Tech glossary

The spec-sheet jargon, decoded. 63 terms explained in plain English so you know exactly what you’re paying for.

Cameras

Aperture (f-stop): The size of the lens opening that controls how much light reaches the sensor. A lower f-number (e.g. f/1.8) lets in more light and blurs backgrounds more.
EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation): Software-based stabilisation that crops and adjusts the frame to smooth out shake. Lighter on cost than OIS but can reduce field of view.
Frame Rate (fps): The number of image frames captured or displayed per second. Higher fps produces smoother video and gameplay motion.
ISO: A camera setting that controls sensitivity to light. Higher ISO brightens dark scenes but introduces more visual noise or grain.
Megapixel (MP): A count of one million pixels in a camera image. More megapixels allow larger prints and cropping, but do not alone guarantee better photos.
OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation): A camera feature that physically shifts the lens or sensor to counteract hand shake, resulting in sharper photos and steadier video, especially in low light.
Pixel Binning: A technique that merges data from several small sensor pixels into one larger virtual pixel, improving light capture and low-light image quality.
Sensor Size: The physical dimensions of a camera's image sensor. Larger sensors capture more light, generally giving better low-light shots and dynamic range.

Earbuds

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation): Technology in earbuds and headphones that uses microphones to detect ambient noise and generates opposite sound waves to cancel it, ideal for commutes and flights.
AptX: A family of Qualcomm Bluetooth codecs designed to deliver higher-quality, low-latency audio over wireless connections on compatible devices.
Codec: The method used to compress and transmit audio over Bluetooth. The shared codec between your phone and earbuds determines sound quality and lag.
Driver (Audio): The small speaker component inside an earbud or headphone that converts electrical signals into sound. Driver size and type influence the audio character.
LDAC: A Sony-developed Bluetooth audio codec that streams music at higher bit-rates than standard codecs, giving near hi-res sound on supported earbuds and phones.
Transparency Mode: An earbud feature that pipes in outside sound through the microphones so you can hear your surroundings without removing the buds.
TWS (True Wireless Stereo): Earbuds with no wires at all between the two buds, each connecting independently over Bluetooth for a fully cable-free experience.

General

Battery Cycle: One full charge and discharge of a battery. Batteries slowly lose capacity as cycle count rises, which is why long-term health matters.
Bezel: The border frame around a screen. Slimmer bezels give a more immersive, modern look and a higher screen-to-body ratio.
GaN (Gallium Nitride): A semiconductor material used in modern chargers that runs cooler and more efficiently than silicon, allowing high-wattage chargers to be far smaller and lighter.
Nits: A unit of screen brightness. Higher nits (e.g. 1000+) mean the display stays readable under harsh sunlight, which matters a lot in bright Indian daylight.
PPI (Pixels Per Inch): A measure of pixel density on a screen. Higher ppi means sharper text and images because pixels are packed more tightly together.
RAM: Temporary high-speed memory that holds apps and data currently in use. More RAM allows smoother multitasking and keeping more apps open at once.
Refresh Rate: How many times per second a screen redraws its image, measured in Hz. Higher rates like 90Hz or 120Hz make scrolling and animations look smoother.
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USB-C: A reversible, universal connector used for charging and data on most modern phones, laptops, and accessories, now mandated across many devices.
Wattage (W): A measure of power delivery for chargers or the power draw of a device. Higher charger wattage generally means faster charging if the device supports it.

Laptops

Colour Gamut: The range of colours a display can reproduce, often quoted as sRGB, DCI-P3, or Adobe RGB coverage. Wider gamut means more vivid, accurate colour.
DDR5: The fifth generation of RAM technology, offering higher bandwidth and better power efficiency than DDR4 for faster multitasking in laptops and PCs.
GPU: The graphics processing unit that handles rendering of games, video, and visual effects. A stronger GPU means smoother gaming and creative work.
NVMe: A fast storage interface for SSDs that connects over PCIe, delivering dramatically quicker file transfers and boot times than older SATA drives.
Thunderbolt: A high-speed connection standard over USB-C offering very fast data transfer, external display output, and charging through a single port.

