TV experience in a smaller space like a bedroom or small apartment, the Bose Smart Soundbar is an ideal option, especially with all the features on hand. Just be willing to shell out some extra cash and be aware of its shortcomings. The Bose Smart Soundbar comes with everything you need to quickly get up and running (earbuds cost extra) (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar review: Price & release date Price: $499.00 / £499.95 / AU$799.95 First available: September 2024 Available in the US, UK, and Australia Having been released in September of 2024, the Bose Smart Soundbar is the newest addition to the company’s soundbar lineup. And at $499.00 / £499.95 / AU$799.95, its price tag is about what one would expect from Bose since you’re paying a little bit for the name. You might get more in terms of features or even a subwoofer and surround speakers for that price if you go with models from other companies, but you might be trading off some quality for those extras. We reported around the time of release that the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds can work as rear speakers for this soundbar. And while that is certifiably a very appreciated feature, you won’t get a pair for free when purchasing the soundbar but will have to pay an extra $299 / £299 / AU$449.95 for the earbuds. The Bose Smart Soundbar and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are available in the US, UK, and Australia. Bose Smart Soundbar review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Dimensions (W x H x D) 27.34 x 2.21 x 4.01 inches (694 x 56 x 102mm) Speaker channels 3.0.2 (plays back at 5.1.4) Ports: HDMI, Optical, Bluetooth, USB, sub out, IR Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Yes Sub included No Rear speakers included No Features Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, Chromecast built-in, A.I. Dialog Mode, Personal Surround Sound via Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, Bose TrueSpace, app support Power and mic control buttons are located on the soundbar’s top surface (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar review: Features Personal Surround Sound (requires optional Bose earbuds) App is easy to navigate and use Wi-Fi and Voice assistant support My favorite feature of the feature-filled Bose Smart Soundbar is Personal Surround Sound, which uses Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds as rear speakers so you can get an actual surround sound experience without needing to use rear speakers. Plus, you can adjust how subtle or strong the effect is in the app as well as boost different settings like center channel level for those with issues hearing dialogue. This feature requires you to purchase Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, however, and they’re not exactly cheap. I particularly liked this feature for gaming. I used Personal Surround Sound while playing Star Wars: Jedi Survivor and found it created a fairly integrated soundscape for the main character to run around in – half the time I couldn’t tell if what I was hearing was coming from the soundbar or the earbuds. In a way, Personal Surround Sound is even better than a traditional surround sound system since you don’t have to be locked into a specific seat to hear all the audio elements in the soundtrack at the proper distance. On the other hand, this feature only works for anyone wearing the earbuds – not exactly great for group viewing. The app, which is easy to navigate and use, has plenty of other features on tap. Of course, there are some basic EQ settings. While there’s no parametric EQ, you can adjust the treble, bass, center channel, and height effect, aka spatial audio. You can even toggle on a Wall EQ setting to adjust for when the soundbar is installed against a wall. Speaking of spatial audio, this soundbar does support Dolby Atmos, and physically reproduces it via those upward-firing speakers. Some soundbars support Dolby Atmos but don’t have any upward-firing speakers, instead using virtual trickery to give a sense of spaciousness. The difference is noticeable. Bose TrueSpace also takes advantage of those upward-firing speakers, upscaling sound so that you’re getting a spatial audio experience even when the source isn’t Dolby Atmos encoded. (It’s like listening to mono audio on a stereo set of speakers.) As far as I could hear, it’s the same audio going upwards as out whereas Dolby Atmos audio has specific elements that are designated height effects. If you’re hard of hearing or just find the modern mixes of movies to be hard to understand, the AI dialogue mode might be the feature for you. It’s supposed to automatically adjust dialogue for clarity’s sake. When testing – I watched the beginning of The Dark Knight for this feature – I found that dialogue was clearer since there was a subtle boost to the midrange where voices typically sit. It wasn’t obnoxious the way some dialog boosting modes are, but it still boosted sounds that sit in a similar frequency range that weren’t voices. It’s not perfectly executed, but still is done well. Lastly, the Bose Smart Soundbar has Alexa support as well as both Chromecast built-in and AirPlay. With Alexa, you can talk to the soundbar the way you would an Amazon Echo, even asking what the weather is or setting a timer. I did find that I had to articulate the wake word a little more for the soundbar to hear me, but that’s not all that big of a deal. During testing, I found the built-in Chromecast and AirPlay to work seamlessly, which is something I always worry about as in the past I’ve had connectivity issues with Wi-Fi streaming on some devices. Features score: 4.5 / 5 The Bose Smart soundbar features two upward-firing speakers for Dolby Atmos height effects (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar review: Performance Light on bass Balanced mids and crisp highs Somewhat narrow soundstage The Bose Smart Soundbar sounds about as good as a soundbar can. You have to remember that these types of audio devices exist mostly for convenience’s sake. With that in mind, let’s discuss its audio limitations. First up is the bass. While I could turn up the bass level in the app, the low-range boost affects the mid-range frequencies. Since there are just some bass ports on the back and no actual subwoofer-specific drivers, not to mention that the drivers are necessarily compact, the lack of a strong bass response is unsurprising. There was no rumble on hand when I tested it with The Batman, The Dark Knight, and Deadpool & Wolverine (400 Blows doesn’t lend itself to testing soundbars). Whenever there are big fights in these kinds of movies, there’s always a lot of very punchy low-end information. But here, all that information is very muted if not gone. At least, there’s a subwoofer output to correct that by adding an external subwoofer, and Bose also offers wireless subs (and surround speakers) that can be paired with the Smart Soundbar. The other parts of the frequency range fare better. The mid-range is not quite rich and full, but it is well-balanced. I generally didn’t need the A.I. dialogue mode, for instance, as the dialogue was consistently intelligible. It also helped that I could boost the center channel level in the app