In the past few months, Vivo has been busy expanding its Vivo V30 series, be it the V30 Pro or the V30 lite, but the company has secretly launched a new phone, V40 SE in Europe. In this article, we will discuss furthermore about the latest Vivo V40 SE, including its price in Nepal, specifications, and more.
Vivo V40 SE Overview
Display and Design
The V40 SE boasts an IP54 Ingress Protection Rating and features plastic frames, with options for plastic or silicone polymer (eco-leather) on the back. Weighing 185.5 grams and measuring 7.8 mm thick, this phone comes in Crystal Black and Leather Purple colors.
The V40 SE features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with vibrant colors and a high refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The smartphone also has a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and reaches a peak brightness of 1800 nits.
Performance
Under the hood, the Vivo V40 SE is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor, which is accompanied by 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage option. In addition, the Vivo V40 SE boots on Android 14 with Funtouch 14 skin on top.
Camera and Battery
The V40 SE is equipped with a front-facing 16 MP camera and a rear triple-camera setup, including a 50 MP main camera, an 8 MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2 MP macro lens. V40 SE houses a 5000 mAh battery and gets its juice from a 44W fast charging support.
The Vivo V40 SE is now available in the European market starting at Euro 279.90. When it arrives in Nepal, we expect the Vivo V40 SE to cost somewhere in the 32K-35K ish range.
Itel, a Chinese phone manufacturer company has unveiled its latest smartphone — “A70” in Nepal. In this article, we will discuss the latest budget smartphone — Itel A70 in detail, including its specifications, features, availability, price in Nepal, and so on. Let’s proceed, shall we?
Itel A70 Overview:
Design and Display
In terms of design, the Itel A70 has taken the orthodox route with chunky camera cutouts on the back. The phone features text reading “AI” and “Matrix Camera” written on the camera island. It also has another text reading “Awesome Designed by Itel” on its lower half. It is available in four different colours: Brilliant Gold, Starlish Black, Field Green, and Azure Blue.
On the front, we are greeted with a 6.6” HD+ screen with a resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels. It has a waterdrop camera cutout and is capable of 500 nits of peak brightness. Furthermore, it has a touch sampling rate of 120Hz. The company has remained silent about the type of display, and refresh rate. However, we assume it to be an IPS LCD panel, and 60Hz respectively.
Performance
Under the hood, we are getting a Unisoc T603 octa-core processor. It is coupled with three sets of memory and storage configurations. The base model comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. Similarly, the remaining two configurations are 4GB + 128GB, and 4GB + 256GB which are not available in Nepal as of now. Furthermore, the Itel A70 offers an additional 2 TB support via a dedicated MicroSD card slot. It comes with Android 13 (Go edition) with Itel OS 13 on top.
The Itel A70 comes with three cameras altogether. It has three camera cutouts on the back, however, one of them is reserved as the flashlight. We are getting a dual camera setup with a 13MP sensor as the primary camera coupled with an auxiliary unit. Meanwhile, on the front, we have an 8MP camera for selfies. Itel has slapped AI on both the rear and front cameras for various reasons.
Powering the entire system is a 5,000 mAh cell with the “Power Marathon” feature. Similarly, in terms of charging, it can be juiced up by a USB Type-C cable. Moving on, we are getting dual-SIM support with 4G connectivity. The Itel A70 also has biometrics support and a dedicated side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Lastly, it features a 3.5mm headphone jack and has a gimmicky “Dynamic Bar” feature.
Itel A70 Specifications:
Design: Rounded rectangle, All plastic, Flat design
OS & UI: Android 13 (Go edition) with Itel OS 13 on top
Rear Camera: Dual Camera (13 MP Primary + Auxillary Unit)
Front Camera: 8 MP Camera (Centre-aligned waterdrop cutout)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Recognition
Connectivity: Dual SIM, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5 mm Headphone Jack
Battery: 5,000 mAh, charging via USB Type-C
Colour Options: Brilliant Gold, Starlish Black, Field Green, and Azure Blue
Itel A70 Price in Nepal and Availability
The official Itel A70 price in Nepal is around NPR 11,490 for the 4/64GB trim. You can purchase the phone from Hukut and other authorized channels in Nepal.
