Page 150 – GadgetByte Nepal

New Snapdragon X Plus with binned down specs to power wallet friendly ‘Co-Pilot+’ laptops!

Snapdragon

Aarohan Niraula

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September 6, 2024

New Snapdragon X Plus with binned down specs to power wallet friendly ‘Co-Pilot+’ laptops!

Qualcomm just announced an entry-level Snapdragon X Plus chipset with binned specs to make Arm-based Windows machines even more affordable and accessible to audiences under the 1000$ threshold. In this article, let’s take a quick look at the new Eight-Cored Snapdragon X Plus chip alongside what’s the same, what’s changed, and what’s new!

Eight Core Snapdragon X Plus Overview:

For starters, the Snapdragon X Plus is Qualcomm’s ARM chip for laptops fabricated under TSMC’s 4nm tech. This new version features a cut-down CPU, GPU, and memory specs to ship with laptops at around the 700-900 USD price bracket.

CPU and Memory

The Snapdragon X Plus with eight cores has two SKUs, namely, the ‘X1P-42-100’ and ‘X1P-46-100’. The lower variant has a 3.2 GHz base and 3.4GHz boost clocks with the weakest GPU out of the Snapdragon X series chips. The other variant has a slightly higher base clock (+200 MHz) and should be noticeably snappier thanks to the 4GHz single-core boost frequency. Of course, they are going to fare worse in multi-core as well with a ~20% dip compared to the 12-cored X Elite.

On the memory side, both versions cut down the cache to just 30MB of total L cache. The chips support up to 64GB of LPDDR5x memory running at 8848 MT/s and Gen 3 NVME SSD or UFS 4.0.

Half the GPU

Well, one of the major cutdowns is the half-as-good GPU on the new Snapdragon X Plus chip. The base X Plus will be pushing just 1.7 TFLOPS while the previous chips bearing the same name pushed more than double that (3.8 TFLOPS). The other one isn’t too impressive either with a ~55% weaker GPU than the top X Elite chips.

Affordable CoPilot+ with Efficiency

The major push for these chips seems to be for their AI capabilities and efficiency. Qualcomm hasn’t cut any corners on the NPU here, so you are getting the same 45 TOPS of power from the eight-cored Snapdragon X Plus. That makes laptops with these chips eligible for Microsoft’s ‘Copilot+ PC’ program with features like Recall, Studio Effects, and Co-creator baked into Windows. And since these are ARM chips based on a modern 4nm process, they boast excellent efficiency with all-day battery life for thin and light portables.

Connectivity and Extras

Snapdragon X Plus supports up to WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 with the ability to drive up to a 4k HDR10 screen at 120Hz. You can hook up to 3 displays running at 4k 60Hz, or up to 2 displays running at 5k 60Hz.

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Snapdragon X Plus (8 Core) Specifications

Process: 4nm
Core: 8-core Oryon CPU
Clock Speed: Up to 3.4 GHz, 30 MB total cache
GPU: 1.7 or 2.1 teraflop (TFLOP) integrated Adreno GPU
Display:
- Display Processing Unit (DPU) Name: Qualcomm Adreno
- Maximum On-Device Display Resolution: 4K Ultra HD @ 120 Hz
- Maximum External Display Resolution: 4K @ 60 Hz
- High Dynamic Range (HDR): HDR10
- Number of Concurrent Displays: 3
- Interface Type: DisplayPort 1.4
Video Processing Unit: Qualcomm Adreno VPU
Encoder: 4K @ 60 Hz, 10-bit depth, H.264 (Advanced Video Coding (AVC)), AV1, H.265 (High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC))
Decoder: 4K @ 120 Hz, 10-bit depth, H.264 (Advanced Video Coding (AVC)), VP9, AV1, H.265 (High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC))
NPU: 45 TOPS NPU
ISP: Qualcomm Spectra ( Dual), 18-bit depth
Memory:
- Type: LPDDR5x
- Bit Width: 16-bit
- Number of Channels: 8
- Transfer Rate: 8448 MT/s
- Bandwidth: 135 GB/s
- Capacity: Up to 64 GB

Storage:
- SD: SD 3.0
- SSD/NVMe Interface: NVMe, over PCIe 4.0
- UFS: UFS 4.0
Wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
5G modem:
- Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System
- 10Gbps peak download speed
- 3.5 Gbps peak upload speed

Eight Core Snapdragon X Plus Pricing and Availability

Vendors have already started shipping machines with this chip so you can get your hands on an affordable ‘CoPilot+ PC’ today. Popular models include the Vivobook S 15 from Asus, and the Inspiron 14 from Dell with more additions to the lineup soon enough. They are priced at USD 899 as of today.

