Tag: Gadget News

When it comes to choosing a smartphone, durability and reliability are often top priorities. You want a device that can handle everyday mishaps, stay connected no matter where you are, and keep up with your daily demands without running out of battery. In the world of smartphones, OPPO has earned its reputation as the most preferred brand for durability, and the F Series stands as a true testament to that. With the recently launched F29 Series, OPPO has once again raised the bar, setting new standards for toughness. Starting at just Rs. 23,999, the F29 and F29 Pro are built to perform perfectly in real-life scenarios, making them OPPO’s most reliable smartphones yet.

Durability Tested Like Never Before

OPPO’s new F29 Series is designed with real-life durability in mind, pushing the boundaries of smartphone strength. After rigorous testing conducted by SGS India in Bengaluru, these phones have earned top-notch international certifications, including IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings. This means they effectively guard against dust, survive immersion in water up to 1.5 meters deep for half an hour, and even powerful, high-temperature water jets.

Think about the accidents that happen daily, spilled coffee during a busy morning, juice knocked over by kids, or your phone accidentally slipping into a sink full of soapy dishes. Unlike most phones that would immediately fail and stop responding, the OPPO F29 Series stays fully functional, resisting damage from as many as 18 common liquids, including soda, beer, soap water, and even hot springs.

To your surprise, OPPO has thoughtfully equipped a handy One-Click Drainage function that enables you to quickly clear out water from the speaker. Amazing, isn’t it?

Built Tough for Real-Life Scenarios

We put the OPPO F29 Series through the kind of chaos any phone would face in everyday life, and it outperformed our expectations.

To test durability, we dropped it from a regular staircase (about 1.5 meters high). It bounced, landed hard, and still powered on without a single crack. The damage free 360 degree Armour body, reinforced corners clearly do their job, and the cushioning inside helps absorb shocks better than you’d expect. The phone’s frame is made from aerospace-grade aluminium alloy (AM04), which is 10% stronger than previous generations. So, we’re not saying go around dropping it, but if it slips out of your pocket while getting out of the car or falls off your desk, it’ll be just fine.

We also made it go through a few messy scenarios that involved keys, coins, and rough tabletops. The front, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in F29 Pro, and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i in F29 came out without a scratch. The rear panel, made with high-molecular fiberglass, held up well too. It doesn’t feel like a fragile phone, and that’s a rare thing these days.

The camera bump is usually where a lot of phones get scratched up, but here, the lens protection ring actually made a difference. We kept it face down on rough cafe tables, benches in park, even office floors, and there were no scratches on the lens.

Beyond drops and scratches, we wanted to see how it’d handle extreme environments. So we used it during a hot afternoon out in the Delhi sun, then again on a rainy day with humidity pushing 90%. The F29 Series didn’t heat up, glitch, or struggle at all.

OPPO says it’s passed 14 Military Standard MIL-STD-810H-2022 environmental tests, and honestly, after the week we put it through, we believe it.

Unmatched Connectivity Wherever You Go

Struggling with poor network connectivity is incredibly frustrating, whether you’re deep in rural areas or navigating bustling city streets. To address this, the F29 Series introduces New Hunter Antenna architecture that offers an impressive 300% improvement in signal strength.

OPPO’s exclusive antenna tech covers 84.5% of the device, meaning stronger, more consistent signal, no matter how you hold the phone. It also supports 4×4 MIMO, which basically allows for multiple data streams at once. Think of it like upgrading from a two-lane road to a four-lane highway, uploads, downloads, and video calls feel faster and a lot more stable, even in weak network zones.

There’s also Smart Network Switching that further ensures your phone automatically connects to the strongest signal available, minimising disruptions during important calls, video streaming sessions, or intense gaming moments.

We also tested out OPPO’s AI LinkBoost 2.0, which kicked in especially well when walking into network dead zones like underground parking lots or elevators. The signal didn’t completely drop, calls didn’t cut off, and videos buffered less.

For gamers, the Game-exclusive Wi-Fi Antenna really helps. Holding the phone in landscape mode usually blocks antennas on many devices, but here, we played for nearly an hour and didn’t face any lag.