DJI launched RS 4 and RS 4 Pro gimbals as well as Avata 2 just recently. The latter has already arrived in Nepal too. In the meantime, the company has also introduced its first independent Automated Manual Focus (AMF) lens control system. In this article, we will discuss the DJI Focus Pro in greater detail including its expected price in Nepal.
DJI Focus Pro Overview
Design
The DJI Focus Pro comprises four independent parts: LiDar, Grip, Hand Unit, and Motor. Let’s touch briefly on all these individual parts.
LiDar
This is the company’s first introduction of a LiDar focus system as an independent product. The ToF sensor of this system has a sensing range of up to 20 metres along with 76,800 ranging points. Meanwhile, the image sensor boasts a resolution of 1,920 x 1,440 and a focal length equivalent to 30 mm. Both the ToF as well as image sensor come with a 30Hz refresh rate.
Grip
Next up is the grip, or as the company dubs it, Magnetic Damping Grip. It comes with a 1.8-inch full-colour touchscreen and weighs just under half a kilo. This grip can be used to control focus or zoom. Additionally, it relies on the BHX711-3000-7.2V battery for power which offers about 2.5 hours of usage while also supporting 18W PD fast charging.
Hand Unit
The third part of the DJI Focus Pro is the Magnetic Damping FIZ Hand Unit. This unit has a 1.09-inch full-colour touchscreen and an operational range of 160 metres. In addition to that, it features real-time damping adjustment with no extra steps. The DJI Focus Pro Hand Unit also comes with an A-B point marking mode that supports spring-back tactile feedback for endpoints.
Motor
FIZ Motor offers more precise controls while also being compatible with 15mm rods. It can be linked with the DJI Focus Pro Hand Unit with one simple press of a button. Thereafter you get a low latency of 10ms, three-level adjustable torque, and adjustable rotation direction.
The DJI Focus Pro comes with a handful of features, the primary of which is the AMF mode. In this mode, the front dial on the Grip and the focus knob on the Hand Unit rotate simultaneously as the autofocus is operating. This allows the user to observe the focus status and manually intervene when needed.
Other than that, the DJI Focus Pro offers features like millisecond-level mode switching, focus assistance with a bird’s eye view, flexible combinations, intelligent focusing, Bluetooth connectivity, more functionality through the DJI Ronin app, and so on.
DJI Focus Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
The latest DJI lens control system is available for order worldwide through the company’s authorised mediums. The price for the system starts at USD 999 and goes up to USD 1,849. If it ever makes its way here, we expect the DJI Focus Pro price in Nepal to start at NPR 160,499.
DJI Focus Pro
Price in USA (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Creator Combo
USD 999
NPR 160,499
All-in-one Combo
USD 1,849
NPR 296,999
Meanwhile, check out our Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3 comparison video:
In the digital era, our devices are more than just machines; they’re the custodians of our digital lives. From precious memories to critical documents, they hold data that are integral to our lives. But what happens when this data is at risk? As we recently passed World Backup Day on March 31st, it’s a suitable time to talk about data backup, its importance, and why you should be backing your information!
Data Backup Overview:
Frequency of Backups
According to a survey conducted by ExpressVPN, a significant 22% of respondents across the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France confessed to never backing up their data. This leaves their digital assets at risk. Despite expert recommendations to back up data at least weekly, only 37% of respondents adhere to this practice. A worrying 19% back up their data monthly, while 15% wait two months between backups.
Why Backing Up regularly is important?
The repercussions of neglecting data backups can be severe. As many as 38% of respondents admitted losing important data due to lacking backups. This has emotional implications and can lead to substantial financial losses.
Via FreePik
Data Backup Habits Across Nations
The survey revealed interesting differences in backup habits across countries. France emerged as the most diligent, with 42% performing weekly backups and only 17% never backing up their data. Germany was a close second, with 38% adhering to weekly backups. However, the U.K. lagged behind, with 29% of respondents never backing up their digital assets.
Barriers to Backing
Despite the clear benefits of regular backups, several factors hinder their adoption. A lack of knowledge was a primary barrier, with 9% unsure of how to back up their data. Another 6% recognized the importance but hadn’t formed a consistent habit, while 5% found the process too complex. Cost concerns and distrust of cloud providers also deterred some users from online backup solutions.
What Data Do People Back Up?
When it comes to what data people back up, photos and videos take precedence, with 89% of respondents prioritizing these files. Important documents followed at 66%, while sensitive financial data was backed up by 47% of participants.
