Tag: Computers

Poco is getting ready to launch a brand-new C-series smartphone. As the successor of the Poco C55, the Poco C65 is set to launch on November 5, which is next week. In addition to confirming the launch timeline, the brand has also shared insights on early-bird pricing.

As per the announcement, the Poco C65 with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage will be available to early birds at US$109. On the other hand, the version with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage has an early bird pricing of US$129.

Confirmed and Unconfirmed Specs of the Poco C65

Besides confirming the price and variant information of the Poco C65, the brand has confirmed some specs. The upcoming smartphone will feature the MediaTek Helio G85 chipset. It’s the same SoC as the Poco C55. But you can’t really hold the phone against it. The chipset has proven to be a great performer for the budget.

The Poco C65 will also feature a 50 MP main camera on the back alongside two secondary sensors. Also, the back features an updated camera island design, which makes the phone look pretty sleek.

Other than these, the rest of the specs that are not confirmed yet are the display, battery, and charging capabilities of the Poco C65. But, as per the official poster, the phone appears to have the same design as the Redmi 13C. Based on this speculation, the Poco C65 could come with a 6.74-inch IPS screen.

This screen of the Redmi 13C has a 90 Hz refresh rate and an FHD+ resolution. In addition, the Poco C65 could feature a 5000 mAh battery with 18-watt fast charging support. If these unconfirmed specs match, the new Poco phone will basically be a rebranded Redmi 13C. And this wouldn’t be the first time Xiaomi rebranded its smartphone under different names. We’ve seen it happen multiple times in the past. For example, the C55 was a rebranded Redmi 12C with a slightly refreshed design.

The long-awaited Snapdragon X Elite was announced recently, and Apple, without losing a beat, unveiled a new family of M3 chipsets. The Snapdragon X Elite has been developed by the Nuvia team, formed by ex-Apple engineers, and later acquired by Qualcomm. It features the new Oryon cores, which are set to challenge Apple in the laptop segment. So in this post, we compare the Snapdragon X Elite vs Apple M3 with deep analysis of CPU, GPU, NPU, and more.

We have also compared the performance and discussed the Geekbench scores for both Snapdragon X Elite and Apple M3. So, without any further ado, let’s jump in.

Note: For this comparison, we are using Qualcomm’s Reference device (QRD), which is powered by the Snapdragon X Elite chipset. The Snapdragon X Elite has been showcased in two thermal profiles — 23W and 80W, the difference being boost in clock speeds across compute units. However, the 12-core CPU remains the same across both variants. And on the M3 side, we are using the Apple M3 Pro as reference for better parity in comparison. It comes with 12 CPU cores and 14/18 GPU cores.

Specification Comparison

	Snapdragon X Elite	Apple M3 Pro
Fabrication Process	TSMC’s 4nm	TSMC’s 3nm
Transistors	Not known	37 Billion (M3 Pro)
CPU Cores	12 cores	12 cores on M3 Pro
CPU Cluster	12x high-performance cores	6x high-performance + 6x efficiency cores
Max Frequency	3.4GHz (23W) Dual-core boost up to 4.0GHz (23W) 3.8GHz (80W) Dual-core boost up to 4.3GHz (80W)	Up to 4.05GHz
GPU	New Adreno GPU	Apple’s next-gen GPU
GPU Cores	Not known	14 or 18 cores
TDP	23W and 80W (two profiles)	Not known
Neural Engine	Hexagon NPU 45 TOPS	Up to 16 cores 18 TOPS
Unified Memory (RAM)	Up to 64GB	Up to 36GB
Memory Bandwidth	136GBps	150GBps
RAM Type	LPDDR5X	LPDDR5
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE	Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3
Modem	Snapdragon X65 5G modem (optional and discrete)	Exact specs not known
Others	AV1 encode and decode	AV1 decode

CPU: Are Nuvia Cores Better?

Let’s compare the CPU of the Snapdragon X Elite and Apple M3 first. The Snapdragon X Elite is fabricated on TSMC’s proven 4nm process node. The chipset features 12 high-performance Oryon cores and does not pack any efficiency cores. It has a tri-cluster design with four cores packed in three tiles.

Qualcomm has showcased the X Elite in two thermal profiles for different use cases. For thin and light Windows laptops, the 23W profile is suitable. And for high-performance laptops, the Snapdragon X Elite can be configured up to 80W.

So with varying power plans, there are different clock speeds, although the CPU core count remains the same. The 23W variant of X Elite has a maximum clock speed of 3.4GHz, and two cores can boost up to 4.0GHz during intensive workloads. On the other hand, the 80W version of X Elite has a maximum frequency of 3.8GHz and two cores can be boosted up to 4.3GHz. With more power, Qualcomm has the leverage to squeeze more performance out of the Snapdragon X Elite with increased clock speeds but the same amount of cores.

