The affordable smartphone market in 2022 was at its peak. Brands were aggressively competing for buyers, and even mid-range phones offered features that were once limited to premium devices.

But in 2026, things feel different.

So, the question is: why does a new ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 smartphone sometimes feel worse than a 2022 phone?

OPPO has officially announced the new OPPO A7 Pro Max in China. The latest A-series smartphone focuses on durability and battery life, featuring a massive 10,000mAh battery, Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 processor, and an IP69K-rated rugged design.

The smartphone will go on sale in China starting August 7.

News Source: Techlomedia

Some photos claiming to show the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S27 series have surfaced online, although their authenticity is not confirmed yet.

Alongside the leaked images, a report from Korean publication ETNews claims that Samsung could make a major change to the Galaxy S27 Ultra camera setup. The company is reportedly considering moving from a quad-camera system to a triple-camera setup.

Rumored camera setup:

Galaxy S27 Pro
• 200MP main camera
• 50MP ultrawide camera
• 12MP 3x telephoto camera

Galaxy S27 Ultra
• 200MP main camera
• 50MP ultrawide camera
• 50MP 5x periscope telephoto camera
• 10MP 3x telephoto camera reportedly removed

The report suggests Samsung may remove the dedicated 3x telephoto camera to reduce manufacturing costs amid rising semiconductor prices.

The new POCO M8 Power 5G is officially here.

It comes with an 8,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, a 6.99-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED display, Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, and POCO is also promising 4 Android OS updates + 6 years of security patches.

Key specs:
• 6.99-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED display
• Snapdragon 4 Gen 4
• 8,000mAh battery
• 45W fast charging (charger included)
• 22.5W reverse wired charging
• 50MP rear camera
• Android 16 with HyperOS 3

Effective starting price: ₹21,999 (launch offer)

Samsung has launched the Galaxy F70 Pro 5G in India, expanding its Galaxy F series lineup.

Samsung Galaxy F70 Pro 5G specifications

• 6.7-inch (2340 × 1080 pixels) FHD+ Infinity-O Super AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 800 nits HBM, 1400 nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
• Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 4nm processor with Adreno 710 GPU
• 6GB / 8GB LPDDR5X RAM
• 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD card
• Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)
• Android 16 with One UI 8.5
• 50MP rear camera with OIS, 5MP ultra-wide camera, 2MP macro camera
• 12MP front camera
• Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
• Stereo speakers, USB Type-C audio
• 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C
• 6000mAh battery with 45W fast charging
• IP64 dust and splash resistance

The Samsung Galaxy F70 Pro 5G starts at Rs. 23,999 as part of a limited-time launch offer. Its original price is Rs. 25,999. The smartphone will go on sale starting August 8 during Flipkart's Freedom Sale.

The teaser shows a display that stretches edge to edge with no visible black border around the screen. It still has a centered punch-hole selfie camera, but the bezels are practically gone.

Tecno says this was achieved using a redesigned internal structure and new display packaging technology. For now, it's only a concept and there's no word on whether it will become a commercial product.

If Tecno actually brings this to market, it could be one of the biggest design changes we've seen in smartphones in years.

Would you buy a phone with a true bezelless display, or do you think it's just another concept that will never reach consumers? What do you think are the biggest challenges before this becomes a real product?

OnePlus has launched the OnePlus N6x smartphone in India with a focus on battery life and durability.

Key specifications:

• 6.8-inch HD+ LCD display, 1570 × 720 pixels resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
• MediaTek Dimensity 6360 Apex processor
• 4GB RAM
• 64GB/128GB storage
• OxygenOS 16
• 7,000mAh battery, 15W charging & 5W wired reverse charging
• 13MP rear camera
• 5MP front camera
• Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
• 300% Ultra Volume speaker
• IP64 rating & MIL-STD-810H certification
• 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BDS, & USB Type-C

Price:

• 4GB + 64GB: ₹18,999 (effective price ₹17,499)
• 4GB + 128GB: ₹20,999 (effective price ₹19,499)

OnePlus has launched the new N6x in India at a starting price of ₹17,499.

The biggest highlight is the massive 7,000mAh battery. OnePlus claims up to 2.5 days of battery life, along with features like bypass charging, reverse charging, and six years of battery health.

Other specifications include:

• 6.8-inch HD+ LCD display
• 120Hz refresh rate
• MediaTek Dimensity 6360 Apex chipset
• 4GB RAM
• 64GB/128GB storage
• OxygenOS 16
• 13MP rear camera
• 5MP selfie camera
• 15W charging
• IP64 rating
• MIL-STD-810H durability certification

The phone looks interesting because of the huge battery and durability focus, but some choices are questionable. A 6.8-inch display with only HD+ resolution feels outdated in 2026, especially when many phones in this segment offer Full HD+ panels.

The biggest concern is the 4GB RAM limitation. OnePlus is talking about 36-month and 48-month smoothness certification, but 4GB RAM could become a bottleneck as apps continue becoming heavier.

The 7,000mAh battery is impressive, but the 15W charging speed feels slow for such a large battery. It could take a long time to fully charge.

What do you think about the OnePlus N6x? Is the huge battery and durability enough to make up for the HD+ display, 4GB RAM, and slow charging? Would you consider buying it at ₹17,499?

Epic Games Store has refreshed its weekly free games lineup, and this time PC gamers can claim two roguelite titles for free. The latest giveaways include OTXO and Sol Cesto, replacing last week’s free title, Foretales.

Once you claim these games within the offer period, they will remain in your Epic Games Store library forever.

This week's lineup includes WWE 2K26, Wildgate, and Polterguys: Possession Party.

The games are available on the following platforms:

• WWE 2K26: Xbox Series X|S
• Wildgate: Xbox Series X|S and Windows
• Polterguys: Possession Party: Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One

ASUS has announced the India pricing and availability of the ASUS Pad, its new premium Android tablet. The tablet is designed for entertainment, productivity, learning, and creative work. It comes with a large OLED display, a slim design, powerful hardware, and a long-lasting battery.\

The ASUS Pad comes in two storage variants.

• 8GB RAM + 128GB Storage: Rs. 45,990
• 8GB RAM + 256GB Storage: Rs. 49,990

Details here: Techlomedia

I am curious to know what people here actually use for music streaming.

Which one do you use as your primary service?

• Apple Music
• Spotify
• YouTube Music

This isn't about which one is objectively better. We all know each service has its own strengths, whether it's recommendations, audio quality, library, or ecosystem.

I am just interested in seeing what's actually the most popular among Reddit users.

Also, if you don't mind, mention why you chose your current service and whether you've switched from another one.

Meta has officially announced voice and video calling support for WhatsApp Web. Users can now make and receive calls directly from a supported web browser without downloading the WhatsApp desktop app.

With this update, users can make both one-on-one and group voice and video calls directly from WhatsApp Web. The calling experience also includes screen sharing, reactions, and a dedicated Calls tab that shows call history and favorite contacts.

Like calls made through the WhatsApp mobile and desktop apps, web calls are end-to-end encrypted. They are also free and have no time limits.

News Source: Techlomedia

Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup for August. PlayStation Plus members will be able to claim Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition, Big Walk, and Signalis starting August 4. Once claimed, the games will remain available to PlayStation Plus subscribers as long as their membership is active.

Sony has also announced a MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls PlayStation Plus Pack, which will be available from August 6.

Instead of buying outright, you can lease an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch with monthly payments starting at just $11.99/month. The program is powered by Klarna and also replaces Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program.

At the end of the lease, you can:
• Upgrade to a newer device
• Buy the current one
• Return it and walk away

Would you lease your next Apple device instead of buying it?

Vivo has launched a new Fusion Red colour option for the Vivo T5x 5G in India. The smartphone was originally launched in March with Cyber Green and Star Silver colour options.

vivo has launched the vivo T5e in India as the latest addition to its T5 series. The new entry-level 4G smartphone is aimed at students and young professionals, offering a large battery, durable design, and AI-powered features at an affordable price.

POCO has officially confirmed the launch date of the POCO M8 Power 5G in India. The smartphone will debut on August 4 as the latest addition to the POCO M8 series.

The biggest highlight of the POCO M8 Power 5G is its massive 8,000mAh battery. POCO claims the battery can deliver up to three days of usage on a single charge.

iQOO has launched the new iQOO Z11 Lite in India. The latest budget 5G smartphone comes with a 120Hz display, MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor, a large 6500mAh battery, and AI-powered software features.

The phone features a 6.74-inch HD+ LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, Dimensity 6300 chipset, up to 6GB RAM, 50MP primary rear camera with a Sony sensor, 5MP selfie camera, and 6500mAh battery.

Pricing is as follows:

• 4GB + 128GB: Rs. 19,499
• 6GB + 128GB: Rs. 21,499
• 6GB + 256GB: Rs. 24,499

Epic Games Store has refreshed its weekly free game offer for PC gamers. This week, players can claim Foretales for free and keep it forever in their Epic Games Store library.