Via FreePik
Preferred Methods of Backup
Cloud services emerged as the preferred backup method, adopted by 59% of respondents. External hard drives were used by 34% of respondents, catering to those who prefer physical storage solutions. Among cloud providers, Google Drive was the most popular, likely due to its seamless integration with other services.
Security Concerns with Backups
However, the convenience of cloud backups is often overshadowed by security and privacy concerns. A significant 77% of respondents expressed unease regarding the safety of their backed-up data, citing fears of data loss/corruption (45%), unauthorized access (35%), and cloud provider snooping (15%).
To address these concerns and ensure the protection of digital assets, experts recommend a multi-layered approach. This includes encrypting data before transfer, enabling multi-factor authentication for cloud storage accounts, and considering hybrid physical/cloud solutions for highly sensitive information.
Data Backup and Its Importance: Conclusion
Backing up data is not just a task—it’s a habit that needs to be cultivated. It’s about safeguarding our digital lives and ensuring we don’t lose our valuable data. So, as we just crossed World Backup Day, let’s pledge to make data backup a part of our routine.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Realme P1 here:
With every smartphone going in big with its flagship offerings, Motorola has also thrown the hat in the ring. It’s the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC and a curved 144Hz P-OLED panel. Interestingly, Moto has brought back the wooden back panel on this guy. In this article, we’ll walk through the specs, features, and expected price of the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra in Nepal.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Overview:
Camera
Let’s address the optics side first. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra rocks a triple camera setup. It is headlined by a 50MP primary sensor (OIS) with Laser Autofocus and f/1.6 aperture. Likewise, you get a 64MP 72mm periscope telephoto shooter with OIS and 3X optical zooming capability. Last but not least is a 50MP ultrawide unit with Autofocus.
In terms of videography, this Ultra can do up to 4K 60fps videos with 10-bit colors and gyro-EIS stabilization. You can’t shoot 8K videos here but the 50MP selfie snapper is also capable of shooting up to 4K 60fps videos. However, Moto has also slapped some AI features on this phone including Google’s Magic Editor in Photos, but do note only the first 10 edits are free. Yeah, you need a Google One subscription to do more.
Meanwhile, read all the prices and specs of Motorola products here
Design and Display
The design side of things also gets pretty interesting with this guy. First up, the Nordic Wood variant of this phone uses real wood. Giving us the reminisce of the Moto X, the 2013 iconic Bamboo back phone. If that doesn’t excite you enough, you can also opt for a vegan leather back Forest Grey option and a Peach Fuzz shade too. In terms of ingress protection, this phone bags an IP68 rating against dust and water drips.
Talking of the display, the Edge 50 Ultra sports a 6.7-inch P-OLED panel with a 144HZ refresh rate, HDR 10+ certification, and 2500nits of peak brightness. This curved screen gets Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection and Pantone validation. ‘
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Under the hood, this smartphone packs a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, which is a toned-down version of the 8 Gen 3. This 4nm fabbed chip doesn’t sacrifice much in terms of performance as compared to the latter while offering a similar yield to the last-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. You get one prime Cortex-X4 core clocked at 3.0GHz, four Cortex-A720 cores at 2.8GHz and there Cortex-A520 cores running at 2.0GHz here.
Motorola has paired the chip with up to 16 gigs of RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. Meanwhile, the Edge 50 Ultra boots on Android 14 out of the box.
Fueling the phone is a 4,500mAh battery with 125W wired TurboPower fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and 5W reverse charging support. As for connectivity, you get 5G, WiFi7, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, NFC, UWB, and a USB Type-C port. Moreover, the phone uses an indisplay fingerprint scanner for biometrics security.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Specifications
Display: 6.7″ FHD+ pOLED panel, 144Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3, 10-bit color depth, HDR10+, DC Dimming, Pantone Validation
Color options: Forest Grey, Peach Fuzz, Nordic Wood
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Price in Nepal and Availability
The Edge 50 Ultra will bear a price tag of EUR 999 for the base 12/512GB trim. If it ever makes its way here, we expect the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra price in Nepal to begin from NPR 149,999.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra
Price in Europe (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
12/512GB
EUR 999
NPR 149,999
Meanwhile, you can check out our Moto Edge 40 Neo review.
