Dell recently launched the latest iteration of its XPS series comprising the XPS 16, the XPS 14, and the revamped XPS 13. The 16-inch variant is the front-runner of the series and comes packed with high-end specs. Let’s discuss the latest Dell XPS 16 in this article along with its expected price in Nepal.
Dell XPS 16 2024 (9640) Overview
Design and Display
The Dell XPS 16 comes in a similar design to its lesser siblings of the series. To elaborate further, this laptop has an aluminium body and dons a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection on the screen. Furthermore, the Dell XPS 16 features a capacitive touchpad for the function row instead of traditional keys. This laptop is available in Graphite and Platinum colour options.
The laptop boasts a large 16.3” screen with minimal bezels on the front. The Dell XPS 16 is available with two different screen configurations. Here, you can either get an OLED or IPS panel. Here OLED panel comes with 4K resolution, touch support, 400 nits brightness, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, and an anti-smudge finish. On the other hand, the IPS panel comes with FHD+ resolution, 500 nits typical brightness, a colour gamut of 100% sRGB, and an anti-glare finish.
On the performance end, the Dell XPS 16 packs the latest Intel Core Ultra processors with a dedicated AI acceleration engine, also known as the Neural Processing Unit. This NPU will help you tap into the capabilities of AI and boost the performance of the laptop altogether.
You can configure the Dell XPS 16 with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor. It can be coupled with a discrete GPU of up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. Memory-wise, you can go up to 64GB LPDDR5x RAM with dual-channel and 7467 MT/s support. Meanwhile, for storage, you can get up to 4TB with PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD on your Dell XPS 16.
The Dell XPS 16 draws its power from an integrated 99.5 Wh battery. It also supports ExpressCharge 1.0 wherein you can juice this laptop with an AC charging adapter of 130W via USB Type-C. This laptop packs a quad-speaker setup of 10W total peak output. In the meantime, you also get two digital array microphones and an FHD @1080p webcam.
This laptop offers wireless connectivity via Intel Killer WiFi 7 and Bluetooth v5.4. Meanwhile, the XPS 16 offers wired connections via three Thunderbolt 4. You also get a microSD card reader and a 3.5mm headphone jack as other port options.
Dell XPS 16 2024 (9640) Specifications
Design and Build: Minimal single-tone design with Aluminium body and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Battery: 99.5Wh Integrated Battery with ExpressCharge 1.0
Charger: 130W AC Adapter via USB Type-C
Colours: Graphite, Platinum
Dell XPS 16 2024 (9640) Price in Nepal and Availability
The Dell XPS series was announced on 4 January 2024 and formally presented to the world at CES 2024. The Dell XPS 16 2024 (9640) price in Nepal is NPR 5,49,000 for the Core Ultra 9 variant. You can get it via the Hukut Store with a 2 years warranty.
Mid-last year Nubia launched its first-ever (gaming) tablet — the Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet. Now the company has launched a Pro version/follow-up of sorts to it. In this article, we will look at the Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro in further detail while also discussing its potential price in Nepal.
Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro Overview
Design and Display
Right off the bat, the Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro gives pro-gamer vibes. It has a CNC-milled aviation-grade aluminium unibody with a strip of aluminosilicate glass on the side, exposing the tablet internals. There is also an RGB LED light that adds to the feel of the tablet. The tablet is available in two colour options: Deuterium Front Transparent Silver Wings and Deuterium Front Transparent Dark Night. In simpler words, black and white.
Moving on to the front, it dons a 10.9-inch LCD stretching 2.8K in resolution. It also offers a smooth 144Hz refresh rate and 840Hz instant touch sampling rate. Furthermore, it carries for SGS certification for low blue light emission. We sadly do not know the colour depth or the peak brightness the Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro offers.
Performance
The Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro does not hold back in the performance department either. It is led by an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that can achieve a peak clock speed of 3.4GHz. Additionally, the GPU on this thing can hit a frequency of 1GHz as well. In contrast, the regular chipset caps out at a CPU and GPU frequency of 3.3GHz and 0.77GHz respectively.
The processor is further assisted by LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. The memory choice includes 12GB, 16GB, and a whopping 24GB capacity. Similarly, for storage, you can choose between 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. When listing them individually that may sound like a lot, but the Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro is actually available in just three configurations. The memory and storage are coupled with one another on the same hierarchy. Software-wise, it boots on Android 14 with REDMAGIC OS 9.5 on top.
With all the beefy hardware and gaming going on, the insides of the Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro will heat up for sure. This is why, the company has equipped the device with the “PAD Magic Cooling ICE 2.0”. The cooling system includes an actual 17 mm x 17 mm centrifugal fan inside that can go up to 20,000 RPM. This fan is surely one of the main highlights of the tablet, as it is likely the first time we are seeing something like this on a tablet. Other than that, the cooling system includes nine other components including a bunch of alloy, graphene, and copper foils for heat dissipation, air circulation ducts, heat pipe, and thermal gel. The tablet utilises even its aluminium back panel to keep the thermals in check.
Everything is powered by a 10,100 mAh battery that supports 120W fast wired charging. It has a main camera and a selfie camera which are 50MP and 20MP, in the same order. Moreover, the tablet packs a quad-speaker setup and an 0815 dual X-axis linear motor to enhance the gaming experience. It also has a triple-microphone setup clearer communication. There is a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button on the top of the frame (which turns into a side when held horizontally). The NFC tag sits in the same vicinity as well. Lastly, the Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro can be used like a laptop by attaching a keyboard too.
Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro Specifications
Design: CNC-milled aviation-grade aluminium unibody, transparent aluminosilicate glass strip on the side, RGB light, Monotone finish
Chipset: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Leading Version (4nm)
RAM: 12GB, 16GB or 24GB
ROM: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB
OS & UI: Android 14 with REDMAGIC OS 9.5 on top
Cameras: 50MP (Rear) + 20MP (Front)
Security: Top/Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Battery: 10,100 mAh cell with 120W fast charging
Others: PAD Magic Cooling ICE 2.0 with 20,000 RPM centrifugal fan, Cube AI, Quad-speaker and triple-mic setup, 0815 dual X-axis linear motor, NFC support, Keyboard support
Colour Options: Deuterium Front Transparent Silver Wings (White), Deuterium Front Transparent Dark Night (Black)
Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
The tablet has a starting price of CNY 3,999 in China. It is currently limited to its motherland and whether it will be expanded to other markets is still unknown. If it ever arrives here, we expect the Nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet Pro price in Nepal to start at NPR 91,099.
Dell launched the latest iteration of its XPS series comprising the XPS 16, the XPS 14, and the revamped XPS 13 back in January. This new set of laptops comes in a uniform design, featuring strong build quality and incorporating AI into its performance. In this article, we will discuss the Dell XPS 14 2024, its detailed specifications, as well as its price in Nepal.
Dell XPS 14 2024 (9440) Overview
Design and Display
As mentioned earlier, the Dell XPS 14 shares its design language with other members of its series. As such, this laptop is crafted with an aluminium body and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the screen. The laptop features the company logo on the centre of the lid and comes in a minimal design. Furthermore, the Dell XPS 14 features a glass touchpad on the top for the function row instead of traditional keys. The company ships this laptop in two finishes: Graphite, and Platinum.
On the front, we are greeted with a 14.5” screen with minimal bezels. Other than that, the Dell XPS 14 is available in two-screen configurations. Here, you can either get an IPS* panel with FHD+ resolution or an OLED panel with 3.2K resolution. Moreover, the FHD+ screen offers a typical brightness of 500 nits, a colour gamut of 100% sRGB, and a refresh rate of 30–120 Hz. Meanwhile, the OLED panel comes with touch support, 400 nits brightness, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, and a refresh rate of 48–120 Hz.
Under the hood, the Dell XPS 14 comes with two processor choices, those being either Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 155H or Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 165H. These latest Intel processors are equipped with a built-in AI acceleration engine called the NPU. With this, your laptop does not have to rely solely on the CPU or GPU for processing.
Meanwhile, talking of the GPU, this laptop comes equipped with either Intel’s integrated Arc graphics or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 discrete GPU. In terms of memory, the Dell XPS 14 ships with up to 64GB LPDDR5x RAM. Moreover, you get ample storage of up to 4TB with PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD.
In the tank, the Dell XPS 14 comes with an integrated 69.5 Wh battery with ExpressCharge 1.0 support. This laptop comes with two AC charging adapter options depending on your graphics choice. Those options are 60W or 100W via USB Type-C. For audio, this laptop comes with a quad-speaker setup of 2W each. Meanwhile, you are getting two digital array microphones and an FHD @1080p webcam.
For wireless connectivity, this laptop comes with Intel Killer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth v5.3 support. Additionally, the XPS 14 comes with three Thunderbolt 4, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack as port options.
Dell XPS 14 2024 (9440) Specifications
Design and Build: Minimal single-tone design with Aluminium body and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Ports: 3x Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery, 1x MicroSD card reader v6.0, 1x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
Connectivity: Intel Killer WiFi 6E 1675 (AX211) 2×2 + Bluetooth v5.3
Battery: 69.5Wh Integrated Battery with ExpressCharge 1.0
Charger: 60W (Intel Arc graphics) or 100W (NVIDIA graphics) via USB Type-C
Colours: Graphite, Platinum
Dell XPS 14 2024 (9440) Price in Nepal and Availability
The Dell XPS series was announced on 4 January 2024 and will be formally presented to the world at CES 2024. The Dell XPS 14 (2024) price in Nepal is NPR 425,000 for the Core Ultra 7 variant with an OLED screen.
The XPS lineup of laptops are the top-of-the-line premium ultrabook offerings from Dell and the latest iteration are now making their way here quickly. Here, we’ll be talking about the Dell XPS 13 9340 (2024), its specs, features, and price in Nepal.
Dell XPS 13 9340 (2024) Overview:
Design and Display
As for the design, Dell continues to provide a sleek and premium build for the XPS 13. It manages to be lightweight at 1.17kg with a machined aluminum chassis and Gorilla Glass Victus display. Talking of the latter, you get a 13.4-inch IPS display with FHD+ (120Hz) and QHD+ (120Hz) resolutions, plus an OLED 3K+ (60Hz) panel option. Dolby Vision, EyeSafe technology, and 100% DCI-P3 gamut support are present all across. The XP3 13 also flaunts a touch function row to switch between media and function keys.
14th Gen Intel Ultra Processors
The laptop is powered by Intel’s latest 14th Gen processors. You get three CPU options— Ultra 5 125H, Ultra 7 155H, and Ultra 7 165H. Pair that with 8/16/32/64GB RAM. On the GPU side, there is an integrated Intel Arc graphics with AI capabilities. While for the storage side, you can configure with 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB SSD options.
Battery, Connectivity, and I/O ports
Fueling the slim laptop is a 50Wh battery. It is accompanied by a 60W Type-C adapter. Getting to the I/O ports, the Dell XPS 13 (2024) houses two USB Thunderbolt 4 ports and that’s it. Wireless connectivity options include WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
Dell XPS 13 9340 Specifications:
Design and Build: Aluminium body and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (Palm Rest)
Battery: 55Wh Integrated Battery with ExpressCharge 1.0
Charger: 60W (Intel Arc graphics) via USB Type-C
Colors: Graphite, Platinum
Dell XPS 13 (2024) Price in Nepal and Availability:
The Dell XPS 13 (2024) price in Nepal starts at NPR 261,00 for the Core Ultra 7, FHD+ variant while higher tier variants with better displays and more memory are a bit price. You can get them through the Hukut Store or other computer retailers across the country.
Vivo recently unveiled two additions to its Y series lineup: the Vivo Y300 Pro and the Vivo Y37 Pro. Although the Y300 Pro is the one grabbing most of the spotlight, the Y37 Pro also presents a good choice for those seeking value on a budget. In this article, we’ll delve into the specifications, features, and expected pricing of the Vivo Y37 series.
Vivo Y37 Pro Overview
Design and Display
Starting with design, the Vivo Y37 Pro boasts a sleek design with a glossy finish and comes in three colours: Pink, Green, and Black. Also, for added security, it features a convenient side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
As for the screen, this model is equipped with a 6.68-inch HD+ LCD display. Along with that, it delivers a refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. Additionally, the Y37 Pro is rated IP64, offering reliable protection against dust and water.
Performance
Regarding the internals, the Vivo Y37 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC with 2 Cortex-A78 cores and 6 Cortex-A55 cores with a maximum clock speed of 2.2 GHz. The chip is based on TSMC’s 4nm fabrication process so it should provide good efficiency as well. Moreover, the phone runs on Android 14, customized with Vivo’s Origin OS 4.
Moreover, it features the Adreno 613 GPU, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and 256GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage.
In terms of the camera, the Y37 Pro sports a dual rear camera system. It includes a 50MP main sensor paired with a 2MP depth sensor. On top of that, for selfies, the device offers a 5MP front camera, good enough for casual photography.
For the battery, the novelty packs a 6,000mAh battery with support for 44W wired fast charging. Furthermore, for connectivity, the phone offers dual 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB Type-C port.
Resolution:Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 (4nm)
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X
ROM: 256GB UFS2.2
OS & UI: Android 14 based Origin OS 4
Rear Camera: 50 MP main, 2MP depth sensor
Front Camera: 5MP
Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi, USB Type-C port
Audio: Stereo speaker, 3.5mm audio jack
Security: Fingerprint sensor
Battery: 6,000mAh with 44W charging
Vivo Y37 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
The official Y37 Pro price in China is CNY 1,799 for the 8/256GB model. When the phone enters the border, we can expect the Vivo Y37 Pro price in Nepal to start at NPR 40,999.
boAt has launched a boatload of products in Nepal in the recent days. Another such addition to their portfolio is the boAt Stone 750 speaker, which is pretty much the same as the Ultima Rock. In this article, we will be looking at this speaker in further detail including its price in Nepal.
boAt Stone 750 Overview
Design and Audio
The boAt Stone 750 comes in a long triangular shape with a woven mesh texture. LEDs on either end of its body can glow in various colours to set the mood. It is also IPX5 splash-resistant, able to handle splashes of water here and there. While it launched with three colour choices in its home country, only Ragining Black and Marine Blue options arrived here.
Moving on to the audio, the boAt Stone 750 has two output units with 2-inch drivers. Each one is capable of 6W power, totalling 12W audio output. It is on the higher end for Bluetooth speakers, hence, loudness will not be an issue with this one.
This speaker has five buttons for navigation on its top and comes with Bluetooth v5.3 for wireless connectivity with your smartphone. Similarly, there is an AUX port and TF/MicroSD card slot if you want to connect more traditionally. Sadly, no USB-A for pen drives and such though. Moreover, the boAt Stone 750 offers a TWS feature as well, allowing you to connect and sync two speakers and use them simultaneously. It also has an in-built microphone, so you can receive calls through the speaker itself.
It has a 2,200 mAh battery inside and can last up to half a day when used at 60% volume. The boAt Stone 750 has a USB Type-C port for charging and takes just 2.5 hours to fully juice up.
boAt Stone 750 Specifications
Design: Long triangular shape, woven mesh texture, IPX5 rated
Dimension: 188.00 mm x 70.00 mm x 73.00 mm
Weight: 595 grams
Driver: 2-inch, dual driver
Audio Output: 12W RMS (2x 6W)
Connectivity: Bluetooth v5.3, AUX, MicroSD/TF Card input
Battery: 2,200 mAh, up to 12 hours (at 60% volume)
Charging: 2.5 hours, USB Type-C, 10W
Features: Bluetooth calling, Stereo pairing, RGB Lighting
Amazfit has introduced the new T-Rex 3, its latest smartwatch. The T-Rex 3 maintains the rugged design of its predecessors with some notable upgrades. Let’s dive in this article to discuss the latest Amazfit T-Rex 3 Smartwatch, including its price in Nepal and availability
Amazfit T-Rex 3 Smartwatch Overview
Design with Display
The T-Rex 3 moves away from the circular bezel, opting for an octagonal shape. Amazfit has kept the 22mm straps but switched to liquid silicone. Meanwhile, It retains its industrial look with textured buttons and red accents and has a 10 ATM water resistance rating, suitable for diving up to 45 meters.
The smartwatch comes with an upgraded display of 1.5 inches with a peak brightness of 2000 nits. Gorilla Glass protects the screen and includes a glove mode for use during winter activities.
Long-Lasting Battery Life
The T-Rex 3 has a 700mAh battery, 40% larger than the previous model. It offers up to 27 days of typical usage and 81 days in basic watch mode. With GPS on, users can expect 42 hours of run-time in accuracy mode or up to 180 hours in extreme battery-saver mode. The watch charges fully in 3 hours. The new ZPS3044 processor powers the T-Rex 3 with 32GB of storage.
Fitness Features
The smartwatch supports tracking for 170 sports modes while, new features include skin temperature measurement alongside the regular heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and sleep tracking.
Operating System: Zepp OS 4 with GPT-4 AI assistant
Sports Modes: 170 modes
Water Resistance: 10 ATM (up to 45m)
Battery: 700mAh, 3 hours charging time
Colors: Onyx, Lava (upcycled strap options)
Amazfit T-Rex 3Price in Nepal and Availability
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is priced at €299 in Europe, $299 in the US, and ￥1899 in China. It is available in Onyx and Lava color options, with upcycled straps.
GoPro recently launched the HERO 2024 alongside the HERO13 Black and is now finally available in Nepal. The regular Hero 2024 offers a more affordable and simplified option compared to its premium counterpart. This article will focus on the GoPro HERO 2024,including its expected price in Nepal.
GoPro Hero (2024) Overview
Design and Controls
The HERO 2024 is notable for its small size and lightweight build, weighing just 86 grams. It includes built-in mounting fingers and is 35% smaller in volume and 46% lighter compared to the HERO13 Black. Moreover, the camera is waterproof up to 16 feet (5 meters) making it suitable for capturing footage in mud, snow, or water.
The HERO 2024 features an easy-to-use LCD screen for framing shots accurately. Users can switch modes and start recording with a simple one-button control.
Video modes
The HERO 2024 supports Ultra HD 4K and HD 1080p video recording. It also captures 12MP photos and offers slow-motion video at 2.7K resolution and 60 frames per second. The Quik app allows for 8MP frame grabs from 4K videos.
While the GoPro HERO 2024 includes essential features, it lacks some advanced functionalities in the HERO13 Black. It does not offer 10-bit color video depth, HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization, Horizon Lock, or Horizon Leveling. Features like digital lenses, TimeWarp video, and a front display are also missing.
I was just scrolling through Instagram like always and an ad popped up, that really caught my attention. It was from “Chhito Charge” — a Nepali start-up that allows you to rent a power bank. Yes, a power bank! It was quite odd, but it also made a lot of sense. It was new, it was unique, and I went ahead and tried it! Here, I will be sharing with you my experience of renting a power bank in Nepal!
Chhito Charge Overview
The Modality
The funda of Chhito Charge is pretty simple and their slogan explains it well enough “Scan. Rent. Go.”. You go to one of their stations which holds a bunch of power banks, scan their QR to rent one, take the power bank with you, and drop it back at a nearby station. It can be the same station or different, it doesn’t matter.
You do need the Chhito Charge app on your smartphone though, which is available in both Android and iOS. The app appears to be geo-restricted, so you might not be able to find the app in the Play Store if you have a foreign Gmail.
The whole idea of renting a power bank was quite intriguing. So, I decided to go ahead and try this service of theirs. Firstly, I installed the app on my phone, and I was not very impressed. When I was signing up for their platform, both the font and the space where I was filling the detail up were white and I had trouble seeing what I was typing.
But that is not a major hiccup by any means. Providing only your phone number is enough to get into their platform, so it’s not like I was typing a lot anyway.
Into the app
After I signed up, I was redirected to the home screen which was supposed to display a map, and it was not loading. However, that could just be a “me problem”, maybe it loads on other devices. Then I pressed on the search bar, and it showed me all the stations that were near my location. Nice! Apparently, Chhito Charge is available at over 200 spots, which is a really good number. However, I cannot tell how well-spread they are since the app’s map did not load. Nonetheless, the network seems to be extensive.
Then I ran into another issue… when I tried to navigate to the nearest location through the app, it gave me a different location. For instance, the Big O Cafe in Jhamsikhel was the closest station to me, but when I pressed navigate, it took me to Satdobato Chowk which is like four kilometres away!
This seems to be a bug though, because when I tried a different location, it worked fine. It’s a hit or miss, but nothing that cannot be solved with some fine-tuning. Also, I could just type in the name of the restaurant on Google Maps by myself. So, it’s not like there isn’t a workaround. Since the whole business of Chhito Charge is in the starting phase and this is not a major turnoff, it gets a pass.
To the station!
So far so good! I then went to the location to rent a power bank for myself. Now, this was a weird experience for me because I have two battery banks of my own — one of which is a whopping 50,000 mAh! So, yeah! (Please don’t ask me why I have two of them, and why I have one with such a massive capacity. I just do. 👀)
I reached the location that was bustling with people who were enjoying their food, and there I stood… to rent a power bank. The Chhito Charge station was placed on a counter and could hold a total of eight units, two of which were already rented. Looks like the idea of renting a power bank is already gaining a good momentum. I tried pulling a power bank out of the station without paying *ahem* for science,but the thing did not even budge. They are locked into the station unless you make a payment that is.
The Chhito Charge station displayed a little QR code on the top-right corner, which I scanned through the app. Then the app displayed me the rates, which are as follows:
Rental Package
Rental Fee
1 Day
NPR 100
3 Day
NPR 300
1 Month
NPR 1,000
Renting a power bank
I chose the 1-day pack obviously, then I was presented with a QR on my app screen for the payment. It was a FonePay QR, which is the most popular online payment medium in Nepal. Hence, you can pay the rental fee from different mobile banking apps as well as digital wallets. That’s nice, but the whole payment process was a bit… half-baked.
Firstly, I had to download or screenshot the QR. Then open the payment medium of choice, and upload the QR there. Speaking from my own experience, a lot of people do not actually know that you can upload the QR into whatever app you are using and make a payment. This could be a setback for such individuals to try this brilliant service out. Anyhoo, I was trying to make the payment, and eSewa refused to read the QR a few times. Mind you I was standing inside a full restaurant, trying to make a payment, and it wasn’t going through… rough.
Finally, the payment went through and a Chhito Charge power bank — literally popped out — of the station after a few seconds. It’s basically a power bank vending machine! 🤌✨
[Side Note:I was so mesmerised by the battery bank popping out and wanted to get a video of it. So, I pushed it back into the station, and “accidentally” returned it. I had to redo the whole process and pay another 100 rupees. But it’s alright. *cries in the corner*]
Now, let’s talk hardware! The power bank is an eye-catching orange colour with “Chhito Charge” written on it. My immediate thought — “Wow, a custom branding… Nice!”. The build quality of the product isn’t great, it’s a bit too plasticky for my liking. But it’s understandable since the battery bank will be passed around a lot and wear out with time, so having cheap-to-replace units makes total sense.
While that may be true, the power bank comes with three in-built cords: a USB-C, a lightning port, and a micro USB. That should cover almost all the smartphones in the world. Talking about the capacity, it is a 5,000 mAh cell or an equivalent of 18.5Wh. That’s on the lower end for a power bank but should provide you with enough juice to nearly or fully charge a smartphone, once. It has a micro USB port as well so that you can charge it yourself — which you will definitely have to do if you have rented the power bank for multiple days.
Other than that, the Chhito Charge power bank does not have anything fancy going on like fast or wireless charging for that matter — just a standard 10W output. It’s just enough to get you by.
Testing the power bank
Once I got my power bank, I plugged it in and played Pokémon GO on my way back. It is quite a demanding game with the constant GPS access and internet connection it requires. I was at 29% when I started charging my phone and rested at about 48-ish per cent by the time I got home.
I reckon I walked for about… 20 minutes. So, nearly 20% of juice without fast charging while playing a game the whole time is a very good result in my opinion. I am thoroughly impressed!
Some Concerns and Complaints
The returning process is pretty simple too. You do not have to go to the same station, so you can hop in at whatever station is nearest to you at the moment and slide the power bank back in. But what if someone does not? Not everyone has good intentions and a 5,000 mAh battery bank for a plate of Momo’s worth is way too good of a deal. What then?
I questioned the restaurant staff about it and they did not have an exact answer too. They just told me that Chhito Charge has a record of it and that’s it. The only logical explanation I could come up with is that since I provided my phone number when registering myself, the company would call me and ask me to return their property. I did not want to hoard the power bank, and possibly hinder someone who actually needs it. So, I placed it back the following day. But my concern lies there.
Moving on, I have already shared the hurdles I faced during the whole process. So those are my complaints. To summarise:
White font on top of white input box during sign-up
The home screen map not loading
Bug with navigation feature
The payment process
These are all preliminary issues and nothing here is a dealbreaker, really. I would suggest smoothening the payment process foremost. The app already has a “My Wallet” section, so I assume you will be able to load money into the app in the future. However, displaying the FonePay QR on the Chhito Charge station itself would be a much easier and faster fix in my opinion. Apart from that, it’s a great and recommendable service! 👍
Chhito Charge: Conclusion
All in all, Chhito Charge is a wonderful concept and service that will come in handy for a lot of people. Its implications and impact are nearly limitless. However, there needs to be a quality check as a similar service has failed in the past.
How many of us remember the charging stations at public places that had all sorts of ports? Where are they now? Very few of them are still functioning and most faded into the background because they were not maintained properly. Hence, the Chhito Charge team should look at that scenario, learn from it, and adapt as time goes on. They carry a huge potential, and we are rooting for them!
Meanwhile, check this video out where we unbox and review cool gadgets we found online:
While Vivo has been repackaging the same phone for different markets in the budget space. The company has gone and launched a fresh new midranger in its home country. This new offering succeeds the Vivo Y200 Pro and brings quite a few upgrades. Let’s discuss the Vivo Y300 Pro further in this article along with its expected price in Nepal.
Vivo Y300 Pro Overview
Design and Display
Right from the start, we can see that the Vivo Y300 Pro takes a different route from its predecessor in terms of design. Looks like a large centre-aligned circular camera dial is all the hype right now. First, we saw Oppo doing it with a few of its offerings, then Xiaomi came with the Redmi 14C, and now Vivo with this one. The phone has curved panels on a flat frame and brings an IP65 rating, which is a significant step up from IP54 on the last iteration.
Moving on to the front, it has a 6.77-inch AMOLED panel that spans FHD+ in resolution. It can switch between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz refresh rates and offers a peak brightness of 5,000 nits. Vivo also offers 3,840Hz PWM dimming, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, and a colour depth of 1.07 billion on the Y300 Pro. The phone comes in a new “Titanium” shade — we all know where the inspiration for that came from. Other options include Gold inlaid with Jade (Blue), White, and Black, wherein the former two have patterns on the back panel while the latter takes a monotone approach.
Performance
We have Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 handling the performance on the Vivo Y300 Pro. This silicon is an upgrade from the Snapdragon 695 on the last phone. With this new chip, you get a better fabrication of 4nm vs. 6nm and overall better performance. Pretty much expected of a newer processor.
Other than that, this phone is available in four configurations: 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB, 12GB + 256GB, and 512GB. The memory here is a dual-channel LPDDR4X RAM while the storage is a UFS 2.2. The Vivo Y300 Pro allows you to extend the memory by up to 12GB virtually, however, there is no option for storage expansion. It boots on OriginOS 4 with an AI assistant named Jovi. This reigns true for the Chinese audience only. If Vivo expands this phone to the rest of the world, it will come with FunTouch OS instead.
The optics department on the Vivo Y300 Pro consists of three members altogether. The primary of which is a 50MP shooter coupled with the Sony LYT-600 sensor. It offers EIS along with 10x digital zoom. Meanwhile, the supporting camera is a 2MP depth sensor that helps the main camera with background blurring. Likewise, the selfie camera is a 32MP unit that doubles down as a face scanner.
This phone has an absolutely massive 6,500 mAh single-cell battery. Despite packing such a large power source, the Vivo Y300 Pro is comfortably thin with a maximum thickness of just 7.79 mm. Moreover, it supports a wired charging speed of 80W. Apart from that, this phone supports pretty latest WiFi 6E (tri-band) while for Bluetooth it gets a rather older version of 5.1. Regardless, it comes with high-quality codecs like aptX HD, aptX HD, and LDAC.
Vivo Y300 Pro Specifications
Design: Flat frame, curved edges, monotone or patterned finish, IP65-rated
Dimensions: 163.40 mm x 76.40 mm x 7.69 or 7.79 mm
Weight: 193.60 or 194.60 grams
Display: 6.77” AMOLED Panel, Up to 120Hz refresh rate, 1.07B colour depth, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 5,000 nits peak brightness, 3,840Hz PWM dimming, SGS low blue light certification
Resolution: FHD+ (1,080 x 2,392)
Chipset: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 (4nm)
RAM: 8GB or 12GB, dual channel, LPDDR4x + Up to 12GB extendable
ROM: 128GB, 256GB or 512GB UFS 2.2
OS & UI: Android 14 with OriginOS 4 on top
Rear Camera: Dual Camera (50MP Primary with Sony LYT-600 sensor + 2MP depth sensor)
Front Camera: 32MP Camera (Centre-aligned hole-punch cutout)
Security: In-display optical fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Proximity, Gyroscope, E-compass, IR blaster
Battery: 6,500 mAh single-cell lithium battery with 80W fast charging, OTG reverse charging support
Connectivity: Dual SIM, 5G cellular, Tri-band WiFi 6E, Hotspot, Bluetooth v5.1, USB 2.0 Type-C
Colour Options: Titanium, Gold inlaid with Jade, White, Black Jade
Vivo Y300 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
This phone was launched in China on 5 September 2024 with a starting price of CNY 1,799. At this time, we do not know if it will be expanded to other markets as of now. Given that the Vivo Y200 Pro did break into the Indian market, we assume that this one will follow suit as well. That being said, we expect the Vivo Y300 Pro price in Nepal to start at NPR 40,999, if it ever arrives here.
