Orbital

Latest Episodes:

Xbox Game Pass vs new PlayStation Plus: are video game subscription services worth it? Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

The new three-tiered PlayStation Plus — out next week in India — is finally set to properly compete with Xbox Game Pass. Which one should you pick?

Industry insider Rishi Alwani and video game enthusiast Pranay Parab — both Orbital veterans — join host Akhil Arora to discuss that and more.

We talk about how the new PS Plus works, split into its three tiers Essential, Extra, and Deluxe. The last of them has a different name in some markets — Premium — and you can learn why on the podcast.

Read: PlayStation Plus: India pricing revealed for PS Plus Deluxe, Extra, and Essential

We delve into the differences between the new PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate), in terms of their India pricing, game models, and other associated benefits.

Along the way, we touch upon the problems with Sony and Microsoft’s approaches, and how video game subscription services can be harmful to both gamers and the industry.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
New PS Plus (00:45)
Reasons to be unhappy (07:55)
What Sony and Microsoft really want (13:35)
Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox in India (18:47)
More benefits! Good or bad? (23:51)
The classics (27:44)
Are game subscriptions good? (32:17)
Outro (44:49)

Cover: Sony. Photo credits: Sony/Akhil Arora/Gadgets 360, Insomniac Games, Arora/Gadgets 360, Microsoft, Guerrilla Games, AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

iOS 16, watchOS 9, macOS Ventura, and new MacBook Air with M2 Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS Ventura are here. Apple unveiled the next iteration of software updates for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch at its developer conference earlier this week, alongside two new MacBooks.

Gadgets 360 executive editor Jamshed Avari and reviews editor Roydon Cerejo join host Akhil Arora to discuss all things WWDC 2022.

We talk about the changes to iOS 16, including the new customisable lock screen, the ability to edit and unsend messages, and improvements to mail, dictation, and a shared photo library.

We delve into the new MacBook Air with M2 that brings some welcome changes, and wonder if the introductions to macOS Ventura might be helpful or just a nightmare.

And we close out by touching upon the features of watchOS 9, which is still catching up with offerings of rival wearable makers from years ago, it seems.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
iOS 16: what’s exciting? (00:20)
New MacBook Air and macOS Ventura (13:47)
watchOS 9: catching up with Fitbit (32:03)
Outro (35:55)

Photo credits: Apple

The best phone under Rs. 50,000 Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

The flagship smartphone segment has the widest range of prices, but how much can you spend before you start seeing diminishing returns?

Gadgets 360 senior reviewers Sheldon Pinto and Aditya Shenoy join host Akhil Arora to discuss just that.

We talk about the features you cannot get outside of flagships, the compromises you would still need to make around Rs. 50,000, and the phones you should consider if you’re in the market for a value flagship today.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
What makes a flagship? (00:17)
Phones to consider (02:55)
Software promises (09:22)
Pixel 6? (17:32)
Any iPhones? (21:24)
How to avoid compromises (26:36)
Outro (32:09)

Cover: OnePlus. Photo credits: Motorola, Realme, Samsung, Google, Apple, Samsung.

How will India’s crypto tax hurt the cryptocurrency sector? May 27, 2022

Show notes

India’s crypto tax came into effect with the current financial year, and has further impacted a cryptocurrency market that was already reeling globally.

Crypto exchange WazirX vice president Rajagopal Menon and crypto tax consultancy Catax founder Gaurav Mehta join host Akhil Arora to discuss the consequences of that.

Menon tells us why the cryptocurrency sector is in a freefall since the start of the year — rising global inflation adding to worries over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and how India’s crypto tax has compounded those miseries.

Mehta believes the conflicting definitions of crypto — is it asset or a currency? — are adding to the chaos. If it’s the latter, then the incoming 1 percent TDS (tax deducted at source) from July 1 is unnecessary, Mehta notes.

Menon says exchanges are happy to comply with government’s desires to track transactions, but the TDS rate has been set at a very high value. This, he believes, will stifle innovation in the crypto industry.

Tune into our crypto tax special episode to hear our two guests delve deeper into all these facets.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
Where crypto is at (00:31)
Asset or currency? (04:11)
High TDS rate (08:08)
Working with the government (15:40)
Are we going too far? (20:40)
Outro (26:17)

Photo credit: Ewan Kennedy

Vivo X80 and X80 Pro review May 20, 2022

Show notes

Roughly eight months on from X70 Pro+, which itself came just six months after the one before it, Vivo is back with another flagship phone.

Gadgets 360 senior reviewers Sheldon Pinto and Aditya Shenoy join host Akhil Arora to discuss the Vivo X80 series.

Read: Vivo X80 hands-on: promising premium all-rounder

We talk about Vivo’s attempts to simplify the new naming convention — this time, we have a Vivo X80 at Rs. 55,000, and a X80 Pro at Rs. 80,000 — and the resulting confusion it creates.

We delve into what the two phones offer, be it their triple and quad rear camera setups, the high refresh rates displays on par with Apple and Samsung, or that humongous camera module on the back.

Read: Vivo X80 Pro hands-on: worthy upgrade?

Along the way, we touch upon how Samsung is pushing the industry to do better with their Android update promises, and why the likes of Vivo need to stop showing off a “cool” new feature with every launch.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
Naming confusion (00:17)
Trust in Vivo? (03:13)
What you get (06:00)
Camera, display, and design (11:41)
Software and charging (17:47)
Needs consistency (21:11)
Who it’s for (23:49)
Outro (27:44)

Photo credits: Sheldon Pinto/Gadgets 360

Disclosure: Vivo sponsored Pinto’s flights and hotel for the pre-launch event in Dubai.