Popular Finnish company HMD is preparing to launch its own-branded smartphones in India and across the globe. The budget-friendly devices, dubbed HMD Pulse and Pulse Pro, are generating buzz ahead of their release. In this article, let’s dive into the rumors, leaks renders, and more surrounding the upcoming HMD Pulse Series.
HMD Pulse Series Rumors Roundup
Design and Display
Design-wise, the Pulse Pro will boast a sleek flat display with minimal bezels and a discreet punch-hole housing the front camera. It would come with a textured finish on the rear panel, while the rectangular camera module might feature two circular sensors and an LED flash. Moreover, the phone is rumored to weigh around 196 grams and may come with an IP52 rating for dust and water resistance. Additionally, it is also expected to feature a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The Pulse Pro will feature a 6.56-inch IPS display with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1480×720 pixels. Meanwhile, the HMD Pulse will offer a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS display with a hole-punch design. Renders reveal a simple yet elegant design, characterized by flat edges and a plain back panel adorned with the iconic HMD branding.
Camera
Optics-wise, the Pulse Pro will sport a dual rear camera setup comprising a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor, along with a powerful 50MP front-facing camera for capturing selfies. While speculations suggest that the Pulse will sport a 13MP primary rear camera.
Performance
Under the hood, the HMD Pulse is expected to be powered by an octa-core chipset, the exact processor details are yet to be confirmed. However, it is rumored that the Pulse Pro will be powered by a Unisoc T606 processor paired with at least 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Additionally, both device is expected to house a 5000 mAh battery.
The HMD Pulse is expected to come in three vibrant color options: Blue, Black, and Pink, and may feature AI camera enhancement as well. While the launch date is around the corner, we do not have the information on what the exact date would be. Till the, stay tuned.
Just a while ago, I came up with the Vivo V30 5G review, which was quite on the positive side. After all, the phone was quite good for the price tag of 60,999 rupees, thanks to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and dual 50MP camera setup. And today, I’m here with the Vivo V30 Lite 4G review. As the name implies, this phone’s specs get toned down to a Snapdragon 685 4G SoC and a generic 50MP + 2MP depth camera duo.
And it retails at 33,999 rupees for the sole 8/256GB trim. So, does it justify the price tag like its big brother the V30 5G? Let’s find that in my Vivo V30 Lite 4G review. Before heading in, let’s have a look at the specs of this guy.
It’s a Vivo phone and there is no way, the company would slide a good-looking design away. The V30 Lite 4G flaunts a clean look with a protruding camera lens with a gold accent on the rear side. Sadly, this Crystal Black color I have doesn’t boast a color changing back unlike the Crystal Green shade. I bet the latter one would look cool.
Back
Front
But I must remind you guys, the build is plastic here for the rear and middle frame sides. But it doesn’t look cheap, and that should count.
Display
6.67-inches AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate
2400 x 1080 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio
Asahi Glass AGC DT-Star 2 Plus
Talking of the display, the V30 Lite 4G flaunts a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. And I found it to be just good for the price. Yes, you get those deeper blacks and high contrast here, which make it ideal for content watching. Vivo has also provided a stereo speaker setup here, which is just very average. Sharp output with not much bass in it.
Besides that, there is not much to talk about it. It’s a typical 120Hz AMOLED panel which has become very very common these days. You get three refresh rate options here: 60Hz, 60/120Hz and 120Hz.
I would suggest you go for the middle one, as it dynamically adjusts the motion rate to 60Hz and 120Hz depending on the content on the screen. Thankfully, it doesn’t lock the refresh rate at 90Hz even while setting it at 120Hz, which was the case on the V30 5G.
Performance is kinda meh!
Under the hood, the phone is powered by a basic Snapdragon 685 chipset. This 4G silicon is not new and we have already seen the SoC powering Redmi Note 12 4G, Note 13 4G, and so on. It is power efficient thanks to the 6nm fabrication process but the performance side of things is just very basic.
I think Vivo should have gone for the Helio G99 chipset instead, if not for the Dimensity 6100+, given the latter one is a 5G chip and wouldn’t fit the V30 Lite ‘4G’ moniker tag. It’s a 34,000 rupees phone and the SD 685 just doesn’t make a lot of sense here. I know, it’s a midrange phone and I shouldn’t go too harsh for it. But I can’t help it due to the boring FunTouch OS as well.
The UI is not that appealing and minor lags are noticeable while app opening and app switching. Maybe the future updates shall improve things but, I’m still not the fan of FunTouch OS and Snapdragon 685 combo on this guy.
And I did try some games here. The popular BR title, PUBG mobile is capped at 30fps only, which is meh! At least a 40fps support would have been welcoming. But you do get a proper gyroscope experience here. On the other hand, Call of Duty Mobile runs at a median of 58fps. After all, this game is known to be quite optimized even for budget devices.
Besides that, you can latch on to simple games like Subway Surfers, Temple Run, and such for a casual gaming experience. So, performance-wise, the V30 Lite 4G is just average for the price. The Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G with Helio G99 and the Galaxy A15 with Dimensity 6100+ can provide better performance than the Snapdragon 685 used here.
Optics
Dual-camera setup at the back
50MP main, 2MP depth, Flicker sensor
8MP selfie camera
Daylight
Okay so, I compared the Vivo V30 Lite 4G’s camera to the Samsung Galaxy A15, and here’s what I have found. The V30 Lite tends to go for a close-to-natural look while Samsung gives you vibrant colors. And for someone who is a fan of punchy colors, A15’s outputs would be more appealing to you. But one thing I have to give to the V30 Lite for its closeup shots, which look nice!
Daylight
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Vivo
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Vivo
Portraits
Looking at the portrait shots from both phones, I’m forced to lean on Samsung’s side once again. No, it’s not perfect by any means, but the V30 Lite’s color science and skin tone are less favorable here.
Portraits
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Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Samsung
Samsung
Vivo
Vivo
Samsung
Selfies
Getting to the selfies, Vivo finally makes a comeback. There is some beautification going on with a slightly pinking output. But, it looks better than Galaxy A15’s oversharpened outputs.
Selfies
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Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Lowlight
When the sun goes down, the V30 Lite’s night mode can take better-looking images than the Galaxy A15. You can notice the color tones and white balance differences on both devices. However, the main concern is that Samsung mostly produces noisy images here.
Lowlight
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Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Vivo
Samsung
Videos
And finally the videos. It can shoot up to 1080p 60fps videos. But, Vivo sadly disappoints here with muted colors and average video quality. Samsung’s color science and stabilization are way better!
Battery Life and Charging
As with every other phone in the segment, the V30 Lite gets a 5,000mAh battery which provides you a day full of battery life with ease. But I would suggest you to go for the dynamic refresh rate settings for that. Cause’ the 120Hz-only mode can drain the batter slightly quicker. Apart from that, the 80W inbox charger is a superb addition here, the highest in this price range. It can charge this phone from 0-100% in 50 minutes.
Also, Vivo claims an impressive 80% battery health even after using it for 4 years (1600 charge cycles). Well, testing it would literally take four darn years, so I’ll just let this one slide!
Vivo V30 Lite 4G Review: Conclusion
Okay, moving to the conclusion, I really feel the Vivo V30 Lite to be in a confusing position. Its elder brother, the V30 5G was just priced right at the sweet spot with both impressive cameras and performance. But sadly, I couldn’t say the same about this guy!
I think the price tag is a bit on the expensive side. Because the performance here is just average, and so is the main camera for both stills and videos. (The selfie camera is fine though!) To be more precise, the Snapdragon 685 can cater well to normal users, but not to those seeking some performance and power. If only, Vivo had used a better chip as I’ve aforementioned, the Helio G99. Plus a more optimized main camera! That way the phone could have brought more of an appeal.
But one thing with Vivo phones, you are not left behind when it comes to a good-looking design and good display. Which is the same case over here! The 80W inbox charger is also the fastest in the segment, which is really nice.
And Vivo is also providing a Free Clipbuds TWS for a limited time. Which is a bone conduction earbud. But instead of that, Vivo could have priced it under 30K, I think. All in all, the V30 Lite 4G is not a bad offering at all, but good pricing is the key to staying relevant in the competition, isn’t it?
OnePlus and Oppo are teaming up with Google to bring some exciting new changes to their smartphones. They’re planning to add Google’s advanced AI technology called Gemini to make their phones smarter and more helpful. This big move could make OnePlus and Oppo lead the way in AI-powered mobile technology. Let’s find out more about their plan.
