Huawei has officially launched HarmonyOS Next, marking its first self-developed operating system built independently of Android and the Linux kernel. In this article, we will discuss more about the latest HarmonyOS Next, including its features and availability
HarmonyOS Next Overview
Microkernel and Interconnectivity
The operating system features a self-developed microkernel based on the OpenHarmony open-source core. It supports apps through the Huawei Ark compiler and integrates Huawei Mobile Services (HMS).
Ecosystem and AI Integration
Richard Yu, Chairman of Huawei Consumer Business Group, announced that 15,000 apps and services are currently part of the HarmonyOS Next ecosystem. Previous versions of HarmonyOS are running on over 1 billion devices worldwide, spanning smartphones, tablets, wearables, and car infotainment systems.
Through HarmonyOS Next, users can now enjoy new lock screen and home screen customization options, a redesigned control center, faster animations, and quicker app launches. Additionally, the system includes AI features powered by the Pangu large language model.
Huawei claims a 30% increase in device fluency and a 20% reduction in power consumption between software modules. The new Huawei Share 2.0 feature allows users to transfer a 1.2GB file between two HarmonyOS Next devices in just 8 seconds, enhancing file-sharing capabilities. HarmonyOS Next also includes improved security features through its self-developed Star Shield architecture.
HarmonyOS Next Availability
HarmonyOS Next will initially power Huawei devices in China, covering a wide range of products, including smartphones, wearables, smart home devices, and car cockpits. A global release is expected in the future, expanding the system’s reach to more markets. A public beta of HarmonyOS Next is now available to users in China. Supported devices include the Pura 70 series, Huawei Pocket 2, and MatePad Pro 11 (2024).
Huawei has officially launched the Nova 13 and Nova 13 Pro in China. Both phones come with several notable features, but the Pro version offers some upgrades over the standard model. Below, we compare the two devices side by side.
Huawei Nova 13 / 13 Pro Overview
Display and Design
The Nova 13 measures 161.4 x 75.3 x 6.98 mm and weighs 195g. The Pro version is slightly larger, with dimensions of 163.4 x 74.9 x 7.82 mm, and is also heavier at 209g. Additionally, the Pro model is IP65 rated, offering dust and splash resistance, a feature absent in the standard model.
The Huawei Nova 13 features a 6.7-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 1084×2412 pixels. It supports a 120 Hz refresh rate, 300 Hz touch sampling rate, and 1,440 Hz PWM dimming. The Pro model, on the other hand, offers a slightly larger 6.76-inch LTPO OLED display with a resolution of 1224×2776 pixels. Additionally, it includes an adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate and a higher 2,160 Hz PWM dimming for smoother transitions.
Camera Systems
On the camera front, the Nova 13 comes with a dual-camera setup, featuring a 50 MP f/1.9 main sensor and an 8 MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera. For selfies, it includes a 60 MP f/2.4 shooter. The Pro model upgrades the camera system with a 50 MP main camera featuring a variable aperture of f/1.4-f/4.0, along with a 12 MP 3x telephoto lens, and an 8 MP ultrawide camera.
Battery and Charging
Both models are powered by a 5,000 mAh battery and support 100W fast wired charging. There are no differences in battery capacity or charging speeds between the Nova 13 and Nova 13 Pro.
Currently, there is no information regarding international availability, and Huawei has not disclosed the chipset used in either device. However, both phones come with the same storage options, offering 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants. Both devices run on HarmonyOS 4.2 and feature an embedded fingerprint sensor. Furthermore, both models support satellite connectivity, though only within mainland China.
Huawei Nova 13 / 13 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
The Huawei Nova 13 is priced at CNY 2,699, while the Nova 13 Pro starts at CNY 3,699. Unlikely, but if it ever makes it here, we expect Nepal’s latest Huawei Nova 13 / 13 Pro price to start at no less than NPR 61,050.
It has been just a few months since Samsung launched its Galaxy Z Fold 6 to the market and the company is here with a Special Edition already. For now, the announcement of availability has been made only for South Korea. In this article, we will talk in-depth about the specifications of the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition.
Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition Overview
Design and Display
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition showcases a sleek, minimalist design with a sophisticated matt black finish. At the back, it features a clean triple-camera setup arranged vertically, while maintaining a slim profile. The thickness of this phone is 10.6mm, weighing 236g, 1.5mm thin, and it is 3g light when compared to the Galaxy Z Fold6.
The inner and outer displays have increased slightly in size, now measuring 8.0 inches and 6.5 inches, up from 7.6 and 6.3 inches. As a result, the device is a bit taller and wider when folded or unfolded.
Performance
Samsung’s processors are like a movie with a great trailer but an average plot – plenty of hype, but when you dig in, it’s just okay chipsets in action! This time the company has used Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (thankfully) built on a 4nm processor.
This features one Cortex-X4, 3 Cortex-A720 (3.15 GHz), 2 Cortex-A720 (2.96 GHz), and 2 Cortex-A520 alongside an Adreno 750. Also, the new Z fold is paired with 16GB of memory.
Camera and Rest
On the bright side, for the first time in the Galaxy Z series, this smartphone is equipped with a wide-angle camera of 200 million pixels – an impressive jump from 50 megapixels on the normal Z Fold! But Samsung has opted not to remove the under-display selfie camera and instead ships the Z Fold SE with one inside a punch hole. Moreover, it will be coupled with some AI features too.
