Xiaomi’s latest budget speaker — the Xiaomi Sound Pocket — is now officially available in Nepal as well. It looks quite a bit like the JBL GO 3 and will be competing in the same space as its successor. In this article, we will discuss the Xiaomi Sound Pocket in further detail including its features, official price in Nepal, and more.
Xiaomi Sound Pocket Overview
Design and build
The Xiaomi Sound Pocket comes in an oval cylindrical shape and has a woven texture finish. The main body of the speaker is black and houses the company branding along with controls. Meanwhile, you get an orange rubber lanyard for added convenience. Altogether the orange and black colour combination of this speaker is quite eye-catching.
This speaker measures 90.80 mm x 74.40 mm x 42.60 mm in dimensions while weighing about 200 grams only. As a result, the Xiaomi Sound Pocket is compact and extremely portable. Despite its stature, it boasts an IP67 dust and water resistance rating. Taking all its size and durability into consideration, this speaker is ideal for your outdoor trips.
It features a large mesh area design and has a built-in subwoofer for the audio. With this, you get a rated power output of 5W along with a frequency range of 100Hz to 20KHz. The Xiaomi Sound Pocket also comes with dynamic equilibrium, smart volume balancing, and dynamic woofer extension for a wide range of sounds.
The speaker is equipped with the latest Bluetooth v5.4 technology for wireless connectivity with your device. In addition to that, you can enjoy true wireless stereo sound effects by connecting two Xiaomi Sound Pockets. Moreover, you can also receive calls and have a conversation straight through the speaker.
In the tank, it packs a 1,000 mAh battery that can offer you up to 10 hours of playback at 40% loudness. When you are drained out of juice, it takes about 3 hours to fully charge with a 5W charger.
Xiaomi Sound Pocket Specifications
Design: Oval cylindrical design with mesh texture, IP67 rated
Xiaomi Sound Pocket Price in Nepal and Availability
The official price of the Xiaomi Sound Pocket speaker in Nepal is NPR 2,499. It is available in a single color option and you can buy it from Xiaomi-authorized stores like Hukut.
Xiaomi Nepal has launched a bunch of new products today, including a couple of tablets and a couple of portable speakers. And among them, the company also officially unveiled the Redmi Watch 5 Active, which is a budget smartwatch with features to match. So let’s take a closer look at everything the Redmi Watch 5 Active has to offer, alongside its official price in Nepal and availability.
Redmi Watch 5 Active Overview
Design and Display
The Redmi Watch 5 Active is a squircle smartwatch with a zinc alloy body and IPX8 water resistance. It comes in two standard colours: Midnight Black, and Matter Silver. The watch band does not have a buckle and comes with a gap in the middle instead. You will have to overlap the strap on itself to fasten it.
For the display, this watch has a 2-inch LCD panel. It stretches 320 x 385 pixels and can reach a peak brightness of up to 500 nits.
The Redmi Watch 5 Active comes with Bluetooth v5.3 and boots on HyperOS. It is compatible with devices running on Android 6.0 and iOS 12.0 and above. It can track your heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, steps, calories burned, steps, periods, etc.
In the meantime, for dedicated fitness tracking, you get over 140 sports modes, out of which it can auto-detect six of them. You can access recorded data through the Mi Fitness App. Additionally, this watch is compatible with Strava and Apple Health App as well.
As I mentioned earlier, the Redmi Watch 5 Active offers Clear+ calling, which is the company’s marketing term for ENC. The watch is equipped with three microphones altogether and utilizes them to pick up the user’s voice and suppress the background noise at the same time.
Moreover, you get built-in Alexa, so you can give it commands to control your daily tasks. It has a 470mAh battery, with which it typically offers 18 days of usage. In the case of heavy usage, it can last up to 12 days. Likewise, for charging you get a magnetic charging cable in the box.
Redmi Watch 5 Active Price in Nepal and Availability
The official price of Redmi Watch 5 Active in Nepal is NPR 4,499, which is actually quite impressive considering it launched for INR 2,799 (= NPR 4,479) in India. You can buy Redmi Watch 5 Active in Nepal from Xiaomi-authorized stores like Hukut.
Marshall has introduced its latest true wireless earbuds, the Minor IV, in Nepal. The company has also introduced many more latest products to the Nepali market, including headphones and speakers. But, in this article, we’ll particularly discuss the latest Marshall Minor IV, including its expected price in Nepal, specifications, and availability.
Marshall Minor IV Overview
Audio Quality
The Minor IV is equipped with 12mm dynamic drivers. Marshall claims these drivers deliver a signature sound similar to their other devices. The earbuds are acoustically tuned for a balanced sound. They also promise superior call quality without distractions. Furthermore, the Minor IV supports Bluetooth LE audio for higher audio quality.
Design and Build
Okay, let’s talk about the design now! The Marshall Minor IV earbuds feature an in-ear design with silicone ear tips. They have a leather texture and knurled stems for a premium feel. The bottom part of the stem is accented in gold. Users can control various functions by tapping on the stem. Additionally, the earbuds automatically pause and play music when removed or inserted. Moreover, these earbuds are also water-resistant with an IPX4 rating.
Connectivity and Battery Life
The earbuds feature Bluetooth Multipoint, allowing connection to multiple devices. They offer up to 7 hours of usage on a single charge, with the total battery life extending to 30 hours using the charging case. An in-app battery management feature aims to preserve battery lifespan. Additionally, the earbuds receive software updates over the air. The Marshall Minor IV supports wireless charging. It also has a USB-C port for wired charging.
Asta Wolf — a Nepali OEM brand, has introduced new earbuds. These audio accessories are packed with features and a very large battery! Let’s discuss the Asta Wolf Apex 150 in further detail and also highlight its price in Nepal in this article.
Asta Wolf Apex 150 Overview
Design and Audio
Usually, Asta Wolf heavily focuses on the design of its earbuds, but the Apex 150 is rather simple-looking. The buds come in an in-ear fitting and sit inside a chunky pebble-like charging case. They are IPX5 water resistant and ship in two shades of Black — Grizzle and Panther.
For audio, the Asta Wolf 150 packs a 10mm driver and quad-mic setup. Likewise, it provides active as well as environmental noise cancellation. You are getting ANC of up to 30dB on these buds. In the meantime, it utilises the extra microphones to recognise unwanted external noise and suppress it to offer a crystal-clear calling experience.
The Apex 150 is packed with features and Asta Wolf has given a unique branding to all of them. The company has not specified the Bluetooth version on these buds. However, it comes with Duo Sync and TubroSync pairing. Here, the former refers to the multi-device connection while the latter is for the instant pairing feature. Meanwhile, gamers can tap into “Phantom Mode” and enjoy ultra-low latency of up to 40ms.
The key highlight of these earbuds is the massive battery it packs. It has a whopping 1,000 mAh cell, with which the Asta Wolf Apex 150 can last up to 150 hours! Yes, it’s hours, not minutes — meaning, one full charge can get you going for over six days! Furthermore, one can use it as a power bank — thanks to the Flex Charge feature. Users can plug in a USB-C to USB-C cable and reverse charge their phones pretty easily. These buds also come with Sonic Charge, wherein a quick 10-minute charge converts to two hours of usage.
Asta Wolf Apex 150 Specifications
Design: In-ear, stemmed, IPX5-rated
Sound Driver: 10mm
Noise Cancellation: ANC up to 30dB + ENC with a dual mic on each bud
Battery: 1,000 mAh
Playback: Up to 7 hours (Buds), Up to 150 hours (With Case)
Charging: via USB Type-C, Sonic Charging (10 minutes charge = 240 minutes usage)
Features: Touch controls, Turbo Sync (Fast pairing), Duo Sync (Multi-device connection), Phantom Mode (Gaming mode) with latency as low as 40ms, Flex Charge (Reverse wired charging)
Asta Wolf Apex 150 Price in Nepal and Availability
The Nepali brand launched these earbuds on 27 September 2024 with an MRP of NPR 5,500. However, they are up for grabs at just NPR 2,499 as an introductory offer. Furthermore, the first 1,000 customers get a further NPR 300 slash on top of that.
Asta Wolf Earbuds
Price in Nepal (Official)
Apex 150
NPR 5,500 NPR 2,499
(NPR 2,199 for first 1,000 buyers)
Meanwhile, check out our video list of the best earbuds under NPR 3,000:
Marshall is a popular audio accessory brand hailing from Great Britain. Two new speakers from the company have made their way into Nepal. In this article, we will be looking at the Marshall Emberton III, including its price in Nepal.
Marshall Emberton III Overview
Design
This speaker is quite a portable unit weighing in at just 0.67 kilos and measuring 160mm in length. Despite its small stature, it does not compromise on toughness. Unlike a lot of regular speakers, that only offer some level of water resistance — The Marshall Emberton III comes with a proper IP67 rating! Given that, it can shrug off dust without much problem. Not only that, it can handle being submerged in water up to depths of 1 metre for 30 whole minutes.
Additionally, the Marshall Emberton III is one hell of a good-looking speaker. It has a mesh on the front with large company branding touted in golden colour. In the meantime, the rest of the speaker body is covered with leather giving it an extremely premium look. Moreover, it has controls on the top and ships in two colour choices. The first is the Black and Brass combo, and the other is Cream.
Since it is a Marshall speaker, Emberton III is a no-sleeper in the audio department either. The thing is equipped with a two-inch 10W full-range driver and two passive radiators. With this combination, it offers a “True Stereophonic” sound which in simpler words means that users get to enjoy a multi-directional 360° audio effect.
It comes with Bluetooth v5.3 as a medium for wireless connectivity. It is also capable of establishing multipoint connections and Auracast. For further accessibility, you can download the Marshall Bluetooth app available on both smartphone platforms. The Marshall Emberton III has a built-in microphone, in case you want to receive calls right through the speaker for a hands-free calling experience.
Battery and Charging
In terms of battery life, the company claims over 32 hours of playback. However, they do not mention the milliamps of the power cell. Similarly, Marshall Emberton III supports charging speeds of up to 15W and takes about two hours to fill up. Furthermore, it is capable of offering six hours of usage with 20 minutes of quick charge.
Marshall Emberton III Specifications
Design: Cuboid body with a leather finish and mesh on the front, IP67-rated
Dimensions: 160.00 mm x 68.00 mm x 76.90 mm
Weight: 0.67 kg
Driver Size: 2-inch full range dynamic driver + 2x passive radiators
Marshall Emberton III Price in Nepal and Availability
This speaker arrived in the Nepali market alongside Marshall Willen II in the first week of October 2024. The official price of Marshall Emberton III in Nepal is NPR 28,500.
Marshall Willen II is now officially available in Nepal. Building on the success of its predecessor, this compact Bluetooth speaker brings several new features and enhancements as well. This article will discuss everything about the latest Marshall Willen II, including its official price in Nepal, availability, and more.
Marshall Willen II Overview
Design
The Willen II measures 100.5 x 100.5 x 43.4 mm, making it slightly larger than the original model.
The Willen II maintains its outdoor usability with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating. The speaker can withstand submersion in up to 1 m (~3.3 ft) of water for 30 minutes. It also retains the built-in microphone for hands-free calls and includes a strap for carrying around easily.
The speaker introduces Bluetooth LE Audio with Auracast, which will be available through a future OTA update. This upgrade allows the speaker to connect directly with other units. Additionally, the battery life has been extended to 17 hours, up from the 15-hour runtime of the first model. The speaker also features Bluetooth multipoint connectivity and has a ‘Marshall Bluetooth’ as an app companion.
The Marshall Willen II officially launched on August 26 and made its way to Nepal in October alongside Emberton III. The official price of Marshall Willen II in Nepal is NPR 19,500.
Apple announced a lot of new products at its “Far Out” event last year. In terms of smartwatches, the second-gen Apple Watch SE is the company’s most affordable wearable option available right now. So, let’s take a closer look at the Apple Watch SE 2022, including its specs, features, availability, and latest official price in Nepal.
Apple Watch SE 2022 Overview:
Design and Display
As far as design is concerned, the 2nd generation Watch SE isn’t that different from its predecessor. It still arrives in the familiar square chassis with the digital crown and a side button on the right frame. In 40mm and 44mm (100% recycled) aluminum cases. But Apple says it has redesigned the back case this time, which is now made of color-matched nylon composite material for a (marginally) lighter build quality.
Apple Watch SE 2022
1 of 4
Midnight
Starlight
Silver
Case
More specifically, the Watch SE 2022 weighs about 10% less.
40mm: 26.4 gm (< 30.7 gm)
44mm: 32.9 gm (< 36.4 gm)
As for the color options, the Watch SE 2022 is available in Midnight, Starlight, and Silver finishes. There’s nothing new in the display side of things though. It’s still got the same Retina LTPO OLED screen with up to 1,000 nits of brightness. And unlike Apple’s more premium smartwatches, this guy still doesn’t support always-on display. For crack and scratch resistance, there’s the usual Ion-X glass on top of the screen. It is also swimproof up to 50 meters, but you won’t find dust-resistant properties on this entry-level Apple smartwatch.
The most notable upgrade on the Apple Watch SE 2022 is definitely on the performance front. It is powered by the same Apple S8 chip that you’ll find in the new Watch Series 8 and the flagship Apple Watch Ultra. According to the company, you can expect 20% faster performance over the S7 chip-powered Apple Watch Series 7.
Besides raw power, the cellular version of the new Watch SE now supports international data roaming as well. Apple says this feature is currently compatible with 30 telcos in total — chiefly the ones from the US, UK, and China.
The 2nd generation Apple Watch SE runs on watchOS 9, which enables features like “Low Power Mode”. This feature essentially disables automatic workout detection and a few other things to extend the battery life. Other highlights of watchOS 9 include AFib history (Atrial Fibrillation), redesigned Compass app, improved sleep tracking with “Sleep Stages”, and more.
Car crash detection
Interestingly, the Watch SE can also detect a car crash and connect you to emergency services or emergency contacts. According to Apple, this feature is enabled thanks to the enhanced 3-axis gyroscope and G-force accelerometer in tandem with the onboard microphone, barometer, and GPS.
In terms of health and fitness tracking, this guy comes loaded with most features available on other high-end Apple smartwatches. Except for blood oxygen and ECG measurements. Or skin temperature found on the more expensive Watch Series 8 and Watch Ultra. Other than this, you can still track your heart rate, menstrual cycles, and a bunch of workout modes. By the way, you also get 3 months of Apple Fitness+ subscription with the purchase of Watch SE 2022.
Like most other things, battery life remains the same too. Apple quotes 18 hours of usage here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support fast charging, which means you gotta wait for 2 and a half hours for a full charge. As for connectivity, the 2nd generation Watch SE comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4GHz WiFi.
Apple Watch SE 2022 Specifications:
Dimensions (H x W x L):
40mm: 40 x 34 x 10.7mm
44mm: 44 x 38 x 10.7mm
Weight:
40mm: 26.4 gm (GPS), 27.8 gm (GPS + Cellular)
44mm: 32.9 gm (GPS), 33.0 gm (GPS + Cellular)
Display: Retina LTPO OLED, Up to 1000 nits brightness, Ion-X glass
40mm: 1.53″, 324 x 394 pixels
44mm: 1.78″, 368 x 448 pixels
Design: Aluminum case, Digital Crown with haptic feedback
Processor: Apple S8 chip (dual-core), W3 wireless chip
Storage: 32GB (GPS and GPS + Wireless)
Built-in GPS: Yes (L1), Glonass, Galileo, QZSS
Battery: Up to 18 hours
Charging: USB-C magnetic charging cable
Apple Watch SE 2022 Price in Nepal and Availability
The official Apple Watch SE 2022 price in Nepal is now NPR 42,999 for the 40mm and NPR 47,499 for the 44mm variant with an aluminum case and a Sport Band. You can buy the Apple Watch SE 2022 in Nepal from authorized stores like Hukut.
Huawei was a big game player in SoC manufacturing with its wholly-owned subsidiary — HiSilicon. After the whole US-ban ordeal, the Chinese tech giant no longer had the means to develop chipsets with the latest tech, rapidly slowing down their progress. The company is working on the Kirin 9100 processor, which reportedly costs quite a sum to manufacture.
HiSilicon Kirin 9100 Rumours Round-up
Domestic Fabbing
International chipmakers like TSMC and Samsung use EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography to manufacture their processors. This allows them to achieve the latest fabbing process which offers better efficiency. However, HiSilicon — and Huawei by extension — can’t access such tech. Hence, it turned to China-based SMIC to develop Kirin 9100 chips.
The local semiconductor foundry is reportedly working on “n+2/3” fabrication which will be produced using Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) lithography with multiple patterning. This translates to 5nm nodes, and potentially an equivalent performance to that of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. For reference, the Qualcomm chipset came out near the end of 2022, has 4nm fabbing, and offers a peak clock speed of 3.2GHz.
Thus, Hisilicon opting for a new tech to develop the Kirin 9100 is cool and all, but it still lags considerably behind the latest offering from Qualcomm and MediaTek in terms of performance.
That being said, this chipset is quite costly to manufacture. Foundries generally do not reveal such information. Hence, we are sourcing this information from a Chinese tipster. They claim that producing the Hisilicon Kirin 9100 costs the company about CNY 1,100 to 1,300. This comes out to be around USD 157 to 186.
In comparison, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 apparently costs USD 190. In the meantime, the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 is much cheaper at USD 155. Therefore, the upcoming Huawei silicon cost is similar to the other two heavy hitters, while its performance isn’t as potent.
HiSilicon Kirin 9100 Launch and Availability
Initially, the HiSilicon Kirin 9100 was supposed to debut in the Mate 60 series. However, that did not turn out to be the case. Now, it will likely be available in the Mate 70 series, which apparently includes four phones — the titular one, Mate 70 Pro, Mate 70 Pro+, and Mate 70 Extraordinary Master.
Meanwhile, check out our 2024 flagship chipset comparison video:
Apple Watch Series 8 is the company’s flagship smartwatch from 2022, sitting just below the Apple Watch Ultra which costs almost twice as much as this guy. And in this post, we’ll be going through the specs, features, availability, and the latest official price in Nepal of the new Apple Watch Series 8.
Apple Watch Series 8 Overview:
Design and Display
For the most part, the Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t that different from the Apple Watch Series 7. Be it design, display, or even battery life, these two smartwatches are pretty much the same. You’re looking at a squarish chassis in either a 41mm or a 45mm aluminum or stainless steel case.
Apple Watch Series 8
1 of 7
Starlight (Aluminum)
Silver (Aluminum)
Midnight (Aluminum)
(PRODUCT)RED (Aluminum)
Silver (Stainless Steel)
Graphite (Stainless Steel)
Gold (Stainless Steel)
Unfortunately, unlike its predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t available with a titanium casing. Apple has also discontinued the Blue and Green aluminum options for a new Silver one here. It is also WR50 certified, which means the Watch Series 8 can survive as deep as 50 meters underwater. This watch is also IP6X dust resistant.
Anyway, there’s no change in the display department this time. It’s got the same 1.61 or 1.77-inch curved Retina LTPO OLED screen with always-on display support. The aluminum variant gets an Ion-X glass display whereas the stainless steel models are protected by a tougher sapphire crystal glass. It can achieve 1000 nits of peak brightness as well.
Powering the Apple Watch Series 8 is the S8 chip. This dual-core processor is apparently 20% faster than the Apple S7 chip on the Watch Series 7. It also has the W3 wireless and the U1 ultra-wideband chip — the latter of which is missing on the cheaper Apple Watch SE (2nd generation).
One of the most notable upgrades you’d find on the Apple Watch Series 8 is its support for car crash detection. This hardware-enabled feature uses the built-in gyroscope, high dynamic range accelerometer, barometer, GPS, microphone, and Apple’s advanced sensor-fusion algorithm. And when the watch senses that you’ve been in a car crash, it can automatically notify the emergency services and your emergency contact with your current location info.
Apple Watch Series 8 runs on watchOS 9 out-of-the-box. It brings a handful of new features like international roaming, better sleep tracking with Sleep Stages, AFib history, a revamped Compass app, and the new Medications app. But all these features are available on older Apple Watches as well. More specifically, the Apple Watch Series 4 or newer models.
Say hello to the new temperature sensor
Among the few additions to the Apple Watch Series 8 is the new temperature sensor. There are actually two temperature sensors here — one on the back of the watch and one just underneath the display. With this, the watch can give a deeper insight into your sleep cycles by analyzing the overall body temperature throughout the night. According to Apple, it can detect temperature changes as low as 0.1°C.
Besides sleep, these temperature sensors also play a big role in curating and predicting women’s menstrual cycles. And with this, the Apple Watch Series 8 can also offer an estimate of when you likely ovulated. Apple confirms that all these data stay encrypted on your device although you can choose to share them with your healthcare provider.
Other than this, the Apple Watch Series 8 can take your ECG readings, blood oxygen, and stress levels too. In terms of fitness tracking, it can record everything from walking, running, swimming, cycling, squats, swimming, and also multisport workouts. That means the watch can automatically detect and switch between different kinds of workouts like running, biking, and swimming to help you prepare for triathlons. As always, Apple is also throwing in three months of Apple Fitness+ subscription on the purchase of any new Apple Watch.
Battery
Sadly, there’s no upgrade as far as battery life is concerned here. You can expect the same 18 hours of endurance on the Apple Watch Series 8, which Apple calls “all-day battery life”.
At least the watchOS 9 platform now enables the “Low Power” mode which can extend the battery life by double to 36 hours! But do note that enabling this mode disables always-on display, automatic workout detection, and a few alerts. And since it supports fast charging, the Watch Series 8 can fill up from 0 to 80% in just 45 minutes. Or 75 minutes for a full charge.
Battery: Up to 18 hours (or 36 hours under Low Power mode)
Charging: USB-C fast magnetic charging cable
Apple Watch Series 8 Price in Nepal and Availability
With the latest price drop, you can take home the 41mm Apple Watch Series 8 for Rs. 64,999 against its previous market price of Rs. 67,999. The price of the 45mm variant now costs you even cheaper at Rs. 57,899 from its previous price tag of Rs. 71,999. These watches have aluminum cases with a Sport Band and don’t have cellular connectivity. You can buy the Apple Watch Series 8 in Nepal from authorized stores like Hukut.
Xiaomi is reportedly considering shutting down its bootloader unlock program for global smartphones. This change would limit users’ ability to unlock their bootloaders through official channels. The information comes from a tip shared by @chunvn8888 on X (formerly Twitter), though Xiaomi has made no official confirmation. In this article, we will discuss rumors about the Xiaomi Bootloader Shutdown news.
Xiaomi Bootloader Shutdown Rumors
Bootloader Unlocking
Currently, unlocking the bootloader allows users to install custom ROMs, which offers a near-stock Android experience. It also provides developers with root access to customize and modify their devices. However, with the reported shutdown of the unlock program, this access may soon become unavailable for international Xiaomi devices.
Changes in China
Xiaomi has already applied these restrictions to its devices in China. The bootloader for Chinese models can no longer be unlocked, following the company’s recent policy changes. If this extends globally, users will face more challenges when trying to unlock their devices, especially developers who rely on root access for advanced customization.
Xiaomi’s new HyperOS system does provides a more refined experience compared to its previous MIUI interface. According to the tipster, these changes could take effect as early as next year, possibly with the release of HyperOS 2.0.
Meanwhile, check. out our review of the Galaxy S23 FE