OPPO OnePlus to use Gemini Ultra AI
Cool New AI Features Coming Soon
At the recent Google Cloud Next ’24 event, it was announced that OnePlus and Oppo phones will soon be equipped with a range of new AI capabilities. Among these are news summarization, audio content sorting, and an innovative AI toolbox designed to enhance user productivity and creativity. Nicole Zhang, General Manager of AI Products for both brands, emphasized the revolutionary impact of generative AI, stating that it positions OnePlus and Oppo to bring cutting-edge AI benefits to users globally.
What to Look Out For
Soon, OnePlus and Oppo phone users can expect over 100 new features that use AI to create content (AIGC experiences). One of these is an “AI Eraser” that lets you easily remove unwanted things from your photos and fix the background. This feature is already available in devices like the Oppo Reno 11 series and the OnePlus 12 lineup.
How Gemini AI Will Make Phones Better
The AI will work with Google’s cloud technology to manage tough tasks and give you smart, relevant answers to your queries. Whether it’s making your photos look better or helping you find information faster, Gemini AI is set to make using your phone a lot easier.
Oppo & OnePlus with Gemini Ultra: What’s Next?
The details of how all these new features will be added to the phones are still being worked out. The tech community is excited to see how these advancements will change the way we use our phones every day.
With this partnership, OnePlus and Oppo aren’t just keeping up with the latest tech trends—they’re at the forefront, ready to deliver a smarter and more intuitive mobile experience as technology continues to advance.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the OnePlus 12R.
I have been reviewing phones in the 20-30,000 brakcet for a bit now. And, dare I say the newly introduced X7b from Honor is definitely that ‘handsome’ friend in the group. Though the front is nothing special — relative to its elder brother (Honor X8b), the shimmering back commands attention.
In this review, let me talk in-depth about my experience with the Honor X7b and if it’s worth consideration for a phone in that 20-30k price range.
So, the first thing I noticed about the Honor X7b is its inspired design. The phone borrows its back aesthetic from Honor’s last-gen star– the Honor 90. Both feature shimmering backs with featherlike patterns and multi-color aesthetics but (of course) it’s executed a bit more elegantly on the latter.
Left: Honor X7b, Right: Honor 90
Honor’s X7b is still a looker though and it flaunts its charms with every gaze I try to sneak on it. And unlike normal phones that look normal and do normal, the X7b changes colors with every new light.
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Even as I am writing this piece, the X7b is teasing me with a new look that I hadn’t seen yesterday. If nothing else, it’s quite entertaining and you won’t get tired of its glossy back any time soon. But if you decide to slap a case on it like most do, you’ll find the rest of the phone not very unusual.
The build is full plastic and the buttons don’t inspire confidence. The front bezels and chin are also not as appealing as the ones on the X8b. And although I do prefer the look of the Honor X7b over the competition, you do not get any sort of IP rating or official glass protection. It’s not much but Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 13 (4G) features a Gorilla Glass 3 display and an IP54 dust and water rating for about the same price.
Before going on a long rant about the display, I’d like to establish some context.
It’s common to see phones around that 20,000 rupee mark (~150 USD) rock IPS displays with not super high refresh rates! In fact, phones like Vivo’s Y36, OnePlus’s Nord N30 SE, and Infix’s Note 30 with LCD panels are still somewhat popular. That being said, AMOLED on a smartphone is (almost) always going to be superior and that should have been the pick for the x7b.
Honor likely shipped the X7b with a 90Hz LCD screen to differentiate between its models but that greatly stunts the phone’s potential. For starters, you don’t get as good colors out of an LCD screen and neither do you get completely dark pixels. I immediately noticed this the first YouTube video in the afternoon and it only became more offputting when I tried to use it before sleep. The grayish tint just made everything look dull and washed out and if you use most apps in dark mode like I do, the overall experience there felt more tiring on the eyes. You will get used to it, but an LCD panel is not something that’ll go unnoticed as time passes by. The cons will always be there.
The 90Hz refresh rate is okay-ish but 120Hz should have been a no-brainer here. Since we are already using an LCD panel, why limit it to a mere 90 refreshes a second? Maybe the processor can’t really push 120 consistently, but I am still disappointed with the display panel. Even more so when you consider more nuanced factors like low overall brightness and lack of basic Widevine L1.