The F29 Series is also TÜV Rheinland-certified for high network performance, and in our tests, that checked out. We tried making WhatsApp calls, watching YouTube, and uploading photos in signal-challenged areas like old residential buildings and basement cafés. Compared to other phones in the same price range, the F29 Series was always faster.

For those working outdoors, like delivery partners, Outdoor Mode boosts brightness, keeps the screen on longer, and improves performance for apps like Zomato or Swiggy. It even switches to loudspeaker if you’re not using a headset.

And if you’re wearing gloves, Glove Mode lets you use the screen without taking them off. We tried it with wool and cotton gloves, and it worked without fuss.

Powerful Battery That Lasts All Day

Running out of battery is a common stress, but OPPO F29 Series lets you stay worry-free all the time. The F29 Pro comes equipped with an impressive 6000mAh battery which has been designed to maintain same performance for up to five years. Backed by OPPO’s cutting-edge 80W SUPERVOOC_TM charging tech, the phone can instantly recharge from 0% to 62% in just 30 minutes and a 100% in approximately 54 minutes, hence making it super ideal for those constantly on the move.

However, the F29 isn’t far behind. It packs a larger 6500mAh battery largest battery ever in F-Series with 45W SUPERVOOC_TM charging capability, reaching an 80% charge within roughly one hour and fully charged in just 84 minutes. Also, both variants offer reverse charging, allowing you to easily share battery power with other USB-C compatible devices during those urgent situations.

Capturing Moments Underwater and Beyond

Photography is another key strength of the OPPO F29 Series. With dedicated underwater photography capabilities, you can effortlessly capture stunning pictures and videos underwater at depths of up to 1.5 meters. Whether you’re on vacation or just exploring, this phone lets you capture underwater beauty clearly and vividly.

AI-powered camera features further enhance photography. Tools like AI Livephoto, AI Unblur, AI Reflection Remover, AI Clarity Enhancer, and AI Eraser allow anyone to create professional-quality photos easily. From capturing concerts clearly to removing unwanted reflections from windows, these features make every shot perfect.

 Powerful Performance and Immersive Display

The OPPO F29 Pro comes with the high-performance MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy processor, delivering smooth multitasking, lag-free gaming, and efficient battery use. The OPPO F29 sports the reliable Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, ideal for everyday tasks, social media, and moderate gaming, offering a perfect balance between power and efficiency.

Both models feature a stunning 6.7-inch AMOLED display, reaching up to 1200 nits of brightness, great for use in sunlight. The screen refreshes at 120Hz and has 93.5 screen-to-body ratio, making animations silky-smooth, while the built-in stereo speakers offer an immersive audiovisual experience with a 300% Ultra Volume mode.

Stylish, Comfortable Design

Despite their unmatched toughness, the OPPO F29 Series phones are impressively slim and lightweight. The F29 Pro weighs just 180 grams, while the F29 remains around 185 grams, each under 8mm thick, making them easy to hold and carry.

The F29 Pro comes in two striking colours: sophisticated Marble White and sturdy Granite Black, each inspired by natural looks. Meanwhile, the F29 offers stylish choices like Solid Purple and Glacier Blue, ensuring there’s something for everyone.

Smart AI Tools for Productivity

Powered by ColorOS 15, the OPPO F29 Series comes with powerful advanced AI tools to simplify your daily tasks and boost productivity. With features like AI Summary, you can effortlessly get short and simple summaries of long articles. The Screen Translator tool easily breaks down language barriers by translating text in real time. Also, AI Writer helps you craft extremely polished emails and messages, streamlining your everyday communication. The integration of Google Gemini AI ensures you always have intelligent assistance available right on your phone.

Conclusion

The OPPO F29 Series stands out when it comes to toughness, connectivity, battery life, and photography, all without breaking the bank. Carefully designed and rigorously tested with everyday Indian scenarios in mind, the OPPO F29 and F29 Pro deliver exceptional durability and reliability starting at Rs. 23,999. Whether you’re dealing with accidental drops, staying connected in tricky areas, or needing a battery that lasts all day, these phones handle it effortlessly. They’re built to be durable companions that you can count on in everyday life.

