The Chinese smartphone giant Oppo is going all in on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and plans to make its own Chat-GPT-like assistant. In this article, let’s take a look at what Oppo is planning to do with its latest venture AndesGPT.
OPPO AndesGPT Overview
It’s no secret that we use our phones every day and while some assistants like Google Assistant truly add a lot of value to that experience, most others are not very capable. So, with the recent rise of Large Language Models (LLM) like Chat GPT, many companies like Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Oppo are willing to bet on AI to supercharge their upcoming assistants.
LLMs and Smartphones
That being said integrating an LLM to a smartphone is harder than it sounds. Large Language Models are trained on thousands if not millions of text data and require a lot of computing power to work as intended. So, the obvious choice would be to run the LLM in the cloud which is how you and I can use ChatGPT on our smartphones regardless of our own hardware. But OPPO and others are planning to run the LLM locally on your smartphone. This will require a lot of computational power so it’s not an easy path to pursue, but if they are successful, there are lots of advantages too.
AndesGPT will work without WiFi
One of OPPO’s ventures is AndesGPT which will be powering its AI assistant Xiao Bu. AndesGPT is an LLM-like Chat GPT but one that will run locally. Now, it’s likely going to have way fewer parameters than Chat GPT but fine-tuning the model should allow OPPO to achieve impressive feats like local text generation, AI personalization, real-time language translation, accessibility features, and a whole lot more. Something like Infinix’s Folax does have integrated GPT-3 (cloud-based) but it leaves a lot to desire due to a lack of proper optimization so only time will tell how practical this approach pans out to be.
Right now, the development looks to be pretty promising as AndesGPT was able to score 98.33 in the “Knowledge and Encyclopedia” ability test of the SuperCLUE LLM benchmark. That’s just a couple of points behind GPT 4 which got a full score of 100.
OPPO has eyes on the greater prize as well. Though LLMs are all the rage right now, the company is also investing in other aspects of emerging AI like computer vision. Computer vision is an AI technology that enables the identification and understanding of objects and people in images and videos. In a sense, you can also see it as an extension of OPPO AndesGPT, where this model will not only be able to read your text inputs but also ‘see’ through images and ‘hear’ through voice.
Chinese company Meizu just launched a new phone called the Meizu 20 Classic. The 20 series already has the Meizu 20, 20 Pro, and 20 Infinity launched some months ago. Let’s dive into the specs, price, and availability of the new Meizu 20 Classic in Nepal.
Meizu 20 Classic Overview:
Design and Display
The Classic model introduces new colors this time: Green, Iron Grey, and Yusheng White. The Meizu’s new logo on the back cover is now relocated in the middle. As for the design, you get a boxy frame with flat frames and curved edges.
For display, it has a 6.55″ OLED panel with FHD resolution and 144Hz refresh rate as well. As seen in the pictures, the bezels also look quite minimal.
Performance and Software
Under the hood, the phone brings Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip inside. It is paired with 16GB RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 internal storage. As for the software, the phone boots on Android 13 based on Meizu’s Flyme 10 OS.
The device features a triple camera system on the back. You get a 50MP primary + 16MP ultrawide + 5MP macro lens setup. Over on the front, there is a 32MP snapper for selfies and video calls.
Battery, connectivity, and Others
The smartphone gets its juice from a substantial 4,700mAh battery and fast 67W wired charging support. In terms of connectivity, it features 5G, WiFi 6, NFC, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. For biometrics security, you get a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
Meizu 20 Classic Specifications:
Display: 6.55″ (2400 x 1080 pixels) FHD+ OLED, up to 800 nits brightness
Others: USB Type-C, Stereo speakers, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G SA/NSA Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6E 802.11 ax (2.4GHz + 5GHz) 2×2 MIMO
Meizu 20 Classic Price in Nepal and Availability
The Meizu 20 Classic is already available in China and it costs CNY 3,099 (approx. $423) for the 16GB + 256GB model. For the 16GB + 512GB model, it costs CNY 3,399 (approx. $464). If the phone launches in Nepal then we can expect the price to start from NPR 67,999.
Meizu 20 Classic
Price in China (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
16GB + 256GB
CNY 3,099
NPR 67,999
16GB + 512GB
CNY 3,399
NPR 74,499
Meanwhile, check out our review of Realme 11 5G Review.
Infinix is back at it again with another smartphone that has created a lot of hype. Just like the GT 10 Pro which I reviewed a month ago, the Infinix Zero 30 seems like a killer deal on paper with a 144Hz AMOLED display, powerful Dimensity 8020 chipset, 4k 60 front and back recording, and a 5000 mAh battery with 68W fast charging. But does it actually hold up in real-world usage? What’s the catch here.. Well..keep reading to find out.
But before my full review, here are the brief specifications of the Infinix Zero 30.
Infinix Zero 30 Review: Specifications
Body: 164.5 x 75 x 7.9 mm, 185gm
Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 144Hz refresh rate
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8020 (6nm Mobile Platform)
Memory: 8/12GB RAM (+ Up to 9GB Virtual RAM), 256GB storage
The Infinix Zero 30 just feels fantastic in the hand. It’s sleek and this vegan leather variant that I have feels premium to the touch as well. Infinix has also gone with quite a bold look for the camera module, and I found it to be pretty lightweight at just 183 grams.
It’s still a big phone, but overall I’m really impressed with the hands-on feel of this thing. Sadly there isn’t any sort of IP rating but I guess we can’t expect everything from a midrange phone in the first place.
Display
6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel
144Hz refresh rate
10-bit colors, 950 nits peak brightness
Its impressive run continues on the display front too. You get a 10-bit 144Hz curved AMOLED panel here with up to 950 nits of peak brightness that’s great to look at. And these gentle curves make the Infinix Zero 30 feel more premium than it actually is… although as with curved displays, there are some accidental mistouches every now and then.
Infinix also offers a couple of color presets to choose from but I really wish both of them weren’t calibrated to look so rich and saturated. That means if you’re a fan of more neutral colors, this is something you’re gonna have to live with here.
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And HDR playback is a mixed bag as well. The Infinix Zero 30 can stream HDR videos on YouTube just fine, but it can’t do so on Netflix.
Speakers and Haptics
Stereo speakers with DTS
Watching movies and shows on it feels great, especially paired with the loud stereo speakers. The speakers don’t sound the fullest and lack some of that lower frequency but are very competitive for the price.
Haptics are nothing out of the ordinary and just about what you’d expect from a mid-ranger. It’s pretty weak and barely noticeable in your pocket, especially, if you’re moving around. I missed a good number of calls because of it, but unsurprisingly, that’s not the first time it has happened.
Performance
Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 8020 5G SoC (6nm)
8/12GB LPDDR4X RAM, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
Android 13 (XOS on top)
Now for the performance. This Infinix (Zero) 30 comes with a pretty powerful Dimensity 8020 chipset which — like most other MediaTek processors we’ve seen this year — is also a rebranded product. More specifically, the 8020 is just Dimensity 1100 with a new name that launched almost 3 years ago.
Rebrandings aside, this is quite a competent chip I must say. As you can see from these benchmarks, it easily keeps up with if not straight outperforms, most of its competitors.
And the real-world usage is also no different. Getting through the UI is buttery smooth and responsive on the Zero 30 and I haven’t noticed any lag or stutter under regular everyday use like browsing the web, scrolling through social media, and stuff. Switching between apps and multitasking has not been a problem either.
I also like how Infinix has been generous in terms of memory since the Zero 30 comes with a base 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Gaming
If we are talking about gaming, however, the story takes a slight turn. Due to the slim form factor, the Infinix Zero 30 is not the best at dispersing heat. As such, the phone quickly throttles the CPU which isn’t great for gaming. It isn’t to say you can’t game on the Zero 30, just that you’ll be sacrificing some fps for the sake of everything else. Even then, the phone does get noticeably warm, especially on the front and around the camera module.
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Starting off with PUBG Mobile at Smooth and Extreme, the gameplay was fairly smooth with a few stutters here and there. The phone did get hot after a few minutes of gameplay and performance took a hit. So, compared to phones like IQOO’s Z7 Pro and Motorola’s Edge 40 Neo, the performance of the Zero 30 was slightly underwhelming.
On Injustice 2 at default settings, I was getting anywhere from 80-100 fps. It was smooth sailing with no noticeable drops or stutters.
Genshin Impact ran smoothly on Medium Settings ( Motion Blur Off and Frame Rate cap to 30) and gave consistent 30 fps. On Low settings with frame rate set to 60, I got an average of 48fps. As I said, this phone WILL get hot while gaming (39.3°C front, 36.5°C back, peak CPU temp 73°C) and you will notice frame drops during fights or intense scenes, but it isn’t surprising given the form factor.
I also played Mobile Legends and Asphalt 9, both of which ran with no problems.
Camera
Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP main, 13MP ultrawide, 2MP depth)
50MP selfie camera (hole-punch)
To be fair, Infinix isn’t exactly marketing this as a gaming phone. But it is promising a lot in the camera department. So let’s get into that now.
Here, the Infinix Zero 30 uses Samsung’s 108MP HM6 sensor for the main camera and it also brings a 13MP ultrawide shooter, while selfies are handled by a 50MP sensor that supports autofocus.
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Front Cam
Back Cam
4k 60 fps
And as I mentioned before, its biggest highlight is the ability to record 4K 60 fps videos from both primary and selfie cameras. Which is something no other phone in this price range can do, by the way. And after taking a lo…t of video samples, what I found is that its 4K 60 fps footages during daytime are pretty decent actually.
You can notice some minor jitters every now and then and it doesn’t drown out the ambient noise that well, but there are plenty of details and the overall stabilization isn’t nearly as bad as I expected.
I also won’t suggest you recording at 60 fps at night when there isn’t enough light since the videos turn out quite noisy.
This is because compared to something like a 30 fps video, you’re giving the camera exactly half the time to expose each frame, resulting in more noise in lowlight conditions.
Infinix Zero 30’s ultrawide camera can also record at up to 4K 30 fps, and the results are pretty similar.
4K 60 fps recordings from its selfie camera are decent too. The footages aren’t as steady as I’d like but if you’re serious about vlogging on a budget, I can easily see the Infinix Zero 30 being a perfectly workable tool when paired with a cheap gimbal and an external microphone.
Daylight
Likewise, I compared its cameras with the Galaxy A34, which is one of the best camera phones under 30,000 currently. And in terms of videos itself, it turns out that the Infinix Zero 30 doesn’t quite match Samsung’s level of stability and exposure handling at practically every resolution.
But I’m a little surprised to see how well it’s doing against Galaxy A34 in the photography department. During the day, photos from both phones come out nice with a good amount of details. Infinix does need to work on its color processing as its images are a bit warmer but overall, it’s not too bad.
Daylight
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Galaxy A34
Zero 30
Galaxy A34
Zero 30
Galaxy A34
Zero 30
Galaxy A34
Zero 30
Galaxy A34
Zero 30
And I like how its ultrawide shots are (somewhat) consistent with those from the main camera too. The detail level is consistently better (than A34) here and it handles highlights and shadows pretty impressively.
Ultrawide
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Infinix Zero 30 (Main)
Infinix Zero 30 (Ultrawide)
Samsung Galaxy A34 (Ultrawide)
Infinix Zero 30 (ultrawide)
Portraits and Selfies
As for portraits, the Galaxy A34 earns an easy point. Not only does it have better edge detection and color processing, but the Infinix Zero 30 tends to add a pinkish hue to the subject’s face which I am not a big fan of. Its selfies also leave a lot to be desired as the Galaxy A34 handles skin tones miles better.
Portrait and Selfies
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Infinix Zero 30
Samsung Galaxy A34
Infinix Zero 30
Samsung Galaxy A34
Lowlight
But the Zero 30 is a champ when it comes to lowlight photography. There’s not much shutter lag and they have more details and better dynamic range than A34.
Lowlight
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Infinix Zero 30 (Normal)
Infinix Zero 30 (Normal)
Infinix Zero 30 (Normal)
Infinix Zero 30 (Normal)
Galaxy A34 (Normal)
Galaxy A34 (Night Mode)
Infinix Zero 30 (Normal)
Infinix Zero 30 (Supernight))
Infinix Zero 30 (Normal)
Infinix Zero 30 (Supernight))
Infinix Zero 30 (Normal)
Infinix Zero 30 (Supernight))
You can also choose to shoot in the “Super Night Mode” which takes in more light but this gave me some weird-looking images from time to time.
Battery and Charging
5000mAh with 68W fast charging
Now let’s talk about the battery. I was surprised to find out that this slim guy is packing a 5000 mAh cell. And after some use, I can say that while the battery life is good it’s not great.
It lasted me through the day just fine, but the battery drain was quite horrifying as the Zero 30 lost anywhere between 15 to 20% overnight. After a little bit of digging, I did find that turning on “Bedtime mode” helps a lot but yeah, this is something Infinix needs to fix ASAP!
Infinix Zero 30 Review: Conclusion
To wrap things up, I think the Infinix Zero 30 is a great overall package for the price that pushes the boundary for smartphone cameras in the midrange arena. Especially in terms of videography. It does under-deliver on its promise of “stable, shake-free videos every time”, but I hope this encourages the competition to follow suit in the future anyway.
