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“Does the Galaxy Z Flip6 have IR blaster?” is a question I have been asked a few times. Infra-red ports are no longer the rave they used to be years ago on mobile phones, but some manufacturers still use them. And some Samsung fans are bitter about it.
Back in the day, the most advanced mobile phones would have an infra-red port. It was used for data transfer, including internet sharing. Yes; those were the days before Wi-Fi became a thing. To share your phone’s internet, you used an old-school data cable or infra-red.
With the presence of Wi-Fi, the need and demand for infra-red blasters diminished. In recent years, Xiaomi has put an IR blaster in many of its phones. This time, these ports enable the phones to be used as TV controllers. Yes; mobile phones have taken over the roles of everything else; why not add TV controller to it?
It also enables the ability to control the DVD player, air conditioner, and some other household appliances. But a more accurate version of Face ID uses infra-red and, so, we are seeing an upsurge of IR ports in smartphones. So, perhaps, a new IR revolution may yet happen based on this.
I have owned or reviewed a number of phones with an infra-red blaster and enjoyed using the feature. However, I cannot say that I have missed it in all the other phones I have used that did not have it. It has never felt like an essential to me.
- Does Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 have IR blaster?
- Do Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 Have IR Blaster?
- The Last Samsung Phones With IR Blaster
- Your Best Options For Phones With IR Blaster
- Deal-breaker or not?
Does Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 have IR blaster?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is a 2024 smartphone, and it does not have the feature. Some people think that the phone would be even better if it has one. Unfortunately, it does not. Fans were disappointed that recent Galaxy flagship phones like the S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra , and others did not have an IR blaster, either. Same thing goes for Galaxy Z Flip6: it does not have one either.
Image source: @evleaks
Do Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 Have IR Blaster?
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 do not have an IR blaster, as well.
Some Samsung fans have based their phone buying decision on this factor and moved on to other smartphone brands. Here is an example of one of such conversations on Samsung’s own community website.
There are scores of other online platforms where fans are griping about the matter. But I doubt that the answer to the simple question, “Does Galaxy Z Flip6 have IR blaster” will have any impact on Samsung’s sales in any way. Maybe all of a few hundred people will refuse to buy it for that reason.
The Last Samsung Phones With IR Blaster
The last Samsung models that had an IR blaster were the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy Note 4. Since then, Samsung has ignored infra-red. And it does not look like the S10 range of phones will have this feature.
Your Best Options For Phones With IR Blaster
If you want a smartphone with an infra-red blaster, your best options are in the direction of Xiaomi and Huawei. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and other models in the Note 13 range are extremely popular with young people and both have IR blaster built in. Others include Xiaomi 14 series. Huawei has a number of models with an IR blaster. These include P20 Pro, Mate 10 Pro, and Honor View 10, among others.
Gionee produced a few smartphone models with infra-red blaster. It is unfortunate that the company has declared bankruptcy. Some of their phones are still available in the market though. I have reviewed a few LG smartphones and enjoyed using their IR blaster to control the TV. But it looks like LG might be dropping the feature too.
Deal-breaker or not?
There is a vocal enough community of smartphone enthusiasts who are put off by the Galaxy Z Flip6 not having an Infra-red blaster. I am not sure that it is a large enough community to make a big dent in the fortunes of these products. But then, I have not conducted any scientific survey to arrive at that conclusion. Still, including an infra-red port cannot cost much if Xiaomi is putting it in their budget phones.
Who knows, part of why Xiaomi and Huawei devices are selling so well (besides pricing) might be that those brands are now on the heels of Samsung? What are the chances that having an IR blaster in key models could be a factor? After all, so many people around the world watch TV, play videos and play music on infra-red controlled home systems.
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Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
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The Oppo Reno12 F is a more budget version of the Reno12 . It swaps out the Snapdragon 7300 chipset for a Snapdragon 6300, but retains the 12GB RAM. The 80W charging in the Reno12 also gives way for 45W, which is slower but still quite fast.
OPPO Reno12 F also checks the boxes for IR blaster, water and dustproof resistance, and the basic aptX Bluetooth codec. Like it’s more expensive siblings, you can’t use an eSIM. There is no support for wireless charging either and there is no 3.5mm headphone jack as well.
