Xiaomi 12S Ultra 📷

Xiaomi 12S Ultra : 

Xiaomi's latest concept phone has an interchangeable Leica M lens.The Xiaomi 12S Ultra surprised us with its 1-inch camera sensor and Leica co-branding back in July, but it turns out that the Chinese brand was working on something far more ambitious at the same time. Earlier today , the "Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept Phone" was unveiled with an appearance almost identical to the namesake flagship device, but with a second 1-inch 50.3-megapixel sensor occupying the middle of the camera island instead. On top of that, this new sensor is designed to work with an interchangeable Leica M lens.Interestingly, Xiaomi has instead chosen to shield this additional 1-inch sensor (also a Sony IMX989 with 10-bit RAW support) underneath a large, circular piece of durable sapphire glass, as opposed to cutting out an opening for it as you'd find on traditional interchangeable lens cameras. While this would protect the sensor against dust and larger foreign objects, we do wonder how this extra layer of glass would affect the overall optical transmittance. But hey, better safe than sorry.

Meanwhile, the 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera that was originally positioned in the middle of the camera island has been shifted to the side, taking up the space that once housed a 48-megapixel periscopic telephoto camera.As shown in Xiaomi's video, in order to install an interchangeable lens onto this 5G concept phone, you must first unscrew the protection ring around the rear camera island, then by way of an adapter, you'll be able to mount any Leica M lens. As captured by a Xiaomi staffer in the above photo, the full assembly with a Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH lens looks rather impressive from the side. Previously, the closest thing to this intriguing combination would be one of those Yongnuo 4G-connected Android cameras (which never left China). Or you may travel further back in time and reminisce the good old days with the Samsung Galaxy NX.Xiaomi stopped short of saying whether the 12S Ultra Concept Phone will ever be mass produced. All we know is that this project was developed alongside the actual 12S Ultra, and in the end, only 10 units of the former were made. A few of those samples were seeded to some lucky influencers for some quick hands-on time, but with each unit costing around 300,000 yuan or about $41,210 to make, they better not drop them.

Sony WH-1000XM5 : 

In the world of consumer headphones, Sony’s 1000X series has consistently been a big favourite. The newest model is invariably an ‘Editor’s Choice’ in tech publications and considered a benchmark against which other headphones in the category are measured.

The newest WH-1000XM5 over-the-ears headphones have recently been launched in India at ₹26,990. For music lovers on the go, these headphones are an easy recommendation. For reference, the previous model, the WH-1000XM4 is available for ₹19,990 and is also about as good. Both these - and indeed, the whole series - have stellar noise cancellation, immersive sound quality, category-starter smart features and good battery life.

Compared with the XM4, the new XM5 model has been redesigned. It looks more contemporary and is again available in black and in cream. These headphones now come in a case that is much larger, as the ear-cups don’t fold inward completely to allow the device and case to have a smaller footprint. It would have been nice if the smaller size had been retained as these headphones are meant primarily for those who travel. Inside the case, you have the USB-C cable — and it’s shorter than it needs to be. There’s a 3.5mm cable for wired listening.

The XM5 headphones, when you wear them, will feel light and comfortable, with a firm but gentle grip. Unlike most headphones that slip off smaller heads, these do not, and stay perfectly wearable for hours. Comfort is, of course, a very individual matter, and depends a lot on the shape of one’s ears, so some may find the XM4 more comfortable and some the XM5 model. The cushioning on the ear-cups may be thinner than it was in the previous model, but the feel is still luxurious and soft. Wearing them in very hot weather may be uncomfortable, but otherwise, they cause no issues.

On donning these headphones, the first thing that is evident is the near-total silence. Construction sounds, consistent hums, dogs barking, people talking all disappear into the barely discernible distance if active noise cancellation is turned on. Even the sound of a vacuum cleaner nearby can quite fade away. One can actually wear these and not turn on music just for sheer focus and concentration on work. Or even while reading a book, for example. With the XM5, Sony is right at the top of the pack with the efficacy of its noise cancellation.

Silence can be both inconvenient and dangerous, so there’s an ambient mode that you can trigger temporarily just by cupping your palm over the left ear cup. Instantly, you’ll be able to hear sounds around as the music recedes into the background. You can also turn off ANC or stay in ambient mode and also use an interesting feature called 'Speak to Chat' which turns the music down as soon as you speak. For the most part, the device recognises that it’s the wearer’s voice. This is to allow you to speak to someone around. When you stop, the music will come back on after a suitable wait. This is something now available on several Sony headphones, including the XM4 and is quite useful, unless you’re in the habit of singing along with your music - then you will trigger the mode when you don’t really want it. One can turn the feature on optionally.

One of Sony’s smart features includes Adaptive Sound Control with which ANC and EQ settings adapt to the situation you’re in and your preferences for that situation. If one normally listens to music with ANC on full while resting in bed, the mode will trigger itself 'on' when you recline in bed.

There are eight microphones on this model, so it adds to the efficacy of noise cancellation and makes phone calls clearer. 

The 1000XM5 headphones sound really good. There is a spacious soundstage with full-bodied sound, a well-tuned bass that is not overwhelming but rather natural, good clarity, volume, and separation. The presets (Bright, Excited, etc) make an immediate and easily detectable difference to the profile. You can create your own presets as well. Music sounds refined and satisfying to the point where one is quite reluctant to turn it off and ‘come out’ of the inner world of these headphones. One feels all alone, but the solitude is sheer splendour. The XM5 works on Bluetooth 5.2 and supports SBC, AAC, and LDAC. The device has 30mm drivers.

What's app new feature : 

WhatsApp is rolling out a “Message Yourself” feature to a small group of beta iOS and Android testers, WABetaInfo reports.

Previously, users had to open WhatsApp and search for their numbers to send themselves a message. This update adds “message yourself” as a chat option when creating a new chat. As WABetaInfo reports, a future version of the Android app will make it possible to chat with your phone number from your contacts list.

The move comes after WhatsApp improved message synchronization so messages sent using your phone number are synced across all linked devices, GadgetBridge notes. The beta Android 2.22.24.2 update also brings layout changes when an image, video, GIF, or document with a caption is forwarded.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is removing the ability to send and open "view once" messages on the desktop as of Nov. 1, WABetaInfo says, to prevent users from taking a photo of a "view once" message sent to their desktop using their phones.