The battery remains at 4,272 mAh, the same as the Z Fold 6, so the larger screen may lead to slightly reduced battery life.
Additionally, this new smartphone will receive 7 years of software updates and comes with One UI 6.1.1, based on Android 14.
Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition Specifications
Design: Sleek, 10.6mm thick, 236g weight
Display:
Inner: 8.0″ QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz
Outer: 6.5″ HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm)
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
OS & UI: Android 14 with One UI 6.1.1
Rear Cameras: 200 MP Wide
Battery: 4,272 mAh
Colour Options: Matte Black
Software Updates: 7 years of software updates
Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition Price in Nepal
Unfortunately, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition won’t be making its debut in Nepal anytime soon. The phone will launch in South Korea with a price tag of 2,789,600 KRW, and while there’s a slim possibility of it being released in China later, it’s not on the radar for here just yet. But if we were to take a guess, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition Price in Nepal would likely turn out in the ballpark of NPR 275,000.
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the top dog in gaming performance. The American semiconductor announced that it is soon revealing the successor to that processor and rightfully — the hype is real! Let’s look at all the available information about the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Rumours Round-up
It’s official
AMD has dropped the launch date of its next-generation gaming processor. As per sources, there is a possibility that some other processors will also launch alongside AMD’s upcoming flagship offering.
(Source: TechPowerUp)
The next-generation gaming processor will have the Zen5 microarchitecture and 3D V-cache technology. AMD also revealed the upcoming silicon will support DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 storage. Other than that, no additional information is available as of now.
What it’s replacing
Now that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is coming, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D will likely be replaced as the best gaming CPU by a few performance percentages. It followed Zen4 architecture and had eight cores and 16 threads. In the meantime, it clocked in at a maximum of 5 GHz and drew 120W TDP by default.
It also had two cores dedicated to graphics with a peak frequency of 2.2GHz. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D also supported DDR5 RAM of up to 128GB and PCIe 5.0 SSDs. This processor outdid its competitor i.e. Intel Core i9-14900K in gaming workloads.
Who it’s competing
In a similar fashion to its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D will trade blows with Intel’s top offering. And that will be with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K of the Series 2 “Arrow Lake-S”.
Intel has already revealed its hand and will be available physically in the coming few days. Given that, we can expect hardcore comparisons between the two top processors once AMD pushes its player to the market as well.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Launch and Availability
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D will officially hit shelves on 7 November 2024. The company also cut prices on its existing processors, likely to make way for its upcoming silicon.
Qualcomm has finally introduced the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor after months of rumors, leaks around naming, specifications and performance. This new chipset integrates several advanced features in CPU, GPU, and AI technology. In this article, we will discuss the highlights of this new chipset
Snapdragon 8 Elite Overview
3NM Process Node
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is made on a 3nm process node, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was made on a 4nm process node. Qualcomm isn’t the only company using a 3nm process, as Apple was the first to do so, followed by MediaTek with its Dimensity 9400 chipset a couple of weeks earlier.
The naming might also confuse you a little bit because this latest flagship release departs from the standard way Qualcomm has named its chips. For example, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or 8 Gen 3, and Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. To clarify, yes, it’s a new upgraded chipset, and while some might call it Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, technically, it is named Snapdragon 8 Elite.
CPU
The Snapdragon 8 Elite features the Qualcomm Oryon CPU, achieving peak speeds of 4.32 GHz. It offers a 45% increase in CPU performance and a 44% improvement in power efficiency compared to previous generations. It features 24MB of total Cache, which is the record highest in any other chipset.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite demonstrates impressive performance metrics, achieving over 3,200 in single-core and over 10,000 in multi-core scores on Geekbench, along with an AnTuTu score exceeding 3 million. In contrast, its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, scored 2,193 in single-core, 7,304 in multi-core, and 2.13 million on AnTuTu.
Adreno GPU and Gaming
This processor includes the Adreno GPU, which supports real-time hardware-accelerated ray tracing and is compatible with Unreal Engine 5.3. Users can expect a 40% boost in GPU performance along with improved power efficiency.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is equipped with a Qualcomm AI Engine and Hexagon NPU, allowing for advanced AI tasks, including voice and image recognition. It supports multimodal generative AI, which enables users to input larger text for analysis.
Camera Features and connectivity
With the Qualcomm Spectra Image Signal Processor, the chipset supports triple 18-bit ISPs, allowing for image capture of up to 320 megapixels and 8K HDR video recording at 60 frames per second. AI features enhance face detection and low-light performance.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0, offering peak speeds of 5.8 Gbps for Wi-Fi. According to Qualcomm, the integrated 5G X80 Modem enhances network performance, which in turns provides better coverage and lower latency.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Specifications
CPU: Custom Qualcomm Oryon™ CPU, 3nm, up to 4.32 GHz
GPU: Qualcomm Adreno™ GPU, real-time ray tracing
AI: Qualcomm AI Engine, Hexagon NPU, 45% performance per watt improvement
Camera: Spectra™ ISP, up to 320 MP, 8K HDR video at 60 FPS
Connectivity: Snapdragon X80 5G, Wi-Fi 7 (up to 5.8 Gbps), Bluetooth 6.0
Memory: Up to 24 GB LP-DDR5x RAM
Storage: UFS 4.0
Charging: Quick Charge™ 5 Technology
Snapdragon 8 Elite Availability
Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset will be available in different phones starting from the upcoming Realme GT7 Pro, followed by Xiaomi 15, iQOO 13, S25 Ultra and so on.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Realme launched the P1 Speed 5G with Dimensity 7300 Energy in India a few days ago. Now the company has started shipping the headphones it previously announced as well. Let’s delve further into the Realme Techlife Studio H1, including its expected price in Nepal.