There are also a couple of optimization issues for Infinix to sort out but all in all, the Zero 30 makes a lot of sense under 25,000 rupees. I’ll admit — this segment does have a few other compelling options like the Motorola Edge 40 Neo(review) and the iQOO Z7 Pro as well — but it easily stands out against the competition. Mostly through its videography abilities.
Before I get on with my Motorola Edge 40 Neo review, the one thing that I’ve been saying a lot recently is how value-for-money the last few Moto devices have been, be it the affordable Moto G84 or the pricier Motorola Edge 40. And despite that, I feel like the Edge 40 Neo is Motorola’s best value-for-money phone right now. That alone should speak volumes about how I feel about this phone.
While it originally launched at a starting price of INR 24,000 in India, Motorola has put it up for sale with a flat discount of INR 3,000 right now. Alongside some bank discounts to go with it. So at around INR 20,000, the Edge 40 Neo looks like a solid phone that impresses in more than one way.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo Review: Specifications
Body: 71.99 x 159.63 x 7.89mm, 172gm, IP68 dust/water resistant
The design is easily one of the biggest highlights of the Edge 40 Neo. There are three color options to choose from — all created in collaboration with Pantone — and the “Soothing Sea” option with its light shade of green looks really beautiful to my eyes. Add a curved back and a soft vegan leather finish into the mix, then you’ve got a phone that is absolutely incredible to hold.
But faster wear and tear is always a concern with such leather back phones, right? Which is why the Edge 40 Neo is also available in a “Beauty Black” shade with an acrylic/plastic finish.
Or better yet, you can slap in the color-matching case provided in the box itself which has a nice texture as well. Surprisingly enough, for such a thin and lightweight phone, the Edge 40 Neo has also got some heft to it.
So all in all, Motorola has done a 10/10 job in terms of the design here. There’s positively no doubt about it. But hold on, it gets even better. Just like its Edge 40 sibling, the Edge 40 Neo also gets IP68 dust and water resistance. So whether you’re out in the rain, in for a swim, or somewhere particularly dusty, it’s going to live through it all just fine. And I’m not sure about this but the Edge 40 Neo might be the most affordable IP68-rated phone too.
Display
6.55-inch FHD+ pOLED panel
144/360Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
10-bit colors, 1,300 nits peak brightness
I’m more than happy with its display as well.
You’re getting a gorgeous 6.5-inch OLED panel with an FHD resolution and there’s a lo…t to love here. From vibrant colors to the slim bezels, a smooth 144Hz refresh rate, and everything in between, this simply doesn’t feel like something you’d typically get on a budget phone.
And although I am not a big fan of curved displays, subtle ones like this don’t grind my gears as much. As for the colors, the default “Saturated” mode with its full-force of DCI-P3 gamut can look a bit too… saturated to some folks. So if you’re in that crowd, Motorola has got you covered with the “Natural” color profile that looks much easier on the eyes.
The Edge 40 Neo’s buttery 144Hz refresh rate further spices up the experience. I’ll admit I was a little concerned originally if the phone could even handle 144Hz that well but it turns out I was worried about nothing. And except for a couple of negligible micro stutters here and there, it’s been smooth sailing for the most part.
But just so you know, when settling with the “auto” refresh rate option, the phone switches between 60, 90, and 120Hz only — never 144Hz. Granted the display doesn’t skip a beat to shift through different refresh rates, but I would’ve liked to be able to run it at 144Hz at times while also saving up on power whenever necessary. All automatically.
A little slow to adjust brightness automatically
While I can live with this just fine, one thing that’s kinda been bugging me is that its auto brightness adjustment isn’t as swift as I want. Sometimes it works as intended but sometimes the Edge 40 Neo really takes its time to adapt to the ambient light.
Motorola says this is an HDR10+ certified screen as well. And although I had no trouble playing my local HDR-mastered videos or ones on YouTube, the Edge 40 Neo can’t play HDR videos on Netflix just yet. High-res streaming is absolutely no trouble since it is Widevine L1-certified but it looks like it’s going to be a while before HDR playback arrives on Netflix.
Audio
Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos audio
On that note, the stereo speakers on this thing are pretty amazing though. The clarity is there and the phone gets quite loud too. Obviously, you can’t expect much in the bass department but with a little bit of fiddling in the settings, the Edge 40 Neo can end up sounding much better.
And that brings me to the performance. The Dimensity 7030 chip powering this phone — which is just a rebranded Dimensity 1050 from last year by the way — is far from the most capable processor you can find in this segment. Let me make that clear right away.