Coming to the Apple M3 series, and the M3 Pro in particular is developed on the TSMC 3nm process node, which results in 37 billion transistors on a single die. Just like the Snapdragon X Elite, the M3 Pro also packs 12 CPU cores, however, it features 6x high-performance cores and 6x efficiency cores. We don’t know the power profile of the Apple M3 Pro, but the older Apple M2 Pro operated between 20W to 30W at 3.5GHz. According to early Geekbench score leaks, the family of M3 chips appears to have a maximum clock speed of 4.05GHz.

Now, we need to ascertain whether Apple has increased the operating power of the new M3 chipsets or not. But looking at the clock speeds and the Geekbench scores, it seems like the 80W version of the Snapdragon X Elite seems to have defeated the Apple M3 Max in single-core tests. We have compared the Geekbench results in detail below and there is more nuance to it, so read on to understand how the CPU performs on both chipsets.

Snapdragon X Elite vs Apple M3: Geekbench 6

Qualcomm recently unveiled Geekbench 6 scores for both 23W and 80W versions of Snapdragon X Elite. The X Elite (23W) scored 2,741 in the single-core test and 13,021 in the multi-core test. Keep in mind that the Snapdragon X Elite is elevating the clock speed to 4.0GHz during single-core workloads.

Similarly, the X Elite (80W) scores 3,238 in the single-core test and 17,181 in the multi-core test. Here, due to the increase in power, the clock speed goes up to 3.8GHz along with a dual-core boost of 4.3GHz, so the Snapdragon X Elite can draw more performance with the same amount of cores. Also, bear in mind that benchmarking apps generally perform better on Linux than on Windows.

	Max Frequency	Single-core	Multi-core	Platform
Snapdragon X Elite (12-core, 12P, 23W)	3.4GHz / 4.0GHz Dual-core Boost	2741	13021	Windows
Snapdragon X Elite (12-core, 12P, 80W)	3.8GHz / 4.3GHz Dual-core Boost	3238	17181	Linux
Apple M3 (8-core, 4P+4E)	4.05GHz	3095	11724	macOS
Apple M3 Max (16-core, 12P+ 4E)	4.05GHz	3151	20463	macOS
Apple M2 Pro (12-core, 8P+4E, 36W)	3.5GHz	2643	14210	macOS

Moving to the M3 chipset, the base M3 with 8 cores (4P + 4E) running at 4.05GHz scores 3,095 in the single-core test and 11,724 in the multi-core test. If we compare the single-core result of the 23W version of X Elite (running at 4.0GHz) with the base M3, which is also running at 4.05GHz, then Apple M3 seems to have better performance cores. In the multi-core test, we cannot compare the scores since both have different core counts.

If we compare the M3 Max having a 16-core CPU (4.05GHz) with the 80W version of the Snapdragon X Elite with 12 CPU cores (up to 4.3GHz), then the latter outranks Apple’s chipset. In the multi-core test too, with just 12 cores, the Snapdragon X Elite comes very close to the M3 Max in the benchmark scores. However, we should also consider the power envelope of both processors. Since we do not have info about the operating power consumption of M3 chipsets, we can’t make a solid judgment right now.

Having said that, it appears the Oryon CPU on the Snapdragon X Elite is on par with the Apple M3 CPU. They are close to each other and as Qualcomm adds more cores, it will be able to compete with Max and Ultra chipsets as well in the multi-core test. Not to mention, the Snapdragon X Elite is better than the older Apple M2 Pro chipset at less power. So finally, we can conclude that in the Windows ecosystem, we have an impressive ARM-based chipset that can compete with Apple’s latest and greatest M-series SoCs.

GPU: Apple or Snapdragon?

In our comparison between A17 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, we found that 8 Gen3’s Adreno GPU is both more powerful and efficient than Apple’s new mobile GPU. But, does the Adreno GPU have the prowess to defeat Apple’s next-gen GPU developed on newer architecture for M-series SoCs? Let’s find out.

The Snapdragon X Elite comes with an integrated Adreno GPU onboard. We don’t know how many GPU cores Qualcomm has deployed on X Elite, but it can perform 4.6 TFLOPS, which is higher than the 10-core GPU (3.6 TFLOPS) on the base M2 chip from last year.

However, Apple has taken its GPU to the next level this year with the M3 chipset. It has introduced a new GPU architecture and has also brought support for ray tracing and Mesh Shaders. Not to mention, Dynamic Caching is supposed to make graphics performance even better on macOS with proper memory management.

Apple is planning to make macOS a powerful gaming platform, which is something the Cupertino giant has missed out on for many years. As things stand right now, the GPU on the Apple M3 chipset seems to be powerful, and Qualcomm needs to do more to entice the gaming community to move from x86 to an ARM-based Windows platform.

Having said that, Qualcomm released some GPU benchmark numbers for the X Elite in comparison to the older Apple M2 chipset. The Snapdragon X Elite (80W) achieved 44.5 FPS in the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme test whereas the Apple M2 (core count not provided) achieved 40.8 FPS.

In the Aztec Ruins benchmark test, the X Elite (80W) scored 350 FPS and the M2 scored 295 FPS. It seems like the Adreno GPU on the Snapdragon X Elite beats Apple M2’s 10-core GPU, but it possibly won’t outrank the M3 GPU, especially with higher GPU cores.

ML and AI Engine

As we transition to the AI age, the competition in the silicon industry is heating up to deliver the best on-device AI experience. Qualcomm has packed its powerful Hexagon AI Engine on the Snapdragon X Elite and it can perform 45 TOPS (trillion operations per second). But what’s even more impressive is that when using all the compute units together including CPU, GPU, NPU, and Sensing Hub, it can deliver 75 TOPS. Not to mention, it can generate 30 tokens per second while running a 7B LLM model.

In comparison, the 16-core Neural Engine on the Apple M3 chipset can only perform up to 18 TOPS. It’s quite puzzling that Apple’s A17 Pro, a mobile chipset with 16 Neural Engine cores can perform 35 TOPS, but Apple’s latest M-series processors are limited to just 18 TOPS. However, with the M3 family, you get an option of 128GB Unified memory to load large language models whereas you can only run models up to 64GB on X Elite. Simply put, in terms of on-device AI capability, the Snapdragon X Elite is far ahead of the Apple M3.

Memory Speed Comparison

The Snapdragon X Elite uses 16-bit 8-channel LPDDR5X memory, and it supports capacity up to 64GB. It has a memory bandwidth of 136GBps. On the other hand, as we mentioned in our Apple M3 vs Apple M2 comparison, the memory has been downgraded on the M3 Pro specifically. Apple is using a 192-bit memory bus (down from 256-bit), which reduces the LPDDR5 memory bandwidth to 150GBps from 200GBps.

Besides that, you can configure up to 128GB of memory on the M3 Max. Despite all of that, you’ll get better memory speed on the Apple M3 Pro than the Snapdragon X Elite.

Connectivity and More

The Snapdragon X Elite comes with the latest connectivity options. It includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and LE support. Laptop makers also have the option to add a 5G modem to bring an always-connected PC experience. Qualcomm has said that its discrete Snapdragon X65 5G modem can be paired with the Snapdragon X Elite. Not to forget, Snapdragon X Elite supports AV1 encoding and decoding for efficient video streaming and processing.

On the Apple M3, you get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, but there is no support for mobile connectivity on the go. You will get AV1 decoding support, but can’t encode videos with AV1 codecs.

Has Qualcomm Finally Beat Apple?

As far as Oryon CPU cores are concerned, it appears Qualcomm has truly one-upped the competition and rivals the new Apple M3 chipset. The Nuvia team has managed to deliver powerful performance even at a lower TDP of 23W, which is amazing. In the GPU department, Qualcomm needs to make big changes to compete with a laptop-grade chip. Currently, it can only compete with the older M2 10-core GPU, which is not bad as such.

More than that, Qualcomm now needs to work with the developer community to bring gaming support to the ARM platform. Windows is already the choice for gamers, and if Qualcomm wants to succeed and replace x86 as the preferred hardware platform, it needs to work on software compatibility more than hardware along with Microsoft. Finally, in the NPU and connectivity departments, Qualcomm is already leading the race and setting a benchmark for on-device AI experiences.

Overall, there’s just one conclusion that we can make; whether it’s Qualcomm or Apple, it’s time for ARM to shine bright for years to come. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below.

Oukitel, a renowned brand in the rugged phone industry, is making significant strides in launching new devices and innovations to capture a larger market share. Leveraging the excitement of the Double 11 shopping frenzy, Oukitel is introducing a 12-inch OT5 smart tablet with a powerful MediaTek G99 processor and 11.000 mAh battery. The official premiere sale will start on AliExpress from November 11th 2023 until November 17th.

12-inch TÜV SÜD-Certified Display Protects Users’ Eyes

The Oukitel OT5 smart tablet boasts an impressive 12-inch display with 2K resolution and an 86% screen-to-body ratio. Ensuring users can fully enjoy expansive and vibrant visuals. To prioritize user well-being, the screen is certified by TÜV SÜD to filter out harmful blue light as well. This promotes eye protection and provides additional comfort, especially in low-light conditions. Parents can also find peace of mind knowing that the tablet is safe for children to use. The OT5 tablet also offers a convenient split-screen feature, allowing users to multitask effortlessly by simultaneously using two apps.

Powerful MediaTek G99 Chip, 11000mAh Battery, and 36GB RAM Expansion

Apart from its stunning display, the Oukitel OT5 packs some serious hardware as well. It features a robust MediaTek Helio G99 processor, which boasts an Antutu score of up to 413,423, 51.15% faster than the Unisoc T616 commonly found in other smart tablets. The tablet is also equipped with a high-capacity 11,000mAh battery, providing up to 1,200 hours of standby time. Moreover, the base RAM capacity of 12GB can be expanded up to an impressive 36GB through virtual allocation, showcasing superior performance compared to other tablets in its class. Furthermore, the OT5 tablet offers ample storage with 256GB of ROM, expandable by up to 2TB using a MicroSD card.

 

Vibrant Color Options and Enhanced Aesthetics

 Measuring 278.5*174*7.5mm and weighing just 560g, the OT5 tablet is available in three vibrant colors – gray, blue, and green. It showcases a tech-driven chipset canvas in the camera area, enhancing the tablet’s overall aesthetic appeal and elevating the user experience.

Pricing and Availability

The launch price for Oukitel OT5 will be just $199.99 on AliExpress. During the premiere sale from November 11th to 17th, the first 300 buyers can also enjoy a $20 coupon from the OUKITEL Official Store. Bringing the price down to $179.99. Moreover, customers can also take advantage of an additional discount from AliExpress, reducing the price even further.

The Finals open beta is in full swing, bringing the ultimate team-based, destructive environment mayhem to the masses. This first-person shooter has managed to amass a huge fanbase after showcasing its impressive gameplay. But, like most free-to-play titles, there are lots of guns and gears to unlock. And like most games, some of these weapons are better than others. But the Finals has divided the weapon pool across its three classes, making the decision quite difficult.

There’s nothing to worry though, as we have listed the 6 best weapons currently available in The Finals game. We have talked about each weapon’s damage, usability, and overall handling. So, with that said, let’s dive in and get to defeating the Ultra Rares!

1. Flamethrower (Heavy)

• Class: Heavy
• Clip Size: 30
• Reload Time: 3.5 seconds

Playing the heavy class is all about rushing right into the face of your opponents. And in situations like that, you need a weapon that deals the ultimate damage in short bursts in large quantities. The Sledgehammer does that job great, but it can look bland. Fortunately, you can unlock probably one of the best weapons in heavy’s arsenal.

The Flamethrower is a high-damage weapon with a range and damage output better than the sledgehammer. You just need to click the fire button and push the enemy. The fire spread is so large that there is a good chance that a few of your opponents will burn to death. And there is no proper counter to this weapon outside of evading, which is tough, and flanking.

In one instance, I picked this gun and immediately rushed inside a building with four opponents, dealing so much AoE damage that at least two of them immediately died because of the cramped area. Hence, use the Flamethrower if you are in an enclosed place. So, if you want to enjoy playing a heavy build, consider unlocking this weapon.

2. SA1216 (Heavy)

• Class: Heavy
• Clip Size: 16
• Reload Time: 3 seconds

Let’s say you are playing the heavy class and want something that allows you to play a little defensive but also allows you to attack when the time is right. Then, the Flamethrower and the Sledgehammer are out of the question, as they are predominately a weapon for an aggressive playstyle. In such cases, your best friend is the semi-automatic SA1216. You can clear a whole room of enemies with ease if you are using an SA1216. And because of the rate of fire, you can consecutively shoot bullets out of it faster than other weapons.

The SA1216 range is pretty low, like most other weapons in the arsenals of a heavy class. However, it contains impressive stopping power per bullet. I managed a modest kill count at a time when I had to assist my team in holding off opponents while cashing out. While the recoil control certainly felt wonky after three-odd shots, some controlled bursts took out enough players quickly. And when you consider a heavy player’s health, you have a chance of becoming a scary opponent.

3. FCAR (Medium)

• Class: Medium
• Clip Size: 20
• Reload Time: 2 seconds

Mediums are the all-rounder characters in The Finals. They have good health and arguably some of the best weapons. And the one gun you should definitely unlock is the FCAR assault rifle. While its weapon handling is lower than an AKM, it compensates for that by putting out a better damage-per-bullet. I’ve instinctively opted for the FCAR over the AKM simply because of its Holo attachment, its rate of fire, and the range.

Furthermore, the FCAR feels good to handle when you control its fire bursts. It allowed me to take out a light with some well-placed shots within 10 bullets, all by controlling the recoil.

Furthermore, unlike the AKM, the FCAR has a holo attachment. This means that you get a better range when shooting distant targets. The damage of FCAR is so good that you can almost one-clip mag a medium and take out 70-75% of health off a heavy. So, if you play medium and you want a gun that allows you to take care of enemies effortlessly, try this one.

4. SR-84 (Light)

• Class: Light
• Clip Size: 6
• Reload Time: 3 seconds

If you are playing an FPS, there has to be a sniper, and in the case of The Finals, the sniper is with the light class. The SR-84 is a long-range sniper, which does a super job. It allows you to shoot a light character from a distance and kill it with only one bullet on hitting a headshot. Furthermore, it does impressive damage against enemies like medium and heavy, taking most of their health away with a well-placed bullet.

The reason why this gun is so good is because of its hitscan behavior. The bullet velocity is impressive, and a skillful shot will always, for the most part, hit the opponent and do a good chunk of damage. However, since this is a bolt-action sniper rifle, one bullet missed means a few second’s worth of reload animation. This, unfortunately, opens you up to immediate attacks from enemies. However, if you think you’re competent enough with a sniper (possibly a PUBG veteran) to take down opponents from a distance, try out the SR-84.

5. R .375 (Medium)

• Class: Medium
• Clip Size: 6
• Reload Time: 2.15 seconds

One of my two favorite guns in The Finals is the R.375, a six-bullet revolver that has one of the best stopping powers in the game. It comes unlocked by default for the medium class in-game and is an all-rounder great weapon to take out enemies in quick succession. A well-placed shot on the head can eat out at least 70-80% of health, depending on the class.

I once took out a medium-class enemy with three shots on the head using an R.375, effectively winning against their AK assault. Similarly, emptying a whole drum of this gun on a heavy managed to get them close to the end. Additionally, this has an impressive range of attacks compared to other handguns in-game. Choose this if you prefer using guns that can damage with a well-placed shot.

6. V9S (Light)

• Class: Light
• Clip Size: 24
• Reload Speed: 1.3 seconds

The V9S is one of the most overpowered weapons in the Finals right now. Yes, this is one of my favorite weapons in the light class for, well, obvious reasons. For one, V9S is a jack-of-all-trades weapon. On close-range, you can take out your opponents without any problems like a sub-machine gun. At a distance, you can time your shots and take them out with some accurate shots. A well-placed headshot will only take out 30% of health. However, because of its fast rate of fire, consecutive shots will eat up most of the opponent’s health quickly.

If you use this gun and pick evasion as your skill, you might become one of the most annoying players in-gamel; which is what I did. I paired V9S with the evasion skill and what resulted was consecutive kills while being a swift player.

Be it a heavy, a medium, or a fellow light, killing any of them felt like child’s play because of this gun. Because the recoil is standard, you won’t feel the annoyance of missing shots if you start shooting near the neck area. The V9S allows you to counter almost any weapon in-game with ease, as even the movement accuracy penalty is negligible. A must-try and unlock if you are playing a light class in any match.

And these are our picks for the best weapons in The Finals game during the open beta. So, which of these weapons are you running? Which is your favorite one? Is there any gun that you think should be added to this list? Let us know in the comments below.

While it may not seem like it, open-ear earbuds can truly deliver the ultimate environmental awareness paired with superior comfort. I’ve realized that by trying out the OneOdio OpenRock S. Now, Anker is entering the market with its Soundcore AeroFit lineup.

It’s Anker’s first open-ear earbuds that bring a lot to the table for the price. To be exact, the Soundcore AeroFit is US$130, while the AeroFit Pro boasts a price tag of US$170. They are currently available in Black, with three additional color options on the horizon. Nonetheless, for the price, both earbuds offer superior performance.

Design and Sound Performance

Both the Soundcore AeroFit models build on an open-ear design that lets you stay completely aware of your surroundings. Unlike the in-ear earbuds, the speakers of these buds do not block your ear canal. Instead, they sit just outside of your ears. But this design doesn’t make the earbuds sound poor.

Instead, both the Soundcore AeroFit earbuds come with a robust driver setup that offers thumping bass and hi-res audio. The regular version has 14 mm drivers, while the Pro model features 16.2 mm titanium-coated dome drivers. With directional acoustic ports, Soundcore’s AeroFit earbuds can deliver high-quality sound directly to your ears.

Thanks to the unique design, the AeroFit earbuds can take care of sound leakage. And with lower sound leakage, these buds’ audio output sounds richer and more detail-filled.

In addition, the Soundcore AeroFit Pro comes with LDAC. The hi-res codec enhances the sound performance of the earbuds even further. Plus, there’s a built-in spatial audio feature. It comes with head tracking, allowing you to get a truly immersive audio-listening experience.

That said, none of the Soundcore AeroFit earbuds come with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). After all, ANC requires a sealed fit, which is something that these new buds are not after. Instead, you get “Open Air Transparency,” a fancy term that Anker is using to say that the buds are open to ambient sound.

Connectivity and Comfort Level of Anker Soundcore AeroFit Earbuds

Both the Soundcore AeroFit and AeroFit Pro come with Bluetooth 5.3. This brings the advanced wireless features that most of the high-end buds in the market come with. For example, you get the Multipoint Connection feature, enabling you to connect multiple devices to the earbuds simultaneously.

Comfort-wise, open-ear earbuds already deliver better comfort than in-ear buds. They don’t block your ears, leaving them open. But Soundcore AeroFit takes things to the next level with a highly ergonomic design. Both the buds come with an adjustable stem, which allows you to get superior fit and comfort.

In addition, the AeroFit Pro comes with an adjustable neckband. It’s an optional accessory that you can use to get better stability, allowing you to carry out outdoor activities with complete peace of mind. Yes, some open-ear earbuds already come with a neckband. But the fact that Soundcore’s earbuds have an adjustable and detachable band is a plus.

On the note of outdoor activities, the Soundcore AeroFit buds have an IPX7 rating, while the AeroFit Pro has an IPX5. Thanks to that, both earbuds can handle splashes of water and sweat without any issues.