Meanwhile, check out our video on all the AI things you can do with a Windows laptop today:

Infinix Hot 50 launched in India with Dimensity 6300

Dip Khatiwada

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September 6, 2024

0

Infinix Hot 50 launched in India with Dimensity 6300

Infinix has introduced the Hot 50 smartphone in India. It is a 5G phone which is now made official at a very affordable price. This article discusses everything about the latest Infinix Hot 50, including its price in Nepal and full specifications.

Infinix Hot 50 Overview

Design and Display

The Hot 50 includes a 6.7-inch IPS LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is 7.8mm thick and offers IP54 dust and splash resistance.

Performance

It features the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and comes with options of 4GB or 8GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage. The device operates on XOS 14.5 based on Android 14.

Also, read

Camera and Battery

The smartphone is equipped with a 50MP main camera with Sony’s IMX582 sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and an 8MP front camera with an LED flash. It features a 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging support.

Infinix Hot 50 5G Specifications

Display: 6.7-inch IPS LCD, 720p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 6300
RAM: 4GB/8GB
Storage: 64GB/128GB
Rear Cameras: 50MP main camera (Sony IMX582), 2MP depth sensor, auxiliary lens
Front Camera: 8MP with LED flash
Battery: 5,000mAh, 18W charging
OS: XOS 14.5 based on Android 14

Infinix Hot 50 Price in Nepal and Availability

The Infinix Hot 50 is priced at INR 9,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model and INR 10,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model. Sales start on September 9 through Flipkart. When it makes it here, we expect the Infinix Hot 50 to start at no less than NPR 18,999.

Infinix HOT 50	Price in India (Official)	Price in Nepal (Expected)
4GB / 64GB	INR 9,999	18,999
8GB / 128GB	INR 10,999	20,999

Meanwhile, check out our review of iQOO Z9S Pro

Karma KG777 Pro — a rugged phone from a Nepali brand

Raizel Tandukar

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September 5, 2024

0

Karma Mobiles falls under the Karma Group of companies that have been active in Nepal’s agriculture sector since 2001. Given that, the nature of their operation, they realised that a lot of smartphones do not have what it takes to assist people involved in heavy-duty occupations. This is why they introduced Karma KG777 Pro into the market. Let’s discuss further.

Karma KG777 Pro Overview

Design and Display

The Karma KG777 Pro is a rugged phone and looks such a way too. It has a hefty casing and textured back panel. There appears to be a triangular metal plate on the lower part with the company branding. It has two strips of LED underneath the camera which can light up in multiple colours. This phone is IP68, IP69K as well as MIL-STD 810G-rated effectively making it waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof. Moreover, in the promotional video of the phone, a person literally tosses it like a skipping stone. Seems legit. 👍

On the front, it has a 6.3-inch screen spanning FHD+ in resolution. It unsurprisingly dons a Corning Gorilla Glass for added protection. However, the company has not specified the exact variant of the glass. They have not revealed other details on the screen either.

Performance

Being durable is where the Karma KG777 Pro excels at. The performance side of things is kind of… sad. Firstly, the primary driver on this thing is the MediaTek Helio P70 processor. This chipset launched back in 2018 and the series has not been updated since 2020. The Helio G-series chipsets — which are reserved for budget phones, succeeded the Helio P-series. In other words, the silicone on this phone is pretty old and weak but should work fine for basic things. It has an AI accelerator though.

Other than that, the phone comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Though it is not mentioned, the Karma KG777 Pro should have a slot for a microSD card, since it is pretty much standard for rugged phones to have one. Another standard for such phones is definitely a large battery, and this phone has a 10,000 mAh one! Karma mentions a wireless charging speed of 5W, but the speed for wired charging is not known.

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Software and Camera

This phone comes with “Adventure Professor”. It is a software pack comprising of compass, sound meter, magnifier, height measure, magnifier, etc. — basically tools that would come in handy in emergencies as well as during work for those in heavy-duty occupations. That is cool and all, the Karma KG777 Pro boots on Android 10, which is once again pretty old at this point. Hence, the longevity of the phone is a bit questionable even though the phone’s hardware might survive for years to come.

Lastly, let’s talk about cameras, of which there are three on the back. The promotional materials of the phone have conflicting information on the primary shooter. It is either a 21MP unit with a Sony sensor or a 48MP snapper with a Samsung sensor. Moving on, the auxiliary lenses and front camera are undisputed. There are two eight-megapixel units on the back, the purpose of which is unclarified. Meanwhile, the selfie shooter is a 16MP unit.

