Fantech has become a go-to brand in Nepal for all PC accessories and gaming needs. The brand has now launched Fantech RS1 Force Racing Wheel in Nepal for those intense simulation actions on a PC. Let’s get into the specs, features, and Fantech RS1 Force Racing Wheel price in Nepal.
Fantech RS1 Force Racing Wheel Overview:
For starters, these kind of Racing Wheel is used to play simulation games. As implied by the name, these games are intended to simulate real-world activities. This genre has grown in popularity in recent years, and because it closely resembles real-world actions and sequences, it can also be used to teach something. For example, driving a car. The Fantech RS1 Force Racing Wheel is also intended for racing and simulation games.
Steering Wheel
With that out of the way, let’s get into the details. The steering wheel of the RS 1 Force measures 10-inches (265mm) and can rotate from 270°too 900°. You can also adjust the setup from 0°-15° (up and down) for better comfort. Talking of the build material, Fantech has wrapped the wheel with a solid rubber grip with an anodized matte finish for sturdiness.
At the center of the wheel, there’s a familiar layout of buttons for extra controls. You get an XYAD layout buttons here, which you can customize based on your gaming preferences. There is also a red stripe for direction indication. The brand has also included a built-in dual-shift padder for a real-life simulation-racing experience.
Gear Shifter
Moving on, the gear shifter on this setup has complete 6 gears with a Reverse (R) parking gear as well. For simulating trucks and buses, there is low/high gear as well for those inclined road & terrain actions. Likewise, the H-shifter on the gear provides a standard gear-shifting experience of a manual car. The setup connects to the steering wheel via RJ12 6 pin.
Furthermore, a gaming wheel setup is incomplete without pedals. The RS1 Force Racing Wheel also includes a set of three pedals for the clutch, brake, and throttle. The pedal surface is detachable too. You can connect it to the steering wheel using an RJ45 8-pin connector.
Compatibility and Connectivity
The RS1 gaming wheel is compatible with PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX Series S & X, and Play Station 4 (PS4). You can connect it to your PC/console via a USB connector. Similarly, the power supply is rated at DC 24V 2A.
Fantech RS1 Force Racing Wheel Features:
10 inches (265mm) Steering Wheel
270°-900° Rotation
Adjustable angle 0°-15°
6 + Reverse (R) Gears with H-shifter
Dual-Motor Force Feedback
Familiar Layout (XBOX Layout)
Multi-Platform Compatibility (PC, XBOX One, XBOX S & X Series, PS4)
Detachable Pedal Surface, Three Pedals
Fantech RS1 Force Racing Wheel Price in Nepal
The Fantech Force RS1 Racing Wheel is priced in Nepal at Rs. 41,999. It is available to purchase from Fantech’s official site and other retail channels.
Product
Price in Nepal
Fantech RS1 Racing Wheel
Rs. 41,999
Meanwhile, check out our top picks for Fantech Accessories.
Xiaomi is planning to introduce a new member to its Note 12 series, according to a few Weibo leaks. The upcoming Redmi Note 12 Turbo is expected to be released in China first, and it seems that the rest of the world will get to know it as “POCO X5 GT” instead.
POCO X5 GT rumors:
As per Xiaomiui, it has found listings for “23049RAD8C”, “23049PCD8I”, and “23049PCD8G” in the IMEI database. Where the “23049RAD8C” is believed to be Redmi Note 12 Turbo for China. In this case, “I”, “G”, and “C” in those model numbers refer to the Indian, Global, and Chinese versions of the phone, respectively.
Furthermore, the letters “RA” and “PC” stand for Redmi and POCO. We can see that the numbers in this listing are the same, which means that the Redmi Note 12 Turbo will be known as the POCO X5 GT in the global market.
The IMEI database did not contain any specifications of the phone. However, previous Weibo leaks have revealed some details about Redmi Note 12 Turbo. And since the POCO X5 GT will be a rebranded version of this phone, their specifications will most likely be exactly the same.
The Note 12 Turbo could bring a 6.67″ FHD+ 120Hz OLED panel and an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is a first for the Redmi Note lineup. It may have a triple camera on the back, including a 50MP primary, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a third sensor which is unknown for now. But it could be a 2MP macro shooter like other phones in the Redmi Note 12 series.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 will be handling the performance side of things. Qualcomm hasn’t announced this chip yet, but it is rumored to be based on TSMC‘s 4nm process.
Likewise, the phone is expected to have a 5500mAh battery with 67W fast charging support. These phones will most likely ship with MIUI 14, just like other phones in the POCO X5 lineup.
POCO X5 GT Price and Availability
Rumors suggest the Redmi Note 12 Turbo could debut in China in April or May later this year. Whereas the POCO X5 GT might launch in the global market a couple months later. As of now, there’s no info regarding their price.
MIUI 14 is here for a while, and Poco has now shared a list of eligible devices that will receive the new MIUI 14 for Poco update. As expected, this new custom skin introduces new features that the company adds with each iteration. So let’s go over the list of devices that will receive the Android 13-based MIUI 14 for Poco update.
MIUI 14 for Poco Update Roadmap:
For starters, MIUI 14 is based on both the Android 12 and Android 13 codebases. As a result, we are unsure which version of MIUI will be rolled out for Poco devices since the company itself hasn’t specified anything yet. Even the recently released Poco X5 Pro comes with MIUI 14, which is based on Android 12.
Anyways, the new custom skin was first introduced with the Xiaomi 13 Series. It brings some visual changes to the interface, including super icons, a new clock app, widgets, and other features. In terms of Poco, the brand will first update its current and former flagships, as well as its midrange smartphone lineup. The exact date of the rollout is currently unknown though.
One of the key visual changes in MIUI 14 is its Super Icons. The feature allows you to set a custom size for icons on the homepage. You can also change the app icon’s shape to rectangular or square. Similarly, Xiaomi has included new widgets in MIUI 14 that allow for seamless switching.
MIUI 14 Photon Engine
The new iteration of MIUI also comes with Photon Engine. It’s said to significantly improve the speed of all third-party apps. The photon engine optimizes deep within the Linux kernel to provide MIUI users with a smooth experience. Xiaomi claims it will deliver 88% improved performance and increases efficiency by up to 16%.
Cleaner System
With MIUI 14, Xiaomi has decided to include fewer preinstalled apps than before. Obviously, those apps can be uninstalled along with some system apps too. Thus, those wanting bare minimum apps can easily remove system apps, leaving the core system app number to just 8. This ensures better storage management and more control for the user.
RAM and Storage Optimization
This new iteration also brings RAM and storage optimization features. To gain this, the system now cuts the auto-starting process, system app usage, and platform memory for more usual usable RAM. Likewise, for storage, MIUI 14 will auto-compress the apps unused for one month. Such optimizations will enhance multitasking, gaming, and storage management.
Poco recently announced two new smartphones: the Poco X5 and the Poco X5 Pro. We have already published our review of the X5 Pro a while ago which you can read here. In this review, I’ll be going through my experience with the vanilla Poco X5. This phone is basically a rebranded Redmi Note 12, but with a more powerful processor and most importantly, an affordable price tag. It starts at just $200 for the 6/128GB variant and for that price I think it’s a killer value.
Poco X5 Specifications:
Body: 165.9 x 76.2 x 8mm, 189 grams, IP53 dust/water resistant
Sensors: Proximity, Ambient Light, Electronic Compass, Accelerometer, Gyro, IR Blaster
Battery: 5000mAh with 33W charging
Colors: Black, White, Blue
Price in Nepal: N/A (Starts at EUR 249 in Europe)
Poco X5 Review:
Design
Starting the review with the design, as expected from a budget phone, the Poco X5 doesn’t have any premium features such as a glass back panel or aluminum frames, but it is still a pretty well-built phone.
I like these slight curves on the sides that help with the grip and it has a nice heft to it as well, despite being relatively lightweight at 189 grams. I also like this frosted back finish, where the fingerprints and smudges don’t look as pronounced as they would on a glossy back.
That being said, this phone does not look that unique. To be very honest, this repetitive design choice with such a camera island has grown a little boring over time to me! Given how well Oppo, Vivo, and Realme have been doing in the smartphone design department, even with their budget phone, I think Poco really needs to step up its game now. The color options for the Poco X5 aren’t that exciting either.
Display
Regardless, one of its biggest strongest points is definitely the display. Here you get a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a DCI-P3 gamut. Thus, the contents look sharp enough with excellent contrast and near-accurate colors as expected.
You can also stream Full HD videos on Netflix—thanks to the Widevine L1 certification. This screen can get plenty bright too. So even when you’re on the terrace, sun-basking in this cold weather, you won’t have any problems with the display.
Likewise, you will also enjoy using the 120Hz refresh rate screen with a 240Hz touch sampling rate on this phone. Poco has optimized it pretty well, so everything from scrolling to multitasking feels incredibly smooth and responsive.
Audio
But like the Redmi Note 12, its audio department leaves things to be desired. That is, the Poco X5 also misses out on a stereo speaker setup. So the content consumption experience, especially while listening to classic rock music isn’t the best I’ve had so far on this thing. Fortunately, there’s still a headphone jack here for your wired earphones.
Performance
As for the performance, the Snapdragon 695 chip on the Poco X5 is also capable of handling your everyday tasks with ease. And in case you’re wondering, its performance is nearly identical to Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 on the Redmi Note 12.
Both of these chips have the same core architecture. Except that the 695’s CPU cores are clocked slightly faster, resulting in higher benchmark scores.
However, the performance improvement you get in your real-life experience is pretty minimal, to be honest. I haven’t faced any micro stutters or lags in my daily usage here. Apps open relatively fast and multitasking is decent as well.
It’s not quite fast as the midrange phones with Dimensity 1080 or the SD 778G nor it has that premium haptics while typing, but for the price, it’s good enough. Similarly, you can play popular games like PUBG and Call of Duty at medium settings just fine but pushing them to higher settings isn’t going to be that enjoyable.
MIUI needs refinement!
That being said, Xiaomi’s MIUI isn’t known for the most stable software experience and sadly, it’s the same with Poco X5. For instance, there’s this weird bug in Play Store where the screen decides to freeze randomly whenever I download an app. And I’ve also noticed a few times that the phone automatically disconnects from WiFi.
Another thing I’d like to highlight is that the Poco X5 still runs on Android 12 with an older MIUI 13. So that’s something Poco needs to improve. And with Android 12 out of the box, I hope to see Poco commit to at least 3 generations of OS upgrades here.
Cameras
Cameras
1 of 2
Back
Front
The Poco X5 triple camera setup is exactly identical to that of the Redmi Note 12 consisting of a 48MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro lens—while there’s a 13MP selfie shooter up front.
Normal Images
With so much in common, photos from both these phones look pretty similar in daytime scenarios.
Daytime
1 of 10
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
The main difference I’ve noticed is in terms of the color tone where Poco X5’s images turn out a bit warm as it tries to achieve a natural look. Whereas the Note 12 tends to boost the colors a bit to make it more pleasing. So it’s all just a matter of personal preference on which one to go with.
Nighttime Images
Nighttime
1 of 8
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Lowlight photos from both these phones also look very similar, with Poco once again adding a bit of warmth to the images.
Portrait Images
Portraits
1 of 8
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
For portraits, I prefer the photos from Redmi here since they have better sharpness and a good skin tone. Poco X5, on the other hand, makes the subject look a little pale for some reason.
Selfie Images
Selfies
1 of 8
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
Poco X5
Redmi Note 12
In terms of selfies though, both phones manage equally good shots.
Ultrawide Images
Ultrawide
1 of 4
The 8MP ultrawide image, it’s exactly what you expect from a budget phone, strictly average with little detail to talk about.
Videos
Its video recording capabilities are severely limited too. It can only record videos in 1080p 30fps from both the front and back cameras. And even in this resolution, the videos aren’t that great as they come out quite stuttery. Also, its selfie video has quite a narrow field of view, average dynamic range, and such.
Battery
But unlike the videos, Poco X5’s battery life is really good—all thanks to that power-efficient Snapdragon 695 chip. In my daily usage, consisting of hours of social media scrolling, content consumption, and other routine activities, I’ve been getting around 8 hours of screen-on time here, which means it can easily last you for a day on heavy usage. For charging, its 33W power adapter takes about an hour to fully juice up the 5000mAh battery inside.
Poco X5 Review: Conclusion
To conclude this review, I believe the Poco X5 is an excellent value in the $200 price segment. From a stunning AMOLED display to a reliable Snapdragon 695 chip, and decent cameras overall, it delivers in most aspects a budget smartphone should. It does miss out on a stereo speaker setup while its design could’ve been a bit better as well. But the Poco X5 is still one of those budget phones that I can call an all-around package.
ChatGPT is a worldwide phenomenon these days. This AI chatbot, developed by OpenAI, has taken the world by storm with its ability to generate human-like responses to text inputs. Microsoft is now looking to make better use of ChatGPT’s ability to generate responses, having announced its integration in the Bing search engine and Edge browser. More about Microsoft Bing and Egde with built-in ChatGPT here.
Microsoft and OpenAI’s Alliance:
Microsoft and OpenAI have had a close relationship in recent years, with Microsoft being one of the key investors in OpenAI. OpenAI is a research organization dedicated to creating and promoting friendly AI that benefits humanity. The organization was founded in 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman with the goal of advancing the field of AI in a responsible manner.
In 2019, the two companies announced a strategic partnership, with Microsoft investing USD 1 billion in OpenAI to bring advanced AI technologies to the Azure cloud platform. The goal of the collaboration was to incorporate OpenAI’s GPT-3 language model into Azure. It is the same language model that is currently used in ChatGPT.
With the unexpected success of ChatGPT, Microsoft is reportedly investing again in OpenAI. In addition, Microsoft has also announced the integration of a new GPT-4 language model into Bing, which will provide a ChatGPT-like experience within the search engine.
Bing and Microsoft Edge with ChatGPT
“It’s a new day in search,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the February AI event, where he announced the new version of its search engine and browser.
He further added, “The race starts today, and we’re going to move and move fast. Most importantly, we want to have a lot of fun innovating again in search, because it’s high time.”
As aforementioned, the new engine is based on GPT-4 model, which adds more features to the already powerful AI system. Microsoft claims that it can now respond to search queries with up-to-date information and interpreted results.
Microsoft showing an example of “Compose” on Edge
Not only Bing, but Microsoft’s Edge browser is also getting the equal benefit of ChatGPT’s AI power. There are two new AI-enhanced browser features: “chat” and “compose.” And these options will be available in Edge’s sidebar in the coming updates.
While “compose” is a writing assistant, “Chat” allows users to summarize and ask questions about the webpage or document they are viewing. This will assist in the generation of text, from emails to posts on social media, using a few starting prompts.
The new updates are now live on Bing, though it is somewhat limited for the time being. Only a few people have had the chance to test it so far. To get the full experience, you must join the waitlist. And here’s how to get on the waiting list:
Click on “Join the Waitlist” and sign in with your Microsoft account
Then, you’ll get a waitlist confirmation mail and that’s about it!
You can also move up the waitlist with the “Access the new Bing faster” option, says Microsoft. This will prompt you to set “Microsoft Defaults” and download the “Bing” app using the provided link or QR code.
Google joins the race
While Microsoft took the leverage of incorporating OpenAI’s formula into its search engine and browser, Google has joined the race by introducing “Bard,” it’s very own AI chatbot. It is also currently available to a small number of people, with a larger rollout expected soon. Google will most likely incorporate Bard into its search engine, so it will be interesting to see how its duel with Microsoft plays out.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Vivo X90 Pro.
After months of anticipation, Realme has finally taken the wraps off of its premium mid-range smartphone, the GT Neo 5. It is the successor to last year’s GT Neo 3 and now has 240W charging, making it the world’s fastest-charging smartphone. So, let’s look at the specifications, features, availability, and expected price of the Realme GT Neo 5 in Nepal.
Realme GT Neo 5 Overview:
240W Fast Charging
At its launch, Realme GT Neo 3 was among the fastest charging phone with support for 150W charging. And its successor takes this even further. The GT Neo 5 supports a ridiculous 240W charging, making it the world’s first smartphone to do so.
For starters, the 240W rating is also the maximum charging power supported by the USB-C interface. There is also another variant with 150W charging support.
Prior to launch, Realme has already revealed the details of its 240W charging technology. To accomplish this, the brand designed a customized 12A charging cable made of the industry’s highest-rated 21AWG thickened copper wires. This allows the cable to handle a throughput of 20V/12A.
The USB-C adapter, on the other hand, has double GaN components. But it’s still small, with a 2.34W/cu.cm density that makes it about the same size as the 160W SuperDart adapter.
For charging the smartphone, the new solution uses a three-way 100W charge pump parallel design to convert 20V/12A power to 10V/24A. That means the phone will have three individual battery cells. The company also hinted that the charger has a charging conversion efficiency of up to 98.5%.
A bunch of sensors
All this process is monitored by 13 real-time sensors to ensure safety, which limits the power if there is any danger. For added peace of mind, the charging solution includes fireproof materials. Moreover, the 240W SuperVOOC protocol is backward compatible with the 65W PD, QC, and VOOC protocols.
Furthermore, Realme claims that the battery’s health remains over 80% even after 1,600, full charging cycles with 240W fast charging. As for the actual battery capacity, the 240W variant of the GT Neo 5 features a 4,600mAh cell. Whereas the 150W version will include a bigger 5000mAh battery.
Furthermore, the phone includes the industry’s largest cooling area, with Graphene phase-change cooling material occupying a 6,580 sq. mm area. This cooling solution will help the phone maintain its peak performance in demanding situations like gaming, while also keeping it relatively cool while charging at 240W.
Inside, Realme GT Neo 5 is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. Launched about a year ago, the chip has now been overtaken by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in Qualcomm’s diverse portfolio. However, it should not be a problem with the GT Neo 5 as it will compete in the premium midrange segment and not the flagship.
Similarly, the memory options for the 240W variant include 16GB RAM and either 256GB or 1TB storage.
The GT Neo 5 150W is available with 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. On the software side, it will ship with Android 13 with the latest Realme UI 4.0 out of the box.
Camera
Realme GT Neo 5 also has a redesigned camera bump from its predecessor. Essentially, the top third of the phone’s back has been blacked out, with the rectangular camera module sitting inside to the left. It is home to three cameras arranged in two vertical circles, with the LED strip flash lying just outside.
The main camera on the back has a 50MP 1/1.56″ Sony IMX890 sensor, OIS, and an f/1.9 lens. Accompanying it is an 8MP ultrawide lens with a 112-degree field of view and a 2MP macro shooter. For selfies, you get a 16MP Samsung sensor located in the hole-punch cutout on the front.
Design and Display
Another interesting feature of the Realme GT Neo 5 is its RGB LED rectangle on the back, which can function as a notification light and is fully customizable for various apps. It also glows red when the battery is less than 20%, and can also be programmed for notifications and such.
On the front is a 6.74-inch OLED with a resolution of 2772 x 1240 pixels. The screen refreshes at 144Hz and has a PWM dimming rate of 2160Hz. Realme also says the display has a 7-stage adaptive refresh rate and is SGS certified for sensitive touch. Other display features include a peak brightness of 1400 nits, a JNCD of 0.33, and a 10-bit color depth.
Colors: Purple Realm, Fantasy Sanctuary White, Black
Realme GT Neo 5 Price in Nepal and Availability
The smartphone is available in China for a starting price of CNY 2,499 for the 150W base variant. Whereas, the 240W variant starts at CNY 3,199. If and when the Realme GT Neo 5 is released in Nepal, we expect the price to start at NPR 60,000.
Realme GT Neo 5
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
8/256GB (150W)
CNY 2,499
NPR 60,000
12/256GB (150W)
CNY 2,699
NPR 65,000
16/256GB (150W)
CNY 2,899
NPR 70,000
16/256GB (240W)
CNY 3,199
NPR 75,000
16GB / 1TB (240W)
CNY 3,499
NPR 80,000
Meanwhile, check out our long-term review of the Realme GT Neo 3.
Dizo has launched a couple of new smartwatches in India. Dubbed the Dizo Watch D2 and D2 Power, these are budget-centric wearables with impressive features such as Bluetooth calling, 120 sports modes, and all. Let’s take a look at the specs, features, and expected price of the Dizo Watch D2 and D2 Power in Nepal.
Dizo Watch D2 and D2 Power Smartwatch Overview:
Dizo launched the Watch D2 in India a while ago, and the D2 Power is a new addition. However, the specifications of both of these smartwatches are nearly identical on paper, which could explain why the brand is selling them at the same price.
Design and Display
Both siblings have the same design, with plastic bodies that have a shiny metallic finish. The minor difference in the design is the rotating crown on the Watch D2 Power is located on the top, whereas the Watch D2 has it on the middle.
Besides this, their specifications are nearly identical. Both wearables feature a 1.91-inch screen on a square dial. And with a peak brightness of 500nits, readability in direct sunlight shouldn’t be an issue.
Likewise, although there is no official IP rating, the company claims that the wearables are washable. In terms of colors, the Watch D2 comes in Deep Blue and Classic Black. And the D2 power is available in Classic Black, Ocean Blue, and Silver Grey shades.
The Watch D2 and D2 Power’s fitness features include over 120 sports modes. This includes all of the basic modes, such as running, walking, cycling, treadmill, and so on. For health-conscious users, the PPG sensor provides 24-hour heart rate monitoring. Similarly, both smartwatches can monitor your blood oxygen level, sleep with REM, and so on.
But one of the main highlights of these smartwatches’ is the Bluetooth calling feature. As a result, you can make and take calls right from the watch screen. There’s also support for noise cancellation for clearer calls. Wireless connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.2.
Rest of the Specs
The Dizo Watch D2 is fueled by a 260mAh battery that can last up to 7 days under typical usage. The D2 Power, on the other hand, is rated for 10 days of battery life, though its battery capacity is currently unknown. Other features of the watch include inbuilt mini-games, quick replies to calls, music control, smart replies to notifications, a camera shutter, and more.
Dizo Watch D2 and D2 Power Price in Nepal and Availability
Both smartwatches are available for the same price of INR 1,799 in India. When the Dizo Watch D2 and D2 Power are released in Nepal, we expect the price to be around NPR 4,500.
Smartwatch
Price in India
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Dizo Watch D2
INR 1,799
NPR 4,500
Dizo Watch D2 Power
INR 1,799
NPR 4,500
Meanwhile, check out our video of the best budget smartwatches in Nepal.
In this review, I’ll be talking about my experience with the new OnePlus 11. Like always, it’s already been out in China for a while and OnePlus is finally bringing its latest flagship phone for all the world to see. And it starts at just USD 699 in the US, or INR 56,999 in India—although it is quite expensive here in Nepal. Starting at NPR 129,999.
Remember, this is not a “Pro” OnePlus 11 but just… OnePlus 11. In fact, there’s not going to be a “OnePlus 11 Pro” this time according to OnePlus China’s president. So compared to last year’s OnePlus 10 Pro, I like the new pricing of the OnePlus 11 in the global market. The company has even gotten rid of a few features like wireless charging and an IP68 rating to bring the cost down, and really push for the one thing it’s always been known for all those years before:
flagship-level performance at a sub-flagship price.
The past couple of years sure has been rocky for OnePlus, with the company struggling to find its footing in the market. But maybe—just maybe—things could turn around for OnePlus in 2023.
OnePlus 11 Review: Specifications
Body: 74.1 x 163.1 x 8.53mm, 205 grams, Glass front/back, Aluminum frames, IP64 dust and splash resistance
Battery: 5000mAh with 100W SuperVOOC charging (100W adapter provided)
Color Options: Eternal Green, Titan Black
What’s Inside The Box: OnePlus 11, USB-A to USB-C cable, 100W power adapter, SIM ejector tool, OnePlus stickers, User manual and other documents
Price in Nepal: NPR 129,999 (8/128GB) | NPR 134,999 (16/256GB)
OnePlus 11 Review:
Design and Build
74.1 x 163.1 x 8.53mm, 205 grams
Glass front/back, Aluminum frames
IP64 dust and splash resistance
Starting with the looks, the design of the Oneplus 11 is kinda polarizing. I’ve seen a lot of people like its sorta unique look, and an equal number of people calling this circular camera ring ugly and unsettling.
I must say I’m kinda on the fence on this one though. It’s not the most visually attractive smartphone I’ve seen but it’s certainly not the worst thing in the world either. That said, I definitely would’ve preferred a matte touch instead of this “all-chrome ‘n’ gloss” finish on the green colorway. Maybe OnePlus should’ve gone with a ceramic finish on both color options like they did on the 10 Pro.
Somewhat uneven weight distribution
I also found the phone to be a little bottom-heavy, but that’s something I got used to after a while. The phone also feels quite comfortable to hold thanks to the gentle curves on both ends and its handy size, but I’m just not sure what that uneven weight distribution means for jerryrigeverything’s durability test! That would definitely be interesting to see!
Besides all this, OnePlus 11 is not IP68 dust and water-sealed either. Although it does have IP64 dust and splash resistance. I know… I know, this is yet another cost-cutting measure but for a flagship phone, maybe the company shouldn’t be compromising on such a basic thing. But unlike previous flagships from the company where only some markets like the US would get an official IP rating, at least OnePlus is making IP64 official in all regions, so that’s pretty good.
Making a comeback, however, is this alert slider. So it’s great to see the company realize its from the OnePlus 10T and rectify it. Hopefully, smartphone makers will bring back the 3.5mm headphone jack as well! Yeah… nah, that’s not happening.
Display
6.7-inches 2K QHD E4 AMOLED panel
120/1000Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
800 nits (HBM), 1300 nits (HDR) brightness
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection
Over on the front, OnePlus 11’s display is gorgeous. The default color calibration looks pleasing to my eyes with nice contrast and white balance. You can even switch to QHD resolution for sharper texts and images but on a 6.7” screen, I find that to be an overkill. Not to mention, it’s not gonna play as nice with the phone’s battery life compared to Full HD resolution either.
Display
1 of 2
Talking about the battery, OnePlus 11 has been giving me around 6 hours of screen-on time under a fairly heavy usage pattern. This includes playing games and testing the cameras on top of everything else, so that’s not bad either.
Anyway, I’m not the biggest fan of curved displays but the way OnePlus has so elegantly implemented it here deserves a special shoutout. It has a really subtle curve that results in the least amount of accidental touches while also giving a premium look and feel. Just… the best of both worlds.
Top-notch haptics
That reminds me, OnePlus continues to improve its haptics system and the vibration motor on the OnePlus 11, it is apparently 67% larger than the one on the 10 Pro! So yeah, I absolutely love how responsive it feels when interacting with this display.
But there are a few aspects OnePlus has compromised here. The biggest of which has to be in terms of brightness. Now, you may hear “1300 nits peak brightness” in most of OnePlus’ marketing materials but this screen’s max brightness in practical usage is just 800 nits. Which is not a whole lot for excellent outdoor visibility.
That’s actually less than what some mid-range phones in 2023 like the Redmi Note 12 Pro manage. And since OnePlus is using the older E4 luminescent material instead of E6, it’s not as power-efficient either.
Performance
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 5G SoC (4nm)
4 years of OS, 5 years of guaranteed security updates
So while the OnePlus 11 compromises quite a bit on the display front, there is nothing of the sort as far as performance is concerned. From the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip to the latest LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, this thing has it all. So needless to say, it has more than enough processing power to drive your everyday tasks. You can get it with as much as 16GB RAM—which is what I have—but if you’re someone who doesn’t keep multiple apps open at a time, the base 8GB variant should be just fine.
The OxygenOS experience on OnePlus 11 is also great, despite all its similarities with OPPO’s ColorOS. Yes, OnePlus has failed to keep its own promise of “retaining unique visual design” on OxygenOS 13 but I don’t mind this OPPO influence all that much. The phone feels comfortably fluid and snappy—including the animations and all.
OnePlus’ longest software update commitment yet
In fact, I’m excited to see how this custom Android skin will evolve over the years since the OnePlus 11 is guaranteed to receive at least 4 major OS updates and 5 years of security updates; the highest ever for a OnePlus phone. Only Samsung has a similar update policy for its flagship and some premium midrange devices while most of the competition lags behind by a year each. Including Google itself.
Other than day-to-day tasks, OnePlus 11 can handle the most demanding games too. Just not as well as other 8 Gen 2-powered phones like the iQOO 11 that I recently reviewed. In all the games I tested, OnePlus 11 finished the warmer of the two by a couple of degrees at least, but this shouldn’t be a big problem since it pretty much matched iQOO’s performance in terms of fps and stability. This is nothing compared to how hot the 10 Pro used to get but this guy clearly isn’t winning the top-performer crown this year.
Cameras
Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP primary, 48MP ultrawide, 32MP telephoto)
Third-gen Hasselblad Camera for Mobile
16MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)
What about the cameras, then? Unlike its chief rivals, OnePlus hasn’t used a big 1” image sensor like Xiaomi and Vivo—or a high-res 200MP camera like Samsung. Instead, the phone has quite a modest triple camera array, consisting of a 50MP primary, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 32MP telephoto lens.
All complemented by third-gen Hasselblad mobile imaging system.
Normal Images
So I went for a brief photo walk with OnePlus 11 and I found its cameras to be decent enough. Of course, It’s not as good as the Galaxy S23 Ultra or the iPhone 14 Pro Max of the world. The optimization is nothing extra too, but these are not a bad set of cameras at all. The images are sharp, well-detailed, and have a good dynamic range.
Daytime
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The only complaint I have is that the images feature a distinctly warm tone in most cases which may not complement the picture all too well. Other than that, as I said, they are quite okay.
Ultrawide Images
Ultrawide
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Wide
Ultrawide
Wide
Ultrawide
Wide
Ultrawide
Wide
Ultrawide
Same with ultra-wide shots, good colors, nice white balance, and good enough details.
Telephoto Images
Telephoto
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OnePlus 11’s 2x telephoto shots are pretty great too.
Portrait
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You can also take portrait shots from this lens, which OnePlus says mimics Hasselblad’s XCD 65mm lens. It brightens up the subject most times which looks good when you are shooting against the sun. I like the subject focus and blur from its cameras too, it’s quite DSLR-like!
Selfie Images
Selfie
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Selfies also retain good skin tone and the exposure is maintained well.
Lowlight Images
Similarly, I’m also liking its low-light shots. The images look lively with a nice amount of details, contrast and highlight control.
Lowlight
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Nighttime
Night Mode
Night Mode
Nighttime
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
And what I also love is how you don’t necessarily need to switch to Night Mode for such results either. The usual photo mode takes care of things perfectly.
Videography
As for the videos, OnePlus 11 lets you shoot at up to 8K 24 fps. Or more realistically, at up to 4K 60 fps. And its video quality is quite nice. The colors look very rich and vibrant, alongside a nice dynamic range. But for a semi-flagship phone, it can only shoot at 1080p 30 fps. At a time when Samsung’s flagships can do 4K 60 fps HDR selfie videos, this is beyond embarrassing.
OnePlus 11 Review: Conclusion
So that’s it for my review of the OnePlus 11. With its aggressive pricing strategy, the OnePlus 11 sure seems like a well-balanced phone that should be on everyone’s radar who’s looking for a flagship experience but doesn’t want to throw away a thousand dollars or more. After all these years, OnePlus has realized that it can’t keep up with the mainstream competition in the absolute flagship space. Against the likes of the iPhone 14 Pro or the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
So skipping the “Pro” model and circling back to its original roots of offering the best performance-per-dollar is 100% the right move, in my opinion. But here in Nepal, that incredible value-for-money mantra of the OnePlus 11 isn’t resonated at all. While the phone is cheaper by at least a couple hundred bucks in the international market, it costs almost the exact same as the OnePlus 10 Pro’s launch price.
Asus recently unveiled the new VivoBook Slate 13, a convertible laptop with a premium OLED display and budget processors. Successor to the Slate 13 OLED (2021), the laptop brings a much-needed refresh in terms of performance. So let’s look at the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the Asus Vivobook 13 Slate OLED (2023) in Nepal.
Asus Vivobook 13 Slate OLED (2023) Overview:
Design and Display
The Slate 13 OLED, as the name suggests, is a 13.3-inch Windows laptop with an OLED screen and a detachable keyboard. OLED screens for laptops aren’t uncommon, but what makes this one stand out is its detachable form factor.
This gives the machine an advantage over other 2-in-1 systems in that users can attach the keyboard as needed or use it as a standalone tablet. And since this is an OLED screen, you can expect excellent color reproduction. It is also Dolby Vision certified, has 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, 550 nits of (peak) brightness, and a quad-speaker sound system, making it a great option for on-the-go entertainment.
As with most convertible machines, there is a stylus support (Asus Pen 2.0) for the Slate 13. The pen comes with 4096 pressure levels sensitivity and 4 swappable tips. Other display properties include a 60Hz refresh rate, 266Hz touch sampling rate, 0.2 ms response time, and TÜV Rheinland-certified eye care certification.
The Slate 13 also qualifies as a tough, well-built machine, as it secures MIL-STD-810 US military-grade certification. Asus also pledged to protect the environment by using 100% FSC-certified recyclable packaging for the laptop.
Performance and Memory
On the performance front, the VivoBook is equipped with Intel Alderlake-N silicons, which include Intel N200 and Intel Core i3-N300 processors. This is an upgrade over the Pentium Silver N6000 processor in the last-gen. The N200 is a quad-core chip with 6W Thermal Design Power (TDP), while the i3-N300 has eight cores and 7W TDP. The notebook boots on Windows 11 OS.
As for the memory, Asus has upgraded the LPDDR4X RAM from Slate (2021) to a faster LPDDRX5 in this generation. Meanwhile, the storage options may include either 256GB UFS 2.1 or up to 512GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD. For memory expansion, users will be able to do so by a microSD card reader on the Vivobook.
Moving on, the Vivobook 2-in-1 Notebook 2023 gets its juice from a 50WHr battery with support for 65W fast charging. For photography and video calls, the Notebook also sports a 13MP snapper on the rear side and a 5MP front camera. Likewise, there is a fingerprint reader for biometrics.
Talking of I/O ports, it includes 2 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports and an audio jack. As for the other options, it comes with WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and quad speakers with Dolby Atmos support.
Asus Vivobook 13 Slate OLED (2023) Specifications:
Design and Build: 309.9 x 190 x 8.95 mm, 800 gram, Aluminum build, MIL-STD-810 certified
Display: 13.3″ Touchscreen OLED panel, 100% DCI-P3, 10-bit color depth, 550 nits, Dolby Vision HDR, Asus Pen 2.0 Stylus Support
Display Certification: VESA Display HDR True Black 500 certified
Resolution: FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 16:9 aspect ratio
Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x microSD card reader, and an audio jack
Battery: 50WHr battery
Power Supply: 65W AC adapter
Asus Vivobook 13 Slate OLED (2023) Price in Nepal and Availability
The brand is yet to announce the official pricing for the notebook. The last-gen model retailed at USD 599 for reference, so we expect a comparable price for the new generation. We will update the pricing details as and when the tablet goes official.
Product
Official Price
Asus Vivobook 13 OLED (2023)
TBA
Meanwhile, you can watch our review of the Asus Zenbook Flip 13.
At the “Cloud 11” event held yesterday, OnePlus announced a bunch of stuff. Including the OnePlus 11, OnePlus Pad (its first tablet), OnePlus Buds Pro 2, OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro, and a TV. The new OnePlus Q2 Pro is a 65″ QLED TV that comes with some nice upgrades over the Q1 Pro. So, let’s see what the OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro brings along with its official specs, availability, expected price in Nepal, and more.
OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro Overview:
Design and Display
The Q2 Pro has a 65″ QLED panel. Compared to a regular LED TV, it has an additional quantum dot layer right between the blue LED backlit layer and LCD layer for better whites, colors, and improved brightness. OnePlus says this display covers 97% DCI-P3 color gamut, which helps deliver realistic colors and improves the viewing experience. As for color accuracy, this TV boasts an impressive delta E (ΔE) ≤ 1.5.
OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro TV also features 120 local dimming zones to provide deep and realistic blacks for punchier contrast. On that note, OnePlus claims this TV has a dynamic contrast ratio of 1200000:1. Likewise, different HDR standards including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG are all supported for the best cinematic experience.
This TV also has a native 120Hz refresh rate so the Q2 Pro could be a decent gaming monitor as well. There are a total of three HDMI 2.1 ports here, out of which two of them support up to 4K 120Hz resolution and variable refresh rate (VRR) technology for smooth gameplay. OnePlus also says it has used the most powerful version of its Gamma Engine in this TV for optimizing the visuals to the best and for ultra-clear content.
Sound
In terms of audio, the front-facing speakers on the OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro have a total 70W output from its 40W Horizon Soundbar and 30W subwoofer. The company has continued its collaboration with Danish audio device maker, Dynaudio, to co-tune these speakers. For a complete Dolby experience, there’s also Dolby Atmos support here.
Others
Getting to software, the Q2 Pro runs on Google TV OS. So you can summon Google Assistant hands-free (without using the remote), use Chromecast, and more. For the Indian market, OnePlus also ships it with the “OxygenPlay 2.0” content hub.
It even supports NFC Cast, Miracast, DLNA, and MultiCast 2.0 to make streaming content off of your smartphone to the TV much easier. You can even connect, control, and share content from your phone offline via OnePlus Connect 2.0. Powering it all is MediaTek’s MT9617 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. This is currently MediaTek’s most powerful 4K chipset for TVs.
I/O: 3x HDMI 2.1 (HDMI 1 with eARC support), 2x USB 2.0 Type-A, 1x Ethernet, 1x RF in, 1x Digital Audio output, 1x AV input (Mini 3 in 1)
Wireless Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0
OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of the OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro in India is INR 99,999, and it will be available from March 10 from the company’s different online and offline channels. We expect the price of the OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro in Nepal to be NPR 200,000 if and when it launches here.
