iQOO, the Vivo subbrand has unveiled its flagship iQOO 12 and iQOO 12 Pro with top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and flagship specs. In this article, we’ll go through the iQOO 12 Pro, its specs, features, and expected price in Nepal.
iQOO 12 Pro Overview:
Design and Display
In terms of design, the iQOO 12 Pro shares an identical visual aesthetic with its vanilla iQOO 12 sibling. The square camera module and Black, White, and Red color options follow here as well. While it doesn’t get a boxy frame factor, iQOO has gone with a curved frame design instead. As for the ingress protection, this flagship phone is sorted with an IP68 rating against dust and water drips.
On the display side, you get a 6.7-inch curved E7 AMOLED panel. This 2K res screen boasts a 144Hz refresh rate, 3000nits peak brightness, 1440Hz PWM dimming, and HDR 10 support.
Performance
Under the hood, the iQOO 12 Pro gets the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powering the core. This latest and greatest offering from Qualcomm is fabbed on TSMC’s 4nm process. It features a prime Cortex-X4 CPU core clocked at 3.3GHz, five Cortex-A720 cores at 3.2GHz, and two Cortex-A520 cores running at 2.3GHz. Accompanying the CPU is an Adreno 750 GPU. Memory-wise, the iQOO 12 Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage.
To make the performance game strong, iQOO has also provided a dedicated Q1 e-sports chip with a performance boost, low latency frame insertion, superframe, and super-resolution (DLSS-like supersampling) features. And for keeping the thermals in check, you get a 5,705mm² vapor chamber.
Talking of the optics, the iQOO 12 Pro rocks a triple camera setup. The primary sensor is a 50MP 1/1.3-inch OmniVision OV50H sensor with OIS. It is followed by a 64MP telephoto unit with 3X optical zoom and up to 100X digital zoom. This 70-230mm camera is also capable of telephoto macro photography as well. Last but not least is a 50MP ultrawide shooter.
Over on the front, the punch hole cutout houses a 16MP snapper for selfies and video calls.
Battery and the Rest
Moving on, fueling the smartphone is a 5100mAh Li-Po battery with 120W wired, 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless support. Connectivity options include 5G, WiFi 7, NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 5.4, and a USB Type-C 2.0 port. Likewise for biometric security, you get an indisplay fingerprint scanner.
In China, the official price of the iQOO 12 Pro begins at CNY 4,999 for the base 16/256GB version. We expect the iQOO 12 Pro price in Nepal to start from 119,999 if and when it launches here.
iQOO 12 Pro
Price in China (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
16/256GB
CNY 4,999
NPR 119,999
16/512GB
CNY 5,499
NPR 131,999
16GB/1TB
CNY 5,999
NPR 142,999
Meanwhile, you can check our iQOO Z7 Pro vs Moto Edge 40 Neo comparison.
The issue of global warming has been bugging the international community for a long time now — decades even. Many efforts have been made to counter this problem, but, they haven’t been very fruitful per se. Now, Silicon Valley scientists may have discovered a real-life cheat code — mutated trees! Let’s get into what these “Super Trees” do and how they help to “chill down” the climate.
Super Trees Overview:
Problem: Global warming
Global warming is the increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to the buildup of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. It has been worsening since the early 1980s, grabbing everybody’s attention. Hence, every company is now trying to minimize emissions, be it by using alternative/recycled materials for their products or by planting trees to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint.
Solution: Photosynthesis
If you don’t know, plants use sunlight, water, and, most importantly, carbon dioxide to produce glucose for themselves. Plants consume some of this glucose as energy, while they use the remaining glucose to build more plant matter, like bark. Hence, afforestation is one of the crucial ways to decrease carbon dioxide in the environment.
Researchers from Living Carbon, a start-up in Silicon Valley, have uncovered a plant, namely, the aquatic Azolla ferns. These plants were found fossilized inside the Arctic mud and can grow very fast, getting up to 20 meters thick.
