Infrared Blaster

“IR” in IR blaster stands for infrared.  If your phone has an IR blaster it allows you to send commands, via infrared rays, to another device, such as a television, set-top box or stereo that is compatible with IR remotes. The main advantage of using an IR blaster-based device is that you don’t have to go through a cumbersome Bluetooth pairing process and that you can use it with older devices that don’t offer Bluetooth or wireless connections.

A phone with an IR blaster can double as a universal remote, allowing you to control various electronic devices in your home — such as a TV. Unfortunately, phones with IR blasters aren’t as common as they used to be. Companies like Samsung and HTC have more or less ditched the technology altogether, but you can still find it on smartphones from Chinese brands.

Best phones with an IR blaster:

    Huawei P30 Pro
    Poco F2 Pro
    Xiaomi Mi 9
    Huawei Mate 20 Pro

    Redmi Note 8 Pro
    Xiaomi Mi A3
    Redmi Note 9
    Xiaomi Mi Note 10