It outperforms the Snapdragon 695 quite comfortably but falls behind similarly-priced phones like the Infinix Zero 30 and the iQOO Z7 Pro which bring much more powerful Dimensity 8020 and Dimensity 7200 chips. Whether we’re talking about the CPU or the GPU.
Then again, raw performance isn’t everything.
The Edge 40 Neo has been more than capable of keeping up with my day-to-day chores without slowing me down.
Excellent software experience
Motorola’s default scale of system animation feels slightly slower than it should to me, so I’ve dialed it down by going into the developer options. But other than that, this clean, near-stock Android software is an absolute blast to use. It’s well designed, the multitasking is great, you can customize it to your heart’s content, and there are a lot of incredibly useful features baked in too.
Like Motorola’s “Ready For” suite, for example. From mirroring or extending the phone’s screen to straight up using your phone’s camera as a webcam, it’s quite the productivity tool. Which I wish was available on Mac as well. Whereas, I’ve also found a couple of other features like per-app volume control and double-tapping to launch an app or a shortcut pretty useful.
This experience should (in theory) continue to get better since Motorola has also promised 2 years of OS and 3 years of security updates for the Edge 40 Neo. But this is where I’m staying a bit doubtful because Motorola isn’t exactly known for timely software updates. Case in point, we’re in the middle of October already and my unit is still stuck on July’s security patch. So yeah — more than anything — Motorola really needs to up its update game. Fast.
How’s the gaming performance?
What about gaming then? Well, even though the Edge 40 Neo isn’t the most capable gaming phone in its price range, you can get a half-decent gaming experience here. I was getting near 60 fps average on titles like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9, while Genshin Impact was playable at Medium graphics with a little under 30 fps too. Not bad!
But its slim build quality definitely takes a toll on the thermals when you’re doing anything resource-intensive as gaming since the phone was nearing 40°C in all three of them after just 15 minutes. And in games like Mech Arena where the phone is attempting to push around 120 frames every second, it quickly dips to 90 – 95 fps.
Cameras
Dual camera setup at the back
(50MP main, 13MP ultrawide)
32MP selfie camera (hole-punch)
Let’s talk about the cameras now. First things first, I really appreciate the fact that Motorola has given a proper dual camera setup on the Edge 40 Neo with a 50MP primary and a 13MP ultrawide shooter. Instead of going with gimmicky and utterly useless macro and depth sensors.
Having said that, I think the camera experience could have been better here.
Daytime Images
What you need to know is that the Edge 40 Neo prefers really punchy colors, warmer tones, and a pinch of additional contrast that can come off looking unnatural and compromise the dynamic range at times. Whereas I also noticed some oversharpening going on here.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo – Daytime Images
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This type of processing does look nice sometimes but yeah, Motorola does have some work cut out for itself in terms of optimizing the cameras.
Ultrawide Images
Surprisingly enough, its ultrawide shots preserve better white balance than those from the main camera. And although it clearly can’t compete in terms of details, the Edge 40 Neo’s ultrawide photos are pretty decent overall.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo – Ultrawide Images
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Portrait and Selfie Images
Motorola’s punchy and contrasty processing can be seen in the portraits as well. Still, I like how you can shoot at three different focal lengths for better subject focus here.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo – Portraits
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24mm
35mm
50mm
24mm
35mm
50mm
It’s a simple digital crop and nothing more but this comes in handy more often than you’d think. The selfies from this thing are just okay-ish too.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo – Selfies
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Lowlight Images
But the Edge 40 Neo’s lowlight images are something else.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo – Nighttime Images
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Normal
Night Mode
Normal
Night Mode
Normal
Night Mode
The ones from the main camera at least. It really preserves that essence of the night with fairly detailed and well-exposed shots. Highlight control can be tricky at times but turning on Night Mode mostly does the trick.
Videos
As for the videos, this guy can shoot at 4K 30 fps from all three of its cameras. With the 60 fps option locked to the main sensor at 1080p only.
And you know what? I was expecting the footages to come off wobbly and all but Motorola has done a terrific job in terms of stabilization. So if you can spare the larger file sizes, there’s no reason to settle with Full HD recording here. Yet, its exposure handling and background noise suppression are not the best I’ve seen.
Battery
5000mAh with 68W fast charging
Finally, the Edge 40 Neo’s battery life is an easy B+ in my books. Which has been netting me 6 – 6.5 hours of screen time on average, even on days with a lot of gaming, camera usage, and more. Juicing up its 5000mAh battery is also pretty quick. You get a 68W adapter inside the box (which also supports PD charging by the way), and it takes the phone to 50% in under 15 minutes. Or around 42 minutes for a complete refill with “Charge Boost” enabled.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo Review: Conclusion
So that was all for my full review of the Motorola Edge 40 Neo. And needless to say, this is one heck of a phone for some INR 20,000. What I especially love about it is that Motorola hasn’t made any big, dealbreaker type of compromise to meet that price point either.
Yes, there are definitely a few things that could’ve been better here, including the camera optimization, software updates, and the haptics. However, for anyone looking to buy a well-designed, well-built budget phone that checks a lot of boxes, this is a solid choice. It’s a bit frustrating to see that Motorola hasn’t been able to stock it as per the demand, but if you manage to get your hands on one, I’m sure you’re gonna love this.
Flip phones were a smash hit back in those days with people flaunting Motorola and Nokia clamshells. Even in recent times, foldable flip phones have become quite a thing. While P-UP World, a Japanese company is reviving the good ol’ flip phones. And its Mode 1 Retro II flip phone with Android OS is official. Here, we’ll be discussing the Mode 1 Retro II’s specs, features, and expected price in Nepal.
Mode 1 Retro II Overview:
Design and Display
Beginning with the design, the Mode 1 Retro II brings in the traditional flip phone looks with a flip module. So, there are numerical and menu toggle keys just like an old phone. It reserves a compact form factor with 145 grams weight.
On the display side, the phone houses a 3.5-inch IPS LCD panel with 1440 x 720p resolution and 460PPI pixel density. Plus, there is also a secondary display on the rear side that displays time.
Camera
As for the optics, there is a 48MP primary camera on the back, rimmed on a circular module. P-UP World has also equipped a 13MP front camera.
Performance
Running the chores under the hood is a Mediatek Helio G85, a 12nm fabbed chipset. It features two ARM Cortex-A75 and six Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0GHz and 1.8GHz clock frequencies. Handling the graphics is Mali-G52 MP2 GPU. The chip is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. You can also expand the storage up to 1TB via a microSD card.
The key USP here is Android 13 software with a pre-installed Google Play Store. Users can install Android apps of their choice.
The flip phone is fueled by a 2,500mAh battery that charges via a USB Type-C port. Talking of the connectivity options, it supports 4G, WiFi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0.
Mode 1 Retro II Specifications:
Display: 3.5″ LCD panel,
Chipset: Mediatek Helio G85
Software: Android 13
Connectivity: 4G VoLTE
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB internal, expandable up to 1TB (via SD card)
Battery: 2500 mAh removable battery, USB Type-C charging
Colors: Sheep White, and Wolf Black colors
Mode 1 Retro II Price in Nepal and Availability
In Japan, the Mode 1 Retro II retails at JPY 29,800. We expect the Mode 1 Retro II price in Nepal to be NPR 32,999 if and when it launches here.
Not only did Adobe improvise upon its AI image models, but they also showed us what is expected to be the future of clothing as a form of Project Primrose at the Adobe MAX conference 2023. The thing started when the camera shifted to one of the research scientists, Dr. Christine Dierk, wearing a silver-shiny dress. Here’s what happened!
Project Primrose Overview:
What is Project Primrose?
As Dierk broke down the points, Project Primrose amazed the crowd. This technology promises loose, low-energy, non-emissive fragments of the display, allowing you to visualize any static or dynamic patterns replacing clothing. Rumors suggest that Adobe has already tried this type of display on handbags and will be implementing it in furniture, and who knows what!
So, what designs are allowed?
This Adobe Project Primrose will allow any digital content created with Adobe Stock, After Effects, Firefly, and Illustrator. Not only images, but users can also use visual patterns that react according to movement and also have the option to play animations repeating indefinitely.
At the conference, Dr. Dierk presented an animation that reacted like water when she moved a bit. People were cheering and shouting as the animation played.
What will this bring, though?
As I said, these will bring a new layer to designs, a new way of fashion in the form of animated patterns. Instead of buying a dress every time, you can install the required designs and change it with a click or a motion.
Furthermore, Project Primrose claims to be non-emissive and, hence, eco-friendly. Also, instead of having a bulk of cloth, one piece of tech serves with every design you want, which will obviously reduce the use of fabrics and such.
Project Primrose: Future
Will this project have any future, though? At the end of the day, Project Primrose is only a proof of concept. It has to go a long way in development before its successful launch. However, the prototype seems quite impressive, and they would be working further on this project.
After overheating issues and durability concerns regarding the iPhone 15 Pro Max, there seems to be yet another major problem on the rise. Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone seems to be having an OLED burn-in issue affecting a *noticeable* number of users. In this article, let’s see what this is all about and how Apple has chosen to address the issue as of now.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Burn-In
Apple came under heavy scrutiny after their “toughest” iPhone with a titanium frame failed to survive a simple bend test from the popular Youtuber Zack (from Jerry Rig Everything). And the worries didn’t end there, another issue regarding the overheating of the Pro models came to light and further complicated things. And now, many users are reporting instances of burn-in on their latest USD 1200+ smartphone. But before we get further, let’s talk about OLED burn-in for a quick minute.
What is OLED Burn-In?
OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) displays are known for their vibrant colors and deep blacks, but they have a downside known as “burn-in.” This is a permanent defect that occurs when static images are displayed for a long time, causing some pixels to degrade faster than others. This is more noticeable in smartphones because certain elements like the status bar or navigation buttons are always present on the screen. As such, smartphone manufacturers generally take several measures like pixel shifting, timeouts, and dark mode to avoid burn-ins. So, it is an unusual sight to see such OLED burn-ins this fast into the iPhone’s lifecycle.
The iPhone is suffering
Several users on Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms have reported OLED burn-ins of their iPhone 15 Pro Max. And many claim that it appeared on ‘normal’ usage without any user error.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Burn-In
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The severity seems to range from somewhat visible to fully stamped on. And to remind you again, OLED Burn-In is almost always PERMANENT. So, this is indeed a major problem, unlike a software bug or optimization issue.
How can I detect Burn-Ins?
You can easily check for Burn-In on your smartphone right now. Start off, by downloading a light grey wallpaper on your device. Then, dim the lights around you (lights off is even better) and check for any icons or visible images. If you have a plain grey background, that means that your screen hasn’t been affected by Burn-In just yet. Note that LCD displays also suffer from temporary image retention but it isn’t as bad as on OLED panels.
Apple hasn’t put out an official statement about the OLED burn-in situation yet. And Apple technicians are pointing towards this being a software issue rather than a hardware one. That being said, if you are affected by this, you should definitely try to contact them directly and maybe prompt a replacement or a refund. The road for the iPhone 15 Pro Max hasn’t been easy, riddled with issues and backlash, but does that mean it’s a bad phone? We wouldn’t say so. Why ? Check out our review of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to find out.
Battery is the base of modern society. A lot of our devices, ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles, rely on batteries as the power supply. However, batteries always have had an Achilles heel — a risk of explosion. One of the largest battery manufacturers, BAK, has unveiled its latest blast-resistant semi-solid state batteries! Here, we will be discussing these batteries further.
BAK “Blast-resistant” Batteries Overview:
Before getting into these batteries themselves, let’s discuss the company themselves. Shenzhen BAK Power Battery Co. Ltd., more commonly known as BAK, is one of the largest battery manufacturers in the world. They proudly announce themselves as “No. 5 in the overall battery market” in 2017. Additionally, BAK Battery hails from China and has bases, sales centres, and R&D centres all across the globe. They supply their products to well-renowned brands such as Lenovo, HP, Chery, BMW, and so on.
Recently, the company has made significant progress in the production and output of its semi-solid state batteries. These new BAK batteries have passed strict safety regulations and established themselves as “blast-resistant application batteries” for explosion-proof solutions. This new battery is impervious to leakage during short circuits and ignition when pierced. BAK Battery is now collaborating with the leading manufacturers that produce ultra-safe communication devices for sectors like mining and defence.
The company’s vice president, Liu Zhibo, is hopeful about their new battery’s range of applications, such as mobile devices, EVs, wearables, drones, and so on. Furthermore, BAK Battery also plans on increasing the capacity of its latest batteries to an impressive 12 GWh. If this comes to fruition, we may even see them being used in various new ways.
Conclusion
With the latest developments in batteries like these, we can expect safer, more efficient cells powering our devices and technology in general. Furthermore, such innovations will help us be more sustainable, have a lesser impact on the environment, and build a better future.
Meanwhile, check out our picks for the best earbuds under Rs. 5,000 in Nepal.
Honor is here with us again! This time with the “new” Honor Play 8T. This new phone is almost a one-to-one copy of the Honor Play 50 Plus. Nonetheless, we will here be discussing this new phone, its specifications, expected price in Nepal, and so forth.
Honor Play 8T Overview
Display and Design
As I mentioned, the new Honor Play 8T is almost the same phone as the Play 50 Plus, and you can see it right from the get-go. The new Honor phone has a rounded rectangle shape while flaunting the same reflective wavy design on the back. It skips out on the camera island and features two large camera cutouts.
In terms of screen, we have the same 6.8-inch IPS LCD panel with FHD+ resolution. The Honor Play 8T offers brightness ranging from 2 nits to 850 nits, to better suit a wider range of usage conditions. In addition, the screen is flat along with a centre-aligned hole-punch camera cutout. Meanwhile, it is only available in three colour options: Streaming Silver, Mo Yuqing (Green), and Magic Night Black.
Performance and Camera
Honor has opted for the MediaTek Dimensity 6080 chipset this time around. This 6nm octa-core processor has two ARM Cortex-A76 and six ARM Cortex-A55 cores. It edges out its 6020 sibling in terms of performance albeit not by much. The new Honor Play 8T is also available in two configurations: 8GB + 256GB, and 12GB + 256GB. However, it offers 8GB extendable virtual RAM. It comes with the Magic OS 7.2 based on Android 13.
Similarly, the Honor Play 8T features a dual-camera setup on the back. The primary lens is a 50MP unit, while the secondary camera has the same 2MP depth sensor. Meanwhile, on the front, we have a single 8MP selfie camera.
The Honor Play 8T also features a massive 6,000 mAh battery and 35W fast charging capability. Similarly, it also features a dual speaker setup with Hi-Res audio support. It has dual SIM support with 5G, WiFi 5, as well as Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless connectivity. Lastly, you get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and navigation support.
Honor Play 8T Specifications
Design: Flat design with reflective wavy patterns on the back
Rear Camera: Dual Camera (50MP Primary + 2MP Depth Sensor)
Front Camera: 8MP (Centre-aligned hole-punch cutout)
Security: Side-mounted Fingerprint sensor
Navigation: Yes
Battery: 6,000 mAh with 35W fast charging
Connectivity: Dual SIM, 5G, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, 3.5mm headphone jack
Colour Options: Streaming Silver, Mo Yuqing (Green), and Magic Night Black
Honor Play 8T Price in Nepal and Availability
At this time, the new Honor Play 8T has been announced in China only and will go on sale on 23 October 2023. The base variant of the device is going for CNY 1,099. The global availability of this device is presently unknown. However, if and when it makes its way here, we expect the Honor Play 8T price in Nepal to be NPR 24,000.
Honor Play 8T
Price in China (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
8GB + 256GB
CNY 1,099
NPR 24,000
12GB + 256GB
CNY 1,299
NPR 28,500
Meanwhile, check out our Motorola Edge 40 Neo review
Germany’s largest semiconductor manufacturer Infineon has partnered up with the sportswear giant Adidas to create the perfect blend between function and form with their new Lighting Shoe based on Adidas NMD S1. In this article, let’s take a look at this unique piece of tech and what shiny features it has to offer.
Infineon Lighting Shoe Overview
Design and Base
Well for starters, Infineon has used the Adidas NMD S1 shoe as the base of their Lighting ventures. The S1 already featured quite a bold look and the added glow certainly makes them stand out from everyone else. And although it looks very cool, Infineon mentioned that they have no plans for the Lighting Shoe to enter production any time soon or enter at all for that matter.
Tech Inside
The Lighting Shoe is embedded with Infineon’s MEMs microphones which are capable of picking up a wide range of sounds without distortion. Pair that with the embedded microcontroller, and you have yourself a shoe that listens to the surrounding music and dances accordingly.
The XENSIV MEMs microphones enable the Lighting shoe to have “intuitive sensing capabilities” while the PSoC microcontroller “processes the audio input” and does the syncing magic. And you can charge ‘your’ Lighting Shoe with the same USB-C cable as your phone thanks to the EZ-PDR Barrel Connector Replacement solution used here. And to make sure you don’t run out of juice on your very first rodeo, the Lighting Shoe also has high-efficiency OptiMOS MOSFETs to manage power.
Infineon says that they have partnered up with Adidas “ to develop an iconic shoe fusing technology with fashion to inspire the wearer to move!” Furthermore, the Lighting Shoe also
“brings the power of digitalization out into the open for everyone to see and hear.”
And according to them, the Adidas NMD S1 was the perfect shoe to offer that shape for housing sensitive, high-quality electronic components without compromising wearer comfort.
Final Thoughts
It’s cool to see something out of the ordinary every once in a while in the tech world. Like the Honor V Purse, or now the Infineon Lighting Shoe, many concept devices emerge in the wild and although devices like these may not be practical or even ahead of their time, they always leave quite the impression-at least on me.
Meanwhile, check out video review of the Motorola Edge 40 Edge:
