Huawei is reportedly gearing up to launch its next generation of smartwatches, the Watch 4 and Watch 4 Pro. The Watch 4 series recently stopped by WiFi and 3C certifications, revealing some of its specifications. Let’s take a look at the Huawei Watch 4 series, including its rumored specifications, expected price, launch date, and more.
Huawei Watch 4 Series Overview:
Image: WiFi Alliance
On certifications, the Huawei Watch 4 is codenamed “ARC-AL00” while the Watch 4 Pro is codenamed “MDS-AL10” and “MDS-AL00”. Here, “ARC” refers to “Arch” and “MDS” refers to “Medusa” which is the internal codename for Watch 4 and Watch 4 Pro.
Zirconium material
More importantly, Huawei is reportedly using zirconium material for frames in its upcoming smartwatches. Zircon is known for its durable and crack-resistant properties, but this could also mean these smartwatches end up being more expensive than the Huawei Watch 3 series.
Satellite communication
Other than this, the Watch 4 series could also be the first to bring a satellite SMS feature to smartwatches. Just like the Huawei Mate 50 series, Motorola Defy 2, and the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro series of smartphones. Moving on, the 3C certifications for these smartwatches also reveal 4G LTE connectivity and a 5W fast charging speed. Whereas the WiFi certification confirms that the Watch 4 series will include a WiFi 4 module with a single 2.4GHz band.
Image: China Compulsory Certificate (3C)
By the way, 2021’s Huawei Watch 3 series also featured single-band WiFi 4 technology. And in terms of software, it could come with HarmonyOS 3 pre-installed out of the box.
Leaked online ads reveal Huawei could unveil the Watch 4 and Watch 4 Pro on March 23, along with the flagship Huawei P60 series of smartphones and the Mate X3 foldable phone. There is no information on their prices yet.
This is my full review of the new iQOO Neo 7, which is the company’s latest midrange phone. And if we know one thing about iQOO, it’s that the company makes solid gaming phones and this guy is no exception. Even just by looking at some of its specs like the Dimensity 8200 processor and the 3D cooling system, you can tell that the iQOO Neo 7 kills it in the gaming arena.
But as the smartphone industry continues to evolve, gaming phones have bigger shoes to fill as well.
And people have come to expect good—if not as equally good—experience from a gaming phone in other aspects like cameras, display, and battery as well. So I was really curious to find out if the iQOO Neo 7 is also a balanced midrange phone that even someone who is not a gamer should look into. And spoiler alert, except for a few compromises here and there, this is actually a pretty well-rounded phone overall.
iQOO Neo 7 Review: Specifications
Body: 76.9 x 164.8 x 8.6mm, 193 grams, Plastic back/frames, No IP rating
Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, Up to 1200Hz touch sampling rate, Schott Xensation glass, SGS Eye Care
Other Properties: 800 nits (HBM), 1300 nits (HDR) brightness, HDR10+
Resolution: Full HD (2400 x 1080 pixels), 388 PPI, 20:9 aspect ratio,
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8200 5G (4nm mobile platform)
Battery: 5000mAh with 120W FlashCharge (120W adapter provided)
Color Options: Frost Blue, Interstellar Black
What’s Inside The Box: iQOO Neo 7, USB-C to USB-C cable, 120W power adapter, USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter, Clear case, SIM ejector tool, User manual and other documents
Price in Nepal: N/A (Starts at INR 29,999 in India for 8/128GB)
iQOO Neo 7 Review:
Before we move forward, let me clear up something real quick. So like how iQOO rebranded the China-exclusive Neo 6 SE as Neo 6 for the global market last year, the iQOO Neo 7 shares the same story. The global variant of this phone—which is the one I have—is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 8200 chip versus a more powerful Dimensity 9000+ on the Chinese model. Apart from this, there are a few more differences in the display and camera departments as well.
2 years of OS, 3 years of guaranteed security updates
Anyway, let’s now talk about the star of the show, which is the processor itself. The Neo 7’s Dimensity 8200 is a small upgrade over the Dimensity 8100—yes—but still an impressive one. And the most important upgrade of them all has to be its 4nm fabrication process, besides the overclocked CPU and GPU, and everything else.
Dimensity 8100
Dimensity 8200
Process
TSMC 5nm (N5)
TSMC 4nm (N4)
CPU
4x Cortex-A78 (2.85 GHz)
1x Cortex-A78 (3.1 GHz)
4x Cortex-A55 (2.0 GHz)
3x Cortex-A78 (3.0 GHz)
4x Cortex-A55 (2.0 GHz)
GPU
Mali-G610 MC6 (860 MHz)
Mali-G610 MC6 (950 MHz)
I think MediaTek could’ve shaped this chip even prettier by going with the new Armv9 architecture and TSMC’s second-gen 4nm process though. But for what it’s worth, the 8200 is an absolute powerhouse.
Benchmarks
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AnTuTu 9.2.9
Geekbench 5.4.4
CPU Throttling Test (Scores)
CPU Throttling Test (Performance Retained)
GFXBench
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress
Be it CPU or GPU, this MediaTek chip scores higher in every benchmark out there, against practically every chip you’d find in this price segment. In fact, its performance level is actually similar to the Snapdragon 888, but you know… with much better thermal efficiency.
A proper gaming powerhouse
So this shouldn’t come as a surprise when I say that the iQOO Neo 7 is a total beast in the gaming arena. Even in something as resource-hungry as Genshin Impact, this guy manages around 57 fps on average at High graphics.
I did come across some frame drops here and there and the phone’s temperature does climb above 40ºC after a while, but these are more than playable conditions. Not to mention, it’s quite ahead of other Snapdragon 778G, Snapdragon 870, or Dimensity 1080-powered phones you’d find in this price bracket.
Gaming
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PUBG Mobile
Apex Legends
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Asphalt 9
I also thoroughly enjoyed playing other—not as demanding—titles like PUBG Mobile, Apex Legends (RIP), and Mobile Legends at 60 fps with the best visual quality and comfortable thermals.
High fps gaming
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Injustice 2
Mech Arena
But since the Dimensity 8200 is a fairly new kid on the block, I noticed optimization issues in a few games. Asphalt 9, for instance, can’t hit steady 60 fps and settles to around 55 fps instead. Whereas Injustice is also locked at 60 fps—even though I should’ve been able to play it at 120 fps. The other high-fps game I tried was Mech Arena, which ran at 100 fps average at the highest settings.
Some more gaming features
But a powerful processor and a competent cooling system aren’t the only things that make iQOO Neo 7 such an impressive gaming phone. No, no, no. iQOO has also borrowed a couple of gaming features from its flagship phones to truly make the Neo 7 special. Such as “Motion Control” which lets you run different in-game settings with simple gestures.
And if you play a lot of fps games like PUBG, then I’m sure you’re also gonna love how iQOO lets you set different levels of gyro sensitivity for the best recoil control and fast aiming. 4D Game Vibration is another sweet feature iQOO hopes keeps you immersed by delivering precise haptic feedback that mimics in-game activities in real time. I had no problem with it in iQOO 11, but for some reason, it didn’t work that well here—with the phone often failing to figure out what was happening in the game.
How’s the software side of things?
Besides all its gaming chops, the iQOO Neo 7 is also a dependable performer for your usual, everyday tasks. It did randomly reboot once but since that was only a one-time thing, I won’t say it’s anything serious. The Funtouch OS experience is also pretty decent if you can look past some minor inconsistencies in the UI design.
It can also be somewhat strict with memory management in the background, but you can easily adjust individual apps’ power management settings. The bloatware situation on Vivo’s Funtouch OS 13 hasn’t gotten any better or worse since the last I saw it on iQOO 11, so there’s that. Which reminds me, although iQOO fi…nally committed to three major OS updates and four years of security patches for its flagship phones, the Neo 7 is still a year short on both fronts.
Design and Build
76.9 x 164.8 x 8.6mm, 193 gm
Glass front, Plastic back/frames
No IP rating
So while its performance is undoubtedly spectacular, this design is just okay-ish. The company could’ve improved upon the build quality of Neo 6 while still keeping this lineup’s identity intact, but the Neo 7 is pretty much a copy and paste of what we got last year. I don’t mean to say it looks terrible or anything—in fact, I quite dig its curved back with matte finish—but I can’t say this is the most well-put midrange phone either.
For starters, the Neo 7 has an all-plastic build material which doesn’t feel that nice on my hands; even though iQOO has done an A1 job with the weight distribution. And like basically every other iQOO phone ever, this one lacks an official IP rating as well. At least the SIM tray has been wrapped with a rubber ring so there’s some reassurance I guess.
Display
6.78-inches FHD E4 AMOLED panel
120/360Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
800 nits (HBM), 1300 nits (HDR) brightness
Schott Xensation glass protection
Like the design, its display is effectively the same as its predecessor too. But I must say that isn’t necessarily a bad thing in this case. You’re looking at a slightly bigger 6.78” AMOLED display with all the goodies like a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, a speedy 360Hz touch sampling rate, and more.
I couldn’t find it in any of iQOO’s official resources but I think the company has also used the same E4 luminescent material on the Neo 7 that peaks at 1300 nits in certain HDR playbacks. Or 800 nits under auto brightness mode.
That’s not as bright compared to something like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+—for example—but I can read stuff off of this screen even under direct sunlight just fine. The factory color calibration was a bit on the warm side in our unit but adjusting it is literally as easy as dragging the temperature slider inside the settings.
And iQOO has also got you covered for a rich viewing experience on Netflix and other streaming with HDR10+ certification. But bringing the Note 12 Pro+ into the mix once again—which can even play Dolby Vision-mastered videos by the way—the Neo 7 misses out on some of those fine highlights and color details in certain scenarios. This is really, really not that big a deal but it is what it is.
Audio
Stereo speakers with Hi-Res Audio
No 3.5mm headphone jack
Now, although I can easily look past this pesky little thing, I’m afraid the iQOO Neo 7’s speakers are just… not that nice. The phone thoroughly struggles to maintain proper detail and clarity in either low, mid, or high frequencies and the overall audio also sounds muffled at full volume. That’s not something I expected from a gaming phone. Despite all this, I’ve had no trouble making phone calls on this thing.
Cameras
Triple camera setup at the back
(64MP primary, 2MP depth, 2MP macro)
16MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)
Cameras
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Back
Front
Well, that brings us to the cameras then. And right off the bat—yes—iQOO has replaced the 8MP ultrawide sensor in favor of a 2MP depth camera here, which sucks. There’s simply no nice way to put it. I am someone who is into street and landscape photography so the wider field of view of an ultrawide camera is super useful for me.
Daytime Images
But on the bright side, iQOO Neo 7’s 64MP ISOCELL GW3 main sensor actually takes really good photos for its class.
Daytime
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And I think most people are going to like its image processing too. That punchy contrast mixed with playful colors and occasionally nicer exposure looks quite eye-catching, to be honest.
Lowlight Images
Lowlight
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Its lowlight shots are equally good. The onboard OIS makes sure you get sharp and well-detailed photos, while there’s also good contrast level and highlight control overall.
Lowlight vs Night Mode
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Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
iQOO does tend to lift the exposure evenly across the image though, making them look superficial. I thought turning on the night mode would fix this—but apparently not. So hopefully this gets sorted out with a future update.
Portrait, Selfie Images
Anyway, I’m equally fond of how iQOO handles human subjects. Like when it comes to portraits, the phone digitally zooms in on the subject, mimicking a telephoto camera.
Portrait
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And as you can see from these samples, it delivers noticeably more pleasing photos with great background separation.
Selfie
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The subject’s skin tone isn’t the most accurate from either phone, but the Neo 7’s portraits still manage to stand out. It’s all the same with selfies as well.
Videography
Moving on to videos, iQOO lets you record at up to 4K 60 fps. But since OIS doesn’t work here, you’re gonna have to go 4K 30 fps or lower for steadier footages.
And yeah, iQOO has greatly combined optical stabilization with a little bit of cropping-in magic to give you quite stable videos. Even exposure handling is pretty good here but you will notice jitters every now and then. While there’s also a shade of warm color tone in general.
But unlike the main camera, you’re still stuck with 1080p 30 fps videos from the front camera. Its field of view is fine but iQOO could’ve done a better job with facial skin tone, as well as dynamic range and stabilization.
Battery
5000mAh with 120W fast charging
And as for battery, it’s fantastic news. The iQOO Neo 7 has been consistently giving me around 7 to 8 hours of screen time even under a fairly stressful usage pattern consisting of a lot of web browsing, mixed with taking photos and videos, and a couple of gaming sessions sprinkled in every now and then.
Whereas the upgraded 120W fast charging is just another way iQOO impresses with this phone, which gets you a complete refill in just 24 minutes. But you should know that you will need to enable the “fast charging” option in the settings for this.
iQOO Neo 7 Review: Conclusion
That was all for my full review of the iQOO Neo 7. It pretty much goes without saying that this is easily the best gaming phone you could buy in the midrange segment. But… that was obvious just by looking at its spec sheet, right?
I also thought a great gaming experience was all I was gonna get with the iQOO Neo 7 but boy was l wrong!
Instead, what really surprised me here is just how well-balanced it is in other aspects like the battery, display, and cameras too. So if you’re shopping for a reliable phone in general—and not just a gaming phone under INR 30,000—the iQOO Neo 7 is genuinely a good option you can consider.
Having said that, I believe iQOO could’ve made it 10/10 by including an ultrawide sensor and a good set of stereo speakers. And if you look at the competition, we’re going to see some exciting midrange phones in a month or two. Like the Xiaomi 13 Lite, OnePlus Nord 3, and Samsung Galaxy A54.
These phones might not go toe-to-toe with iQOO in terms of performance, but they could still deliver better value overall. Thus making Neo 7’s appeal just a bit weaker. So I really think iQOO should’ve included an ultrawide camera and good speakers on this phone. Whose component cost really shouldn’t have cost iQOO that much! Yeah, that’s definitely a missed opportunity here.
Samsung’s Odyssey series is home to the company’s premium gaming monitors. The lineup gained a new member back in January, the Odyssey Neo G7, which is available for purchase now. As expected, the monitor brings top-shelf specifications including a 43-inch display and 144Hz refresh rate. Let’s dive into the detailed specifics of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 and its expected price in Nepal.
Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 Monitor Overview:
Display
As aforementioned, the Neo G7 gaming monitor sports a flat 43-inch panel with a 4K resolution (3840 x 2,160 pixels). It’s a Quantum mini-LED display that can refresh at 144Hz and bags the VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification, ensuring vivid and life-like quality, with accurate color and contrast reproduction.
On top of that, the Neo G7 also supports AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro. This allows the gaming monitor to reduce screen tearing, and stutter, enabling low latency in both SDR and HDR games. Likewise, the tech enables low framerate compensation for syncing the game’s lowest refresh rate to the display’s minimum refresh rate.
Complementing it is the 1ms Moving Picture Response Time (MPRT) which reduces motion blur. The screen also has a matte coating to reduce reflections. Moving on, the display has a 10-bit color depth (1 Billion colors), 400 nits of brightness, and covers a 95% P3 color gamut.
Design
Speaking of the design, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 has symmetrical bezels all around; except on the bottom side which is a tad bit bigger. Likewise, the stand only supports tilt adjustments. You can also hang it on your wall since it supports a VESA mount.
As a gaming monitor, Samsung has offered a decent amount of port options. The Odyssey Neo 7 monitor consists of two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 connector, a headphone jack, and two USB 3 Type-A ports.
One of the HDMI ports also supports Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eArc). It enables the monitor to channel the original full-resolution audio signal through an HDMI cable, producing quality audio output. Talking of wireless connectivity, the monitor has Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 5; which means there’s no WiFi 6 or 6E support here.
Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 Specifications:
Display Size: 43-inch
Display Panel: Mini LED Panel (Flat)
Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2,160 pixels)
Color Gamut: 95% DCI-P3 color coverage
Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1
HDR: Yes, VESA DisplayHDR 600
Refresh rate: 144Hz
Response Rate (MRPT): 1ms
VRR: AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro
Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x USB 3 Type-A, 1x headphone jack
Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 Price in Nepal
As for the pricing, the monitor is available for purchase at USD 999.99. In Nepal, we expect the price of the Samsung Odyssey Ne0 G7 to be NPR 159,999, if and when it launches here.
Monitor
Price (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Samsung Odyssey Neo G7
USD 999.99
NPR 159,999
Meanwhile, check out the video of our ultimate racing setup.
According to NTA’s latest drive test report of Kathmandu which was conducted from February 3 – February 7, 2023 (Magh 20 – Magh 24), Nepal’s all three telecom operators were found to have poor mobile service quality. Let’s know more about the reality of the mobile service standard in Kathmandu.
NTA Drive Test Overview:
What is a drive test?
Before moving forward, let’s first understand what a drive test is. This is a method of testing the quality of mobile networks in an area by mounting testing equipment on a moving vehicle. The vehicle navigates through the area by making repeated voice or data calls. Under this, every service provider’s service in the range is tested at the same time.
The tools are set up in such a way that a suitable network (4G / 3G / 2G) is automatically selected for each service provider based on availability. Here, NTA used the “JDSU E6474A” test tool and the “Gladiator” post-processing tool.
JDSU E6474A (Image: eBay)
In case you didn’t know, Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) oversees all companies in the telecommunication sector in Nepal, including network service providers, phone importers and sellers, and so on.
NTA conducted the drive test in 15 different places in Kathmandu. This includes Gwarko, Koteshwor, Old Sinamangal, Bouddha-Naya Basti, Chabahil, Gaushala, Sifal, Maitidevi, Haadigaun, Kapan, Dhumbarahi, Barphedi, Bhangal, Hathigauda, Budhanilkantha and roads covering those areas.
NTC call response in drive test areas (Image: NTA)
Similarly, it performed 120-second calls inside the same network of service providers for this test. Meaning NTC to NTC, Ncell to Ncell, and Smart to Smart.
What was the end result?
According to NTA’s regulations, the call setup success rate (CSSR)—which is the number of successful calls in 100 calls—should be equal to or more than 99.99%. But the CSSR of NTC, Ncell, and Smart was just 88.78%, 93.69%, and 26.39%, respectively.
Furthermore, NTA says the call setup time (CST)—which is the waiting time until the call is connected—should be less than or equal to 5 seconds. But the CST of NTC, Ncell, and Smart in the aforementioned test areas of Kathmandu turned out to be 6.97, 5.18, and 11.93 seconds, respectively.
Lastly, the call block rate (CBR) should be less than or equal to 2%, according to NTA. This metric determines the rate of calls rejected by the network. And here as well, all three telcos performed poorly. With NTC, Ncell, and Smart scoring 11.21%, 6.3%, and 73.60%, respectively.
The only parameter where every telecom operator showed positive results was in terms of call drop rate (CDR)—i.e. call automatically hung up in the middle of the conversation. According to the report, all three telcos’ CDR was 0%, while NTA has set the acceptable threshold for CDR to ≤2%.
Based on the report, NTA has instructed all the telecom operators to improve the quality of their network to meet the standards set by the Telecommunication Service Quality Regulations 2073. Seeing how even the country’s capital has such poor mobile service quality, you can easily imagine how things are in Nepal’s rural areas where the telecom operators haven’t set up as strong network infrastructure.
OEMs applying unusual designs on their products is not a new thing. Mostly, such new designs are the results of a collab with other companies or popular games. Out of the blue, Samsung has just unveiled a ‘flavorful’ chocolate mint design keyboard-mouse combo in South Korea.
Samsung Wireless Keyboard Mouse Mint Choco:
Design
Unsurprisingly, it’s named Samsung Wireless Keyboard Mouse Mint Choco. This keyboard and mouse combo was initially launched back in 2019, but Samsung has given more of a color refresh this time around.
Codenamed SRP-9500MC, the combo boasts a desert-like design of mint chocolate ice cream. Likewise, the mint green-colored keyboard and mouse have choco chips sprinkled (imprinted) all around for a foody vibe.
The dimension of the keyboard is 436 x 125 x 23 mm and it weighs 462 grams. The keyboard resembles a chiclet design with small and flat rectangular keys.
Likewise, the dimension and weight of the mouse are measured at 108 x 60 x 26 mm and 49 grams respectively. The mouse is suitable for both right and left-handed users due to its ambidextrous design.
Connectivity and Others
Both the mouse and keyboard use 2.4GHz wireless connectivity. The choco mint keyboard follows an interlocking design with a scissor-switch mechanism. Hence, each key has two pieces that connect to each other like scissor blades.
The keyboard sports a complete layout with a function bar, cursor keys, a navigation pad, and a number pad. Similarly, there is a dedicated home button and keyboard shortcuts for quickly navigating the calculator, media, and audio. Samsung has mentioned that the keyboard is low noise and provides a soft touch feel.
Likewise, the mouse has three sensitivity levels (800 / 1200 / 1600 DPI) and a high-performance optical sensor. Samsung has also offered a wear-resistant coating over the keys and chocolate chip printing on both accessories. They get their power from AA and AAA batteries respectively.
Specifications:
Mint Choco Keyboard
Chiclet Design
Scissor-switch Mechanism
2.4GHz Wireless Connectivity
462 grams
Full Layout keys
Wear-resistant coating
Mint Choco Mouse
Three DPI levels (800 / 1200 / 1600 DPI)
Optical Sensor
2.4GHz Wireless Connectivity
AAA Battery
Wear-resistant coating
Samsung Wireless Keyboard Mouse Mint Choco Price
As of now, the availability of the Mint Choco combo is limited to the South Korean region only. And there are no official words about the pricing yet.
Meanwhile, you can check our new ultimate racing setup.
The Mobile Device Management System (MDMS), has long been a topic for discussion in Nepal. As you might know, its goal is to prevent illegal or grey imports of mobile phones into the country. Just like phones, laptops are another difficult market in Nepal with a lack of proper management in place. With the increasing use of laptops, there is a growing need for a Laptop Device Management System (LDMS) in Nepal.
Laptop Device Management System
Before we get started, let me give you a quick rundown of how mobile phone imports are regulated in Nepal. This will give you an idea of what we mean in the case of laptops. And why a Laptop Device Management System (LDMS) is required in Nepal.
You may be surprised, but the smartphone industry is relatively organized, even before the introduction of MDMS. And there are a few reasons for it.
Firstly, every mobile brand designates one (or more) distributors in each country to handle their smartphone distribution process. They are commonly known as “National Distributors” which get the exclusive rights to import the brand’s smartphones in the country.
For instance, Samsung has appointed HIM and IMS, while Gen NXt is in charge of Apple iPhones. Likewise, other brands such as Xiaomi, Realme, and Infinix also have their respective distributors in Nepal.
Once the authorized distributors are in place, brands must follow the NTA’s Type Approval process before selling smartphones in Nepal. The process ensures that the International Mobile Equipment Identities (IMEIs) of all the smartphones being imported are registered in the NTA’s system. And once this is done, the brand can launch the smartphone for a specific marked price, that is consistent across the country.
These steps ensure that the smartphone you purchase is a legal import, and that prices are consistent for both buyers and sellers. Even if a seller attempts to sell a device for more than its retail price, you can check the price on the brand’s official site or on media sites like ours. We regularly update the prices of smartphones from all brands so that the user gets up-to-date information.
The incompetence of system for laptops
But the situation is considerably messier when it comes to the import of laptops in Nepal. The main reason for it is that NTA doesn’t monitor this industry as closely as it does for mobile phones.
Actually, importing a laptop in Nepal is easier than you might think. All you need is an Exim (Export Import) code; which by the way, is required for the import or export of basically every goods in Nepal. Even a packet of salt. Not to mention, it is issued to every trader who wishes to exchange goods to or from the country.
As a result, any retailer, big or small who has Exim code, can easily import laptops in Nepal. And sell them at their desired price without raising any eyebrows. While it encourages a practice of an open market (which is beneficial in a few ways), it also means there are no proper restrictions or regulations on the trade of products by government or outside force.
All of this ends up creating price volatility in the market, resulting in different prices for the same products depending on the seller. It can even discourage laptop makers from entering the market officially since grey sellers can undercut their prices.
This is certainly not a good thing, especially for customers. Because if there’s no official brand presence, there will be no authorized repair centers to turn to. And there is no guarantee that customers will find an original part at the local repair shop.
Refurbished products
Even more of a problem in the Nepali market is that it allows grey sellers to easily import refurbished laptops and resell them as new. Although such laptops will eventually be less expensive than new & authorized ones, there is a significant difference in terms of warranty coverage.
Many of you might not know it, but a laptop purchased from a grey seller only includes warranty coverage for RAM, SSD/HDD, battery, charger, and display. Official distributors, on the other hand, have direct contact with the manufacturer and can also cover damages such as wires, chipsets, CPU/GPU, motherboard, WiFi cards and more.
We have a detailed video on grey, authorized, and refurbished laptop, which you can watch below.
What’s our take?
So what’s the bottom line then? We simply want to emphasize the importance of a regulatory body overseeing Nepal’s laptop market. Kind of like what NTA does with phones. Maybe introducing a Laptop Device Management System (LDMS) could help achieve this goal, which would only allow authorized distributors to import laptops into the country. NTA could make it happen by verifying the agreement between the distributor and laptop makers.
And it also goes without saying that implementing such a system shouldn’t disturb the ethos of the open market either. People importing laptops for their personal use, or someone arriving in Nepal from foreign countries with their personal laptop should be exempted from this system. Then again, if such laptops are being imported in bulk, then they should once again be directed from the official channels. This will help maintain consistent prices across the country, while also guaranteeing authentic products to the buyers. In the end, this system could effectively minimize the prevalence of grey or refurbished laptops in Nepal.
Outside of the flagship S23 series, the Galaxy A14 is Samsung’s most hyped and discussed phone in recent times. It is the company’s cheapest 5G phone and bears the camera design as the said flagships. But is it really worth it? Let’s find out in this detailed review of the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G. Before we begin, let’s have a quick look at the official specifications and pricing of the Galaxy A14 5G.
Let’s start with the design that everyone’s raving about. Samsung has taken visual cues from the S23 series and combined them with these ridges to create a really cool-looking phone, especially this light green option. The side frames are also slightly curved, making the fingerprint scanner more accessible while improving the grip as well.
So far so good, right? But all of this changes when you flip the phone 180 degrees. Those thick bezels and that waterdrop notch look outdated even for a budget phone in 2023. And its display is nothing impressive either. At this price point of Rs. 30,000 Nepali rupees, an AMOLED screen is quite common, but you only get a PLS screen here, which is Samsung’s equivalent to an IPS panel.
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Don’t get me wrong, its colors and viewing angles are also quite good for an LCD screen but no kidding, it’s nowhere near an AMOLED panel. A good display has been something of a major selling point in Samsung phones in this segment like 2 to 3 years ago but sadly, the company is now falling behind most of its competitors like Xiaomi and Realme.
Also, the fact that the Galaxy A14 has a single bottom-firing speaker is another bummer. So I missed that richer, stereo audio output while listening to music or even watching movies on this thing.
Performance
Octa-core Exynos 1330 (5nm Mobile Platform)
4/6/8GB RAM, 64/128GB Storage (expandable)
Now, the performance part here is a bit trickier since the Exynos 1330 chip powering this phone actually looks pretty capable on paper. In fact, it is as powerful as the Exynos 1280 found on last year’s premium midrange phones like Galaxy A53 and A33 5G.
But well…, raw power is essentially useless if the processor hasn’t been optimized enough to make the most out of it. This is something I have experienced in many Samsung phones before, including the Galaxy A33 and A53. Unfortunately, I got to relive all that on the A14 once again.
To be fair, it‘s good enough for small, lightweight tasks like phone calls, messages, and web browsing. But pushing it only a little further by bringing some multitasking into the mix is when the phone starts showing its true colors. I occasionally noticed the phone stutter trying to switch between different apps as well, whereas it would also take a bit longer to open big apps and games.
Gaming Experience
That lack of proper optimization continues in the gaming arena too. For instance, PUBG: Mobile maxes out at just 30 fps even at the lowest graphics option. Out of all the games I tested, only Call of Duty played nicely with this latest Exynos chip. And the A14’s cooling solution is not that effective either, which means the phone cannot sustain the same level of performance for longer sessions.
This is most noticeable when playing heavier games like Genshin Impact. Not only does the phone get quite warm, but there are also frame drops more often than you would like. It’s the same when playing high fps titles like Critical Ops and Mech Arena too.
Software and UI
Android 13 with One UI Core 5.0 on top
2 years of OS, 4 years of guaranteed security updates
On the software side, Galaxy A14 ships with the new One UI Core 5.0. And Samsung promises 2 years of Android and 4 years of security updates for this phone, which is simply unmatched by any other brand in this price range.
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Despite being a Core version, the UI is on the heavier side. For instance, the system alone takes 15GB which can be an issue if you go with the base 4/64GB variant. Fortunately, Samsung only ships the 6/128GB variant in the Nepali market which should fare better in the long run.
Camera
Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP primary, 2MP portrait, 2MP macro)
16MP selfie camera (notch cutout)
Now let’s talk about the cameras. The Galaxy A14 sports a triple-sensor setup at the back, consisting of a 50MP primary, a 2MP depth, and a 2MP macro sensor. Yep, there’s no ultrawide camera here.
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Anyway, we all know Samsung’s camera optimization is quite impressive even in the budget segment, but it’s not like the competition has absolutely terrible cameras or anything.
So I compared the Galaxy A14 with the POCO X5, aka the Redmi Note 12, and found that the images from Samsung look a bit livelier with poppy colors and better dynamic range.
Normal Images
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Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
However, like most budget phones, both of them struggle in low-light conditions. Although turning on Night Mode helps a little, with the A14 managing better shots once again.
Night Mode Images
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Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
And Samsung has a definite win in terms of portraits too. It does a pretty good job of retaining the subject’s natural skin tone whereas the POCO X5’s portraits look warm and contrast-heavy.
Portraits
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Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
I also like how the selfies from its 13MP sensor come off quite lively.
Selfies
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Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
Poco X5
Galaxy A14 5G
So, overall, photo-wise, it is marginally better than the competition! Then again, the Galaxy A14’s videography aspect is half-baked right now. Samsung says the Exynos 1330 can record at up to 4K 30 fps, but the phone is limited to just 1080p 30 fps videos from both the front and back cameras.
Battery and Charging
Likewise, the battery life on this phone is also quite good as I was easily getting a full day with the 5,000mAh battery on moderate usage. And with a relatively easier usage pattern, I could even extend it up to 2 days. No sweat. But since the phone only supports 15W charging, a full refill takes quite a long. Around two and a half hours to be precise.
However, what’s worse is that you will have to buy the charger separately since Samsung only offers a Type-C to Type-C adapter in the box. Not to mention, Samsung doesn’t even offer other basic accessories like a screen protector and a clear case inside the box. And all that really adds up to the final cost, which ultimately hurts Samsung’s “cheap 5G phone” claims.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G Review: Conclusion
The Galaxy A14 5G is what Samsung says it is—a cheap 5G phone. For this alone the phone has garnered a lot of popularity in markets like the US and Europe where there are not that many budget phones to choose from.
However, all these changes when we look at countries like Nepal without proper 5G infrastructure. The smartphone market is too competitive to ignore the phone’s average multimedia experience, performance optimization, and lack of an ultrawide camera and charger inside the box. Even in India, you can get 5G phones that offer better value for money.
So, until and unless you are looking for a Samsung phone under 30,000, I believe there are better options than the A14 in the Nepali market, like the Redmi Note 12 and Realme 10. Both offer AMOLED screens, better performance, and a fast charger inside the box.
ZTE launched the Nubia Z50 late last year in China. The smartphone is now joined by a ‘Ultra’ sibling. The new Nubia Z50 Ultra is announced with a new design, a notch-less AMOLED panel alongside custom 35mm and 85mm camera lenses. Let’s get into the specifications of Nubia Z50 Ultra, along with its expected price in Nepal.
Nubia Z50 Ultra Overview:
Design
Contrary to the curved edges on the Z50, ZTE has adopted a flat-frame boxy design for the Z50 Ultra. There’s two tone color scheme on the back, especially visible in the upper halve of the camera module. The Nubia Z50 Ultra is available in two colors: Gray and Black.
But there’s an exclusive color variant known as the Starry Night which is kind of artistic and illustrative. The art resembles the popular painting of the impressionist Vincent van Gogh from the late 1800s. Likewise, the red accent on the camera rims and power key is present throughout all the color options.
Display
One of the main highlights of this phone is its notch-less AMOLED display. That is, ZTE has buried the selfie camera beneath the screen. The phone sports a 6.8-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. You also get a touch sampling rate of 960Hz.
For reducing eye strains, ZTE has provided a 1440Hz PWM dimming while for sunlight readability, the screen bags a peak brightness of 1500 nits. Furthermore, the notch-less screen also supports 10-bit colors, and a 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut.
Camera
Another highlight of this smartphone is the custom 35mm, and 85mm lenses. The primary camera is the same 64MP Sony IMX787 from Nubia Z50 with an custom 35mm focal length. It is followed by another 64MP periscope shooter which now has a 85mm focal length for those zoomed shots. Both lenses support OIS.
Last but not least, you get an 50MP ultrawide-angle snapper that has Auto Focus (AF) and doubles as a macro lens. Moreover, the rear camera gets a ring-shaped LED flash and multi-channel spectral sensors for improved color accuracy in low light.
Coming to the front, ZTE has hidden a custom-made 16MP OmniVision OV16E1Q selfie camera under the display. This comes with a 2.24μm super large pixel size and 4th gen Neovision under-display technology for capturing 30% more light.
On top of that, there is an AI super-sensing engine and image super-transparency enhancement technology allowing screen transparency to increase by up to 50% for video calls.
Performance
As expected, the Ultra variant of the Nubia Z50 gets the horsepower from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. This 4nm SoC boasts a 1+4+3 architecture with a Cortex-X3-based Prime core, Cortex-A715 and Cortex-A710 performance cores, and Cortex-A510 efficiency cores. Adreno 740 handles the graphics rendering for gaming.
For heat dissipation, there is a 4212mm2 large vapor chamber liquid cooling system. The chip is coupled with up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The device boots on MyOS 13 based on Android 13 out of the box with no bloatware, as claimed by Nubia.
The smartphone is fueled by a 5000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support. Talking of the connectivity options, there is 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, a USB Type-C port, etc. Moreover, the phone also has a physical slider for muting notifications, turning on gaming mode, or taking instant photos. This is the first Nubia Z series phone with a physical slider, by the way.
Memory: 8/12/16GB LPDDR5 RAM with 256/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 storage
Software: Android 13 with MYOS 13
Battery: 5,000mAh, 80W wired fast charging
Biometrics: Fingerprint (under-display)
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11.b/g/n/ac/ax/6e, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, GPS, NFC
Color: Black, Blue, Green
Nubia Z50 Ultra Price in Nepal and Availability
The official price of the Nubia 50 Ultra commences at CNY 3,999 for the base 8/256GB model. Although the chances of it being launched in Nepal are slim, we can expect the price of Nubia Z50 Ultra to start at NPR 89,999 if it launches here.
OnePlus’ “Ace” is the youngest and China-exclusive series of premium mid-range smartphones from the company. And it has now brought the newest member to this lineup, the OnePlus Ace 2V. The smartphone comes with Dimensity 9000 SoC, 80W fast charging, and more. Let’s dive into the specs, features, and expected price in Nepal of the OnePlus Ace 2V.
OnePlus Ace 2V Overview:
Design
Kicking off with the design, the OnePlus Ace 2V boasts a boxy form factor with flat edges. The device has a thickness of 8.15mm and weighs 191.5 grams. Offered in two color options, the “Celadon” variant has a greenish finish with a smooth glaze while the “Rock Black” model gets a frosted texture over silk glass. OnePlus has also retained an alert slider on this phone. And both of them carry Gorilla Glass 5 protection at the back.
Moving on, the Ace 2V comes infused with a 2.8D micro-arc glass with a straight edge for comfortable usage. It uses a seamless one-piece middle frame (made of metal), eliminating the need for a plastic frame for the display. As a result, the phone has quite a narrow 1.46mm bezel on the screen.
Display
Talking about the display, OnePlus Ace 2V sports a 6.74-inch 10-bit AMOLED panel with up to 120Hz refresh rate and a custom display chip for smooth touch accuracy and fluency. This 1.5K res (2772 x 1240 pixels) screen has 2.5D curved sides and 1450 nits of local peak brightness.
It also features a 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming for reducing eye strains in low-light scenarios. The Ace 2V’s display is also TÜV SÜD certified, ensuring quality and safety. For protection against drops and scratches, there is AGC Dragontrail Star 2 glass protection as well.
Performance
OnePlus Ace 2V houses a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 5G chipset under the hood. This 4nm flagship SoC has an octa-core CPU with one prime Cortex-X2 core at 3.05 GHz, followed by three Cortex-A710 (@2.85 GHz) and four Cortex-A510 cores (@1.80 GHz). It has Mali-G710 MC10 GPU for handling graphics. This is complemented by 12/16GB LPDDR5X RAM and either 256 or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
To keep the thermals in check, OnePlus has provided a 4129mm2 liquid vapor chamber cooling solution mixed with graphite copper carbon covering. Similarly, it supports “HyperBoost 2.0” mode for maintaining stable fps and performance on demanding games.
Furthermore, with the Game cloud computing private network, OnePlus claims stronger reception in weak network environments on the Ace 2V. It reportedly brings latency down by 99.43% in such scenarios as per OnePlus. However, this is a paid feature and is only available to Ace 2V users for 2 years free of charge. The phone boots on Android 13-based ColorOS 13.0.
Coming to the optics, the phone sports a triple camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 64MP f/1.7 shooter, which is followed by an 8MP ultrawide (112° FOV) and a 2MP macro unit. You will also find an LED flash here, while a similar-looking cutout below it is a color temperature sensor for better color accuracy. On the front, you get a 16MP selfie snapper.
Rest of the specs
OnePlus Ace 2V gets its juice from a 5000mAh battery. This dual-cell battery enjoys 80W SuperVOOC fast charging support. For biometrics, there is an optical under-display fingerprint scanner and 2D face unlock. And the connectivity options for the phone consist of 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, a USB Type-C port, an infrared sensor for remote control, NFC, and more.
Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash, color temperature sensor);
– 64MP primary sensor (no OIS)
– 8MP ultrawide sensor
– 2MP macro sensor
Front Camera: 16MP (hole-punch cutout)
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 9000 (4nm)
Cooling: 4129mm2 Liquid Vapor Chamber Cooling
Memory: 12/16GB LPDDR5X RAM
Storage: 256/512GB UFS 3.1
Connectivity: WiFi 6, 5G, NFC, Infrared Sensor, USB-Type C port, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery: 5000mAh, 80W fast charging
OnePlus Ace 2V Price in Nepal and Availability
In China, the official price of the OnePlus Ace 2V begins at CNY 2,299 for the 12/256GB variant. Since this phone is China-exclusive, it is speculated to be rebranded as OnePlus Nord 3 for the global market. We can expect the price of OnePlus Ace 2V in Nepal to be NPR 51,999 when it launches under the Nord 3 moniker.
OnePlus has launched a cheaper version of its flagship earbuds, called the Buds 2 Pro Lite, along with the OnePlus Ace 2V smartphone in China. These earbuds are known as OnePlus Buds Pro 2R in India and the international market. Let’s learn more about the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite, including its features, availability, and expected price in Nepal.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite Overview:
Design
The Buds Pro 2 Lite looks quite identical to the flagship, more expensive OnePlus Buds Pro 2. These half-in-ear earbuds come in an ergonomic dual-tone design with a glossy stem and a matte finish on the other sides. It is available in white and black color options, while these earbuds are IP55 dust and splash-resistant too. Each Buds Pro 2 Lite weighs 4.9 grams, whereas its oval-shaped charging case weighs 47.3 grams.
OnePlus has worked with Hans Zimmer, a well-known German composer, to tune these earbuds. The company has also collaborated with Danish loudspeaker manufacturer Dynaudio for this. The Buds Pro 2 Lite has a frequency response range of 10 – 40,000Hz, while it is equipped with an 11mm dynamic woofer and a 6mm tweeter. It is also rated to block up to 48dB of outside noise, whereas it supports personalized ANC like the regular Buds Pro 2 as well.
Buds Pro 2 Lite can connect to two devices at the same time via Bluetooth 5.3 as well, with a maximum operating distance of 10 meters. It also supports LHDC 5.0 hi-res audio codec, alongside AAC, LC3, and SBC. There are three microphones onboard here, while these earbuds offer up to 54ms latency for smooth gaming. But unlike the regular Buds Pro 2, it does miss out on the head tracking feature, even though it still supports Spatial Audio.
Rest of the specs
As for the battery, each earbud has a 60mAh cell while the case carries a 520mAh battery. OnePlus claims the Buds Pro 2 Lite (earbuds + charging case) can provide up to 39 hours of playback time with ANC turned off. Or up to 25 hours with ANC on. On its own, the Buds Pro 2 Lite manages 6 or 9 hours of playback with ANC on or off.
As for charging, a quick 10-minute top-off can get you 10 hours of music time, while a full charge takes around 60 minutes. More importantly, the Buds Pro 2 Lite also gets rid of Qi wireless charging to bring down the cost.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite Specifications:
Weight: 47.3g (case), 4.9g (earbud)
IP Rating: IPX4 (case), IP55 (earbuds)
Driver: 11mm and 6mm dual-drivers
Audio Codec: LHDC 5.0, AAC, LC3, and SBC
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
Extras: Dynaudio, 54ms low latency
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Yes, Up to 48dB
Battery: 60mAh (earbuds), 520mAh (case)
Runtime: 9 hours, up to 39 hours with charging case
Colors: White and Black
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite Price in Nepal and Availability
The Buds Pro 2 lite is currently available for pre-order in China for CNY 749, with the regular price set at CNY 799. We anticipate the price of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Lite in Nepal to be around NPR 17,499 if and when it launches here.
It also features a 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming for reducing eye strains in low-light scenarios. The Ace 2V’s display is also 
