Tech wrap Jul 15: iQOO Z9 Lite, Marshall Major V, Amkette Evofox Deck, more

iQOO Z9 Lite is a fresh entrant in budget 5G smartphones segment in India. Marshall launches Major V on-ear type headphones. Amkette introduces EvoFox Deck gamepad for smartphones

iQOO Z9 Lite 5G, powered by MediaTek Dimensity 6300, launched

China’s iQOO on July 15 launched in India the Z9 Lite budget 5G smartphone. Priced at Rs 10,499 onwards, the iQOO Z9 Lite 5G smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip. It boasts a display of 90Hz refresh rate and a 50-megapixel main camera sensor by Sony. The iQOO Z9 Lite 5G smartphone will be available for purchase with introductory offers starting July 20 on iQOO e-store and e-commerce platform Amazon.

Marshall launches Major V headphones in India

Marshall said the Major V are designed to offer enhanced comfort, longer battery life, and improved audio listening experience. The on-ear type headphones feature a customisable button for one-tap access to functionalities such as Spotify tap, EQ switching, and voice assistant. Priced at Rs 14,999, the Marshall Major V headphones are now available for pre-order in the country.

Amkette launches EvoFox Desk gamepad for smartphones

The Amkette EvoFox Deck is compatible with both Android and iPhones. The gamepad works with a companion app called “Dojo”, which is available on Google Play Store for Android and Apple App Store for iOS. This app acts as a bridge between the smartphone and the gamepad. The app offers setup guides, and access to supported games and game centres. Priced at Rs 2,999, the gamepad is now available for purchase on Amkette’s official website and e-commerce platform Amazon and Flipkart.

Apple allows PC OS emulator on iPhone, iPad

After allowing retro gaming console emulators on iPhones, Apple has now approved UTM SE PC emulator app for distribution on iPhones through the App Store. The operating system emulator app, first-of-its-kind on iPhones and iPads, allows users to emulate older versions of Windows and MacOS on iPhones to run classic software and retro PC games.

Google extends Ultra HDR to third-party apps: What is it and how it works

Google is reportedly bringing support for Ultra HDR images to third-party applications. According to a report by the Android Authority, Google has started offering initial support for Ultra HDR capture to the Camera X application processing interface (API). It is this API that offers third-party apps access to the smartphones’ camera. Here is an explainer on what is Ultra HDR capture and why was it not available for third-party apps despite Google integrating the functionality in Android 14.

Google Pixel 9 series to launch on Aug 13

Google is set to unveil the Pixel 9 series smartphones at the “Made by Google” event scheduled for August 13. While the company has not revealed any details of the smartphones, prices of the upcoming Pixel 9 devices have reportedly surfaced on the web. According to a report by GSMArena, the series will consist of four models: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, with the standard model priced at 899 euros for the 128GB storage variant in Europe.

CMF Phone 1 review: Nothing's budget smartphone shakes up segment in style

Nothing has focused on design philosophy as it strides to add zing to the otherwise boring or similar looking product categories, including smartphones. From semi-transparent design on smartphones to judicious use of colour accents to highlight design elements on earbuds, the young consumer technology brand has come a long way since its inception in 2022. The legacy continues with its next wave of products under the CMF sub-brand. Case in point is the CMF Phone 1.

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