After launching the Moto G53 in China last month, Motorola has now confirmed the availability of the phone for Europe and Asia. So, let’s dive deep into the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Motorola Moto G53 in Nepal.
Motorola Moto G53 Overview:
Performance and Memory
The biggest upgrade on the Moto G53 over its predecessor is the chipset. This time Moto has opted for the Snapdragon 480 Plus, which is a 5G chipset, unlike the Snapdragon 680 on the G52. Furthermore, the Snapdragon 480+ is also a more capable chipset, packing newer Cortex-A76 cores and Cortex-A55 cores. The graphics performance is also said to improve with Adreno 619.
This is paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The latter is expandable up to 1TB using a microSD card slot. However, for that, you will have to trade off dual-sim connectivity as the phone has hybrid slim slots.
Design and Display
Moving on, Motorola has made massive changes to the design and display of the Moto G53. The 6.6-inch screen now refreshes at 120H— up from 90Hz. That said, not all changes are as good. Motorola has swapped the AMOLED display for an LCD panel, and the resolution has been downscaled to HD.
The body is made of plastic, and it can withstand accidental spills, splashes, and light rain. Motorola offers the phone in three color options: Ink Blue, Arctic Silver, and Pale Pink. All three variants flaunt the iconic bat-wing logo, along with the new camera module, which is more rectangular.
Furthermore, Motorola has reduced the number of rear cameras to just two. Moto G53 inherits the 50MP primary camera from its predecessor. It now has Phase Detection AutoFocus. This is paired with an 8MP sensor which takes on the role of both a depth and an ultra-wide sensor. Over on the front, you get a 16MP sensor inside the center-aligned punch-hole cutout. You can record FHD videos at 30fps with both front and rear cameras. Likewise, the phone also supports simultaneous capture from the two with the new Dual Capture.
Rest of the Specs
Finally, powering the Moto G53 is a 5,000mAh battery that supports 10W charging via the Type-C port. In addition, the phone has 5G compatibility, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC for wireless connectivity. It has stereo speakers as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. Moto G53 ships with Android 13 with Motorola’s My UX skin.
Motorola Moto G53 5G Specifications:
Body: PMMA Build, 162.7 x 74.66 x 8.19 mm, 183 gm
Display: 6.6-inch IPS panel, 120Hz refresh rate
Resolution: HD+ resolution (1600 x 720), 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ (8nm Mobile Platform)
Memory: 4GB RAM, 128GB storage (expandable up to 1TB)
Software&UI: Android 13 with My UX on top
Rear Camera: Dual (50MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide)
Front Camera: 16MP sensor (punch-hole cutout)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Battery: 5,000mAh, 10W charging
Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
Color Options: Ink Blue, Arctic Silver, Pale Pink
Motorola Moto G53 Price in Nepal and Availability
The Moto G53 is set to launch in Europe in the coming days with a starting price of EUR 300. Motorola will then launch the phone in Latin American and Asian markets. We expect the price of the Moto G53 5G to be NPR 37,499 when it launches in Nepal.
After weeks of speculations, Motorola has finally unveiled the Moto G13, its latest budget offering. It’s essentially a scaled-down version of the Moto G23, which was also released alongside it. So, let’s take a look at what Motorola has to offer with the Moto G13, as well as its expected price in Nepal.
Motorola Moto G13 Overview:
Design
The Moto G13 has a sleek, flat-edged design similar to the Moto G23. The back of the phone has a squarish camera module with three sensors and a batwing Motorola logo on the center.
In terms of dimensions, it measures 8.19mm in thickness and weighs 183.4 grams. The phone is available in Matte Charcoal, Blue Lavender, and Rose Gold colors. Additionally, the G13 has an IP52 rating, making it resistant to water and dust.
On the front is a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with a punch-hole cutout in the center. This is an HD+ resolution screen that refreshes at 90Hz, whereas there’s support for a whopping 576Hz touch sampling rate, says Motorola. The brightness peaks at 400 nits.
Motorola has also employed Panda Glass protection to safeguard the display against accidental drops. Likewise, even though it’s an entry-level phone, it features a stereo speaker setup and even supports Dolby Atmos.
The Moto G13 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 chipset. It’s a 12nm SoC with two Cortex-A75 (@ 2.0 GHz) cores and six Cortex-A55 (1.8 GHz) cores. It’s also worth noting that the G85 is a 4G processor, which means the G13 will only support 4G LTE connectivity. However, rumors suggest that Motorola may release a 5G variant of the G13.
Memory will be 4GB, with a 128 GB storage option. The latter is expandable up to 512GB via a microSD card. Similarly, the G13 will come pre-installed with Android 13. While the G13 and G23 are identical until now, there are certainly a few differences.
To begin with, both handsets are expected to include a 5000mAh battery. However, the charging speed on the G13 is only 10W, whereas the G23 will support 30W charging.
Cameras
Similarly, another difference between the G13 and G23 is in the camera department. Both phones get a 50MP primary and a 2MP macro lens. But, the G23 has a 5MP ultrawide sensor, whereas Motorola dropped it in favor of another 2MP depth sensor on the G13. For selfies, you get an 8MP camera on the G13 while the G23 sports a 16MP lens.
Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 5.1, NFC
Color Options: Matte Charcoal, Blue Lavender, Rose Gold
Motorola Moto G13 Price in Nepal and Availability
The smartphone is launched at an asking price of EUR 179 for the sole 4/128GB variant. We expect the price of Motorola Moto G13 to be NPR 28,000, if and when it launches in Nepal.
Smartphone
Price in Europe
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Motorola Moto G13
EUR 179
NPR 28,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Motorola Moto G52.
After launching the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered X40, Motorola is now looking to strengthen its budget and mid-range portfolio. Motorola just launched a bunch of new smartphones yesterday, including the new G23, which we will be discussing in this article. So, let’s look into the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Moto G23 in Nepal.
Moto G23 Rumors Roundup:
Design and Display
Motorola has tweaked the design of the Moto G23 a bit. The most noticeable change is the new camera bump. Compared to its predecessor, the G23 has a rectangular module with rounded corners. Likewise, there are three new color options to choose from—Matte Charcoal, Steel Blue, and Pearl White. That said, Motorola is still continuing the flat-edged design of the G22.
The phone also inherits the 6.5-inch IPS display with 90Hz refresh rate and 400 nits of brightness of its predecessor. Unfortunately, the resolution also remains unchanged at 1600 x 720 pixels.
Performance and Memory
The biggest update on the Moto G23 comes in the form of the chipset. Moto has opted for the MediaTek G85 chipset which is a massive jump from the Helio G37. It has a two-cluster CPU consisting of two Cortex-A75 (@2GHz) and six Cortex-A55 (@1.8GHz). Likewise, the Mali-G52 is also a much better GPU than IMG PowerVR GE8320.
The chip is paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. There is also a base variant with 4GB of RAM.
Moving on, you get a triple camera setup at the back of the Moto G23. The primary camera remains the same at 50MP. However, Motorola has done away with the 2MP depth with the 5MP ultrawide sensor doubling as a depth sensor. Over on the front, the phone retains the 16MP selfie sensor, housed inside the punch-hole cutout.
Rest of the Specs
Fueling the Moto G23 is a 5,000mAh battery with support for 30W TurboPower charging. On the audio front, the phone offers stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos and Snapdragon Sound. Other highlights of this phone include stereo speakers a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and NFC support. It also ships with the Android 13-based My UX out of the box.
Motorola Moto G23 Specifications:
Body: PMMA Build,162.7 x 74.66 x 8.19 mm, 184.25 gm
Front Camera: 16MP, f/2.45 sensor (punch-hole cutout)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Battery: 5,000mAh, 30W charging
Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
Color Options: Matte Charcoal, Steel Blue, Pearl White
Moto G23 Expected Launch Date and Pricing
The Moto G23 will debut in Europe in the coming days with a starting price of EUR 199. Motorola will then make the phone available in Latin American and Asian markets. We expect the price of Moto G22 in Nepal to start at NPR 29,999. For reference, the price of the Moto G22 in Nepal is Rs. 22,499.
The Galaxy M54 will be the company’s mid-range phone for 2023. Recently, the first renders of the device were leaked online, revealing a completely new look. Here, we will go through all the leaks and rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy M54.
Samsung Galaxy M54 Rumors:
Design, Display
Per the new renders shared by MySmartPrice, the Galaxy M54 will look different from its predecessor, with a vertically stacked triple camera setup on the back. The design is more in line with the upcoming S23 Series.
The phone will be available in at least two different colors, Dark Blue and a gradient color with shades of blue, pink, and green. Likewise, the power button has a fingerprint sensor embedded in it, and the bezels appear to be a bit narrower this time around.
As for the display, Samsung is said to use a 90Hz AMOLED panel on the Galaxy M54. Given this is true, it will be a step down from the Galaxy M52 and M53, both of which have a 120Hz FHD+ panel.
Exynos 1380
Furthermore, previous rumors about the Galaxy M54 suggested that it would be powered by a Snapdragon 888 chipset. However, it looks like Samsung will use its in-house Exynos 1380 chip instead. In the Geekbench database, the smartphone was listed with the Samsung s5e8835 chipset, which is most likely the Exynos 1380.
The SoC will succeed Dimensity 900 from its predecessor. Regardless, it’s a quad-core processor with two clusters: four cores running at 2.4GHz and four cores running at 2.0GHz. The memory option may be limited to 8GB, and the listing also reveals Android 13 OS.
Camera-wise, the Samsung Galaxy M54 is likely to have a 64MP primary sensor rather than the M53’s higher resolution 108MP sensor. Aside from that, it will have a 12MP ultrawide sensor and a 5MP macro/depth sensor. The front-facing selfie camera will remain at 32MP.
On the contrary, the Samsung Galaxy M54 will be getting a power boost with a 6000mAh battery. However, because the charging speed is limited to 25W, charging the large battery will take longer.
For the time being, there has been no word from Samsung about the handset. The Korean tech giant is currently preparing to launch the S23 Series, but the Galaxy M54 is expected to follow soon after.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy M53.
Mivi, a company known for its audio products, has recently added a new offering to its line of soundbars in Nepal—the Fort S200. It’s a 200W soundbar with an external subwoofer for an enhanced audio experience. So let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and official price of the Mivi Fort S200 in Nepal.
Mivi Fort S200 Overview:
Design
The Fort S200 succeeds the Fort S100 soundbar that is already available in Nepal. As a result, it comes with a familiar design with a metallic grille on the front with the Mivi logo. While the top and back have a glossy plastic chassis. There’s also a tiny LCD display on the front that notifies you of the audio output mode to which the soundbar is connected, such as Bluetooth, Aux, and so on.
The connectivity option on the soundbar includes a USB, Aux, Optimum, HDMI, or Bluetooth 5.1. On the other hand, the sub-woofer is a typical cuboidal box, likely made of wood on three sides, except the front. Likewise, this soundbar + subwoofer combo comes with a remote with a good number of buttons, including those for changing the audio modes.
Over on the audio front, as aforementioned, the Fort S200 is a 200W soundbar with a 2.1 channel output. The 2.1-channel is a type of audio system that features two full-range speakers (left and right channels) units in the soundbar and one dedicated subwoofer.
Regardless, the Mivi Fort S200 has four tweeter drivers that measure 2.25 inches. Whereas, the sub-woofer comes with a single driver unit that, as per Mivi, measures 6.5 inches. As the woofer deals with low-frequency sound, its frequency response ranges from 70Hz to 5KHz. The tweeters in the soundbar have a higher frequency response from 150Hz to 15KHz.
Furthermore, there are three EQ modes—Music, Movies, News, and 3D—to accommodate the content that the user is listening to or watching on TV. As aforementioned, you can change these modes from the remote itself.
Mobvoi is one of the few brands that offer WearOS-powered smartwatches. The company is now preparing to launch its latest wearable, the TicWatch Pro 5. And reports suggest it will be one of the first devices to ship with the new WearOS 3 platform. So, let’s look at the leaks and rumors surrounding the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5:
Design
The leak comes from Kuba Wojciechowski, a reliable source who is known for sharing early looks for upcoming hardware and software. The tipster recently shared a new render of Mobvoi’s upcoming smartwatch, the TicWatch Pro 5. Although the brand has yet to confirm this moniker.
⌚️ Leak: Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 – one of the first watches to ship with Snapdragon W5(+) and Wear OS 3 pic.twitter.com/FIg8BEcMQR
Mobvoi is said to avoid the name ‘Pro 4’ due to a superstition about the ‘4’ digit being unlucky. So it’s likely the wearable will be called TicWatch Pro 5.
Anyways, the renders show a new design for the smartwatch, with the most noticeable difference being that there is now only one crown. To reiterate, the current TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra has two crowns. But they lack any sort of functionality and are placed just for decoration.
As a result, this change should have very little impact, at least in terms of functionality. Likewise, the watch has a textured rim, and the bezels have been slimmed down slightly as well.
Furthermore, the TicWatch Pro 5 will ship with WearOS 3 out of the box, making it one of the first smartwatches to do so. It will be powered by Qualcomm’s newest 4nm process node SoC for smartwatches, the Snapdragon W5+ chipset. It is more power-efficient than older chips and is claimed to offer 50% better battery performance.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 Launch and Availability
As per Kuba, Mobvoi tested the TicWatch Pro 5 a while ago. And now since they are nearing the release, they have added basic support for the watch in their app. But the company has not yet shared an exact launch date.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series.
Apple has finally announced the 2nd Generation HomePod, two years after discontinuing the original HomePod. The new speakers join the HomePod Mini, which was released in 2020. Let’s take a look at the specifications, features, availability, and expected price of the Apple HomePod Mini (2nd Gen) in Nepal.
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) Overview:
Design
Design-wise, the new HomePod Mini looks similar to the original model. That is, it has a black and white mesh fabric exterior and an opaque touch panel on top. The latter glows with a colorful orb of light when you activate Siri. While a small white orb gently oscillates as the music plays, adding a visual element to the listening experience.
This display can also be used for controls. You can play or pause a song by simply tapping on it. Similarly, a double-tap will play the next song, and a triple-tap will return to the previous song. And for volume up and down, there’s a ‘+’ or ‘ -’ indicator within the display.
In terms of audio, the speaker has a single four-inch woofer as before. But the tweeter count sees a drop from seven tweeters to five. While the six microphones of the original model have also been replaced by four new far-field mics. Additionally, there’s an internal low-frequency calibration mic for automatic bass correction.
Like the original HomePod, the new model can detect its location in a room. Either it’s placed against a wall or left in an open space so that it adapts to the environment for better sound output in real-time. It’s baked with Apple S7 SoC that helps with computational audio and real-time tuning.
Additionally, you can pair two of them together for the stereo sound experience. Or can use them as speakers for the Apple TV 4K. There’s also support for spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, by the way.
Features
While most of this is inherent in the original model, the new HomePod features built-in temperature and humidity sensors. This can be used to provide real-time information about your surroundings, and to trigger specific functions. Like it can turn on the AC or close the blinds when a preset target temperature is met.
Furthermore, like the HomePod mini, it can recognize the voices of up to six family members. The brand will also enable a feature via a software update where the device will listen for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and notify you via an iPhone if it detects any.
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) Specifications:
Dimension: 6.6mm (H) x 5.6mm (W); 2.3kg
Chipset: Apple S7 chip
Audio: 4-inch high-excursion woofer, Five tweeters
Microphone: Yes, 4
Control: Backlit touch surface
Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Thread, Ultra-Wideband chip
Voice Assistant: Siri
Sensors: Temperature, Humidity
Extra features: Stereo pairing
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) Price in Nepal and Availability
The HomePod is priced at USD 299 and its shipping will begin on Feb 6. We expect the price of Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) to start at NPR 50,000, if and when it launches in Nepal.
Smart Speaker
Price in the US
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
USD 299
NPR 50,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Apple MacBook Air (M2).
Nokia kicked off this year with a budget-centric Nokia C12. The device is the latest addition to the company’s C-series and serves as the successor to the Nokia C10, which made its debut in 2021. So let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the Nokia C12 in Nepal.
Nokia C12 Overview:
Design, Display
The C12 is smaller and lighter than most of the previous C-series phones. It’s centered on a 6.3-inch HD+ display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. And it is powered by a 3000mAh battery, which is surprisingly user-removable. As a result, it’s relatively light at only 177 grams, but it’s a little thick at 8.75mm. Regardless, the screen is covered by toughened glass against accidental drops and scratches.
Design-wise, it has a small camera module on the back with a textured finish for a comfortable grip. Also, the smartphone is IP52 certified for dust and water resistance. The Nokia C12 is available in three colors: Charcol, Dark Cyan, and Light Mint.
In charge of things inside is an octa-core Unisoc SC9863A1 processor. Based on the 28nm process node, the SoC has eight Cortex-A55 cores (4x 1.6GHz + 4x 1.2GHz) and a PowerVR IMG 8322 GPU. Since this is not a powerful SoC, Nokia has preloaded the smartphone with the Android 12 Go edition.
For starters, the Go edition of Android is a lightweight version of the stock OS designed for an entry-level smartphone with limited resources. There is also a set of apps designed specifically to run on low-end hardware, such as Google Go, Google Maps Go, and others.
Memory-wise, it comes with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC 5.1 storage. You can add 2GB of RAM virtually and expand the storage with a microSD card. Not to mention that Nokia has promised the phone two years of quarterly security updates.
Others
Moving on to the cameras, the back has a single 8MP lens with an LED flash. You get a 5MP selfie shooter on the notch. The front-facing camera also supports Face unlock, but there is no fingerprint scanner for physical biometrics. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, dual SIM, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a micro USB port. The latter is capable of 5W charging.
In Europe, the smartphone is priced at EUR 119 for the 2/64GB variant. We expect the price of the Nokia C12 to be NPR 17,999, if and when it launches in Nepal.
In this review, I’ll be talking about my experience with the new Honor X9a. So after a long time—like really, really. long time, I am back with an Honor smartphone review. Now, you might already know that Honor, being a sub-brand of Huawei, also faced the consequences of the Huawei-US ban back in 2019.
This dramatic move from the United States was kinda like the Thanos snap—wiping both Huawei and Honor from using products and services from all US-owned companies including Google. But since the ban was only on Huawei, it could technically save Honor by selling it to other companies. Which means Honor would function as a completely separate entity. And to no one’s surprise, Huawei sold Honor to a Chinese company back in 2020.
Honor X9a Specifications:
Body: 161.6 x 73.9 x 7.9mm; 175 grams
Display: 6.67-inches curved AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 10-bit color depth
Colors: Titanium Silver, Emerald Green, Midnight Black
Price in Nepal: Rs. 45,990 (8/256GB)
Honor X9a Review:
This allowed Honor to regain access to services from Google and other US-based companies. Since then, Honor has been back in the smartphone industry, and has been making waves with a range of budget, mid-range, and flagship products, including foldables!
In fact, it was quick enough to regain a 15% market share in China in the third quarter of 2021. And in the first and second quarters of 2022, it even became the number one smartphone brand, with a 20% market share. Besides China, Honor has been expanding its business globally as well.
And today, I have the company’s first global launch for 2023, the Honor X9a, which I have been using for a couple of days now. It’s a mid-range phone that recently launched in Malaysia for RM 1,499 for the single 8/256GB variant. That roughly converts to around USD 340 or INR 28,000.
Display
6.67″ curved FHD+ AMOLED
120/300Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
Double-reinforced glass protection
The first thing I’d really like to talk about the Honor X9a is its display. Realme recently delivered a stunning curved display in the mid-range segment with the 10 Pro+. And we get a similar experience here as it also comes with curved sides that look and feel incredibly premium.
And it’s not a steep bend—45° to be precise—so I haven’t had any problems with accidental touches of any kind here. But as premium, as it looks, curved screens always pose a risk of damage due to the additional stress on the edges. And to address this, Honor is using what it calls “Deeply Re-inforced Glass” on the X9a, which is said to increase the toughness and rigidity of the screen.
Besides these, the Honor X9a has also secured a bunch of standard durability tests, such as the Marble Drop and Steel Ball Impact. So screen durability shouldn’t be an issue with this guy.
Stunning OLED screen
Moving on, the AMOLED panel here comes with a Full HD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a 10-bit color gamut. So, the overall quality of the panel is nice; the colors and contrast here are pretty good too.
And the bezels around the display are also quite minimal, so you will have a great time binging movies and shows. The phone also has Widevine L1 certification for Full HD streaming on OTT platforms.
Speaking of which, I recently finished binging the entire “Wednesday” series on this phone and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was on my eyes at night.
This was mostly thanks to the 1920Hz PWM dimming which basically reduces the screen-flickering issue in low-lighting situations. Hence, less strain on the eyes.
Audio and Haptics
Single speaker
No headphone jack
However, given how good this screen is, Honor should have provided a good-quality stereo speaker here. Not that its single speaker is not loud or clear or anything but as a 2023 mid-range smartphone, I think Honor shouldn’t have compromised on this aspect.
Likewise, I am not satisfied with its haptics either. Instead of subtle and precise feedback, you feel a buzz when you press a key. To compare, I recently reviewed the Redmi Note 12 Pro and Realme 10 Pro+, which offer a much better haptic response.
A distinct design
161.6 x 73.9 x 7.9mm, 175 grams
Glass front, Plastic back/frames
Design-wise, the X9a looks a bit more unique than other smartphones currently available in the market—especially because of this circular camera ring on the back.
Actually, this reminds me of Huawei’s premium Mate series smartphone. But personally, I like it because it looks good and it’s still a unique enough design to differentiate itself from the rest of the crowd.
Thankfully, Honor has also offered a matte finish on the back, so there’s no need to worry about fingerprints and such. Also, it has a glittery finish to it, which I think goes well with the Emerald Green shade that I have with me.
Not to mention, the phone itself is actually really compact, lightweight, and sleek. And with curved edges on both the front and back, it feels very comfortable to hold in hand.
The only flaw with the design is that dirt gets easily accumulated around this camera module, even if you use a cover. So I’ve had to clean it up every now and then.
Snapdragon 695!
Octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC (6nm)
8GB RAM, 256GB storage (non-expandable)
Magic UI 6.0 based on Android 12
Getting to performance, this is the one area where I think Honor could’ve done a lot better. It comes with the Snapdragon 695 chipset which, as you might know, is last year’s chipset often found on phones under $300.
Although this chipset is more than enough to handle your day-to-day task fairly well, I think, for the price, Honor should have gone with some newer processors like the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 or Dimensity 1080, which would’ve offered better app opening time and good performance even after a year or two.
Plus, right now, don’t expect this chip to give you an edge in terms of gaming too. Here you are only able to enjoy popular games like PUBG Mobile and Apex Legends in medium settings and get around 40-50fps.
Stable UI, but not convenient
There are also a few things I would like to share about its software. Although I appreciate how stable it has performed throughout my usage and there are no crappy bloatware apps you have to deal with, Honor’s Magic UI still lacks a few convenience-focused features like QR scanning for WiFi, or long-pressing on the home screen to access app widgets. And I think Magic UI’s interface as a whole could be improved significantly as well.
You might also be surprised to find out that it still runs on Android 12 for some reason. And Honor hasn’t even specified any number of guaranteed software updates for the X9a. So, yeah, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of software.
Battery
5100mAh battery
40W wired charging
On a positive note, I am particularly impressed by Honor in the battery department. Just look at this thing, it’s just 7.9mm thick and weighs only 175 grams. But guess the battery capacity here: 4200mAh? 4500MAh? Nah, it’s a solid 5100mAh unit! Yeah, I’m also surprised to see how Honor was able to fit such a large battery in such a small body.
Anyway, that’s a good thing for users, since this thing gave me about 7-8 hours of constant screen-on-time. Its standby time is also quite good, with just 2-3% of overnight battery drain. As for the charging, you get a 40W adapter inside the box, which takes less than an hour to fully juice up the cell.
Camera
Triple camera setup at the back
(64MP main, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
16MP selfie (hole-punch cutout)
Cameras
1 of 2
Back
Front
Ok, let’s talk about cameras now in this review of the Honor X9a. Here, you get a triple-camera setup at the back with a 64MP primary, a low-res 5MP ultra-wide, and a useless 2MP macro sensor. For selfies, there is a 16MP camera on the front.
As always, I took a lot of photos with this smartphone. And what I can say, especially after just reviewing the Note 12 Pro and using the Realme 10 Pro+ as my primary test phone, Honor still has a long way to go in terms of optimizing its cameras and maybe providing better camera sensors.
Camera Samples
1 of 6
Normal
Ultrawide
Normal
Ultrawide
Portrait
Portrait
The photos from the main 64MP camera are usable for the most part, but what the Honor X9a disappointed me the most was in two areas. First, I don’t understand why they included a 5MP ultra-wide lens in a premium mid-range phone. And second, you can only record 1080@30fps footage from both the front and rear cameras. There’s no OIS stabilization, and Honor has not even offered an option to electronically stabilize the video.
Honor X9a Review: Conclusion
So, with everything considered, I really don’t understand what’s Honor up to with this phone! I really like its design, it’s really good! The curved display on a mid-range phone is also nice to have! It has good battery backup and I can live with its UI too! But compromising on very important aspects like performance, cameras, and stereo speakers doesn’t make me feel like the good old Honor is back.
I remember Honor used to offer incredible midrange smartphones back in the day like the Honor Play with an aluminum back, powerful Kirin 970 chip, and a 4K-recording capable camera—all at a pretty reasonable price.
So I really wished the company could bring back that legacy instead. But, at the moment, I believe Honor still needs to progress even further, be it in terms of software or hardware, to match up with its fellow brands.
For what Honor is asking for this phone, you should consider the Redmi Note 12 Pro or Pro+, both of which have OIS cameras, a much better processor, and a stereo speaker setup. And if you prefer a smartphone with a curved display, the Realme 10 Pro+ is also a better option.
Nokia also introduced a new tablet at IFA 2022, dubbed the T21. The tablet is the successor to T20 and is now available in India. So, let’s take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Nokia T21 in Nepal.
Nokia T21 Overview:
Design and Display
The first thing you will notice on the Nokia T21 is that it now sports a dual-tone finish with a redesigned camera bump. Nokia has opted for aluminum for the most part while the antenna cover is made up of recycled plastic. The tablet also has an IP52 rating for dust and splash resistance. Likewise, Nokia has also moved on from the Ocean Blue shade that it used on its previous tablets.
Nokia T21 has the same 10.4-inch 2K IPS panel as its predecessor. It has a typical brightness level of 360 nits. This time around, Nokia has even added support for a stylus. According to the company, you will be able to use the T21 with Wacom Active ES 2.0 styluses. Interestingly, you can use the tablet as a second screen for your Windows laptops.
Performance and Memory
Inside Nokia has removed the Unisoc T610 to make room for the Unisoc T612 chipset on the T21. Both the chips are based on a 12nm process and boast the same octa-core CPU arrangement. That being said, T612 does come on top with a newer instruction set architecture.
Nokia has paired the chip with 4GB of RAM. Users can choose between 64GB and 128GB of internal storage. There is also the option to expand the storage using a microSD card.
Nokia T21 ships with a near-stock version of Android 12 out of the box. In addition, Nokia has promised two years of software updates. That means it will even run Android 14 when it comes out later. Furthermore, the tablet will receive security updates till 2025.
Rest of the specs
There are a total of two cameras on the new Nokia T210. Both the front and rear shooters come with an 8MP sensor. That being said, the one on the back has Auto Focus and an LED flash that the front shooter lacks.
It is fueled by an 8,200mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging support. The tablet is compatible with PowerDelivery 3.0 chargers.
Nokia T21 Specifications:
Body: 7.5 x 247.5 x 157.3mm, Aluminum + recycled plastic, IP52 rating
Weight: 466 grams
Display: 10.4-inches IPS LCD panel, 360 nits (typ), Active Stylus support
Resolution: 2K (1200 x 2000 pixels), 5:3 aspect ratio
Chipset: Unisoc Tiger T612 (12nm Mobile Platform)
Memory: 4GB RAM, 32/64GB storage (expandable up to 512GB)
Software& UI: Android 12 (2 years version, 3 years security update)
Nokia T21 Price in Nepal and Availability (Expected)
In India, Nokia T21 costs INR 17,999 for the Wi-Fi-only model whereas the LTE model costs Rs. 18,999. However, early bookers can get Rs. 1,000 off along with a free Flip cover worth INR 1,999. We expect the price of the Nokia T21 in Nepal to start at NPR 29,999 when it launches in Nepal.
Nokia T21
Price in India (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
4/64GB (Wi-Fi only)
Rs. 17,999
NPR 29,999
4/64GB (Wi-Fi + LTE only)
Rs. 18,999
NPR 32,499
Meanwhile, check out our review for the Realme Pad Mini.