Mobiles

5G: The latest mobile network generation offering much faster data speeds and lower latency than 4G, now widely rolling out across Indian cities.
AMOLED: A display technology where each pixel emits its own light, delivering true blacks, high contrast, and vivid colours. Common on mid-range and premium phones in India.
eSIM: A digital SIM built into the device that can be activated by a carrier without a physical card, letting you switch or add plans over the air.
Fast Charging: Charging technology that pushes higher wattage into a battery to refill it quickly. Standards vary by brand, so a matching charger is often needed.
Gorilla Glass: A brand of toughened cover glass used on phone screens and backs that resists scratches and cracks from everyday drops and pocket wear.
IP68: A rating certifying a device is fully dust-tight and can survive submersion in water beyond one metre for a set time. Indicates strong protection against dust and water.
mAh (Milliampere-hour): A unit describing battery capacity. A larger mAh number generally means longer battery life, though real endurance also depends on chip efficiency and screen.
Processor (SoC): The System-on-Chip that combines CPU, GPU, and other components on one chip, acting as the brain of a phone and determining overall performance.
Refresh (Touch Sampling Rate): How often a touchscreen checks for finger input per second, measured in Hz. Higher rates make taps and gaming controls feel more responsive.
Refresh Rate (Adaptive/LTPO): An advanced panel type that can dynamically vary its refresh rate from as low as 1Hz up to 120Hz, saving battery while keeping motion smooth.
UFS Storage: A fast flash storage standard used in phones (e.g. UFS 3.1, UFS 4.0) that speeds up app loading and file transfers compared to older eMMC.
Wireless Charging (Qi): A standard that charges a device by placing it on a pad, transferring power without cables through electromagnetic induction.

Routers

Dual-Band: A router capability to broadcast on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies, letting devices pick the best balance of range and speed.
Mesh Wi-Fi: A system of multiple linked router units that blanket a home in seamless wireless coverage, eliminating dead zones better than a single router.
MU-MIMO: A router technology that lets it communicate with several devices at once rather than one at a time, improving performance on busy networks.
Tri-Band: A router with three simultaneous bands (typically one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz, or an added 6GHz), reducing congestion when many devices connect.
Wi-Fi 6: The 802.11ax wireless standard offering faster speeds, better performance in crowded networks, and improved battery efficiency for connected devices.
Wi-Fi 6E: An extension of Wi-Fi 6 that adds the 6GHz band, providing extra clean spectrum for faster, less congested connections on compatible devices.

TVs

4K / UHD: A resolution of roughly 3840x2160 pixels, offering four times the detail of Full HD. Now standard for mid-range and premium TVs.
Contrast Ratio: The difference between the brightest white and darkest black a display can show. Higher contrast produces more depth and punchier images.
Dolby Vision: A premium HDR format that adjusts brightness and colour scene-by-scene using dynamic metadata, generally producing better results than static HDR10.
eARC: An enhanced audio return channel over HDMI that sends high-bandwidth, lossless audio from a TV to a soundbar or receiver over one cable.
HDMI 2.1: The latest HDMI standard supporting 4K at 120Hz, 8K, and features like VRR and eARC, important for next-gen gaming consoles.
HDR10: A widely supported high dynamic range format that expands the range of brightness and colour in video, making highlights brighter and shadows more detailed.
Mini-LED: A backlight technology using thousands of tiny LEDs grouped into dimming zones, giving LCD TVs deeper blacks and brighter highlights closer to OLED.
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OLED: A self-lit display technology used in premium TVs and laptops where each pixel switches off completely for perfect blacks and excellent contrast.
Peak Brightness: The maximum brightness a display can hit briefly, usually for small highlights in HDR content. Higher peak brightness makes HDR scenes pop.
QLED: An LCD TV technology that adds a quantum-dot layer to boost colour brightness and range. Unlike OLED it still uses a backlight.
Response Time: How quickly a display pixel changes colour, measured in milliseconds. Lower response times reduce motion blur, important for gaming screens.
Smart TV OS: The built-in software platform (such as Google TV, Android TV, or webOS) that runs streaming apps and controls a modern television.
VRR (Variable Refresh Rate): A feature that syncs the display's refresh rate to a game's frame output, reducing screen tearing and stutter. Popular for gaming TVs and monitors.

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