According to NTA’s latest drive test report of Kathmandu which was conducted from February 3 – February 7, 2023 (Magh 20 – Magh 24), Nepal’s all three telecom operators were found to have poor mobile service quality. Let’s know more about the reality of the mobile service standard in Kathmandu.
NTA Drive Test Overview:
What is a drive test?
Before moving forward, let’s first understand what a drive test is. This is a method of testing the quality of mobile networks in an area by mounting testing equipment on a moving vehicle. The vehicle navigates through the area by making repeated voice or data calls. Under this, every service provider’s service in the range is tested at the same time.
The tools are set up in such a way that a suitable network (4G / 3G / 2G) is automatically selected for each service provider based on availability. Here, NTA used the “JDSU E6474A” test tool and the “Gladiator” post-processing tool.
JDSU E6474A (Image: eBay)
In case you didn’t know, Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) oversees all companies in the telecommunication sector in Nepal, including network service providers, phone importers and sellers, and so on.
NTA conducted the drive test in 15 different places in Kathmandu. This includes Gwarko, Koteshwor, Old Sinamangal, Bouddha-Naya Basti, Chabahil, Gaushala, Sifal, Maitidevi, Haadigaun, Kapan, Dhumbarahi, Barphedi, Bhangal, Hathigauda, Budhanilkantha and roads covering those areas.
NTC call response in drive test areas (Image: NTA)
Similarly, it performed 120-second calls inside the same network of service providers for this test. Meaning NTC to NTC, Ncell to Ncell, and Smart to Smart.
What was the end result?
According to NTA’s regulations, the call setup success rate (CSSR)—which is the number of successful calls in 100 calls—should be equal to or more than 99.99%. But the CSSR of NTC, Ncell, and Smart was just 88.78%, 93.69%, and 26.39%, respectively.
Furthermore, NTA says the call setup time (CST)—which is the waiting time until the call is connected—should be less than or equal to 5 seconds. But the CST of NTC, Ncell, and Smart in the aforementioned test areas of Kathmandu turned out to be 6.97, 5.18, and 11.93 seconds, respectively.
Lastly, the call block rate (CBR) should be less than or equal to 2%, according to NTA. This metric determines the rate of calls rejected by the network. And here as well, all three telcos performed poorly. With NTC, Ncell, and Smart scoring 11.21%, 6.3%, and 73.60%, respectively.
The only parameter where every telecom operator showed positive results was in terms of call drop rate (CDR)—i.e. call automatically hung up in the middle of the conversation. According to the report, all three telcos’ CDR was 0%, while NTA has set the acceptable threshold for CDR to ≤2%.
Based on the report, NTA has instructed all the telecom operators to improve the quality of their network to meet the standards set by the Telecommunication Service Quality Regulations 2073. Seeing how even the country’s capital has such poor mobile service quality, you can easily imagine how things are in Nepal’s rural areas where the telecom operators haven’t set up as strong network infrastructure.
OEMs applying unusual designs on their products is not a new thing. Mostly, such new designs are the results of a collab with other companies or popular games. Out of the blue, Samsung has just unveiled a ‘flavorful’ chocolate mint design keyboard-mouse combo in South Korea.
Samsung Wireless Keyboard Mouse Mint Choco:
Design
Unsurprisingly, it’s named Samsung Wireless Keyboard Mouse Mint Choco. This keyboard and mouse combo was initially launched back in 2019, but Samsung has given more of a color refresh this time around.
Codenamed SRP-9500MC, the combo boasts a desert-like design of mint chocolate ice cream. Likewise, the mint green-colored keyboard and mouse have choco chips sprinkled (imprinted) all around for a foody vibe.
The dimension of the keyboard is 436 x 125 x 23 mm and it weighs 462 grams. The keyboard resembles a chiclet design with small and flat rectangular keys.
Likewise, the dimension and weight of the mouse are measured at 108 x 60 x 26 mm and 49 grams respectively. The mouse is suitable for both right and left-handed users due to its ambidextrous design.
Connectivity and Others
Both the mouse and keyboard use 2.4GHz wireless connectivity. The choco mint keyboard follows an interlocking design with a scissor-switch mechanism. Hence, each key has two pieces that connect to each other like scissor blades.
The keyboard sports a complete layout with a function bar, cursor keys, a navigation pad, and a number pad. Similarly, there is a dedicated home button and keyboard shortcuts for quickly navigating the calculator, media, and audio. Samsung has mentioned that the keyboard is low noise and provides a soft touch feel.
Likewise, the mouse has three sensitivity levels (800 / 1200 / 1600 DPI) and a high-performance optical sensor. Samsung has also offered a wear-resistant coating over the keys and chocolate chip printing on both accessories. They get their power from AA and AAA batteries respectively.
Specifications:
Mint Choco Keyboard
Chiclet Design
Scissor-switch Mechanism
2.4GHz Wireless Connectivity
462 grams
Full Layout keys
Wear-resistant coating
Mint Choco Mouse
Three DPI levels (800 / 1200 / 1600 DPI)
Optical Sensor
2.4GHz Wireless Connectivity
AAA Battery
Wear-resistant coating
Samsung Wireless Keyboard Mouse Mint Choco Price
As of now, the availability of the Mint Choco combo is limited to the South Korean region only. And there are no official words about the pricing yet.
Meanwhile, you can check our new ultimate racing setup.
The Mobile Device Management System (MDMS), has long been a topic for discussion in Nepal. As you might know, its goal is to prevent illegal or grey imports of mobile phones into the country. Just like phones, laptops are another difficult market in Nepal with a lack of proper management in place. With the increasing use of laptops, there is a growing need for a Laptop Device Management System (LDMS) in Nepal.
Laptop Device Management System
Before we get started, let me give you a quick rundown of how mobile phone imports are regulated in Nepal. This will give you an idea of what we mean in the case of laptops. And why a Laptop Device Management System (LDMS) is required in Nepal.
You may be surprised, but the smartphone industry is relatively organized, even before the introduction of MDMS. And there are a few reasons for it.
Firstly, every mobile brand designates one (or more) distributors in each country to handle their smartphone distribution process. They are commonly known as “National Distributors” which get the exclusive rights to import the brand’s smartphones in the country.
For instance, Samsung has appointed HIM and IMS, while Gen NXt is in charge of Apple iPhones. Likewise, other brands such as Xiaomi, Realme, and Infinix also have their respective distributors in Nepal.
Once the authorized distributors are in place, brands must follow the NTA’s Type Approval process before selling smartphones in Nepal. The process ensures that the International Mobile Equipment Identities (IMEIs) of all the smartphones being imported are registered in the NTA’s system. And once this is done, the brand can launch the smartphone for a specific marked price, that is consistent across the country.
These steps ensure that the smartphone you purchase is a legal import, and that prices are consistent for both buyers and sellers. Even if a seller attempts to sell a device for more than its retail price, you can check the price on the brand’s official site or on media sites like ours. We regularly update the prices of smartphones from all brands so that the user gets up-to-date information.
The incompetence of system for laptops
But the situation is considerably messier when it comes to the import of laptops in Nepal. The main reason for it is that NTA doesn’t monitor this industry as closely as it does for mobile phones.
Actually, importing a laptop in Nepal is easier than you might think. All you need is an Exim (Export Import) code; which by the way, is required for the import or export of basically every goods in Nepal. Even a packet of salt. Not to mention, it is issued to every trader who wishes to exchange goods to or from the country.
As a result, any retailer, big or small who has Exim code, can easily import laptops in Nepal. And sell them at their desired price without raising any eyebrows. While it encourages a practice of an open market (which is beneficial in a few ways), it also means there are no proper restrictions or regulations on the trade of products by government or outside force.
All of this ends up creating price volatility in the market, resulting in different prices for the same products depending on the seller. It can even discourage laptop makers from entering the market officially since grey sellers can undercut their prices.
This is certainly not a good thing, especially for customers. Because if there’s no official brand presence, there will be no authorized repair centers to turn to. And there is no guarantee that customers will find an original part at the local repair shop.
Refurbished products
Even more of a problem in the Nepali market is that it allows grey sellers to easily import refurbished laptops and resell them as new. Although such laptops will eventually be less expensive than new & authorized ones, there is a significant difference in terms of warranty coverage.
Many of you might not know it, but a laptop purchased from a grey seller only includes warranty coverage for RAM, SSD/HDD, battery, charger, and display. Official distributors, on the other hand, have direct contact with the manufacturer and can also cover damages such as wires, chipsets, CPU/GPU, motherboard, WiFi cards and more.
We have a detailed video on grey, authorized, and refurbished laptop, which you can watch below.
What’s our take?
So what’s the bottom line then? We simply want to emphasize the importance of a regulatory body overseeing Nepal’s laptop market. Kind of like what NTA does with phones. Maybe introducing a Laptop Device Management System (LDMS) could help achieve this goal, which would only allow authorized distributors to import laptops into the country. NTA could make it happen by verifying the agreement between the distributor and laptop makers.
And it also goes without saying that implementing such a system shouldn’t disturb the ethos of the open market either. People importing laptops for their personal use, or someone arriving in Nepal from foreign countries with their personal laptop should be exempted from this system. Then again, if such laptops are being imported in bulk, then they should once again be directed from the official channels. This will help maintain consistent prices across the country, while also guaranteeing authentic products to the buyers. In the end, this system could effectively minimize the prevalence of grey or refurbished laptops in Nepal.
Outside of the flagship S23 series, the Galaxy A14 is Samsung’s most hyped and discussed phone in recent times. It is the company’s cheapest 5G phone and bears the camera design as the said flagships. But is it really worth it? Let’s find out in this detailed review of the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G. Before we begin, let’s have a quick look at the official specifications and pricing of the Galaxy A14 5G.
Let’s start with the design that everyone’s raving about. Samsung has taken visual cues from the S23 series and combined them with these ridges to create a really cool-looking phone, especially this light green option. The side frames are also slightly curved, making the fingerprint scanner more accessible while improving the grip as well.
So far so good, right? But all of this changes when you flip the phone 180 degrees. Those thick bezels and that waterdrop notch look outdated even for a budget phone in 2023. And its display is nothing impressive either. At this price point of Rs. 30,000 Nepali rupees, an AMOLED screen is quite common, but you only get a PLS screen here, which is Samsung’s equivalent to an IPS panel.
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Don’t get me wrong, its colors and viewing angles are also quite good for an LCD screen but no kidding, it’s nowhere near an AMOLED panel. A good display has been something of a major selling point in Samsung phones in this segment like 2 to 3 years ago but sadly, the company is now falling behind most of its competitors like Xiaomi and Realme.
Also, the fact that the Galaxy A14 has a single bottom-firing speaker is another bummer. So I missed that richer, stereo audio output while listening to music or even watching movies on this thing.
Performance
Octa-core Exynos 1330 (5nm Mobile Platform)
4/6/8GB RAM, 64/128GB Storage (expandable)
Now, the performance part here is a bit trickier since the Exynos 1330 chip powering this phone actually looks pretty capable on paper. In fact, it is as powerful as the Exynos 1280 found on last year’s premium midrange phones like Galaxy A53 and A33 5G.
But well…, raw power is essentially useless if the processor hasn’t been optimized enough to make the most out of it. This is something I have experienced in many Samsung phones before, including the Galaxy A33 and A53. Unfortunately, I got to relive all that on the A14 once again.
To be fair, it‘s good enough for small, lightweight tasks like phone calls, messages, and web browsing. But pushing it only a little further by bringing some multitasking into the mix is when the phone starts showing its true colors. I occasionally noticed the phone stutter trying to switch between different apps as well, whereas it would also take a bit longer to open big apps and games.
Gaming Experience
That lack of proper optimization continues in the gaming arena too. For instance, PUBG: Mobile maxes out at just 30 fps even at the lowest graphics option. Out of all the games I tested, only Call of Duty played nicely with this latest Exynos chip. And the A14’s cooling solution is not that effective either, which means the phone cannot sustain the same level of performance for longer sessions.
This is most noticeable when playing heavier games like Genshin Impact. Not only does the phone get quite warm, but there are also frame drops more often than you would like. It’s the same when playing high fps titles like Critical Ops and Mech Arena too.
Software and UI
Android 13 with One UI Core 5.0 on top
2 years of OS, 4 years of guaranteed security updates
On the software side, Galaxy A14 ships with the new One UI Core 5.0. And Samsung promises 2 years of Android and 4 years of security updates for this phone, which is simply unmatched by any other brand in this price range.
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Despite being a Core version, the UI is on the heavier side. For instance, the system alone takes 15GB which can be an issue if you go with the base 4/64GB variant. Fortunately, Samsung only ships the 6/128GB variant in the Nepali market which should fare better in the long run.
Camera
Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP primary, 2MP portrait, 2MP macro)
16MP selfie camera (notch cutout)
Now let’s talk about the cameras. The Galaxy A14 sports a triple-sensor setup at the back, consisting of a 50MP primary, a 2MP depth, and a 2MP macro sensor. Yep, there’s no ultrawide camera here.
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Anyway, we all know Samsung’s camera optimization is quite impressive even in the budget segment, but it’s not like the competition has absolutely terrible cameras or anything.
So I compared the Galaxy A14 with the POCO X5, aka the Redmi Note 12, and found that the images from Samsung look a bit livelier with poppy colors and better dynamic range.
Normal Images
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Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
However, like most budget phones, both of them struggle in low-light conditions. Although turning on Night Mode helps a little, with the A14 managing better shots once again.
Night Mode Images
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Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
And Samsung has a definite win in terms of portraits too. It does a pretty good job of retaining the subject’s natural skin tone whereas the POCO X5’s portraits look warm and contrast-heavy.
Portraits
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Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
I also like how the selfies from its 13MP sensor come off quite lively.
Selfies
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Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
So, overall, photo-wise, it is marginally better than the competition! Then again, the Galaxy A14’s videography aspect is half-baked right now. Samsung says the Exynos 1330 can record at up to 4K 30 fps, but the phone is limited to just 1080p 30 fps videos from both the front and back cameras.
Battery and Charging
Likewise, the battery life on this phone is also quite good as I was easily getting a full day with the 5,000mAh battery on moderate usage. And with a relatively easier usage pattern, I could even extend it up to 2 days. No sweat. But since the phone only supports 15W charging, a full refill takes quite a long. Around two and a half hours to be precise.
However, what’s worse is that you will have to buy the charger separately since Samsung only offers a Type-C to Type-C adapter in the box. Not to mention, Samsung doesn’t even offer other basic accessories like a screen protector and a clear case inside the box. And all that really adds up to the final cost, which ultimately hurts Samsung’s “cheap 5G phone” claims.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G Review: Conclusion
The Galaxy A14 5G is what Samsung says it is—a cheap 5G phone. For this alone the phone has garnered a lot of popularity in markets like the US and Europe where there are not that many budget phones to choose from.
However, all these changes when we look at countries like Nepal without proper 5G infrastructure. The smartphone market is too competitive to ignore the phone’s average multimedia experience, performance optimization, and lack of an ultrawide camera and charger inside the box. Even in India, you can get 5G phones that offer better value for money.
So, until and unless you are looking for a Samsung phone under 30,000, I believe there are better options than the A14 in the Nepali market, like the Redmi Note 12 and Realme 10. Both offer AMOLED screens, better performance, and a fast charger inside the box.
ZTE launched the Nubia Z50 late last year in China. The smartphone is now joined by a ‘Ultra’ sibling. The new Nubia Z50 Ultra is announced with a new design, a notch-less AMOLED panel alongside custom 35mm and 85mm camera lenses. Let’s get into the specifications of Nubia Z50 Ultra, along with its expected price in Nepal.
Nubia Z50 Ultra Overview:
Design
Contrary to the curved edges on the Z50, ZTE has adopted a flat-frame boxy design for the Z50 Ultra. There’s two tone color scheme on the back, especially visible in the upper halve of the camera module. The Nubia Z50 Ultra is available in two colors: Gray and Black.
But there’s an exclusive color variant known as the Starry Night which is kind of artistic and illustrative. The art resembles the popular painting of the impressionist Vincent van Gogh from the late 1800s. Likewise, the red accent on the camera rims and power key is present throughout all the color options.
Display
One of the main highlights of this phone is its notch-less AMOLED display. That is, ZTE has buried the selfie camera beneath the screen. The phone sports a 6.8-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. You also get a touch sampling rate of 960Hz.
For reducing eye strains, ZTE has provided a 1440Hz PWM dimming while for sunlight readability, the screen bags a peak brightness of 1500 nits. Furthermore, the notch-less screen also supports 10-bit colors, and a 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut.
Camera
Another highlight of this smartphone is the custom 35mm, and 85mm lenses. The primary camera is the same 64MP Sony IMX787 from Nubia Z50 with an custom 35mm focal length. It is followed by another 64MP periscope shooter which now has a 85mm focal length for those zoomed shots. Both lenses support OIS.
Last but not least, you get an 50MP ultrawide-angle snapper that has Auto Focus (AF) and doubles as a macro lens. Moreover, the rear camera gets a ring-shaped LED flash and multi-channel spectral sensors for improved color accuracy in low light.
Coming to the front, ZTE has hidden a custom-made 16MP OmniVision OV16E1Q selfie camera under the display. This comes with a 2.24μm super large pixel size and 4th gen Neovision under-display technology for capturing 30% more light.
On top of that, there is an AI super-sensing engine and image super-transparency enhancement technology allowing screen transparency to increase by up to 50% for video calls.
Performance
As expected, the Ultra variant of the Nubia Z50 gets the horsepower from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. This 4nm SoC boasts a 1+4+3 architecture with a Cortex-X3-based Prime core, Cortex-A715 and Cortex-A710 performance cores, and Cortex-A510 efficiency cores. Adreno 740 handles the graphics rendering for gaming.
For heat dissipation, there is a 4212mm2 large vapor chamber liquid cooling system. The chip is coupled with up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The device boots on MyOS 13 based on Android 13 out of the box with no bloatware, as claimed by Nubia.
The smartphone is fueled by a 5000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support. Talking of the connectivity options, there is 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, a USB Type-C port, etc. Moreover, the phone also has a physical slider for muting notifications, turning on gaming mode, or taking instant photos. This is the first Nubia Z series phone with a physical slider, by the way.
Memory: 8/12/16GB LPDDR5 RAM with 256/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 storage
Software: Android 13 with MYOS 13
Battery: 5,000mAh, 80W wired fast charging
Biometrics: Fingerprint (under-display)
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11.b/g/n/ac/ax/6e, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, GPS, NFC
Color: Black, Blue, Green
Nubia Z50 Ultra Price in Nepal and Availability
The official price of the Nubia 50 Ultra commences at CNY 3,999 for the base 8/256GB model. Although the chances of it being launched in Nepal are slim, we can expect the price of Nubia Z50 Ultra to start at NPR 89,999 if it launches here.
OnePlus’ “Ace” is the youngest and China-exclusive series of premium mid-range smartphones from the company. And it has now brought the newest member to this lineup, the OnePlus Ace 2V. The smartphone comes with Dimensity 9000 SoC, 80W fast charging, and more. Let’s dive into the specs, features, and expected price in Nepal of the OnePlus Ace 2V.
OnePlus Ace 2V Overview:
Design
Kicking off with the design, the OnePlus Ace 2V boasts a boxy form factor with flat edges. The device has a thickness of 8.15mm and weighs 191.5 grams. Offered in two color options, the “Celadon” variant has a greenish finish with a smooth glaze while the “Rock Black” model gets a frosted texture over silk glass. OnePlus has also retained an alert slider on this phone. And both of them carry Gorilla Glass 5 protection at the back.
Moving on, the Ace 2V comes infused with a 2.8D micro-arc glass with a straight edge for comfortable usage. It uses a seamless one-piece middle frame (made of metal), eliminating the need for a plastic frame for the display. As a result, the phone has quite a narrow 1.46mm bezel on the screen.
Display
Talking about the display, OnePlus Ace 2V sports a 6.74-inch 10-bit AMOLED panel with up to 120Hz refresh rate and a custom display chip for smooth touch accuracy and fluency. This 1.5K res (2772 x 1240 pixels) screen has 2.5D curved sides and 1450 nits of local peak brightness.
It also features a 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming for reducing eye strains in low-light scenarios. The Ace 2V’s display is also TÜV SÜD certified, ensuring quality and safety. For protection against drops and scratches, there is AGC Dragontrail Star 2 glass protection as well.
Performance
OnePlus Ace 2V houses a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 5G chipset under the hood. This 4nm flagship SoC has an octa-core CPU with one prime Cortex-X2 core at 3.05 GHz, followed by three Cortex-A710 (@2.85 GHz) and four Cortex-A510 cores (@1.80 GHz). It has Mali-G710 MC10 GPU for handling graphics. This is complemented by 12/16GB LPDDR5X RAM and either 256 or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
To keep the thermals in check, OnePlus has provided a 4129mm2 liquid vapor chamber cooling solution mixed with graphite copper carbon covering. Similarly, it supports “HyperBoost 2.0” mode for maintaining stable fps and performance on demanding games.
Furthermore, with the Game cloud computing private network, OnePlus claims stronger reception in weak network environments on the Ace 2V. It reportedly brings latency down by 99.43% in such scenarios as per OnePlus. However, this is a paid feature and is only available to Ace 2V users for 2 years free of charge. The phone boots on Android 13-based ColorOS 13.0.
Coming to the optics, the phone sports a triple camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 64MP f/1.7 shooter, which is followed by an 8MP ultrawide (112° FOV) and a 2MP macro unit. You will also find an LED flash here, while a similar-looking cutout below it is a color temperature sensor for better color accuracy. On the front, you get a 16MP selfie snapper.
Rest of the specs
OnePlus Ace 2V gets its juice from a 5000mAh battery. This dual-cell battery enjoys 80W SuperVOOC fast charging support. For biometrics, there is an optical under-display fingerprint scanner and 2D face unlock. And the connectivity options for the phone consist of 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, a USB Type-C port, an infrared sensor for remote control, NFC, and more.
Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash, color temperature sensor);
– 64MP primary sensor (no OIS)
– 8MP ultrawide sensor
– 2MP macro sensor
Front Camera: 16MP (hole-punch cutout)
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 9000 (4nm)
Cooling: 4129mm2 Liquid Vapor Chamber Cooling
Memory: 12/16GB LPDDR5X RAM
Storage: 256/512GB UFS 3.1
Connectivity: WiFi 6, 5G, NFC, Infrared Sensor, USB-Type C port, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery: 5000mAh, 80W fast charging
OnePlus Ace 2V Price in Nepal and Availability
In China, the official price of the OnePlus Ace 2V begins at CNY 2,299 for the 12/256GB variant. Since this phone is China-exclusive, it is speculated to be rebranded as OnePlus Nord 3 for the global market. We can expect the price of OnePlus Ace 2V in Nepal to be NPR 51,999 when it launches under the Nord 3 moniker.
OnePlus has launched a cheaper version of its flagship earbuds, called the Buds 2 Pro Lite, along with the OnePlus Ace 2V smartphone in China. These earbuds are known as OnePlus Buds Pro 2R in India and the international market. Let’s learn more about the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite, including its features, availability, and expected price in Nepal.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite Overview:
Design
The Buds Pro 2 Lite looks quite identical to the flagship, more expensive OnePlus Buds Pro 2. These half-in-ear earbuds come in an ergonomic dual-tone design with a glossy stem and a matte finish on the other sides. It is available in white and black color options, while these earbuds are IP55 dust and splash-resistant too. Each Buds Pro 2 Lite weighs 4.9 grams, whereas its oval-shaped charging case weighs 47.3 grams.
OnePlus has worked with Hans Zimmer, a well-known German composer, to tune these earbuds. The company has also collaborated with Danish loudspeaker manufacturer Dynaudio for this. The Buds Pro 2 Lite has a frequency response range of 10 – 40,000Hz, while it is equipped with an 11mm dynamic woofer and a 6mm tweeter. It is also rated to block up to 48dB of outside noise, whereas it supports personalized ANC like the regular Buds Pro 2 as well.
Buds Pro 2 Lite can connect to two devices at the same time via Bluetooth 5.3 as well, with a maximum operating distance of 10 meters. It also supports LHDC 5.0 hi-res audio codec, alongside AAC, LC3, and SBC. There are three microphones onboard here, while these earbuds offer up to 54ms latency for smooth gaming. But unlike the regular Buds Pro 2, it does miss out on the head tracking feature, even though it still supports Spatial Audio.
Rest of the specs
As for the battery, each earbud has a 60mAh cell while the case carries a 520mAh battery. OnePlus claims the Buds Pro 2 Lite (earbuds + charging case) can provide up to 39 hours of playback time with ANC turned off. Or up to 25 hours with ANC on. On its own, the Buds Pro 2 Lite manages 6 or 9 hours of playback with ANC on or off.
As for charging, a quick 10-minute top-off can get you 10 hours of music time, while a full charge takes around 60 minutes. More importantly, the Buds Pro 2 Lite also gets rid of Qi wireless charging to bring down the cost.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite Specifications:
Weight: 47.3g (case), 4.9g (earbud)
IP Rating: IPX4 (case), IP55 (earbuds)
Driver: 11mm and 6mm dual-drivers
Audio Codec: LHDC 5.0, AAC, LC3, and SBC
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
Extras: Dynaudio, 54ms low latency
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Yes, Up to 48dB
Battery: 60mAh (earbuds), 520mAh (case)
Runtime: 9 hours, up to 39 hours with charging case
Colors: White and Black
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite Price in Nepal and Availability
The Buds Pro 2 lite is currently available for pre-order in China for CNY 749, with the regular price set at CNY 799. We anticipate the price of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite in Nepal to be around NPR 17,499 if and when it launches here.
While the high-end Galaxy S23 Ultra has been hogging all the spotlight, let me tell you why the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ deserve much more attention as well in this full review. So if you look at the global pre-booking/sales numbers, you’ll find that the S23 Ultra has seen a tremendous response. Almost in every market, more than 80% of sales of Samsung’s S-series this year have gone to the Ultra model.
That’s understandable too. I mean, Samsung’s “Ultra” lineup brings all kinds of exciting features and updates every year. And what the S23 Ultra brings to the table this time with improved battery life and the new 200MP camera is truly amazing. But behind all this, the S23 and S23 Plus are being severely underlooked.
Okay, let me put some context to this, if you remember, there was a pretty huge gap between the Galaxy S22s (the regular ones) and the S22 Ultra last year, which made the Ultra an obviously better choice.
Design and Build
S23: 70.9 x 146.3 x 7.6mm, 168 gm
S23+: 76.2 x 157.8 x 7.6mm, 196 gm
Glass front/back, Armored aluminum frames
IP68 dust and water resistance
But this year, Samsung has really worked to narrow that gap. First off, all the design elements on the S23 and S23 Plus are as premium as the S23 Ultra. From the frosted glass back protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to armored aluminum frames to the use of recycled materials and IP68 rating, everything is the same.
In fact, I actually prefer the flat edges of the S23 more over the curved boxy design on the Ultra. Maybe that’s because I am used to using the iPhone 14 Pro Max as my primary device which has a similar design, but the S23 Plus felt more natural to me. The thing I appreciate the most, however, is its size. I’ve been using the S23 Plus for 2 weeks now and its size is just perfect—it’s not too big, not too small, and just the right size.
However, if you prefer an even more compact form factor, you can get the vanilla S23 model too. The S23 is a bit too small for me considering all the content consumption I do on my phone, and my battery requirement is a bit demanding too. But if you are someone who likes a handy form factor, you will love the S23!
I am also happy to see that the vanilla S23 and S23 Plus have ditched the camera island to feature cleaner aesthetics like the Ultra model this year. The S23 series looks more uniform now, which has not been the case with the previous S-series.
Display
6.1″ (S23) / 6.6″ (S23+) FHD AMOLED panel
120/240Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) brightness
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection
The display side of things on the regular S23 models is equally good too. It’s no surprise that Samsung makes the best displays and the entire S23 series is a prime example of that. You get everything here—these screens get really bright, the color rendition is just amazing, and the smoothness is on point.
Left: S23 | Right: S23+
What’s more, is that their quality is almost identical to the more expensive S23 Ultra. The Ultra is slightly brighter among the three, but the regular models are just about good as well.
There is one catch though.
Spec-wise, the S23 and 23 Plus miss out on something called an “LTPO” controller. While the S23 Ultra has a third-gen LTPO display and thus can switch between 1 and 120Hz depending on the content being displayed to preserve battery, the regular models are still stuck on the older LTPS tech. That means its refresh rate is variable, yes, but it can only switch between 10 and 120Hz.
Now, does it make a whole lot of difference in terms of experience? Not so much. I’ve found that the S23 Plus’ display changes refresh rate quite effectively. I didn’t quite catch it going as low as the advertised 10Hz, but when idle, it dips to as low as 24Hz and goes on to 48, 60, or 120Hz dynamically.
Battery
S23: 3900mAh with 25W wired charging
S23+: 4700mAh with 45W wired charging
10W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless charging
Having used the Galaxy S23 Ultra side by side, I would say the battery drain between LTPO and LTPS is quite minimal, so it wasn’t that big of a deal for me. And as far as my experience goes, I am quite satisfied with the battery life of the S23 Plus. It has easily been giving me 6-6.5 hours of screen-on time on my typical kind of usage which converts to an entire day of use from morning until I went to bed.
My friend Rajesh has been using the Galaxy S23, and we both have a very similar usage pattern, and he is getting around 5 hours of screen time, which is still pretty solid considering how bad the S22’s battery backup was.
Same charging speeds
Charging remains the same as last year though. Samsung’s official 45W charger takes the S23+ from 0-100% in 1 hour, whereas the S23 is limited to 25W charging which takes around 15 minutes more.
Moreover, I’m also happy to see Samsung has fixed the overnight battery drain issue from last year. I remember complaining that my Galaxy S22+ used to lose around 3 – 4% battery overnight, but that has gone down significantly on the S23 models. These phones would only lose 1 – 2% battery on idle, which goes on to show just how well Samsung has optimized the battery on this thing!
Cameras
Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto)
12MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)
Cameras
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Back
Front
Okay, now one of the major changes you will find on the S23 in comparison to the Galaxy S23 Ultra is definitely the cameras. The Ultra has this new, bonkers camera prowess while the hardware on the regular models basically remains the same as it was before. You’re getting a 50MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens (with no autofocus like the Ultra), and a 10MP 3x telephoto zoom lens at the back.
While the use of similar lenses on the S23 and its predecessor does sound a bit uninspiring, I can tell you that the camera quality in terms of optimization has certainly been improved here.
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But honestly, when I started using these phones, I was not concerned about how much improvement they bring over the last-gen S22. All I wanted to know was how good they are when you stack them up against the S23 Ultra. And here’s what I got to say. As a stand-alone camera, the S23’s photos are great, it’s just much much better than some other flagships like the OnePlus 11 and iQOO 11.
I have shared tons of pictures shot from S23 on social media and the feedback has been really positive. I’ve absolutely loved clicking pictures of my pets, landscapes, my friends, and myself from this phone. But at the same time, I have also been comparing it with the S23 Ultra and I found differences mainly in 2 key areas only: sharpness and noise management.
Daytime Images
Normally, in broad daylight, both the S23 and the S23 Ultra shoot pretty similar pictures with identical color science. But when you zoom in, that’s when you will notice the S23 Ultra’s 200MP camera managing better sharpness.
Daytime
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S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
And because it has a bigger sensor as well, the amount of light it can take in is a lot more. Which is why its images have less noise, especially in the shadow areas. In some instances, the highlight control is also a bit superior on the Ultra.
Lowlight Images
This is more evident as the sun goes down. At tricky lighting situations such as dawn, the S23’s images are noisier than the S23 Ultra while struggling a bit to maintain natural sharpness.
Lowlight
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S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
The S23 Ultra, on the other hand, excels at that and even at very low lighting conditions, the sharpness on the S23 Ultra looks natural while a little bit of processing is evident on the S23. Human subjects also appear a bit soft on the S23.
Portrait Images
Talking about human subjects, portraits from either phone look great! I was actually surprised to see that in some instances, the S23 managed better edge detection than the Ultra.
Portrait
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S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
But then again, you will notice better-looking blur and highlight management on the S23 Ultra, in both indoor and outdoor situations. And while shooting against the sun, the Ultra manages better shadow processing too.
Selfie Images
Selfies are pretty similar from both devices.
Selfie
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S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
The S23 Ultra has a slightly red tone in the subject’s face while the S23 favors a yellowish tone instead. So it’s all a matter of personal preference which color tone you prefer.
Ultrawide, Zoom Images
In terms of ultra-wide images, I found both the phones doing a pretty similar job again in both day and night time while the 3X photos don’t have that prominent difference either.
Ultrawide
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S23+
S23 Ultra
S23+
S23 Ultra
Zooming beyond that, the S23 Ultra’s 10x or 30x images shine through and through. No doubt on that.
3x, 10x zoom
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S23+ - 3x zoom
S23 Ultra - 3x zoom
S23+ - 10x zoom
S23 Ultra - 10x zoom
So, if I have to give my judgment on the photography prowess of the S23, well, I would say that it competes beautifully with the S23 Ultra. If you are not zooming in and nitpicking, the actual differences are not that significant for a normal user. Both the S23 and S23+ still give you a flagship camera setup minus the 200MP sharpness and ridiculous zoom capabilities.
Videography
In the videography aspect, the S23 is actually as good as the S23 Ultra. 8K videos from the S22 series, honestly, weren’t really usable before, they had visible jerks and they were super cropped out too. But not this year.
The 8K 30 fps videos on the S23 also have a wider field of view, they are steady, with no jerks noticeable whatsoever, and they are usable overall. Like actually usable. So, it’s good to know that Samsung is ready for the future when 8K videos could be the standard across different platforms like how 4K is right now!
Besides 8K, the 4K 60 fps videos also look great with nice colors and good stabilization from both the main and ultra-wide cameras! Not quite there on the iPhone level, but it’s still maybe the second best. Even from the front camera, selfie videos look nice and most importantly, you get good quality even at 4K 60 fps.
Performance
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC (4nm)
8GB LPDDR5X RAM, Up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage (fixed)
Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 on top
4 years of OS, 5 years of guaranteed security updates
Okay, apart from cameras, performance on the S23—in fact—the entire S23 series is also really good. As I said in my Galaxy S23 Ultra review, Samsung’s decision to partner with Qualcomm to make the custom “8 Gen 2 for Galaxy” is the best thing they have done as far as the performance side of things is concerned.
So anything you do on these phones is just fast, multitasking is smooth, and the way Samsung has optimized One UI is incredibly commendable.
As I said previously, I have been using an iPhone for the past 2 – 3 years and I have never felt that Android phones really catch up to their level of performance. But with the S23 series, I am genuinely impressed. Especially in the gaming department.
Galaxy S23 series – Gaming
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PUBG Mobile
Genshin Impact
Asphalt 9
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Injustice 2
I tested all three phones side by side and as you can see in the chart above—on the gaming front—all these phones have great fps numbers in even the most demanding games. The S23 Ultra has slightly better thermal results because it has a larger vapor cooling system, but you can see that the difference is not really that huge.
Bypass charging
Samsung has also introduced something called “Bypass charging”, which can be really useful for gamers. When you enable it, the phone will power up directly from the charger without charging the battery. Doing so generates less heat which contributes to better thermals, better sustained performance, and better battery health as well.
Audio and Haptics
Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos audio
No 3.5mm headphone jack
Along with the performance, I like how Samsung has not differentiated in terms of overall experience among all three models too. You get the same kind of excellent vibration feedback on all three devices.
There is some difference in the audio front though. Don’t get me wrong, the speakers on the S23 are excellent. They sound loud, crisp, and the instrument-vocal separation is really good. But the S23 Ultra has better audio output in terms of loudness and depth.
Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+ Review: Conclusion
To conclude this review, I am honestly really impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra. The whole squad. This time, what I like the most about the vanilla S23 duo is that you are not getting a lot of compromises versus the S23 Ultra in terms of camera quality, display, performance, or even battery life.
Yes, you don’t get a fancy S-Pen, 100x zoom, or a 200MP camera, but not everyone needs that and these phones. And the S23 and S23+ are a couple of good flagship options without having to go all in with your money.
So yeah, Samsung has nailed it on how to make non-flagship premium phones this year. Which, ironically, is something Apple struggled with the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus by offering an overall inferior product to upsell their “Pro” iPhones this year.
Watch our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+
Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+ Review: Pros and Cons
Pros:
Well positioned versus the Galaxy S23 Ultra
Excellent build quality
Great AMOLED display overall
Decent battery backup
Cameras are plenty reliable (although not “Ultra” level)
Top-notch performance all around
Cons
Lowlight photography needs further optimization
Still not on par with the latest iPhones in terms of videos
Tecno Spark 10 Pro is now official, which is the successor to last year’s Spark 9 Pro. And it brings a few upgrades, like a smoother display. Let’s learn more about Tecno Spark 10 Pro including its features, specs, expected price in Nepal, and availability.
Tecno Spark 10 Pro Overview:
Design and Display
Tecno Spark 10 Pro is quite a thick phone at 8.46mm. The company has used glass back for the first time in the Spark series and calls it “Starry Glass”. The phone is available in Starry Black and Pearl White color options.
Furthermore, the Spark 10 Pro has a larger 6.8″ IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, which is an upgrade over the 6.6″ 60Hz screen on the Spark 9 Pro. However, the resolution and aspect ratio remains unchanged from previous models, at FHD and 20.5:9, respectively.
Performance
Under the hood, this phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 chip. It is basically the same as Helio G85 that you’d find on Spark 9 Pro, but with a slightly overclocked Mali-G52 GPU. From 950 MHz to 1 GHz. Whereas its octa-core CPU consists of two Cortex-A75 (@2.0 GHz) and six Cortex-A55 (@1.8 GHz) cores.
This phone is available with 8GB of RAM paired with 256GB of internal storage. You also get a dedicated SD card slot for expanding the storage. Whereas Tecno also lets you enjoy an additional 8GB of virtual RAM on Spark 10 Pro. In terms of software, the phone comes pre-installed with Android 13-based HiOS 12.6 on top.
As for cameras, Tecno Spark 10 Pro has a 50MP dual rear camera setup, with a camera housing similar to the latest iPhones. Other than the primary camera, Tecno has not revealed any information about the secondary unit, but it may be a 2MP depth sensor. Under the hole-punch cutout up front is a 32MP selfie camera with dual flash.
Others
Tecno Spark 10 Pro is fueled by a 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. Similarly, the phone has Tecno’s “IDA Engine 3.0” support, which reportedly increases download speed via data connection by 45%, WiFi by 300%, and camp network by 90%. It also has the company’s own virtual assistant called “Ella”, which can speak English, French, and Nigerian Hausa. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint reader for biometrics.
Tecno Spark 10 Pro Specifications:
Dimensions: 168.41 x 76.21 x 8.46mm
Display: 6.8″ IPS LCD, 90Hz, FHD+ resolution
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G88 4G (12nm)
Memory: 8GB RAM, 256GB storage (expandable)
OS: Android 13 with HiOS 12.6 on top
Rear Cameras: Dual (with LED flash)
– 50MP, f/1.6 primary
– Unspecified secondary sensor
– Up to 1080p 30 fps videos
Front Camera: 32MP, dual LED flash (Up to 1080p 30 fps videos)
Apple’s M2 chip made its debut in June 2022 with the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air and 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro. And now, rumors about its successor—the M3 chip—have surfaced online. As per Mark Gurman, a well-known Apple analyst and tipster, Apple will launch Macbook Air 13 and a 15-inch version with the new M3 chip.
Apple M3 Chip Rumors:
MacBook Air 13 and 15-inch with M3
“Apple is moving from 5-nanometer chip process technology to a 3-nanometer design in the Mac,” according to Mark Gurman. There are no other details about this processor so far, except that the Apple M3 chip will be manufactured under a 3nm fabrication process.
To compare, the last-gen M2 was based on a 5nm architecture. There is also speculation that M3 will spin off into two more versions: M3 Pro and M3 Max.
As per Gurman, the new chip will power the upcoming Macbook Air’s 13-inch and 15-inch models. This will also be the first time Apple is preparing a 15-inch Macbook Air, by the way. Another reliable source for Apple news, 9to5mac has also pointed out that a 13-inch MacBook Pro codenamed J504, is also in the cards with the M3 SoC.
New iMac with M3
Moving on, it looks like Apple is ready to update iMac with the next-gen chip as well. Alongside the new chip, the M3 iMac is also hinted to have new internal designs and components.
M1 iMac (2021)
In other Apple news, the Mac Pro is likely to feature the M2 Ultra chip instead, with 24 CPU cores, 76 GPU cores, and up to 192GB RAM. Gurman has also predicted an upcoming iPad Pro with an Apple M3 chip and OLED display, which should launch in the first half of 2024 as per his reports.
Apple is reportedly unveiling the power of the M3 chip at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. We’ll continue updating this article with more info when they become available.
Meanwhile, watch our review of the M2 MacBook Air (2022)
It also features a 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming for reducing eye strains in low-light scenarios. The Ace 2V’s display is also 