Realme Techlife Studio H1 Overview
Design
The Realme Techlife Studio H1 comes with a scalable head beam and a collapsible metal shaft. It has a matte finish on the metal surfaces and is made of skin-friendly material. It is an over-ear audio accessory with a sponge memory cushion for a comfortable wearing experience.
These headphones are available in Crimson Beats, Ivory Beats, and Midnight Magic colours. The Techlife Studio H1 is apparently sweatproof, but Realme does not boast about its IP rating. For power, it relies on a 600mAh battery which offers up to 70 hours of playback. In the meantime, it takes just 90 minutes to fully charge.
Large 40mm dynamic drivers are responsible for the audio delivery. The Realme Techlife Studio H1 is equipped with the coveted high-fidelity LDAC codec. It also boasts double gold label sound quality along with spatial audio effects. These headphones work over Bluetooth v5.4 as well as through a wire. However, they give up on the 360° surround sound when using the latter medium.
The Realme Techlife Studio H1 also offers active noise cancellation of up to 43dB. Furthermore, it has three ANC modes which cut out different levels of ambient sounds. Lastly, the headphone works with latency as low as 80ms.
Realme Techlife Studio H1 Specifications
Design: Over-ear, Collapsible, Scalable head beam, Sweat resistant
Sound Driver: 40mm drivers
Noise Cancellation: Hybrid ANC up to 43dB
Connectivity: Bluetooth v5.4, Wired
Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Battery: 600 mAh
Playback: Up to 70 hours
Charging: Via USB Type-C, 1.5 hours
Features: Spatial Audio, Low Latency of up to 80ms
Realme Techlife Studio H1 Price in Nepal and Availability
The company launched these headphones on 15 October, however, they only began shipping on 21 October 2024. They are available in India for INR 4,499 with an INR 500 discount applied on top. If the Realme Techlife Studio H1 arrives in Nepal, we expect its price to be NPR 9,499.
This year I did not have Dashain (Rest in Peace, grandmum) and the floods and landslides all across the country killed the mood for travel too. Given that, I had nothing much to do on the holidays. So, I decided to change my collar, hop onto my scooter, and churn some extra income — off I went, to become an InDrive rider…
InDrive For Extra Income Overview
Registering
Enrolling yourself as an “InDrive MOTOR-BIKE Hero” is actually very easy! (I don’t understand what’s up with corporate and their corny job titles, seriously?)
So, InDrive has one single app for all the ride-sharing procedures. You can use it as a passenger as well as a driver. The toggle button is easily visible on the side menu, so that is where you switch into “Driver Mode”. After that, you just fill in all the details they ask for and wait for the verification. You’ll be notified through WhatsApp once they have greenlit you.
Here’s a personal piece of advice: If you have the sorry “payment slip” as proof of your driving eligibility, just upload the front of the paper for both the front and back images of the licence.
Well, here’s a scoop of information, I enrolled on InDrive wayyyyyy before Dashain was on the radar. I believe I am not the only one who did this, i.e. registered themselves into the platform and never took a ride. I had InDrive pinging me every now and then on WhatsApp — reminding me I was eligible InDrive rider, and how I could take rides and make money.
But, I just ignored those messages, went about my daily life, and didn’t think about it whatsoever. Until Dashain came around and I had nothing to do. In my brain, I was thinking, “Well, people surely need to move around for the festivals. The number of riders will probably be thin. I could easily make some extra income with InDrive right now.”
(It was never this jolly)
I was still hesitant about this whole InDrive-ing, but I tossed my uncertainty aside and took my first ride.
The income with InDrive: Cha-Ching
Now let’s talk money!
For the first day i.e. on Nawami, I started at 2 PM and ended the haul at 6 PM. In the four-hour timeframe, I completed eight rides and amassed over 800 rupees, excluding the commissions. I also burned about half a tank of petrol on this day.
The following day I started earlier, went further and pulled off 13 rides and over two grands in income. On this day, I took a break in the middle, also visited a relative, and burned even more fuel which I waited over an hour in line to get.
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Day 1
Day 2
Combined, my income was NPR 3,300 and a little extra in total and I paid InDrive a little over 300 in service payments. In the meantime, I had two rides off the book as well — not by choice.
I likely finished a full petrol tank in two days which is about 5 litres on my scooter. I ride the Yamaha RayZR, arguably the best mileage-giving two-wheeler out there — so that helped. On average, my scooter returns me about 45 kilometres on a litre of petrol. I refuel when the scooter says it’s on the last bar, which rarely converts to over NPR 700 even when filling to the brim.
So, in total, I saved myself about 2,500 with maybe around 12 hours of work. I found it quite lucrative, to be honest.
Findings
InDrive is pretty good for extra income and it becomes second nature pretty fast once you take the first ride. Now I don’t see a reason anymore why I wouldn’t pick a ride request on my way to wherever I am heading. I will absolutely pick a passenger up whenever I can and make some extra money. Who cares if I have to take a bit of a detour?
Also, more often than not, people pay exactly the amount they’ve bid — that too in cash. It sounds quite obvious, but I found it quite surprising because usually tip the rider when I am the passenger. And I pay online. A bit of a reality check for me, I guess. It’s not that you don’t get tipped at all, but it’s definitely not as much as you’d expect.
I did all the rides without a mobile holder mounted onto my scooter. It’s surely a hassle, but completely do-able. I tried taping my phone onto the dashboard with double-sided tape, but that thing came off after, like the third ride. I had to peel it off for the safety of my phone. 10 outta 10, would NOT recommend! 😮💨
It’s not all rainbows
The labour
You save good money from InDrive alright, but there are some catches — of course! The one you can easily figure out is, it’s really physically taxing. By the end of the two-day haul, my tailbone was hurting, and I felt a sharp pain in my left wrist.
The smoke and dust of Kathmandu is equally bad. It got me popping Strepsils because my throat felt a bit rusty. Now that winter is here, I can only imagine how much tougher it will get.
Insurance is a fugazi
The other major thing that did not sit right with me was the lack of insurance. Previously, InDrive was absolutely free and a heaven for riders. However, after officially launching they started charging a total of 10% (8.84% service charge + 13% VAT on the service charge) on every ride.
During the launch, they claimed insurance was on the way, but it’s been this many months and it’s nowhere to be seen. On top of that, the law mandates insurance to be compulsory for a ride-sharing platform. Yet, here we are — a key player in the industry running freely without one.
Triple-loading
In the 21 rides I did in Dashain, I had to triple-load — thrice! It was a mum and her child duo, which is cute… but not when you have been hailed for a ride. There was no extra income for me or anything on that InDrive request with an extra little person. I have already accepted the request and reached the pickup location. Then a mum arrives with her kid. Urm… what?
This might have been an effect of Dashain though. I haven’t had to do anything like that on later rides. *touch wood*
Let’s go offline!
I mentioned taking two rides off the books earlier, remember? That was not by choice. I do not endorse or support offline rides. But I do not have much of a choice when the passenger cancels or requests to be dropped off at a different location after they have already hopped onto my scooter, can I?
In the first instance, the customer cancelled the request because their friend needed to book another ride. It seems to be a common occurrence in InDrivebecause I had a similar request earlier as well.
The other time, the customer actually wanted to go to Bhaktapur but couldn’t find a ride because it was too far away. So, they resorted to setting the destination somewhere in the middle and requested to drop them off at Bhaktapur instead.
Other issues too
So far I have mentioned some major issues, but there are other minor issues too. Like, customers place the locations wrong. I have had to circle around a bit too much to find my passenger. They did tip me because of their goodwill, but InDrive does not care what issues I face. Then there are instances where people ask to be dropped off a bit too far from where they have pinned. No compensation whatsoever. Pathao on the other hand has a dynamic fare system, so it makes sure I get paid in full.
I have had customer blame me for their poor time management even though I arrived at the pickup before the estimated time. Then there is InDrive pretending to have a lot of requests, even though that’s not the case. I can’t tell you how many times I have offered for pickup and the order is suddenly “not active” or “expired”. And on normal days, the competition with other fellow InDrive Motorbike Heroes are bit too intense.
And, and, and, those InDrive couriers are a blatant robbery! Those requests are so dirt-cheap that they don’t make sense to accept unless you already have a passenger to drop somewhere en route. One time I travelled over 7 kilometres to drop a package for NPR 120. Later that day, I made 30% extra income from the two InDrive rides I did, totalling about 5 kilometres.
I covered a similar issue with InDrive previously as well. Do check it out.
InDrive For Extra Income: Conclusion
All in all, going blue-collar and becoming an InDrive rider was an experience, to say the least. There are pros, which are mostly money, and there are cons. I can confidently say that InDrive is a good source of extra income — however, you need to be able to put up with the challenges it presents. Even if you go easy with it, it’ll still provide you with enough amount, such that your vehicle pays for itself. You can make extra income of Rs. 2,000 with InDrive in ONE DAY!
Keeping pace with the tech world’s rhythm, Acer unveiled the Predator Triton Neo 16 with Meteor Lake Intel Core Ultra chips a couple of months ago. In this article, let’s talk about the design, features, specifications, chipset, availability, and price in Nepal of the Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 (2024).
Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 Overview:
Performance and Chipset
The Predator Triton Neo 16 (2024) will sport the new Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 9 SoCs. But this change might not be as significant as you might expect. Here’s why.
Acer’s current gaming laptops are powered by Intel Core i7, i9 H series chipsets. And benchmarks from early reviewers as well as Intel don’t show any significant improvement in CPU performance. Moreover, the Arc Graphics which is one of the major highlights of Meteor Lake might not be too relevant as the Neo 16 is a gaming laptop featuring dedicated NVIDIA GPUs.
But the new chips do feature 2 LPE cores which should help preserve battery life during very light tasks. Finally, there’s also a dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit) which should accelerate AI-related tasks and help with efficiency.
Moving on, as previously said, the laptop will feature dedicated NVIDIA GPUs up to a 4070 with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. This means you get access to features like DLSS 3.5, frame gen, and more.
To keep the system cool, Neo 16 is equipped with a 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fan, liquid metal on the CPU, and vector heat pipes. Users can control the functionality via the Predator Sense 5.0 utility.
Design and Display
On the design front, the Triton Neo 16 doesn’t have your typical game-ry design. It features a modest Predator Logo on the top of the lid while the rest is a clean slate. The front is minimal too but accompanied with a 3-zone RGB keyboard for aesthetics.
And, as the name suggests, the Triton Neo 16 sports a 16-inch screen. Acer offers 2 display configurations with up to a 3.2K res 165Hz IPS panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio and full DCI-P3 color coverage. There’s also Calman-Verification for true-to-life cinematic colors and support for Advanced Optimus and G-SYNC to prevent screen tearing and stutters.
On the topic of connectivity, there’s an HDMI port, two USB-A ports, Thunderbolt 4 ports, a MicroSD card, and a 3.5mm jack. There’s Acer’s Purified Voice 2.0 which makes use of AI filtering to capture clear vocals without causing echos or distortion. Details about the battery and charging speeds haven’t been disclosed as of yet.
Resolution: 3.2K (3200×2560) resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
Processor:
Intel Core Ultra 7 chips
Intel Core Ultra 9 chips
Graphics: up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB GDDR6)
I/O Ports: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x audio jack, 1x MicroSD
Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 (2024) Price in Nepal and Availability
The Triton Neo 16 price in Nepal is set at NPR 230,000 for the Core Ultra 9, RTX 4070 variant. There’s also an RTX 4060 variant that somehow costs more despite being identical in other aspects. We expect it to get a discount and sell around that 2 lakh rupee mark soon.
Although not a big fan of the segment itself, I found myself quite enjoying using the budget Tecno Spark for the last few days. That can possibly be attributed to many factors, but I think it’s the amalgamation that’s most crucial. Hence here in my full review, I will walk you through my experience with the Tecno Spark 30C, its strengths, and drawbacks, and why I think Tecno might have got the formula down for a role budget device with this one!
Budget phones are getting better and better at hiding their class in recent times. I mean a single glance was all you needed to tell apart a sub-100 USD smartphone from one ten times pricier.
Well, I don’t think it’s that simple anymore.
Be it this Tecno Spark that I am reviewing, the Hot 50 from Infinix, or even the Redmi 14C, these budget devices have started pushing the boundaries of what it means to “look” above your weight class. Sure, it can go sideways pretty fast with shimmery gimmicks and reflective backs, but this Orbit Black Spark 30C in my hands has the perfect blend of taste and elegance. It doesn’t give away and that’s what I like the most about its design.
Yes, it looks good with that circular island and silver ring but there’s no obvious glimmer that would dampen the shine. Tecno provides a transparent case in the box with a set of paired earphones too, but the black is just too sexy to cover up. Besides, the Spark is pretty lightweight and has a pre-applied screen guard, so going commando wasn’t really a concern.
To see if I was the only one enchanted, I asked some of my (techy) colleagues and (non-techy) friends, and the consensus was…
Yeah, (it) … looks pretty good!
Display
6.67-inches HD+ IPS LCD, 120Hz
While not as deceiving, the front is relatively modern as well with a punch-hole screen and ok-ish bezel chin combo. The panel is a 720p 120Hz LCD which is surprising given the price. We are used to seeing 90 and 60Hz panels but some of those are Full HD resolutions. I would rather have had a 1080p 90Hz or even a basic 60Hz panel to be honest. I do see the angle Tecno is taking here, and the 120Hz does make the Spark 30C feel a lot quicker than most budget phones but trading in return are those pixels. 1080p has somewhat become the baseline for media today but after using the Spark for a bit, I think 720p is still definitely workable.
Just a quick note if you are considering picking the Spark 30C for its 120Hz display alone..don’t! To no one’s surprise, you can’t lock the phone at that refresh rate and it only goes that far on System UI and navigation. The majority of the time, you are either going to be working with 90 or 60 Hertz depending on the application and optimization.
The colors are a bit cool and visibility under direct sunlight isn’t the best either but I’d give the display good marks for the price. Could have made different choices, but it’s a well-packed offering.
Speaker and Haptics
The dual speakers are not terrible but not as good as I expected. They are fairly clear but don’t go super loud or have much fullness. Perfectly fine for watching YouTube videos, scrolling reels, and playing your favorite tune once in a while but nothing more. The haptics are fine too, buzz buzz sometimes, nothing out of the ordinary.
Performance
Octa-core MediaTek Helio G81 (12nm Mobile Platform)
6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128/256GB eMMC 5.1
On the helm is the Helio G81 chipset from MediaTek which while sounds different is basically the ever-popular Helio G85 but with a slightly weaker GPU. So, performance-wise, you are getting almost the same amount of horsepower as most of the competition.
For day-to-day struggles, the G81 is competent enough to push through most of your needs without too many hitches. There are going to be stutters once in a while, and that 120Hz (or should I say 90Hz) does dip in frames here and there but that’s the budget experience I got used to during my review.
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And for all the gamers out there, yes this budget phone can indeed play some light games here and there. I ran a couple of my regular titles including Subway Surfers, Call of Duty, and Asphalt and they ran as well as I expected. You can go up to ‘High’ framerate in CODM with good stability and response.
Software and UI
Android 14 with HIOS on top
Software is a tricky topic on the Spark 30C. On one hand, the skin is light and clean and I didn’t receive any ads or recommendations which is surprisingly hard to get in this price bracket. On the other hand, Tecno makes no promise on the support side of things, so you are likely not going to get the latest Android updates for long (if at all).
For now, the phone boots on Android 14 with the company’s HiOS skin on top. There are many features like High Boost, Sidebar, …… which was nice to see (at least some of them). And despite Tecno saying “4 years plus lasting frequency” on the box, don’t be fooled, they are not talking about software support there, it’s just arbitrary marketing about some optimizations by the company to ensure fluidity. With that all put out, I think I like the “it’s good now, we’ll worry about the future later” approach more than the “let’s put ads in your face to keep costs down” route.
Camera
Dual camera setup at the back
(50MP primary, 2MP depth)
8MP selfie camera (notch cutout)
The camera setup is nothing steller on the Spark 30C but it does get the job done most of the time. The 50MP primary is all there to talk about since there is no ultrawide, and the depth lens can’t do anything on its own.
Daylight
I like the colors of the shots from the Tecno, the details are fine too, and I think for a budget phone, you are not going to get something entirely different from the competition. I do wish the dynamic range were better even if it’s just a little bit because overly bright or dark environments are just out of the question right now.
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Portraits and Selfies
I think human subjects and portraits are areas that Tecno can still work on to deliver better results. As you can see from the samples I took during my review, the Spark 30C can indeed spew good-looking portraits, but it’s somewhat inconsistent, the skin tones can veer off route, and the edge detection is wonky most of the time. Of course, I wouldn’t expect a budget phone to nail everything, but its competition from Samsung and Redmi take better portraits.
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The selfies are decent too but they are on the poor side for a modern smartphone. Given sufficient lighting, the details come out okay, but the range and the overall look feel compromised. The edge detection isn’t the best either and your face might come off as a slightly pinker hue than normal. Overall, not un-usable but not very confidence inspiring either.
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Nighttime and Video
Since the sensor inside the Spark is small and doesn’t feature any Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), images in low light conditions often turn out soft lacking in detail. Light sources aren’t handled properly hence highlights are overblown and shadows have no details. The ‘Super Night’ mode helps out on some of that, giving images a bit more backbone in terms of sharpness, and preventing overblows. But some might turn out a bit too punchy in terms of vibrancy and the added sharpness might feel a tad too unnatural.
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Night Mode
Night Mode
Night Mode
On the videography side of things, you can surprisingly go up to 2K 30fps from both the front and rear cameras. And to Tecno’s credit, the details are better, and the overall feed looks sharper than most budget smartphones. But don’t expect much in terms of highlight management, good dynamic range, or stability.
Battery and Charging
5,000 mAh
18W fast charging
The battery life of the Spark 30C is also satisfactory. It’s a standard 5,000 mAh that we see in most others but the endurance is slightly lesser likely due to the high refresh rate screen. Regardless I was getting around a day of use before feeling the need to plug it back in. That’s around 6-7 hours of screen time with a usage pattern consisting mostly of the camera, social media, and a few games. The charging is a bit on the slower side at just 18W, but you’ll completely fill up in under 2 hours. Or you can do what I did, and do quick 30-minute refills once in a while which will net you an additional 30% battery on average.
Tecno Spark 30C Review: Conclusion
All in all, I think the Spark 30C is a solid budget phone for under 20,000 rupees in Nepal right now. Its biggest competitors include the Nord N30SE which recently dropped nearly 30% in MSRP, the Redmi 14C with similar specs, and the standard Redmi 13. All of which compromise on one or more aspects of the Spark. The Nord for example has a faster chip but is limited to just 4 gigs of RAM (and 128GB memory), while the Redmis are plagued by ads and bloatware. So, if you are looking to get an all-round budget phone for under 20,000 rupees, the Spark 30C might be worth a second look!
The iPhone 16 or the Galaxy S24 – Which is a better compact and affordable flagship? Let’s talk about that! The iPhone 16 costs 80,000 Rupees right now while S24, being a comparatively older device is currently available for a discounted price.
I have been using the iPhone 16 for about 1 week now and one of my team members has been using the S24 for about 8 months now, so we thought why not compare them and help you make your purchase decision easier? I will choose one definite winner, so watch till the end!
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 16: Specs
Feature
Galaxy S24
iPhone 16
Design
Armor Aluminum 2.0, IP68 certification
Aluminum and glass design, IP68 certification
Display
6.2-inch “Infinity-O” Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, 60Hz refresh rate
Properties
120Hz variable refresh rate, Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Resolution: 2556 x 1179 pixels
Chipset
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm) or Exynos 2400 (4nm)
Apple 18 SoC
RAM
8GB LPDDR5
8GB
Storage Options
128GB / 256GB (non-expandable)
Up to 512GB
Rear Camera
50MP, f/1.8 (OIS, Dual Pixel AF)
48MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera
Front Camera
12MP, f/2.2
12MP
Security
Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
TrueDepth camera for Face ID
Audio
Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital/Plus
Stereo speakers
Connectivity
5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC
Wi-Fi 7, USB Type-C port
Battery
4,000mAh, 25W wired charging
3,561mAh
Wireless Charging
Yes (10W), Reverse wireless charging
Yes
Color Options for Nepal
Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow
Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine
Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 16 Review
Design
Ok let’s start with the design and if I have to be 99.99% honest, I seriously can’t choose between the two. Both of them are quite handy and premium, I love both of them! The S24 has the classic Samsung design language with this traffic light camera module while Apple has reworked on the looks and the colour options a little bit this time. And I have to say, both phones look fantastic! Both phones have a glass design with top-notch protection ( animation- GGV2 on S24 vs Ceramic Sheild), Aluminium frames, and are extremely well built for a compact phone.
Design
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The only little edge the S24 has is that its tad lighter and also has trimmed bezels in comparison to the iPhone 16. To balance that out, we get stronger 3rd gen Ceramic Shield glass protection and a better IP68 rating on the iPhone 16, which can be fully submerged in 6m deep water for 30 minutes while the S24 can only do that till 1.5 meters. And for the first time on a non-pro iPhone, we get this customizable action button, which I find extremely useful. The new camera button, for me, is kind of a gimmick though!
Display
Over on to the front, despite being an Apple user myself, I just can’t defend iPhone 16’s 60 Hz screen in 2024 – that too on a flagship phone! Quality-wise, this screen is top-notch, the colours are great, the contrast is on point, but things like scrolling web pages or opening apps feel a little stuttery on the iPhone 16 especially if you put it against the Galaxy S24.
Display
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iPhone 16 vs S24
iPhone 16 vs S24
iPhone 16 vs S24
The S24 has slightly better peak brightness numbers too. But while using normally in the auto mode, the iPhone 16 goes a little brighter (1450 nits vs 1700 nits on iPhone 16). Again, both devices are sufficiently bright in any condition anyway, so I don’t think it’s necessary to nitpick. However, one thing the iPhone 16 does better is that it can get really dim, as dim as 1 nit while the S24 cannot do that, so if you are a night owl like me, the iPhone 16’s display might be more comfortable for you to scroll social media all night.
Although scrolling means you will notice the 60 Hz screen again..Okay, fine I will not troll iPhone anymore! But I do think it’s fair to give Samsung a point as far as display is concerned because the S24 meets all the criteria of a good flagship display, while the iPhone is still tad behind!
Audio and Haptics
Now, both the iPhone and the S24 feature great speakers, but Apple has done a slightly better job with the mids and highs on the iPhone 16, they sound really crisp. Have a listen for yourself…(audio sample)
In terms of haptics though, I love them both. iPhone 16’s vibration feels slightly tighter but Samsung’s vibration is a bit more impactful. In any case, I have not missed any call or notification on either of these devices and I have loved typing on both, so, it’s a difficult choice.
Battery and Charging
But one thing that’s definitely better on the iPhone 16 is the battery life. Apple has included a slightly bigger battery this time and that coupled with the new 3nm energy-efficient A18 chip, and the 60Hz refresh rate, I was getting significantly better battery life on the iPhone 16 in comparison to the S24.
While the S24 gave me a max of 5.5 hours of screen time, the iPhone 16 would provide almost 7 hours of normal usage which is commendable for a phone of this size. Also, overnight battery drain on iPhone is just 0, like nothing while the s24 still loses about 2% when it’s kept idle overnight.
Charging both these phones is a slow process though. The S24 charges at 25 watts and takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes for a complete refill, while the iPhone 16 charges even slower at 20 watts and takes around 1 hour and 35 minutes to fully juice up. But when it comes to wireless charging, Apple has upgraded to 25 watts this time while the S24 is still stuck at a measly 15 watts. Hopefully, with the new S25 series, we will get to see faster wireless charging too.
Performance
Anyway, this year, the major change Apple has brought to their entire iPhone 16 lineup is in the performance. Instead of going for older tried and tested chips, Apple decided to go for the new A18 chip on the iPhone 16 and let me tell you, this chipset is very powerful. If you look at all the benchmark numbers, the stability scores and everything, the iPhone 16 tops the S24 in almost everything.
Likewise, the iPhone 16 gets less hot than the S24 as well. Over the years, we have seen Samsung trying to push Exynos in their low-end flagships, and they are not bad, but one thing Exynos does not do well is sustained performance. Running something like an Antutu or 3d Mark test for 3 to 5 consecutive times, the S24 starts throttling the performance whereas the iPhone 16 does not do that.
The temperature numbers are also more favorable on the iPhone whether it’s while running complex benchmarks or doing something like recording a 4k video for 30 minutes. Even when it comes to gaming, the stability is better on the iPhone 16 whether it is in mid-tier games like PUBG or high-end ones like Genshin Impact.
Now, you have to know that even the iPhone 16 is not a perfect gaming device because the 60 Hz screen is bottlenecking it to reach higher fps, so gaming at smoother 90 or 120 fps is not a possibility here at all. On the other hand, the S24 does allow high fps gaming but as i said earlier, the sustained performance and stability are not that great.
And if you are a content creator like me who edits their reels on their phones, I am happy to report that the iPhone 16 does a faster job at doing something like rendering a video. Although doing normal things like opening apps, multitasking, etc, both phones are pretty neck and neck.
Software
When it comes to software, both Apple and Samsung are at the top of their game. I am not going to get into the whole iOS vs Android debate, but you do get 7 years of OS updates on the S24 while looking at Apple’s history, you are bound to get 6-7 years updates on iPhones.
And this year, there are a lot of customizability options that Apple has introduced, so it doesn’t feel constricted using an iPhone either. However, one thing that Samsung tops in is in AI features, atleast for now. I mean, Apple did introduce Apple Intelligence way back in June in WWDC and I was kind of hoping that it will be available with the new iPhone 16 series, but no, it will be some time before Apple Intelligence arrives. With Samsung, all their AI features are already here, very functional, circle to search, Voice transcription, everything, so Samsung has a little edge over Apple in this area.
Cameras
Alright, let’s talk about the cameras now and here too, spec-wise, Samsung has a little edge with an extra 3x Telephoto lens which means you will be able to take some stunning portraits with it.
On the other hand, the only significant change that Apple has made this year in the iPhone 16 is that they have added autofocus in the Ultra wide lens to be able to click macro photos. In Samsung’s case, there is no option for macro photos as such.
Anyway, I have clicked a ton of pictures from both these devices and just like every year, the most apparent difference is in the color tone. Samsung prefers bright and vibrant colors while iPhone 16’s images are kind of flat and laid back. Details and dynamic range are pretty comparable on both.
Daytime
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Iphone 16
S24
Iphone 16
S24
Iphone 16
S24
Iphone 16
S24
Now, I am someone who likes punchy colors and pictures that are sort of social media ready, so most of the time I have preferred Samsung’s images. Although, in some pictures, I have loved the contrast that the iPhone 16 produces. And if you like raw, unfiltered images, it’s the iPhone’s output you will like better. You can take some good macro shots with the iPhone 16 which is something the S24 cannot do, although you can use the 3x lens to get a bit closer to subjects.
The portraits from both the phones are nice, I compared the 2x digitally cropped portraits from both and they come out quite good.
Portrait
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IPhone 16
S24
IPhone 16
S24
IPhone 16
S24
IPhone 16
S24
IPhone 16
S24
Again there is the toned down colors vs slightly saturated output from iphone vs Samsung, but both phones do a great job of clicking human subjects. The iPhone 16 has slightly better details when you zoom in though.
Selfies
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Iphone 16
S24
Iphone 16
S24
Iphone 16
S24
Iphone 16
S24
Selfies look a bit more pleasing from Samsung too. Again, there are slightly better details from the iPhone 16, but S24’s images just look livelier.
Night time
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iphone 16
S24
iphone 16
S24
S24
iphone 16
iphone 16
S24
During night time, again, Samsung’s output is nice, bright and sharp. The iPhone 16 just tends to make the images unnecessarily warm which does not look good in most instances. You can choose a different color tone from the photographic styles option, but it actually feels like a filter on top most of the time, so I did not use it altogether.
The only issue with Samsung’s nighttime shots is the terrible glare management and sometimes its night mode tends to process the images a bit more making them unnatural.
Ultrawide
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iPhone 16
S24
iPhone 16
S24
iPhone 16
S24
The ultra-wide images, both during daytime and nighttime have very similar science as that of the primary lens, a little more vibrant from Samsung while we get a sort of a warm and toned down output from the iPhone 16. When you zoom in, it’s the iPhone 16 that has slightly better details and it is also able to maintain exposure a little better than the S24.
When it comes to the videos, without any second opinion, I will give credit to the iPhone 16. The kind of smoothness and details that it can produce is not something Samsung or any other Android brand has been able to match. Plus, there are nifty little things like being able to switch between lenses in 4K 60 fps, S24 can only do it in 4K 30fps! You also get a better cinematic video output, the new Audio mix feature for audio enhancement, etc so overall, the iPhone 16 definitely make it a superior video camera.
About the Extras
Ok.. finally let me talk about a couple of extras and there are a couple of things that I think Apple needs to improve on, like using a faster USB protocol for instance. The Type C port on the iPhone 16 is still USB 2.0 which means transferring data to and from it is comparatively slower.
Second, even though the repairability is now easier on iPhones, Apple still hasn’t dropped the repair costs, it’s still 3-4 times what Samsung charges, so I definitely think Apple needs to work on that. (Back glass 2440 vs 14,900, screen 7170 vs 25,500)
Besides that, both phones use the latest Bluetooth version, while you get Wifi 7 support on the iPhone 16 vs Wifi 6e on the S24. So, if you have a compatible router, you can take advantage of faster Wifi on the iPhone 16.
Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 16 Review: Conclusion
Ok! Conclusion time and going back to my initial question, which is a better compact flagship in 2024 – the S24 or the iPhone 16? Well, for starters, if you are a gamer, none of these devices are suitable for you. The 60 Hz hardware limitation on the iPhone 16 and the S24’s terrible sustained performance makes both of them not ideal for gaming!
Both these devices are more than decent for general usage though especially when it comes to things like media consumption and their size makes it a good fit for someone who wants a more pocketable design.
However, I feel like because the S24 has received a ton of updates and a little bit of discounts right now, it is a more value-for-money option right now.
And even if you want an iPhone, rather than going for the iPhone 16, I would suggest it’s better to save a whole lot of money and get the iPhone 15 instead because all those AI stuff that Apple has promised won’t be here anytime soon, especially here in Asia.
Meanwhile, check out video on Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 16
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