Recent findings published in Scientific Reports reveal that cats can connect words and images significantly faster than human toddlers. Research led by Dr. Saho Takagi and her team at Azabu University, Japan, found that adult cats formed associations between visual cues and spoken words in a fraction of the time it took young children. The experiment's outcomes suggest a deeper insight into cats' cognitive abilities, highlighting the potential for feline understanding of language cues.
Experiment Design and Findings
In the study, 31 adult cats were presented with a sequence of animated clips, each accompanied by a spoken, made-up word. The clips, featuring a red sun and a blue unicorn paired with unique words, were repeated until the cats showed reduced attention. After a brief pause, the researchers switched the images and sounds, pairing the words with different visuals. Notably, the cats responded to these altered pairings with increased interest, suggesting they noticed the inconsistency and had connected the original words with the initial images.
Dr. Takagi noted that some cats showed heightened attention, with dilated pupils when faced with the “switched” condition, signalling surprise. This reaction indicates that the cats were not only capable of associating words and images but also recognised the discrepancy, a level of understanding previously thought to be uncommon in cats.
Comparisons with Toddlers and Limitations of the Study
Human toddlers generally required four exposures to a similar experiment, with each session lasting 20 seconds, to reach the same level of understanding. In contrast, the cats accomplished this in just two nine-second trials. Dr. Carlo Siracusa, a veterinary behaviourist from the University of Pennsylvania, noted the difficulty of comparing adult cats with human infants, emphasising the evolutionary and cognitive differences between the species.
Siracusa mentioned that studies like these are challenging, as animal behaviour can be difficult to interpret without inherent biases. However, the findings add to a growing body of evidence showing cats' cognitive capabilities. While it remains uncertain whether these abilities are inherent or shaped by domestication, the study reflects a novel approach to understanding feline intelligence.
Researchers studying the roots of writing have highlighted the role of ancient trade symbols found on cylinder seals in Mesopotamia as key influencers of early script development. A recent study by Kathryn Kelley and Mattia Cartolano from the University of Bologna suggests that engravings on these cylindrical seals, used for marking clay in trade exchanges, may have evolved into signs used in the earliest form of writing, known as proto-cuneiform. Dating to around 4400 B.C., these seals show motifs linked to the movement of goods like textiles and jars, indicating a trade-based origin for written symbols.
From Trade Marks to Proto-Cuneiform
The study notes that cylinder seals, rolled across clay tablets, left impressions that likely authenticated transactions, laying the groundwork for a system of recording information. The seals examined include symbols predating formal writing by more than a millennium. These motifs—such as those depicting structures or vessels—likely became foundational signs in proto-cuneiform, used in early Mesopotamian cities like Uruk around 3100 B.C. These seals may thus represent a bridge between symbolic trade records and the more formalised proto-cuneiform, marking a significant cognitive shift from imagery to systematic writing.
Link to Sumerian Cuneiform Script
Developed by the Sumerians, cuneiform script is widely regarded as the world's first known writing system. Created with a stylus that imprinted wedge shapes into clay, this system evolved to record spoken language. Later adopted by the Akkadians and maintained for nearly two millennia, cuneiform was used extensively across Mesopotamian empires, from the Babylonians to the Assyrians, creating a lasting legacy.
Diverse Academic Perspectives on Symbolic Origins
The study's findings have garnered support and scepticism. Holly Pittman from the University of Pennsylvania noted that similar ideas she proposed in the past were dismissed but have now gained validation through this research. Anthropologist Gordon Whittaker from the University of Göttingen remains cautious, pointing out that the association between seal motifs and writing symbols may lack clear causality.
The researchers hope that their findings will further help in decoding of proto-cuneiform and deepen understanding of the transition from trade symbols to structured script—a milestone in the development of human communication.
The Tamil war drama Amaran recently is set to premiere on Netflix later in the month of November. The movie, which showed some strong promise at the box office, will soon be available on the popular OTT platform. Reports indicate that the streaming giant acquired the film's digital rights for the war-drama movie. Following its theatrical success, Amaran will arrive on OTT in late November, providing wider access for audiences who missed its initial release.
As per a report by Filmibeat, the movie might be releasing on the popular OTT platform Netflix in third or fourth week of November. The report highlights that the OTT rights were sold to the popular streaming platform for Rs. 60 crore. That said, there is no official confirmation about the OTT release of Amaran, so you might have to wait a bit longer to know the final release date.
Official Trailer and Plot of Amaran
The plot of Amaran centres around the courageous actions of Major Mukund Varadarajan, a decorated officer of the Indian Army's Rajput Regiment, who was awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of his final mission, a counterterrorism operation in Jammu and Kashmir with the 44th Rashtriya Rifles. The trailer, launched before the film's theatrical debut, offers a glimpse into the film's intense battle sequences and emotional depth. Audiences can expect a high-stakes story that highlights real-life bravery and sacrifice.
Cast and Crew of Amaran
Directed by Rajkumar Periyasamy, Amaran stars Sivakarthikeyan as Major Mukund Varadarajan, alongside Sai Pallavi in a prominent role. G.V. Prakash Kumar's musical compositions add to the film's atmosphere, while Sony Pictures International Productions and Raajkamal Films International serve as the production powerhouses behind the film. Legendary actor Kamal Haasan is among the film's producers, along with R. Mahendran and co-producer Vakil Khan, whose collective backing has amplified the movie's reach.
Reception of Amaran
Amaran has witnessed a promising start at the Tamil Nadu box office, with early figures suggesting it could reach Rs 125 crore in regional earnings alone, potentially surpassing Rs 150 crore globally. The film has reportedly garnered strong reviews, with audiences particularly praising its performances and the compelling depiction of military courage. This encouraging reception suggests a positive trajectory as Amaran heads towards its digital release on Netflix, where it aims to expand its viewership further.
Samsung Galaxy S25 series is expected to make its debut early next year. Rumour mills hint towards major changes coming to Samsung's flagship smartphone lineup in terms of hardware. The latest leak comes courtesy of a tipster who has shared images of the alleged cases of the Galaxy S25 series. The images suggest a shift in the design strategy of the purported top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra compared to the existing model.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Cases Leak
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), reliable tipster Roland Quandt shared multiple images of alleged Galaxy S25 series cases. The snapshots suggest that the standard Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25 Plus may have similar design elements as the current models, including the placement of power and volume buttons on the right side.
However, that does not appear to be the case with the purported Galaxy S25 Ultra. The images suggest it might come with rounded corners, moving away from the boxy design that has become synonymous with Samsung's Ultra models in the last few years. This development corroborates previous dummy unit leaks which hinted at the implementation of rounded corners on Samsung's flagship non-foldable smartphone.
All three smartphones in the purported S25 series seem to have a hole-punch cutout for the front camera and a vertically stacked rear camera module. As always, the Galaxy S25 Ultra's case appears to have more space for the extra cameras.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is reported to sport a 6.86-inch AMOLED screen with thinner bezels than its predecessor. The purported handset may be equipped with a 200-megapixel primary camera, a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera, a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto camera, and an upgraded 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with support for up to 16GB of RAM. The phone could pack a 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W charging.
Rohit Wad, a computer science engineer from India's second tier city of Bhilai presently leads the technology initiatives at Binance, touted as the largest crypto exchange in the world. In conversation with Gadgets360 last week, Wad emphasised that for Web3 adoption to grow, developers must strike the right balance between convenience and security to ease user hesitations about exploring the space. Previously a Corporate VP at Microsoft, Wad took on the role of Binance's CTO in April 2022.
Wad was present at Binance Blockchain Week, that was recently held in Dubai to unite the crypto community. As the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of Binance, the IIT Bombay alumnus is tasked with spearheading the development of scalable Web3 service offerings to serve the exchange's global user base, which exceeds 237 million registered users.
Speaking to Gadgets360, Wad shared that his vision for Binance focuses on combining the user-friendly features of familiar apps and interfaces with enhanced security measures. This approach aims to support users as they navigate the complexities of volatile cryptocurrencies in upcoming services.
“Many people on their phone with the banking app enable face recognition, right? This lets the app unlock very quickly, making face scanning convenient. But it's also insecure. The big thing that we are trying to figure out is how we can drive comfort and security into the crypto community through our services,” Wad said, advising other Web3 app makers also to concentrate on merging these two requirements in their services.
In a recent development, Binance onboarded Amazon Web Services (AWS) to access its suite of offerings to finetune the experience of Binance users with the AI-based products the exchange offers. As part of this partnership, the exchange will use the Amazon Bedrock and Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS) to fuel its AI efforts for ‘intuitive customer service' experience.
It is however, noteworthy, that cyber criminals have been able to breach the AWS systems in the past. Back in 2022, hackers were reportedly able to violate Amazon cloud storage buckets, firewall misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities in AWS server configurations linked to Pegasus Airlines. At the time, over 6.5 TB of sensitive data had come under risk including social security numbers, credit card information, email addresses, phone numbers of over 600,000 Pegasus flyers.
However, Binance is placing its bets on AWS to power its internal automated system diagnostics and polish its user onboarding process.
Wad pointed out that Binance currently deploys multi-factor authorisation – another suggestion he extended to emerging Web3 developers – to prevent unauthorised access to its user funds and ensuring safety. He further explained how even if somebody was to use AI to initiate a breach they could be identified.
“We kind of know what your patterns were before, so, if your new patterns (the hackers' patterns) are very different from your previous patterns, we can flag this. We have enhanced checks that go in and that might stop or block your account. You can just say, okay, this account cannot do any withdrawals anymore, until you authenticate with the customer service staff. That's something that we can do completely on our end, yeah, and the two-factor authorisation is something that we are training or educating our users to do,” Wad said.
Amid growing number of hacks on Web-connected hot wallets – discussions around the need for more hardware wallet solutions had picked pace around the world. Wad said that Binance, as of now, does not have a hardware wallet service in the works. The exchange had launched a cold storage solution for institutional investors in January last year.
The exchange is also not working with third-party custody solutions because they believe that “our wallets and our multi signature systems are probably the best in the world, and so we don't work with someone else”, Wad stated.
Discussing the current challenges surrounding on-chain transfers at Binance, Wad emphasised the urgent need to improve transaction speeds. He explained that, at present, customers seeking faster transactions must pay hefty gas fees, resulting in excessive costs. Wad highlighted that finding a comprehensive solution to this issue is a key area of focus for Binance.
The electric two-wheelers segment is gaining quite a lot of traction this year. We have seen multiple brands launching their EV scooters in the country at different price points. That said, major bike makers are also eyeing this segment. We have brands like Honda, TVS, and Suzuki, reportedly working on EV vehicles that might launch in the first half of 2025. And with the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 right around the corner, one might expected announcements of multiple electric scooters for the Indian market. That said, in this article, we will focusing majorly on three electric two-wheelers, which are also one of the most anticipated launches in the upcoming months. So, without further ado, let's begin.
Honda Activa EV
Honda Motors is reportedly working to launch its first electric scooter for the Indian market in March 2025.
Specifications
Honda Activa EV could share similarities with Activa 110. The two-wheeler might sport two Honda Mobile Power Packs, which could be detachable and swappable. The scooter might also come loaded with an on-board fully digital touchscreen instrumental console, keyless start and stop feature. It is expected to have a range of 100+ km when fully charged.
Expected Price in India
The upcoming EV is expected to be priced somewhere around Rs 1 Lakh (ex-showroom). The scooter could be a direct competitor of Ola S1, TVS iQube and Ather 450. Honda Activa EV is expected to make its global debut at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in January in New Delhi next year.
TVS Jupiter EV
TVS is also reported to launch two eletric vehicles in India in the next six months. As per multiple reports, the brand might launch one electric vehicle for B2B market and another could be an electric version of its popular scooter, TVS Jupiter.
Specifications
The Jupiter EV is anticipated to be a mass-market product which will be targeted to everyday commuters. The two-wheeler is expected to have a range of 70-80 km on a single charge.
Expected Price in India
The scooter is expected to be priced below the Rs 1 Lakh mark (ex-showroom).
Suzuki Burgman EV
As per Gaadiwaadi, the Japanese automobile maker's first electric scooter could be none other than the Burgman EV. The scooter is expected to enter production in December 2024. Suzuki has also reportedly set a annual sales target of 25,000 units for Burgman EV.
Specifications
The two-wheeler is expected to get a fixed battery pack rather than the detachable battery which was claimed earlier in spy images. Not much is revealed about the two-wheeler at the moment.
Expected Price in India
Codenamed as XF091, the scooter is expected to make its debut at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 in January next year. Nothing is revealed about the price of the vehicle.
Apple introduced the iOS 18.1 update last week that brought Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of artificial intelligence (AI) features, to iPhone and other devices. Now, a report suggests that the next batch of Apple Intelligence features, including ChatGPT integration in Siri and a new Image Playground app, will arrive with the iOS 18.2 update for iPhone earlier than expected. The release timeline of other iOS 18 updates, along with the improvements they might carry, has also been suggested.
iOS 18.2 Update Release Timeline
Apple has previously confirmed that the iOS 18.2 update with more Apple Intelligence features would be released in December. Release trends of similar past updates suggest it could take place in the second week of the month. However in his Power on newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed that iOS 18.2's release could take place earlier than scheduled. It could be rolled out in the week of December 2.
This update is reported to introduce Apple Intelligence in more English locales than just English American.
Furthermore, Gurman suggested that the “next major update to Apple Intelligence” will arrive with the iOS 18.4 update. This is reportedly scheduled to launch sometime in April 2025 and will bring improvements to Siri, including being able to access the user data and alter its query responses based on it.
iOS 18.2 Update Features (Expected)
Apple's iOS 18.2 update is expected to introduce several key Apple Intelligence features. This includes a new Image Playground app, which leverages generative AI to create images based on text-based prompts. It also bundles Genmoji which does the same for emojis instead of images. Users can share these images and emojis in apps like Messages, Notes, and Keynote. Furthermore, it also includes an Image Wand feature which can transform a rough sketch into an image using descriptive prompts.