Calling Performance and Battery Life

The battery life and calling performance of both the buds are great. You can get up to 46 hours of playtime from the Soundcore AeroFit Pro, while the regular version can offer 42 hours of runtime.

Anker has integrated a total of four microphones in both the AeroFit earbuds. Powered by AI algorithms, these microphones can pick up your voice with high clarity. That means you can take a call even in the not-so-idea environments.

Intel has today released new Arc graphics drivers to deliver better overall performance and includes optimizations for the latest games. We are talking about the latest Intel Arc #31.0.101.4952 graphics drivers. This is a major driver update for Team Blue’s first-gen Arc GPUs.

New Intel Arc 31.0.101.4952 GPU Driver Released: Details

The latest Intel Arc graphics driver delivers up to 750% better performance in DirectX 11 games. For the DX12 API, it is up to 50% faster than before. Intel has been putting in the work and its GPUs are steadily becoming better with each update. By the way, for those unaware, Intel’s Arc graphics card lineup consists of the Arc A770, A750, and A380. There is a newly launched A580 too.

Talking about the GPU driver’s patch notes, we can see that a staggering 750% improvement occurred in the Halo Master Chief Collection. Two more notable games where the performance improved significantly are Yakuza 0 (154% FPS gain) and World War Z (~113% FPS gain). Returnal, a DX12-based game that was previously a PlayStation exclusive, witnessed a 53% FPS gain with the latest Intel GPU driver.

You can check out the full patch notes of the Intel Arc driver here. These new drivers also bring optimizations and official support for a few new games. Some of these include Call Of Duty Modern Warfare III, The Talos Principle 2, and Robocop: Rouge City. To update your GPU drivers, check out our dedicated step-by-step tutorial linked here.

What are your thoughts on the new graphics driver update to Intel GPUs? Aren’t the performance gains quite exciting? Let us know in the comments below.

Prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared an intriguing update regarding iPhone production, with a notable shift towards India on the horizon. Kuo’s insights suggest that the New Product Introduction (NPI) for the upcoming iPhone 17 is likely to kick off in India. Signifying a significant departure from the longstanding tradition of initial manufacturing in China.

iPhone 17 Production Shifts from China to India

In the year 2023, a substantial 12–14% of all iPhone shipments worldwide will roll off the production lines in India. The lion’s share of this manufacturing endeavor, approximately 75–80%, will be by Foxconn, a major player in the tech industry. Moreover, we expect these numbers to rise. With estimates pointing to a robust 20–25% of iPhones ‘Made in India’ by 2024.

So, this transition dovetails with a simultaneous scaling down of production in China, notably impacting Foxconn’s facilities in Zhengzhou and Taiyuan. Projections indicate a reduction of 35–45% and 75–85% in these locations, respectively, by the year 2024. This shift is also due to Luxshare’s expanding share of iPhone production. And its commitment to advancing automation on the production lines.

The standard iPhone 17, which will launch in the latter half of 2025, will commence production in India during the latter half of 2024. This represents Apple’s maiden foray into creating a new iPhone model outside the confines of China. The rationale behind this strategic move is grounded in the iPhone 17’s reduced design complexity, thereby mitigating design-related risks.

Also, Apple will join forces with Tata Group as an iPhone assembler. Leveraging Tata’s acquisition of Wistron’s iPhone production lines in India. This collaboration underscores Apple’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with the Indian government.

In the grand scheme of things, this strategic maneuver holds the potential to fortify future iPhone and product sales in India. It is positioned as a pivotal element in Apple’s growth strategy over the ensuing decade. Marking a noteworthy paradigm shift in iPhone production and international business dynamics.

Ever since Apple announced macOS Sonoma, the brand-new and big features remained in the limelight. So, you may have probably heard about desktop widgets, Safari profiles, and more. There are several macOS Sonoma features that Apple didn’t mention on stage at WWDC 2023. And these features can make a big difference and make your life a lot easier.

I have been using macOS Sonoma on my MacBook Pro since its beta days and have come across some hidden macOS Sonoma features that deserve the spotlight. So, without any ado, let’s check out these cool new features.

1. Combine Dictation with Manual Typing 

While macOS has had the dictation mode for ages, the latest update takes this mode a step further. Earlier, you had to choose whether you wanted to use your keyboard or let your Mac do the typing by listening to your voice. But with macOS Sonoma, you can use both dictation mode and keyboard typing simultaneously to boost your productivity. Here’s how you can activate this feature:

• Open the System Settings on your Mac running macOS Sonoma and head over to the keyboard settings.
• Now, scroll to the Dictation section and enable the toggle next to the Microphone icon.

2. Grocery List in Reminders App

Among other Reminder app features like Kanban board, the latest macOS Sonoma significantly improves the app, allowing you to create a grocery list on your Mac for stress-free shopping. You can keep your items sorted in categories and set priority levels so you don’t miss out on anything when you visit a store.

So, no more multiple visits to a bakery as your bread, pastries, cookies, and other similar items are grouped together. How convenient, right? Moreover, with an organized shopping list, you won’t have to spend too much on things you don’t need. It’s noteworthy that this hidden macOS Sonoma feature is available on iOS 17 as well.

3. FaceTime Video Call Effects

If you love the animated effects in the Messages app on iPhone and Mac, you should know that you can now use similar effects on FaceTime or even Zoom calls with macOS Sonoma. Apple’s new macOS Sonoma update brings on-screen effects and reactions to the FaceTime app. It fills up your screen with super cool AR animations and 3D effects that will blow your mind. While the reactions are similar to what we have been using in Messages, FaceTime effects come with an exciting twist – you can trigger them with gestures rather than words.

4. Create Personalized Safari Profiles

While Safari was always considered one of the best web browsers out there, one feature that several users have been anticipating for a long time was the ability to create profiles to organize their workflows and interests. However, with macOS Sonoma, Apple has finally added the ability to set up Safari profiles on Mac for work, entertainment, news, and much more. Each profile will have a separate history, extensions, favorites, cookies, and tab groups.

5. Automatically Lock Private Browsing Window in Safari

If we consider what sets Apple apart from any other brand, then it would be its focus on user privacy. And with macOS Sonoma, Apple has stepped up on their Privacy game as you can now lock your private Safari browsing window. Simply put, Safari will automatically lock your private browsing window when you are not using it. Here’s how:

• Open the Safari browser on your Mac and click on Safari in the menu bar.
• Then, click on Settings in the drop-down menu.
• Here, move to the Privacy tab and click the check box next to Private Browsing to turn the feature on.

6. Activate Siri with Just “Siri” Voice Command

If not the best, Siri can be considered one of the best voice assistants out there. While we are accustomed to invoking the voice assistant by saying “Hey Siri” for a long time, macOS Sonoma allows you to change the wake phrase for Siri on your Mac. Now, you can just say “Siri” instead of “Hey Siri” to access the voice assistant on your Mac.

7. Sensitive Content Warning

The internet is a dangerous place, so it is crucial to be vigilant in protecting yourself from certain online content. Using the new Sensitive Content Warning feature in macOS Sonoma, you can protect yourself from unsolicited explicit pictures. To top that off, not only does this hidden feature work in iMessage, but it also works well with third-party apps to give you control over your privacy, no matter which app you use.

Here’s how you can turn on the Sensitive Content Warning feature in macOS Sonoma:

• Open the System Settings on your Mac and head over to Privacy & Security settings.
• Now, scroll down and click the Sensitive Content Warning option.
• Here, enable the toggle next to Sensitive Content Warning to turn ON the feature.

8. Add Safari Web Pages as Apps in Dock

While you could always add a Safari web page to your home screen on iPhone, the same functionality was missing on Mac. But, with macOS Sonoma, you can now add a Safari web page in your Mac’s dock, and it will simply work as a web app on your Mac. Here is how you can add a Safari web page as an app to your Mac’s dock:

• Open the Safari browser on your Mac and go to your preferred web page.
• Now, click the Share button at the top right, and click the Add to Dock option in the drop-down menu.

9. Improved Autocorrect and Predictive Text

The Autocorrect and Predictive text features are known for simplifying the typing process and making digital communication more efficient and accurate for users. However, both features can sometimes behave in a notorious way to provide unexpected and unintended results.

To combat the issue, macOS Sonoma underlines the corrected word to give you a cue and an opportunity to roll back unwanted corrections. Predictive text emerges in line with whatever you are typing, with the suggestion appearing in a lighter shade of gray.

10. Caps Lock Indicator

It’s easy to accidentally press the Caps Lock key, especially if you are a fast typer. This can often result in an entire sentence or paragraph being typed in uppercase, which can come across as shouting during online communication.

To address the issue, Apple has added a blue marker below the text you’re typing in the macOS Sonoma to indicate that the caps lock is turned on, minimizing the possibility of incorrect case typing.

11. Aerial Screen Savers

With macOS Sonoma, you can get aerial wallpapers from around the world. The aerial wallpapers have this little effect that goes from your lock screen wallpaper to your desktop wallpaper. It is like all just flow into one and looks cool, and you can also shuffle screen saver settings for rotating through various themes like land and cityscape.

Honestly, screensavers on macOS have been kind of meh over the last few years. So, for me, this is an excellent feature, as I keep switching from the lock screen to the home screen a lot. I like that look of how it kind of flows into one, so maybe you will do the same thing.

12. View PDF in the Notes App

With macOS Sonoma installed, you can now view any PDF in its entirety without any interruptions, as it takes the entire width of the Notes app interface. This can also help you boost productivity as you can save multiple PDFs within a single note on your Mac or MacBook. This makes it easier to access all the relevant documents you require.

13. Catch Up Arrow in the Message App

Do you also feel frustrated when you have to go through countless messages in a conversation in the Messages app? Well, not anymore. The macOS Sonoma has added a useful feature named “Catch Up Arrow” in the Messages app. Now, whenever you accidentally miss a message in a conversation, you can click the visible catch-up arrow, and it will take you to the beginning of the conversation.

14. Swipe to Reply

Another new feature that macOS Sonona brings to the Messages app on Mac is that it has made it a lot easier to reply to a text. You can now reply to a message by simply swiping right over it, making it easier for you to start a conversation in the Messages app.

15. Add a Large Clock to Screen Saver/ Lock Screen

Along with aerial screen savers, macOS Sonoma also gives you the ability to add a large-sized clock to your Mac’s screen over the running screen saver. Not only this, you can even choose to add a large clock to both the screen saver and the lock screen. Here’s how:

• Open the Lock Screen settings on your Mac.
• Here, choose the “On Screen Saver and Lock Screen” option from the drop-down next to “Show large clock”.

16. Set Communication Preference

With macOS Sonoma running on your Mac or MacBook, you can choose what promotional emails and communications you wish to see from Apple, including but not limited to announcements and recommendations. You can either choose what to receive or can completely block those communications. Here’s how:

• Open the System Settings on your Mac, and click your Apple ID at the top.
• Here, locate and click the Personal Information option.

• Now, click the i button next to Communication Preference.
• Then, choose what communications you would like to receive from Apple.
• Finally, click the Done button.

17. Hide All Apps from Desktop

In macOS Sonoma, you can quickly hide all apps from your Mac’s desktop by clicking any blank space on the desktop. This feature becomes useful in a situation where you are working on something personal on your Mac, and suddenly, someone enters your room or if you want to access something on the desktop.

When you click any empty space on the desktop, all the open windows will slide to the sides of the screen, leaving a clean desktop. To bring back the app windows, click the empty space again.

So, these are all the hidden macOS Sonoma features that you should know about. We hope you have discovered some amazing features that you didn’t know earlier. Which feature did you like the most? Also, if there’s any other hidden feature that we might have missed out, let me know in the comments below.

I’m not the first to say this, but good wireless earbuds are getting cheap, and cheap wireless buds are getting good. Take the EarFun Free Pro 3, for example. This pair of wireless earbuds features a price tag of US$80, but it offers more value than some of the high-end Bluetooth buds out there.

The EarBuds Free Pro 3 has Snapdragon Sound, aptX support, wireless charging, Bluetooth Multipoint, and even more exciting features. You get all of that for a price that’s well within the affordable range.

Main Highlights of EarFun Free Pro 3

If you’re not familiar with EarFun, the brand is known for offering audio solutions that offer great bang for the buck. But, in my view, the Free Pro 3 has to be the brand’s best take yet. It offers a lot for what its price tag is asking for.

Advanced Wireless Connectivity and Sound Performance

The EarFun Free Pro 3 earbuds go all-in on new features. It comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound, which is something you don’t see in wireless earbuds that are priced under US$100. Combined with aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec, the buds excel in offering hi-res audio.

In addition to that, the Free Pro 3 comes with Bluetooth 5.3. Thanks to this, you get an enhanced wireless range and highly reliable wireless connectivity. This Bluetooth standard also brings Bluetooth Multipoint. With this, you can keep the buds connected to multiple devices at the same time.

What’s more interesting is that the EarFun Free Pro 3 brings low-latency aptX “Game Mode.” This wireless protocol aims to deliver a lag-free audio experience, which is pretty important for competitive games.

EarFun says that its new wireless earbuds offer “the highest level of wireless audio quality and connectivity.” And considering the things that the Free Pro 3 comes with, it seems that EarFun is not lying with that claim.

That said, you also get full control over the sound profile of the Free Pro 3. Its companion app gives you the option to play with the EQ. You can also change other perimeters of the buds, which include the touch gesture controls.

Enhanced ANC and Calling Performance

EarFun didn’t skimp one bit in terms of the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) department of the Free Pro 3. The buds feature EarFun’s proprietary QuietSmart technology. Along with six microphones, this ANC system can properly isolate you from environmental noise.

To be exact, EarFun says that the buds can reduce unwanted sounds by up to 43 dB. It even has an anti-wind noise mode. Don’t want to shut the world? The Free Pro 3 also has a transparency mode. This mode will let you stay fully aware of the environment around you.

In addition, the EarFun Free Pro 3 has aptX voice. This feature brings higher-quality voice transmission, letting you take phone calls even in challenging environments.

Battery Life, Build, and Comfort Level of Free Pro 3

The EarFun Free Pro 3 offers impressive battery life. After the battery is full, you can get up to 33 hours of playtime. The earbuds by themselves can offer up to 7.5 hours of runtime, while the charging case can deliver 25.5 hours of playtime. And for charging, you can use the USB-C port or the wireless charging feature.

Moreover, the Free Pro 3 features IPX5, which means you can safely wear the buds during outdoor activities. Also, as the buds come with an ergonomic shape, you can keep earbuds on for hours after hours without facing any comfort issues. Overall, this pair of buds is a solid choice!