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Deal Alert: Ripple Nova Pro gaming laptop is currently at its lowest price

GadgetByte

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April 15, 2023

Deal Alert: Ripple Nova Pro gaming laptop is currently at its lowest price

Ripple was the first brand to launch 12th Gen Intel gaming laptops in Nepal with the Nova series. The company is now offering the vanilla Nova for a discounted price. So, let’s get into the full specs, features, official price, and availability of Ripple Nova and Nova Pro (Intel / Ryzen) gaming laptops in Nepal.

Ripple Nova, Nova Pro Overview:

Latest Intel / AMD CPUs

The new Ryzen variant of the Ripple Nova Pro is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 6800H processor. It is an octa-core processor with clock speeds ranging from 3.2GHz to 4.7GHz. The processor has 16MB of cache at its helm and supports Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT).

In addition to the new Nova Pro Ryzen, Ripple is continuing the 12th Gen Intel-powered Nova and Nova Pro gaming laptops. The Intel variant of the Ripple Nova Pro packs Core i7-12700H , a 12-core CPU with 6 performance and 8 efficiency cores.

Then we have the regular Ripple Nova with the Core i5-12500H. It is based on the base hybrid architecture as its bigger sibling but has reduced performance cores (4) and threads (8).

RTX 30-series GPUs

As for the graphics performance, all Ripple Nova series gaming laptops rely on NVIDIA’s RTX 30-series gaming laptops. Irrespective of the CPU choice, you get the RTX 3060 GPU on the Ripple Nova Pro, configured at a max TGP (Total Graphics Power) of 140W.

The Ryzen variant even offers a MUX Switch to bypass the integrated graphics to speed up graphical workloads.

Ripple Nova, on the other hand, comes with RTX 3050 Ti configured at up to 90W TGP.

RAM and Storage

Talking about the memory options, the Intel Powered Ripple Nova series laptops start at 8GB Of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. Ripple Nova Pro Ryzen, on the other hand, starts at 16GB RAM. All three laptops come with upgradeable RAM and SSD slots. But it is important to note that the Pro laptops have DDR5 slots that are faster but unfortunately also rarer in the market.

Design and Design

All laptops under the Ripple Nova series have similar designs. They even have the same screen size and weigh the same.

That being said, Ripple Nova Pro (Intel / Ryzen) has a better display than the Pro. It sports a 15.6–inch display with a 165Hz refresh rate and QHD resolution. The 2K panel even has 100% sRGB coverage. Thus, we see it appealing to content creators as well.

On the other hand, Ripple Nova only has a 144Hz FHD display.

Rest of the specs

Likewise, Ripple Nova Pro (Intel / Ryzen) comes with a 62.32Wh battery and ships with a 180W power adapter. On the other hand, the regular Nova comes with a smaller 42.32Wh battery and a 150W adapter. The port selection is exactly the same. Here, you get three Type-A, one Type-C, an HDMI, audio out, and an ethernet jack.

Ripple Nova Series (Nova, Nova Pro) Specifications:

	Nova	Nova Pro
Dimension	360.2 x 243.5 x 19.9mm; 1.9 kg
Display	15.6-inch FHD, 144Hz refresh rate, 3ms	15.6-inch QHD, 165Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB
CPU	Intel Core i5-12500H (12C/16T)	Intel Core i7-12700H (14C/20T) AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (8C/16T)
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (90W)	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (140W)
RAM	8/16/32GB DDR4-3200	8GB DDR5-4800 (Intel) 16GB DDR5-4800 (Ryzen)
Storage	256/512GB/1TB SSD
Keyboard	Full-size S-Zone RGB Keyboard
Battery	47Wh (150W adapter)	63Wh (180W adapter)
Ports	2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x card reader, 1x Audio out, 1x RJ45

Ripple Nova, Nova Pro Price in Nepal and Availability (Official)

Under the new offer, you can get the Ripple Nova and Nova Pro for Rs. 128,000 and Rs. 185,000, respectively. This discounted price is valid for pre-order with 20% pre-payment.

Ripple Nova Gaming Series	Price in Nepal (Official)	Offer Price (Pre-Order)
Nova (144Hz FHD, Intel Core i5-12500H, RTX 3050 Ti, 8/256GB)	Rs. 138,000	Rs. 128,000
Nova Pro (165Hz QHD, Intel Core i7-12700H, RTX 3060, 16/512GB)	Rs. 201,000	Rs. 185,000

Meanwhile, check out our review of Ripple Nova Pro (Nepali).

Amazon Kindle Scribe with 10.2″ display, stylus support now in Nepal

Amazon

GadgetByte

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April 15, 2023

1

Amazon Kindle Scribe with 10.2″ display, stylus support now in Nepal

Last year, Amazon unveiled the Scribe with the largest Kindle to date. In addition, it also brings stylus support—making it the first Kindle with for reading and writing. Here, we will take a look at the Amazon Kindle Scribe, along with its specs, features, availability, and expected price in Nepal.

Amazon Kindle Scribe Overview:

Design, Display

Looking at the device and what it has to offer, the Kindle Scribe is basically an enlarged Kindle Oasis. The Paperwhite display on the Kindle Scribe measures 10.2 inches and supports touch as well as stylus input.

The screen has a 300 PPI pixel density and also a front light that supports automatic adjustment. It is only available in a single grey color option called ‘Tungsten.’

Also Read:

Stylus Input

The presence of stylus support is one of the most exciting features of the Kindle Scribe. Amazon refers to its stylus as just a ‘Pen’ and offers it in Basic and Premium options. The Pen does not need charging and attaches magnetically to the side of the Scribe. Moreover, the Premium Pen has an eraser up top alongside a customizable button to switch between pen modes and more.

The Sticky Notes feature on the Kindle Scribe can be used to save handwritten notes to ebooks, which can also be synced to other devices. Note-taking, journaling, templates, to-do lists, and other features are also available.

Rest of the Specs

Besides that, the Kindle Scribe offers access to over 3 million titles via the Kindle Store. For connectivity, it has Wi-Fi, and other features include parental control, auto page rotation, and more.

According to Amazon, the Kindle Scribe should last 12 weeks on a single charge with half an hour of reading per day with the light setting at 13. Talking about writing, it is rated for 3 weeks of usage with the same criteria.

Amazon Kindle Scribe Specifications:

Dimensions: 196 x 230 x 5.8mm, 433g
Display: 10.2-inch Paperwhite display, 300 PPI pixel density
storage: 16/32/64GB
GPU: 800MHz
Memory: 2GB RAM | 16GB internal storage
Wireless connectivity: Dual Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2
Battery Life: 12 weeks of half an hour reading per day
Charge Time: 2.5 hours with a 9W USB-C charger
Colors: Tungsten

Amazon Kindle Scribe Price in Nepal and Availability

You can now buy the new Amazon Kindle Scribe from Neostore. It costs Rs. 100,000 for the 64GB memory configuration with Premium Pen.

Amazon Kindle Scribe	Price in Nepal	Availability
64GB with Premium Pen	Rs. 100,000	Neoteric

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Oppo Pad Air.

Intel joins hands with ARM for development of 1.8nm mobile chips

ARM
Intel

GadgetByte

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April 15, 2023

4

Intel joins hands with ARM for development of 1.8nm mobile chips

Intel has just announced a multi-generation collaboration with Arm, the top IP licensor for mobile chipsets. This multi-generational deal will initially concentrate on manufacturing Arm-based mobile chips before expanding to applications in the automotive, IoT, data center, aerospace, and government sectors.

Intel Foundry x ARM

It’s no secret that the recent years have not been good for Intel with delays on its 10nm and 7nm process nodes—letting its archenemy AMD thrive in the market. So in 2021, Intel announced IDM 2.0 strategy under which the company devised a new Foundry Service decision to manufacture chips for other clients. It even announced to invest USD 20 billion into building two new boundaries for the same.

The new design technology co-optimization (DTCO) between IFS and ARM is part of this strategy. This doesn’t mean Intel will be fabricating chips for ARM. Instead, it opens the door for fabless companies to build chips using ARM’s IP design and Intel’s open foundries.

This agreement also puts Intel directly against TSMC and Samsung Semiconductors, the leading manufacturers of all smartphones chips today. TSMC, in particular, has helped rivals AMD and NVIDIA to get Intel’s market share.

Intel 18A Process

Intel’s foundry will manufacture Arm chips for smartphones using the 18A process, which Intels hopes will go into mass production in 2024. The 18A process is essentially a 1.8nm technology. The “A” in 18A stands for the metric unit named Angstrom, which measures one-tenth of a nanometer (0.1 nm).

Intel 18A promises two new changes: RibbonFET and PowerVia. The former is the new transistor architecture that will replace the FinFET, which Intel has been using since 2012. It brings ribbon-shaped channels with gate all around that allows for higher performance, greater control, and a compact form factor.

With PowerVia, intel will power transistors in chipsets directly from underneath. This is more efficient than placing the power cables on top and frees up the space on top for signal routing.

Why this deal, though?

Both sides will benefit from this partnership. Intel will benefit from Arm’s expertise in low-power and high-performance chips, while Arm will gain access to Intel’s advanced manufacturing and research capabilities. This joint effort may bring the SoC‘s size to miniature more than ever and increase the efficiency of the next-gen chips.

“Intel’s collaboration with Arm will expand the market opportunity for IFS and open up new options and approaches for any fabless company that wants to access best-in-class CPU IP and the power of an open system foundry with leading-edge process technology”, says the CEO of Intel.

Hence, the partnership between Intel and Arm might bring a whole new level to the field of smartphone chips.

Meanwhile, check out our comparison of the latest flagship smartphone chipsets.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Review: Hitting The Right Notes

Nikhil Shrestha

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April 14, 2023

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Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Review: Hitting The Right Notes

So I’ve been using the new Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) for a little over a week now. And I’ll give it to you straight—this thing is pretty impressive as there’s pretty much everything I look for on a solid 2-in-1 laptop here. Including powerful performance thanks to the latest 13th Gen Intel CPU, a beautiful OLED touchscreen, and decent battery life. All in a package that weighs no more than 1.5 kg! So if you’re in the market for a reliable 2-in-1 laptop, this guy should definitely be on our radar. More on this full review of the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023).

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Review: Specifications

Design & Build: Aluminum build, 12.26 x 8.80 x 0.63-inches (W x D x H), 1.50 kg
Color Options: Foggy Silver, Ponder Blue
Display: 14″ glossy OLED panel, 360° touchscreen, 90Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 400 nits brightness, 550 nits (HDR peak brightness)
Other Properties: Pantone validated, SGS Eye Care Display, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500, TÜV Rheinland certified
Resolution: 2.8K (2880 × 1800) resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, 242 PPI
Keyboard: Full-size chiclet backlit keyboard, 1.4mm travel, ErgoSense hinge
Trackpad: Glass trackpad (Supports NumberPad 2.0)
Security: Windows Hello-certified IR (infrared) webcam, TPM 2.0
Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P CPU (Raptor Lake), 12C/16T, 5.0 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 18MB L3 Cache, Intel 7 process, 28W base power (TDP)
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe (Integrated), 96 Execution Units (1.50 GHz)
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 RAM (non-upgradable)
Storage: 512GB / 1TB SSD (M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0)
Audio: Down-firing stereo speaker system, Smart Amp, Dolby Atmos
Battery: 75 Watt-hours Li-Ion battery
Power Supply: 65W USB Type-C AC Adapter (20V, 3.25A)
Webcam: FHD IR camera, Built-in array microphone (with Cortana voice-recognition support)
Connectivity: WiFi 6E (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0
I/O Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack
Price in Nepal: NPR 208,333 (Intel i7-1360P, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
What’s Inside The Box: Laptop, 65W power adapter, Asus laptop sleeve, Asus Pen 2.0 (stylus), USB-A to RJ45 adapter, User manual and other documents

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Review:

Design and Build

12.26 x 8.80 x 0.63-inches (W x D x H)
1.50 kg, Aluminum build material

Okay, I guess you guys might already know that I’m not a big fan of flashy, over-the-top design choices. And I like to keep things nice and simple.

But there’s just… something about the Zenbook Flip that really resonates with me somehow.

The shiny, angular Asus logo along with a little “Zenbook” branding at the bottom adds some much-needed character to this machine, and I’m quite fond of it. The fact that I don’t have to worry about fingerprint smudges or anything is just the cherry on top too. And since this is a premium “Zenbook” laptop after all, its build quality is also top-notch. Consisting of nothing except an all-metal chassis.

What about durability then? That’s always been something of a concern with 2-in-1 laptops, right? Well, the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) has impressed me on that front as well. It passes the usual military-grade durability tests—sure.

But more importantly, this 360º hinge is incredibly sturdy too. Usually what I’ve seen with such light 2-in-1 laptops is that they end up with really wobbly hinges, which ruins the experience of using a convertible device in the first place. But Asus has managed to avoid all that… rather heroically, might I say.

Tent it, stand it, tablet it, laptop it

As a result, I’ve had no trouble using it in either laptop, tent, stand, or tablet mode. And another neat little thing I noticed here is these four rubber bumpers on the keyboard deck. They might look pointless at first but they are actually quite important to protect the display from pressure every time you close it. Such small attention to detail really ends up making quite a big difference in the long run, huh?

For such a compact 2-in-1 laptop, the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip’s I/O selection deserves an equal amount of praise. You get a couple of Thunderbolt 4-ready USB-C ports on the right, both capable of accepting USB power delivery or connecting 4K (or even 8K) external displays.

Ports

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Then there’s a full-sized HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm combo audio jack, while a lone USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port sits on the left. And despite the laptop’s thin profile, I like how Asus hasn’t used a drop-jaw USB port here. I know that’s mostly a necessary design choice on such impossibly slim laptops, but I just… don’t like drop-jaw ports.

Display

14″ glossy 2.8K OLED touchscreen
90Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut
400 nits brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass NBT
Supports Asus Pen 2.0 (stylus)

The Zenbook 14 Flip’s display is a stunner too. You’re looking at a 14” 2.8K OLED touchscreen with a 90Hz refresh rate and a tall 16:10 aspect ratio, which is also Pantone-validated for color accuracy. Oh, and this is the only display configuration that Asus has for this laptop by the way; there’s no Full HD option with a higher refresh rate or a sharper 4K config that refreshes at a standard 60Hz.

While that certainly doesn’t sound like much of a choice, I must say that I don’t mind the lack of multiple options here.

That’s because I think 2.8K has the perfect trade-off between sharpness and battery life. Just think about it. Neither does it look pixelated, nor is it too heavy on the battery—it’s a win-win! Anyway, I guess I don’t need to tell you how beautiful this OLED display is.

Display Properties

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From lively colors to punchy contrast and everything in between, I absolutely love this screen. The company’s claim of 100% DCI-P3 color gamut did come a bit short on our testing—at 99%—but that’s nothing.

Weirdly enough, our Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) fell short on brightness measurements too. Asus quotes 400 nits of peak brightness but it maxed out at 361 nits only. I hope this is just some quality control issue on our unit because this is quite unusual. Not a dealbreaker or anything, just unusual. Since it is more than bright enough for comfortable indoor usage.

Display be glossing

Outdoor visibility is a different story though—but not because of those brightness levels I just talked about. Instead, since Asus has used a glossy OLED panel here, it catches surrounding reflections much much easily. On some really sunny days, I’ve even had to shut off the blinds in our office to be able to comfortably look at this thing.

So yeah, if your workplace or wherever you end up setting up your laptop gets a lot of ambient light, then this could be mildly annoying.

Other than this, Asus has done an A1 job with the display here. With incredible color coverage and that Pantone validation, it is perfectly workable for graphic designers, photo editors, or just about anyone that needs a color-accurate screen. And the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) is even loaded with a bunch of different color profiles to match your workflow. Asus is also well ahead of your concerns regarding OLED burn-in, with a couple of preventive features like pixel refresh and pixel shift built-in.

The stylus experience

To make the most out of this touchscreen, you’ll need a stylus too. Thankfully, Asus ships one in the box itself. While I wish it was a garaged stylus instead of something I had to carry around separately, my digital artist friends were quite repulsed at the idea of a flat pen. I guess that makes sense—I can already imagine the discomfort of holding such pens in long drawing sessions. Regardless, this second-gen Asus Pen is fantastic.

Its input latency is quite minimal and it is pressure-sensitive as well. You also get a couple of extra nibs with different hardness levels for a more realistic drawing experience.

And one thing that’s really stuck with me about this stylus is that I can switch to the next page in my Powerpoint presentation directly by clicking the top button. So no more awkwardly trying to reach the laptop to change slides in the middle of the presentation; that’s pretty cool! I know the college me would’ve absolutely worshipped this thing back in the day! But for some reason, this button’s tactile feedback is pretty terrible. And I wish Asus would improve its palm rejection tech with a future update as well.

Keyboard and Trackpad

Full-size backlit chiclet keyboard (1.4mm travel)
Glass trackpad (with NumberPad 2.0)

As for the keyboard, the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) has got the usual key layout that I know and love. With a solid 1.4mm travel distance and soft, bouncy feedback, I’ve had no trouble maintaining my usual typing speed on this thing. Its noise profile is on the quiet side so that’s good too.

Oh, and since this laptop has an ErgoLift hinge that raises the keyboard deck a little, I also find it much more comfortable to type on than other ordinary laptops with a flat base. However, even keyboard backlighting is still something that Asus struggles with. I feel like I’ve been complaining about it in basically every one of our Asus laptop reviews, but here we are. Guess I could cut Asus some slack on budget devices but on a premium “Zenbook” device like this, it’s just embarrassing.

At least this glass trackpad is pretty great. It is smooth and spacious enough for all sorts of gestures, scrolling, or pinch-and-zoom actions. The integrated buttons have solid feedback and Asus has also thrown in its digital Numpad here.

While that’s a great way to bring the Numpad experience on a 14” chassis, the number of times I unknowingly triggered it daily was rather annoying. The one silver lining is that there’s an option in the “MyASUS” app now that lets me disable the digital numpad. And I don’t have to mess around with the trackpad drivers this time.

Audio

Down-firing stereo speakers
Dolby Atmos audio

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip’s audio setup is fantastic though. No, it doesn’t have front-firing stereo speakers or anything but its sound output is far better than most other Windows laptops I’ve tested in this price bracket. With a spacious—almost surrounding—sound profile that lets you enjoy the details in all sorts of music or whatever you’re listening to, the multimedia experience on this laptop is awesome. I didn’t expect it but there’s even a bit of oomph in its bass.

Webcam

FHD IR camera (no privacy shutter)
Built-in array microphone

In the past year or so, we’ve come a long way from the crappy 720p webcams on Windows machines. Who would’ve thought a global pandemic is what it would take for laptop makers to finally ship decent cameras? Anyway, you get a proper FHD camera here that’s great for casual video calls or online classes.

It doesn’t get the subject’s skin tone quite right and exposure handling versus a bright background remains a struggle, but I can look past those things. The onboard array microphones do a good job of picking up the audio, and Asus has also offered a bunch of features to enhance your video call experience.

Like background blur or motion tracking to keep you in the center of the frame even when you’re moving around. But “gaze correction” is one that particularly caught my eye. With this, Asus says it can make you appear as if you’re intently looking at the camera even when you’re not. Just like Nvidia’s “Eye Contact” feature.

Unfortunately, it simply refused to work here—so I’m hoping Asus is working on a fix. And one more thing. Even though there are a bunch of camera optimization features available, I can only use turn on one at a time. That’s oddly limiting. So, say I wanted to blur my background while also applying lighting correction and motion tracking, tough luck.

Performance

Intel Core i7-1360P CPU (28W TDP)
Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Integrated)
16GB LPDDR5 RAM, 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

Okay, let’s now get into the performance side of things. Our Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) is powered by Intel’s latest 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs, and you can choose between Core i5-1340P or Core i7-1360P processors. While the memory options include 8 or 16GB LPDDR5 RAM. But as expected from a compact 2-in-1 device, the RAM is soldered into the motherboard here so make sure you consider that before buying this laptop. The storage is upgradable though and you can get it with either 512GB or 1TB of M.2 NVMe SSD by default.

Let’s talk about the CPU choice

Interestingly, Asus had gone with “H” series processors in last year’s Zenbook 14 Flip, which are relatively more powerful than the “P” series Intel CPUs on this machine. So… is there actually a downgrade in performance here somehow? Well, technically yes. But it’s a meaningful and sensible downgrade when you really think about it.

You see, these two lineups of Intel processors have vastly different power requirements; with the H-suffixed CPUs eating up over 50% power even when operating at base frequencies.

	i7-1355U	i7-1360P	i7-13705H
Cores	10 (2x P, 8x E)	12 (4x P, 8x E)	14 (6x P, 8x E)
Threads	12	16	20
E-cores Max. Freq.	3.70 GHz	3.70 GHz	3.70 GHz
P-cores Max. Freq.	5.0 GHz	5.0 GHz	5.0 GHz
Intel Smart Cache	12MB	18MB	24MB
Graphics	Iris Xe	Iris Xe	Iris Xe
Execution Units	96 (1.30 GHz)	96 (1.50 GHz)	96 (1.50 GHz)
Base Power	15W	28W	45W
Max Turbo Power	55W	64W	115W

Although that’s not an issue for gaming or creator laptops, you’d be basically wasting all that power in a 2-in-1 laptop like this. Which means the battery life is needlessly taking a hit, whereas the cooling system gets worked up for nothing since there isn’t enough thermal headroom in such compact laptops either.

Benchmarks

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So settling with Intel’s “P” series processors that have much more manageable power requirements is 100% the right move in my opinion. If that’s the case, why not just go with “U” series CPUs that are even less power-hungry then? That’s a valid point but for me, those Intel processors are well-suited for budget laptops only.

The right amount of power

As in, they handle everyday tasks like web browsing, working on Office suite of applications, video streaming, and such with no trouble. But when pushing them up a notch just a little bit with creative apps like Photoshop, such low-powered CPUs struggle to keep up with your work. So keeping that in mind, I am definitely thankful for that extra bit of performance leeway here. Even on battery power, the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) shows no signs of struggle on all my usual chores.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) – Gaming

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And I really like how cool and quiet this thing stays too. Even at the highest fan profile, the fan noise is barely audible in a typical office setting like ours. Now, since this laptop relies on the integrated Iris Xe graphics for all your GPU needs, don’t expect it to breeze through something like video editing or gaming. It’s good enough to edit short-form 1080p projects or play light games like CS: GO, Asphalt 9, and Fall Guys at 1080p, but that’s about it.

Battery

75 Watt-hour 4-cell Li-Ion battery
65W USB Type-C AC Adapter

Moving on, the battery life on this year’s Zenbook 14 Flip gets a nice upgrade too. Asus has managed to bump the battery from 63Wh to 75Wh here—that too without any significant weight gain so that’s quite impressive.

As a result, I was constantly averaging 6 hours of screen time while using this laptop at 70% brightness with the batter mode set to “Balanced”. That’s pretty great! I also tested it with “Best Performance” mode a few times but found its excessive power draw for a barely-noticeable performance jump to be essentially useless.

Charging this thing is a breeze though. You get a 65W AC adapter in the box, but you can always go for a much cleaner setup since it supports 65W USB-PD charging too. Getting it from 0 to 100% takes almost 3 hours though, so there’s that.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Review: Conclusion

Summing up our Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) review, this is a fantastic 2-in-1 laptop; there’s absolutely zero doubt about that. It manages to impress on all essential fronts like performance, display, design, battery life, and more. While also edging out the competition like Samsung’s Galaxy Book3 Pro 360, MSI Summit Flip 14 Evo, and HP Spectre x360 in terms of price.

So if you’re in the market for a solid, premium convertible laptop without breaking the bank, then the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is an easy recommendation from me.

Now, this thing isn’t perfect in any way. Obviously. Apart from all the minor complaints I talked about earlier, there are a few other things I wish Asus did differently. Like including a physical camera kill switch, for example. Or not including bloatware apps like McAfee antivirus. But you know what? These are such small, ignorable complaints that they shouldn’t stop you from getting this otherwise awesome 2-in-1 laptop.

Watch our video review of the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023)

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Sturdy, premium build quality
Excellent OLED touchscreen
Nice port selection
Good keyboard, trackpad
Fantastic performance with 13th Gen CPU
Surprisingly nice stereo speakers
Great battery backup

Cons:

Keyboard backlighting could’ve been better
Soldered RAM
No camera privacy shutter
Charging speed is a bit slow

Honor X8a Review: Lost in the competition

GadgetByte

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April 14, 2023

0

Honor X8a Review: Lost in the competition

I’ve had the Honor X8a for a couple of weeks now. And I’ll be discussing my experience with this smartphone in my review. In Nepal, the single 8/128GB model costs Rs. 30,490. And I believe it is a little pricey. Let’s find out why in this review.

Honor X8a Specifications:

Body: 162.9 x 74.5 x 7.48mm; 179 grams
Display: 6.7-inches LTPS LCD, 90Hz refresh rate
Resolution: FHD+ (2388 x 1080 pixels), 20:9
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G88 (12nm Mobile platform)
CPU: Octa-core
– 2x Cortex-A75 (2.0 GHz)
– 6x Cortex-A55 (1.8 GHz)
GPU: Mali-G52 MC2
Memory: 6/8GB RAM, 128GB storage (non-expandable)
Software & UI: Android 12 with Honor’s MagicUI 6.1 on top
Rear Camera: Triple;
– 100MP primary
– 5MP ultrawide
– 2MP macro
Front Camera: 16MP (punch-hole)
Audio: Single speaker
Security: Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted)
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 5 a/b/g/n/ac (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / Glonass / Galileo / BDS, USB-C port, 4G LTE (VoLTE)
Battery: 4500mAh, 22.5W wired charging
Colors: Titanium Silver, Cyan Lake, Midnight Black
Price in Nepal: Rs. 30,490 (8/128GB)

Honor X8a Review:

Eye-catching Design

162.9 x 74.5 x 7.48mm; 179 grams
Glass front, Plastic back/frames

Let’s get started with the design. This phone’s design is stunning. Honor does an excellent job with the design of its smartphones. However, we do not receive glass back here, which is OK because most brands give plastic back in this price range.

Design

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I have the Titanium Silver color version, which has a sparkly appearance on the back and showers a rainbow-like effect when light hits it. While it is also available in Cyan Lake and Midnight Black. In terms of in-hand comfort, the smartphone is compact and lightweight.

Honor provided flat borders here, similar to the latest iPhones. The flat edges help to get a comfortable grip. Because of its thin and lightweight design, I had no trouble carrying this phone for a long period of time.

Impressive Display

6.7-inches LTPS LCD
90Hz refresh rate

Honor opted for an LTPS LCD panel with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, just like its predecessor, the X7a. However, Honor upgraded the resolution from the previous generation to FHD+, which I believe is an important upgrade. Given the price point, Honor could have easily picked an AMOLED display.

Display

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The bezels on this phone’s display are its most striking feature. Honor claims that the screen-to-body ratio of this smartphone is 93.6%. I haven’t seen a phone in this pricing range with such thin bezels. Even the chin is even slimmer than its competitors. If Honor had chosen an AMOLED panel, this phone would have the best display in this price range.

Despite being an FHD+ panel, it only has WideVine L3 certification. As a result, you cannot watch 1080p material on an OTT platform like Netflix or Prime Video. Moving on, the screen’s 90Hz refresh rate makes everything feel fluid and smooth. I didn’t face any issues with screen fluidity as I did with the X7a.

Meanwhile, this screen’s color calibration is generally decent, as the colors do not appear dull or muted. It also has adequate brightness. You will also have no problems in direct sunlight.

Helio G88

Octa-core MediaTek Helio G88 SoC (12nm)
6/8GB RAM, 128GB storage (non-expandable)
Magic UI 6.1 based on Android 12
Antutu score: 214,749

This smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 chipset, which is adequate for normal usage but not the best in the category. While gaming and multitasking, I noticed some stutters and lags. However, the 8 GB of RAM here allows nearly every app to run in the background, which is impressive.

Moreover, while this chip is not intended for gaming, you may still be able to do casual gaming. In relatively demanding games like PUBG and Apex Legends, you’ll get 30 frames per second with slight frame drops, lags, and stutters. Surprisingly, after 20-30 minutes of gameplay, the smartphone becomes warm. This could be due to the burning weather outside.

UI

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On the software front, this smartphone ships with Android 12-based MagicUI 6.1, which is a bit disappointing since Android 14 is on the way. On the other hand, I am not personally a fan of MagicUI. Honor’s MagicUI, in my opinion, needs to be redesigned to look more modern.

Decent Battery

4500mAh battery
22.5W wired charging

Honor has juiced up this device with a 4500 mAh battery. And I found the battery backup to be decent. In my use case scenario, I was getting around a day and a half of backup in a normal use case. You get a 22.5W charger in the box, which will charge this phone to 50% capacity in 30 minutes. While juicing it up to 100% takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Camera

Triple camera setup at the back
(100MP main, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
8MP selfie (punch-hole)

Let’s talk about cameras now. There is a 100MP primary, a 5MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro camera on the back. And for selfies, you get an 8MP camera.

Normal

I took a lot of photos with this phone, and one thing is that there are much better options in this price range. Although it comes with a 100MP sensor, it can’t capture such appealing photos. Honor claimed that this phone can capture DSLR-like photos, but I don’t think it is even close to it.

Normal

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In daytime scenarios, it captures pretty decent photos. Color reproduction is also good enough, but in some cases, it messes up. The details are also good enough, but the overall photo is not as good as it should be in this price bracket.

Portraits

In terms of portraits, it struggles with edge detection and highlights control like its predecessor. But in terms of human skin, it produces better results than the normal mode.

Portraits

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Selfies

Selfies are pretty average. Skin tones and color reproduction are good but not social-media-ready, as we witness on most of the phones in this price category.

Selfies

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Ultrawide

Ultrawide is below average. There are no details, and color reproduction is also poor. This might be due to the inferior chipset used here or the 5MP sensor.

Ultrawide

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Low light

Honor has included a separate night mode this time. When the night mode is turned off, it takes darker and noisier shots and faces difficulties with flare control, whereas putting it on solves these issues. However, low-light performance falls short of what one would expect from a phone in this price bracket.

Low Light

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Videos

As for the videos, the phone only allows you to shoot 1080p/30fps videos from both the front and rear cameras, and they aren’t particularly impressive. There are no EIS or OIS, and thus, videos come out to be shaky. Besides this, you’ll also notice faded colors and a loss of detail.

Audio and Haptics

Single speaker
No 3.5mm jack

Finally, talking about the audio, Honor has provided a single bottom-firing speaker that is below average. I am not impressed with its haptics either. Honor has not used a dedicated haptics motor here, and thus you won’t get precise haptic feedback.

Honor X8a Review: Conclusion

That’s it for my review of the Honor X8a. This phone has a pretty impressive display as well as an average camera and an eye-catching design. But, all things considered, I don’t think this phone is worth buying in this price range. It could have been a better offering if it had been launched in the 20-22k price range. You can find much better options like the Realme 10, Redmi Note 12 (4G), and Poco X5.

Honor X8a Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Attractive design
Slim and lightweight design
Good display

Cons:

Below average speaker
No expandable storage option
Does not come with the latest Android version
No 3.5mm jack

Marshall, the popular British audio accessories brand is now in Nepal

Marshall

GadgetByte

-

April 14, 2023

3

Marshall, the popular British brand that designs and manufactures premium musical instruments, has stepped its foot into the Nepali market. So in this article, we will take a closer look at the specifications, features, availability, and official price of all the Marshall Audio Accessories in Nepal.

Marshall: Brand Overview

As mentioned earlier, Marshall is a British brand of musical instruments. The company was founded in 1962 by Jim Marshall, who started producing guitar amplifiers in a small shop in Hanwell, London. Over the years, Marshall has become one of the most iconic and recognizable brands in the music industry, known for its high-quality guitar amplifiers.

In fact, Marshall’s amplifiers are used by many famous musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Slash. The has expanded its product line to include a range of lifestyle products, such as Bluetooth speakers, and home audio systems in recent years. And Marshall has now entered the Nepali market with Evo Store as its authorized distributor in Nepal. So let’s go through all the Marshall audio accessories that are available in Nepal, along with their official price.

Marshall Audio Accessories Price in Nepal:

Earphones

Mode

The Marshall Mode is an in-ear wired headphone that connects to your device using a 3.5mm headphone jack. It has a customized 9mm driver that delivers a frequency range of 20Hz to 20KHz, with an impedance of 34 ohms. Additionally, Marshall provides four different sizes of ear tips so that you can find the perfect fit for your ears.

Specifications:

Weight: 17 gm
Driver: 9mm Dynamic driver
IP Rating: No
Controls: Physical buttons
Connectivity: 3.5mm headphone jack
Price in Nepal: NPR 7,900

Mode EQ

The Mode EQ shares similar specs to the Marshall Mode, with a 9mm driver and a frequency range of 20Hz to 20KHz. However, the Mode EQ comes with a distinct feature that sets it apart from the Mode.

It features a unique EQ switch on the remote that allows you to personalize your audio experience even further. You can choose between two sound settings, with the first setting delivering warm, bass-heavy sounds, while the second one emphasizes the mids and highs for a brighter sound.

Meanwhile, check out all the prices and specs of Marshall speakers and accessories

Specifications:

Weight: 20 gm
Driver: 9mm Dynamic driver
IP Rating: No
Controls: Physical buttons
Connectivity: 3.5mm headphone jack
Price in Nepal: NPR 9,900

Minor III

Unlike the entries above, the Minor III is a truly wireless earbud (TWS). It comes with a 12mm dynamic driver, and Bluetooth 5.2 for wireless connectivity. You can use touch gestures to control the music, and they have an auto-pause and play feature that activates when you remove them from your ears.

Additionally, the earbuds have a unique diamond-shaped texture on their stems, while the case has a stylish leather-like finish. The buds are also IPX4 rated, which means they can resist water splashes.

Specifications:

Weight: 4gm (earbuds)
Driver: 12mm Dynamic driver
Battery: 5 hours (earbuds) / 25 hours (case)
Charging time: 1.5 hours (earbuds) / 2 hours (case)
IP Rating: Yes, IPX4
Controls: Touch gestures
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
Price in Nepal: NPR 17,900

Motif ANC

Marshall Motif ANC is the brand’s first-ever wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and have 6mm dynamic drivers for the sound. The earbuds use Bluetooth v5.2 for easy connectivity and have two microphones on each earpiece that works together to enable both noise cancellation and offer clearer calls. The earbuds are designed to withstand water splashes with an IPX5 rating, while the charging case is IPX4 rated. They can last up to 20 hours per charge cycle, with ANC activated, and you can charge it wirelessly too.

Specifications:

Weight: 4.25gm (earbuds)
Driver: 6mm Dynamic driver
Battery: 4.5 hours (earbuds w/ANC) / 20 hours (case w/ANC)
Charging time: 3 hours (earbuds) / 3 hours (case)
IP Rating: Yes, IPX4
Controls: Touch gestures
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
Price in Nepal: NPR 29,900

Headphones

Major IV

The Marshall Major IV is a wireless on-ear headphone that comes in a classic vinyl-textured finish and brass accents for that retro aesthetic. The headphones feature 40mm dynamic drivers and a battery life of up to 80 hours.

Additionally, the headphones come with a multi-directional control knob on the earcup, which allows you to easily adjust the volume, play, pause, and skip tracks without having to reach for your device.

Other noteworthy features of the Marshall Major IV include fast charging, which provides 15 hours of playtime with just 15 minutes of charging, and a collapsible design for easy portability. Likewise, they are compatible with both Bluetooth and a 3.5mm cable.

Specifications:

Weight: 165gm (earbuds)
Driver: 40mm Dynamic driver
Battery: 80+ hours of listening time
Charging time: 3 hours
IP Rating: No
Controls: Knob
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
Price in Nepal: NPR 19,900

Monitor II ANC

Unlike the Major IV, the Marshall Monitor II ANC is a pair of over-the-ear style headphones that boast a sleek and stylish design with a headband made of vegan leather.

The headphones come equipped with custom-tuned 40mm dynamic drivers for rich sound. And as the name suggests, it features active noise cancellation (ANC), which effectively cancels out external noises.

You can enable/disable it with the ANC button, and the headphones also have a Multi-functional or M-button, which lets you switch between three equalizers presets or access your voice assistant while on the go.

The headphones also feature a control knob on the earcup for adjusting the volume or playing/pausing music. The Monitor II ANC is rated to deliver up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC and up to 40 hours without it.

Specifications:

Weight: 320gm (earbuds)
Driver: 20mm Dynamic driver
Battery: 30 hours (earbuds w/ANC) / 40 hours (case w/ANC)
Charging time: 2 hours
IP Rating: No
Controls: ANC button, M-button, Control knob
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
Price in Nepal: NPR 39,900

Portable Bluetooth Speakers

Willen

Marshall Willen is the company’s most portable Bluetooth speaker yet. The speaker’s body is made of plastic, with 60% of the material derived from recycled electronics, which makes it an eco-friendly choice.

As for the audio, it is equipped with a 2-inch full-range driver and two passive radiators. And despite its compact size, the speaker boasts a long battery life of up to 15 hours on a single charge. Although it takes three hours to fully charge the battery. Another impressive feature of the speaker is its IP67 rating, which ensures that it is resistant to both dust and water.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 101.6 x 100.5 x 40.4 mm
Driver:
– One 2” 10 W full range
– Two passive radiators
Battery: 15+ hours listening time
Charging time: 3 hours
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1
IP Rating: Yes, IP67
Colors: Black and Brass, Cream
Price in Nepal: NPR 15,500

Emberton II

Next, we have Marshall Emberton II. It’s a portable speaker that boasts a stylish, durable exterior that is both water and dust-resistant, making it ideal for outdoor use. Likewise, the speaker has a battery life of over 30 hours, which means the speakers can last all day and well into the night without needing a recharge.

It also has a quick charge feature that allows for 4 hours of playback with just 20 minutes of charging. The Emberton II comes equipped with two 2-inch full-range drivers and two passive radiators for clear sound with rich bass tones. Additionally, the speaker has a multi-directional control knob that allows you to adjust the volume, skip tracks, and play/pause music with ease.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 68 x 160 x 76 mm
Drivers:
– Two 2″ 10 W full range
– Two passive radiators
Battery: 30+ hours listening time
Charging time: 3 hours
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1
IP Rating: Yes, IP67
Colors: Black and Brass, Cream
Price in Nepal: NPR 26,500

Middleton

While Marshall Willen is the company’s smallest Bluetooth speaker, the Middleton is its biggest portable speaker. It weighs about 1.8 kg and is available in classic Marshall Black and Cream color. And as the Willen, it also has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.

For audio, it has two 15-watt woofers, two 10-watt tweeters, and a pair of passive radiators that serve to pump music out of the smaller ends of this chunky rectangle. You can also connect multiple Middleton speakers for stereo output. Now, powering the speaker are three battery cells totaling 9,600mAh, and you can use the speaker as a USB-C power bank if needed.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 109 x 230 x 95 mm
Drivers:
– Two 3” 15W woofers
– Two 3/5” 10W tweeters
– Two passive radiators
Battery: 20+ hours listening time
Charging time: 4.5 hours
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1
IP Rating: Yes, IP67
Colors: Black and Brass, Cream
Price in Nepal: NPR 45,000

Stockwell II

The Stockwell II is another portable speaker offering by Marshall in Nepal. It weighs around 1.4kg and has a classic Marshall look, with a black vinyl exterior, a metal grille, and a gold-colored logo. There’s also a leather carry handle to carry it easily.

In terms of sound quality, the Stockwell II features two 10-watt tweeters and a 20-watt woofer. And it also has a multi-directional sound feature, which ensures that the sound is evenly dispersed in all directions. Other features of the Stockwell II include a multi-host functionality, which allows for two devices to be connected simultaneously, and a quick-charge feature, which provides up to six hours of playback time with just 20 minutes of charging.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 180 x 161 x 70 mm
Drivers:
– One 10W Woofer
– Two 5W Tweeters
Battery: 20+ hours listening time
Charging time: 5 hours
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
IP Rating: Yes, IPX7
Colors: Black and Brass
Price in Nepal: NPR 35,000

Kilburn II

The Kilburn II boasts a design that is similar to the Stockwell II, except it has a flatter rectangular shape instead of an upright design. It also features a convenient carry handle and three knobs on the top for adjusting bass, treble, and volume. The speaker has a 20-watt woofer and two 8-watt tweeters that produce a wide frequency range of 52Hz to 20KHz.

What’s interesting about the Kilburn II is that it supports Bluetooth 5 aptX, which enhances the quality of wireless audio streaming. It also has multi-host and quick charge features like the Stockwell II. Its battery life is quite impressive too, with over 20 hours of listening time.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 243 x 162 x 140 mm
Drivers:
– One 20W Woofer
– Two 8W Tweeters
Battery: 20+ hours listening time
Charging time: 2.5 hours
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 aptX
IP Rating: Yes, IPX2
Colors: Black and Brass
Price in Nepal: NPR 45,000

Tufton

The Tufton is currently the most expensive portable speaker offered by Marshall in Nepal. It boasts a three-way driver system, which includes a 40-watt woofer, two 15-watt full-range drivers, and a rear-firing bass port. All these components work together to produce a rich, high-quality sound. The speaker has a frequency response range of 40Hz to 20kHz.

Furthermore, the speaker has a rugged build with a metal grille, corner caps, and a leather strap that adds to its overall portability. It’s also water-resistant, so you can take it with you wherever you go without worrying about it getting damaged. For connectivity, the Tufton features Bluetooth 5.0. And it can deliver a battery life of over 20 hours.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 229 x 163 x 350 mm
Drivers:
– One 40W Woofer
– Two 15W Amplifiers
– One 10W Tweeters
Battery: 20+ hours listening time
Charging time: 2.5 hours
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
IP Rating: Yes, IPX2
Colors: Black and Brass
Price in Nepal: NPR 65,000

Marshall HomeLine III

Next on the list of Marshall audio accessories prices in Nepal, we have the HomeLine III series of speakers. HomeLine III, as the name suggests, is a third generation of the HomeLine series that consists of three speakers. The speakers were launched not too long ago, in Q4, 2022, and are now available in Nepal as well.

Action III

The HomeLine series speakers share a similar rectangular design, featuring Marshall’s logo on the front, brass multi-directional control knobs, and a classic power switch. These speakers are also eco-friendly as they are made of 70% recycled plastic and vegan materials.

However, they differ in size, with the Action III being the smallest. It comes with a 30W amplifier for the woofer and two 15W amplifiers for the tweeters.

The speakers boast features such as ‘Placement Compensation’, which optimizes the output based on reflective surfaces placed nearby that may affect the sound quality. Additionally, there is a built-in ‘Dynamic Loudness’ feature that adjusts the tonal balance for a more balanced sound quality.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 260 x 170 x 150 mm
Drivers:
– One 30W amplifier for woofer
– Two 15W amplifiers for tweeters
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
IP Rating: No
Colors: Black
Price in Nepal: NPR 48,000

Stanmore III

The Stanmore III is the second speaker in the HomeLine series, which differs from the Action III in terms of size and driver composition. It comes with one 50W amplifier for the woofer and two 15W amplifiers for the tweeters. Like the other HomeLine speakers, it has three separate knobs on the top to control volume, bass, and treble.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 350 x 203 x 188 mm
Drivers:
– One 50W amplifier for woofer
– Two 15W amplifiers for tweeters
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
IP Rating: No
Colors: Black
Price in Nepal: NPR 55,000

Woburn III

The Woburn III is the most specced out unit in the HomeLine III series. It stands out from the Action III and Stanmore III with its three-way driver system, which includes one 90W amplifier for the woofer, two 15W amplifiers for the mid-range, and two 15W amplifiers for the tweeters.

Additionally, the Woburn III has an HDMI connectivity option, which is not present in the other two models. However, it shares many other features, such as Dynamic Loudness and Placement Composition. It’s also worth noting that these speakers require a direct power source and do not have a built-in battery.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 400 x 317 x 203 mm
Drivers:
– One 90W amplifier for woofer
– Two 15W amplifiers for mids
– Two 15W amplifiers for tweeters
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
IP Rating: No
Colors: Black
Price in Nepal: NPR 89,900

Marshall Voice

Marshall Voice lineup also comprises of Bluetooth speakers, but they feature built-in voice assistant support. Currently, the brand has introduced only the Marshall Uxbridge Voice model in Nepal.

Marshall Uxbridge Voice

The Uxbridge Voice brings a perfect blend of classic Marshall design and contemporary technology, delivering powerful sound while retaining its classic look. It comes with a 30W amplifier for both the woofer and tweeter and has an operating frequency range of 54-20,000 Hz.

However, what really sets it apart from other Bluetooth speakers is its built-in voice assistant support. Specifically, the Uxbridge Voice has Amazon Alexa support, making it a smart speaker capable of controlling your home appliances with voice commands. It also supports Apple AirPlay 2, making it the first device in the Marshall lineup to support Apple’s streaming technology. Additionally, it comes with a supporting app that is present on both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 128 x 168 x 123 mm
Drivers: One 30W amplifier for woofer and tweeter
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect
Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa
IP Rating: No
Colors: Black
Price in Nepal: NPR 34,900

Marshall Audio Accessories Price in Nepal (Summary)

Marshall Accessories	Price in Nepal
Earphones
Mode	Rs. 7,900
Mode EQ	Rs. 9,900
Minor III	Rs. 17,900
Motif ANC	Rs. 29,900
Headphones
Major IV	Rs. 19,900
Monitor II ANC	Rs. 39,900
Portable Bluetooth Speakers
Willen	Rs. 15,500
Emberton II	Rs. 15,500
Middleton	Rs. 45,000
Stockwell II	Rs. 35,000
Kilburn II	Rs. 45,000
Tufton	Rs. 65,000
HomeLine III
Action III	Rs. 48,000
Stanmore III	Rs. 55,000
Woburn III	Rs. 89,900
Voice
Uxbridge Voice	Rs. 34,900

Where to buy Marshall Audio Accessories in Nepal at the official price?

So, where can you buy these accessories? All Marshall Audio Accessories are available in Nepal at the official price in Evostore.

You might also be interested in:

Rapoo Products Price in Nepal

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ZTE Axon 50 Ultra goes official with two-way satellite messaging

ZTE

GadgetByte

-

April 14, 2023

3

ZTE Axon 50 Ultra goes official with two-way satellite messaging

Chinese tech giant ZTE has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone and successor of the Axon 40 Ultra, the ZTE Axon 50 Ultra along with the Axon Tab. Following in the footsteps of Huawei and Apple, ZTE has included satellite communication in its smartphone. Let’s know more about this flagship ZTE Axon 50 Ultra along with its full specs, expected price, and availability in Nepal.

ZTE Axon 50 Ultra Overview

Design and Display

The Axon 50 Ultra comes with glass front and back with aluminum frames. Up front, we are looking at a 6.67″ FHD+ 10-bit AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate.

Performance

Under the hood, this flagship ZTE smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 which is built on 4nm fabrication technology. This chipset features an octa-core CPU with one Cortex-X2 (@3.0 GHz), three Cortex-A710 (@2.75 GHz), and four Cortex-A510 (@2.0 GHz). For graphics, there is an integrated Adreno 730 GPU.

The chipset is further paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 onboard storage. However, RAM and storage capacity has not been revealed yet. ZTE has integrated an in-house security chip with hardware-level encryption in this smartphone. Talking about the OS, Axon 50 Ultra comes pre-installed with Android 13-based ZTE’s MyOS.

Cameras

Coming to the camera department, ZTE Axon 50 Ultra comes with a triple rear camera setup led by a 64MP Sony IMX787 sensor. Moreover, a 50MP telephoto sensor with OIS and a 50MP ultrawide camera join the rear camera module. On the front, there is a 16MP camera for selfies under the punch-hole cutout. In terms of videos, rear cameras can shoot up to 8K @ 30fps videos whereas the front camera can shoot up to 1080p @ 30fps videos.

Rest of the specs

This flagship smartphone is fueled by a 5000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support. For wireless connectivity, there is support for dual-band Wi-Fi 6E as well as Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC. When there is no cellular coverage, this smartphone has a two-way satellite messaging feature. It does this by using the BeiDou satellite, which Huawei uses as well for the same purpose.

ZTE Axon 50 Ultra Specifications:

Display: 6.67-inch AMOLED, 144Hz refresh rate, HDR10+
Resolution: Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 395PPI
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
Memory: Unspecified LPDDR5X RAM
Storage: Unspecified UFS 3.1
OS: Android 13 with MyOS
Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash)
– Primary: 64MP Sony IMX787
– Telephoto: 50MP
– Ultrawide: 50MP
Front camera: 16MP (punch-hole)
Security: Fingerprint (in-display)
Battery: 5000mAh, 80W fast charging

ZTE Axon 50 Ultra Price in Nepal and Availability

Although this flagship smartphone has been launched officially in China, pricing has not been revealed yet. We will update the article as soon as this info pops out.

Meanwhile, check our full review of the OnePlus 11R.

Asus ROG Phone 7 Series Announced: Finally Launching in Nepal?

GadgetByte

-

April 14, 2023

2

Asus ROG Phone 7 Series Announced: Finally Launching in Nepal?

After months of leaks and rumors, Asus has finally pulled the curtains off the ROG Phone 7 series. The company’s latest gaming lineup comprises vanilla and Ultimate models. So. let’s get into the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Asus ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Ultimate in Nepal.

Asus ROG Phone 7 Series Overview:

The Ultimate ROG Phone

As you might have already noticed, there is no Pro model on this ROG Phone 7 series—Asus has introduced an Ultimate model instead. So what really makes a ROG gaming phone Ultimate? Well, in this particular case, it’s the new AeroActive portal. Situated at the back of the ROG Phone 7, it automatically opens up when AeroActive Cooler is attached to allow direct airflow from the cooler to the phone’s vapor chamber. This increases the phone’s thermal efficiency by up to 20%.

Also exclusive to the Ultimate model is the ROG Vision. It is a compact matrix color display on the back of the phone. This works as a notification alert, displaying animations for incoming calls, charging, and other system events. Users can also create custom animations of their own based on their preferences.

Elite Gaming

Outside these two features, the ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Ultimate are pretty much the same. Both are powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the latest flagship chipset from Qualcomm, with a peak clock frequency of 3.2GHz. The chip is 15% faster and 15% more power-efficient than the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, powering the ROG Phone 6 series. This is paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM (8,533Mbps) and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. The latter is twice as fast as last-gen UFS 3.0.

Also read:

ROG GameCool 7

With the new chip alone, the new ROG Phone 7 series boasts 15% higher power efficiency than its predecessor. It is further enhanced by the GameCool 7, which has three main components. The first is the Boron Nitride which avoids CPU throttling during smaller gaming sessions. For moderate sessions, the ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Ultimate pack a vapor chamber and graphite sheets.

The vapor chamber is bigger and more efficient thanks to the internal redesign. It drops the traditional pillar structures of the chamber for trident-shaped wick columns to improve efficiency. In addition, it has six channels to prevent water backflow to the chipset.

Even if that’s not enough, you can use the AeroActive Cooler 7, which attaches to the rear panel. The DualCool design allows the cooling of phones’ front and back simultaneously. AeroActive Cooler 7 also has a built-in sub-woofer which enables 2.1 channel sound when connected. It increases the bass volume of the twin-firing speakers by 77%.

Rest of the Specs

Asus ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Ultimate sport a 6.78-inch Samsung-made AMOLED panel with a 2448 x 1080 pixel resolution. The screen refreshes at 165Hz and boasts a peak brightness of 1500 nits. It covers 111.23% DCI-P3 space with an average Dela E of less than 1. The screen is HDR10-certified and has Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

Powering the new ROG gaming phones are 600mAh batteries with support for 65W fast charging. A compatible HyperCharge adapter is included in the box. You can charge the phone with either of the two USB-C ports.

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Asus Rog Phone 7 Series Specifications:

Dimensions: 173 x 77x 10.4 mm, 239 g
IP Rating: Yes (IP54)
Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 165Hz refresh rate, 1500 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass Victus
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm)
Memory: up to 16GB LPPDDR5X RAM, up to 512GB UFS 4.0 ROM
OS: Android 13 with ROG UI
Rear Camera: 50MP Sony IMX766, 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens, 5MP macro lens
Front Camera: 32MP
Audio: Front-Facing Stereo speaker, Dirac HD, 3.5mm headphone jack
Security: Fingerprint sensor (In-display), Face Recognition
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, 2x Type-C ports (1x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x USB 2.0)
Sensors: AirTrigger (Ultrasonic), Ambient light, Proximity, E-compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer
Battery: 6000mAh with 65W wired charging

Asus ROG Phone 7 Series Price and Availability in Nepal

The ROG Phone 7 is now available in India, where the price is Rs. 74,999 and Rs. 99,999 for vanilla and Ultimate model, respectively. Asus might finally launch the ROG Phone in Nepal this year through Nagmani International, the authorized distributor. As such we expect the price of Asus ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Pro in Nepal to be NPR 139,999 and NPR 184,999, respectively.

Asus ROG Phone 7 Series	Price in India (Official)	Price in Nepal (Expected)
ROG Phone 7 (12/256GB)	INR 74,999	Rs. 139,999
ROG Phone 7 Ultimate (16/512GB)	INR 99,999	Rs. 184,999

Meanwhile, you can check our review of iQOO Neo 7.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Review: Attractive Package, Slow Performance!

Pratima Adhikari

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April 12, 2023

0

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Review: Attractive Package, Slow Performance!

After the tremendous success of its flagship S23 series, Samsung recently launched its two midrange phones for 2023—the Galaxy A34 and the Galaxy A54. And in this review, I am going to talk about my experience with the new Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Specifications:

Body: 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm, 202 gm, Glass back/front, Plastic frames, IP67 dust/water resistance
Display: 6.4-inch Super AMOLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution: Full HD+ (1080×2400 pixels), 390 PPI, 20:9 aspect ratio
Processor: Exynos 1380 (5nm)
CPU: Octa-core
– 4x Cortex-A78 (2.4 GHz)

– 4x Cortex-A55 (2.0 GHz)
GPU: Mali-G68 MP5
Software & UI: One UI 5.1 based on Android 13
Rear Camera: Triple
– 50MP main, OIS
– 12MP ultrawide
– 5MP macro
Front Camera: 32MP (hole-punch cutout)
Audio: Stereo speaker, No headphone jack
Security: In-display fingerprint sensor
Sensors: Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Gyro, Light, Proximity
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 6 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.3, GPS / Galileo / Glonass / QZSS, USB Type-C, NFC, 4G LTE (VoLTE), 5G
Battery: 5000mAh with 25W charging
Color Options: Awesome Lime, Awesome Violet, Awesome Graphite
Price in Nepal: Rs. 56,999 (8/128GB) | Rs. 59,999 (8/256GB)

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Price:

Galaxy A54’s price starts at $450 in the US, Rs. 39,000 in India, and Rs. 56,999 here in Nepal. And if you look at the specs, honestly, it doesn’t bring a whole lot of changes to last year’s Galaxy A53. It looks a bit overpriced too. But the thing with Samsung’s midrange phones is that their prices go down in a month or two, so you can expect the same with the A54 as well.

And if you consider the price drop, the Galaxy A54 has some really good stuff. I feel it makes a lot of sense for someone who doesn’t play a lot of games, is not a power user, and wants a decent overall experience.

Design

158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm, 202 grams
Glass front/back, Plastic frames
IP67 dust/splash resistant

The first thing that you will instantly fall in love with this phone is its design. You get a glass back here, a modern-looking boxy form factor, a minimal camera layout, and plenty of cool color options to choose from.

For me, it is easily the best-looking phone in this price segment. It’s so good that some of my friends even thought that I was carrying the more expensive Galaxy S23!

Not just the looks, the Galaxy A54 also feels quite good to hold in the hands. It has the right amount of heft and this size is just perfect for me to interact with the display. The side buttons are also easily reachable with one hand and there is less muscle exercise while you are typing or using the fingerprint sensor to unlock the phone.

Samsung also continues to include IP67 dust and waterproofing on its midrange phones; something no other brands offer at this price segment. I remember Carl Pei—when he was with OnePlus—said it would cost $15 to include an IP rating on a phone.

So it’s good to see Samsung not skipping IP rating here to reduce the cost. For me, it’s such an underrated feature because I am a little clumsy person. I spill water off my desk every now and then, and I also drive a scooter, so during the rainy season, this IP rating provides me with better peace of mind!

Display

6.4-inches FHD+ OLED panel
120/240Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection

Likewise, I also like Galaxy A54’s display. These days even OnePlus, Xiaomi, and other brands offer quality screens in this segment. But there is just something about a Samsung display that my subconscious mind falls in love with. Maybe it’s the color calibration or the touch feedback. Or maybe it’s because of the UI/UX, I don’t know! But I just like Samsung’s display more.

Compared to its predecessors, this screen is also brighter so it works much better in outdoor conditions. You also get HDR10 support here, but sadly that’s not enabled yet on Netflix, although it’s available on Amazon Prime!

The display is also complemented by a decent stereo speaker setup. It doesn’t get as loud as flagship phones and the bass is missing too, but it will get the job done when casually listening to music or watching YouTube videos.

Another thing I like about this year’s A54 is the vibration feedback. Whether I am typing or clicking these navigation buttons, there’s an almost flagship-like experience. This is all thanks to its X-axis vibration motor, which by the way, is the first in the history of Samsung’s Galaxy A series. The brand also continues to improve the fingerprint reader on its midrange phones over the years. And at this point, it’s as good as it will ever get.

Performance

Octa-core Exynos 1380 (5nm)
8GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
Android 13 with OneUI 5.1 top
4 generations OS, 5 years of security updates

Let’s now talk about the performance of the Galaxy A54. Sadly, this is one area where you are not getting the best value! Samsung is using its in-house Exynos 1380 chipset on this phone, which simply doesn’t perform that well considering the price!

In the past few years, there have already been so many controversies surrounding Samsung and Exynos. Last year’s Exynos 1280 on the Galaxy A53 was a disaster, and Exynos 2200 with AMD graphics on the S22 series failed to live up to its hype as well!

This year, Samsung did redeem itself by using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on the entire S23 series. But sadly, the company is still promoting the Exynos chips on its midrange lineup. I think this kind of favorism doesn’t help Samsung build a good reputation.

Don’t get me wrong! For normal tasks, the A54 works fine! The 120Hz refresh rate is fairly responsive as well. And I did receive two updates so far that have improved the performance to some extent. But it’s still nowhere near the level of what you expect from a premium midrange smartphone. Even the much cheaper Galaxy A34 which has a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chipset performs better than the A54—be it in app loading time, multitasking, or general usage.

Gaming

In terms of gaming as well, the Galaxy A54 failed to achieve 60 fps in any of the games I tested, that too at the lowest of graphics settings. It’s already been more than a month since the A54 made its debut, and to see even popular titles like PUBG Mobile not being able to hit more than 30 fps is quite a shame.

Games	Settings	FPS
Genshin Impact	Graphics: Medium Frame Rate: 60fps	25fps
Genshin Impact	Graphics: Medium Frame Rate: 30fps	25fps
PUBG Mobile	Graphics: HD Frame Rate: High	30fps
Asphalt 9	Graphics: High Quality Frame Rate: 30fps	30fps
Injustice 2	Graphics: Default Frame Rate: Default	45fps
Mech Arena	Graphics: Ultra Frame Rate: No Limit	55fps

And not just fps numbers, the Exynos 1380 heats up quite fast too. Samsung hasn’t included any kind of vapor cooling solution here, as they do with the S-series, but the actual reason why Exynos 1380 heats up while gaming is because there are just so many issues with this Exynos chip at the moment—from yield to efficiency and optimization!

Cameras

Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro)
32MP selfie camera

Cameras

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Not just performance, I think A54’s overall camera results are also underperforming because of the Exynos 1380’s weak image signal processor. As you can see from these photos, its 50MP primary camera does capture good images with plenty of details, the contrast levels are nice, and the images are also quite sharp thanks to OIS.

Normal Images

Normal

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Ultrawide Images

Ultrawide vs Normal Images

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But once I shift to the ultrawide camera, I can see a noticeable color shift, the dynamic range is compromised, and there isn’t much detail in the shot either.

Vs OnePlus 11R

Portraits

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I realized this more as I started comparing the A54 with the OnePlus 11R. Historically, Samsung always does better against OnePlus when it comes to cameras but this time OnePlus is giving me better optimization most of the time. Just look at these portraits. Samsung is struggling to handle background exposure whereas OnePlus is doing a much better job!

Nighttime Images

Nighttime

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The Galaxy A54 also has a substantial shutter lag while clicking nighttime shots, and it also struggles to lock focus when clicking close-up shots of images like flowers, whereas you get much better output from the OnePlus 11R.

Selfies

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Similarly, the selfies are also processed and it smoothens the skin. I am sure all of this will get improved with future updates, but Exynos is definitely a culprit here!

Videos

Anyway, I found the videography aspect of the A54 to be very good though! Although Samsung has disabled OIS for videos, the overall quality and field of view are quite nice. Plus, it can capture up to 4K 30 fps videos from the primary, ultrawide, as well as selfie camera.

Battery

5000mAh battery with 25W fast charging

Now, getting to the battery side of things, you get a sizable 5000mAh cell here. It’s the same as the S23 Ultra, but their actual endurance is quite different. While the S23 Ultra provided me with 7-8 hours of SOT, I am only getting like 5-5.5 hours on similar usage.

The reason why I am not getting great battery life like the S23 Ultra on my A54 is primarily ‘cuz its display is not LTPO. It can only refresh between 60 and 120Hz, unlike the S23 Ultra which can go from 1 to 120Hz. This means the Galaxy A54’s display is not exactly energy-efficient.

Charging is also pretty standard here. Like most Samsung phones, you don’t get a charger inside the box, so you’ll need to pay additional cash to get a compatible 25W charger, which takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes to fully charge the phone!

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Review: Conclusion

To conclude, as I said at the beginning of this review, recommending the A54 is a bit more tricky than you think. At the current MSRP, it is of course an overpriced phone. But if its price goes down (which is usually the case), it will make up for a strong midrange offering! Here you are getting a flagship-like design, a solid build quality complemented with IP67 protection. The display is great too, and so is the battery life to some level.

The Exynos 1380 chipset—although not very optimized right now—is still a decent performer for day-to-day tasks. And of course, you get Samsung’s One UI experience with four OS updates and five years of security patches.

The call quality is great with reliable 5G and WiFi reception, and the cameras should also eventually get better with updates. However, the sad reality right now is that it’s just a little pricey for what it actually offers!

Meanwhile, check out our video review of the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Premium-looking design
Beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display
IP67 dust/water resistance
Good haptics
Best-in-class software update

Cons:

Exynos 1380 requires optimization
Ultrawide Camera could be better
A bit pricey

Deal Alert: Asus TUF Gaming F15 now available for just Rs. 159,999!

GadgetByte

-

April 12, 2023

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Deal Alert: Asus TUF Gaming F15 now available for just Rs. 159,999!

Nagmani International – the official distributor of Asus products in Nepal, has discounted 2021’s Asus TUF Gaming F15 laptop by a significant amount. Let’s check out the specs, features, official price, and availability of Asus TUF Gaming F15 2021 in Nepal.

Asus TUF Gaming F15 Price in Nepal and Availability

The original price of Asus TUF Gaming F15 in Nepal with 11th gen i7 CPU, RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD was NPR 183,333. But you can currently get it for just NPR 159,900. Buying this laptop from Nagmani International also gets you 2 years of international warranty, a TUF backpack, and a gaming mouse for free.

Asus TUF Gaming F15	Price in Nepal	Availability
i7-11800H, RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD	NPR ~~183,333~~ 159,900	Hukut

Asus TUF Gaming F15 Overview:

TUF Gaming F15 looks a lot like the TUF Dash F15 in terms of design and specs. However, the two have different CPU-GPU combinations and other minor differences.

Design and Display

The metallic chassis of the Asus TUF Gaming F15 has hairline brushstrokes. It is available in two color options – Graphite Black and Eclipse Gray. On the bottom, you get a textured honeycomb grip that also acts as a cooling vent.

Inside, you are greeted with a 15.6-inch FHD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate. This anti-glare panel boasts just 62.5% of the sRGB color gamut.

Performance and Memory

On the performance front, the Asus TUF Gaming F15 features Intel’s 11th Gen Tiger Lake-H45 processors. Thus, you can expect greater performance than TUF Dash F15, which is powered by Tiger Lake-H35 CPUs.

The variant that has been launched in Nepal comes with Intel Core i5-11400H. It is a hexa-core CPU with a maximum clock speed of up to 4.5GHz (single-core). This has been paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU with 4GB of DDR6 VRAM. It can draw up to 75W of power with Dynamic Boost. In terms of memory, you get 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and 512GB of NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD.

Cooling

The cooling setup on the Asus TUF Gaming F15 consists of 2 fans, 4 heat pipes, and 3 heatsinks. Asus claims 10% better airflow and 11% quieter operation with this setup.

Keyboard, Audio, Webcam

You get an RGB-backlit keyboard with a dedicated number pad here. To compare, the TUF Dash F15 lacks a Numpad. Anyway, the stereo speaker setup here boasts a total output of 4W (2x2W). You also get a built-in array microphone and DTS software. A 720p webcam sticks out of the top bezel—yet another feature missing on the TUF Dash F15.

Rest of the specs

Depending upon the model, you get either a 48WHr battery or a 90WHr battery on the Asus TUF Gaming F15. The two support 180W and 200W fast charging, respectively. As for wireless connectivity, there’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

In terms of ports, this gaming laptop hosts three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one Thunderbolt 4, one HDMI 2.0b, and one 3.5mm audio combo jack.

Asus TUF Gaming F15 2021 Specifications:

Design & Build: Metal Cover, 35.9 x 25.6 x 2.28-2.45cm, 2.3kg
Color Option: Graphite Black and Eclipse Gray
Display: 15.6 anti-glare IPS panel, 144Hz refresh rate
Resolution: FHD (1920×1080), 16:9 aspect ratio
Keyboard: Backlit chiclet keys with NumPad
Processor: Intel Core i5-11400H (6C/12T, 4.5GHz) or i7-11800H (8C/16T, 4.6GHz)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 60W (Up to 75W, 4GB GDDR6 VRAM)
RAM: 16GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM
Storage: 512GB NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD
Audio: 2x2W speaker with DTS:X Ultra
Connectivity: WiFi 6 802.11 ax, Bluetooth 5.1
I/O Ports: 1x Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort/Power Delivery), 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x combo audio jack, 1x RJ45, 1x HDMI 2.0b
Extras: Free TUF Gaming Backpack + P304 TUF Gaming M5 V2 mouse, 2 years of warranty

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Asus TUF Gaming F15 (2022)