Among the technologists, Patric Mellor is trying to genetically mutate the plant so that it can bind more CO2 and is more resilient to decay. They have theorized that if these plants coated the ocean, they could absorb a large chunk of greenhouse gases.
The paleobiologist and Chief Technology Officer, Patrick Mellor, thinks photosynthesis can save the world. The plantation of “photosynthesis-enhanced” poplars has already been started in Georgia’s forest since February 2023. I think we will get the biggest breakthrough on the global warming problem if this works.
The output of the “Super Trees” is still not guaranteed, as the project is still in a test phase. While some experts trust this process, some professionals are still a bit unsure about its overall effectiveness. The burning questions are, if the trees will have an inverse effect on the rest of the forest and if this plantation can decrease carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at all.
Even Steve Strauss, a prominent tree geneticist at Oregon State University, has conflicting thoughts about the “Super Trees”. He says:
I’m kind of a little conflicted that they’re going ahead with this—all the public relations and the financing—on something that we don’t know if it works.
Verdict: Future of “Super Trees”
Yes, the tests for the viability of these super trees (azolla ferns) are still going on. The company Living Carbon is selling credits for the carbon their trees absorb, like a subscription-based purchase to fund the entire project. They are also working with larger companies and plan to deliver credits to them later on. Development like this fills me with hope that someday we will find a proper counter to this global environmental problem.
OpenAI just unveiled custom chatbots called GPTs and multiple other exciting upgrades including the latest version of ChatGPT, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT store, and more. In this article, we will discuss more about the custom GPTs and GPT Store.
OpenAI GPTs and GPT Store: Overview
Custom Chatbots
GPTs are a new way for anyone to create a tailored version of ChatGPT to be more helpful in their daily life, at specific tasks, at work, or at home — and then share that creation with others. No code required. https://t.co/SPV4TcMiQwpic.twitter.com/PcmorZwtMF
ChatGPT was already an insanely powerful chatbot, but its creator, OpenAI, will now let you make your custom chatbots. Namely GPTs, it is a new way to create a personal chatbot of your liking. For instance, it can help you create your science tutor, help you learn chess, or become your event planner, it’s all up to your preference.
Tailor-made GPTs
Interestingly, this is made with accessibility in mind. As such, even people who have never written a single line of code in their life can create their own chatbots. Creating your own GPT is easier than you might think. All you need to do is, start a chat with Chatgpt, and provide all the necessary content. They could be of incredible help to all sets of demographics, from gardening to becoming your business advisor.
Business and Revenue Sharing
OpenAI also announced it will be sharing revenues with the best custom GPTs, and they will be exclusively available on the GPT store. However, OpenAI has also promised to safeguard your data and privacy with utmost care, and they won’t share them with other third parties.
In addition, they can also be integrated with other applications. Just like a plugin, GPTs can become your shopping assistant, it can help you email, analyze your database, and more.
In addition to GPTs, OpenAI has also announced numerous other products. The emerging startup announced the new GPT-4 Turbo model that is more capable, cheaper, and will also support an incredible 128k context window. In other words, you’ll be able to input more than 300 pages of text, almost as long as a standard novel by Albert Camus. To add on top, it also announced other features like TTS (text-to-speech), image vision(dalle-3), and other multimodal capabilities.
Open AI GPTs and GPT Store: Availability
According to Sam Altman, it will be accessible through the GPT store in the upcoming weeks. In addition, GPTs will be made available to paying ChatGPT Plus subscribers and other OpenAI enterprise customers as well. we’ll keep you updated with the latest developments regarding OpenAI and ChatGPT.
The Qualcomm 8 Gen 3 made its debut a while ago. And its counterpart, the Dimensity 9300 from Mediatek has also arrived with all big core configurations and boosted GPU. Without further ado, let’s get headed to the specs, features, availability, and other info of the Mediatek Dimensity 9300 SoC in this article.