Apple has also brought ChatGPT integration to Siri with its latest update. Its voice assistant can now take advantage of the capabilities of OpenAI's AI chatbot to provide users with more in-depth responses to queries. They can now ask for ChatGPT via Siri directly to get improved answers. With iOS 18.2, ChatGPT also becomes a part of Writing Tools. The feature requires optional sign-in, and iPhone users with a paid ChatGPT account can use their account for access to more powerful OpenAI models.
Astronomers are investigating a controversial idea that black holes might be linked to the universe's accelerated expansion, driven by dark energy. Dark energy, a mysterious force that forms about 70 percent of the universe, has long been assumed to spread evenly across space, pushing galaxies apart since shortly after the Big Bang. A study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics tilts towards a connection between dark energy and black holes. This work has sparked debates within the scientific community, presenting evidence that black holes, formed by massive star collapses, might contribute to dark energy as they grow.
Evidence Points to a Potential Dark Energy-Black Hole Link
If validated, this hypothesis could also address an ongoing mystery in cosmology called the “Hubble tension” — the observation that different parts of the universe expand at different speeds, creating inconsistencies in current models. The concept implies that black holes could influence these discrepancies. Dr. Duncan Farrah, associate professor of physics at the University of Hawaii and co-author, noted that the findings point to a “plausible” link, suggesting that black holes might indeed
Asus ROG Phone 9 series is confirmed to launch in select global markets on November 19. Key features of the lineup have been teased officially. Meanwhile, new details about the upcoming handsets and an image of the design have surfaced online. The company has yet to reveal the number of handsets in the lineup or their monikers. It is expected to include a base and a Pro variant, succeeding the preceding Asus ROG Phone 8 and Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro.
Asus ROG Phone 9 Design
The Asus ROG Phone 9 design was leaked in a Weibo post shared by tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese). The phone is seen in black and white colour options, with a rear camera module design similar to the existing ROG Phone 8. The company logo appears in the middle of the rear panel and mini LEDs are seen towards the bottom.
Asus ROG Phone 9 leaked design Photo Credit: Weibo/ Digital Chat Station
Asus ROG Phone 9 Features
The tipster suggested in his post that the Asus ROG Phone 9 will get a 185Hz LTPO flat display. It is tipped to come with an IP68-rated build for dust and water resistance and an upgraded AniMe Vision feature. The phone will reportedly get AI features as well.
Asus ROG Phone 9 series is confirmed to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, AI-backed cameras and AniMe Vision support. Previous leaks suggested that the base version will support 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 onboard storage. The phone could be backed by a 5,800mAh battery with 65W wired charging support. The phone is expected to ship with Android 15-based ROG UI.
The Asus ROG Phone 9 model is tipped to sport a 6.78-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) Samsung Flexible LTPO AMOLED screen with 2,500 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass Victus protection, always-on-display, and HDR10 support. For security, it is expected to include an in-display fingerprint sensor.
For optics, the Asus ROG Phone 9 is expected to include a triple rear camera setup, including a 1/1.56-inch 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 700 primary sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, and a 5-megapixel macro camera.
Android 16 will be released in the first half of 2025, according to details shared by Google. Unlike the latest version of the company's operating system that was rolled out to Pixel phones in October, Google will launch its next major Android version earlier next year, followed by a minor release by the end of the year. As a result, the company will have more frequent Android software development kit (SDK) releases, as part of ongoing efforts to brings new features to users, while improving app stability.
Google Effectively Confirms Android 16 Release Timeline
In a post on the Android Developers Blog, the company says that it will have a major release in Q2 2025 (instead of the typical Q3 launch window), followed by a minor release in the fourth quarter. Google says the decision was made to "better align with the schedule of device launches" that would enable Android 16 to be rolled out to eligible devices at a faster rate.
Android 16 will be released in Q2 2025 Photo Credit: Google Developers Blog
The major SDK release in Q2 2025 will include behaviour changes (that affect how apps function on Android) as well as APIs and features, according to Google. This is when Android 16 is expected to be released as the company only introduces a major SDK release with a new version of Android.
After Android 16 is rolled out, Google will roll out incremental updates in Q3 2025, followed by a second, minor Android 16 SDK release in Q4 2025. Google says that this release will include new APIs and features, but it will not introduce new behaviour changes that have an impact on apps.
Developers and enthusiasts might be able to test out Android 16 soon, as the company has teased the arrival of the first developer preview. This is not surprising, as there are about five months before the company is expected to launch Android 16.
Earlier this year, Google unveiled the Pixel 9 series that arrived with the one-year-old Android 14 out-of-the-box. The company's smartphones received the update to Android 15 two months later, on October 15. The earlier Android 16 release timeline should ensure that the Pixel 10 series will be running the latest version of Google's operating system in 2025.
Redmi Band 3 has been launched in China. The smart band comes with a 1.47-inch rectangular screen with a 60Hz refresh rate and is said to offer a battery life of up to 18 days. It is equipped with several health and wellness monitoring features like heart rate, blood oxygen level and sleep cycle tracking. The smart wearable has a 5ATM rating for water resistance. It has 50 preset sports modes, supports more than 100 watch faces, and runs on Xiaomi's HyperOS.
Redmi Band 3 Price, Availability
Redmi Band 3 price in China is set at CNY 159 (roughly Rs. 1,900). It is available for purchase in the country via Xiaomi China e-store.
The smart band is offered in five colour options — black, beige, dark grey and green, pink, and yellow.
Redmi Band 3 Specifications, Features
The Redmi Band 3 sports a 1.47-inch rectangular screen with a 172 x 320 pixels resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. The smart band measures 9.99mm in thickness and weighs 16.5g. It comes with a 5 ATM rating for water resistance. It supports more than 100 watch faces.
Redmi Band 3 is equipped with several health and wellness trackers including heart rate, blood oxygen level, and step trackers. The smart wearable also supports sleep and menstrual cycle tracking. It is said to come with 50 preset sports modes.
The Redmi Band 3 carries a 300mAh battery. With typical usage, the battery is claimed to last for up to 18 days. According to the company, the smart band can offer a battery life of up to nine days with heavy usage. The smart wearable is said to charge from 0 to 100 percent in less than two hours. It supports magnetic charging and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. The smart band supports WeChat and AliPay offline payments as well.
The Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) project, led by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research (MKI), is now a finalist in NASA's latest Probe Explorers programme. This mission, backed by a collaboration between MKI, the University of Maryland, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, aims to investigate the most profound mysteries of the universe. If approved, AXIS will move forward with a one-year concept study, targeting a potential 2032 launch and a projected $1 billion budget.
Exploring New Frontiers in X-ray Astronomy
With Erin Kara, an MIT astrophysicist and associate professor, as the deputy principal investigator, the AXIS mission is set to revolutionise X-ray astronomy. The satellite's advanced technology will allow it to reveal unseen cosmic event. It will help trace back to the origins of massive black holes and intense galactic events. She believes AXIS is poised to answer longstanding questions that shape modern astrophysics.
