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AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C charging is launching later this year

GadgetByte

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March 27, 2023

AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C charging is launching later this year

Back in September 2022, Apple finally launched the 2nd Generation AirPods Pro. Compared to the first-gen AirPods Pro, it brought many upgrades. Unfortunately, USB-C charging wasn’t one of them. But rumors suggest Apple could be preparing to launch AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C charging case later this year.

AirPods Pro 2 (2023) Rumors:

USB-C charging case

Apple is reportedly seeking to mass produce the USB-C cased AirPods Pro 2 in the second or third quarter of 2023, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, who is a reliable Apple-related leakster. However, we don’t know whether Apple has other upgrades in store as well.

I think this is likely the USB-C version of the AirPods Pro 2, with mass shipments expected in 2Q23-3Q23. By the way, Apple currently appears to have no plans for USB-C versions of the AirPods 2 & 3.

我覺得這應該是AirPods Pro… https://t.co/aWKJvGh1lW

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 24, 2023

After new AirPods with model number “A3048” and a new AirPods case with model number “A29680” were discovered on iOS 16.4 Release Candidate, rumors about USB-C powered AirPods began to take shape.

It’s pretty clear that Apple’s decision to go USB-C on the AirPods Pro is a direct result of the European Union (EU) and India mandating USB-C charging on devices like smartphones, wearables, and other gadgets. Matter of fact, the upcoming iPhone 15 series will shift from Lightning to a USB-C connector too.

AirPods Pro 2 features

Anyway, the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C will likely bear all the features of its Lightning counterpart. This includes a U1 ultra-wideband chip and a built-in speaker in the charging case, to help remotely locate it easier.

Powered by the all-new H2 chip, Apple claims almost 2x better ANC on the 2nd generation AirPods Pro versus its predecessor. It also introduces something called “Adaptive Transparency Mode” which kicks in whenever there’s a sudden burst of loud noise around the user.

Apple also reworked the audio on the AirPods Pro 2, with a new low-distortion sound driver and a custom amp. It also lets you adjust volume levels directly from the earbud’s touch panel. Other than this, these earbuds can last significantly longer than their predecessor too. With a claimed playback time of 6 hours with ANC on, compared to 4.5 hours on the first-gen AirPods Pro.

AirPods Pro 2 (2023) Price and Availability

As aforementioned, the AirPods Pro 2 (2023) is reportedly launching later this year, with mass production starting from either Q2/Q3 2023. There’s no word on pricing yet but it could cost USD 249—the same as the regular AirPods Pro 2.

Meanwhile, check our review of AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) with 13th Gen Intel CPU launched in Nepal

GadgetByte

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March 27, 2023

2

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) with 13th Gen Intel CPU launched in Nepal

Asus recently unveiled ZenBook 14 Flip OLED in Malaysia with Intel’s Raptor Lake P-series processor. And this laptop is now available in Nepal as well. In this article, we will walk you through the specs, features, availability, and official price of the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) in Nepal.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Overview:

Design and Display

As hinted by the name, the Zenbook 14 Flip is a convertible laptop with an all-metal chassis. The 360° hinge here enables users to use this laptop in modes like tablet, tent, and stand. You can even use it with Asus Pen 2.0 (stylus) which has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The pen tip is interchangeable with four types of pointers—2H/H/HB/B. It charges via a USB-C port.

Read our Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) review

Moreover, it’s a pretty slim and lightweight machine measuring 15.9mm and 1.5kg, respectively. Asus has also managed to secure a US MIL-STD 810H military-grade certification for the ZenBook 14 Flip. You can get it in two color options: Foggy Silver and Ponder Blue.

The display here is a 14.0-inch 2.8K Glossy OLED panel that has a 16:10 aspect ratio and Gorilla Glass protection. There’s also 90Hz refresh rate support, while the peak brightness maxes at 550 nits. Furthermore, it comes with a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, TÜV Rheinland, and VESA certification, along with HDR True Black 500.

Performance

Under the hood, Zenbook 14 Flip is powered by the latest 13th gen Intel CPUs. It is available in two processor choices—Core i5-1340P and i7-1360P. But only the Core i7 variant will make its way to Nepal. Memory-wise, it comes with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.

Moreover, the laptop also bags Intel Evo certification, which means it meets Intel’s standards for ensuring long-term performance. You can learn more about Intel Evo here.

Ports and Connectivity

As for the I/O options, it has one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, 2x Thunderbolt 4 with power delivery support, 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS, and 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack. This laptop has Dual-band Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5 for wireless connectivity.

Rest of the specs

This laptop is fueled by a 75Wh battery and supports Type-C charging at 65W. For audio, you get Herman Kardon-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Likewise, there’s a Full HD camera on the top bezel of the screen that also features a two-way AI noise cancelation microphone. Additionally, you get a Backlit Chiclet Keyboard with 1.4mm key travel as well as windows hello for security.

ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Specifications:

Design & Build: Metal build, 12.26″ x 8.80″ x 0.63″ ~ 0.63″, 1.5 kg
Color Options: Ponder Blue, Foggy Silver
Display: 14″ Glossy OLED panel, 90Hz refresh rate, 550 nits (peak)
Resolution: 2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
Keyboard: Chiclet-style backlit keyboard, 1.4mm Key-travel
Trackpad: Multi-touch trackpad
Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P Processor 2.2 GHz (18MB Cache, up to 5.0 GHz, 12 cores, 16 Threads)
RAM: 8/16GB DDR5 on-board
Storage: Up to 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Audio: Stereo Harman Kardon speakers with Dolby Atmos
Battery: 75 Watt-hours 4-cell Li-Ion battery
Power Supply: 65W AC power adapter
Webcam: 1080p Full HD
Connectivity: Dual-band WiFi 802.11 6E, Bluetooth 5
I/O Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4 (w/ DisplayPort/Power Delivery), 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack

ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) Price in Nepal

The price of the Asus ZenBook 14 Flip OLED (2023) in Nepal is NPR 208,333. This variant ships with Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and a 2.8K OLED touchscreen. You can buy this laptop at an official price from Nagmani International.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023)	Price in Nepal	Availability
Intel i7-1360P, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 2.8K OLED touchscreen	NPR 208,333	Hukut Store

Meanwhile, check our review of ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 OLED.

Huawei P60 Series lands with variable aperture cameras, satellite connectivity

Huawei

Mintu

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March 27, 2023

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Huawei P60 Series lands with variable aperture cameras, satellite connectivity

After the “Kamehameha” move by the U.S. over Huawei, the company dealt a major blow. Slowly, it is trying to regain some share with new smartphone launches. Alongside the Mate X3, the brand has now launched the flagship Huawei P60 series. In this article, let’s go through the specs, features, and expected price of the Huawei P60 series in Nepal.

Huawei P60 Series Overview:

The Huawei P60 Series comprises three models—P60, P60 Pro, and P60 Art. All of these phones share similar specs but the P60 Art is a China-exclusive model.

Design

To begin with, Huawei has implemented a uniform design on the P60 and P60 Pro. Both siblings look identical with a rectangular camera module, placing the main sensor in a bigger circular rim in the middle. Both the vanilla P60 and Pro’s White color variants consist of a mother-of-pearl design with some artistic texture. Besides that, the other color options are Black, Emerald Green, and Purple, which has a plain matte finish.

On the other hand, P60 Art features a slightly different camera island with curved asymmetrical sides. While from the front side, all of the models share the same look with an equal dimension of 161 x 74.5 x 8.3mm. They also bag an IP68 rating against dust and water drips. The P60 Art is available in Blue, Gold color options.

Display

Coming to the display, the P60 series sports a 6.67-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Full HD+ screen comes with LTPO tech for switching the refresh rate between 1-120Hz on all three models. On top of that, there are TÜV Rheinland Certifications (Color Accuracy & Precise Color Projection) on the displays.

Likewise, the quad curve display also gets the 1440 Hz high-frequency PWM dimming for eye protection and supports up to 300Hz touch sampling rate. And talking of display protection, the brand has infused “Kunlun” glass on the Pro and Art models while the vanilla P60 misses out on this.

Performance

As for the performance, the P60 series get the horsepower of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. Due to Huawei’s inability to use Qualcomm’s 5G modem because of the ban and restrictions imposed by the U.S.A., this 5nm chipset can only support 4G connectivity. Nevertheless, the silicon still packs a punch in terms of performance and power with its prime Cortex X2 core at 3.2GHz and Adreno 730 GPU.

Memory-wise, the vanilla P60 is available in three configurations: 8/128GB, 8/256GB & 8/512GB while the P60 Pro can be availed in two configurations—8/256GB and 12/256GB variants. Meanwhile, the P60 Art comes with 12GB of RAM and either 512GB or 1TB of internal storage.

As for the software, the entire lineup boots on EMUI 13.1 for the global and HarmonyOS 3.1 for the Chinese region. And sadly, there is no GMS (Google Mobile Services) support for the OS.

Also Read:

Camera

The P-series is always known for state-of-the-art cameras. Here as well, Huawei has provided a capable camera setup across the board. The P60 houses a triple-camera setup with 48MP main (OIS), 13MP ultrawide, and 12MP telephoto (OIS) sensors. The main camera is capable of changing its aperture from f/1.4 to f/4.0.

Moving on, the P60 Pro also features the same 48MP main camera with variable aperture and OIS. Its telephoto camera is also a 48MP shooter backed by OIS. This 90mm periscope lens can digitally zoom up to 200X, aiming to compete against the likes of the S23 Ultra. And there is the same 13MP ultrawide lens here too.

The P60 Art also enjoys a triple-camera setup and borrows the same primary and telephoto lens from the Pro model. The ultrawide sensor gets a megapixel boost, making it a 40MP shooter.

Regardless of the models, all the siblings share an RYYB color filter for better low-light imageries and a 13MP front camera. On top of that, the Huawei Xmage lens branding follows all across.

Battery and Others

Fueling the P60 and P60 Pro is a 4815mAh battery that supports 66W fast charging on the former and 88W on the latter. The Art version packs a bigger 5100mAh silicon carbon cell with the same 88W charging speed support. Likewise, the entire lineup also extends 50W wireless charging support.

Talking of connectivity options, the P60 Series includes 4G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB Type-C 3.1, two-way satellite connectivity, and GPS. For biometrics security, there is an under-display fingerprint reader on all three phones.

Huawei P60 Series Specifications:

	Huawei P60			Hauwei P60 Pro	Huawei P60 Art
Display Size	6.67-inch AMOLED
Properties	120Hz refresh rate, LTPO, 444PPI
Resolution	1.5K (2700 x 1220 pixels)
Chipset	Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
OS	EMUI 13.1 (Global), HarmonyOS 3.1 (China)
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB		256GB, 512GB		512GB, 1TB
Rear Camera	48MP Primary f/1.4-f/4.0, OIS 12MP Telephoto, OIS 13MP Ultrawide lens		48MP Primary f/1.4-f/4.0, OIS 48MP Telephoto sensor, 200X Digital Zoom, OIS 13MP Ultrawide lens		48MP Primary f/1.4-f/4.0, OIS 48MP Telephoto sensor, 200X Digital Zoom, OIS 40MP Ultrawide lens
Security	Under Display Fingerprint Scanner, 2D Face Unlock
Audio	Stereo speakers
Connectivity	4G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Two-way Satellite connectivity
Battery	4815mAh, 88W wired, 50W wireless	4815mAh, 80W wired, 50W wireless			5100mAh, 88W wired, 50W wireless
Colors	Black, Emerald Green, Purple, White		Black, Emerald Green, Purple, White		Blue, Gold

Huawei P60 Series Price in Nepal and Availablity

The vanilla P60 model retails at CNY 4,488 with the 128GB variant. On the other hand, the P60 Pro and Art’s price start at CNY 6,988 and CNY 8,988 respectively. We can expect the price of the Huawei P60 series in Nepal to begin from NPR 112,000 if and when it launches here.

Smartphone	Variants	Price in China (Official)	Price in Nepal (Expected)
Huawei P60	8/128GB	CNY 4,488	NPR 112,000
	8/256GB	CNY 4,988	NPR 124,000
	8/512GB	CNY 5,988	NPR 149,000
Huawei P60 Pro	8/256GB	CNY 6,988	NPR 174,000
Huawei P60 Pro	12/512GB	CNY 7,988	NPR 199,000
Huawei P60 Art	12/512GB	CNY 8,988	NPR 224,000
Huawei P60 Art	12/1TB	CNY 10,988	NPR 273,000

Meanwhile, you can check our Xiaomi 13 Pro review.

Bummer! Apple Watch with blood glucose tracking still several years away

Apple
Rumor

GadgetByte

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March 27, 2023

1

Bummer! Apple Watch with blood glucose tracking still several years away

Apple Watch’s non-invasive (i.e. without having to draw blood) blood glucose measurement feature has been in development for over a decade now. We’ve been hearing that Apple is “ready” to bring it to market every once in a while. But a new report from reliable Apple leakster Mark Gurman says an Apple Watch with blood glucose monitoring is still several years away from production.

Blood glucose reading in Apple Watch Series

The traditional method of taking blood glucose readings requires one to inject a sample of their blood and send it to a lab. Or using a home kit that still needs a blood sample. Both of which are invasive processes. So you can already imagine that implementing non-invasive blood glucose measurement on a compact device like an Apple Watch is a tricky ordeal.

According to Gurman, Apple is likely to use a silicon photonics chip to shine light from a laser through the skin to determine the body’s glucose concentration. But the main challenge for the company is fitting this sensor inside the small and slim body of an Apple Watch. And Gurman suggests figuring this out could take another 3-7 years for Apple.

Why it’s so important

If this technology eventually comes to market, it will be able to warn Apple Watch users if they are prediabetic and encourage them to make healthier lifestyle changes to lower the chances of developing diabetes. In case you didn’t know, there is currently no cure for diabetes. And it can only be managed through strict dietary plans or regular medications. So, prevention is obviously the best option here.

Apple has been working on this technology since 2010. And the project was initiated by Steve Jobs himself after he bought “RareLight”. It was a company that envisioned non-invasive blood glucose monitoring. The technology was then being worked on in a secret facility by Avolonte Health LLC before being transferred to the Exploratory Design Group (XDG).

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Apple Watch Ultra.

Xiaomi 13 Lite with Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, dual selfie cameras arrives in Nepal

Xiaomi

GadgetByte

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March 27, 2023

1

Xiaomi 13 Lite with Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, dual selfie cameras arrives in Nepal

Xiaomi’s event at MWC 2023 saw the launch of the company’s latest flagship offerings – the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro. The lineup also gained a new member shortly, the Xiaomi 13 Lite, which is now available in Nepal as well. Here, we will walk through the specs, features, availability, and official price of the Xiaomi 13 Lite in Nepal.

Xiaomi 13 Lite Overview:

For starters, the 13 Lite is heavily based on the Xiaomi Civi 2, which is a China-exclusive phone. Thus, everything from the design to the specifications of these smartphones is nearly identical. Although there are a few minor differences too.

Design

Staying true to the name, the Xiaomi 13 Lite brings a lightweight and slim body measuring 171 grams and 7.23mm, respectively. The front and rear also have curves all around to make the smartphone fit snugly in your hands.

The design difference between this and its predecessor is that it has two cameras on the front in a pill-shaped cutout. There are also two LED flashes on each side, dubbed “Xiaomi Selfie Glow” which will help in bright photos and videos, especially at night.

Cameras

Talking of the sensors here, one is a 32MP ultrawide camera with a 100° field-of-view (FoV), and the other is an 8MP depth sensor. The latter will be used for natural-looking bokeh effects in portraits, while the 13 Lite uses the wider FoV of the main lens for a feature called “Dynamic Framing”.

Cameras

1 of 2

It works in a manner similar to Apple’s “Center Stage”, which intelligently detects faces and keeps them in the frame. The camera has three zoom levels for this: 0.6x, 0.8x, and 1x. By the way, this setup is a bit different from that of Civi 2 as it features two 32MP cameras.

At the back, you get an array of three cameras, headlined by the 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor. This sensor has seen the light of the day in a number of premium phones, including the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, Realme GT 2 Explorer Master Edition, and Oppo Reno 8 Pro, to name a few.

According to Xiaomi, this 1/1.56″ sensor with 1.0m pixels and f/1.8 aperture can capture 123% more light than the 108MP sensor with f/1.9 aperture on last year’s 12 Lite. However, the 8MP ultrawide lens with 119° FoV and 2MP macro camera remain unchanged from last year.

Display

Moving on, here you get a 6.55” curved AMOLED screen with 12-bit color depth and Dolby Vision, HDR10+ support. It’s a Full HD resolution panel with 1000 nits of peak brightness. And Xiaomi has also included 1920Hz PWM dimming to combat screen flickering. Not to forget, it refreshes at 120Hz and has a touch sampling rate of 240Hz.

Xiaomi has protected the display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and the phone has an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance. Although the back is also made of glass, it does not have any layer of protection, and the frames are made of plastic.

Performance

In charge of the performance side of things is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor. Despite the phone’s slim form and size, Xiaomi has still managed to fit in a custom stainless steel vacuum chamber occupying 2360mm² for improved thermals.

Memory-wise, you get to choose between 8/128GB and 8/256GB variants. But the phone boots on MIUI 14 which is still based on Android 12.

Others

Fueling the Xiaomi 13 Lite is a 4500mAh battery that charges via a 67W adapter which is included in the box. For audio, you get stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, 4G (LTE), and 5G are among the connectivity options. There is also NFC support, though its availability may vary by region. For biometrics, you get an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Xiaomi 13 Lite Specifications:

Body: 159.2 × 72.7 × 7.23mm, 171 gm
Display: 6.55-inches AMOLED DotDisplay, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Gorilla Glass 5, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 402 PPI, 20:9 aspect ratio
Other Properties: 68 billion (12-bit) colors, 1920Hz PWM Dimming, True Color Technology, 900 nits (HBM), 1000 nits (peak brightness)
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (4nm mobile platform)
Memory: 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage (fixed)
Software & UI: Android 12 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 on top
Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
– 50MP Sony IMX766, f/1.8
– 8MP, f/2.2 ultrawide (119° FoV)
– 2MP, f/2.4 macro
Front Camera: Dual (with two LED flash)
– 32MP, f/2.4 (100° FoV)
– 8MP depth, f/2.28
Audio: Dual stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos Audio
Security: In-display fingerprint sensor (optical), Face unlock
Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light, E-compass, Gyro, Proximity, IR blaster
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 6 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS / AGPS / Beidou / Galileo, USB Type-C, 4G LTE (VoLTE), 5G
Battery: 4500mAh with 67W wired charging (67W power adapter provided)
Color Options: Lite Blue, Lite Pink (Black not available in Nepal)

Xiaomi 13 Lite Price in Nepal and Availability

The official price of Xiaomi 13 Lite in Nepal is NPR 54,999 for the 8/128GB and NPR 57,999 for the 8/256GB variant. It is available starting today and can buy Xiaomi 13 Lite in Nepal from authorized stores like Hukut.

Xiaomi 13 Lite	Price in Nepal	Availability
8/128GB	NPR 54,999	Hukut Store
8/256GB	NPR 57,999	Hukut Store

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Xiaomi 13 Pro

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 with Ryzen 7 5825U launched in Nepal

GadgetByte

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March 26, 2023

2

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 with Ryzen 7 5825U launched in Nepal

After the high-end ThinkPad T14/T14s and X13, it’s the turn for the modest E14. The fourth entry into the ThinkPad E-series is now available in Nepal. So, let’s get into the details of Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4, including its specs, features, and latest price in Nepal.