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Overview:
Performance
The Dimensity 9300 chipset boasts an interesting layout with a prime Cortex-X4 core at 3.25GHz, three Cortex-X4 cores running at 2.85GHz, followed by four Cortex-A720 cores clocking at 2.0GHz. Mediatek has gone for a ‘beast mode’ structure with four X4 cores for the very first time.
Fabbed under TSMC’s 3rd gen 4nm+ process, the silicon is determined for increased power and efficiency. The earlier leak showcased a whopping 2,055,084 Antutu score. It is 40% more powerful in peak performance than Dimensity 9200 while consuming 33% less power. As for the memory, there is support for LPDDR5T RAM with 9,600 Mbps speed, making it the first smartphone chip to do so.
Powerful Graphics
Mediatek has also not left the GPU side behind. The Dimensity 9300 gets a 12-core Immortalis-G720 GPU with some serious gaming power. It supports hardware-based ray tracing with a whopping 46% boost over its predecessor at 40% less power consumption. Following the AI bandwagon, there is the APU 790 which is capable of Generative AI with Stable Defusion generation in less than a second. Likewise, you get support for Large Language Models (LLM) with up to 33 billion parameters.
Imagiq 990 ISP, R16 5G Modem, Up to 180Hz refresh rate
As the latest and greatest offering from Mediatek, the Dimensity 9300 brings more goodies to the table. The chip integrates the Imagiq 990 ISP with support for up to 320MP camera, 8K res videos at 30fps, and 4K at 30/60fps. On top of that, you also get cinematic mode and real-time bokeh for some mobile filmmaking.
It supports WQHD display with up to 180Hz and 4K res panels at 120Hz. Likewise, the connectivity options include the R16 5G modem with support for sub-6GHz/mmWave (7.9Gbps), WiFi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4.
Dimensity 9200
Dimensity 9300
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
CPU Prime
1x Cortex-X3 @ 3.05GHz
1x Cortex-X4 @ 3.25GHz
1x Cortex-X4 @ 3.3GHz
CPU Big
3x Cortex-A715 @ 2.85GHz
3x Cortex-X4 @ 2.85GHz + 4x Cortex-A720 @ 2.0GHz
3x Cortex-A720 @ 3.2GHz + 2x A720 @ 3.0Ghz
CPU Little
4x Cortex-A510 @ 1.8GHz
–
2x Cortex-A520 @ 2.3Ghz
GPU
Immortalis G715
Immortalis G720
Adreno 740
RAM
LPDDR5X
LPDDR5T
LPDDR5X
5G
sub-6GHz/mmWave (7.9Gbps)
sub-6GHz/mmWave (7.9Gbps)
sub-6GHz/mmWave (10Gbps)
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7 (6.5Gbps)
Wi-Fi 7 (6.5Gbps)
Wi-Fi 7 (5.8Gbps)
Bluetooth
BT 5.3
BT 5.4
BT 5.4
Camera
320MP, 18-bit ISP
320MP, 18-bit ISP
200MP, 18-bit ISP
Video
8K @ 30fps, 4K @ 60fps
8K @ 30fps, 4K @ 60fps
8K @ 30fps, 4K @ 120fps
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Availability
The Dimensity 9300 is making its debut with the Vivo X100 series which is launching tomorrow: the 8th of November, 2023. We’ll see more flagship phones featuring the chip in the coming days.
Meanwhile, check out our iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comparison.
After co-founding OpenAI (and cutting ties with it), Elon Musk launched his own AI company that goes by the name of “xAI”. And recently, xAI announced one of its first projects: an LLM called “Grok”. In this article, I will explain more about the alleged “ better than chatGPT “ chatbot. Let’s dive in.
xAI’s Grok: Overview
A bit of background
After months of anticipation, the first product from Elon Musk’s xAI might be closer than we expected. However, right after leaving the board of OpenAI, Musk had become increasingly critical of AI and its emergence. He even went on to claim that AI possessed the biggest existential threat known to humanity. Despite, all of that, Musk went on the record to speak about how the prototype of Grok had already surpassed ChatGPT.