Karma KG777 Pro Specifications

Design: Rugged, IP68 and IP69K-rated, MIL-STD 810G certified, two LED light strips on the back
Display: 6.3-inches, FHD+ resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass protected
Chipset: Octa-core MediaTek Helio P70 (12nm)
RAM: 6GB
ROM: 128GB
OS: Android 10
Rear Camera: Triple Camera (48MP with Samsung sensor or 21MP with Sony sensor + 2x 8MP auxiliary lens)
Front Camera: 16MP Camera with Samsung sensor (Centre-aligned waterdrop cutout)
Battery: 10,000 mAh cell with 5W wireless charging

Karma KG777 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability

You can contact Karma Mobiles on Facebook if you are interested in getting this rugged phone. The Karma KG777 Pro price in Nepal is NPR 36,000. Also, the first 100 buyers will be getting the Karma KG999 Pro smartwatch worth NPR 5,000 for absolutely free as an introductory offer!

Karma Smartphone	Price in Nepal (Official)
KG777 Pro	NPR 36,000

Meanwhile, check out our CMF Phone 1 review video:

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 unveiled with new Intel Core Ultra Lunar Lake chip!

Samsung

Aarohan Niraula

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September 5, 2024

0

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 unveiled with new Intel Core Ultra Lunar Lake chip!

After the recent announcement of Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors, many retailers refreshed their offerings with Intel’s newest innovation and Samsung is no different. The South Korean Tech giant has announced its Galaxy Book5 Pro with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V to be available soon so in this piece, let’s take a quick glance at the features, specifications, and expected price in Nepal of the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360.

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 Overview:

Design and Display

The Galaxy Book Pro is a laptop-tablet hybrid with a large 16” touch screen. Samsung calls it a ‘Dynamic AMOLED 2X’ screen, but that basically just means a high refresh rate (120Hz) OLED panel. It’s high res, has thin side and top bezels, and supports stylus input from the S pen included in the retail box. The device is quite sleek measuring below 13mm thick and weighing just 1.69 kg.

Outstanding Efficiency

As mentioned earlier, one of the major highlights of this device is the new Lunar Lake Core Ultra Series 2 chipset from Intel. With the Core Ultra 7, this Galaxy Book5 Pro boasts up to a ridiculous 25 hours of video playback. That’s thanks to both the chipset as well as a relatively large 76Wh battery.

Although there’s no information on other configurations, the Ultra 7 256V has a total of 8 cores (4 performance and 4 efficiency), 8 threads, and can clock up to 4.8 GHz. It’s based on TSMC’s N6 node and features the GPU and NPU on the same tile as well.

Graphics and AI

With the new Xe2-based Arc 140V graphics, the Galaxy Book5 Pro gets a boost in the graphics department as well. Moreover, the overall system measures over 120 TOPS with 48 of those coming from the Neural Processing Unit (NPU). That crosses the 40 TOPS threshold for a Windows Co Pilot+ PC, so the Book5 Pro is an ‘AI PC’ by all means and you’ll get to enjoy features like Paint Cocreator, Live Captions, Automatic Super Resolution, Studio Effects, and Recall.

That’s not all though, Samsung promises 300+ AI-accelerated features over 100+ creativity, productivity, gaming, and entertainment applications. That includes many of Samsung’s aces like Circle to Search, Chat Assist, Live Transcript, and Transcript which we previously saw in the S24 series of smartphones.

Connectivity and Extras

The Galaxy Book5 Pro ships with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM soldered to the board with up to 1TB of Gen 4 NVME SSD. It features WiFi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless connectivity. On the port side of things, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1, a microSD reader, and an audio jack.

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Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 Specifications

Weight and Dimensions: 1.69kg and 355.4 x 252.2 x 12.8mm
Display: 16-inch AMOLED 3K with anti-glare coating, 120Hz, 120% DCI P3, 10 point multi-touch support, S Pen
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (8C/8T, 6nm)
Graphics: Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics
Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X RAM
Storage: 512GB and 1TB NVME SSD
Camera: FHD webcam with Windows Hello
Microphone and Speaker: 5Wx2 woofers, 3.3W x2 tweeter with Dolby Atmos and built-in microphone
Battery: 76Wh with 65W USB-C fast charging
OS: Windows 11 Home
Connectivity and Ports: Wi-Fi 7, 802.11be, Bluetooth v5.4, Thunderbolt 4 (2), USB 3.2 Type-A (1), Micro SD, Headphone / Microphone, HDMI 2.1

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 Price in Nepal and Availability

Pre-orders for the new Galaxy Book is now open in the West. When it makes its way here, we expect the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 Price in Nepal to be around NPR 300,000.

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro	Price in the UK (Official)	Price in Nepal (Expected)
512GB	GBP 1,700	NPR 300,000

Meanwhile, check our video on the Asus Vivobook S 16 OLED with Core Ultra :

Motorola S50 launched with MediaTek Dimensity 7300 and 10MP telephoto lens

Surakshya Acharya

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September 5, 2024

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Motorola S50 launched with MediaTek Dimensity 7300 and 10MP telephoto lens

Motorola has introduced a new smartphone, the Motorola Moto S50, in China. This device has been internationally launched as the Motorola Edge 50 Neo. In this article, we’ll explore the Motorola S50 including its expected price in Nepal, features, and specifications.

Motorola S50 Overview

Design and Display

The Motorola Moto S50 closely mirrors the Motorola Edge 50 Pro with a sleek form factor and matte finish. It is available in three colors: Persimmon Orange, Flora Blue, and Latte. For biometrics, there is an in-screen finger sensor for added security.

The Moto S50 boasts a 6.36-inch with 1.5K resolution and LTPO technology. Along with that, it is capable of a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000 nits’ peak brightness. Moreover, the screen is safeguarded by Gorilla Glass protection and offers IP68-rated dust and water resistance.

Performance and Camera

Under the hood, the Moto S50 packs the latest MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, featuring an 8-core configuration built on a 4nm process technology. Additionally, it includes four Cortex-A78 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores, with a peak clock speed of 2.5 GHz. The device comes preloaded with Android 14, enhanced by the Hello UI for a smooth and intuitive user experience.

The Motorola S50 boasts a 50-megapixel Sony IMX896 main sensor with OIS, a 13-megapixel GalaxyCore GC13A2 ultra-wide camera that functions as a macro lens, and a 10-megapixel Samsung S5K3K1 telephoto lens offering 3X optical zoom. For selfies, there’s a 32-megapixel at the front.

Battery and Storage

Regarding the battery, the Moto S50 is equipped with a 4,310mAh battery that supports 68W fast charging. In just 13 minutes, the phone can go from 0 to 50 percent. Additionally, the S50 supports 15W wireless charging.

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Other than that, this phone is available in two storage configurations. Both models featured LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage, with the lower one offering 12GB RAM and 256GB ROM while the higher configuration comes with 12 gigs of memory and 512 gigs of internal storage.

Motorola S50 Specifications

Display: 6.36 inch, 120Hz refresh rate, 1.5K resolution
Chipset: Dimensity 7300
RAM: 12GB
ROM: 256GB or 512GB
OS & UI: Android 14 with Hello UX
Rear Camera: 50 MP main, 13MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3X Telephoto lens
Front Camera: 32MP
Security: Fingerprint sensor
Battery: 4,310mAh with 68W charging and 15W wireless charging

Motorola S50 Price in Nepal and Availability

The smartphone was launched in China at a starting price of 2,199 Yuan for 12GB+512GB and 2,499 Yuan for 12GB+512GB. If and when it makes its way here, we expect the Motorola S50 price in Nepal to start at NPR 50,000.

Moto S50	Price in China(Official)	Price in Nepal (Expected)
12GB + 256GB	¥ 2,199	NPR 50,000
12GB + 512GB	¥ 2,499	NPR 55,00

Bluetooth 6.0 is finally here with major additions like “Channel Sounding”

Bluetooth

Dip Khatiwada

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September 5, 2024

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Bluetooth 6.0 is finally here with major additions like “Channel Sounding”

The Bluetooth 5 specifications were released in 2016 with updates followed in 2019, 2021, and 2023. Now, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has unveiled Bluetooth Core Specification 6.0, introducing significant new features and enhancements. The standout addition is Bluetooth Channel Sounding, which promises to transform distance measurement in Bluetooth devices. This article will discuss major upgrades to the latest Bluetooth 6.0, including its core specifications.

Bluetooth 6.0 Overview

Advanced Distance Measurement

Bluetooth 6.0 introduces Bluetooth Channel Sounding, providing ‘true’ distance awareness for Bluetooth-compatible devices. This feature uses Phase-Based Ranging (PBR) and Round-Trip Timing (RTT) to measure distance with high precision. For example, it can improve keyless entry systems for cars. Channel Sounding achieves centimeter-level precision and supports solid security, such that only authorized users can access secure areas.

Improved Scanning Efficiency

Another key feature is Decision-Based Advertising Filtering (DBAF). This improvement increases scanning efficiency by reducing the time spent scanning secondary channels. For instance, in a crowded tech conference, your smartphone will use DBAF to filter out unnecessary signals more quickly. This results in faster connection times and better battery life.

Better Audio Streaming

The updated Isochronous Adaptation Layer (ISOAL) in Bluetooth 6.0 addresses latency and reliability issues. This enhancement benefits real-time audio streaming, such as with wireless headphones or speakers. The new framing mode reduces delays, providing clearer and more synchronized audio, which is especially useful for gaming or video calls.

Expanded Device Features

The extended link layer (LL) feature set allows devices to support a broader range of functions. For example, smart home devices like locks or thermostats can now communicate more effectively. This makes smart home systems more versatile and responsive.

Flexible Frame Spacing

Bluetooth 6.0 introduces negotiable frame spacing for packet transmissions, replacing the fixed 150 µs value. This flexibility improves connection efficiency, which benefits devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers.

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Bluetooth 6.0: Conclusion

These were only some of the major highlights of the latest Bluetooth 6.0. You can check out the detailed specs of all the updates here.

Meanwhile, watch our review of Realme 13 Pro+

Acer Nitro Blaze 7 goes official with AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor

Mintu

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September 5, 2024

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Acer Nitro Blaze 7 goes official with AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor

Acer the pioneer name in the laptop world, also makes handheld consoles, if it was not obvious. The Acer Nitro Blaze 7 has gone official with AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor and Radeon 780M graphics. Without further ado, let’s get straight into the specs, features, and expected price of Acer Nitro Blaze 7 in Nepal.

Acer Nitro Blaze 7 Overview

Design and Display

The Nitro Blaze 7, like any other handheld console, bears a gaming vibe with a red and black accent theme. You get the ABXY buttons, D-Pad, LB/RB Bumpers, LS/RS Sticks, LT/RT Hall effect triggers, view button, menu button, Acer Game Space button, Pop-up keyboard button, Acer quick menu button and Mode switch button. On the back side, there are air vents to keep the thermals in check.

In terms of display, there is a 7-inch IPS display with 144Hz refresh rate and Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. As a gaming device, there is AMD FreeSync Premium and 7ms response time alongside 100% sRGB.

Processor

Running the chores from the core is an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS chipset. It is an octa-core processor with 16 threads and 24MB cache. The turbo boost frequency here is 5.1GHz while the total AI TOPS is 39 for Ryzen AI. Meanwhile, the graphics here is AMD Radeon 780M with 2.7GHz and AMD RDNA 312 CUs.

Acer has paired the chip with 16GB LPDDR5x SDRAM with 7500MT/s and up to 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.04 x 4 Gen 4 SSD storage.

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The company provides the Acer Game Space app on the device, which combines popular gaming platforms and offers several extra features. In addition, the device includes a free 3-month subscription to PC Game Pass, giving access to premium games.

Ports and Battery

In terms of ports, you get 2x USB 4 Type-C 40Gbps and a MicroSD card (SD 4.0). Connectivity-wise, it supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Furthermore, fueling the handheld console is a 50.04Wh battery with 65W Type-C charging.

Acer Nitro Blaze 7 Specifications:

Dimensions: 25.6 (W) x 11.35 (D) x 2.25 (H), 670g
Display: 7″ IPS panel (144Hz, 500nits, 100% sRGB, AMD FreeSync Premium support)
Resolution: 1080p (1920×1080px)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS (8-core, 16-threads, 24MB cache, up to 5.1GHz)
Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x-SDRAM, 7500 MT/s
Storage: 1 x NVMe M.2 2230 SSD by PCIe Gen 4 x4
OS: Windows 11 64-bit Home Edition
Controls: AYXB layout, Hall-sensing joystick, Linear hall trigger
Connectivity: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Ports: 2x USB4 Type-C, 1x microSD card slot
Battery: 50.04Wh, 65W PD Type-C Charging

Acer Nitro Blaze 7 Price in Nepal and Availability

As of now, pricing and availability details have not been announced. We’ll update the article as soon as the info pops in. So, stay tuned!

Meanwhile, you can check our AYANEO Pocket Air review.

PICO 4 Ultra now globally available — Apple Vision Pro but wayyy cheaper?

Raizel Tandukar

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September 4, 2024

0

PICO 4 Ultra now globally available — Apple Vision Pro but wayyy cheaper?

PICO is one of the brands under the wings of ByteDance. Established in 2015, they have launched a handful of VR offerings. Recently, they announced a new headset with similar looks and functionality to the Apple Vision Pro. Let’s delve into the PICO 4 Ultra and discuss its expected price in Nepal as well while we’re at it.

PICO 4 Ultra Overview

Design and Display

As you may have figured, the PICO 4 Ultra looks like the Vision Pro — sort of. To be brutally honest, it looks like a cheap knock-off of the Apple headset. That is likely because the cameras and sensors are not well hidden like Apple’s. But due to that very reason, it gives EVE from WALL-E kinda vibe. It weighs 580 grams including the battery, which is considerably lighter than Vision Pro. Talking of the battery, PICO has integrated it into the back of the headset itself. This means the power source acts as a counterweight to the headset and there are no dangling wires! Nice!

Inside it packs a 2.56-inch screen for each eye with a a pixel density of 1,200 PPI. Though the screen resolution is 2,160 x 2,160 pixels, the headset renders and displays the content at 1,920 x 1,920 pixels. Other than that, it offers a 90Hz refresh rate, is equipped with Pancake lenses, and has a 105° field-of-view. The PICO 4 Ultra seamlessly adjusts the distance with pupils between 58mm to 72mm as well. Furthermore, the headset has dual stereo speakers as well as four microphones that support spatial audio recording.

The Hardware

Under the helm, the PICO 4 Ultra has the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 doing all the processing duties. It is obviously a chipset from Qualcomm targeted at VR and MR headsets. This chipset has 4 + 2 performance cores clocking in at up to 2.4GHz and 2.0 GHz. It is also capable of on-device AI. The processor is coupled with 12GB LPDDR5 memory and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It boots on PICO OS featuring a 360° screen. A 5,770 mAh rated battery powers all this and supports QC 4.0 and PD 3.0 charging protocols. Given that, it can charge at speeds of up to 45W.

Let’s talk about sensors, the first of which are four environment tracking cameras, that scan the environment and also recognise hand gestures. Yes, you can use the PICO 4 Ultra without any remotes too! Next, there are two 32MP colour see-through cameras, which help project real-life scenarios onto the screen and capture spatial videos/photos. Lastly, there is an iToF depth-sensing camera that hides underneath the front panel.

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Features

Firstly, the PICO 4 Ultra can be used as an extension of your computer. This feature is dubbed as “PanoScreen Workspace”. It can connect and mirror all major platforms, which includes Mac, Windows, iOS, as well as Android. You can display up to three desktops or home screens at the same time. Additionally, it supports interaction through external keyboards, controllers, and hands as well. You can easily switch between the interaction methods and resize the window you are working on up to 280 inches.

I have already mentioned that the PICO 4 Ultra is capable of snapping spatial photos and videos. Not only that, it can play such media shot through an iPhone or a Vision Pro as well — thanks to MV-HEVC decoding. The headset is also capable of real-time environment and object mapping with its proprietary environment perception algorithm. If you are not a fan of projecting your windows on top of the real environment, you can opt for AI-generated backgrounds as well. It also comes with WiFi 7 and Bluetooth v5.3 connectivity.

Gaming

Gaming is obviously one of, if not, the major attraction of VR headsets. There are over 40 MR apps and games including Puzzling Places, Demeo, Spatial Ops, and Angry Birds. Here, the game/app will be projected onto real-life settings and you can control the game with your bare hands.

On the other hand, the catalogue of virtual reality games is very extensive spanning over 650 items. You can pair the PICO 4 Ultra with the controllers and motion trackers to play such games. You have to wear the motion trackers worn on your ankles and it has an IMU sensor that works in tandem with 12 infrared sensors to provide 6DoF tracking with a frequency of up to 200Hz. As per the company, these motion trackers automatically pair to the headset and are ready to go in just 5 seconds!

PICO 4 Ultra Specifications

Design: Wearable headset with displays and battery integrated into the back
Dimensions:
- Headset: 62 mm x 165 mm x 84 mm
- With Strap: 256–312 mm x 165 mm x 84 mm
Weight: 580 grams (Combined), 304 grams (Headset only), 276 grams (Battery and Strap)
Display: 2.56-inch 4K+ Binocular Vision Display, 90Hz refresh rate, Pancake lenses, 105° FoV, 1,200 PPI pixel density, 20.6 PPD (pixels per degree), 58 mm–72 mm seamless pupil distance adjustment
Resolution: 2,160 x 2,160 pixels, 1,920 x 1,920 pixels (rendering resolutions)
Processor: Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
Memory: 12GB LPDDR5
Storage: 256GB UFS 3.1
Sensors: 2x 32MP colour seethrough camera, 4x Environment tracking camera, 1x iToF depth-sensing camera
Audio: Dual stereo speakers + four microphones with spatial audio recording support
Features: PanoScreen Workspace, Multi-method interaction, Real-time environment and object mapping, MR and VR games, Taking and playing spatial photos and videos
Compatibility: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Companion App: PICO Connect (Android | Computer | iOS)
Connectivity: WiFi 7, Bluetooth v5.3
Battery: 5,770 mAh (typical) / 5,700 mAh (rated)
Charging: QC 4.0 / PD 3.0, 45W fast charging
Colour Option: White with black front panel

PICO 4 Ultra Price in Nepal and Availability

The Chinese mixed-reality headset maker released this headset on 20 August 2024 in its home country. Then the company announced it was expanding its supply to other countries on 2 September. The nations that will be getting this headset are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, The Netherlands, and the UK.

Unsurprisingly, no Nepal. These headsets carry a price tag of EUR 599. For UK dwellers, it is GBP 529. The conversion lands somewhere around USD 679, which is wayyy cheaper — over five times cheaper — than the Apple Vision Pro. Given that, if somehow this MR headset landed here, we expect the PICO 4 Ultra price in Nepal to be NPR 106,999.

MR Headset	Price in Europe (Official)	Price in Nepal (Expected)
PICO 4 Ultra	EUR 599	NPR 106,999

Meanwhile, check out our Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3 comparison video:

Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra is a BEAST in more than one way!

Raizel Tandukar

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September 4, 2024

0

Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra is a BEAST in more than one way!

Ulefone is celebrating its tenth anniversary and eight years of excellence in the rugged device industry. To commemorate this milestone, they announced the Armor 28 series with the Ultra offering being the main highlight. In this article, we’ll look further at the Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra and also discuss its potential price in Nepal.

Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra Overview

Design and Display

Like any other Ulefone offering, the Armor 28 Ultra looks like a tank. It has a sizable heft to it along with cushioning around the phone. It appears as if it already has a protective case on. There is a chequered pattern on the back panel and looks as if it means business. Not only does it look that way, but it’s built as such too. It boasts an IP68 as well as an IP69K rating, meaning it can survive being submerged at depths of 2 metres for 30 minutes and take a hot water jet right at its face. Furthermore, it can operate in extreme temperatures of -30°C to 55°C without acting up.

The display has normally been Ulefone’s Achilles heel, however, the same cannot be said about Armor 28 Ultra. The company has taken an extra step with this phone and equipped it with two displays! Yes, you heard that right! The main screen is a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,200 nits of peak brightness. This is the first-ever phone from the brand with an AMOLED panel. Meanwhile, on the back, it has a circular screen alongside the cameras which displays time and other basic things.

Performance

Ulefone’s main concern has always been providing a tough exterior. Given that, the performance side of things has been mediocre at best. But not on this one! The company has fully embraced the idea of providing a flagship phone and equipped the Armor 28 Ultra with the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset. Yes, the processor that sits atop all else in terms of performance. This silicone clocks in at 3.4 GHz and scores 2,125,715 in AnTuTu 10, which is over 2% more than the closest challenger i.e. the regular Dimesnity 9300. For reference, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 hits 2,052,774 in the same benchmarking platform.

The additional hardware on the Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra is no slouch either. It packs 16GB LPDDR4X RAM and supports a virtual RAM extension of another 16GB. Similarly, this device has 512GB UFS 3.1 internal storage which obviously can be expanded via a MicroSD card. Talking of the software, it boots on Android 14 out of the box.

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Imaging

In true Ulefone fashion, the company has a whole imaging system including a night vision camera and a thermal sensor. Let’s talk about the regular cameras, of which there are two on the back and one on the front. The primary shooter is a 50MP unit with a 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor. The auxiliary lens is another 50MP shooter, which is an ultrawide lens with a Samsung JN1 sensor. On the front, it has the same thing as the ultrawide i.e. 50MP Samsung JN1.

Now moving on to the novelty cameras on the Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra. It has a 64MP module coupled with the OV64B1B sensor, which is a night vision camera. It can take clear photos during dark time, which other phones cannot replicate even with Night mode turned on. Likewise, the other one is a thermal sensor that with the ThermoVue Pro app can deliver thermal videos at 256 x 192 pixels. This is the highest resolution of thermal imaging from the brand so far! As if that was not enough, one can hook the uSmart Expansion connector — which is basically an endoscopy camera — to the phone and reach spaces that you couldn’t look at normally or with a regular camera.

Battery and the rest

As I mentioned earlier, the Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra has a decent heft to it which can be attributed mostly to its massive 10,600 mAh battery. This is over twice as large as the current industry standard of 5,000 mAh. Having such a large unit, and not having fast charging would not make any sense. Hence, the phone supports 120W wired and 50W wireless charging.

Other than that, it has dual SIM, 5G cellular, WiFi 6, Bluetooth v5.4, and NFC support for wireless connectivity. On top of that, it has an IR blaster too so that you can control other appliances. It has a 1.5W speaker, which should be plenty loud. One must understand that the phone’s speakers aren’t generally rated in watts, it’s done for laptops and speakers. And laptops usually pack 2 to 2.5W speakers. Lastly, you get a 3.5mm headphone jack on the Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra, which you need not utilise to listen to FM Radio, as it also has an antenna of its own as well.

Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra Specifications

Design: Rugged and hefty frame, IP68 and IP69K
Display:
- Primary: 6.67” AMOLED Panel, FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 2,200 nits peak brightness
- Secondary: Circular, display basic things like time
Chipset: Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ (4nm)
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X + 16GB extendable
ROM: 512GB UFS 3.1 + expandable with MicroSD card
OS: Android 14
Rear Camera: Triple Camera + Thermal Imaging
- Primary: 50MP, 1” Sony IMX989 sensor
- Ultrawide: 50MP, Samsung JN1 sensor
- Night Vision: 64MP, OV64B1B CMOS sensor
- Thermal: ThermoVue sensor, 256 x 192 resolution
Front Camera: 50MP, Samsung JN1 sensor (Centre-aligned hole-punch cutout)
Battery: 10,600 mAh with 120W wired and 50W wireless charging
Connectivity: Dual SIM, 5G, WiFi 6, Hotspot, Bluetooth v5.4, NFC, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster

Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra Price in Nepal and Availability

This absolute unit of a phone was announced on 28 August 2024 and will be displayed at IFA 2024 being held from 6 to 10 September in Berlin, Germany. The company has not revealed its pricing just yet. Their catalogue has mostly hovered under the USD 600 mark so far. However, with the inclusion of a flagship chip under its helm, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was priced at around USD 800. Based on that, if the Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra phone ever makes its way to Nepal we expect its price to be NPR 129,999.

Ulefone Smartphone	Price in the International Market (Expected)	Price in Nepal (Expected)
Armor 28 Ultra	~ USD 800	NPR 129,999

Meanwhile, check out our Honor X9b durability test video:

Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake chips announced with industry leading efficiency!

Intel

Aarohan Niraula

-

September 4, 2024

0

Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake chips announced with industry leading efficiency!

Intel just announced their new Lunar Lake Core Ultra Series 2 chipsets with big gains in efficiency and graphics. So, let’s quickly look at the specs, and improvements in Intel’s new innovation, and what Intel Lunar Lake means for you and me.

Intel Lunar Lake Overview

It’s all about efficiency

It seems like the laptop market is all about efficiency with power to boot at this point. What started with Apple’s M series, has now carried over to all major chip makers with AMD and Qualcomm offering their own efficient Phoenix Point and Snapdragon X processors. Intel’s Meteor Lake Core Ultra Series 1 had a similar focus on minimizing power consumption and boosting battery life, but truth be told the competition was just ahead of the race.

So, Intel recently unveiled their Series 2 Core Ultra SoCs code-named Lunar Lake in Berlin. With these new chips, Intel claims its spot as the one to pick for best endurance among the Windows choices. The company claims up to 50% less power consumption than its predecessors with up to a ridiculous 20 hours of battery life on office tasks. Besides that though, there are upgrades throughout with an improved CPU, better graphics, and a stronger AI engine.

Cutting corners on the cores?

Intel’s new Series 2 of Core Ultra chips all ship with just 8 cores and no hyperthreading. That sounds like a downgrade from last-gen’s 16 Cores (max) but Intel reasons that this has led to improved efficiency without sacrificing (single core) power. All 9 SKUs feature 8 Cores and 8 Threads with differing clock frequencies, TDP, AI cores, and memory specifications. This new re-design boasts an improved CPU single core with a big boost to efficiency.

Decoding ‘Core Ultra 9 288V’

Since Intel has decided to change the naming scheme once more, let me catch you up to speed. There are a total of 9 Lunar Lake laptop chips with 4 Core Ultra 5s, 4 Core Ultra 7s, and a Core Ultra 9. The name follows a ‘Core Ultra (5/7/9) 2 (X)(X)V’ pattern where the first digit after 2 indicates the tier (less/more clock speed) and the second hints at memory capacity (higher/lower).

For instance, Core Ultra 5 228V and Ultra 5 236V have equal number of cores across the board, but while the 2’3’6V clocks at a maximum of 4.7GHz, the 2’2’8 only reaches 4.5 GHz. But on the flip side, the 22’8’ supports up to 32GB of memory while the 23’6’ only supports up to 16GB.

So, Core Ultra 9 288V has the highest clock speed (5.1GHz) while supporting 32GB of LPDDR5X memory at 8533 MT/s.

Best iGPU on the market

Another big improvement is the new Xe 2 integrated graphics that promises the best gaming performance in the market. It’s up to 30% faster than the Arc graphics on the Core Ultra 7, about 16% better than AMD’s offering, and blows Snapdragon out of the water. For context, your next Intel laptop will be able to render Night City in CyberPunk at a playable 40-ish FPS, crank some gears in Forza at over 60 FPS, or snatch victory royals in Fortnite at nearly 90 FPS all without any kind of upscaling. So, with Intel’s XeSS, you can pretty much run any modern game at 1080p medium settings on the new Lunar Lake-powered notebooks.

AI and Extras

Last but not least, these Intel Lunar Lake chipsets also seem to have the best AI engine for laptops with improved workflow across software like Blender, Lightroom, After Effects, and Filmora. The NPU can push up to 48 TOPS on a Core Ultra 9 and up to 40 TOPS on the base Ultra 5 226V. Connectivity options include integrated WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and support for up to 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake Availability

Intel Lunar Lake laptops with Core Ultra 200V processors will be available starting September 22nd. All of the major vendors are refreshing one or more of their models with the new chipsets so you can expect your favorite thin and light notebook to be available with a Core Ultra 200V soon. That includes Dell’s XPS 13, Asus’ Zenbook S 14, LG Gram Pro, MSI’s Prestige 13 + Evo, and many more. We’ll be sure to cover them when they make it to Nepal in the future.

Meanwhile, check out our take on what an AI laptop is in 2024: