- 3 days ago
On this episode of Tech Today, host Cyrus dives into Apple’s latest releases — the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max — and explores the ultimate question: should you choose sleek design or raw power this festive season?
We also pit the best AI image creators against each other in an exciting showdown: Gemini vs ChatGPT vs Grok AI — which tool delivers the most stunning visuals?
Plus, a detailed review of the Sony WH-1000XM6 — Sony’s newest noise-cancelling headphones.
Stay tuned for expert takes, honest opinions, and your weekly tech fix!
Thanks
We also pit the best AI image creators against each other in an exciting showdown: Gemini vs ChatGPT vs Grok AI — which tool delivers the most stunning visuals?
Plus, a detailed review of the Sony WH-1000XM6 — Sony’s newest noise-cancelling headphones.
Stay tuned for expert takes, honest opinions, and your weekly tech fix!
Thanks
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00This festive season, India can't seem to get enough of the iPhone 17 series. Walk into an
00:21Apple store and chances are that the Pro or the Pro Max would be sold out while the new 17 Air
00:27has people lining up with cash in hand. That's why today's reviews on the show matter more than
00:34ever because if you're still deciding which one deserves your money, we've got both of them in
00:40the studio and while we are at it, we'll put Sony's brand new 1000XM6 headphones to the test because
00:48what is a shiny new iPhone without some premium sound to go with it, right? So let's kick things
00:54off on the show with the news and then more on the iPhones. This is Cyrus and you are watching
01:00Tech Today.
01:04Union Home Minister Amit Shah has publicly switched his official email to India's homegrown
01:10Zoho Mail signaling support for indigenous tech. Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu responded, dedicating
01:17the moment to engineers who stayed in India for over 20 years and saying their faith is
01:23now vindicated. The move aligns closely with the government's Swadeshi push in digital infrastructure.
01:30AI startup Anthropic has confirmed plans to open its first India office in Bengaluru by
01:38early 2026, citing India's deep pool of engineering talent. CEO Dario Amuday praised local developers
01:46and noted strong demand for its clawed AI in India. The expansion positions India as a strategic
01:52centre for Anthropic's global growth.
01:59At IMC 2025, Jio revealed a safety-first upgrade for its Jio Bharat phones focused on families.
02:06Features include real-time location monitoring, usage manager controls like calls and message
02:11filters, phone health alerts and up to 7 days battery backup. Aimed at safeguarding children,
02:17seniors and dependents, the phone combines affordability with built-in protection.
02:26Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo admitted he felt nervous ahead of accepting the prestige
02:31global award and used the perplexity AI chatbot for help. He asked the AI for background, ideas
02:39and lines to include in his speech. The confession highlights how even top stars are now turning
02:44to AI for support.
02:50Asus has launched two new handheld gaming devices in India, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X starting
02:57at Rs 69,990. Pre-orders are open with retail availability from October 16th. The devices feature AMD Ryzen
03:0632 series processors, 7-inch displays and a Windows-based gaming experience optimized for handheld play.
03:13Stay tuned for a full review on the Tech Today show.
03:24This week we are diving into Apple's brand new iPhones and I've had both of these in my hands.
03:30The sleek, ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air in white by the way and the powerhouse, the iPhone 17 Pro Max in a very bold orange finish.
03:39Now, these two are very different devices that target different kinds of users and instead of separating them in two shows, I thought it's best to review both of them together and show you the strengths and weaknesses that they offer.
03:53I'll also share the real world insights, let's say camera samples, battery screen time, charging, performance, all of the benchmarking to help you decide whether these are really deserving of the money that you are spending on them.
04:08Unless you're someone who buys a phone for just the color or maybe how nice it feels in the hands, this review is not for you.
04:15But if you want to know what these are truly worth, check out the review.
04:28The iPhone 17 Air is without question, Apple's most striking iPhone in years.
04:34At just 5.6mm thick and around 165 grams, this is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever made.
04:47In hands, it feels impossibly slim, almost disappearing into your pocket, but at the same time, it doesn't come across as fragile.
04:55The titanium frame is strong and it even survived multiple bend tests by YouTubers.
05:04Even after bending, it retains its original state, so don't worry about it breaking that easily.
05:10The new ceramic shield to glass is said to be scratch resistant, but I would still recommend you get a screen card immediately because my unit picked up scratches on the display by just rubbing against keys in my pocket.
05:27The display is a 6.5 inch Super Retina OLED with ProMotion running up to 120Hz.
05:38It's also one of the brightest panels Apple has put on a phone, hitting 3000 nits peak brightness outdoors, which means illegibility in harsh sunlight isn't an issue at all.
05:48I would have liked the display to be smaller to save up on battery and make it more handy, but maybe that's just Apple's way of getting us ready for the foldable iPhone in 2026, which is expected to be two airs slapped together.
06:06Paired with iOS 26, the experience of the software feels smooth and fresh with little touches like the new liquid glass design language and adaptive power mode that actually helps efficiency.
06:22When it comes to the camera, it's not the air's strongest area.
06:25A single 48MP Fusion camera and an 18MP front shooter are all you get on the phone that costs 1.2 lakh.
06:43No gripes with the performance as it outputs crisp and colourful photos in most conditions.
06:49The software handles features like portrait mode and zoom crops and while you don't get the versatility of multiple lenses, it does the job very well for everyday photography.
07:00Here are a few samples I took with the device.
07:09Battery life is where things seem gloomy.
07:12Despite a power efficient modem, I am barely able to make it to bedtime with the phone.
07:17Like I unplugged the phone at 8AM in the morning and I am left with 10% at night.
07:23That's not enough.
07:28In moderate use, it holds up fine, but under heavy streaming or gaming, it drains faster than you would expect, largely due to how slim it is.
07:36I tested the phone and got around 6-7 hours of screen time which gives you a clearer picture of the battery life.
07:49Charging is just about okay with 50% in 30 minutes, but a full charge takes about 90 minutes.
07:55Apple is also selling this portable wireless charger at 12,000 rupees which charges the phone up to 57% in one hour and about 65% on a full charge.
08:09Yes, it does add to the bulk, but if you are okay with that, then the iPhone 17 Air will be able to run longer.
08:15Performance comes from Apple's A19 Pro chip.
08:25Day-to-day tasks feel snappy and handles games decently, though during extended gaming or video recording, the air tends to heat up and throttle, which is one of the compromises of such a thin design.
08:37That heating can get in the way of prolonged heavy use and that's a point worth keeping in mind if you are a gamer or content creator.
08:50So overall the air is beautiful, lightweight and futuristic, but you do trade off battery stamina, charging speeds and camera versatility for that ultra slim design.
09:01If a thin, good looking iPhone is all you want, then only the air makes sense.
09:08But if you want some serious performance and battery, we have the Pro Max.
09:12Where the air is about slimness, the Pro Max is all about size and power.
09:31At 6.9 inches, it has a massive OLED display with 120Hz and ceramic shield to protection.
09:43It's bright, vivid and comes with an anti-reflective coating for better viewing outdoors.
09:51It's not as good as the S25 Ultra, but still good.
09:54Coming back to the aluminium unibody and the bold orange finish makes it stand out while also improving thermal performance compared to the past Pro Max models.
10:09The cameras are where the iPhone flexes its muscles.
10:12You get a triple 48MP camera system, a main, an ultra-wide and a telephoto with 4x optical zoom and 8x optical quality zoom, the longest zoom Apple has ever put on an iPhone.
10:27That makes it versatile, whether you are shooting landscapes, low-light portraits or far-off subjects.
10:32The front camera, now 18MP with center state, is also great for selfies and video calls.
10:42Stabilization has improved drastically and it's perfect for shooting action shots.
10:47I will be dropping some camera samples here, so you can see the quality on the Pro Max.
10:51Battery life is excellent, where I got up to 10 hours of active screen time.
11:03That's almost one and a half days easily with moderate use.
11:08In real life, it comfortably outlasts the air and even last year's 16 Pro Max.
11:14That makes it one of the best battery performers Apple has made.
11:17Charging, however, still lags behind competitors.
11:21While you can get to 50% quickly, a full top-up takes around 100 minutes.
11:26I would have liked faster charging for a phone of this class.
11:32The Pro Max is powered by the same A19 Pro chip, but with improved thermal management, it sustains performance far better than the air.
11:40That means, whether you're gaming, editing videos or multitasking with iOS 26's new features, it keeps pace without breaking a sweat.
11:53Benchmarks reflect this as well, where my Antutu and Geekbench scores show how it stacks up against the air.
12:00But there are drawbacks.
12:03First, this is a big heavy phone at around 231 grams and using it one-handed is a challenge.
12:11Pocketing it isn't the most comfortable either, especially if you use a cover.
12:17Then there is the price, which is steep at 1,49,900, especially if you do not really need the Pro camera features or the extra horsepower.
12:26For many people, the Pro Max is overkill, but if you want the absolute best, then this is the phone for you.
12:41So, should you buy either of these?
12:44The iPhone 17 Air is the phone for those who want the lightest, sleekest iPhone Apple has ever made.
12:49Maybe there is someone in your family who wants basic photo features and a day's battery.
12:58For them, the Air is ideal because it is a great fit in the pocket, it's futuristic, it's stylish and it genuinely feels different.
13:06The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, is built for power users.
13:14If you are into photography, video editing or gaming, or if you just want the longest battery life in an iPhone, this is the one to get.
13:22And this orange color, you won't find it anywhere else.
13:25Plus, the camera system, display and performance all live up to the Pro Max name, but you will have to be okay with the bulk, the weight and of course, the price tag.
13:39So, that's my review of the iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
13:50Now, both phones have their highs and their trade-offs, but the good news is that Apple's iOS 26 feels polished and makes the hardware shine in very different ways and you will get to experience it when you have the phones.
14:04Now, AI in both isn't the strongest, isn't that good and I wouldn't call it a selling point.
14:10So, I haven't talked much about it, but I'll be sharing a side-by-side comparison of battery drain, camera samples and benchmarks with the competition in our future episodes.
14:21So, keep watching to see how these two phones stack up against the competition and that is really heating up.
14:27Did you know that there are millions of people out there creating images and illustrations using artificial intelligence?
14:39If you're not one of them, I think it's high time that you start using these AI tools.
14:44But the question is, which is the best AI image creator that you can find online?
14:50Which one gives you the most accurate results, the most real and the one that is the easiest to use?
14:57Right now, I have three options with me.
14:59So, this week's AI Guru, let's just check out the top three AI tools which can be used to create images.
15:06One of them is Gemini, ChatGPT and also Grok AI.
15:11And we'll put them through the test, by the way, five tests to determine which is the best for you and I think this is going to be really interesting.
15:20You should check it out.
15:27The first test is what we will try to figure out, how they deal with high resolution images, especially if they want to highlight details.
15:35So, the fastest one is Grok that's given me four results and very swift.
15:41These are decent but I'll just wait for what the others do.
15:44While the Grok images are a bit, let's just say animated, the images from Gemini look more real.
15:51I think of all the three, in terms of realism, I would give points to Gemini because it has also added a little bit of aesthetic sense.
16:02The ChatGPT image is also good, looks real but in this comparison, I will give points to Gemini.
16:14The next test is to see how these AI tools adapt to different artistic styles and then deliver you the best results.
16:21So, the prompts are ready, let's just see how they perform.
16:24Let's first check out Grok.
16:27Again, for one picture, it has given me four options which is great to see but it looks very vibrant, the colors and also it has captured the aesthetic which is great.
16:37It has adapted different styles.
16:39With Gemini, I just have one image.
16:43I'd ask for three but just have one.
16:45Alright, so finally the images are here but the problem is I had to input the prompt thrice into Google Gemini and that could be a problem.
16:53So, be very careful with what you input into these software and then only you will get the results.
16:59I tried the same with ChatGPT, unfortunately, it just gave me one result.
17:05It did not give me more renditions or more styles when I put the prompt again.
17:10So, that is a bit of a problem with ChatGPT, it's just giving me one version.
17:14Okay, so the final results of test number two are that Gemini is definitely better.
17:19It's given me three styles although I had to prompt it again and again but these styles are very nice.
17:25They look more, I would say, on part with what I have prompted.
17:29So, the winner of round two, definitely Gemini.
17:32Okay, round three is all about blending two images and try to get the results.
17:41What's happened with Croc is it is not taking any image uploads for now.
17:47I don't know why it's happening but again we cannot hold on for Croc to fix itself.
17:52So, we will continue with Gemini and ChatGPT.
17:55So, we'll try to blend here the image of Taj Mahal and Times Square and input a prompt to see whether it can very astutely blend the two images.
18:05So, here's my prompt, I'll just copy.
18:08Also understand that Google has recently updated its image generation tools which means the algorithm, the way it's speaking the images and also creating it is much more efficient than the current model.
18:18So, I think it gives it an advantage and also the fact that you are able to get realistic images and more shareable properties and also the accuracy is better on Gemini these days.
18:30Alright, it's been more than two minutes, we've been waiting for the final image of ChatGPT.
18:34It's still not given us a final limit so we can say that Gemini takes the cake in this one.
18:40Alright, the next test is to see whether AI can efficiently replace objects in images.
18:50So, for that we also have a prompt which we will paste on all of these.
18:57Alright, so first up we have to upload the image of a car because we are trying to see whether it can replace or not.
19:04Alright, prompt and image ready on all three, let's just run the test.
19:10So, there is some problem with Grok, it's not able to give the image, it's still processing but ChatGPT has given an image but it's not the same.
19:17It's changed the mood, it's changed the lighting, it's just given a new image altogether.
19:21However, with Gemini, it has tried to keep the aesthetic same, even the background has changed but the foreground, the car and the grass look better.
19:30So, again, points to Gemini in this round.
19:34So, the final test is basically they will try to create a cinematic picture or a poster of a very futuristic looking space.
19:47The thing is this test basically tells of how these AI tools will be able to deal with complicated problems which have multiple elements mixed into one.
19:57So, the results are in front to first, I can surely say the crown is with Google's Gemini which by far in this test has come out as the best image creation tool that you can find on the internet.
20:10It's been a while we reviewed audio devices on our show and I'll be honest, this one has taken almost three years to come to India after its global launch.
20:26And thankfully, I should say that they are here and I'm really pleased.
20:30Now, I've used the previous XM series headphones and they were really nice.
20:35I had one of the best, best times using them and I hope that this one is no exception.
20:41So, after a few days of real use, I'm ready to share with you whether this one, the 1000XM6 lives up to all the hype around it.
20:50I'll tell you about the looks, about how it feels, you know, around your neck, around your ears and the sound quality which is the most important and whether it blocks all of the noise around you.
21:00So, here's a quick review of the newly launched 1000XM6 by Sony.
21:10Let's start with the design and comfort.
21:12On the outside, the XM6 doesn't look that different from last time.
21:16It's an evolution rather a revolution.
21:23Thankfully, Sony has brought back the folding hinge so the headphones can collapse and pack more neatly into the case.
21:30I like the new travel case which is slimmer now and uses a magnetic clasp instead of a zipper making it easier to open.
21:40Now, I am just amazed at how lightweight these are.
21:44At just 254 odd grams, these are one of the lightest over the ear headphones that are available in the market.
21:52The material in itself is so soft to touch, it feels really plush.
21:56But, I personally would go for the all black version because blue doesn't feel right and white just gets dirty very soon.
22:04Feels strong, the wider headband offers better long wear.
22:11However, the clamp force feels a bit tighter if you wear them for too long.
22:16The padding is thinner in terms of inner width compared to before and can even be removed to clean.
22:23So that you don't get any liquids near the hardware.
22:28Now, let's talk sound.
22:30Sony has made key refinements here.
22:32The XM6 moves a little away from a wide sound stage and leans towards clarity and precision.
22:38You now get crisper vocals and better definition in mid and treble ranges, though you will lose a bit of the open hall feeling you get from some competitors.
22:51The sound feels more intimate, more studio-like and less huge stadium.
22:56The bass remains punchy and more controlled than before rather than a heavy boom.
23:03But, is it good for both music and movies?
23:06Well, yes, the balance is good.
23:08Dialogues in movies and series is clean and the headphones support spatial audio as well.
23:14But, what about workouts or active use?
23:17Alright, let's get this straight. These are not sport headphones. They are built mainly with plastic, synthetic leather and pads and there is no water or sweat resistance available with this one.
23:33So, I would not recommend you using this for your gym but rather take it for your travel, for your office, lounging, commute, that sort of thing.
23:42Because, gym headphones should have IP rating and sadly this one does not.
23:50Now, let's talk about controls and app interface.
23:53The right ear cup has a touch panel.
23:55On the left is a round power button and a separate ANC toggle.
24:02The physical buttons are shaped differently so you avoid switching off by mistake.
24:07There is a quick pass through ambient mode by cupping your hand over the right ear cup.
24:11Music lowers and outside sound comes through.
24:14Useful for talking or announcements.
24:19The companion app allows you to adjust a 10-band equalizer and you can also find other settings in there.
24:26Noise cancellation is one of the strongest suits of the XM6.
24:29With a new QN3 processor and 12 microphones dedicated to cancelling and voice pickups,
24:35the XM6 feels better at suppressing higher frequency noises than many rivals.
24:44Without ANC, I got slightly more than 30 hours of playtime which is great.
24:48With ANC, I got around 26 hours.
24:51It charges via USB-C.
24:53With 3 minutes of charge, you can get up to 3 hours of playtime.
24:57So, perfect for people on the go.
25:02So, is the WH-1000XM6, my god that's a mouthful, worth the money?
25:08Because at 40,000 rupees in India, many might think that it's a bit steep.
25:14My verdict is that it feels right for the price tag and many users in India might think differently.
25:22Well, that's your personal choice.
25:23But, if you're upgrading from the older version, say the XM3 or the XM4s,
25:29the XM6 kind of feels meaningful because of the refinements here.
25:33You get better noise cancellation.
25:35You get clearer vocals, mid-range and the audio quality just feels more comprehensive.
25:40And the battery, by the way, is also longer.
25:43So, this package deal is really nice.
25:46As for the competition, by the way, in this segment,
25:48you also have the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Series.
25:52You also have the Apple AirPod Max and even the Sennheiser Momentum Series is available.
25:56But, I think in this price segment, Sony really knocks the competition out of the park.
26:03And that wraps up another packed edition of the Tech Today Show.
26:10Two newly launched iPhones, the new Sony Premium Headphones.
26:14By the way, they've launched in the market and hopefully,
26:16a clearer picture of what deserves a spot in your life and in your wallets.
26:21But remember, this is just the beginning of the festive season
26:25and it's full of launches, full of surprises and big promises
26:28and plenty of reviews are coming your way.
26:31So, stay tuned because the whole tech ride is just about to get faster from here on.
26:36This is Cyrus, I'll see you next week on a brand new Tech Today.
Recommended
12:07
|
Up next
3:25
3:55
3:53
3:57
2:43
3:30
1:21:30
0:57
Be the first to comment