Oppo Reno12 F in brief:
- Price Range: Below $500
- OS: Android 14
- Release Date: 2024
- Network Type: 2G/3G/4G/5G
- eSIM: No
- Display: 6.67-inch, 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution
- Chipset: Dimensity 6300 (6 nm)
- Selfie Camera: 32MP
- Rear camera: 50MP
- RAM: 12GB
- ROM: 256GB
- Fingerprint Sensor: Yes.
- Headphone Jack: No.
- Infrared/IR Blaster: Yes.
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- Fast Charging: 45W
- Wireless Charging: No.
Oppo Reno12 F
For more detailed specifications of the Oppo Reno12 F, have a look below.
- Oppo Reno12 F Specs
- Prices in the USA, Canada, UK, EU, Australia
Oppo Reno12 F Specs
Mobile Wireless Network and Software
- 2G mobile network bands : GSM, GPRS, EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz.
- 3G mobile network bands : UMTS, WCDMA, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 MHz
- 4G mobile network bands : LTE.
- 5G mobile network bands : NSA/SA
- SIM Type : Nano-SIM, Dual SIM
- Software / OS : ColorOS 14 based on Android 14
- Software Updates :
Design, Form Factor, Appearance
- Dimensions : 163.1 x 75.8 x 7.8 mm
- Weight : 187g
- Display Size: 6.67 inches, Asahi Glass AGC DT-Star2 protection.
- Screen Resolution : 1080 x 2400 pixels
- Refresh Rate : 120Hz refresh rate
- Screen Type : AMOLED
- Frame : Glass front, plastic frame,
- Back/Rear Cover : plastic back
- Ingress Protection/IP Rating : IP64 dust and water resistant
- Colorways : Green. Orange.
Internal Hardware Specs
- Central Processor ( CPU ): 64-bit, 2.4 GHz Octa-core
- Chipset : MediaTek Dimensity 6300 Energy (4 nm)
- Graphics Processing Unit ( GPU ): ARM Mali-G57
- RAM : 12GB
- Extended/Virtual RAM :
- Internal Storage : 256GB UFS 2.2
- External Storage : microSDXC
Photography, Video Recording
- Main Camera : 50 MP main sensor + 8MP ultra-wide lens + 2 MP macro lens, autofocus, LED flash, gyro-EIS, 1080p@30fps video recording
- Front Camera : 32MP, fixed focus, Face Recognition, 1080p@30fps video capture
- Camera AI Features : AI Eraser 2.0, AI Smart Image Matting 2.0, AI Studio.
Audio, Video Playback
- Music Support : PCM, AAC / AAC + / eAAC + / MP3 / AMR – NB / WB / APE
- 3.5 mm audio headphone jack : No.
- Loudspeaker : Stereo speakers
- Video Support : H.264/MP4/MPEG4 player
- FM Radio : No.
Phone Sensors
- Digital Compass : Yes.
- Accelerometer : Yes.
- Proximity Sensor : Yes.
- Ambient Light Sensor : Yes.
- Barometer : No.
- Pedometer : No.
- Heart Rate Monitor : No.
- Gyroscope (G-Sensor) : Yes.
- Fingerprint Scanner : Yes; in-display, optical.
- Face Unlock : Yes.
- Iris Scanner : No.
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control : No.
- Voice Control : No.
- Intelligent Digital Assistant : Yes; Google Assistant.
- Infra-red/IR Blaster : Yes.
Connectivity Options
- Bluetooth Version : 5.3
- Bluetooth Profiles : A2DP, LE
- aptX Bluetooth Codecs : aptX
- WiFi : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, hotspot
- GPS : Yes, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
- USB : microUSB v2.0. Type-C. OTG.
- NFC : Market dependent.
Miscellaneous Specs and Features
- Battery Type : Non-Removable Lithium-Polymer
- Battery Capacity : 5000 mAh
- Battery Charging : 45W fast charging; PD2.0
- Wireless Charging : No.
- Reverse Charging : Yes.
- Model Version/Number : CPH2637
Launch/Release Dates and Information
- Announced : June 28, 2024
- Release Date : July 2024
Prices in the USA, Canada, UK, EU, Australia
Below are the prices of OPPO Reno12 F in the US, Canada, the UK, the European Union, and Australia.
- United States of America (USA) : from $299
- Canada : C$ 535.21 (16/256GB) at Bludiode.
- United Kingdom (UK) : from £249
- European Union (EU) : from €266
- Australia : from AUD $499, available from JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, Harvey Norman, and the OPPO website.