to help with that. The high-end is nice and crisp on the Smart Soundbar. Whether it was the string arrangement in movie scores or even dialogue when I tested it, everything had a nice clarity as opposed to being overly pronounced or even painful to listen to. This soundbar’s soundstage is inherently limited by its form factor. That said, the sound did feel like it has more width than other similarly sized soundbars I’ve tested and used. This was helped quite a bit by the spatial audio capabilities, as everything sounded a little bigger and wider, even though I didn’t hear as much left-to-right movement as I expected. Performance score: 4 / 5 The Bose Smart Soundbar’s main connections are HDMI eARC and optical digital audio, along with a line output for a subwoofer (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar review: Design Upward-firing speakers On-unit controls just for voice assistant No alphanumeric LED display Bose is not breaking the mold design-wise with the look or color of the Bose Smart Soundbar. This is a long rectangular, matte black soundbar with a grill that covers the front and wraps around the side to cover the center tweeter and the racetrack transducers on each end. There’s a grill on the top of the unit as well where the two upward-firing transducers are. Speaking of all those speakers, despite it being technically a 3.0.2 system (the left, right and center speakers along with the two upward-firing ones), the audio decodes at 5.1.4. There are some ports on the back to help with bass but there aren’t any drivers dedicated to the low end. The on-unit controls are fairly limited as just two buttons are sitting on top of the left side for voice assistant support. There’s a microphone button to turn the internal mic on or off and an Alexa action button to interact with Alexa in a few different ways including stopping the feature. Most of the physical controls are available through the remote. You have the usual ones like power, mute, and volume controls as well as three source buttons (TV, Bluetooth, App) and a play/pause button. Nothing too crazy. The remote itself is fairly small and light, which is nice, though its small size makes it the kind of remote that’s very easy to lose. As far as ports go, it has the necessary optical and HDMI ports as well as a subwoofer out, an IR port, and a USB There’s no front panel alphanumeric LED display – something I always wish I had when it’s missing – just an LED light when the soundbar turns on or is listening when listening to a voice assistant command. While I did miss it, I didn’t miss it all that much. Design score: 4 / 5 The Smart Soundbar’s control app gives you access to a wide range of EQ settings (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar review: Setup & usability HDMI eARC connection to TV Easy, app-based setup One-remote use with Roku TVs Setup of the Bose Smart Soundbar is very straightforward, even if it takes just a little longer from beginning to end. If you just want to get to it and don’t care about all the features, connecting the soundbar to either your TV’s optical or HDMI eARC port is most of the work. Put some AAA batteries into the remote (unfortunately not included) and you’re good to go. There are a few more steps if you want to get the full experience. After downloading the Bose app, you pair it to the soundbar (and the Ultra Open earbuds if you have them) and then set up Wi-Fi on the soundbar for AirPlay, Chromecast Built-in and Alexa. The Bose Smart Soundbar is made to pair seamlessly with Roku TVs. Luckily, I have one so I was able to go through the process – just follow the onscreen instructions – which allowed me to use my TV remote for basic functionality. On that note, once Alexa was set up, I was able to manipulate the soundbar just by using the wake word and speaking to it. Setup & usability score: 5 / 5 Using the Smart Soundbar’s Personal Surround Sound feature requires the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (not included) (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar review: Value Features boost value Can get more advanced systems for same price Cheaper standalone soundbars available If you’re looking at features, the Bose Smart Soundbar has a lot going for it with the Personal Surround Sound feature (which, again, requires a separate purchase), A.I. dialogue mode, and app support. For a similar price, however, you can get a 5.1-channel system like the maxed-out version of the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus, which also gives you a subwoofer and rear speakers for true surround sound. As nice as Bose’s personalized surround sound feature is, only one person can use the earbuds at a time. Amazon’s system is lacking features and doesn’t have voice assistant support – not even Alexa. Its audio quality is not quite as crisp, nor does it have the upward-firing speakers of the Bose soundbar. Of course, if you’re on a budget, you can skip the subwoofer and rear speakers and just get the standalone Amazon Soundbar Plus soundbar for $249.99 / £249.99 (about AU$400). Another option is to spend $349 / £299 (originally $499 / £449 / AU$695) to get the Sony HT-S2000, a 3.1-channel standalone soundbar that includes virtual spatial audio and good bass response. It costs a little less for something that gets you 80% of the way there. But again, you’re giving up a lot as it doesn’t have voice assistant support, the personalized surround sound that’s unique to this Bose soundbar, or one of the many other features on hand. Value score: 4 / 5 The Bose Smart Soundbar and Ultra Open Earbuds (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Bose Smart Soundbar? Swipe to scroll horizontally Bose Smart Soundbar Section Notes Score Features From the earbuds’ assisted surround sound to the Alexa support, this soundbar has about all the features you could ask for 4.5 / 5 Performance The bass is a bit on the weak side and the soundstage is lacking, but the mids and highs are very good. Plus, it has real spatial audio 4 / 5 Design Limited onboard controls and no LED display, but this soundbar does come with physical upward-firing speakers 4 / 5 Setup & usability Setting up the Bose Smart Soundbar is about as straightforward as it can be 5 / 5 Value You can get more for your money if you want a subwoofer or surround sound, but there are plenty of features on tap in this all-in-one bar 4 / 5 Buy it if… Don’t buy it if… Bose Smart Soundbar: Also consider How I tested the Bose Smart Soundbar The Nakamichi Dragon with its two subs in my home. (Image credit: Future) I used the Bose Smart Soundbar for a couple of weeks Tested with TV, movies, games, and music I used the Bose Smart Soundbar regularly for a couple of weeks. I watched movies, shows, gamed and listened to music with it. I tested all the various features, especially the Personal Surround Sound feature to see what it could do. After having tested the Bose Smart Soundbar, it still surprises me all that this soundbar has to offer. It’s that feature-packed. This is an ideal soundbar for someone with a smaller, not-quite home theater setup, but who still wants a premium experience, and not just because of the name. I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

