Hi everyone, what’s up? It’s me Pratima again and today I have the all-new Realme 11 Pro Plus with me. Realme’s number series has always been quite popular, the Realme 10 Pro Plus and the 9 Pro Plus were decent phones in their price segments.
This year, with the Realme 11 Pro Plus, Realme has brought a few updates to their spec sheet and also a higher price tag of Rs. 61,999 which puts the phone in a somewhat competitive category because its segment is a particularly crowded space with a lot of good options like the Galaxy A54, Xiaomi 13 Lite, and the recently launched Galaxy F54.
So, without wasting any more time, let’s get into the Realme 11 Pro Plus Review.
Here inside the box, you get the phone, of course. Then we have a 100-watt SuperVOOC GAN charger. Then we have the basics, a SIM ejector tool, a cover, and some paperwork!
Design
I have been using the phone for about a week and I have been using it without a cover because I am in love with the design and form factor of this device. So I didn’t want to cover it with a case.
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I think this is by far one of the most premium-looking and well-built phones in its price segment. It has a pretty balanced heft and is not too heavy to hold either. The vegan leather back feels amazing and contributes to a good grip and a lot of my friends have given a fair share of compliments to its design, so I am pretty happy about the way it looks and feels.
The Realme 11 Pro Plus is also available in a couple of cool color options. Besides this Green color, there’s White and Black and all of them look stunning. And surprisingly, my unit hasn’t gotten dirty either. I thought the leather finish might catch a lot of dirt easily, but no, it’s still good as new!
Display
One of the other things I like about its design is the minimal bezels around its display which contributes to a good viewing experience. At the same time, it’s also curved which makes it look like a more expensive phone. Personally, I am not someone who prefers a curved screen, but the slight curves on this one haven’t really been a problem for me.
Curved Display
While we are talking about the display, I am happy to report that this is an almost flagship-grade screen. It’s bright (950 nits), it’s responsive (up to 1260Hz touch sampling rate), and the colors on it look amazing. So, yeah, overall it’s a really nice screen.
It’s not an LTPO screen like we get on flagship phones but it still has 10-bit colors, supports HDR 10+, and other useful things like 2160 Hz PWM dimming, so I am quite happy about it.The in-display fingerprint sensor also works fine here, although I would have preferred it if it was located a little bit higher.
Audio and Haptics
Anyways, Realme has also included a good pair of stereo speakers on it. The output comes off a bit sharp at times, especially while listening to pop songs, but there’s no distortion on the highest volumes and it can get pretty loud. Overall, I’ve had a great time watching my favorite series and listening to songs on Spotify on the Realme 11 Pro+.
Plus, like its predecessors, the haptics on this phone is also very good for the price. It’s nice and precise and typing or interacting with this device feels great. Even when you get calls, the vibration on it is strong enough, so if you are on a bike or a car, there’s less possibility of you missing your calls.
Performance
Now comes the part where I think Realme could have done better. First is definitely the performance side of things. The Realme 11 Pro Plus comes with the Dimensity 7050 chipset and even though this is a new chipset from MediaTek which might give an impression of being an update over the last-gen Dimensity 1080, actually both these chipsets are pretty much the same.
Hence, the performance I am getting from this phone is more or less the same as I got from the Realme 10 Pro Plus. For a little bit of context, playing heavy games like PUBG or Genshin Impact on the Realme 11 Pro Plus yields similar fps and stability as the Realme 10 Pro Plus. And even general everyday performance feels pretty much the same.
Realme also hasn’t said much about the cooling system it has. On my gaming tests, the phone would reach around 42 degrees while playing Genshin Impact on high settings for about 20 minutes. It wouldn’t get extremely uncomfortable as the heat would only be localized near the camera module.
Other less demanding games like PUBG or COD ran well without much overheating or throttling though.
So, I think Realme definitely should have provided a slightly powerful chipset here because the 30,000 price segment has some really good-performing phones like the Poco F5 or the Moto Edge 40. Even the Dimensity 7200 on the Vivo V27 is a better performer. Not to forget, the Lava Agni 2, which is a much cheaper phone, comes with the same Dimensity 7050 as this phone. So, I am a little disappointed on this front.
Realme UI is not free of bloatware
Except that, the software experience here is good. I like the simplicity of Realme UI and how easy it is to get along. This device also comes with Android 13 out of the box and Realme has committed to 2 years of OS and 3 years of security updates, which is good enough. Well, not as good as Samsung’s 4-year commitment, but not bad either.
Sadly, like most realme phones, you do get a ton of bloatware apps on this phone too, but luckily you can uninstall 80% of them. But there are a couple of apps that can’t even be disabled which I had to tuck in a separate folder somewhere in the corner.
Optics
Okay, let me talk about the cameras now. The Realme 11 Pro Plus features an upgraded 200MP sensor with OIS, then we have the usual 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro lens. The front houses a 32MP shooter for selfies.
Main Camera
For the most part, the 200MP sensor does a good job of maintaining nice details and dynamic range in pictures. The color reproduction is also classic Realme with boosted Greens and Blues.
Realme 11 Pro+ vs Vivo V27
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I compared its cameras with the Vivo V27, which is one of the good camera phones in the similar price range, and found Realme’s photos to compete well overall when clicking pictures of landscapes and flowers and such.
Realme has also been advertising its 4x lossless zoom feature and after testing it, I must say, it works quite well. The 4x zoom shot is actually achieved by cropping in from the 200MP mode, hence the detail levels here are commendable and the shot does not look over-sharpened or unnatural in any way.
However, this 200MP sensor does struggle a little when focussing on nearby subjects, so you will have to maintain a certain distance to get a sharper picture.
Portraits and Selfies
Likewise, one thing that Realme definitely needs to work on is processing human subjects better. I found the skin tone in portraits, normal photos, and even selfies to be much better and more vibrant on the Vivo V27.
Selfies
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I do appreciate that Realme has provided a 2x portrait option, which makes the portraits look more appealing in terms of subject focus, but I think they could make the skin tone more pleasing.
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Night Shots
During nighttime, the pictures from its primary camera are fairly sharp and the large 1/1.4-inch sensor of the 200MP camera captures a good amount of light to bring out well-exposed pictures. Realme also says it uses something called a Tetra2Pixel technology that, depending on the lighting conditions, intelligently uses either 4-in-1 pixel binning to get 50MP photos or 16-in-1 binning to get 12.5MP in extremely low light cases.
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Ultrawide
Anyways, when you turn to the ultra-wide shots, well, they are just average in terms of details and color reproduction. And even the videography side of things is not the most impressive here.
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With an upgraded sensor, I was expecting the 11 Pro Plus to shoot good videos, but the max you can shoot here is up to 4k 30 fps videos and they look just okay with average stabilization. The color reproduction is not bad and the videos have a wider field of view, but Realme definitely could have done a better job. Even selfie videos are capped to 1080p 30 fps and come out just okay.
Battery Life and Charging
Lastly, the battery life on this thing has fared well. Under normal, light kind of usage, I got around 7 hours of screen time, while putting some gaming and camera tests into the mix, I was getting around 6 hours here which is good enough to last you for a full day.
The phone can charge pretty fast too. With the 100-watt charger, it takes around 35 minutes for the phone to get fully charged. And because this is a GAN charger, it does not dissipate too much heat while charging either!
Realme 11 Pro Plus Review: Conclusion
So, to conclude, as I said during my review, I’ve had a good experience with the Realme 11 Pro Plus. This phone definitely feels premium and its display is great while the inclusion of nice haptics further makes interacting with the phone a hoot.
But arguably the biggest Achilles heel of this phone is the choice of chipset and maybe the camera performance as the main 200MP camera could have been more reliable across both photography and videography aspects. Likewise, since this is a more premium offering from the company, a better ultra-wide camera could also make it a more appealing choice since brands like Samsung, Nothing, and Motorola are indeed providing higher-resolution ultra-wide sensors. Plus, the pricing could have been more better!
ZTE’s subbrand Nubia has launched its brand new high-end smartphone i.e. Z50S Pro. The phone is China-exclusive for now and features the flagship Snapdragon chip and the company’s latest camera technology. In this article, we will discuss the key specifications, features, expected price, and availability of the Nubia Z50S Pro in Nepal.