The disappointment continues when talking about the overall performance of the X7b. It houses an old and basic Snapdragon 680 SoC with older A73 and A53 cores. That guy gets the job done for basic everyday use like browsing the web, making phone calls, and streaming content but the occasional jitter and slowdown is very obvious over a long period of use. I wouldn’t say it’s a terrible deal but spending a little extra will get you a snappier feeling phone in the long run.
Performance
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Antutu v10
Geekbench 6
Gaming Scores
Games run like you’d expect them to. PUBG Mobile can play at Ultra FPS at ‘Smooth’ graphics while you can hit 60 fps on Call of Duty. Even at ‘Ultra’, Mech Arena managed a respectable 51 fps but games like ‘Genshin’ will be out of reach even at ‘Low’ settings. There’ll be noticeable chops and drops in games so don’t expect smooth sailing here. Heating might be an issue too but I guess that’s somewhat expected given the slim profile.
Speaker, Haptics, and Minor Gripes
Stereo Speakers
Z-axis vibration motor
There are a few other things that I noticed during my gaming session that range from a gripe to a dealbreaker, so let’s talk about it. Firstly the speakers, they are loud, they are stereo, and although not very balanced, they are decent for the price. The problem I have is how they rock the phone. When listening to something, be it a song, or a YT video, the entire top left of the device starts to vibrate. Lowering the volume helps tone it down a bit, but the phone still feels hollow while holding on during a watch. It’s not the end of the world, but things like these make the device feel cheap and unthought-out.
Haptics are handled by a Z linear motor and are buzzy as you’d expect. And there’s no proper gyroscope so playing FPS was kind of a bore.
Software
MagicOS 7.2 based on Android 13
Moving on to the software, you get Honor’s MagicOS 7.2 skin based on the last generation of Android, which is another bummer. But looking past that, there are indeed some features that I do enjoy like the long swipe to immediate call, and the big folders. There are no ads either, and I didn’t notice any system crashes or bugs in the OS.
Software
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Android 13
MagicOS 7.2
That’s all well and good but a few things did leave a sour taste on my tongue. The inability to see my display’s refresh rate via developer settings, the left/right notification and control bars, how I can’t remap double click on volume buttons to anything except the flash, and the hoops I had to jump around for my benchmarking tools to work. These plus the fact that you’ll likely only get updates up to Android 15 didn’t appeal a lot to me on the software end.
You get a 108MP main sensor coupled with a 5MP ultrawide and a 2MP depth sensor on the back of the Honor X7b. In my review, I found that the main camera clicks decently sharp, and produces passable photos in daylight scenarios. They are a little cool, white-balance-wise, but I really don’t mind the processing and the look Honor is trying to go for here.
Normal Photos
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Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Morning Light
Indoors
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
The shutter speed is a bit slow, and its ability to focus isn’t the most reliable but these issues aren’t exclusive to the X7b in this price bracket. So, I am willing to let it off the hook there.
Indoor conditions or insufficient light causes a great loss of sharpness in most cases, likely due to the small size of the sensor. Photos get hazy, lose details, and sometimes look like paintings on close inspection sometimes.
Ultrawide
The ultrawide camera isn’t really worth talking a whole lot about. The details are minimal, the colors different, and the appeal zero (personally).
Ultrawide
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Main Camera
(Ultrawide) That shift in colors! 👀
Main camera
Ultrawide has way less details
Main
Ultrawide
Main
Ultrawide
Portraits
Taking portraits, you’ll notice a lot of inconsistencies with highlight control and edge detection but that’s something we’ve been seeing on budget phones for a while now. Honor gives you the option for a 2x portrait which, while being just a crop-in, looks more pleasing to the eye in most cases. Human subjects do look a bit yellowish so I’d guess that X7b is borrowing some of its processing from the X8b plagued with the same problem.
Portraits
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Normal
Portrait
2x Portrait
Portrait
2x Portrait
2x Portrait
2x Portrait
Portrait
Portrait
Selfies
Selfies aren’t too bad but without sufficient light, they aren’t very sharp or striking. The yellowness is noticeable here too with a similar problem of blown-out skies and painting-like properties.
Selfies
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Indoors
Indoor Portrait
Indoors
Indoor Portrait
Indoors
Indoor Portrait
Look at the background !
Videos
Videography-wise, you are limited to 1080 30fps on both lenses without any form of stabilization. Stills look decent enough but it gets shaky when you try to walk around or shoot from a moving vehicle.
Lowlight
As I previously stated, less light means fewer details for the X7b, which leads to soft images during the night. Night Mode helps a lot in most cases, bringing light sources under control, brightening the whole thing up, and adding a hint of extra sharpness (artificially,) but it can go over the top sometimes and churn out worse photos.
Low Light
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Normal
Night Mode
Normal
Night Mode
Normal
Night Mode
Ultrawide can't handle lowlight!
Ultrawide
Battery Life and Memory
6000 mAh and 70W charging
Finally, that brings up to battery life where the Honor X7b makes somewhat of a comeback. The company claims 3-day usage with its 6,000 mAh battery, but you are pretty set with a 1.5-2 day endurance on the X7b. I generally plugged in the phone overnight, the day after, with about 10-15 % remaining on moderate usage. So, even as a heavy user, expect a solid battery backup of more than a day.
Even if you do kill it, the X7b goes from 10% to ~95% in less than an hour, so filling up with the 35W adapter is a breeze as well.
Memory-wise, you are pretty set as well as the device ships with 8GB of RAM with 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. Apps mostly stay in the memory (except for some big games) and loading and switching between programs are generally fluid.
Honor X7b (4G) Review: Conclusion
Given my experience, the X7b from Honor isn’t a bad phone by any means. It has a charming back, clicks decent photos under the sun, and gives me peace of mind in the battery department. Having said that, its value propositions just fall short of the competition at the moment.
The Redmi Note 13 (review) from Xiaomi is the X7b’s greatest competitor both in terms of specs and pricing and offers a better overall value in my opinion.
Starting off with similarities, you are going to get about the same raw performance on both devices with their Snapdragon chips but Redmi’s 120Hz refresh rate is just going to make everything feel smoother. And since it’s AMOLED, the display contrast, colors, and viewing experience are going to be better on the Note as well. Its stereo speakers also sound a bit more balanced and you are getting a slightly better ultrawide too.
The Note 13 and Galaxy A15 are the X7b’s major competition
Camera-wise, both Honor X7b and Note 13 rock a 108MP main sensor but they aren’t super reliable to shoot with. In this price bracket, I find myself leaning towards Samsung’s A15 (review) instead. Despite its higher price, A15 clicks more pleasing photos with consistent colors and better dynamic range in general. So, I’d recommend going with that if you are looking for reliable cameras under 30,000 rupees.
Endurance-wise, the Honor X7b is unrivaled with its 6,000 mAh cell but most competitors offer a reliable full-day battery anyway. So, I don’t think you are losing much there. Since Samsung also includes chargers now, the fast charging proposition also kinda balances itself out.
All in all, the competition is tough in that 20-30,000 rupees segment and the X7b falls just short of earning an open-hearted recommendation.
Xiaomi’s gaming venture, the Black Shark, has teased its latest endeavor: A smart ring that will last you 6 months. Teasers posted on its official Weibo account give a glimpse into the upcoming smart wearable. Let’s dive into this article, exploring the upcoming Black Shark Ring, rumors, specifications, features, and more.
Black Shark Ring: Rumors Roundup
Battery Life and Design
The design of the Black Shark Ring emphasizes its slim profile, measuring just 2.2mm thick. Available in Silver, Black & Red variants, the ring features a subtle black line running through its center.
Black Shark’s upcoming wearable is touted to offer an impressive 180 days of usage, facilitated by its accompanying charging case. While specifics about single-charge endurance remain undisclosed, nonetheless, this claim sounds too good to be true.
Health Monitoring and Functionality
Black Shark Ring also promises comprehensive health monitoring capabilities. From tracking heart rate and blood oxygen levels to monitoring body temperature, the device aims to position itself as a proper med-grade tech.
The Chinese company has also claimed that the Smart ring will feature “Smart Touch” functionality, although specific details about this feature are yet to be disclosed. Moreover, with this sudden foray by a gaming venture, or one might call it “diversifications”. The smart ring’s prolonged battery life and comprehensive health tracking pose a significant threat to established competitors such as Amazfit, and Samsung, as notable products like the Galaxy Ring and Helio Ring.
While pricing and availability details are still under wraps, Black Shark continues to tease additional features of the upcoming wearable. Stay tuned for further updates as the company unveils more information about its latest innovation.
Meanwhile, watch our review of the Infinix Note 40 Pro+