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Deva OTT Release Reportedly Revealed: Where to Watch Shahid Kapoor’s Thriller

The Hindi action thriller Deva, featuring Shahid Kapoor, hit cinemas on January 31, 2025. While the film was praised for its cinematography, editing, and Kapoor’s performance, its screenplay and climax received criticism. The film did not perform well at the box office, leading to speculation about its early digital release. With anticipation high, details regarding its OTT premiere have surfaced.

When and Where to Watch Deva

Reports suggest that Deva might stream on Netflix following its theatrical run. Although an official release date has yet to be confirmed, reports indicate that the film is expected to be available on the platform within eight weeks of its cinema debut. Fans eager to watch the film online can expect an announcement soon.

Official Trailer and Plot of Deva

The trailer of Deva generated significant buzz ahead of its release, showcasing high-octane action sequences and intense drama. Directed by Rosshan Andrrews, the film revolves around ACP Dev Ambre, played by Shahid Kapoor, who is tasked with solving a high-profile case. His relentless pursuit of the truth unravels shocking revelations, putting him in a dilemma. The narrative, adapted from the 2013 Malayalam film ‘Mumbai Police’, introduces a fresh climax that sets it apart from the original.

Cast and Crew of Deva

The film features a star-studded cast, with Shahid Kapoor leading as ACP Dev Ambre. Pooja Hegde plays journalist Diya Sathaye, while Pavail Gulati portrays ACP Rohan D’Silva. Pravesh Rana takes on the role of DCP Farhan Khan, Dev’s brother-in-law, and Kubbra Sait is seen as ASP Dipti Singh. Girish Kulkarni plays Minister Jairaj Apte. The film has been produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur under Roy Kapur Films, with Jakes Bejoy composing the background score and Vishal Mishra contributing to the soundtrack.

Reception of Deva

Despite considerable pre-release hype, Deva struggled at the box office, receiving mixed reviews.

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Tesla to Reportedly Begin Selling Imported EVs in India by April, Showroom Locations Finalised

Gemini in Google Meet Can Now Suggest ‘Next Steps’ After Meetings

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Tesla to Reportedly Begin Selling Imported EVs in India by April, Showroom Locations Finalised

Elon Musk’s Tesla has long been rumoured to foray into India’s electric vehicle (EV) market but has faced several hurdles related to localised factory investments, regulations, and high taxes. It has previously lobbied for policy incentives as well as lower import duties. Now, a recent report suggests that the US-based company could finally be gearing up to bring its fleet of EVs to the country, beginning with several imported models being introduced as soon as April. It is also said to have finalised locations for the first two Tesla showrooms in the country, with Delhi and Mumbai likely to have been selected.

Citing industry sources, CNBC TV18 reports that the initial batch of EVs which Tesla plans to sell in India will primarily consist of vehicles imported from its Berlin plant. It is said to target a price tag of under $25,000 (roughly Rs. 22 lakh) for the first Tesla car in the country, a move in line with the company’s plans of introducing affordable EVs facing competition from the likes of BYD in the global markets.

Notably, the Tesla Model 3 is currently its most affordable model, with a base price of $40,000 (roughly Rs. 35 lakh).

The first two Tesla showrooms in India are reported to be located in Delhi’s Aerocity and Mumbai’s BKC, and operations at both locations are expected to commence soon. This move comes amidst the Elon Musk-owned EV maker beginning recruitment for its India operations. Job listings reveal vacancies for service technicians, advisory roles, customer engagement manager, and delivery operations specialist.

High Tariffs

Notably, the Union Budget 2025, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, reduced the basic customs duty (BCD) on imported vehicles costing above $40,000 from 125 percent to 70 percent. Reports suggest that the same could further be lowered following the executive order signed by the US President Donald Trump which imposes reciprocal tariffs on all nations which have high customs duties on US imports. Trump remarked at the high import tariffs in India despite the recent reduction, making it difficult to sell US-made cars in the country.

Although Tesla has not guaranteed manufacturing its EVs in the country, it is reported to have plans of sourcing components worth over $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,690 crore) from India this year, with the number potentially increasing in the coming months.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: A Galaxy of AI

Samsung Galaxy S25 series was unveiled last month as the latest flagship phone from the company. It was one of the first major phone launches in India after the OnePlus 13, and everyone, including me, was eager to see what Samsung had to offer. As it turns out, the South Korean giant stuck to the ‘why fix it if it’s not broken’ ideology, and didn’t really bring any major changes to the phones. Apart from the usual incremental hardware upgrades, the only change was the new design of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the new Galaxy AI features.

However, after using the top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra for a couple of weeks, I believe that it could still be the best all-round flagship Android smartphone of the year, or at least a top contender. The phone starts at Rs. 1,29,999 for the 256GB option. Meanwhile, the 512GB and 1TB variants are priced at Rs. 1,41,999 and Rs. 1,65,999. All variants get 12GB of RAM and are available in a bunch of colour options.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Design: Slimmer and flatter

  • Dimensions – 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm
  • Weight – 218g IP
  • Rating – IP68

One of the first things you’ll notice about the new Galaxy S25 Ultra is its flat frame and rounded corners. It now features a uniform design in line with the rest of the Galaxy S25 series. The flat frame and rounded corners also make the phone more comfortable to hold. While it no longer has a unique design, it also won’t poke your palm within five minutes of use.

galaxy s25 ultra review6 GalaxyS25Ultra Samsung

No more rounded sides

Samsung has used grade 5 titanium for the frame, and you get Gorilla Armor 2 protection on the back. The phone is now slightly slimmer and around 14 grams lighter than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It continues to be IP68-rated for dust and water resistance. I believe Samsung could’ve done better here, as competitors are out there offering better ingress ratings, including OnePlus, which now offers an IP69 rating on the OnePlus 13.

On the front, the Galaxy S25 Ultra continues to offer an anti-reflective coating, which I think more phone manufacturers should do. The front is also protected by Gorilla Armor 2. The bezels on the screen are also slightly slimmer.

galaxy s25 ultra review7 GalaxyS25Ultra Samsung

The anti-reflective coating on the screen means fewer reflections

At the back, the camera rings now feature a different design, and appear to be floating. They are somewhat more protruded than before as well. The flash is in the same location as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Everything else at the back remains the same as before.

galaxy s25 ultra review3 GalaxyS25Ultra Samsung

The camera rings on the Galaxy S25 Ultra are more pronounced

The left frame houses the Volume keys and the Power button, whereas the top houses the speaker grille. You’ll find the USB Type-C port, second speaker, and SIM card tray at the bottom. The bottom left corner has the slot for the S Pen, which now lacks Bluetooth support (sad face). You can no longer use the S Pen as a remote camera shutter or for any air gestures.

galaxy s25 ultra review8 GalaxyS25Ultra Samsung

The hole for the SIM card tray is now on the opposite side

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, and Titanium Whitesilver colours. However, you can also get the phone in Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Jetblack, and Titanium Pinkgold colour options if you purchase it online via the Samsung store. Our review unit came in Silverblue, which gets a hint of blue on the rear panel.

In terms of design, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is premium all around.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Display: Gorgeous as always

  • Size and type – 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, QHD+ resolution
  • Refresh rate – 120Hz
  • Protection – Corning Gorilla Armor 2

The display on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is not a major upgrade from the predecessor, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. It’s still one of the best-looking panels on a smartphone, and it’s now slightly bigger at 6.9 inches. The display supports HDR10+, up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and is protected by Gorilla Armor 2, which is said to be tougher. In my few weeks of use, the screen did not pick up any scratches. Samsung continues to offer a non-reflective coating on the display, which is great when watching content, but it also means that the overall brightness of the panel is affected. While I didn’t have any issues using the phone under direct sunlight, it did appear less bright than, say, the Google Pixel 9.

galaxy s25 ultra review1 GalaxyS25Ultra Samsung

The phone gets a slightly bigger 6.9-inch display

The Galaxy S25 Ultra offers a 120Hz refresh rate and two modes – Adaptive or Standard. You can also choose the colour mode of the display between the Vivid and Natural options. The phone also lets you adjust the screen resolution (HD+, full-HD+, and QHD+) as per your liking. There’s Widevine L1 support as well, so you can rest assured that all Netflix and streaming content will play in full-HD resolution.

The phone offers an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which works just as well as the last one. It’s fast, has almost a zero error rate, and is placed in a really good position. It also works if your finger is wet.

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The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is excellent

Overall, an excellent display, as always, and you’ll love watching content or playing games on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Software: More AI

  • OS – Android 15
  • UI – One UI 7
  • Software support – 7 years

This year’s Galaxy Unpacked event for the Galaxy S25 series was mostly about Galaxy AI. The phones didn’t really get many major updates, but the software certainly did. The Galaxy S25 Ultra runs Android 15-based One UI 7 out of the box and comes with a bunch of new AI features that make the phone more useful. You can read all about the new Galaxy AI features here.

Apart from new AI features, you get the classic One UI look and feel, but with several improvements. There’s a split notification and Quick Toggles menu now, which works similarly to iOS. You can pull down the notifications drawer by swiping down from the left side of the screen, whereas the Quick Toggles show up when you swipe down from the right. However, you can go back to the previous design if this isn’t to your liking.

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The phone will receive 7 years of OS and security updates

The phone also comes pre-installed with Google apps and a few from Microsoft, but there isn’t any bloatware. You can also use the S-Pen included inside the phone to navigate and perform various functions. However, the S-Pen no longer has a battery and therefore doesn’t support Bluetooth functionality, which is a bit disappointing. The pen still supports scribbling, drawing,m and writing with handwriting recognition, but you can no longer use it as a remote for the camera shutter or perform Air gestures.

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The S-Pen no longer supports Bluetooth and lacks a battery

Samsung DeX continues to be available on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and lets you connect your phone to a monitor and use it as a desktop computer.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Performance: Flagship in all sense

  • SoC – Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
  • RAM – 12GB LPDDR5X
  • Storage – Up to 1TB UFS 4.0

This phone is going to last you years, and you will not see any major slowdown in performance even 3-4 years down the line. Yes, it’s that powerful. The 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy CPU may not deliver the same high-end AnTuTu scores as some of the other flagships that are focused on all-out performance (such as the OnePlus 13, iQOO 13, and Realme GT 7 Pro), but everything is super smooth and fast on the phone. There’s no lag whatsoever.

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The Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy SoC makes sure everything is running smooth

I ran our usual set of synthetic benchmarks to see how the phone performed, and below are the results. Do note that all of these tests were done with the resolution set to QHD+.

Benchmark Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra iPhone 16 Pro Max Vivo X200 Pro Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Geekbench 6 Single 3,053 3,203 1,577 1,944
Geekbench 6 Multi 9,832 7,846 6,496 4,667
AnTuTu v10 21,23,303 15,87,059 20,80,659 10,67,971
PCMark Work 3.0 19,266 N/A 16,804 12,922
GFXB T-rex 120fps 59fps 120fps 120fps
GFXB Manhattan 3.1 115fps 59.7fps 120fps 105fps
GFXB Car Chase 94fps 59.4fps 99fps 55fps
3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL Failed to run N/A Maxed Out Failed to run
3DM Slingshot Failed to run N/A Maxed Out Failed to run
3DM Wild Life Maxed Out 8,942 Maxed Out 8,902
3DM Wild Life Unlimited 23,683 N/A 19,834 9,294

The Galaxy S25 Ultra easily outperforms phones such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL, and even the Vivo X200 Pro.

Gaming on the phone is extremely fun, especially thanks to the large display with slim bezels. The phone features the Adreno 830 GPU, and it does a great job of delivering a high frame rate and smooth gaming. The device also doesn’t get hot while gaming or using the camera continuously, thanks to the vapour chamber. I played extended sessions of BGMI and Genshin Impact and the Galaxy S25 Ultra only got warm after about half an hour, but never hot enough to make things uncomfortable.

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BGMI ran at all the highest available settings without any issues

The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a hybrid stereo speaker setup that’s commonly found on most phones. The speakers sound great and get pretty loud. There’s also a bit of bass with no cracking at higher volumes. It’s a solid pair of speakers. The earphone and microphone quality during calls was also quite good. I also didn’t face any network issues, including when using Wi-Fi. The phone offers Wi-Fi 7 support, Bluetooth 5.4, and NFC.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Cameras: Solid cameras with some upgrades

  • Main rear – 200-megapixel, f/1.7, PDAF, OIS
  • Ultrawide – 50-megapixel, f/1.9, PDAF, 120 degree FoV
  • Telephoto 3x – 10-megapixel, f/2.4, PDAF
  • Telephoto 5x – 50-megapixel, f/3.4, PDAF, OIS
  • Selfie – 12-megapixel, f/2.2

The camera setup on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is largely the same as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which was the same as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and so on. However, there’s now a new 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. The selfie camera is also the same as the predecessor. The camera app has been redesigned in One UI 7, with the different camera modes now placed underneath the shutter button.

galaxy s25 ultra review GalaxyS25Ultra Samsung

The phone gets a new 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor

Photo quality from the main camera is excellent in daylight conditions. There’s plenty of detail in the images, and you’ll find the white balance to be on point in most situations. The dynamic range is excellent as well,l and colours are very true to life with little to no over-saturation. Photos appear to be better than the previous Galaxy S24 series, and this could be because of the new ISP in the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Samsung also claims that they’ve made some changes to the post-processing algorithms.

Daylight photos shot using the 200-megapixel main rear camera [Tap to expand]

The telephoto cameras produce good results when there’s plenty of light, but I found the 5x to do better with close-up shots. Nevertheless, both the 3x and 5x cameras deliver good photos with accurate colours and great dynamic range.

3x Telephoto (Top 2), 5x Telephoto (Bottom 2) [Tap to expand]

Portrait photos with the cameras also turn out great, with good edge detection and not too much bokeh. 

You can also shoot photos at 10x, 30x, and all the way up to 100x. The noise levels increase as you go higher up the zoom range. While the 10x and 30x are somewhat usable, the 100x isn’t. Meanwhile, Samsung still does the AI enhancement when you zoom in on the Moon.

Top to bottom: 2 x 10x shots, 2 x 30x shots, 2 x 100x shots [Tap to expand]

The new ultrawide camera is also quite good in daylight conditions, and the colour matches the images from the main sensor. The photos have good exposure,a wide dynamic range, and there’s almost no edge warping.

Ultrawide shots: Top – Daylight x 2, Bottom – Lowlight x 2 [Tap to expand]

Selfies are great, and there’s nothing to complain about here. You get detailed photos with very good dynamic range, almost natural skin tones, and good white balance. The camera does support autofocus, which helps deliver sharper images in all lighting conditions.

In low light conditions, the main camera continues to take good photos, but you’ll find some noise if you zoom in. The colours are good, though, and the exposures are well-maintained. The dedicated Night mode does make things a little better, but the difference is mainly in the sharpness.

Lowlight shots from the main rear camera [Tap to expand]

The photos from the 3x and 5x telephoto cameras are not the best at night, even with the Night mode. There’s a loss of focus, extra sharpening, and images have a lot of softening going on. However, I did find the cameras to offer good colour output. Again, the 5x sensor does a better job somehow, with slightly more detail and better dynamic range.

The ultrawide camera delivers images that have good colours and decent details. The white balance and dynamic range are not too bad. I did find them to be on the softer side compared to the main camera, though.

Video performance on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is really good across all the sensors when the lighting is good. All cameras have the ability to record at 4K 60fps, which is nice. You can also shoot at 8K 30fps on the main, ultrawide, and 5x telephoto cameras. All cameras also support video stabilisation, but the main and 5x cameras handle the bumps the best. The colours, details, and dynamic range are excellent from the main camera. The telephoto cameras aren’t as good as the main sensor, and so is the ultrawide. However, videos from all cameras, shot in daylight conditions, are very usable.

In low light conditions, the main camera still does a really good job. The videos are detailed, the colours aren’t overdone, and the exposures are well-handled. There is some noise in the shadows, though, but nothing bad. The telephoto and ultrawide cameras also do a fine job in the dark, provided there’s good lighting.

Samsung has also introduced LOG recording on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and you get improved 10-bit HDR video recording. There’s also an Audio Eraser feature that’s available in the Gallery app, which very much reminded me of the Audio Eraser that was announced by Google with the Pixel 8 series. In testing, the feature did a good job of removing noise.

Overall, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a really good camera setup, I wouldn’t call it the best in the market, but it delivers consistent performance across all the sensors.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Battery: No upgrades here

  • Capacity – 5,000mAh
  • Charging – 45W wired, 25W wireless

Samsung went with the same 5,000mAh battery that was found on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, however, that’s not really a bad thing. The phone still offers good battery life. In our HD video loop test, the phone lasted for 27 hours and 34 minutes with the brightness at 50 percent, resolution set to QHD+, and refresh rate set to Adaptive. I also ran the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery test on the phone. It delivered a runtime of 14 hours and 9 minutes before the battery hit 20 percent.

galaxy s25 ultra review13 GalaxyS25Ultra Samsung

The phone supports up to 45W fast charging

As for charging, the phone supports the same 45W fast charging as before. Using a 30W charger, the phone hit 52 percent from 0 in 30 minutes. A full charge took about 1 hour and 10 mins. However, you can use a higher-wattage charger and reduce the charge time.

With daily usage, the Galaxy S25 Ultra would easily last me a day and a half or even longer. Under heavy usage, I’d still end the day with 15 to 20 percent battery. The phone also supports 25W wireless charging with Qi 2.1 support.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a really good all-rounder Android flagship that you should buy if you’re coming from a Galaxy S22 Ultra or an older iPhone. If you’re someone with an S23 or S24 Ultra, I’d say you should hold on a bit longer. The phone delivers excellent performance, offers a beautiful display, a versatile set of cameras, a better design, and some usable AI features. It could definitely be a contender for the best smartphone of the year. And no, the new Galaxy AI features aren’t enough to justify an upgrade.

In terms of alternatives, you could look at the OnePlus 13 (Review), iQOO 13 (Review), the Vivo X200 Pro (Review), Oppo Find X8 Pro (Review), or the Pixel 9 Pro XL (Review) from the Android stable. You’ll get better performance and overall value from most of these phones, except the Google Pixel. The Vivo is also a better camera phone. All of these phones are also cheaper. On the Apple side, there’s the iPhone 16 Pro Max (Review), which will offer more or less the same performance across the system and cameras. You could also get yourself a Galaxy S24 Ultra, which will now be cheaper.

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Solar Sail Satellites Could Enhance Space Weather Forecasting and Alerts

Satellites equipped with solar sails may soon improve early warnings for space weather events that could disrupt technological infrastructure on Earth. These sails, which harness light from the sun for propulsion, are being explored as a cost-effective alternative to traditional propulsion systems. Scientists believe this advancement could enhance monitoring of solar activity and provide earlier alerts for geomagnetic storms, reducing potential risks to power grids, satellites, GPS systems, and air traffic operations. Current space weather forecasting systems operate from a fixed point in space, but solar sail technology could allow satellites to move beyond conventional locations for improved data collection.

Advancement in Space Weather Forecasting

As reported by space.com, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Space Weather Observations, which manages operational satellite systems, solar sails could allow spacecraft to travel beyond the Earth-sun Lagrange Point One (L1). This location, approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, provides a stable position for solar observation. Irfan Azeem, Division Chief of the Research to Operations and Project Planning Division at NOAA, told Space.com that solar sails present a more efficient alternative to chemical propulsion, enabling satellites to move upstream of L1 for faster data retrieval. This could extend alert times for geomagnetic storms by up to 50 percent.

New Mission Underway

A project named Solar Cruiser, a collaboration between NOAA and NASA, is focused on developing a full-scale solar sail spacecraft. The sail, spanning 1,653 square metres, is designed to be deployed with four individual quadrants. NOAA has reported that the construction of the quadrants is expected to be completed by February 2026, with plans to secure a rideshare launch by 2029. Scientists are optimistic about the impact of this technology in space weather forecasting, as it could provide earlier detection of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, ultimately improving preparedness for disruptive space weather events.

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Reliance Jio Offers Complimentary JioHotstar Subscription With Rs. 949 Prepaid Recharge Plan

Reliance Jio now offers complimentary access to JioHotstar with one of its prepaid recharge plans. The new streaming platform was created by bringing together JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar and was launched by the company last week. It combines the content library of the two over-the-top (OTT) platforms, in addition to hosting content from various international studios and streaming platforms. While users can subscribe to monthly and annual plans to watch content, Jio subscribers can now gain complimentary access by opting for a specific prepaid recharge plan.

JioHotstar Subscription With Prepaid Recharge

The Rs. 949 prepaid recharge plan on Reliance Jio now offers an ad-supported subscription to JioHotstar for a period of 90 days. The plan has a validity of 84 days and offers benefits such as unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS per day, and 2GB of high speed 5G data per day. After exhausting the daily data allowance, the download speed is lowered to 64kbps.

In addition to JioHotstar, the prepaid recharge plan also provides access to select other Jio apps such as JioCloud and JioTV. JioHotstar’s ad-supported plan starts at Rs. 149 per month. It offers content streaming on one mobile device in 720p resolution. The top-end JioHotstar Premium plan is priced at Rs 299 per month and Rs 1,499 per year.

Reliance Jio claims JioStar features roughly 300,000 hours of content as well as live sports coverage. It will feature content in 10 Indian languages across a wide range of genres and content formats. Viewers will be able to watch movies, shows, anime, documentaries, and live sporting events on the streaming platform.

Existing JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar subscribers will automatically be transitioned to the new platform. The company says these users will be able to set up their JioHotstar subscriptions when logging in for the first time. New subscribers can browse through the platform’s new plans starting at Rs. 149.

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Nothing Phone 3a, Phone 3a Pro Key Features Leaked; Both Phones Said to Get Triple Rear Cameras

Nothing Phone 3a series will be unveiled on March 4. The lineup is expected to include a base and a Pro variant. Nothing CEO Carl Pei has confirmed that the handsets in the series will be powered by Snapdragon chipsets. Notably, the Phone 2a series came with MediaTek Dimensity chips. A new report has now surfaced online suggesting some of the key expected specifications of the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro, including processor, display, battery and camera. Both phones are tipped to get triple rear camera units with telephoto shooters at the back. 

Nothing Phone 3a Series Key Features (Expected)

According to a Smartprix report, the Nothing Phone 3a and the Phone 3a Pro are expected to be powered by the 4nm octa-core Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC. The handsets are expected to sport 6.72-inch AMOLED displays with a 120 Hz refresh rate and carry a 5,000mAh battery each. They are likely to offer an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance. 

For optics, the Nothing Phone 3a and the Phone 3a Pro will have 50-megapixel primary rear sensors alongside 8-megapixel sensors paired with ultra-wide-angle lenses. The base Phone 3a may get a telephoto shooter with a 2x zoom.

Meanwhile, for the rumoured third sensor, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is tipped to get a 50-megapixel 1/1.95-inch Sony LYT-600 telephoto camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS), up to 3x optical zoom, and up to 60x hybrid zoom support.

A recent cryptic X post from the brand is speculated to be a teaser for the rear camera module layout of the upcoming Nothing Phone 3a series phones. One pattern shows three dots horizontally, while the other appears in an L-shaped setup. This could mean that the base and Pro variants of the lineup will likely not be identical and come with differing back panel arrangements. 

With introductory offers included, the Nothing Phone 3a may be priced in India under Rs. 25,000, while the Phone 3a Pro is expected to cost around Rs. 30,000. The launch is slated to take place globally on March 4, including in India. It will be available for purchase in the country via Flipkart. Notably, the UK-based OEM recently confirmed that the Nothing Phone 3a series handsets will be produced at its manufacturing plant in Chennai.

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Google TV just lost some more of its free streaming channels, but it’s not all bad news

Google Freeplay is axing some TV channels, and bringing back others Out TV Proud and Shades of Black both return after a few weeks away Freeplay’s channel list has still shrunk overall Google TV users may notice a few changes to the platform’s Freeplay service this month, with a number of free TV channels leaving and arriving in quick succession. We’re saying goodbye to some seasonal Christmas channels, including Xumo Holiday Movie Channel, Xumo Holiday Classics, and Xumo Christian Christmas – all of which arrived in time for the Christmas season and are unlikely to see much traction for the coming nine months (via 9to5Google). Although, honestly, we all know people who would happily watch those Hallmark holiday movies all year round, don’t we… But for anyone sad about losing some free channels, there is some good news here too. A pair of channels that were removed from Freeplay earlier in February are now returning to the service to make up for it. After a brief absence, Shades of Black – the “Black culture, entertainment and lifestyle” channel formerly known as Fuse Beat – is now back on Freeplay, alongside the LGBTQ+ network Out TV Proud. These channels were part of a major cull to Google TV’s Freeplay, alongside The Hill TV, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan, the Dove Channel, Comedy Dynamics, the Bob Ross Channel, Dazn Ringside, and Dazn Women’s Football. However, it seems like their absence only lasted a couple of weeks, even if the remaining seven channels are still nowhere to be seen. (We’ll miss you, Bob Ross). Google Freeplay now has around 160 free channels after a major cull earlier in 2025. (Image credit: Google / 9to5google) What’s the issue? Google TV Freeplay is a big perk for US customers using Google’s smart TV operating system, packing in over 160 free channels that cover everything from documentary channels and sports to Bollywood movies and true crime. 2024 saw a steady increase in the number of channels available, eventually peaking around 170, though it seems Google is starting to curate that list a little more intentionally in the new year. Freeplay is just one of the major players in FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming Television) these days. TV viewers can now watch oodles of free TV shows and films on the likes of Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. As Netflix raises its subscription prices once again, and it becomes even harder to juggle all the best TV shows across a splintered streaming market, many people are embracing free, ad-supported TV that doesn’t put a big monthly dent in their spending budget. And as long as your favorite channels don’t suddenly disappear, there should still be plenty of Google TV Freeplay for you to enjoy throughout 2025. Let’s just hope Google’s AI news summaries don’t end up replacing them. You might also like

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Crypto Scams Likely Set New Record in 2024, Helped by AI: Chainalysis

The rise of “pig butchering” scams and the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence likely lifted revenues from crypto scams to a record high in 2024, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

Revenue from pig butchering scams, where perpetrators cultivate relationships with individuals and convince them to participate in fraudulent schemes, increased nearly 40 percent in 2024 from the previous year, the firm estimated in a report published on Thursday.

Revenue in 2024 from crypto scams was at least $9.9 billion (roughly Rs. 85,996 crore), although the figure could rise to a record high of $12.4 billion (roughly Rs. 1,07,711 crore) once more data becomes available, it said.

“Crypto fraud and scams have continued to increase in sophistication,” Chainalysis researchers said.

The company pointed to marketplaces that support pig butchering operations and the use of GenAI as factors making it easier and cheaper for scammers to expand operations.

Indeed, GenAI technology could potentially “exponentially scale crypto scams”, Chainalysis said.

The company, which tracks publicly available transaction data on the blockchain to identify scam revenue, said crypto fraud activity grew 24 percent each year on average since 2020.

Cryptocurrencies, most notably Bitcoin, have soared in price and popularity over the past few years as investors chased banner returns and interest in blockchain technology soared.

The sector has jumped significantly since US President Donald Trump’s victory in the November election on hopes of an easier regulatory environment.

Other particularly lucrative scams included crypto drainers, where scammers pose as blockchain projects and take control of victims’ crypto wallets, and high-yield investment scams that promised outsized returns, according to Chainalysis.

In January 2024, a crypto drainer posed as the US Securities and Exchange Commission after the regulator’s X account was compromised.

Cryptocurrency ATMs have also been key hotspots for scams, according to Chainalysis, with perpetrators often impersonating government officials or customer support agents to convince victims to deposit cash into the machines.

© Thomson Reuters 2025

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)