Nubia Z50S Pro Overview:
Display and Design
The Nubia Z50S Pro features a large 6.78” AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,260 x 2,800px, resulting in a pixel density of 452 ppi and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display supports a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and has a wide 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Moreover, the handset comes with a 1,000Hz touch sampling rate (720Hz while tracing multiple fingers). It also supports both DC and high-frequency PWM dimming for comfortable viewing in all lighting conditions.
The phone has a boxy design and there are three colorways to choose from. You get a unique double-textured design with a leather pattern finishes on top of the AG glass protection on the standard Black and Khaki options. The camera bumps on these options are also made to look like a camera lens.
On the contrary, there is a Special Edition that features a prismatic ring around the camera island. The rear panel is also designed after ice so that it reflects light falling on it. On the right side, there are three buttons: power, volume rocker, and a dedicated camera shutter button.
Camera
The latter just adds to the advanced mobile photography that Nubia is going with the Z50S Pro. The phone features a triple-camera system on the back in the circular camera module, consisting of a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP telephoto, and a 50MP ultrawide camera. The main camera has a 35mm focal length, a wide f/1.59 aperture, and a custom 1G+6P lens. It also has Optical Image Stabilization. Inside the punch hole of the display, there is the phone’s selfie shooter that comes with 16MP capability.
The handset is powered by the Advanced Edition of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset which is basically the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip but with the Prime Cortex-X3 core clocked higher at 3.36 GHz. All the graphics-related tasks are controlled by a dedicated Adreno 740 GPU, running at 719 MHz. The Nubia Z50S Pro also comes with a 4233mm² vapor chamber to lower the heat during intensive usage. Furthermore, the phone primarily comes with MyOS 13 based on Android 13.
In terms of benchmarks, the Nubia Z50S Pro has scored 1,676,933 points in the AnTuTu benchmark. This score is comparable to other flagship smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Memory and Storage
ZTE offers three memory and storage options to choose from for this smartphone; 12GB RAM with 256GB storage, 12GB RAM with 1TB storage, and 16GB RAM with 1TB storage. The phone does not have a microSD card slot, so storage is not further expandable.
Battery and Charging
It is powered by a 5,100mAh battery. ZTE claims that the battery can last for just over 37 hours with moderate usage. In power-saving mode, the battery can last even longer, with 6 hours of standby time or a 30-minute call on WeChat on just a 5% charge. The Nubia Z50S Pro also supports 80W fast charging. This means that the phone can be fully charged from empty in just about 30 minutes.
The price of the Nubia Z50S Pro starts at CNY 3,700 for the 12/256GB model. The Special version is slightly more expensive, starting at CNY 4,099. The price of the Nubia Z50S Pro might be placed at around Rs.70,000 for the 12/256GB variant if it ever arrives in Nepal.
Samsung, the renowned tech giant, recently revealed its latest breakthrough in graphics RAM with the introduction of GDDR7. Building on the success of GDDR6, the new generation of graphics RAM promises 40% better and better power-efficient capabilities. These efficiencies take graphics performance to new heights.
Samsung GDDR7 RAM Overview:
Transmission Speed
Samsung designed GDDR7 with the ability to transmit data at a stunning rate of 32Gbps per pin. If compared to its previous GDDR6’s 24Gbps, we surely notice a substantial improvement. This remarkable boost in speed translates to a total data transfer rate of 1.5 Terabytes per second. It typically marks a 40% increase over GDDR6’s 1.1 Terabytes per second.
Yongcheol Bae, Executive VP of Samsung’s Memory Product Planning Team, expressed enthusiasm for the potential of GDDR7 to enhance user experiences in areas that demand superior graphics performance.
PAM3 Technology and Energy Efficiency
The new GDDR7 adopted a 3-level Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM3) technology for speed improvisation. Cutting-edge tech like USB4 and Thunderbolt 5 also utilized this technology. GDDR7 is not only faster but it is also 20% more power-efficient compared to its predecessor. We can expect improved energy consumption during intensive tasks.
Samsung has developed a low-operating voltage variant of GDDR7 to cater to power-constrained devices like laptops. This innovation allows laptops and other similar devices to leverage the full potential of GDDR7 without compromising on battery life and power efficiency.
Enhanced Thermal Resistance
For the concerns related to heat, Samsung has enhanced the epoxy molding compound (EMC) encasing the RAM chips. The new EMC boasts 70% lower thermal resistance than the one used in GDDR6 packages. It ensures that heat is efficiently dissipated, leading to improved overall performance and longevity.
Samsung plans to send out samples of GDDR7 to its key customers later this year. This revolutionary graphics RAM opens up exciting possibilities for various applications, including workstations, PCs, and game consoles, as well as AI, HPC, and automotive vehicles.
Conclusion
Samsung is the first to announce the development of GDDR7 and has completed chip development. However, mass production is still in the works. Nevertheless, the collaboration and progress made by the industry in developing GDDR7 demonstrate the commitment to pushing the boundaries of graphics technology and its widespread impact in the future.
Modular technology has the upper hand over non-modular tech because it allows for customization and consumer options without the need to buy a completely new system. The Framework Laptop 16 is a modular laptop that is now available for pre-order in many parts globally. In comparison to its predecessor, this laptop takes the concept of modularity to new heights allowing almost all the components to be customizable. Let’s learn more about Framework Laptop 16, including its specs, availability, and pricing, in this article.
Framework Laptop 16 Overview:
Display and Design
The Framework Laptop 16 features a 16-inch LCD anti-glare, matte panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, delivering smooth visuals.
Furthermore, the laptop offers a spacious display with its 2560 x 1600 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio, giving plenty of screen space for all; gaming, watching videos, or working on creative projects.
The 100% DCI-P3 color gamut it covers gives vibrant and accurate colors, while the 500 nits brightness gives a bright display even in well-lit environments.
It is designed to be modular and repairable. The laptop has a compact design structure, measuring 17.95 ~ 20.95 mm in thickness and weighing in at 2.1~2.4 kilograms.
Performance
The laptop presents two appealing options for consumers. For tech enthusiasts, there is the DIY system, which allows users to build their matching themself, starting with either the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS or AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor but excluding the operating system. Alternatively, those who prefer a simpler setup can choose the pre-built variants, which offer the option to include the Radeon RX 7700S discrete graphics.
Memory and Storage
Framework Laptop 16 is configurable with up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 memory and up to 4TB of storage. The primary storage is a single M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD, and the secondary storage is a second M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD or a SATA SSD. All of the memory and storage options are user-customizable, which can easily be upgraded or replaced as needed.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The Framework Laptop 16 has a backlit keyboard with 1.5mm of key travel. The laptop comes with a Windows Precision Touchpad of 122.6mm x 76.6mm with a matte glass surface. Both the keyboard and touchpad are customizable.
The keyboard can be centered or offset according to preference, and users can select from options such as a Numpad, RGB Macropad, Spacers available in various colors, or LED Matrix Modules.
Battery and Power Supply
The laptop is packed with an 85Wh battery. With 80% capacity remaining after 1000 cycles, the battery of the Framework Laptop 16 ensures long-lasting power throughout the device’s lifespan. The power supplies through a 180W GaN USB-C charger for efficient charging.
This laptop provides flexibility with 6 user-selectable expansion cards, allowing users to add ports like USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DP, Ethernet, and more based on needs. It also offers reliable wireless connectivity through AMD RZ616 Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
Rest of the specifications
The Framework Laptop 16 has a 1080p webcam with a privacy shutter. The webcam is located on the top bezel of the laptop. It is good enough for video calls and basic video recording. The laptop also features a fingerprint reader compatible with Windows Hello and libfprint in Linux. This biometric security measure allows for secure logins and protects sensitive information.
Framework Laptop 16 Specifications
Design&Build: 356.58 x 290.20 x 17.95 ~ 20.95 mm, 2.1~2.4Kg
The Framework Laptop 16 is now available for preorders in multiple countries, including the US, Canada, Germany, France, the UK, Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, and Australia. It offers two starting options: a DIY system for tech enthusiasts starting at $1,399 and pre-built variants starting at $1,799 with the option for Radeon RX 7700S discrete graphics. The laptop comes in three attractive bezel colors: Black, Orange, and Lavender.
Framework Laptop 16
Specs
Official Pricing
DIY Edition
AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS / Ryzen 9 7940HS processor
$1,399
Pre-built
AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS or AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor with Radeon RX 7700S
A recent post by the Insitute of Engineering and Technology (IET) UK highlights the possibility of competitive football on the surface of the Moon. That too as soon as 2035! But it’s going to be a LOT different than a football game here on Earth. Let’s take a look at what Football on the Moon could possibly look like in the next decade or so.
Football on the Moon?
A panel of engineers, technologists, and scientists at IET have created the first lunar football rule book that has made a couple of changes to football as we all know and love. To adapt the game to the uninhabitable conditions of the Moon, it will be played very differently.
But how is this possible?
Moon’s gravity is six times weaker than that of the Earth, which means a ball traveling at the same speed will travel six times further there. What about the players’ jerseys? What about the playtime? Fear not as the scientists have thought of all that.
Players must wear a flexible airtight suit with oxygen tanks, heating and cool systems, inbuilt padding, and flannel to absorb sweat. They’ll have “Moon Boots” instead of studded ones. Their helmets will have a built-in visor for communication too, while the match will be refereed by a hologram referee + VAR, which will give virtual yellow and red cards directly to the player’s visors.
Gametime and player count
Lunar football will be a 5-on-5 game with no tackles or headers allowed. So interceptions will be the only way to steal the ball from your opponent. Games will be played on lunar noon for maximum visibility and low shadows. Since a 90-minute game isn’t feasible on the Moon, IET proposes a condensed version with four 10-minute quarters instead. There’ll be a generous 20-minute break between the quarters for refueling and recovery. So although the playtime will be less, a single game of lunar football will last 100 minutes.
Ball, Pitch, and Goal
The game ball will be 1.5x larger and contain a “next-gen aerogel” core. This will make it easier for players to hit and bounce the airless sphere. The pitch itself will have to be laser sintered to ensure a consistent and durable playfield. It’ll be shrunk down to 32m x 25m to prevent exhaustion. For reference, a regulation football ground on Earth measures 105m x 68m, which is about 8 times larger. Goalpost will also be larger (10.9m x 2.92m) to account for the fact that jumping on the Moon is much easier.
But why?
That’s great and all but are you also wondering why do all this? We’re still far far away from commercializing Moon travel and we don’t even have a proper Moon base yet. Then why would anyone care about playing football on the lunar surface, when we have much bigger things to worry about?
Well, the IET has good reasons behind it. Though it seems like a far-fetched dream right now, International Lunar Football might only be a generation away. As such, IET wants children to be encouraged and inspired by a potential future in STEM. So alongside the post, they also launched a competition for kids in the UK (aged 4 – 13) to design the first official “Moon Utd Football Kit” in order to kick off its “Engineer a Better World” initiative.
“Getting young people to think about how engineering and technology can be part of the things that they love is really important, and doing this from an early age is essential in showcasing the opportunities available and raising aspirations for careers in these sectors,” said Ama Frimpong, one of the judges of the competition.
So, although it seems silly to write a rule book for something so far ahead in the future, it can serve as an inspiration for young children to get interested in STEM fields. By coupling the imaginative allure of lunar football with engineering, IET seeks to kindle the curiosity and interest of children to explore and pursue science.
Yoga Slim 7 Pro has been around since September 2021. After almost two years, it is now officially available in Nepal. Even so, the laptop features Intel’s i5 H series processor from the 11th generation. So, what does this ultra-thin and ultra-lightweight laptop bring? Let’s walk through the specs, features, and official price of the Yoga Slim 7 Pro (2021) in Nepal in this article.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro (2021) Overview:
Design and Display
In terms of the design, the Yoga Slim 7 Pro is built from top to bottom using aluminum. As the name suggests, it is a slim laptop, measuring around 14.9mm thick. Additionally, it weighs only 1.38 kg. This fact makes it a pretty portable device of its kind.
Part of the portability also comes from its size, as the display itself is 14 inches OLED panel with slim bezels. Furthermore, this display features a 2.8K OLED resolution with a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, Dolby Vision, a 90Hz refresh rate, and DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification.
As mentioned in the title, the Yoga Slim 7 Pro (2021) flaunts an H series processor, Intel’s i5 11300H. In addition, it comes with integrated Iris Xe graphics for those day-to-day graphics tasks. You get 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM soldered on, with no route for expansion. There is a 512GB NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD pre-installed on the laptop. And, you can further extend it up to 1TB of M.2 2280 SSD.