Groundbreaking Technological Advances
A core component of AXIS's capabilities is its CCD focal plane, a sophisticated imaging array developed with support from MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Stanford University. With speed 100 times greater than previous instruments, this cutting-edge sensor will capture vast volumes of X-ray data, offering a view of distant, faint objects with unmatched precision. The focal plane will work with AXIS's mirror to detect the smallest details of the X-ray universe, laying the groundwork for future missions.
Building on a Legacy of Success
The AXIS mission draws on MKI's expertise in imaging technology which was previously showcased in major missions like the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Eric Miller, leading the camera team, believes this project will significantly advance both scientific and technological progress, marking a new era in astrophysical research. The AXIS mission is poised to make a lasting impact, laying essential foundations for future explorations of the cosmos.
Apple on Tuesday launched a refreshed version of the Mac Mini — its compact desktop computer, building upon the unveiling of the 24-inch iMac M4 a day before. The new Mac Mini is offered in two chipset options: M4 and M4 Pro, with the latter being a new introduction. The M4 variant is claimed to deliver up to 1.7 times faster performance than the Mac Mini M1. Meanwhile, the new M4 Pro-powered desktop computer can complete 3D renders up to 2.9 times quicker in Blender.
Mac Mini With M4 Chip Price in India
The price for the the Mac Mini with M4 chip in India starts at Rs. 59,900 for the base model which comes with a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB of onboard SSD storage. This model can be configured with up to 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
Meanwhile, the Mac Mini with the M4 Pro chip costs Rs. 1,49,900 for the 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of onboard SSD storage. Apple says users can customise the Mac Mini with up to a 14-core CPU, up to 20-core GPU, up to 64GB of unified memory, and up to 8TB of SSD storage.
There's also an option for adding 10-bit Gigabit Ethernet on both models that costs Rs. 10,000 more. The new Mac Mini can be pre-ordered today from Apple Stores and Apple authorised retailers, with shipping starting on November 8.
Mac Mini With M4 Chip Specifications
Mac Mini with M4 chip features a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, up to 24GB of unified memory, and up to 512GB of onboard SSD storage. Apple says it offers up to 1.8 times CPU and up to 2.2 times GPU performance improvements over the M1 model. At 5x5 inches, the refreshed Mac Mini also comes in a much smaller form factor compared to the previous generation. It is capable of transcribing with on-device artificial intelligence (AI) speech-to-text up to 2 times faster in MacWhisper, as per the company.
Apple also introduced an even more powerful variant of the Mac Mini which is powered by an all-new M4 Pro chipset under the hood. It comprises of up to a 14-core CPU, up to a 20-core GPU, up to 64GB of unified memory and up to 8TB of SSD storage. When compared to the M2 Pro Mac Mini, this model is claimed to render motion graphics to RAM up to 2 times faster in Motion.
Both Mac Mini models come with support for Apple Intelligence — the company's suite of AI features. In terms of connectivity, it includes two USB Type-C ports with USB 3 speeds and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the front. On the back, the Mac Mini M4 gets three Thunderbolt 4 ports while the M4 Pro variant has three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Both models feature Gigabit Ethernet and an HDMI port.
Apple says this is its first carbon-neutral Mac Mini made with 50 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminium in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards, and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets.
The premium smartphone segment sure is a cut-throat one. This is not because manufacturers offer impressive hardware at this price point but because we often see smartphones from the next tier receive price cuts and tip the scales for devices launched in the sub-Rs. 50,000 segment. The Vivo V40 Pro becomes a victim for two reasons. Firstly, it's priced a bit too high from the get-go. Secondly, it also has to compete with some top-tier premium smartphones like the iQoo 12, which was launched at Rs. 57,999 a year ago but currently retails at Rs. 49,999. Vivo's V40 Pro is priced at Rs. 49,999 for its base 8GB + 256GB variant, while the 12GB + 512GB variant is priced even higher at Rs. 55,999. After using it for a while, I discovered that its price tag is not its only problem.
Vivo V40 Pro Design: Slim and sexy
Dimensions - 164.36mm x 75.1mm x 7.58mm
Weight - 192g
Durability - IP68 dust and water resistance
Vivo's V40 Pro sure looks the part for a premium smartphone. The phone has a typically rounded design with curved-edge glass screens for front and rear panels. Its polycarbonate frame is flattened at the top and bottom with curved sides and rounded corners, making it very comfortable to hold. We received the Ganges Blue finish with a nice bluish colour complimented by a gorgeous texture that looks like a gradient terrain map when viewed at an angle, but altogether is supposed to be inspired by the Ganges River.
Vivo's V40 Pro has a very slim profile thanks to its 3D-curved front and rear panels
The phone is quite slim since it packs in a high-capacity battery, but that keyhole-shaped camera module stands out. You may like or hate it, but it is raised, has flat sides, and looks out of place like an afterthought. The camera module also packs in the Aura light, a V series standard for the past few years.
Vivo V40 Pro Display: Premium stuff
Display size - 6.78-inch, 1,260 x 2,800 pixels
Display type - AMOLED, 120Hz
Display protection - SCHOTT Xensation α
Vivo goes with a curved edge display for its V40 Pro like with previous models. While it's quite the opposite of the current trend (flat displays), it makes the phone feel premium and gives it a slimmer appearance. Its skinny bezels add to its premium looks, which means that Vivo manages to fit more display into a smaller footprint.
The Vivo V40 Pro has a vibrant 120Hz AMOLED panel
The display gets bright outdoors and offers HDR10+ support, meaning you can enjoy supported content on OTT apps. It is not an LTPO display, but Vivo's Smart Switch technology can switch the refresh rate between 60Hz, 90Hz and 120Hz to save battery life. Screen colours appear quite accurate in the Standard colour mode so there's no need to fidget or adjust anything here, even though the software does provide plenty of customisation. The display has an embedded fingerprint reader, which worked flawlessly during the review period.
Vivo V40 Pro Software: Typically, Vivo
Software - Funtouch OS
Version - Android 14
Software commitment - 3 years of OS and 4 years of security updates
We are expecting some bigger changes with Android 15, but Vivo's V40 Pro currently only runs the Android 14 version of Funtouch OS. The software is typically Vivo, which means it runs smoothly without hiccups. It is also loaded to the brim with third-party apps (Snapchat, Amazon, LinkedIn, Netflix, PhonePe, Facebook and Myntra) out of the box. This is followed by spammy notifications from native bloatware like the Internet browser app, which will show you notifications even if you have never launched the app. There are also two file manager apps, two gallery apps, two browsers and even two app stores, which can confuse casual users.
Vivo V-AppStore and Browser apps love to push multiple notifications on a daily basis
In terms of features, Vivo's Funtouch OS is mainly about customisation. We are awaiting a few AI features to show up with an upcoming Android 15-based update, but there's no defined date or timeline for when it will arrive.
Vivo V40 Pro Performance: Promising
Processor - MediaTek Dimensity 9200+
RAM - 8/12GB
Storage - 256/512GB
One of the few phones at this price point to pack in the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+, the Vivo V40 Pro turned out to be a solid performer in our benchmark tests, as you can see from the comparison below. It's still not as powerful as the iQoo 12, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, but surprisingly, it goes neck and neck with the Realme GT 6, which has a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC.
Benchmarks
Vivo V40 Pro
iQoo 12
Realme GT 6
AnTuTu v10
15,07,773
19,83,471
14,05,190
PCMark Work 3.0
12,156
13,320
18,828
Geekbench 6 Single
1,830
2,225
1,944
Geekbench 6 Multi
5,191
6,726
4,895
GFXB T-rex
121
143
60
GFXB Manhattan 3.1
121
143
60
GFXB Car Chase
100
127
60
3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
3DM Slingshot
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
3DM Wild Life
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
3DM Wild Life Unlimited
14,922
Maxed Out
11,325
Gaming, thanks to its good CPU and GPU performance, is impressive. Heating is not an issue when playing heavy 3D games, but only when using the camera app. However, performance does not take a hit thanks to the vapour chamber cooling system.
The V40 Pro does get hot outdoors, but performance does not take much of a hit thanks to its VC cooling system
After years of waiting, we finally have stereo speakers! They are balanced and sound sufficiently loud, making the audio experience quite immersive while playing games and watching videos.
Vivo V40 Pro Cameras: Does the job
Main camera - 50-megapixel (OIS), f/1.88, AF
Ultrawide camera - 50-megapixel, f/2.0, AF
Telephoto camera - 50-megapixel, 2x optical, f/1.85, AF
Selfie camera - 50-megapixel, f/2.0, AF
With four high-resolution cameras onboard, I was expecting excellent performance across the board, given that this smartphone is priced a rupee below the 50,000 mark. But, after trying all of them out, I was a bit disappointed as only the primary camera managed to produce the expected results.
Vivo's weird-looking keyhole-shaped rear camera gets the job done but isn't the best we have seen in this segment
To make things worse, the telephoto camera only activates when a subject/object is at least 5 feet away, you can tell that it's active when you notice slightly muted colours and the obvious bump up in sharpness. Anything captured with the 2X mode selected within 5 feet will result in scaled-down photos obtained by the primary camera, and these don't look good with smeared resolved details that look bad even in daylight. In short, you will have to keep a good distance between yourself at the subject to ensure that you activate the telephoto camera to get the best quality.
Vivo V40 Pro ultrawide camera sample. (Tap image to expand)
The ultra-wide camera produces decent photos in daylight, but photos lack any resolved detail and tend to have abnormally boosted greens and blue hues. When shooting in low or dim lighting, quality drops even further, and the photos are not usable.
Vivo V40 Pro primary camera sample (Tap image to expand)
The primary camera produces vibrant photos with good details in the shadows, but the HDR system works overtime and produces exaggerated skies that will not appear the same as what's really in front of you. No matter which colour setting (Vivid, Textured, ZEISS Natural) you choose, the camera loves to bump up the reds and greens. While the details are quite good in daylight, I noticed a drop in quality when shooting low-light photos. The OIS system somehow could not keep things steady (or sharp), with details appearing a bit smeared and soft.
Vivo V40 Pro's cropped 2X image captured via the primary camera (below) and the actual 2X camera output (above) (Tap images to expand)
The telephoto camera (once you learn to trick the camera into using it) produces sharp results, provided there's enough light. Results from the portrait mode are quite good under artificial lighting as well, but it all falls apart under street lighting or dimly lit settings, as the telephoto shooter lacks OIS. The results don't look great when you zoom in low light with smeared textures with some blown out highlights in the areas under bright light.
In terms of video, 4K 60fps video delivers the best quality, as the 4K 30fps footage we captured has some problems with dynamic range and noise, which means the details were far from impressive. The same results are also reproduced when using shooting in 1080p at 30fps. Results in low light come out quite noisy when shooting at 30fps and appear a lot better at 60fps. However, stabilisation is a bit shaky when recording at 60fps, so you will have to keep your hands steady.
Vivo V40 Pro selfie camera samples. Top: daylight, bottom: low-light (Tap images to expand)
Selfies pack in good detail in daylight, but the Portrait mode's edge-detection does a passable job. Details take a hit in low light, but the camera produces decent images, provided you don't switch to the Portrait mode, where it loses a lot of resolved detail.
Vivo V40 Pro Battery: Solid
Battery capacity - 5,500mAh
Charging rate - 80W
Wireless charging - No
A 500mAh increase compared to the previous model shows that the Vivo V40 Pro delivers impressively good battery life with day-to-day usage. The phone easily lasted over a full day of heavy usage and still had about 30 percent juice left for the next day. In our standard video loop battery test, the phone managed a solid 21 hours and 10 minutes. Charging the V40 Pro was equally quick, with the device managing a 52 percent charge in 30 minutes, a 93 percent charge in an hour, and completing the process in 1 hour and 3 minutes.
Vivo V40 Pro Verdict
Vivo's V40 Pro does a fine job when it comes to design, performance and battery life but falls short when it comes to camera performance, which is where we expected it to exceed expectations. It offers some much needed upgrades like a stereo speaker and an IP68 rating, but these are features that many would expect as a standard at this price point.
With sub-Rs. 60,000 smartphones commonly making their way into the sub-Rs. 50,000 segment, the beastly iQoo 12 (Review) (from Rs. 49,999) easily beats the Vivo V40 Pro on all fronts. Google's Pixel 8a (Review) (Rs. 39,999) may not be a gaming machine, but it easily offers the best in segment AI features and very capable still cameras, while both the Xiaomi 14 Civi (Review) and the Realme GT 6 (Review) offer equally good performance at Rs. 10,000 less, making the Vivo V40 Pro hard to recommend.
TVS Motor company reportedly is planning to expand its electric two-wheeler portfolio in India this year and early next year. The brand is reported to launch a new electric scooter this year and another model by March 2025. The company's Chief Executive discussed their Electric Vehicle (EV) plans during an investor call, which confirmed this development. The company is currently offering the iQube in a number of different versions which has been very successful in India. TVS has also introduced the X sports electric scooter. However, due to some technical issues, the brand did not commenced the deliveries of the product. The TVS X was a visually appealing product that could have helped the corporation attract a lot more customers to the showrooms.
According to a report by Bikewale, the brand is reportedly developing a variety of electric scooters. Moreover, the brand is also working on an electric motorcycle. The upcoming bike might come with an affordable price tag. The report further highlights that the brand might be preparing to launch an electric version of Jupiter. Moreover, the brand could also launch an EV for the B2B segment, which might be known as XL Electric.
The brand recently trademarked two names for its electric vehicle, namely E-XL and XL EV. The report further claims that the company might unveil the electric vehicle at the 2025 Bharat Expo, followed by an official launch by March 2025.
Although EV adoption has not yet reached double digits, automakers believe there is a lot more room for growth in this market. Up until August, TVS was the second-biggest producer in India's electric two-wheeler sector, after Ola Electric. With 19,128 vehicles rolling out of the Chakan facility in September, Bajaj Auto surpassed TVS for second place, while TVS manufactured 18,099 units.
A 17,000-year-old infant skeleton, found in Italy's Grotta delle Mura cave, is providing new insights into human populations during the Ice Age. Discovered in 1998, the remains were recently analyzed for DNA, allowing scientists to reconstruct aspects of the infant's appearance, ancestry, and health. The DNA results suggest that the child likely had dark skin, blue eyes, and curly hair—a combination found in other ancient European hunter-gatherers. The genetic profile connects the infant to an ancient population known as the Villabruna cluster, which lived in Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum.
This group represents an early lineage of modern Europeans, suggesting that the boy's community may have been among the earliest ancestors of later European populations.
Inherited Heart Condition Revealed
The DNA analysis also indicates that the infant may have had a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes the heart muscle to thicken. In infants, this condition can lead to congestive heart failure. This potentially explains the boy's early death at an age between seven months and one and a half years.
Teeth Analysis Reflects Health and Stress
Examination of the infant's teeth provided clues about his brief life and his mother's health. Multiple growth lines on the teeth suggest that both mother and child may have faced physiological stress, likely from malnutrition or illness, during and shortly after pregnancy. Further analysis showed that the mother remained close to her community during pregnancy, likely indicating a localized lifestyle within the Puglia region.
Preservation and Genetic Study
The child's remains was preserved in the cool environment of Grotta delle Mura. This allowed scientists to recover around 75 percent of his genome. Preservation of ancient remains in warm climates is rare, making this genetic information particularly valuable for studying early human populations.
Implications for Understanding Ice Age Populations
This research sheds light on the adaptation and migration of ancient human populations during a period of significant environmental change. Through genetic insights into the child's traits and health, scientists can better understand the lives of early Europeans and their responses to Ice Age conditions.
As per reports, Japanese car manufacturers Toyota and Suzuki are collaborating to launch a new compact electric vehicle (EV), which is expected to hit the global markets next year. The two Japanese automobile giants have signed an agreement to share technologies and models with each other globally. Codenamed ‘bZ' (Beyond Zero), this crossover is dubbed as the compact version of the Toyota bZ4X, which is available in the international market.
Suzuki and Toyota aims to form a partnership which will lead to developing compact vehicles. Their partnership has resulted in successful models which are available in the Indian and European market.
The partnership is part of a effort by Toyota to improve its EV lineup. The company has been continuously working towards improving and expanding its Electric Vehicle catalogue. When launched, bZ will be Toyota's budget friendly EV till date, thus attempting to attract a large pool of customers especially in markets prefers Electric cars.
Upcoming EV Expected Features and Specifications
Toyota's e-TNGA platform will serve as the cornerstone for the bZ. Thus, guaranteeing a strong performance and efficiency base. It can be noted that the Japanese Carmaker is also developing a new SUV. This will be a marketed below the Fortuner in the price range and will be sharing its platform with bZ.
Bz is expected to have an impressive range of over 300 kilometers when fully charged. This will make it suitable for commuting in Urban roads. The overall length is expected to be 3700mm, width 1700mm and a height of 1530mm. The wheelbase is expected to be around 2450mm. This Ev will have a power output of approximately 118bhp and 294Nm, thus making it an ideal and efficient choice for driving in the city.
This can be seen as great initiative between the two companies as both Toyota and Suzuki share a substantial market share in the automobile market. This partnership will especially help Toyota, which has been hesitant about entering the EV market to grab the consumer's attention in the global market.
This collaboration will see a direct rival in Tata Punch EV and the upcoming Hyundai Inster.
Skullcandy EcoBuds are claimed to be sustainable true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones. According to the company, they are made with “65 percent certified recycled plastics and 57 percent fewer heavy metals, " resulting in a 50 percent lower carbon footprint than similar products in the market. Off the bat — impressive claims. Who doesn't want to be a part of an attempt to make the world a cleaner place? The number may be slightly more initially than you would think because the cost of environmentally friendly earphones here is battery, lithium batteries to be specific.
The storage dock of the Skullcandy EcoBuds does not have battery support. This means that when the earphones are placed in the magnetic case, they merely fulfil storage purposes. They do not juice up like other TWS earphones usually do in charging cases. They are compatible with reverse charging via an integrated USB Type-C cable. You can plug it into any USB Type-C port, including the one on your phone, and it will power up the earphones. Is this novelty, alongside sustainability, worth Rs. 3,999? Let's find out.
Skullcandy EcoBuds Design and Features: Feathery Light and Functional
Size (with case) - 102 x 60 x 30mm
Weight (with case) - 40g
Water and dust resistance - IPX4
Colour - Glacier
The Skullcandy EcoBuds come with a traditional in-ear design and three gel tip sizes — small, medium and large. The medium ones fit me the best. They offer a decent fit but are not the most comfortable for long-duration uses. The touch sensors on each earbud are easy to locate because they are marked by engraved company logos. The charging connectors of the earphones are placed on the inside of the stems.
The storage dock comes with a short inbuilt USB Type-C cable
The earphones come with a magnetic storage dock, which has a built-in USB Type-C cable that folds back in case it is not in use. This lightens the blow of the missing battery, in my opinion. I imagine I would not be best pleased if I had to look for or carry an additional loose cable with me all around. Although the earbuds are held in place by magnets, the case does not have a cover. Therefore, avoid making the mistake I made of putting them in a tote bag with several other items. In transit, one of the earphones had dislodged from the case, and I panicked briefly before it dropped out of the umbrella folds. Aside from this, the earphones and the case are compact, lightweight, and easy to carry.
The Skullcandy EcoBuds are available in a single Glacier colourway, where both earphones and storage docks appear in a blue and white marbled pattern. The integrated USB Type-C cable is white with sand-like speckles. The earphones have an IPX4 rating for splash resistance. With the case, they measure 102 x 60 x 30mm in size and weigh 40g.
Skullcandy EcoBuds Specifications and Controls: Too Simple?
Driver - 6mm
Gesture controls - Yes
Companion app - No
The Skullcandy EcoBuds carry 6mm drivers, according to the product's Amazon listing. We will discuss their sound quality in a bit, but for this section, we will focus on the control experience. Like many other TWS earphones, the EcoBuds support capacitative touch controls, but unlike several competitors, they do not come with a companion app. This impacted me on two levels. Firstly, you can only shuffle between the three preset EQ modes — music, bass and podcast, and not customise the equalisation. Even if I let this slide because I am not looking for a studio-grade experience from these earphones, the lack of an app also means that all controls are based on gestures, which is the second thing. There are a few gestures you will need to remember, so let's get to it.
The charging connectors are placed on the side of the stems
A single tap on either earbud controls playback and calls, while a longer press regulates the volume (left for down, right for up). A double tap on either earpiece advances to the next track, while a triple tap returns to the previous track. A quadruple tap on the right earbud toggles through the EQ modes. A quadruple tap on the left earbud activates the assistant for the paired device. A six-second hold disconnects the paired device, while two taps and a one-second hold switch off the headphones.
Yes, it is as tedious to remember as it was to read (and write), but I mainly dealt with the play/pause and volume controls, which were simple and direct enough. The slightly bothersome action for the first few uses was shuffling between the EQ modes, but it eventually grew on me.
Skullcandy EcoBuds Performance and Battery Life: Chaotic Neutral
Fast Charging - Yes (claimed 10 minutes for up to 2 hours)
Bluetooth - Bluetooth 5.2
How do the Skullcandy EcoBuds sound? Better than I expected. With 6mm drivers, my hopes for the audio experience were set pretty low. The violation of those expectations was welcome. Comprehensively, they offer a clear and bright sound experience. The podcast mode focuses on the vocals over any other details. True to its name, the bass boost mode highlights the bass, while the music mode offers a more balanced audio of the three.
The charging cable neatly folds back into the dock when not in use
The sound is not outright muddied at any level, although the higher notes tend to crack up at 70 percent volume or above. For instance, you can hear the distortions with the high notes in Nirvana's About A Girl. For the larger part, the sounds are clear but lack details that you would get with larger drivers. From tracks like Gooey by Glass Animals to Ramble On by Led Zeppelin (the latter in the bass mode), you get a good enough audio output to keep you engaged while you are on a cleaning binge or walking to the local market.
Even though the Skullcandy Ecobuds do not support active noise cancellation (ANC), the company claims that the earphones come with a “noise-isolating fit.” Technically, the claim is not completely untrue. It does isolate some noise, but not a significant amount. If you are used to ANC earphones and headphones, especially in public places, the switch to the EcoBuds may unsettle you a bit. However, the lack of ANC did not alter my experience much since I mostly used them casually (read: to disassociate) and not to take calls or focus on work.
The Skullcandy EcoBuds support Bluetooth 5.2 and connect seamlessly with the paired device each time they are taken off the case. You can choose to use both earbuds or just one. The audio syncs up well even if you add the second earbuds mid-track. The mic performance is not very good, but functional. It picks up environmental noise alongside your voice. The whirring of the fan can muffle your voice when you are using these earphones. If you are in a crowded place or even outdoors, you might want to use your phone audio to answer calls.
The earphones come in plastic-free, recyclable packaging
In a market where several leading brands across the board are competing with TWS earphones that offer 30 to 40 hours or more total battery life, Skullcandy EcoBuds come with about 8 hours of playback time. Which, if compared with other popular TWS earphones and just the earphones, is a decent average. On paper, the lack of battery in the storage dock seems too jarring. Before using them, I could not stop the premonition of being stranded in the metro without functioning earphones. However, I faced no such challenges. On just 10 minutes of charge, they offer almost two hours of playback. If you can charge the earphones for a full hour, you can get around eight hours of usage out of them. I clocked eight hours and 13 minutes of playback in one charging cycle.
Charging the earphones is pretty straightforward. You pull the USB Type-C cable out from the back of the storage dock and plug it into a USB Type-C port. In my case, I mostly charged them using my phone, and in an hour, they would charge fully. This is efficient in more ways than one. You do not have to carry a separate charger around (yes, in most cases, the case would suffice, but when in Rome!), and it does not drain the phone's battery significantly either. The compact size of the earphones also allows you to continue your phone usage as usual. You can also use a power bank to charge them, or even your laptop, tablet, or any device with a USB Type-C port.
That said, I have to accept that the lack of a charging case was perceivably bothersome for the first couple of days, if not practically so. It grew on me pretty quickly, though. Charging on the go is still very much possible, and it is one less gadget you have to worry about plugging in before bed.
The compact design of the earphones and the dock make them easy to carry
Skullcandy EcoBuds: Verdict
The Skullcandy EcoBuds are good TWS earphones. They have stable connectivity, clear sound, and offer the claimed battery life. The sustainability aspect of the product also adds brownie points to your consciousness as a citizen of the world (how much ever it is worth). Are these earphones worth Rs. 3,999, though? Yes and no. The answer depends on your preferences. Would you put better sound detail and 40-something hours of total battery life ahead of your conscience? In my opinion, these should work fine for casual listeners.
If you are planning to buy your only pair of daily use earphones, however, and not a supplementary on-the-go wearable, you will find other options that come with better fit, more features, charging cases (albeit unsustainable) and companion apps within this price range.
You can get the Realme Buds Air 6 (Review) Rs. 3,299 for an almost 40-hour total battery life. At the same price, you can opt for the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro (Review) for a better fit and balanced sound experience.
For just Rs. 300 more, you can invest in the CMF Buds Pro 2, which offers up to 50dB ANC, up to 43 hours of total battery life and ChatGPT-integrated features via the Nothing X app.
The lack of a charging case is not a deal breaker for me. Even the audio quality is good for casual listening. In this competitive price range, many other features can make the sound experience more enjoyable. Surely, there could someday be a middle ground between being an audiophile and an environmentally conscious person, but maybe, as Dean Martin says, “Today is not the day.”
Infinix should stop using the Zero moniker for their phones because, honestly, their phones are not what they used to be. The new Infinix Zero 40 5G is not a zero. The phone, at a starting price of Rs. 27,999, offers a lot of features. Infinix also claims that the Zero 40 5G is the first phone in its segment to offer 4K 60fps video recording on both front and rear cameras and to feature a 50-megapixel ultrawide rear camera. It's also the first Infinix phone to launch with Infinix AI.
The company heavily emphasises the phone's video recording features, stabilisation, and its potential as an ideal device for vlogging—I've never heard the word "vlog" mentioned so many times in a product briefing. So, is the Infinix Zero 40 5G any good? Do all of these segment-firsts make it a hero? You'll have to read the full review to find out.
Infinix Zero 40 Design: Stylish
Dimensions - 164.31x74.47x7.9mm
Weight - 195g
Colours - Moving Titanium, Violet Garden, Rock Black
Infinix has done a very good job in terms of design. The phone features curved sides and flat top and bottom edges, making it comfortable to hold and easy to use one-handed. The phone is available in three colour options, and we got the Violet Garden variant. The rear panel has a two-tone finish and the word ‘Zero' etched at the bottom right corner. It's a nice phone to look at, especially in the Violet colour option.
The curved edges make the phone slimmer than it actually is
The back is dominated by a large circular camera module, accented with a focus ring-like design. The curved edges make the phone feel slimmer than it really is. The left side is clean, while the power and volume buttons are placed on the right. At the bottom, you'll find the USB Type-C port, a loudspeaker, a microphone, and a SIM card tray. The top houses an IR blaster, another microphone, and a speaker grille. Infinix has also provided an IP54 rating for added protection, which is a nice touch.
Infinix Zero 40 Display: Big with a little bit of curve
Size and type - 6.78-inch, full-HD+, Curved AMOLED
Refresh rate - Up to 144Hz
Protection - Corning Gorilla Glass 5
The Infinix Zero 40 5G features a curved display with slim, uniform bezels, resulting in an impressive 93.4 percent screen-to-body ratio. The panel is of the LTPS variety, which means that although it offers a 144Hz refresh rate, it cannot go all the way down to 1Hz. You can, however, choose between auto, 60, 120, and 144Hz. The display also offers a 360Hz touch sampling rate and 2,304Hz PWM frequency.
Running the screen at 144Hz will drain the battery much faster
In terms of colour, you get a 10-bit panel with 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. There are also two colour modes available on the phone – Original and Bright-coloured. I'd recommend sticking to the former. You also get TUV Rheinland Eye Care certification and an Eye care mode. As for brightness, the phone gets plenty bright indoors (1,300 nits peak), but it can be a bit dull under direct sunlight.