Price and Availability

The  OPPO F29 5G is priced at Rs. 23,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, Rs. 25,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant and is already up on sale. The OPPO F29 Pro 5G is priced at Rs. 27,999 for 8GB + 128GB variant, Rs. 29,999 for 8GB + 256GB variant and Rs. 31,999 for 12GB + 256GB variant. The Pro version will go on sale starting 29^th March 2025 at 6:00 PM (IST) and both Pro and base variant will be available across Flipkart, Amazon, OPPO e-Store along with mainline retail outlets. So, go grab your device right now!

Android 16 Developer Preview 3 (DP3) for Pixel smartphones was released last week. It adds a new feature which makes unlocking the phone with the inbuilt fingerprint sensor more convenient, according to a report. The feature is said to allow Pixel users to use the fingerprint unlock sensor even when the screen is turned off. It was first introduced with the Android 16 DP2 update in December but was said to be limited to the Pixel 9 series. The latest update expands the feature all Pixel handsets with an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Unlocking the Pixel on Android 16 DP3

At present, the Pixel’s screen needs to be awake in order for the in-display fingerprint sensor to function. Although there is no direct option to enable it, there are some workarounds, such as turning on the always-on display or using the tap to wake feature. However, this limitation is set to be removed with Android 16.

According to an Android Authority report, the Android 16 DP3 adds a new setting called Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock on all Pixel phones with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The feature’s description states that it can be “toggled to use fingerprint unlock even when the screen is off”. Once enabled, users will be able to tap on the fingerprint reader and it will be illuminated, verifying their biometric credentials and unlocking the phone.

It is reportedly found under Settings > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Fingerprint Unlock.

The same feature was first introduced in December with the Android 16 DP2 update. However, the publication reports that the latest update expands its availability. It is reported to have been tested successfully on the Google Pixel 6a. While previously it required an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor to work, it remains unknown if this criteria has been removed with the Android 16 DP3 update. Notably, the Google Pixel 9 series are the only Pixel handsets to use an ultrasonic sensor. Meanwhile, previous models up to the Pixel 6 utilised an optical fingerprint reader for biometric authentication.

Google Pixel 10 series is rumoured to be in development as the successor to last year’s Pixel 9 lineup. Ahead of its anticipated debut, a report suggests that the company may leverage a graphics processing unit (GPU) developed by UK-based Imagination Technologies in the Tensor G5 SoC to power its purported smartphones. It could reportedly use DXT-48-1536 GPU which supports features such as scalable ray tracing, RISC-V firmware, and 2D dual-rate texturing.

Google Pixel 10 Series GPU

According to an Android Authority report, Yang Yanling, a postgraduate student, created a blog post to discuss the RISC-V and integration with Imagination GPU IP following the RISC-V Day Tokyo last month. The initial, unedited version of the text contained information about the processors using Imagination GPUs, with one of them being the in-development Tensor G5.

The GPU developer itself shared the blog post although the text has since been edited to remove any references to the purported chip. However, screenshots suggest that Google could use Imagination Technologies’ DXT-48-1536 GPU. Introduced for premium handsets, this GPU can deliver ray tracing in several configurations and performance points using its ray acceleration cluster (RAC).

It also supports improved graphics performance without reducing the visual quality courtesy of Fragment Shading Rate (FSR). As per the company, it decreases the number of fragments processed, making ray-traced effects more efficient. The GPU is also claimed to have 50 percent more top-end compute and texture performance per SPU (Scalable Processing Unit) compared to the previous generation. All these features are speculated to improve the graphical fidelity of the purported Google Pixel 10 series.

Past reports suggest that the Tensor G5 SoC may come with significant changes related to the always-on compute (AoC) audio processor, the Google Emerald Hill memory coprocessor, the Google GXP (DSP), and the Google EdgeTPU. It is speculated to be fabricated using TSMC’s 3nm process technology instead of Samsung Foundry, delivering performance and efficiency improvements over the Tensor G4 which powers the Pixel 9 series.