Battery and Others
To back up all those features, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro is shipped with a 61 Wh battery. Additionally, the 65-watt USB-C Slim power adapter inside the box can charge the device. Besides, the device comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Home and a 720p camera with an IR and ToF sensor for Windows Hello.
For ports, though, there are a very limited number of options here, with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a headphone/mic combo jack (3.5mm). Thankfully, the two Thunderbolt 4 ports support Power Delivery 3.0, data transfer, and DisplayPort 1.4. Moreover, the wireless connectivity opinions include WiFi 6 (ax, 2×2) and Bluetooth 5.1.
The long-rumored next-gen Apple iMac with an M3 chip is finally on the horizon. According to reputed analyst Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing to launch M3-powered iMacs in October, alongside M3 refreshes of the 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Let’s find out more.
M3 iMac Rumors Roundup:
While the upcoming is finally getting a chip upgrade, it seems that there won’t be many changes to iMac’s design. That’s necessarily not a bad thing though because current 24-inch iMacs sport a refined look and like the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” As such, the Apple M3 iMac will come in Green, Yellow, Orange, Pink, Purple, Blue, and Silver color options. Apple might throw in a new colorway or two as they often do for products that don’t see much change externally.
M1 iMac (2021)
Anyway, the upcoming iMacs will be among the first devices to be powered by the 3nm M3 Apple silicon. So it should bring a noticeable boost in performance. Early rumors suggested a larger 32-inch iMac this time but according to Gurman, that won’t show up until late 2024. Alongside the new iMac, 13-inch MacBooks Air and MacBook Pro will also be getting the M3 treatment.
Launch date?
Although previous reports suggested that next-gen iMac with an M3 chip isn’t happening due to the low yield of TSMC’s 3nm process, Mark Gurman’s latest newsletter — Power On — suggests otherwise.
“Now that Apple has gotten the 15-inch MacBook Air and new M2 Ultra-based Macs out the door, the October launch could feature the first Macs with M3 chips. October is too early for new high-end MacBook Pros or desktops, so the first beneficiaries of the new chip should be the next iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro.”
Regardless of whether it’s late 2023 or early 2024, one thing’s for sure — we’re finally getting a new iMac after 2 long years. Though it won’t have the biggest of changes, a new chip should be incentive enough for the interested to flock around the M3-powered Apple iMac.
Oh, and one last thing. New iPads usually launch in September – October too, but there’s no sign of an M3 iPad in sight this time. Gurman instead suggests major upgrades to the iPad lineup next year with M3-powered OLED iPad Pros and a more powerful iPad Air.
HTC is the long-lost name in the smartphone market, although it was one of the pioneers back in the old glory days. After announcing the U23 Pro in May, the Taiwanese company has now unveiled the HTC U23 midrange phone. More about the specs, features, and expected price of the HTC U23 in Nepal.
HTC U23 Overview:
Design and Display
The HTC U23 bears a slightly different design approach to the U23 Pro sibling. The smartphone sports a dual-tone design which is apparently visible on the camera module side. Other than that, it retains the boxy form factor with flat frames. You also get an IP67 rating against dust and water drips. HTC ships this phone in two color variants: Aqua Blue and Roland Violet.
Talking of the display, it is a 6.7-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. This Full HD+ screen also gets the Gorillas Glass Victus protection.
Performance
Under the hood, the U23 houses a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset for horsepower. This 4nm Samsung fabbed silicon supports 5G connectivity and features a Cortex A710 cores at 2.4GHz, three Cortex A710 cores at 2.36GHz, and four Cortex A510 cores at 1.8GHz. Handling the graphics here is an Adreno 644GPU.
In terms of memory and storage, only the 8/128GB variant is available. You can expand the storage via a microSD card. As for the software, the U23 boots on Android 13.
Camera
Moving on, the smartphone rocks a triple camera setup on its rear side. The main camera here is a 64MP shooter with f/1.89 aperture, followed by an 8MP ultrawide unit and a 2MP depth sensor. Upfront, you get a 32MP snapper for selfies and video calls.
Fueling the device is a 4600mAH battery with 30W fast PD charging and 15W wireless charging support. On top of that, it also supports reverse wireless charging. And the connectivity options here include 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. Furthermore, you get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometrics security.
The company has not revealed the pricing details yet. The device will go on sale in Taiwan from July 25. We’ll update the article as and when the pricing info becomes available.
Meanwhile, you can check our Nothing Phone 2 Review.
Google’s ChatGPT rival, Bard, has been steadily getting more and more capable with every new update. Back in May, the company announced new abilities for Bard, including image replies and coding abilities, and 3rd party integration. The latter of which is finally making its way into Bard. With this, Bard will be integrated into a bunch of Google and other third-party apps. Let’s learn more about these “extensions” coming to Google Bard.
Google Bard Extensions: Overview
A few months ago, the VP of Google Assistant and Bard, Sissie Hsiao, mentioned the integration of various Google services like Google Lens, Docs, Drive, Gmail, and Maps into Bard in the near future. Furthermore, she also mentioned 3rd party integration with other services like Adobe Firefly. And it looks like that might come sooner than expected.
Folks over at 9to5Google were able to “enable an early preview” of extensions in Google Bard. And although they are non-functional, they managed to spot nine of these extensions. Including:
Google Flights
Google Hotels
Google Maps
Instacart
Kayak
OpenTable
Redfin
YouTube
Zillow
Image: 9to5Google
How do Google Bard extensions work?
As seen from the image above, there’s also a short descriptor and a sample quote on each extension to make the best of the tool. For instance, the description for Instacart reads “Create shipping lists on Instacart to easily shop for ingredients.” And the sample prompt provided is “Create a shipping list for groceries. I want to add cereal, eggs, and bananas to it.” You can also choose to enable or disable these extensions as needed.
With extensions on the horizon, Google Bard might finally be on par with ChatGPT and its plugins. Though ChatGPT’s Plugins rolled out much sooner, they are far from optimized and still in Beta. So if Google can work with third parties to deliver a superior product right out of the gate, Bard might even be able to pull ahead. And though this “find” is still unofficial, I hope extensions roll out soon enough.
Xiaomi Nepal has launched the Redmi Watch 3 Active in the country after unveiling multiple products like the Redmi Note 12 Pro, Note 12 4G, Note 12 5G, Redmi Buds 4 Active, and Redmi Buds 4 recently. And the biggest highlight of this smartwatch is definitely its Bluetooth calling feature. So let’s check out the specs, features, official price in Nepal, and availability of the Redmi Watch 3 Active.
Redmi Watch 3 Active Overview:
Okay, in order to meet a cheaper price point on the Redmi Watch 3 Active, Xiaomi has had to make certain compromises compared to the regular Redmi Watch 3. While the previous model had NFC and built-in GPS functionalities, neither of them is available here. But for those who want to trail their workouts, it’s possible if you have your smartphone with you.
Design
Starting with the design, this thing looks like a combination of the Redmi Watch 2 Lite and Redmi Watch 3 with a somewhat squared screen and a single physical button. It measures 10.94mm thick and weighs around 41 grams with the strap.
Moving on, the Redmi Watch 3 Active has a 1.83-inch IPS display, which is slightly bigger than the 1.75-inch screen of its predecessor. Users also have the flexibility to personalize their experience with over 200 customizable watch faces to suit their individual preferences. With a 240 x 280 pixel resolution and up to 450 nits of brightness, this display is fairly sharp and bright too.
The connectivity option on the Redmi Watch 3 Active includes Bluetooth 5.3 and thanks to the built-in microphone and speaker, you can make/receive Bluetooth phone calls from the watch itself. Whereas its 5 ATM rating also makes it suitable for wearing while swimming or engaging in water sports. With over 100 sports modes, the Redmi Watch 3 Active also covers the fitness tracking side of things pretty well.
Other health monitoring features on this wearable include 24/7 blood oxygen, heart rate, sleep tracking, women’s health functions, and more.
Battery and Charging
As for battery life, Xiaomi says the Redmi Watch 3 Active is good for up to 12 days on typical usage. Or 8 days with a relatively heavy usage pattern. Its 289mAh battery charges magnetically, and you get a compatible charger in the box itself.