For watching movies, gaming, and any kind of content consumption, the screen is great. It's big, colourful, bright (indoors), and offers a super fast refresh rate. There's also Widevine L1 certification so that you can use all your streaming services.
Infinix has included an in-display fingerprint scanner on the phone. Despite being placed lower down on the screen, it worked accurately and was fast.
Infinix Zero 40 Software: AI this and AI that
OS - Android 14
UI - XOS 14.5
Latest security patch - August 5, 2024
The phone runs Android 14-based XOS 14.5 out of the box. As expected, it includes a fair amount of pre-installed apps, but fortunately, most can be uninstalled. The user interface is fairly clean, with smooth animations.
Infinix has also included an edge control feature that lets you take advantage of the curved screen and quickly access your favourite apps. There's an IR Control option in the Quick setting and within the Welife app to control other devices using its infrared blaster. The phone boasts a "Works with GoPro" certification, but all it means is that you can control a GoPro action camera using the GoPro Quik app—a feature that virtually any smartphone is capable of.
The AI eraser does a decent job
The Zero 40 5G has many AI features as part of the Infinix AI suite. You get an AI Eraser in the Gallery app that works pretty well for removing objects from photos, though its performance can be inconsistent. Sometimes, I could remove an object with a single attempt, but other times, it took multiple tries to achieve the desired result.
Other AI-powered features include Smart Cut-out, which allows you to cut out objects from photos easily, and AI Vlog, which can automatically create a vlog using up to 20 clips from your gallery. Additionally, Smart Search lets you find pictures in the Gallery app by simply typing a text description.
There's an AI Wallpaper Generator that creates images based on your photos or text input, though I couldn't test this feature due to a recurring "server is being upgraded" error. The Infinix Folax voice assistant is also built-in and capable of answering questions, translating text, controlling basic phone functions, and more.
Some of the AI features didn't work
While it's nice to have all the above-mentioned AI features, Infinix has a lot of work to do, as some of them, including the wallpaper generator, refused to work for me.
In terms of software support, Infinix has promised 2 years of Android OS updates and 3 years of security patches.
Infinix Zero 40 Performance: Good enough
Chipset - MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Ultimate
RAM - 12GB LPDDR5x
Storage - Up to 512GB UFS 3.1
The MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Ultimate chipset is quite capable and easily handles day-to-day tasks. Multitasking is a breeze,e too. It even fares well in gaming and doesn't produce a lot of heat when under heavy use. The phone has 12GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB storage. There is also a virtual RAM expansion feature, and you get a microSD card slot to add more storage.
The phone is good for gaming
Regular performance is pretty good, and I didn't really face any lag while running multiple apps, using the camera, or performing various day-to-day tasks. We ran our usual set of benchmarks on the phone, and it performed similarly to other phones in the segment.
Benchmark
Infinix Zero 40
Nothing Phone 2a Plus
Motorola Edge 50 Pro
iQOO Z9s Pro
Geekbench 6 Single
1096
1204
1142
1136
Geekbench 6 Multi
3601
2658
3124
3091
AnTuTu v10
956927
762,955
818,387
814328
PCMark Work 3.0
15466
12663
13,730
10460
3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
3DM Slingshot
Maxed Out
7243
8393
8255
3DM Wild Life
6362
4779
5394
5287
3DM Wild Life Unlimited
6454
5038
5457
5428
GFXBench T-Rex
144
60
116
119
GFXBench Manhattan 3.1
92
58
61
74
GFXBench Car Chase
52
35
32
40
Gaming on the phone is fun, thanks mainly to the large screen with 144Hz refresh rate. I ran BGMI, Asphalt Legends Unite, and Genshin Impact on the phone and was able to play all of them without much lag. In BGMI and Asphalt Legends Unit, I was able to play with the highest available graphics. However, with Genshin Impact, I couldn't play with the highest settings, and I also found that the phone would heat up after just 15-20 minutes. I also noticed this heating when using the rear camera for 4K video recording.
The phone does heat up when running heavy games
The Infinix Zero 40 5G delivers good call quality and audio performance. It features a dual stereo speaker setup with "Sound by JBL," along with support for DTS Hi-RES Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless. Calls came through clearly, both through the microphone and ear speaker. The dual speakers provide good stereo separation and are loud and clear but fall short in bass.
Infinix is heavily marketing the Zero 40 5G video recording capabilities and even calling it a vlogging phone. As per the brand, it's the first phone in the segment to offer 4k 60fps recording on the primary, ultra-wide, and front camera.
The phone supports 4K 60fps recording across three cameras
In my testing, while you get 4K 60fps across all three cameras, there's no stabilisation supported in this mode. However, the video performance is just about average. While there are good levels of detail in 4K resolution on all three supported cameras, the dynamic range, colours, focus shifting, and stabilisation are average. There are two levels of stabilisation available on the phone – Ultra Steady and Ultra Steady Pro. If you're shooting using 4K resolution on any of the cameras, you can only use Ultra Steady at 30fps. And the stabilisation here isn't excellent. The Ultra Steady Pro does offer slightly better stabilisation, but it only works in 1080p. However, no Ultra Steady Pro stabilisation is available on the front camera in any resolution. You also get some Vlog filters on the front camera in the video, but they're passable and don't shoot in 4K.
Now, let's talk about still photography. The photos taken in daylight conditions offer good details across both main and ultrawide cameras. Even HDR performance is pretty good for a phone at this price point. You will find colour inaccuracies between the two cameras though, and there's also some over-saturation going on.
Top to bottom: 3 x Main Camera; 3 x Ultrawide [Tap to Expand]
Photos taken using the primary rear camera in lowlight conditions bring in some noise, but it's definitely usable. Ultrawide camera performance in the dark is average at best, has more noise than the main, and is once again plagued by colour inaccuracy.
Top to Bottom: 2 x Main camera; 2 x Ultrawide
There's also a 3x mode, but it's only a zoomed-in crop, and is mostly a miss. Portrait photos are average, with the bokeh looking fake most of the time.
Infinix Zero 40 Battery: Average
Capacity - 5,000mAh
Fast charging - 45W wired, 20W wireless
Charger - Included, MagCase
Infinix has equipped the Zero 40 5G with a sizable 5,000mAh battery, but it's average in terms of battery life. While it lasted over a day with regular use, it underperformed in our HD video loop test. With the brightness at 50 percent and the refresh rate set to 144Hz, the battery drained in just about 14 hours. However, you can extend the battery life by enabling adaptive brightness and switching the refresh rate to 120Hz.
You get a MagCase in the box
Charging the phone is fast, thanks to the included 45W charger. A full charge from 0 to 100 percent took about 1 hour and 10 minutes, which is decent. The phone also supports wireless charging at 20W.
Infinix Zero 40 Verdict
The Infinix Zero 40 5G is a good choice if you're on the lookout for a mid-range phone that offers good design, a good set of cameras that you'll mostly use in the day, good gaming performance, decent battery life, and a nice big curved display with fast refresh rate. If you're looking for a phone for vlogging, this is not the one.