Furthermore, the success of this new company might not be as promising as his previous ventures. The primary reason for this is that Elon Musk has been losing his charm since he acquired X. Musk has garnered more criticism than ever before due to his controversial political remarks, and the spread of misinformation at times. Additionally, his decision to lay off thousands of people from their jobs doesn’t help either.
Leaving his outside interests aside, let’s understand what this ‘Grok’ is really about.
Grok Chatbot
Elon Musk’s xAI has introduced Grok, a new witty chatbot with a very edgy sense of humor. Grok self-describes as having a ‘rebellious streak’ and takes inspiration from the popular comedy science fiction franchise ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’. The images that surfaced online make it well evident as well.
“By the way, ‘Grok’ lacks a precise definition, but the Oxford dictionary defines it as ‘to intuitively understand or to empathize’. So, I guess the name does make sense with its definition as well. In addition, Grok will have real-time knowledge of the world via the X platform. It will also answer certain types of questions that are usually rejected by most chatbots.
What influenced Elon Musk?
Musk had previously criticized ChatGPT for being too rigid and stuck within the boundaries of modern political correctness. His fundamental concerns were that the popular chatbot held an overtly tamed moral position and that this so-called intelligent agent lacked features resembling sentience. This could be one of those reasons, which influenced Mr. Musk.
The chatbot will improve with user feedback as it has direct access to user posts in the X platform. The Beta model is currently available to a select few groups. And the results show a remarkable prowess. The bot has the unusual ability to throw some quick banters and responses are full of sarcasm and wits as well.
What model does Grok use?
Grok-1, like other large language models, operates on a deep neural network architecture known as a transformer. Furthermore, it is trained on an extensive dataset of text from the internet. And it learns to predict and generate human-like text by fine-tuning its vast number of parameters. What sets Grok-1 apart is its contextual understanding, enabling it to comprehend the context in which words are used in sentences. With its large parameter size, Grok-1 can capture intricate patterns in a wide range of languages.
While Grok’s wit and Twitter insights are impressive, they raise some important ethical concerns. Critiques argue access to personal social media posts is disrespecting one’s privacy. In addition, some added that the use of humor by AI chatbots might even perpetuate gross stereotypes.
Other projects of xAI
While in July, Musk announced that, the main goal of xAI would be to understand the “true nature of the universe” through AI. It’s a problem that has perplexed philosophers and scientists for centuries. However, for now, it seems a little bit far-fetched to jump right into a metaphysical domain. As the nature of reality and consciousness are untestable stuff. And they are simply not in the scope of our understanding with the current knowledge of the established field of sciences.
Elon Musk’s xAi Grok: Availability
The @xAI Grok AI assistant will be provided as part of 𝕏 Premium+, so I recommend signing up for that.
As mentioned above, only a select few groups in the United States have been made access to the beta version. Likewise, Once Grok AI exits beta, it will be available for all X Premium+ users. Hence, subscribing will be the only option to access Grok.
Not long ago, washing machines were considered a luxury item reserved for wealthy folks. But now, it’s seen as a necessity that saves you valuable time and energy. Given we will soon be in the middle of winter, and, washing clothes will be torture. We figured you’d consider getting a washing machine, and a buying guide would sure be helpful. So here are the basics!
Washing Machine Buying Guide
The washing machine is rather simple to understand. And buying one shouldn’t be complex either. So, before getting one, you can only consider two aspects: its type, and, its capacity. Easy! Now, let’s get into it in more detail, shall we?
Types of Washing Machines
There are many types of washing machines available in the market. And, like everything else, the choices are rather limited here in Nepal. However, this isn’t to say that the available choices aren’t enough! Here in Nepal, we get two types of washing machines: semi-automatic, and automatic a.k.a fully-automatic.
Semi-automatic
These are usually the entry-level goodies, that take a lot of labour off of your shoulders. They come with two separate compartments in them. One for the washer, where you wash your clothes, and the other for rinsing and drying. Firstly, you load your clothes into the washer, put some detergent, then press some buttons, and let it be. It then takes some time and does the washing.
After it’s done, you’ll then have to manually shift the washed clothes to the other compartment to do the rinsing and drying. Here, first, it will rinse the clothes off then it will do the drying. Thus, a semi-automatic washing machine requires some manual labour along with quite a bit of your attention. However, they are pretty water-efficient and budget-friendly. Finally, talking of the price tag, this type of washing machine costs you anywhere between NPR 12,000 to NPR 40,000.
Pros
Affordable
More control over the laundry process
Cons
Separate compartments for washing, and rinsing and drying
Requires manual labour and attention
Fully-automatic
Now, the fully-automatic washing machines are a few steps ahead of their semi-automatic counterparts. This is to say, that these machines cut out almost all the labour from your laundry process. Here, with the automatic washing machines, you just have to load the clothes, add in your detergent, and press some buttons. THAT’S IT! It does the rest, all the way from washing to drying. Now, fully automatic washing machines are available in two types: Top load, and front load.
As the name suggests, with this type of washing machine you load the clothes from the top. They have a single compartment with a vertically placed tube, which does all the washing and drying. Due to this vertical alignment of the tube, the design of the entire machine gets to be rather slim. As a result, top-load washing machines are quite space-friendly. However, top loads usually require more detergent while offering lesser stain-removing prowess than the front loads. Furthermore, it is also known for not being very water efficient.
Nevertheless, you can work around this problem, thanks to its unique feature. The said feature allows you to pause the laundry process. As a result, you can pause the machine midway and manually add water, giving you much more control over the water usage. You can also add more clothes to wash, using this same feature. Meanwhile, they are more electricity efficient and offer faster laundry cycles. The top-load washing machines are available to purchase at a price range of NPR 30,000 to NPR 180,000. Besides, you can also get a mini version of these at around NPR 4,000 to NPR 7,000.
Pros
Relatively affordable
Requires less work
Electricity efficient
Space-friendly
Faster laundry cycles
Added flexibility with pausing feature
Cons
Consumes more water and detergent
Less stain-removing capability
Front Load
Similarly, front-load washing machines also have a single compartment, however, it is horizontally placed. Such that, they have a door on the front, from where you load your clothes to do the laundry. This is the main differentiating factor from its top-loading counterpart. As a result of this horizontal tube alignment, the front-load washing machines are a bit bulky in size and need more space. These washing machines are more advanced than the top loads and, hence, are more water efficient.
Moreover, they also offer a cleaner wash with less detergent, thanks to the faster torque and added range of motion. On the other hand, the front-load washing machine consumes more electricity and has a longer wash cycle compared to its other companions. You also miss out on the pausing feature that you get on the top-load washing machines. In terms of cost, these washing machines start from NPR 40,000 and can go up to NPR 250,000.
Pros
Water efficient
Better cleaning of clothes
More advanced
Cons
On the expensive end
Bulkier
Consumes more electricity
Less flexible
Requires timely maintenance (cleaning)
Capacity of Washing Machines
Now, that we’ve covered the types of washing machines, let’s look into the other major aspect — capacity! Understanding the capacity of a washing machine is fairly simple. You can see a certain weight assigned to the washing machine like 6 Kg, 7.5 Kg, 8.2 Kg, and so on. This number represents the capacity of the washing machine, i.e. the weight of dry clothes you can safely load into your machine at once. Simply put, the higher the number, the more clothes you can wash at the same time.
Here, I will be listing out the capacity of the washing machine and also the size of the family it is ideal for:
Washing Machine Capacity
Ideal for
Under 5 Kg
(Mini Washing machine)
Individual
(can only wash a couple of shirts at a time)
5 Kg
Individual
6 Kg
Couple
7 Kg
Small family (3 individuals)
8 Kg
Medium family (4 individuals)
9 Kg
Large Family (5 individuals)
10 Kg
Large Family (6 individuals)
11 Kg
Very Large Family (7 individuals)
12 Kg
Very Large Family (8 individuals)
Now that we have covered both the main aspects of a “washer”, you are well-equipped to find the one of your dreams! Nevertheless, here are some curated “pro tips” bundled with this washing machine buying guide to further help you out!
Pro Tips
It’s better to get a washing machine from a well-known brand as they offer a better quality product as well as a superior after-sales service.
The above-explained aspects cover most of what you need when choosing a suitable machine for you. However, you should take a deeper look into the features and nuances like the warranty of the machine to better suit your needs.
You need a dedicated tap for water intake as well as proper drainage when setting up your machine. However, you can work around the necessity of a dedicated tap with the semi-automatic, and the top-load washing machine.
Washing machines are ideal for moderately dirty clothes. With this in mind, if your clothes have a deep stain, it’s recommended to manually deal with it.
Don’t overload laundry into your machine, in order to ensure better cleaning and longevity of your machine. Such that, getting a scale for weighing the laundry is a good idea.
Separate your laundry according to the type of fabric, and colour so that you can avoid lint and colour contamination.
And finally, the clothes aren’t ready to wear dry when you take them out from the washing machine. They are about 80% of the way there and need a little more time to fully dry.
Conclusion
I hope that this washing machine buying guide was helpful to you. And you will choose one that’s best for you, saving yourself a lot of time and effort. Also, do let us know if you’d like more buying guides like these! Till then, stay warm, and stay tidy! CHEERS!
Meanwhile, check out these best budget washing machines to buy in Nepal
POCO has unleashed its brand new smartphone- the POCO C65. Similar to its predecessor, the new C65 remains a budget smart-set. However, it comes with a few upgrades over its predecessor. In this article, we will discuss the new POCO C65 in detail, including its expected price in Nepal, features, and specifications.
POCO C65 Overview
Design and Display
POCO C65 is a regular rectangular phone with soft corners. In addition, It comes in three colors, each providing a distinct feel to it despite having a plain design, namely blue, black, and purple. Interestingly, it also features relatively minimal bezels with a waterdrop notch design.
In addition, it features an IPS LCD with a screen size of 6.74 inches (17.1196 cm). It offers a Full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels with a pixel density of 330 pixels per inch. This 90Hz display can reach up to 600 nits of peak brightness.
Meanwhile, check out all the prices and specs of Poco products here
Processor and Performance
POCO C65 is powered by the same MediaTek Helio G85 chipset as its predecessor. Built on the TSMC N12 (12nm-class) production process and featuring eight total cores (2x Cortex-A75 cores @ 2.0GHz + 6x Cortex-A55 cores @1.8GHz), this chipset should suffice for running your everyday applications without too many compromises.
Similarly, the smartphone is offered in two choices in terms of memory. A base 6/128 GB variant (compared to the 4/64GB base on the C55) and a pricier 8/256GB one. In addition, both support expansion up to 1TB via an external SD card.
Camera
The main camera setup on the POCO C65 features a triple-camera configuration, consisting of a 50 MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2 MP depth sensor. In addition, the camera is capable of recording 720p and 1080p videos at 30 frames per second.
Similarly, for the front camera, it has a single 8 MP shooter that can record 1080p videos at 30 frames per second.
Battery and Extras
Moving on, the POCO C65 has a battery capacity of 5000 mAh- the same as its predecessor. It runs on Android 13 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 skin on top.
It now features USB-C which is an upgrade over its predecessor’s Micro USB port. The newer C65 also supports NFC which the C55 didn’t. Lastly, the charging speed gets a bump too—from 10W to 18W.
Samsung recently announced the successor to its ISOCELL GN1 sensor. This sensor is the South Korean tech giant’s latest addition to its CMOS camera sensor family. It allows for better imaging and video recording capabilities than its predecessor. In this article, we shall discuss the Samsung ISOCELL GNK sensor, its specifications, features and availability.
Samsung ISOCELL GNK Overview
Firstly, the new ISOCELL GNK sensor has a size of 1/1.3” and an effective resolution of 8,160 x 6,144 pixels (50MP). It features a pixel size of 1.2μm and an electronic rolling shutter. The ISOCELL GNK merges four neighbouring pixels to form a 2.4μm pixel to achieve higher light sensitivity. In terms of the colour filter, it comes with a Dual Tetrapixel RGB Bayer pattern.
Samsung has collaborated with three different ISO models to enhance the HDR performance of its latest sensor. As a result, ISOCELL GNK can produce images with a dynamic range of up to 102 dB. It also features Smart-ISO Pro which helps in minimising motion artefacts. This in turn helps create images with colour depths of up to 14-bit.
Furthermore, the latest Samsung sensor offers ultra-fast autofocus. It is packed with two photodiodes per pixel which helps focus on an object in motion. It achieves this by comparing the phase difference in all four directions. In terms of video, this sensor allows 8K video recording at 30FPS without compromising the field of view. In addition, it also allows 4K @ 120 FPS and FHD @ 240 FPS video recording.
The ISOCELL sensors are used in a wide range of products including computers, digital cameras, and smartphones. Companies like Redmi, and Realme have used Samsung’s ISOCELL sensor in their midrange offerings previously. Starting next year, midrange, and premium-midrange phones may feature the Samsung ISOCELL GNK sensor.
Sony launched the WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds, which are the successor to 2021’s wildly popular WF-1000XM4 back in July. These bring some significant upgrades over their predecessors all across the board and are now available in Nepal as well. In this article, I will be discussing all the features, specifications, and official price in Nepal of the Sony WF-1000XM5.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Overview:
Design
Compared to the XM4s, these new earbuds bear a much more compact design. Sony says the WF-1000XM5 is roughly 25% smaller and 20% lighter (5.9 gm < 7.3 gm), which should make a much more comfortable fit. Moreover, these earbuds have polyurethane foam material ear tips for better comfort and seal.
The charging case has been redesigned into a more compact piece too. Sony has replaced the wide LED battery indicator on the WF-1000XM4 with a subtle circular one instead. Whereas you now get a separate button at the back for initial pairing. Just like on Apple’s AirPods. You get two color options to choose from here: Silver and Black. The earbuds are also IPX4 water-resistant and have a USB-C port for charging.
Audio
Sony WF-1000XM5 brings an entirely new 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X, for richer audio overall. It supports High-Res Audio Wireless via the LDAC codec plus Sony’s DSEE Extreme technology, enabling the upscaling of compressed audio in real-time. And the new V2 integrated processor and QN2e noise-canceling processor also enable precision 24-bit audio processing here. Other than this, it is also 360 Reality Audio certified for head-tracking function.
The earbuds come with three microphones per earbud. What’s even better is the bone conduction sensors to ensure precise voice pickup for clear calls even in noisy environments. Pair that with the AI-based Deep Neural Network (DNN) tech, Sony is promising its “best ever call quality” with the WF-1000XM5.
Even though Sony has shrunk down the physical size of the earbuds, the WF-1000XM5 is still rated to last up to 8 hours on a full charge with ANC on as its predecessor. Or 4 hours more with ANC off. It’s the same thing with the charging case as well, offering 24/36 hours of charge with ANC on/off. A quick 3-minute charge gets you an hour of playback, whereas a full charge takes 1.5 hours. It supports wired charging via the USB-C port and wireless charging as well.
Rest of the specs
These earbuds connect to devices via Bluetooth 5.3 and on Android devices, it supports Google Fast Pair too. Other than this, the WF-1000XM5 also brings true multipoint connectivity, allowing you to pair it with two devices at the same time. For playback control, activating ANC, answering calls, and more, there’s a touch panel on both earbuds.
Other Features: DSEE Extreme, 360 Reality Audio, Multipoint Connect, Speak-to-Chat
Sony WF-1000XM5 Price in Nepal and Availability
The official Sony WF-1000XM5 price in Nepal is NPR 47,000. It’s available in both black and white colorways and you can buy it in Nepal from Nepa Hima, which is the authorized distributor of Sony products in the country.
In the digital era, wearable devices are changing how we monitor our health. Apple’s upcoming Watch Series 10 aims to do more than just tell time; it will help safeguard your health by detecting issues like hypertension and sleep apnea, potentially challenging the skepticism surrounding other smartwatches. In this article, let’s delve deeper into this rumored Apple watch.
Apple Watch Series 10: Revolution or just a Gimmick?
What is this next Apple watch?
Mark Gurman an investigative reporter from Bloomberg L.P reveals an interesting report about Apple’s next watch. The alleged Apple watch series 10 is said to include hypertension and sleep apnea detection features. And it is safe to say it can indeed be an incredible addition and a health-caring game changer, if true.
What are Hypertension and Sleep Apnea?
Hypertension, often called High Blood Pressure, is when the pressure in the blood vessels is higher (40/90 mmHg or above) than normal blood pressure. Left unchecked, Hypertension can be fatal, and despite that it is a common problem that affects more than 1.28 Billion adults worldwide. People with hypertension may feel mild headaches or exhibit no symptoms at all. So the only way to be sure is to get one’s blood pressure checked.
Source: CDC
Similarly, Sleep Apnea is another common condition where the breathing stops and restarts many times while sleeping, which might prevent one’s body from getting enough oxygen. Usually, healthcare providers treat sleep apnea by conducting a comprehensive sleep study and employing breathing devices like CPAP machines.
How would the Apple Watch detect Hypertension and Sleep Apnea?
Most smartwatches use various sensors, like a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, which uses infrared light sources and a photodetector at the surface of the skin to measure the volumetric variations of blood circulation. The PPG itself doesn’t measure blood pressure; it exclusively measures heart rates. However, it rather utilizes such information and gives a predictive response based on it. But in consensus, scientists seem to be quite skeptical about them. And experts have also questioned the accuracy and reliability of modern smartwatches which claims to be “health monitoring system “.
Similarly, most smartwatches can only measure sleep quantity and quality, they work solely by relying on motion detectors, accelerometers, and various sensors. For instance, a change in heart rate during a deep sleep can be indicative of sleep disturbances. However, sleep apnea differs from your regular sleep disturbances. And common way to detect sleep apnea is usually by implementing additional sensors like SpO2 sensors, which measure oxygen saturation in the blood. Additionally, health professionals use gyroscopes, accelerometers, and even microphones to detect sleep apnea.
Apple Watch Series 10: Conclusion
Despite, the general skepticism and disapproval of health monitoring watches, Apple might be onto something big. Nonetheless, the development of the Apple watch surely will have either of two implications.
Firstly, if it manages to detect high blood pressure and sleep apnea with maximum accuracy and precision. Not only it will harness a seal of satisfaction from the general public but will also revolutionize healthcare completely.
Secondly, this gadget might just become a mere marketing ploy, a manifestation of rampant consumerism, a product disguised as a guardian of the public’s health. Furthermore, some have sometimes criticized it as a harsh commodification of healthcare.
But rather than taking a white or black stance, we can approach the topic with a more realistic view. Going by reputation alone, Apple likely won’t ship a faulty product but that doesn’t mean it going to be medical-grade tech as well. Only time will tell, and until then, we’ll keep you updated with the latest developments regarding the watch.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Apple Watch Ultra here:
