Samsung introduced the Galaxy M05 just a few days ago, and now the company has also announced its F-series counterpart. These phones are pretty much the same as one another. Regardless, we will look at the Samsung Galaxy F05 in further detail in this article, including its expected price in Nepal.
Samsung Galaxy F05 Overview
Design and Display
As I mentioned earlier, the Samsung Galaxy F05 is pretty much the same as the M05, which by extension is the same as the Galaxy A05. All these phones look the same, with subtle differences between them. The thing that sets this F-series phone apart from its other compatriots is the leather pattern on its back. Samsung specifically says “leather pattern” and not “leather”. This hints that it might have a leather-like pattern on a plastic back instead of the actual leather material. Colour-wise, it ships in a single Twilight Blue option.
While the back panel gives the Samsung Galaxy F05 a personality of its own, everything else is pretty much the same. Starting with the display, we are looking at the 6.74-inch PLS LCD with HD+ resolution. Other than that, it offers a standard 60Hz refresh rate along with a colour depth of 16.7 million.
Performance
For performance, this phone relies on the trusty MediaTek Helio G85processor. Though it is not the best option at its price point, it has been a go-to option since its release in 2020. As you could’ve guessed, you get the same chipset on the A05 as well as the M05. In fact, you get the same thing on this year’s Samsung Galaxy A06 too. Talking of the processor, it comes with eight cores, 12nm fabrication, and peaks at 2.0GHz.
The Samsung Galaxy F05 comes in a single configuration with 4GB memory and 64GB storage. You get the “RAM Plus” feature on this phone to virtually extend the memory by an additional 4GB. Similarly, you can expand the storage on this thing too — with a microSD card of up to 1TB. Talking of the software, it runs on OneUI 6.0 based on Android 14 and will receive two years of OS updates and four years of security patches.
Optics-wise, we are looking at a 50MP primary shooter with ƒ/1.8 aperture. In the meantime, it is supported by a 2MP depth-sensing camera that helps out portrait shots. On the front, the Samsung Galaxy F05 has an 8MP lens under the waterdrop notch, which is also utilised for the Face Unlock feature.
In the tank, it has a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging. You get slots for SIM cards on this phone and the cellular support is limited to 4G only. Additionally, you also get dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth v5.3 for wireless connectivity. Meanwhile, wired connections are handled by the USB-C port and the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Samsung Galaxy F05 Specifications
Design: Monotone design with leather pattern finish
Rear Camera: Dual Camera (50MP Primary + 2MP Depth Sensor)
Front Camera: 8MP Camera (Centre-aligned waterdrop cutout)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Battery: 5,000 mAh cell with 25W Fast charging
Connectivity: Dual SIM, 4G cellular, Dual-band WiFi 5, Hotspot, Bluetooth v5.3, USB 2.0 Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
Colour Options: Twilight Blue
Samsung Galaxy F05 Price in Nepal and Availability
The South Korean tech giant announced this phone on 17 September 2024, but the sale will only start three days later. It is priced at INR 7,999 in India and will be available through official mediums with various launch offers. Its predecessor i.e. Galaxy F04 did not make it into the Nepali borders, hence, it is likely that this phone will follow the same route. However, if it did arrive here, we expect the Samsung Galaxy F05 price in Nepal to be NPR 14,499.
Itel has introduced its new budget smartphone, the Itel A50 4G, in the Nepalese market. The comes off as an affordable option for people who are looking for a reliable smartphone at a cheaper price. Let’s dive into this article to discuss the latest Itel A50 4G, including its price in Nepal, specifications, and availability.
Itel A50 4G Overview
Display and Design
The Itel A50 4G comes with a 6.6-inch IPS LCD, providing a resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels. Itel offers the A50 4G in four color options: Shimmer Gold, Cyan Blue, Lime Green, and Misty Black. It also includes a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security and retains the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Performance and Software
The phone is powered by a Unisoc T603 chipset and runs on Android 14 (Go edition). The device comes with different memory configurations, but the one available in Nepal only comes with 64GB of storage with 4GB of RAM. Users can expand storage further using a microSDXC card.
Camera
On the camera front, the Itel A50 4G includes an 8 MP rear camera with an LED flash. It is equipped with a 5 MP front camera for simple selfies and video calls.
The Itel A50 4G is powered by a 5000 mAh non-removable battery, which is charged via a USB Type-C 2.0 port with 10W wired charging. For connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Xiaomi Nepal has brought a new pair of TWS to the Nepalese market. Dubbed the Redmi Buds 5C, it comes with 12.5mm Titanium Drivers and Active Noise Cancellation. In this article, we’ll walk through the specs, features, and official price of the Redmi Buds 5C in Nepal.
Redmi Buds 5C Overview
Design and Build
Speaking of the design, the Redmi Buds 5C boasts an in-ear long stem design. Likewise, the oval case has a white charging indicator and a USB Type-C port. This TWS is lightweight at 4.2 grams for each bud and features a Quad-mic AI ENC (2 mic on each) for clearer calls. Redmi ships these buds in three shades: Symphony Blue, Bass White, and Acoustic Black.
Audio
Blasting the audio here is 12.4mm Dynamic Titanium drivers with a 20Hz to 20KHz frequency range. There are 5 sound profiles altogether to choose from as per your preference. As for the codecs, it covers both SBC and AAC while you get three modes to adjust the ambient noise: Normal Mode, Transparency Mode, and ANC Mode. And talking of the latter, the Redmi Buds 5C can cancel up to 40 decibels of ambient noise.
Battery, Connectivity, and Others
Moving on, fueling the earbuds is a 45mAh battery on each earbud and 480mAh on the charging case. Redmi claims a 10-minute charge would give you around 2 hours of playtime at 50% volume and AAC codec with ANC off. Meanwhile, a full charge will take 1 hour for the earbuds and 2 hours for the charging case.
Connectivity-wise, the Redmi Buds 5C relies on Bluetooth 5.3 with dual dual-device connection feature and Google Fast Pair support. It pairs with your phone through the Xiaomi Earbuds app, which is available on both iOS and Android platforms.
After launching the A50 less than a week ago, Itel has introduced the A50C smartphone in Nepal at an affordable price. This article will discuss everything about the latest Itel A50C, including its price in Nepal and full specifications
Itel A50C Overview
Display Performance
The latest Itel A50C features a big 6.6 inch IPS display with HD+ resolution. The Itel A50C is powered by the Unisoc T603 octa-core processor. The phone has 2GB of RAM, which can be expanded up to 4GB using ‘Memory Fusion technology’. Additionally, it offers 32GB of internal storage.
Camera Setup
For photography, the Itel A50C features an 8MP AI dual rear camera. The front side houses a 5MP selfie camera for basic video calls and selfies.
The device includes a 4000mAh battery, which should last through regular use. The battery supports 10W Type-C charging.
For security, the Itel A50C provides a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and face unlock support. In addition, the Itel A50C comes with a free screen replacement offer and a 1-year warranty.
Itel A50C Specifications
Display: 6.6″ HD+ IPS Display with Dynamic Bar
Processor: Unisoc T603 Octa-core
RAM: 2GB (Expandable up to 4GB with Memory Fusion)
Storage: 32GB ROM
Rear Camera: 8MP AI Dual Rear Camera
Front Camera: 5MP Selfie Camera
Battery: 4000mAh with 10W Type-C Charging
Security: Side Fingerprint Sensor and Face Unlock
Itel A50C Price in Nepal and Availability in Nepal
The itel A50C is available in Nepal at NPR 9,890 for the 2GB RAM/32GB storage variant. It is available for purchase from our affiliate partner Hukut store.
Itel A50C
Price in Nepal (Official)
Availability
2GB + 32GB
NPR 9,890
Hukut
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Realme 13 Pro+
Taiwanese electronics company Asus recently unveiled their ‘ZenBook 14 Air’ measuring just 11mm thin and weighting close to 1100 grams. So, here let’s take a quick peek at the new ultrabook, its specs, features, and expected price in Nepal.
Asus Zenbook 14 Air Overview
Design and Display
The primary focus of the new Zenbook is on the ‘Air ’ness of the overall package. As I said earlier, the laptop is just around 1.1 cm thick and weighs just a little more than a kg. It’s got a sleek-looking design with a unibody metallic build and artistic lines on the lid. And to top if off, both the ‘Snow White’ and ‘Mountain Gray’ look equally as stunning and sophisticated.
On the front, you are greeted with a gorgeous OLED screen with all the goodies of Asus’ Lumina branding. That means accurate colors out of the box, fast response, and less harmful blue light. Specifically, you are getting a 120Hz 2.8k screen with 10-bit colors, 100% DCI P3 coverage, and a peak brightness of 600 nits.
Processor and Memory
Given the slim form factor, Intel’s new Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V chipset makes a lot of sense for the Zenbook 14 Air. This efficient chip brings improved battery life, newer graphics, and a dedicated Neural Processing Unit for AI-related tasks. Asus says the overall AI prowess is over 115 TOPS but that includes the CPU, GPU, and NPU. The latter pushes 47 TOPS on its own which sits in between the competition like AMD’s Hawk Point and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite offerings.
As for the memory, the RAM is of course soldered to the system board but you can get up to 32GB of it and pair it with a 1TB NVME Gen 4 SSD. To keep things in check, there are two fans and some vapor chambers inside. Given that the overall system draw is just 28W, those cooling solutions should suffice in most scenarios and as such Asus claims the ultrabook operates below 25dB for light workloads.
Battery and Ports
For a such a light and compact machine, the ZenBook 14 surprises with its relatively big 72Wh Lithium battery and claims of up to a ridiculous 22 hours of endurance. There are lots of ports too, a full sized HDMI 2.1, a type-A, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. There’s also a 3.5mm jack for your audio needs alongside integrated WiFi 7 capabilities.
Audio: Stereo Harman Kardon speakers with Dolby Atmos
Battery: 75 Wh battery
PowerSupply: 65W USB-C AC power adapter
Webcam: 1080p Full HD
Connectivity: Dual-band WiFi 802.11be , Bluetooth 5.4
I/O Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
Asus ZenBook 14 Air Price in Nepal and Availability
The new ZenBook is now available for pre-order in China for CNY 8,999. If it makes it here, we expect the Asus ZenBook 14 Air price in Nepal to start from NPR 199,999.
Asus ZenBook 14 Air
Price in China (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB, 1TB, 14” 2.8K 120Hz OLED
CNY 8,999
NPR 199,999
Meanwhile, check out video on the Asus Vivobook S 16 with Core Ultra:
Lava launched the Blaze X a little while back and it was a fancy-looking phone. Now the company has brought a new, more affordable offering with the same processor underneath. Furthermore, they’ve thrown in a “Vibe Light” for the vibes. Let’s take a deeper look at the Lava Blaze 3 5G in this article, including its price in Nepal.
Lava Blaze 3 5G Overview
Design and Display
The Lava Blaze 3 5G comes with flat edges and a monotone design. It is available in Glass Blue, and Glass Gold colours, hinting at the use of glass for the back panel. The phone has a squircle camera island with “Vibe Light”, which is a warm-tinted LED flash. This light supposedly improves the camera’s low-light performance and enhances portrait shots.
For display, it has a flat LCD panel that stretches 6.56 inches. It offers HD+ resolution with 269PPI pixel density. Additionally, you get a refresh rate of 90Hz and a colour depth of 16.7 million.
Performance
Under the hood, the Lava Blaze 3 5G packs the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor which launched a few months ago. It comes with a 6nm fabrication process, eight cores, and a peak clock speed of 2.4GHz.
This phone will be available in a single configuration of 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Users can virtually extend the memory by another 6GB. Meanwhile, they can pop in a microSD card of up to 1TB for extra storage. Similarly, on the software front, it boots on Android 14 with no ads and bloatware.
In the camera department, you get a total of three shooters. The primary of which is a 50MP unit. It is coupled with a 2MP AI camera, which is there just for decoration. On the front, it has an 8MP shooter which utilises the screen as a flash during low-light conditions. As I mentioned earlier, the Lava Blaze 3 5G has a “Vibe Light” on the back and highlighted its usage. In the meantime, it also has the traditional flash alongside it.
A 5,000 mAh battery powers the phone which offers over eight hours of continuous YouTube playback. In terms of charging, it supports 18W of speed and takes a little over two hours to go from 0 to 100. It supports dual SIM 5G, dual-band WiFi 5, and Bluetooth v5.2 for wireless connectivity. Likewise, the Lava Blaze 3 5G has a USB-C port as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired duties.
Lava Blaze 3 5G Specifications
Design: Monotone design with glass back and Vibe Light
Dimensions: 164.30 mm x 76.24 mm x 8.60 mm
Weight: 201 grams
Display: 6.56” LCD Panel, 90Hz refresh rate, 16.7M colour depth, 269 PPI pixel density
Resolution: HD+ (720 x 1,600)
Chipset: Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 6300 (6nm)
RAM: 6GB + 6GB extendable
ROM: 128GB UFS 2.2 + 1TB expandable with MicroSD card
OS: Android 14
Rear Camera: Dual Camera (50MP Primary + 2MP AI Camera)
Front Camera: 8MP Camera (Centre-aligned hole-punch cutout)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor (0.24 seconds), Face Unlock (0.82 seconds)
Battery: 5,000 mAh Lithium Polymer cell with 18W charging
Connectivity: Dual SIM, 5G, Dual-band WiFi, Hotspot, Bluetooth v5.2, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
Colour Options: Glass Blue, Glass Gold
Lava Blaze 3 5G Price in Nepal and Availability
This phone was announced on 16 September 2024 and will be available from 18 September. It has an MSRP of INR 11,500, however, with bank offers customers can bag it for INR 10,000. If and when this phone arrives in Nepal, we expect the Lava Blaze 3 5G to start at NPR 19,999.
Lava Blaze 3 5G
Price in India (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
6GB + 128GB
INR 11,500 INR 10,000
NPR 19,999
Meanwhile, check out our Realme 13 Pro+ review video:
Redmi is a go-to name when it comes to buying quality products at affordable price tags. And its TVs are also priced pretty competitively which is the same for its newly launched Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K in India. This new model comes in two sizes: 43-inch and 55-inch. Without further ado, let’s delve into the specs, features, and expected price of the Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K in Nepal.
Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K Overview
Bezel-less Design and 4K Display
One of the eye-catching features of this Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K is its bezel-less design. The frame is made up of metal for a stronger build. And talking of the display as the name implies, you get a 4K res (3840 x 2160 pixels) panel with HDR, Vivid Picture Engine, and Wide 178° Viewing Range. It comes with two screen sizes: 43-inch and 55-inch as aforementioned. Likewise, it has a static 60Hz refresh rate and 6.5ms response time.
Built-in Fire OS
As if it were not obvious, this TV boasts Fire TV OS built-in for smart functionalities. So, you get Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and several other streaming apps. Other than that, there are 12,000 plus apps to download from the Amazon App Store. Likewise, the remote of this TV comes with a Voice control that uses Alexa for changing channels, playing music, and other AIoT devices as well.
Under the hood, it is powered by a Quad Core Cortex A55 SoC. And in terms of RAM and storage, you get 2GB of memory and 8GB of internal storage.
Audio, Connectivity, and Others
Blasting the audio here is a 24W and 30W speaker setup with Dolby Audio, DTS Virtual:X, and DTS HD support on the 43-inch and 55-inch versions respectively. The connectivity part relies on 2x HDMI, 2x USB, AV, Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm jack. Meanwhile, for wireless connectivity, it supports dual-band (2.4/5GHz) WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 as well.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz), AirPlay, Miracast, Bluetooth 5.0, 2 x HDMI 3 (1 with ARC), 2 x USB 2.0, 3.5mm jack, Ethernet, Antenna
Speaker & Audio: 2 x 10W speakers, Dolby Audio, DTS-HD, DTS Virtual: X
Video Formats Support: AV1, H.265, H.264, H.263, VP9/8
Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K Price in Nepal and Availability:
In India, the price of Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K starts at INR 24,999 for the 43-inch and INR 35,999 for the 55-inch version. We expect the Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K price in Nepal to begin at NPR 44,999 when it launches here.
Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K
Price in India (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
43-inch
INR 24,999
NPR 44,999
55-inch
INR 35,999
NPR 62,999
Meanwhile, you can check our Xiaomi 75-inch TV review.
So, the next big software update for iPhones is here everyone, the iOS 18. In this article, I am going to tell you about the top features of iOS 18, when it coming, and all the iPhones that will be getting the latest software.
iOS 18 Overview
Now, I have to get it out of my system. With this year’s updates, I have started feeling like iOS is actually becoming more like Android. I mean, listening to some of the things that have changed. RCS messaging instead of SMS, customizable control center, home screen customization, widget customization, AI integration and so much more. And it is enough for me to get most convinced!
Personally, rather than the customization options, I am more excited to talk about all the AI features of the iOS 18, which I will get to towards the end of the video, so pls do stick till the end.
Features
A redesigned control center
Ok, first of all, the biggest change with the iOS 18 is the redesign of the control center. You will finally be able to access a wider number of options from the control center. You can also resize and change the layout of elements there. Moreover, if you want to add more controls, just long press like this and do it, or press the “+” icon on the top left. Easy!
And when you swipe up or down from the right like this, you can toggle between different tiles or pages too. You can also tap on the icon here like this or just drag your fingers with really cool animation and haptic feedback.
There is this little squeeze animation when you toggle the volume buttons too. It’s nothing major honestly, but looks cute and is a little interactive. You also get a similar animation when you take a screenshot too!
Home Screen Customizations
Then comes Home Screen customization and Apple finally lets you place an app wherever you like on your home screen. Not just that, you can customize a theme for your home screen too. Just long press on the screen like this, go to customization, and choose between the given options.
My favorite is the Tined option, that gives you sort of a monochrome vibe! So, overall, you are getting a lot more freedom than you ever had before with iOS 18.
Also, you can choose different shortcuts in the lock screen as well, in place of the usual camera and flash shortcuts. You cannot opt for any app though, there are a couple of options that Apple provides and choose between them only, for now.
Hide and Lock Apps
Next, you can finally Lock and Hide apps on your iPhone without having to turn to third-party app solutions just like on Android 15. You get the option to lock an app by setting authentication such as FaceID, Touch ID, or Passcode. You can also hide your top secret or private apps in a separate folder like this and again, it will require authentication to access those too.
And just like how it is on Android 15, these apps will not be visible in search or recent menus.
Besides that, one other privacy feature Apple has added is, giving users full control over which contacts third-party apps can access. Not all apps need all the contact information, so this way, you will be able to limit the access of your important contacts.
Some texting options
Okay next, messaging is going to be a lot more fun on iOS 18. First of all, you will be able to choose from a wide selection of emojis to react to iMessages. Previously, it was limited to a few options, but not anymore.
You also get a few text formatting options this time, like underlining certain text, or making them bold or italicized them and you can also add effects to the text to spice them up.
Satellite Messaging
Apple has also added a satellite messaging option that automatically prompts users to connect to their nearest satellite from the messaging app itself. And now, it not only supports text, but emojis too! But again, like the Emergency SOS feature, this one might not be available in all regions!
That being said, probably the most exciting is the ability to schedule messages. Again, this feature has been there on Android for a long time, just like most of Apple’s upgrades this year, but because my primary phone is an iPhone, it’s a little easier for me to schedule birthday messages for my friends and family. I always forget to wish them!!
RCS is finally coming!
And finally, finally, RCS is coming to messages with the new iOS 18. Oh, and now when you dial a number, you get related suggestions like this. You can also record your calls, and transcribe the audio to text while calling or recording an audio.
Changes on the Photo app
Moving on, the photos app is also getting a few changes here and there. You are getting a different layout first of all, with all your photo previews on the top while you can also access the library at the bottom, which is organized by theme.
Searching for specific images is also easier now, as the iOS 18 helps filter out specific types of photos easily. Screenshots for example can be filtered out like this or easier access.
Gaming mode?
Likewise, the gamers out there will be delighted to know that iPhones are getting a dedicated game mode. What it is going to do is, limit all the background activities so that you can play your games in an uninterrupted manner.
Right now, it is limited to one or two games only, but once developers optimize it for more and more apps, it is going to be a holy grail for gamers!
Eye Tracking
Apple has also introduced something called Eye Tracking which is primarily designed for people with physical disabilities. It’s similar to how Eye Tracking works on the Vision Pro, you just need to set it up from the accessibility settings and you can navigate different options by looking at them and you have to stare at a particular option to select them.
I tried it on my phone and yes, it does work, but not very well, it actually caused a lot of strain to my eyes.
Apple Intelligence
Now let’s talk about AI. And contrary to what we thought AI stands for, Artificial Intelligence, Apple has coined a totally different Full Form for it, for Apple, AI is Apple Intelligence!
But before that, you have to know that these AI features are going to be available for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max only because they come with the more advanced A17 Pro chip. These are free to use on these models though!
Genmoji
Anyway, one of my favorite AI features on iOS 18 is the ability to create your own emojis. Apple calls it Genmoji. You can generate emojis of your own choice while messaging within the messages app. For instance, I can create an emoji like a cat wearing a skirt and a hat.
What’s even more cool is that you can generate emojis that look like your friends based on the photos you have in your gallery like this. Group chats are going to get a lot more fun now!
On-device AI
And not just that, there is also an on-device text-to-image generator built into Messages on iOS 18. Here you will not even need to type a fully structured prompt, just add phrases to describe the image you want and it does the job for you.
Apple is calling it Image Playground and it will not only be dedicated to apps like messages, but Apple says they are developing a separate app for this too.
Also, Siri, my dear sister, has also gotten some AI capabilities. You can now give specific commands to Siri like open a document like Open “Windows Final Video” or show me a picture of me and my dog and she will do so! You can command Siri to flip the camera or edit a photo, anything! Siri is going to be able to understand and operate a lot of different commands with the new update!
Besides this, the bigger news is, you will now get Chat GPT built-in on iPhones based on the ChatGPT 4 model. It will be integrated with Siri where you can ask your questions and get answers. The good thing is, the data won’t be logged. And Siri will ask permission before sharing the questions or other information.
AI here, there, and everywhere
The photos app has gotten a little AI of its own too. For instance, you can prompt Siri to search through your library to find something very specific. For eg, like a photo of your cat drinking water or it could be something that happens in the middle of a video too. So, no more individually searching for photos or even videos!
Along with that, AI is going to be a big part of managing notifications as well. Apple says your iPhone will be able to sort the “most important” notifications at the top of your feed. And not just that, it will even include short summaries of other stacked notifications as you scroll down.
So, yeah, a lot of cool updates this time with the new iOS 18. And with the upcoming iPhone 16 launch in September, we can expect the new A18 Pro chipset to feature an even more powerful NPU for all the AI features. And since this is just the first beta release, we will be seeing more features and improvements too with the final release.
iOS 18 Launch and Availability
The iOS 18 officially rolled out on 16 September 2024 at 5 PM UTC, translating to 10:45 PM the same day for Nepali folks. That being said, all the iPhones launched in 2018 and later will be getting the software update. Let me list down all of them here:
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (Second Generation/2020)
iPhone 12 Mini
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 13 Mini
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone SE (Third Generation/2022)
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
You can opt to receive only the security patches on iOS 17.7 instead of iOS 18 too, which also launches on the same day. Furthermore, if you are looking forward to getting the shiny new Apple Intelligence, you will have to wait a little longer. The AI side of things will be baked into iOS 18.1, not on this version. Also, let me once again remind you that the Apple AI will only be available to iPhone 15 Pro phones and later due to hardware constraints.
Apple recently held its annual launch event and announced its new batch of products, including the new AirPods. However, that’s not all there was to the event. Apple also announced that they were updating the AirPods Pro 2 such that it could be used as an OTC hearing aid device. Now they have received the green light from the FDA for it too!
AirPods Pro 2 as OTC Hearing Aid Overview
Initial Announcement
Though Apple’s most popular audio accessory did not receive any hardware updates this year, it did get nifty software updates. These updates would effectively convert the AirPods Pro 2 into an OTC hearing Aid! Apple loves to add health-conscious features to their offerings. They’ve done it with the iPhones, the Apple Watches, and now to AirPods too!
During the launch event, Apple stated AirPods Pro 2 would get three new health features related to hearing loss. Firstly, they would add “Hearing Protection” to prevent users from loud noise exposure. The H2 chip on the earbuds will be constantly reducing the noise 48,000 times per second to achieve this. Secondly, they introduced a clinically validated Hearing Test which users could take in just five minutes. Through this test, you could learn if you have any form of hearing loss.
Lastly, Apple announced that AirPods Pro 2 would have a clinical-grade over-the-counter Hearing Aid feature. This test would help determine the specific kind of sound you will require assistance with, and then boost it accordingly. Furthermore, the audio output for all the apps across all your Apple devices would be automatically adjusted according to your hearing profile.
At the moment of the announcement, FDA and other regulators were yet to approve the Hearing Aid Feature on the AirPods Pro 2. Meaning that Apple only received the clinical grading from the private firms they were collaborating with. However, on 12 September 2024 — just days after the announcement of this feature, it received the FDA’s approval. Now, consumers could get the AirPods Pro 2 as an OTC Hearing Aid for themselves!
This is monumental, as HAF is the first-ever hearing aid software authorised by the US regulator. They evaluated this software in a clinical study with 118 subjects with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss in the US. The results showed that using AirPods 2 Pro as an OTC Hearing Aid performs similarly to actual medical equipment. Additionally, no adverse effects were observed in the subjects. FDA also says that the Apple earbuds offer comparable performance in measuring levels of amplification in the ear canal, as well as a measure of speech understanding in noise.
AirPods Pro 2 as OTC Hearing Aid Conclusion
As per Apple’s own study, a large chunk of people are oblivious to the fact that they have hearing loss. And the majority of them do not seek medical attention until it’s already too late. Hence, following the FDA approval, tests for hearing loss will be much more accessible to the general public.
Moreover, as it is a software update, people who already own the Apple earbuds will have access to this feature. And for those who don’t, they will be spending way less fortune on the AirPods Pro 2 than on the actual OTC Hearing Aid. The HAF will be available in over 100+ countries in the coming few months. Lastly, AirPods Pro 2 are only effective for people with mild to moderate hearing loss and not for individuals with severe cases — they will have to seek medical attention.
Xiaomi seemingly produces everything — from accessories to electric vehicles. Adding to their wide catalogue of products, the Chinese brand introduced a new power bank that can apparently charge your devices at a whopping speed of 165W! In this article, we will talk about the Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 165W in further detail including its expected price in Nepal.
Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 165W Overview
Design
Right off the bat, Xiaomi is on to something with this power bank. It is slim, sleek, and truly unique, even when compared with other power banks from the company. The Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 165W is slender, appears to have a matte finish, and looks premium. It has a built-in USB-C cord sparing users the hassle of carrying additional cables around and getting all tangled up. You could still choose to, but only one. This is because the only other port this power bank features is a single USB-C port.
What adds to its opulent aesthetic is the inclusion of a front display, which stands out from the usual white-scale digital displays seen on power banks. Instead, it features a full-on colour display that shows battery percentage differently when the device is on standby, charging, or powering other devices. It also provides the time taken for charging and discharging. Furthermore, it appears that the Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 165W is the first battery bank from the company to have a display!
It’s no surprise that the total capacity of this power bank is 10,000mAh, it’s literally on the name. Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 165W packs four 2,500mAh cells in 2S2P configuration and actually has a rated capacity of 5,500mAh (5V/4A). Also, this power bank is a 36Wh unit and complies with the international aviation standard. In other words, you can take it in an aeroplane without any issue.
Moving on, saying that the Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 offers 165W output is a bit misleading but technically correct. In reality, it is more like 120W + 45W of output, meaning that this power bank cannot hit a peak charging speed of 165W from a single outlet. Here, the built-in cord offers a charging speed of up to 120W while the USB-C port is capped at 45W. That being said, it still fast charges two devices simultaneously and supports fast charging of up to 90W for itself reaching 55% in just 15 minutes. With all the high-speed charging going on Xiaomi hasn’t forgotten to throw in a high-precision temperature monitor and an advanced control management chip for safety measures.
Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 165W Specifications
Design: Slender build with a matte finish
Capacity: 10,000 mAh (4x 2,500 mAh cell in 2S2P configuration), 36Wh
Features: Fast charging two devices simultaneously, Colour Display, Temperature monitor and control management chip for safety
Ports: 1x USB Type-C (Input/Output), 1x built-in USB-C cord
Colour: Light Grey
Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 165W Price in Nepal and Availability
This power bank is available for pre-order with a deposit of CNY 30. However, the actual price for it is CNY 229. There are no official words on whether or not it will be expanded to foreign markets. If it ever arrives here in Nepal, we expect the price of Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 165W to be NPR 5,199.
Xiaomi Power Bank
Price in China (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
10000 165W
CNY 229
NPR 5,199
Meanwhile, learn about renting a power bank in Nepal: 👇
