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dimanche 5 juillet 2020

OnePlus TV update adds support for OnePlus Connect on iOS, Data Saver Plus, and Kids Mode

OnePlus entered the smart TV segment in India last year with the launch of two 4K QLED TVs. The premium Q Series TVs (review) were launched at a starting price of ₹70,000 (~$990 at the time) and were heavily criticized for their exorbitant pricing. In response, OnePlus recently launched two new affordable smart TV series in the Indian market, starting at just ₹12,999 (~$175). Out of the two, the new OnePlus U Series TVs are not only more affordable but also come with a couple of new software features that were developed based on feedback the company received on its debut TV series. These include things like a Data Saver Plus mode for low bandwidth networks, a Kids Mode, and support for OnePlus Connect on iOS. As promised during the launch event, OnePlus is now bringing these new features to its Q series TVs via an OTA update.

As per a recent post on the OnePlus Community forums, the latest OnePlus TV update brings OnePlus Connect support for iOS devices, add the new Data Saver Plus mode to the Q Series TVs, includes the new Kids Mode, and more. Here’s the complete changelog for the latest OnePlus TV update (v. BOVC101RIN04S01090V1.12.1T2006210016):

  • OnePlus Connect support for iOS devices.
  • Data Saver Plus: An enhanced version of the Data Saver feature, this will help keep a check on data usage through bandwidth control. This will also enable data usage alerts and will monitor monthly usage.
  • Kids Mode: With this we introduced parental control on apps, limited watch times, and an eye protection function to provide a more kids-friendly experience on the OnePlus TV.
  • OxygenPlay: You can now long press any poster in the OxygenPlay homepage to see a pop-up window with information; enhanced UI.

The changelog mentioned above is for the OTA update being rolled out to the OnePlus TV Q Series and the OnePlus TV 55U1. The update includes even more exclusive changes for the Q Series TVs, including:

  • Data Saver Plus feature added in Settings > Network & Internet. Helpful to monitor data, control bandwidth and have alerts for data usage.
  • Modified Audio Output Settings Page – Now you have more options to select as per the sound output you are using.
  • 2 New Added Picture modes
    • AI PQ mode automatically adjusts the picture setting, so except for Backlight control, everything else is Auto controlled.
    • Eyes Protection Mode – Has a low Backlight value set with some tuning done by the team w.r.t gamma, sharpness and color for a lesser strain on the eyes.
  • Modified Log/Feedback Section – The log upload is now renamed as “Bug Report: and you can find this at Settings > More Settings > Bug Report. It has options to select the reason for uploading log and gives the device info.
  • Improved OxygenPlay Experience
    • More content partners added and now you can long-press any image for reading some info about the title before watching it.
    • Modified Watch History interface.
    • Removed App drawer for a more media-centric experience.
    • Upcoming tab added for setting reminders for to be released content.
  • Kids Mode – A separate profile can be created for kids with a selection of Apps to be displayed, timer and security pin.
  • Prime Video app now stays in memory when you click home.
  • TV Shared Album – If you have OnePlus 7/7Pro, you can sync your photos and videos to cloud and view them directly on TV.
  • iOS Connect App support.
  • Improved Video Player
    • While playing any video in the Default Video Player, clicking down button will show the other videos in the folder as a playlist.
    • The videos resume from previous time stamp and if you want to play from the beginning, click OK.
    • The Subtitles selection now shows language of the subs available.
    • Improved performance in the playback of mkv and mp4 HDR files.
  • Format Storage option is back. Now you can expand the storage with external USB/HDD.

As with all previous OnePlus TV update, the latest OTA is being rolled out in an incremental fashion and will only reach a handful of users initially. Once the company confirms that there are no major bugs in the release, it will be rolled out to the remaining users. It’s also worth noting that these features are not being released for the entry-level OnePlus TV Y Series.


Source: OnePlus Community forums

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LG V60, LG V50S, and LG G8S bootloader unlocking support is now live

LG’s bootloader unlocking policy isn’t favorable to users interesting in modding or rooting their phones. The company selectively whitelists a handful of devices in certain regions, often leaving users at the mercy of temporary exploits such as in the case of the LG V50 ThinQ. Luckily, LG is now adding official support for bootloader unlocking of three recent flagship devices such as the LG V60, LG V50S, and the LG G8S.

LG V60 XDA Forums

As usual, bootloader unlocking is only supported on carrier-unlocked models of these devices outside of the U.S. Therefore, only the European models for LG V60 ThinQ (LMV600EA), V50S ThinQ (LMG850EMW and LMG850EMWX), and G8S ThinQ (LMG810EM, LMG810EMW, and LMG810EAW) are supported by LG’s bootloader unlocking.

If you own either of these devices and wish to unlock the bootloader, you can head over to LG’s online bootloader unlocking page and follow the steps listed here. You will be required to generate the Device ID using platform tools and enter the ID along with the phone’s IMEI on the company’s online verification tool. Once the verification is successful, you’ll receive an email containing a bootloader unlock key in .bin format that will be required in the process.

In spite of piling losses in the smartphone business, Korean consumer electronics maker LG is far from withdrawing from the making new smartphone. The number of products for the international market, however, has gone down and LG is focussing on a certain niche of users, trying to appeal them with features like dual-screen and stylus support on sleek phones. While LG’s flagships are still “so close to greatness,” the company has been late in rolling out updates. This inspires users to indulge in wanting to explore unofficial means of updating to the latest versions of Android, only to discover LG’s untoward stance towards bootloader unlocking.

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Protected: Take this quiz to find out what kind of smartphone user you are [DEMO]

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OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z Review: Comfortable Earphones with Exceptional Battery Life

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z are entry-level Bluetooth earphones, built upon OnePlus’s philosophy of offering a unique product experience at a competitive price. Launched alongside the OnePlus 8 series in April, the new wireless neckband earbuds retain some of the key features of the more premium Bullets Wireless 2 while also bringing improvements of its own. Priced at just ₹1,999 or $49.95, the Bullets Wireless Z are among the most value-for-money Bluetooth wireless earbuds available on the market right now—at least on paper. But do they live up to its spec sheet? We find out in this review.

Disclaimer: I personally bought a pair of Bullets Wireless Z. OnePlus also sent a review unit to Aamir, which we used for comparison and to corroborate our findings.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z: Specifications

Specification Bullets Wireless Z
Build and Weight
  • Plastic earcups and rubber collar
  • IP55 water & dust resistance
  • 28g
Driver setup
  • Single 9.2mm dynamic driver
Connectivity
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Codecs: SBC, ACC
  • Low Latency mode — Available on OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 7 series
Battery & Charging
  • 20 hours playback on a single charge
  • USB Type C port
  • Warp Charge: 10-minute charge for 10 hours of playback
In The Box
  • Pair of Bullets Wireless Z
  • 3x silicon ear tips
  • USB Charging cable
  • User guide
  • Safety and Warranty card

Buy OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z: Amazon India (Affiliate) ||| OnePlus.com USA ||| OnePlus.com UK

Design & Comfort 

The Bullets Wireless Z looks almost like a replica of the Bullets Wireless 2. If they were lying on a table side-by-side, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart from a distance. However, they differ in terms of the material they’re made of. Unlike the Bullets Wireless 2, which used metal casing for the earcups, the Bullets Wireless Z opts for an all-plastic build. The rest of the body remains the same with both earbuds using a soft, flexible rubberized collar and plastic modules on either side housing the battery, audio chip, and other circuitry. The left module has a new OnePlus logo inscribed on the outer side. Just beneath it, you’ll find a tiny LED and circular multi-function button. Meanwhile, the USB Type C port is placed on the edge close to the logo.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

The in-line controls are enclosed in a small strip on the left wire along with a single microphone. The controls are easy to reach and can be used to adjust volume, play/pause/change tracks, and receive/dismiss calls. The Bullets Wireless Z are incredibly comfortable thanks to their lightweight build and can be worn for hours on end without irritating your ears. Their ergonomic design provides the perfect snug fit that doesn’t pop out during workouts or other physical activities. The Bullets Wireless Z might not be as futuristic-looking as some of the truly wireless earbuds on the market right now, but they still make their own statement, in our opinion.

The Bullets Wireless Z feels really solid and look like they could withstand some abuse. The IP55 protection is the icing on the cake. It goes beyond the standard sweat resistance offered by most earbuds, allowing you to use them around water. I briefly used them under drizzle on two occasions and faced no interruption/connection drops or any malfunctions afterward. The added protection also makes the earbuds ideal for physically demanding activities such as workouts and running—something you wouldn’t risk doing with the Bullets Wireless 2 as they lacked an official IP rating.

Similar to its predecessors, the Bullets Wireless Z features magnetic locks, allowing you to power on and off the earbuds by simply separating the ear cups and snapping them back together. The mechanism is robust, and I never had any issues with them being detached accidentally (and thus connected to my phone unintentionally). There’s no carrying case provided inside the box, but I didn’t find that to be an issue. When I’m not using the buds, I just simply snap-lock them together and leave them hanging around my neck.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

Image courtesy: Aamir Sididiqui

One of my favorite features of the Bullets Wireless Z is Quick Switch which lets you quickly switch the active Bluetooth connection between your paired devices. For example, if you’re listening to music on your laptop and want to take a call on your phone, you don’t have to disconnect from your current device and enter the pairing mode to swap connections. Just double press the multi-function button, and the Bullets Wireless Z will automatically connect to your phone—no need to touch your phone and open Bluetooth settings.

Sound & Call Quality

The similarity between the Bullets Wireless 2 and Bullets Wireless Z stops at visuals, though. There’s a stark difference between the two earphones when it comes to audio quality and driver setup—not surprising when we take into account the price gap. The Bullets Wireless 2 featured two Knowles-balanced armature drivers that handled vocals and treble and a 10mm dynamic driver that took care of the bass. The Bullets Wireless Z doesn’t enjoy the same luxury due to its tighter price envelope and only features a single 9.2mm dynamic driver.

Not only do the Bullets Wireless Z have an inferior driver setup, but they also leave out the high-quality Bluetooth codecs such as aptX HD and LDAC. You only get AAC and SBC codecs, a definite step down from the Bullets Wireless 2 which boasts aptX HD support. All of the abovementioned codecs offer higher bitrate throughput and lower latency compared to AAC and SBC. For what it’s worth, OnePlus says the earphones do support the Low Latency mode on OnePlus devices through the phones’ Fnatic gaming mode.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

Image courtesy: Aamir Siddiqui

Coming to the audio quality, the Bullets Wireless Z has a warm, bass-forward sound that’s suitable for pop, EDM, and Hip Hop music. Mids are a bit laid back but still come clean without being muffled by the emphasized bass. This was quite evident when listening to Lost In Yesterday by Tame Impala, where Kevin Parker’s vocals pierced through the heavy bass presence. Treble performance, on the other hand, lacks sparkle and zing. On overly bright tracks, this could have a positive effect as it would tame down some of the harshnesses and make the sound more bearable for ears. However, when listening to acoustic and classical music, it often lacks energy and loses out finer details.

Although the bass on the Bullets Wireless Z takes center stage, it’s not particularly well-balanced. The sub-bass feels all over the place and lacks a satisfying punch. Some people might enjoy the elevated low-end bass, but I personally prefer a tighter punch that only kicks in when needed and doesn’t stick around too long.

The Bullets Wireless Z has a narrow soundstage that’s located inside the user’s head. Tracks that don’t utilize too many instruments will sound fine and you’ll be able to identify different instruments easily. On The Run by Pink Floyd incorporates multiple panning effects with footsteps moving from side-to-side and pulsing synth sounds fading in-and-out, all of which were faithfully reproduced by the Bullets Wireless Z.

Full Test Playlist

  1. Time — Pink Floyd
  2. On the Run — Pink Floyd
  3. Money For Nothing — Dire Straits
  4. Mystery of Love — Sufjan Stevens
  5. Intuition — Maejor
  6. Unsquare Dance — Dave Brubeck
  7. When the Morning Light Shines In — Dan Romer (Far Cry 5)
  8. The Mummers’ Dance — Loreena McKennitt
  9. Lost In Yesterday — Tame Impala
  10. Take My Breathe Away — Berlin
  11. Locke — PYLOT

The Bullets Wireless Z might not be the best sounding product in the wireless earphones category, but they do make for an excellent movie-watching experience thanks to their emphasized bass and clean mids, giving a sort of home-theatre like feel in your ears.

Overall, the sound quality of the Bullets Wireless Z is a mixed bag. For me, they don’t sound as good as my trusty Bullets V2. There is a smoothness and excitement to the Bullets V2’s sound, which I found missing on the Bullets Wireless Z. The neutral sound profile of the Bullets V2 also makes them an excellent choice for a vast genre of music. With the Bullets Wireless Z, your experience will largely depend on the type of music you listen to. Songs with a simple bassline and few instruments will fare well, but anything complex and multi-layered tends to lose clarity and sounds muddy.

The call quality on the Bullets Wireless Z is serviceable. With no secondary microphone or software-based noise reduction solution in place, callers on the other end of my voice calls often complained about background noises when I was in the middle of city traffic and noisy environments.

Noise Isolation

The Bullets Wireless Z offers very good passive noise isolation. Just putting the earphones in will effectively block out a fair amount of outside noise, including the rumbles of engines and the humming of a ceiling fan. Once you start playing music, it’s difficult to make out of what’s going on around you. To achieve the perfect isolation, it’s vitally important that you experiment with the different ear tips and choose the ones that give you a perfect seal. For me, the smallest ear tips provide the best fit and seal. Try out each size one-by-one and decide for yourself which one works for you.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

Bluetooth Range & Latency

The Bullets Wireless Z offers Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and is backward compatible with older Bluetooth specifications. The signal range is excellent, as you would expect from any Bluetooth 5.0 audio accessory. For me, it’s a big step up from my Sennheiser HD 4.50, which uses Bluetooth 4.2 and easily drops connection when I’m in another room away from my phone. With the Bullets Wireless Z, I don’t have to ensure a clear line of sight or worry about physical obstructions interrupting my audio playback. I could roam in different parts of my house with my phone plugged into the charger in my bedroom, and yet there was no hint of music or calls suffering from connection drops or showing a loss of clarity.

The lack of aptX or other high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs means the latency on the Bullets Wireless Z isn’t that impressive. Using the Audio Tester app, we measured the latency to be above 300ms, which is far from ideal for gaming. Although OnePlus does offer a low-latency mode for a reduced lag gaming experience, it’s only available on its own phones using the Fnatic mode, which is available on the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 7 series, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro, and OnePlus 6T (the OnePlus 6 will receive it via an OTA in August). Aamir was able to test the low-latency mode on his OnePlus 7 Pro and found that it did cut the latency significantly in PUBG Mobile. It doesn’t come quite close to a wired solution—you can still spot the delay if you listen closely for it—but it’s far better than what you get out-of-the-box. For non-OnePlus phone owners looking to buy these earphones primarily for gaming, we would advise sticking to wired headsets or looking for something else with at least aptX codec support.

Battery Performance & Charging Speed

The battery performance is the strongest aspect of the Bullets Wireless Z. The company claims up to 20 hours of non-stop music playback on a single charge, a marked improvement over the Bullets Wireless 2’s 14-hour claim. In my experience, the Bullets Wireless Z’s battery life does live up to this claim. During my three weeks of heavy usage, which included hours of music listening, watching YouTube videos, and taking calls, I only had to fully charge the earphones three times.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

Image courtesy: Aamir Siddiqui

The amazing battery life of the Bullets Wireless Z is accompanied by the equally amazing Warp Charge wired fast charging tech, which fills up the empty battery at a moment’s notice. OnePlus says a 10-minute charge is enough to give you 10 hours of music playback. To test this claim, I charged the Bullets Wireless Z for precisely 10 minutes and looped the earphones through a playlist with the volume set to 50%. The earbuds lasted for 10 hours and 55 minutes before being disconnected. This better-than-expected result is due to the fact that I used a 5V/2A adapter, which is higher than OnePlus’s minimum requirement of using a 5V/0.6A charger. We performed a similar loop test to check the 20-hour endurance claim. Again, the earbuds delivered on their promise and managed to last for 20 hours and 8 minutes before finally dying.

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z are simply incredible when it comes to battery performance. There are few if any Bluetooth wireless earphones on the market in this price range that can deliver such a marathon battery life on a single charge.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z: Conclusion

The Bullets Wireless Z succeeds in its goal to deliver a practical, value-for-money wireless audio package that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. Where the Bullets Wireless 2 were a niche product aimed at providing a premium audio experience, OnePlus has taken a more mainstream approach with the Bullets Wireless Z by lowering the price barrier and retaining some of the most useful features from last year’s model.

The OnePlus Bullets Z are fantastic entry-level Bluetooth earphones that nail the fundamentals. They have a reliable build quality that can withstand rough handling, an ergonomic design that’s comfortable to wear for extended periods, and battery life that just goes on and on. The sound quality is decent for everyday listening but certainly not the best in its class. If sound quality is your top priority, you should perhaps take a look at the OPPO Enco M31 earbuds, which cost the same as the Bullets Wireless Z but are Hi-Res certified, offer LDAC codec support, and have a neutral sound profile. I primarily bought the Bullets Wireless Z to replace my wired Bullets V2, hoping to enjoy a similar audio experience with the convenience of Bluetooth. While I can’t say I’m pleased with the overall sound quality, I can totally see myself enjoying that extra kick of bass while listening to EDM and trance. On top of that, I also find the convenience and comfort offered by them to be immensely helpful in day-to-day usage.

Buy OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z: Amazon India (Affiliate) ||| OnePlus.com USA ||| OnePlus.com UK

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OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z Review: Comfortable Earphones with Exceptional Battery Life

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z are entry-level Bluetooth earphones, built upon OnePlus’s philosophy of offering a unique product experience at a competitive price. Launched alongside the OnePlus 8 series in April, the new wireless neckband earbuds retain some of the key features of the more premium Bullets Wireless 2 while also bringing improvements of its own. Priced at just ₹1,999 or $49.95, the Bullets Wireless Z are among the most value-for-money Bluetooth wireless earbuds available on the market right now—at least on paper. But do they live up to its spec sheet? We find out in this review.

Disclaimer: I personally bought a pair of Bullets Wireless Z. OnePlus also sent a review unit to Aamir, which we used for comparison and to corroborate our findings.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z: Specifications

Specification Bullets Wireless Z
Build and Weight
  • Plastic earcups and rubber collar
  • IP55 water & dust resistance
  • 28g
Driver setup
  • Single 9.2mm dynamic driver
Connectivity
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Codecs: SBC, ACC
  • Low Latency mode — Available on OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 7 series
Battery & Charging
  • 20 hours playback on a single charge
  • USB Type C port
  • Warp Charge: 10-minute charge for 10 hours of playback
In The Box
  • Pair of Bullets Wireless Z
  • 3x silicon ear tips
  • USB Charging cable
  • User guide
  • Safety and Warranty card

Buy OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z: Amazon India (Affiliate) ||| OnePlus.com USA ||| OnePlus.com UK

Design & Comfort 

The Bullets Wireless Z looks almost like a replica of the Bullets Wireless 2. If they were lying on a table side-by-side, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart from a distance. However, they differ in terms of the material they’re made of. Unlike the Bullets Wireless 2, which used metal casing for the earcups, the Bullets Wireless Z opts for an all-plastic build. The rest of the body remains the same with both earbuds using a soft, flexible rubberized collar and plastic modules on either side housing the battery, audio chip, and other circuitry. The left module has a new OnePlus logo inscribed on the outer side. Just beneath it, you’ll find a tiny LED and circular multi-function button. Meanwhile, the USB Type C port is placed on the edge close to the logo.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

The in-line controls are enclosed in a small strip on the left wire along with a single microphone. The controls are easy to reach and can be used to adjust volume, play/pause/change tracks, and receive/dismiss calls. The Bullets Wireless Z are incredibly comfortable thanks to their lightweight build and can be worn for hours on end without irritating your ears. Their ergonomic design provides the perfect snug fit that doesn’t pop out during workouts or other physical activities. The Bullets Wireless Z might not be as futuristic-looking as some of the truly wireless earbuds on the market right now, but they still make their own statement, in our opinion.

The Bullets Wireless Z feels really solid and look like they could withstand some abuse. The IP55 protection is the icing on the cake. It goes beyond the standard sweat resistance offered by most earbuds, allowing you to use them around water. I briefly used them under drizzle on two occasions and faced no interruption/connection drops or any malfunctions afterward. The added protection also makes the earbuds ideal for physically demanding activities such as workouts and running—something you wouldn’t risk doing with the Bullets Wireless 2 as they lacked an official IP rating.

Similar to its predecessors, the Bullets Wireless Z features magnetic locks, allowing you to power on and off the earbuds by simply separating the ear cups and snapping them back together. The mechanism is robust, and I never had any issues with them being detached accidentally (and thus connected to my phone unintentionally). There’s no carrying case provided inside the box, but I didn’t find that to be an issue. When I’m not using the buds, I just simply snap-lock them together and leave them hanging around my neck.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

Image courtesy: Aamir Sididiqui

One of my favorite features of the Bullets Wireless Z is Quick Switch which lets you quickly switch the active Bluetooth connection between your paired devices. For example, if you’re listening to music on your laptop and want to take a call on your phone, you don’t have to disconnect from your current device and enter the pairing mode to swap connections. Just double press the multi-function button, and the Bullets Wireless Z will automatically connect to your phone—no need to touch your phone and open Bluetooth settings.

Sound & Call Quality

The similarity between the Bullets Wireless 2 and Bullets Wireless Z stops at visuals, though. There’s a stark difference between the two earphones when it comes to audio quality and driver setup—not surprising when we take into account the price gap. The Bullets Wireless 2 featured two Knowles-balanced armature drivers that handled vocals and treble and a 10mm dynamic driver that took care of the bass. The Bullets Wireless Z doesn’t enjoy the same luxury due to its tighter price envelope and only features a single 9.2mm dynamic driver.

Not only do the Bullets Wireless Z have an inferior driver setup, but they also leave out the high-quality Bluetooth codecs such as aptX HD and LDAC. You only get AAC and SBC codecs, a definite step down from the Bullets Wireless 2 which boasts aptX HD support. All of the abovementioned codecs offer higher bitrate throughput and lower latency compared to AAC and SBC. For what it’s worth, OnePlus says the earphones do support the Low Latency mode on OnePlus devices through the phones’ Fnatic gaming mode.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

Image courtesy: Aamir Siddiqui

Coming to the audio quality, the Bullets Wireless Z has a warm, bass-forward sound that’s suitable for pop, EDM, and Hip Hop music. Mids are a bit laid back but still come clean without being muffled by the emphasized bass. This was quite evident when listening to Lost In Yesterday by Tame Impala, where Kevin Parker’s vocals pierced through the heavy bass presence. Treble performance, on the other hand, lacks sparkle and zing. On overly bright tracks, this could have a positive effect as it would tame down some of the harshnesses and make the sound more bearable for ears. However, when listening to acoustic and classical music, it often lacks energy and loses out finer details.

Although the bass on the Bullets Wireless Z takes center stage, it’s not particularly well-balanced. The sub-bass feels all over the place and lacks a satisfying punch. Some people might enjoy the elevated low-end bass, but I personally prefer a tighter punch that only kicks in when needed and doesn’t stick around too long.

The Bullets Wireless Z has a narrow soundstage that’s located inside the user’s head. Tracks that don’t utilize too many instruments will sound fine and you’ll be able to identify different instruments easily. On The Run by Pink Floyd incorporates multiple panning effects with footsteps moving from side-to-side and pulsing synth sounds fading in-and-out, all of which were faithfully reproduced by the Bullets Wireless Z.

Full Test Playlist

  1. Time — Pink Floyd
  2. On the Run — Pink Floyd
  3. Money For Nothing — Dire Straits
  4. Mystery of Love — Sufjan Stevens
  5. Intuition — Maejor
  6. Unsquare Dance — Dave Brubeck
  7. When the Morning Light Shines In — Dan Romer (Far Cry 5)
  8. The Mummers’ Dance — Loreena McKennitt
  9. Lost In Yesterday — Tame Impala
  10. Take My Breathe Away — Berlin
  11. Locke — PYLOT

The Bullets Wireless Z might not be the best sounding product in the wireless earphones category, but they do make for an excellent movie-watching experience thanks to their emphasized bass and clean mids, giving a sort of home-theatre like feel in your ears.

Overall, the sound quality of the Bullets Wireless Z is a mixed bag. For me, they don’t sound as good as my trusty Bullets V2. There is a smoothness and excitement to the Bullets V2’s sound, which I found missing on the Bullets Wireless Z. The neutral sound profile of the Bullets V2 also makes them an excellent choice for a vast genre of music. With the Bullets Wireless Z, your experience will largely depend on the type of music you listen to. Songs with a simple bassline and few instruments will fare well, but anything complex and multi-layered tends to lose clarity and sounds muddy.

The call quality on the Bullets Wireless Z is serviceable. With no secondary microphone or software-based noise reduction solution in place, callers on the other end of my voice calls often complained about background noises when I was in the middle of city traffic and noisy environments.

Noise Isolation

The Bullets Wireless Z offers very good passive noise isolation. Just putting the earphones in will effectively block out a fair amount of outside noise, including the rumbles of engines and the humming of a ceiling fan. Once you start playing music, it’s difficult to make out of what’s going on around you. To achieve the perfect isolation, it’s vitally important that you experiment with the different ear tips and choose the ones that give you a perfect seal. For me, the smallest ear tips provide the best fit and seal. Try out each size one-by-one and decide for yourself which one works for you.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

Bluetooth Range & Latency

The Bullets Wireless Z offers Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and is backward compatible with older Bluetooth specifications. The signal range is excellent, as you would expect from any Bluetooth 5.0 audio accessory. For me, it’s a big step up from my Sennheiser HD 4.50, which uses Bluetooth 4.2 and easily drops connection when I’m in another room away from my phone. With the Bullets Wireless Z, I don’t have to ensure a clear line of sight or worry about physical obstructions interrupting my audio playback. I could roam in different parts of my house with my phone plugged into the charger in my bedroom, and yet there was no hint of music or calls suffering from connection drops or showing a loss of clarity.

The lack of aptX or other high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs means the latency on the Bullets Wireless Z isn’t that impressive. Using the Audio Tester app, we measured the latency to be above 300ms, which is far from ideal for gaming. Although OnePlus does offer a low-latency mode for a reduced lag gaming experience, it’s only available on its own phones using the Fnatic mode, which is available on the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 7 series, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro, and OnePlus 6T (the OnePlus 6 will receive it via an OTA in August). Aamir was able to test the low-latency mode on his OnePlus 7 Pro and found that it did cut the latency significantly in PUBG Mobile. It doesn’t come quite close to a wired solution—you can still spot the delay if you listen closely for it—but it’s far better than what you get out-of-the-box. For non-OnePlus phone owners looking to buy these earphones primarily for gaming, we would advise sticking to wired headsets or looking for something else with at least aptX codec support.

Battery Performance & Charging Speed

The battery performance is the strongest aspect of the Bullets Wireless Z. The company claims up to 20 hours of non-stop music playback on a single charge, a marked improvement over the Bullets Wireless 2’s 14-hour claim. In my experience, the Bullets Wireless Z’s battery life does live up to this claim. During my three weeks of heavy usage, which included hours of music listening, watching YouTube videos, and taking calls, I only had to fully charge the earphones three times.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z XDA Review

Image courtesy: Aamir Siddiqui

The amazing battery life of the Bullets Wireless Z is accompanied by the equally amazing Warp Charge wired fast charging tech, which fills up the empty battery at a moment’s notice. OnePlus says a 10-minute charge is enough to give you 10 hours of music playback. To test this claim, I charged the Bullets Wireless Z for precisely 10 minutes and looped the earphones through a playlist with the volume set to 50%. The earbuds lasted for 10 hours and 55 minutes before being disconnected. This better-than-expected result is due to the fact that I used a 5V/2A adapter, which is higher than OnePlus’s minimum requirement of using a 5V/0.6A charger. We performed a similar loop test to check the 20-hour endurance claim. Again, the earbuds delivered on their promise and managed to last for 20 hours and 8 minutes before finally dying.

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z are simply incredible when it comes to battery performance. There are few if any Bluetooth wireless earphones on the market in this price range that can deliver such a marathon battery life on a single charge.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z: Conclusion

The Bullets Wireless Z succeeds in its goal to deliver a practical, value-for-money wireless audio package that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. Where the Bullets Wireless 2 were a niche product aimed at providing a premium audio experience, OnePlus has taken a more mainstream approach with the Bullets Wireless Z by lowering the price barrier and retaining some of the most useful features from last year’s model.

The OnePlus Bullets Z are fantastic entry-level Bluetooth earphones that nail the fundamentals. They have a reliable build quality that can withstand rough handling, an ergonomic design that’s comfortable to wear for extended periods, and battery life that just goes on and on. The sound quality is decent for everyday listening but certainly not the best in its class. If sound quality is your top priority, you should perhaps take a look at the OPPO Enco M31 earbuds, which cost the same as the Bullets Wireless Z but are Hi-Res certified, offer LDAC codec support, and have a neutral sound profile. I primarily bought the Bullets Wireless Z to replace my wired Bullets V2, hoping to enjoy a similar audio experience with the convenience of Bluetooth. While I can’t say I’m pleased with the overall sound quality, I can totally see myself enjoying that extra kick of bass while listening to EDM and trance. On top of that, I also find the convenience and comfort offered by them to be immensely helpful in day-to-day usage.

Buy OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z: Amazon India (Affiliate) ||| OnePlus.com USA ||| OnePlus.com UK

The post OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z Review: Comfortable Earphones with Exceptional Battery Life appeared first on xda-developers.



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samedi 4 juillet 2020

How to install custom ROMs or GSIs on Samsung Galaxy devices without TWRP

Samsung ships its “Galaxy” branded smartphones and tablets highly modified Android software builds, the latest generation of which is known as One UI. Besides all the UI/UX related differences from stock Android, there is one specific feature that makes Samsung’s Android devices very unique compared to devices from other manufacturers. The Korean OEM substitutes the regular Fastboot mechanism with its own protocol in their products. Internally named after characters from the Norse Mythology, the piece of code running on the device is known as “Loke”, while the remote-side (usually a PC) component is called “Odin”.

How to Download Odin Firmware to Downgrade, Upgrade, or Restore your Samsung Galaxy

The lack of a Fastboot compatible interface might sound like a huge roadblock for the modding scene, but the aftermarket developer community has always managed to get their hands on leaked Odin binaries to get things done. The custom protocol itself was reverse-engineered long ago, resulting in a cross-platform open-source flashing tool called Heimdall. One can compile Heimdall from source or simply grab a patched version of Odin in order to root their Samsung Galaxy devices, install a custom recovery like TWRP, and perform many other flashing jobs.

Once you’ve got TWRP installed, you can easily replace Samsung’s version of Android with a custom Android ROM like LineageOS. Even if there are no custom ROMs available for your Samsung model, you can technically install a Generic System Image (GSI), provided the device is Project Treble compliant as well as comes with an unlockable bootloader. However, porting TWRP to recent Samsung devices running Android 10/One UI 2 out of the box (e.g. the Galaxy S20 series) is a complicated task. The unavailability of a stable custom recovery directly hinders the ability of installing custom ROMs/GSIs on such models.

XDA Junior Member kkoo has now come up with a clever idea to bypass most of these hurdles. Given the fact that Samsung’s official firmware package is nothing but a collection of LZ4 compressed archives, a similarly packed custom ROM (or GSI) can be flashed using Odin. The Verified Boot feature of the target device has to be disabled beforehand, which can be achieved by installing a null vbmeta image provided by Google.

All the instructions you need to follow have been posted in the forum thread linked below. The process described by XDA Junior Member kkoo requires executing some command-line scripts from your computer running Windows. Instructions for flashing and configuring GSIs are also linked in the same forum post.

Using Odin to install custom ROM/GSI on Samsung Galaxy device without TWRP

The post How to install custom ROMs or GSIs on Samsung Galaxy devices without TWRP appeared first on xda-developers.



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How to install custom ROMs or GSIs on Samsung Galaxy devices without TWRP

Samsung ships its “Galaxy” branded smartphones and tablets highly modified Android software builds, the latest generation of which is known as One UI. Besides all the UI/UX related differences from stock Android, there is one specific feature that makes Samsung’s Android devices very unique compared to devices from other manufacturers. The Korean OEM substitutes the regular Fastboot mechanism with its own protocol in their products. Internally named after characters from the Norse Mythology, the piece of code running on the device is known as “Loke”, while the remote-side (usually a PC) component is called “Odin”.

How to Download Odin Firmware to Downgrade, Upgrade, or Restore your Samsung Galaxy

The lack of a Fastboot compatible interface might sound like a huge roadblock for the modding scene, but the aftermarket developer community has always managed to get their hands on leaked Odin binaries to get things done. The custom protocol itself was reverse-engineered long ago, resulting in a cross-platform open-source flashing tool called Heimdall. One can compile Heimdall from source or simply grab a patched version of Odin in order to root their Samsung Galaxy devices, install a custom recovery like TWRP, and perform many other flashing jobs.

Once you’ve got TWRP installed, you can easily replace Samsung’s version of Android with a custom Android ROM like LineageOS. Even if there are no custom ROMs available for your Samsung model, you can technically install a Generic System Image (GSI), provided the device is Project Treble compliant as well as comes with an unlockable bootloader. However, porting TWRP to recent Samsung devices running Android 10/One UI 2 out of the box (e.g. the Galaxy S20 series) is a complicated task. The unavailability of a stable custom recovery directly hinders the ability of installing custom ROMs/GSIs on such models.

XDA Junior Member kkoo has now come up with a clever idea to bypass most of these hurdles. Given the fact that Samsung’s official firmware package is nothing but a collection of LZ4 compressed archives, a similarly packed custom ROM (or GSI) can be flashed using Odin. The Verified Boot feature of the target device has to be disabled beforehand, which can be achieved by installing a null vbmeta image provided by Google.

All the instructions you need to follow have been posted in the forum thread linked below. The process described by XDA Junior Member kkoo requires executing some command-line scripts from your computer running Windows. Instructions for flashing and configuring GSIs are also linked in the same forum post.

Using Odin to install custom ROM/GSI on Samsung Galaxy device without TWRP

The post How to install custom ROMs or GSIs on Samsung Galaxy devices without TWRP appeared first on xda-developers.



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