Pixel 6a + Pixel Watch + Pixel Buds Pro + Pixel 7 May 13, 2022

Show notes

New phones, new watch, new wireless earbuds, and even a new tablet. Is Google getting serious about hardware?

Gadgets 360 executive editor Jamshed Avari and deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo join host Akhil Arora to discuss the best of Google I/O 2022.

The only bit actually confirmed for India is the Pixel 6a, a “budget” phone in the US that will likely end up around Rs. 40,000 or more in India. It’s not due before August, so who knows what that segment — already very competitive — will look like by then.

With the Pixel Watch, Google finally enters wearables and puts its Fitbit acquisition to good use. No price on that though. The Pixels Buds Pro do have a price, and they seem to be going up against the AirPods Pro and others of its ilk.

Google also teased a Pixel Tablet for 2023, and the next generation of its flagship phones — the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro — expected in late 2022. We also discuss Google Maps’ new Immersive Mode, and the new Indian languages coming to Google Search and Translate.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
Pixel 6a (00:20)
Pixel Watch (10:27)
Pixel Tablet (15:49)
Pixel Buds Pro (23:19)
Pixel 7 (27:55)
The rest (31:20)
More of India (40:24)
Outro (42:27)

Photo credits: Google

Alexa, how well do you know India? May 06, 2022

Show notes

Alexa, what’s the latest episode of the Orbital podcast about?

Amazon India’s Alexa chief Dilip R.S. and Gadgets 360’s in-house Alexa expert Ali Pardiwala join host Akhil Arora to discuss Alexa’s growth in India.

The biggest challenge for any voice assistant is to make it understand its users. For one, Alexa must adapt to “Indian English” words and our varied accents. On top of that, it must also navigate the fact that we frequently use two (or more) languages in the same sentence.

Still, Amazon Echo devices have been bought in 85 percent of pin codes in India, Dilip notes. Of course, it’s another matter how useful they are — and how many are actively being used.

For more such trends, tune into the episode. We also touch upon how Amazon pushes to integrate Alexa into non-Amazon devices and platforms, and how thanks to Alexa, voice is the first mode of interaction with the Internet for some.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
4-year India journey (00:23)
How Alexa has grown (03:39)
Making it useful (07:35)
Echo is everywhere (13:12)
How Alexa learns (17:31)
Building for India (20:35)
Privacy issues (22:07)
Outro (24:12)

Photo credits: Amazon

Xiaomi 12 Pro fails to stand apart, but that’s good? Apr 29, 2022

Show notes

There isn’t a wow factor about the Xiaomi 12 Pro, but that might actually be a good thing.

Gadgets 360 deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo and senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto join host Akhil Arora to discuss the new Xiaomi flagship smartphone.

The 12 Pro boasts similar hardware to phones in its range, and it doesn’t have anything to set itself apart. Xiaomi has polished the look and feel though, and the 12 Pro feels like a premium device.

Read: Xiaomi 12 Pro first impressions

That said, it’s got the lot. A Dolby Vision display that can go down to 1Hz refresh rate, rear cameras with wider aperture than you normally see, quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, and 120W fast charging that’s in line what’s currently out there.

But in terms of features, the 12 Pro is missing an IP rating, which you can in fact get on more affordable phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy FE range and even Xiaomi’s own budget phones.

Hit play to hear us delve into each of those facets.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
Pro is not Ultra (00:27)
The cameras (06:03)
The competition (12:02)
The missing (14:48)
Display and software (18:42)
Outro (22:51)

Photo credits: Sheldon Pinto/Gadgets 360

Are affordable smartwatches worth it? Apr 22, 2022

Show notes

India’s smartwatch market is growing, but that depends on how you look at it.

Gadgets 360 senior reviewers Ali Pardiwala and Aditya Shenoy, and IDC India research director Navkendar Singh join host Akhil Arora to talk about that and more.

As with all things tech, India remains a cost-sensitive market, with average selling price in fact going down in recent years, Singh tells us. Low-cost smartwatches have taken over from fitness bands (while the premium segment struggles).

That’s because these ‘basic’ watches — Rs. 4,000 or less — are cramming in a lot of features, though they naturally don’t naturally fare well in accuracy. But does the Indian consumer care?

Read: The best smartwatches to buy in India

For those who do, you’re going to have to pay a lot — with premium watches from Apple and Samsung coming in at 5–10 times the price. They’re in the ecosystem play, which could’ve been Google’s were it not for its failures with WearOS.

Hit play to hear us delve into each of those facets.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
How India is faring (00:24)
The market split (05:00)
Bands are dead (11:24)
What Indians want (14:50)
Buying advice (23:57)
Ecosystem play (29:32)
Outro (32:41)

Cover: Samsung. Photo credits: Noise, Realme, Xiaomi, Fire Boltt, Ali Pardiwala/Gadgets 360, Apple

The best budget phones: should you go 4G or 5G? Apr 15, 2022

Show notes

With 5G services expected before the end of 2022 in India, if you’re in the market for a budget phone right now, should you go with a 4G or 5G model?

Gadgets 360 deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo and senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto join host Akhil Arora to answer that and more.

Read: The best phones under Rs. 15,000

We discuss how several brands have been launching 4G and 5G variants of the same budget smartphone, why the 5G models are at times missing features that the 4G ones have, and what the whole 5G bands conversation amounts to.

We also talk about some of the best budget phones, tell you what specifications to keep an eye on, and why you shouldn’t buy at launch (with caveats). Play the podcast to learn more.

Read: The best phones under Rs. 20,000

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters