Samsung is a widespread name across the globe and its smartphones and electronics are also pretty common among the Nepalese. And as its products come with an official warranty and going to service centers can be a hassle and not time-friendly for an office goer like me. So, to address this issue, Samsung Nepal has launched a free pickup and drop service for warranty in Nepal.
Samsung Nepal Free Pickup and Drop Service for Warranty
Warranty service made easier
With this free pickup-and-drop service, Samsung users can send their phones to customer care free of cost. Yes, not only that, but Samsung representatives will also drop the phone after repair right at your address. Pretty easy right? Just that, your device should be under the warranty period.
Samsung Galaxy M35
How to use this service?
If you have a Samsung phone that is running with some issues and is under warranty, you can dial NTC’s toll-free number 16600172667, or Ncell number 9801572667.
Or else, you can also WhatsApp to this number 16600172667.
Samsung representatives will reach your address within one day of the call.
And after repair, they’ll deliver it to your doorstep.
Samsung Nepal Free Pickup and Drop Service for Warranty: Areas of Service
Right now, the Samsung Pickup and Drop service is only available in Kathmandu Valley via five service centers located at New Road, Sundhara, Jawalakhel, Bhaktapur, and New Baneshwor.
Terms and Conditions of Warranty on Samsung Phones
Firstly, if you have purchased a Samsung phone from abroad, it won’t be covered by a warranty, though repairs will still be possible. This highlights one of the benefits of buying your Samsung phone through an authorized distributor in Nepal.
Samsung provides a one-year software warranty and a six-month battery warranty for all models sold in Nepal. Additionally, they offer breakage insurance for high-end models like the Galaxy S24 series.
For claiming warranty service, make sure to present your warranty card, VAT bill, and government ID.
The Realme Watch S2 and the Realme 13 Pro series are officially launched in India. This new smartwatch succeeded the Realme Watch S, released in 2020. In this article, we will discuss everything about the latest Realme Watch S2, including its expected price in Nepal.
Realme Watch S2 Overview
Design and Build
The Realme Watch S2 features a circular dial, similar to its predecessor. It now comes with a metal case and band. Additionally, it includes two buttons on the right side for added functionality. Talking about the design, the Realme Watch S2 features a 1.43” AMOLED screen with brightness up to 600 nits.
The smartwatch holds an IP68 rating, making it both dust-proof and water-resistant. It can withstand water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, matching the durability of the Watch S. The Watch S2 is available in Black and Silver color options.
Battery Life
The Watch S2 is equipped with a 380mAh battery. This battery offers up to 20 days of usage on a single charge, an improvement over the Watch S, which provides up to 15 days. The enhanced battery life is supported by AI-powered optimization.
Fitness and Health Monitoring
The smartwatch offers various fitness and health monitoring features. It likely includes functions similar to the Watch S’s, such as heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking.
The Realme Watch S2 includes an AI voice assistant powered by ChatGPT. This feature allows users to create custom watch faces using voice commands. Furthermore, the smartwatch supports Bluetooth calling.
Realme Watch S2 Specifications
Design: Circular dial, metal case and band, two buttons on the right side
Display: 1.43 AMOLED Display, 600 nits
Battery: 380mAh, up to 20 days of usage
IP Rating: IP68 (dust-proof, water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes)
Additional Features:
AI voice assistant powered by ChatGPT
Bluetooth calling support
Color Options: Black, Silver, Gray
Fitness and Health Monitoring: Includes heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking
Realme Watch S2 Price in Nepal and Availability
Realme Watch S2 is currently priced at INR 4499 for the black and silver variants whereas INR 4999 for the Gray variant. When it arrives here, we expect the Realme Watch S2 price in Nepal to start at no less than NPR 7999 .
Realme Watch S2
Price in India (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Black and Silver
INR 4499
NPR 7999
Gray
INR 4999
NPR 8999
Meanwhile, watch our review of Oneplus Nord CE 4 Review
The Realme 12 Pro Series made some waves by bringing telephoto sensors at a midrange price. And we have the freshly launched successors here: the Realme 13 Pro and Realme 13 Pro Plus. This article will focus on the Realme 13 Pro, its specs, features, and expected price in Nepal.
Realme 13 Pro Overview
Design and Display
Realme is sticking with its design language from the 12 series. The Realme 13 Pro and Realme 13 Pro Plus feature a familiar circular camera ring with a watch-like bezel around it. But the bougie strip down the middle is gone and there’s a new ‘HyperImage+’ label at the bottom of the camera housing.
Display-wise, the Realme 13 Pro houses a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution. Other attributes include 240/2000Hz touch sampling rate, 100% P3 color gamut, and 10-bit color gamut.
Camera and AI
A major highlight of Realme’s 13 Pro series is its cameras. The main camera here is a 50MP Sony LYT-600 sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS. It is complemented by an 8MP ultrawide shooter. Yeah, there is no telephoto sensor this time! That’s a surprising downgrade from the 2x portrait shooter Realme 12 Pro Plus with its dedicated lens. You can still shoot portraits at 2x, but it’s just going to be a cropped-in picture from the primary sensor. And then, there is a 2MP macro unit.
For selfies and video calls, Realme has provided a Sony 32MP shooter with a f/2.45 aperture. In terms of videography, it can shoot up to 4K 30fps.
And some AI features
And….the company has not forgotten to mention its use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for photography, that’s for sure. From ‘AI Ultra Clarity’ to ‘AI Smart Removal’ and ‘AI Group Photo Enhancement’ to ‘AI Audio Zoom’, there’s AI everywhere in the promotional materials but how it’ll affect the actual camera experience is a tale yet to be told.
Chipset and Battery
Under the hood, we have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor running the core which is also the same as the Pro Plus version. This 5G silicon features an octa-core processor with four Cortex-A78 cores at 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores at 1.95GHz frequency. It’s a slight upgrade over the Realme 12’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. Moreover, on the graphics side, there is an Adreno 710 GPU.
Realme has paired the chip with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. Likewise, the phone bots on realme UI 5.0 built on top of Android 14.
Fueling the Realme 13 Pro is a 5200 mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. The connectivity side includes 5G, VoNR, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. Lastly, you get an optical under-screen fingerprint sensor for biometrics security.
Realme 13 Pro Specifications
Display: 6.7-inch curved AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate
Resolution: FHD+ 2412 x 1080 resolution
Processor: Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, 4nm process (Samsung)
Operating System: Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14
Cameras: 50MP Sony LYT-600 with OIS, 8MP Ultra-Wide, 2MP macro, 32MP front camera
Additional Features: NFC, USB 2.0, Optical fingerprint scanner
Battery: 5200mAh with 45W fast charging
Colors: Monet Gold, Monet Purple, Emerald Green
Realme 13 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
In India, the Realme 13 Pro’s pricing begins at INR 23,999 for the base 8/128GB. We expect the Realme 13 Pro price in Nepal to start from NPR 41,999 when it launches here.
Realme 13 Pro
Price in India (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
8/128GB
INR 26,999
NPR 47,999
8/256GB
INR 28,999
NPR 50,999
12/512GB
INR 28,999
NPR 55,999
Meanwhile, check out our video on the best smartphones under 25k INR:
Realme unveiled the Buds T110 alongside the Realme GT Neo 6 SE in its home country. Now the earbuds have made their way to the Indian market alongside its more premium version. Without delay, let’s dive into discussing the latest Realme Buds T110, including its price in Nepal, specifications, and more.
Realme Buds T110 Overview
Design
Weighing a mere 4.09 grams per earbud, the Realme Buds T110 is IPX5-rated and is available in four vibrant color options including black, white, green, and blue (set for release at a later date).
Audio
The Buds T110 is equipped with a 10mm dynamic driver and a PEEK+TPU dome-top titanium-coated composite diaphragm. Moreover, with a latency of 88ms, the latest Realme Buds are packed with features like AI call noise reduction technology which minimizes background noise during calls.
Battery Life and Charging
The Realme Buds T110 boasts a battery life of up to 7 hours on a single charge, with the charging case extending the total playback time to 38 hours. Furthermore, the inclusion of fast charging technology allows users to enjoy 20 minutes of playback with just a 10-minute charge.
Additionally, with Bluetooth 5.4 in its pocket, the Realme Buds T110 also supports binaural simultaneous transmission technology which enhances audio synchronization by enabling independent audio transmission to each earbud.
The Realme Buds T110 was launched back on 12 April 2024 in China. It has now entered to Indian market with a price tag of INR 1,499. It might eventually arrive here as well, when it does we expect the Realme Buds T110 price in Nepal to be NPR 2,999.
TWS Earbuds
Price in India (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Realme Buds T110
INR 1,499
NPR 2,999
Meanwhile, watch our review of the Infinix Note 40 Pro+
Realme has finally launched the Realme 13 Pro Plus alongside the Realme 13 Pro in India. Among the two, the Realme 13 Pro+ is the showstopper with a 3X Sony LYT 600 telephoto unit and a Sony LYT 701 main camera. In this article, we will discuss the specs, features, and expected price of the Realme 13 Pro Plus in Nepal.
Realme 13 Pro+ Overview
Design and Display
The Realme 13 Pro+ continues to carry the aesthetics of a premium watch design and a curved body. This guy is available in two shades: Monet Gold with shining glass and glossy finish, and Emerald Green with a vegan leather finish. Meanwhile, the phone also secures an SGS 5-star rating against drop damages. And for protection against dust and water, Realme has provided an IP65 rating as well.
Upfront, this smartphone features a 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz / 2000Hz touch sampling rate and 2000nits of peak brightness support. This 10-bit panel also houses an indisplay fingerprint scanner (optical) for biometrics security.
Processor
As for the performance, the Realme 13 Pro+ packs the same Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor as its predecessor, the Realme 12 Pro+. This 5G silicon is paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. Software-wise, the phone boots on Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14. Moreover, it will include NFC and USB 2.0 support and will feature a 5050mAh battery with 80W fast charging support.
AI-Powered Photography
The primary camera of the Realme 13 Pro+ phone is the Sony LYT-701 sensor. Realme claims it to be the first professional ‘AI Camera Phone’, redefining mobile photography with advanced AI features like AI group photo enhancement, AI smart removal, and AI ultra clarity. It also features a 3-layer architecture that includes capable optics, on-device AI algorithms, and cloud-based AI image editing. This phone is also certified with TÜV Rheinland High-Resolution Camera.
And the key USP here is the 3X Sony LYT 600 sensor telephoto unit. With this, Realme promises stellar portrait shots and crisp shots up to 6X, with in-sensor zoom. Technically, it can zoom up to 120X digitally. Moreover, there is an 8MP ultrawide shooter and a 32MP selfie snapper.
Cameras: 50MP Sony LYT-701 with OIS, 50MP Sony IMXLYT-600 3X Periscope, 8MP Ultra-Wide, 32MP front camera
Additional Features: NFC, USB 2.0
Battery: 5200mAh with 80W fast charging
Colors: Monet Gold and Monet Purple (glass back panel) and Emerald Green (vegan leather)
Realme 13 Pro Plus Price in Nepal and Availability
In India, the Realme 13 Pro Plus’s pricing begins at INR 29,999 for the base 8/256GB trim. We expect the Realme 13 Pro Plus price in Nepal to start from NPR NPR 52,999 when it launches here.
Realme launched the successor to its T300 earbuds and they come with some incremental updates. In this article, we will discuss the Realme Buds T310 in further detail while also guessing what its price in Nepal might be.
Realme Buds T310 Overview
Design and Audio
As I mentioned earlier, the Realme Buds T310 is a successor to the T300. As such, the overall design of these earbuds remains the same. This means they come in an in-ear fit with IP55 water resistance. You get an additional Monet Purple shade on top of the two pre-existing Black, and White colour options.
The audio driver on these things remains unchanged too. They pack the same 12.4mm dynamic bass drivers along with titanised diaphragm, N52 magnets, and HTW wire coil. The Realme Buds 310 continues to offer 360° spatial audio effect. Meanwhile, the noise cancellation on this thing has gone better at 46dB. Now, you can also toggle between three levels of noise cancellation. The number of mics employed for ENC during calls has also gone up to six from the quad-setup on the last-gen.
Similarly, the Bluetooth on the Realme Buds T310 has been updated to the latest v5.4. They come with dual device connection allowing you to connect these earbuds with two devices simultaneously. The latency of these buds has also been improved where it can drop as low as 45ms, compared to 50ms on the last gen. You can access the low latency mode along with other additional functionalities via the Realme Link app available on both smartphone platforms.
One of the most significant upgrades on these earbuds is definitely in the battery department. The buds now pack a larger 58mAh cell while the charging case comes with the same 460mAh unit. Despite the increase in battery capacity, the company continues to market a combined playtime of 40 hours. However, the individual playback of the buds has gone up by an hour, thanks to the larger cell it packs. Lastly, the Realme T310 also supports quick charge where 10 minutes of charge translates to about five hours of usage.
Realme Buds T310 Specifications
Design: In-ear with IP55 rating
Sound Driver: 12.4 mm dynamic drivers
Noise Cancellation: Hybrid ANC of up to 46dB (3 level adjustable) + ENC with six-mic setup
Connectivity: Bluetooth v5.4
Codecs: SBC, AAC
Battery: 58 mAh (Buds), 460 mAh (Case)
Playback
ANC Off: Up to 9 hours (Buds), Up to 40 hours (Combined)
ANC On: Up to 6 hours (Buds), Up to 26 hours (Combined)
Charging: via USB Type-C, 5 hours with 10 minutes charge
Features: Touch controls, 360° Spatial Audio Effect, Ultra-low latency of up to 45ms, Dual device connection
Colour Options: Agile White, Monet Purple, Vibrant Black
Realme Buds T310 Price in Nepal and Availability
These earbuds were launched in India on 30 July 2024 and cost INR 2,499 there. They might soon arrive in Nepal as well. When they do, we expect the Realme Buds T310 price in Nepal to be around NPR 4,999.
Do you happen to be a NTC user? Did you know that you can take a loan in NTC? This service from NTC is also called the “Namaste Credit” or “Sapati Service”. It is such a life-saver feature that it can be useful if you are ever stuck in tricky situations. Let’s discuss more on Namaste Credit in further detail.
How to take a loan in NTC?
There are two methods through which you can take a loan in NTC. Both methods are quite simple and you can follow either process depending on your convenience.
1. Via USSD
USSD stands for “Unstructured Supplementary Service Data” which is a standard used to request or subscribe to a service. If I am to explain it in simpler terms, USSD is anything and everything enclosed between “*” and “#”. This includes the likes of checking your balance, data, etc.
Meanwhile, you can subscribe to Namaste Credit via USSD as well. The shortcode for this is 1477. The full process for taking a loan in NTC via USSD is as follows:
Dial *1477# on your phone
Select the option 1
Done!
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That’s it! NTC will credit your account with the Sapati amount. Other than that, you can check your credit status as well as stop the service via USSD. Here’s how:
Now the next method to subscribe for Namaste Credit is via SMS. Follow these steps to take a loan in NTC through SMS:
Open your Messages app
Type “START”
Send it to 1477
Congratulations! You just received a loan from NTC. Just like with the USSD service, you can also check the status and stop the Namaste Credit service via SMS.
Type “STATUS” to check your credit status
Type “STOP” to stop the service
The rest of the process and the shortcode are the same
That’s how to take a loan in NTC. But, of course, there will be additional nuances.
Some more things on taking a loan in NTC:
What amount of credit do I get as an NTC loan?
The base amount you get as a loan in NTC is NPR 20. However, you do have an option to increase the credit limit.
How do I increase my credit limit in NTC?
NTC determines your credit limit, which is determined by your loyalty to the Telecom.
Hence, you can increase your credit limit by increasing the frequency of the NTC service you subscribe to. This includes recharging, purchasing data and voice packs, etc.
Can I take NTC loan through Nepal Telecom app?
No. There is a section for “Namaste Credit”, but it just asks you to one of the above methods.
How much charge does it cost when taking a loan in NTC?
Nil. You don’t have to pay any service charge for Namaste Credit service. You will only have to repay the used credit.
How do I pay back the NTC loan?
Just recharge your balance. NTC will automatically deduct your loan amount after you recharge.
What if I don't recharge sufficient amount after NTC loan?
If you have recharged at least 60% of your loan amount, then the NTC loan will be partially repaid.
For example: If you have an NTC loan of NPR 20 and you top-up NPR 12 then NTC willdeduct that amount and you will have NPR 8 credit left. If you recharge less than that, say NPR 10, then the loan payment will not be triggered and you can fully use the NPR 10.
What can I use NTC loan for?
You can utilise the Namaste Credit for NTC services like making calls, sending SMS, and surfing the internet. However, you cannot transfer the balance you received through an NTC loan to other users.
This is my full review of the Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507), which is finally out in the market. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, you and I can actually buy a laptop with Qualcomm’s freshly baked “Snapdragon X“ family of chips.
Qualcomm has been promising some ridiculous performance and efficiency numbers compared to Intel and AMD’s x64 — and even Apple’s Arm-based processors — and I’ve been dying to check them out ever since.
Image: Qualcomm
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But guess what?
For these Snapdragon machines to be really worth it, Windows on Arm itself needs to get a lot better. So does the whole “app compatibility” thing ‘cause otherwise, none of the benefits of these Qualcomm chips end up making any sense to you and I.
Well… I’ve been testing the new Asus Vivobook S15 with a Snapdragon X Elite processor that costs NPR 209,900, USD 1,300, or some INR 125,000 to figure that out exactly for a couple of weeks now. And boy do I have so much to talk about here! So get comfortable, grab a drink or something, as I try to summarize everything you need to know about this new kind of Windows laptop.
Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507) Review: Specifications
Dimensions, Weight: 13.88 x 8.93 x 0.58 – 0.63 inches (W x D x H), 1.42 kg
Alright. Before I get into all the nitty-gritty details, I’m sure you must be wondering why there are two variants of Windows in the first place. What’s wrong with the regular version of Windows that we’ve been using for all these years? And the answer to that question is surprisingly simple:
Microsoft wants its own “Apple silicon” moment.
‘Cause by switching to its in-house Arm chip, the performance and efficiency gains that Apple was able to achieve were just outrageous. Whereas Microsoft could never pull that off with the x64 chips from Intel and AMD.
MacBook Air M1
And one of the main reasons why Arm chips are so damn power efficient is because they use an entirely different type of CPU architecture called “RISC”. It stands for “Reduced Instruction Set Computing” and it uses a smaller set of simpler instructions for better power efficiency. Instead of how CISC — aka “Complex Instruction Set Computing” — on x64 processors target faster performance at the expense of higher power draw.
The best battery life on a Windows laptop
And yeah, the battery life on this thing is indeed fantastic. I’d even go as far as to say that the Vivobook S15 has the best battery life out of any Windows laptop I’ve ever used. No, seriously. I never got “over 18 hours” of screen time as Asus claims, but it would easily last me somewhere between 12 – 14 hours in my regular office work.
Those are actually “MacBook Air level” numbers which is something I never thought I’d see on a Windows laptop, to be honest.
And other than that super-efficient chip itself, I also like how Asus has peppered in a few more software tricks to really wow you on the battery side of things here. Like dimming the edges of this gorgeous OLED display to save power or how it can automatically turn off the keyboard backlight depending on the ambient lighting condition.
Besides excellent, excellent battery life, the Vivobook S15 had no trouble keeping up with most of my everyday chores either. I thought I was gonna come across some slight hiccups, slight stutters every so often since the one I’m using has the least powerful Snapdragon X Elite chip with no dual-core boost but… nope.
This is by far the most impressed I’ve been with a Windows laptop for lightweight, everyday work.
It seems Microsoft has put some serious effort into “Windows on Arm” and I love it. The Vivobook S15 feels perfectly snappy as I browse the web, edit some Word documents, or conjure up some designs in Photoshop.
So cool, so quiet.
It stays remarkably cool and quiet too, while the way it handles memory management is something else. There was this one time when I went to bed one day by shutting off the laptop’s lid with at least a dozen tabs running and the next morning, I was shocked to see how every single one of them was still in memory somehow.
That’s just… incredible.
The Vivobook S15 is also a “Copilot+ PC” by the way, which is a fancy of saying that it has a separate compute unit called an “NPU” to handle some AI workloads without ever connecting to the internet.
I’ve made a separate video discussing everything you need to know about on-device AI if you wanna check that out. And what I like is how Microsoft has given me even more reasons to care about that NPU on this Snapdragon machine.
With some useful features like
“Live Captions” that generates a real-time English caption of a foreign language content I’m watching. Or listening.
A whole bunch of studio effects to customize how I look during video calls…
… alongside some gimmicky features like “Cocreator” for those AI-generated images that I’m probably never gonna use. I was a little excited — and a lot skeptical — to check out the “Recall” feature that lets me comb through literally everything I’ve seen or done on my laptop to find something as well. But as expected, that turned out to be a massive privacy nightmare and Microsoft has rightly disabled it for now. Oh well.
Is Windows on Arm actually that good?
Let’s move on.
Now, I’ve been praising how the Vivobook S15 is great at fairly lightweight tasks so far but that’s seriously underselling it. ‘Cause this Snapdragon X Elite chip actually gives a tough fight to the competition if you look at all these benchmark numbers. Especially in terms of the CPU. Although Qualcomm’s Adreno GPU is pretty much no match to the integrated graphics you’d find on a MacBook Air or an Intel/AMD powered laptop.
Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507) - Benchmarks
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Cinebench 2024
Geekbench 6
So… that’s it? Does that mean the Vivobook S15 — or any other Arm-based Windows laptop for that matter — is perfectly daily driveable?
Not really. That’s frustrating to hear, I know, but benchmarks can never tell you the full story about a system’s performance. It can definitely give insights into how one system’s raw performance compares to another, or how the performance of a device has evolved over time, but nothing about things like app compatibility.
Which is unfortunately still a big question mark for Windows on Arm. There are a ton of native Arm apps in 2024, yes. Including most of the popular web browsers, media players, and productivity apps. And Microsoft’s “Prism” emulation engine (like Apple’s Rosetta) does a pretty decent job at making x64-compiled apps work well on this guy.
Apps, apps, apps.
But what you must know is that there are still a lot of apps that have a significant performance penalty when emulated or are straight-up unavailable for Windows on Arm right now. Like “Discord” for example, that stutters every time I try to switch between servers, or how Blender doesn’t recognize Snapdragon X Elite’s GPU at all.
Whereas Android developers will be sad to know that “Android Studio” isn’t compatible with Arm-based Windows machines as of now. Adobe’s Premiere Pro and After Effects are a no-show too, although Adobe has confirmed that it’s bringing those apps to Arm devices pretty soon. At least Davinci Resolve and Handbrake have a native Arm build already, so you’re not totally lost without any pro video editing tools on these laptops.
And gaming?
That reminds me, gaming is a big hit-or-miss on the Snapdragon machines as well. I doubt any of you are looking to buy one of these for gaming but I tested a bunch of games on the Vivobook S15 anyway.
Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507) - Gaming
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Among Us
Rocket League
Borderlands 3
Control
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Cyberpunk 2077
And some light games like Rocket League, Among Us — and even a few resource-heavy ones like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Borderlands 3, and Cyberpunk 2077 — played without a hiccup. Definitely don’t expect big fps numbers on those GPU-intensive titles, but you get the point.
Having said that, I noticed some kind of performance issue in everything else I tried. CS2 keeps crashing every now and then, Control only loads after I run its DX12 launcher from the game’s installation folder, while one of my favorite first-person shooters — Valorant — isn’t playable at all here.
O…kay.
So with everything I’ve talked about so far, it’s pretty clear that the Vivobook S15 with its Snapdragon X Elite chip is equal part impressive and equal part frustrating. On one hand, it delivers the best battery life out of any Windows laptop out there while also staying whisper quiet and cool as a cucumber on most occasions. But on the other hand, that whole app compatibility mess I just discussed can be an absolute nightmare to deal with really.
Design and Build
13.88 x 8.93 x 0.58 – 0.63 inches (W x D x H)
1.42 kg, All-metal build
How’s the rest of the laptop then?
I’m glad you asked because — for the most part — Asus has pretty much nailed it with the Vivobook S15. It’s got a premium all-metal design with subtle visual aesthetics, which is all I’m looking for on a thin and light laptop, honestly. And that premium metallic construction means the Vivobook S15 is also perfectly sturdy wherever it counts.
I bet you’re not gonna have any trouble carrying it around either since this thing weighs just 1.42 kg. That’s actually lighter than Apple’s 15” MacBook Air… nice.
And of course, you also get all the ports you’d expect from a laptop of this size. Including one HDMI 2.1 and a couple of high-speed USB4 connections. I do wish its USB-A ports were USB 3.2 Gen 2 instead of the slower Gen 1 standard but I don’t think that’s gonna be a dealbreaker to anyone.
Display
15.6″ glossy 3K OLED display
120Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut
600 nits brightness (HDR)
Moving on, the Vivobook S15’s display is as majestic as they come if you ask me.
You’re looking at a big 15.6” OLED panel with a sharp 3K resolution, a smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, a fast 0.2 ms response time, around 400 nits of brightness for perfect indoor visibility, and a perfect 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. It also has all sorts of display certifications to protect your eyes and all sorts of software tricks to prevent OLED burn-in… I mean… the more I talk about it, the more impressive it gets.
Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507) - Display
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Color gamut
Brightness
Gamma
The only thing that’s been kinda bugging me is how Asus decided to go with a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio here. I actually can’t remember the last time I had to complain about a laptop not using a taller 16 by 10 display but… here I am.
Complaining about a laptop for not using a taller 16 by 10 display.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Full-size backlit chiclet keyboard (single zone RGB backlight)
Glass trackpad
Other than this, the Vivobook S15’s keyboard is equally awesome with a touch of blemish keeping it from earning that A+ award. It has the same soft, silent chiclet keys with a reassuring 1.7 mm travel distance that I’ve used and loved typing on on so many other Asus laptops. There’s also a numpad and customizable RGB lighting onboard, although the actual backlight itself is pretty inconsistent and terrible.
But I must admit, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the Vivobook S15’s smooth touchpad. Everything from multi-finger gestures to palm rejection works as well as I’d expect, whereas it even supports a few really intuitive gestures to adjust volume and brightness levels. Perfect!
And finally, its stereo speakers get the job done just fine too. The Vivobook S15 definitely isn’t the best-sounding 15” laptop I’ve ever used — in fact, it’s not even the best-sounding 15” Windows laptop I’ve ever used — but that didn’t keep me from enjoying listening to music or watching my favorite shows on this laptop.
Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507) Review: Conclusion
So that was all for my review of the new Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507) with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processor. It’s an entirely different breed of thin and light Windows laptops… a true competitor to Apple’s marvelous MacBook Air… that you and I have been waiting for all these years. And looking purely through the battery life and power efficiency lens, I must say this thing delivers on its promise almost flawlessly.
I don’t think I mentioned this before but these Snapdragon machines don’t lose much of their performance when running in battery power either. Which has been one of my biggest icks with basically every Intel or AMD-powered laptop so far, to be honest.
So… have Qualcomm and Microsoft finally, finally managed to offer a Windows experience that’s on par with Apple’s magnificent MacBook Air?
Well… not at the moment because while the hardware side of things on the Vivobook S15 is rock solid, that “app compatibility” issue I talked about holds back so much of its potential. Obviously things will only get better from here on out but I believe it’s gonna take Microsoft a lot more time than it took Apple to make its Arm-based operating system easily recommendable. Easy daily driveable.
Microsoft v Apple
Because you see, when Apple completely ditched Intel for its own Arm-based chips, developers had no other option but to come up with a native Arm version of their app for macOS. Whereas in the Windows world, x64 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
And Windows on Arm simply doesn’t have enough market share to convince most developers to maintain both x64 and Arm versions of their software.
Which means both Microsoft and developers are in this… weird limbo with the future of Windows on Arm. Like a perfect chicken and egg problem. The platform doesn’t get more popular among end users like you and I without better developer support, and the developers can’t maintain app support without the platform getting more popular.
So the only conclusion I can come to at this moment is that if you can somehow be absolutely sure that every software or game that you want to run works fine on this “Arm”ed device, and you really, really want those battery life benefits, then go for it. The Asus Vivobook S15 is among the best Windows on Arm laptops out there.
But if you’re unsure about the whole thing and can live with relatively worse battery backup on x64-based machines, then Windows on Arm isn’t ready for you. Not yet.
Our video review of Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507) is coming up pretty soon
Asus Vivobook S15 (S5507) Review: Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
• The best battery life on a Windows laptop
• App compatibility on “Windows on Arm” is still a big concern
• Feels fluid for general everyday use
• “Recall” not available at launch
• Excellent build quality
• 16:9 display
• Gorgeous 120Hz OLED display
• The keyboard’s backlight could’ve been more consistent
Harman Kardon has some iconic products in their catalogue which includes the SoundSticks series. Harman Kardon partnered with Apple to design and engineer this product when it was first introduced back in 2000. Now the fourth iteration of the product has made its way into our country. Let’s discuss the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 in further detail including its price in Nepal.
Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 Overview
Design
Right off the bat, it’s an eye-catcher! The speaker system looks premium and the design is truly unique. The whole system weighs under five kilos and comes with power cables and some paperwork in the box. It is available in two colour options: Black, and White. Regardless of the colour you choose, the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 comes in a transparent finish and LED lighting.
It is a 2.1-channel sound system, meaning it includes two satellite speakers and a subwoofer. The satellite speakers are vertically standing with four drivers on each side. Meanwhile, the subwoofer is cylindrical shaped and looks somewhat like a humidifier. All in all, the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 has a clean aesthetic despite having a transparent exterior. It is probably an inspiration for something like the Remax RB-M22, given their similar design approach.
Moving on to the audio, as I mentioned earlier the Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 is a 2.1-channel sound system. Each one of the stereo satellite speakers is equipped with four 1.4-inch full-range transducers. This brings the total number of transducers to eight. On the other hand, the subwoofer packs a large 5.25-inch down-firing driver. Altogether, the speaker system offers an output of 140W RMS. Additionally, you also get a frequency response of 40Hz–20kHz and a signal-to-noise ratio of 80dB.
The speaker comes with Bluetooth v4.2 for wireless connectivity with your smartphone and other devices. This also helps you give a clean wire-free look to your home. Though the Harmon Kardon SoundSticks 4 can be wirelessly connected to your device, it does not operate on battery. This means it needs to be plugged into the electricity line to use it. You have to plug the subwoofer into the electricity, then connect the satellite speakers to the subwoofer with the cords, and finally connect the whole system to your device through Bluetooth. It also has an AUX and Micro USB ports for additional wired connections.
Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 Specifications
Design: Transparent design with two satellite speakers and one subwoofer
Dimensions:
Subwoofer: 231 mm x 276 mm x 231 mm
Satellite Speakers: 271 mm x 84 mm x 84 mm (each)
Weight: 4.432 Kg (Combined)
Driver Size:
Transducers: 1.4-inch full range (x8)
Subwoofer: 5.25-inch down firing
Speaker Output: 140W RMS
Frequency Response: 40Hz–20kHz
Signal-to-noise Ratio (SNR): 80dB
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.2, AUX, Micro USB
Colour Options: Black, White
Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 Price in Nepal and Availability
The official price of Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 in Nepal is NPR 46,000. You can purchase the speaker system from the Oliz Store online as well as through their physical store in various locations.
Huawei has launched three clamshell folding phones so far, all of which have been under the Pocket series. Now the company is gearing up to launch a new flip phone — this time as a member of the Nova series. Let’s discuss everything we know about the Huawei Nova Flip further in this article.
Huawei Nova Flip Overview
Morse Code Unveiling
Huawei took to Weibo to announce its latest flip phone through a video, complete with a morse code. We also got the first look at the phone in there. The model closes the phone at varying speeds through the video revealing the code. The code goes: ••-• •-•• •• •–•
I am no expert, but a quick tour of “How to learn Morse code” on WikiHow reveals that the code reads — drum roll please — Flip! Yes, it’ll be called Huawei Nova Flip. All that ordeal just to reveal the most generic name for a flip phone! Every other company has their flip phones named Flip — Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, Xiaomi Mix Flip, Honor Magic V Flip, Nubia Flip 5G, and so on. You get the point! But, hey, I guess it’s a first for Huawei. Given all their flip phones so far, have been called “Pocket”!
We do not know much about the phone right now as the teaser barely revealed anything. We do have a decent enough look at the phone though. The Huawei Nova Flip will be available in a green colour option at the very least. The frames on the thing appear to be metallic with a similar tone to the rest of the body. Similarly, the hinge will also carry over the colour while branding the company logo.
The most definite change on this phone is its outer screen. Huawei has gone with a squircle display which sits right beside the cameras. This is a step away from Huawei’s “outer display will be circular and barely useable and we will place it under the camera setup” approach they’ve taken so far. However, throughout the whole video, the outer display shows the time only and nothing else. Which brings us to…
Huawei Nova Flip Launch and Availability
There is a recurring number we can see in the whole video i.e. 08-08! As I mentioned earlier, the outer screen only displays the time which is 08:08! A text is sent in the starting seconds of the video and it was sent on, you guessed it — 08:08!
Seeing the fixation of the company on the number, it seems apparent that it’s a hint for the launch date. This means the Huawei Nova Flip will likely launch on 8 August 2024!
Meanwhile, check out our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6 review video:
