Handheld gaming PC maker AYN has expanded its portfolio once again. The newly announced Loki Zero features AMD’s Athlon chip and is currently up for pre-order for just USD 199. This article will discuss the full specs, features, expected price, and availability of the AYN Loki Zero in Nepal.
AYN Loki Zero Overview:
At the heart of the AYN Loki Zero, is the Athlon Silver 3050e APU. Based on a 14nm process, the chip features a dual-core processor with AMD’s Simultaneous Multi-Threading and a tri-core Radeon Vega 3 GPU.
By default, AYN ships the Loki Zero with 4GB RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. Users can expand the RAM to 8GB using another 4GB DDDR4 stick. You can insert an SSD module in the vacant M.2 slot. Furthermore, users have the option to connect a MicroSD card, too.
The hand-held console has an all-black body with a customizable RGB LED light. You will also be able to buy custom vinyl skin later on.
AYN Loki Zero sports a 6-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels, the lowest in the Loki lineup. The button layout is similar to that of an Xbox controller. You even get analog R2 and L2 keys here. Loki Zero has Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 on board.
All this is fueled by a 40.5Wh battery. It looks like AYN isn’t providing any charger in the box as it is available as a $12 add-on. Interestingly, you do get a protective bag for free.
AYN Loki Zero Specifications:
Display: 6-inches IPS, 1280 x 720 pixels
CPU: AMD Athlon Silver 3050e, 2C/4T, 2.8GHz Max Boost Clock, 4MB L3 cache, 14nm process
Storage: 64GB eMMC on board, 1x M.2 2230 slot (unused) + MicroSD card support
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2
I/O: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x DisplayPort, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery: 40.5Wh Li-Ion
Audio: Stereo speakers
Sensors: Gyroscope, Hall Sensors
OS: Windows 10
AYN Loki Zero Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of Loki Zero is USD 249, but you can currently pre-order it for just USD 199. We expect the price of the AYN Loki Zero to be NPR if it launches in Nepal.
Handheld Gaming PC
Price in the US (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
AYN Loki Zero
USD 249 199
NPR 35,500
Meanwhile, check out our review of the AYA Neo Pro 2021.
Huawei just introduced two new members to its Nova 10 series. In addition, the business has released its first anti-lost tracking gadget, the Huawei Tag. This is a less expensive alternative to Apple AirTags, which are becoming increasingly popular. So, let’s look at the Huawei Tag’s specs, features, availability, and expected price in Nepal.
Huawei Tag Overview:
Body
Huawei Tag is designed in the shape of a pebble and weighs only 6 grams, making it far lighter than Apple AirTags, which weigh 13 grams. Similarly, the body is ridiculously slim, measuring only 5.6mm.
It comes with a single white color option and is IP67 certified, so it can easily withstand dust and spills in your daily life.
The tracker gets up and running with a CR2032 button battery which is claimed to deliver more than a year of battery life. Of course, when the battery expires, it can be readily removed.
Huawei has also designed a leather keychain for it, allowing us to easily hang it in our bags or on our valuables.
Huawei Tag employs NFC for tracking and features a built-in speaker that can blare an alert up to 92 db when you’re looking for your items. It also provides encrypted location data sharing that can be anonymous in both directions. Add to that a long-term security reminder feature to dissuade unknown Huawei trackers.
But its major letdown is that it can only be paired with a Harmony OS 2.0-powered device and relies on Huawei’s “Find” network to track objects. The company can enable Android and iOS environment support with its global launch though.
Huawei Tag Specifications:
Size and Weight: 32 (H) x 31.2 (W) x 5.6 (D) mm, 6 grams
IP certification: IP67 dust and water resistant
Connectivity: NFC
Battery: User-replaceable CR2032 button battery
Others: Built-in speaker
Compatibility: Harmony OS 2.0 device
Huawei Tag Price in Nepal and Availability
The Tag retails at CNY 99 (~ $15) for a single unit and the company also sells a four-pack for CNY 299 (~ $45). The sales for the tracker will start on July 30 in China. We expect the price of Huawei Tag to be NPR 2,500, if and when it launches in Nepal.
Tracker
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Huawei Tag
CNY 99
NPR 2,500
Meanwhile, check out our review of the OnePlus Nord 2T.
Asus has finally unveiled its ROG Phone 6 series. The lineup consists of a regular Phone 6 and a Pro model, the first gaming phones to come equipped with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. In this article, we will be discussing the official specs, features, expected price of the Asus ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro in Nepal.
Asus ROG Phone 6 Overview:
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Gaming Phones
As mentioned earlier, the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro are the first gaming phones to feature Qualcomm’s latest flagship chipset. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 on these phones is based on TSMC’s 4nm process, resulting in better performance than the regular 8 Gen 1 while also being power efficient.
According to the company, the new chip boasts a 15% faster CPU and a 50% faster GPU than the Snapdragon 888 on the ROG Phone 5. Furthermore, it is also 20% power efficient.
Asus has paired the chip with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The regular Phone 6 can be configured with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. On the other hand, the Pro model is available in a sole 18GB RAM variant.
GameCool 6
To maintain sustained gaming performance, Asus has fitted the ROG Phone 6 series with the new in-house GameCool 6 cooling system. It consists of three main components: A Boron Nitride (BN) thermal compound, a vapor chamber, and an optional AeroActive Cooler 6 component.
Asus says the new thermal compound has 200% better heat conductivity than the last-gen solution, and just 3,300 milligrams of it can lower the CPU temperature by 10° Celsius. It drives the heat away from one side of the CPU, reducing thermal throttling, and is most effective during short gaming sessions.
For longer gaming sessions, ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro have an enlarged vapor chamber (30% larger) and an 85% larger graphite sheet.
However, if you want the best performance possible out of the new gaming phones, you will have to spend some extra bucks for the AeroActive Cooler 6.
It is an active cooling solution with a Peltier cooling element that snaps at the back of the phone just over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+. With AI cooling mechanism, it can lower the phone’s surface temperature by up to 25° Celsius. In addition to being a cooler, AeroActive Cooler 6 even adds 4 physical buttons for extra controls.
Gaming Controls
Talking about controls, the ROG Phone 6 series phones come with a lot of options. As with their predecessors, ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro come with 2 ultrasonic buttons. They now support new forms of gestures such as Dual Action, Press and lift, and Gyroscope aiming. The latter is said to help MOBA gamers as it helps users scan their environment by simply tilting the phone.
Users can even buy the Kunai 3 gamepad separately for a more console-like gaming experience. 3
Furthermore, the X-axis motor on the Asus ROG Phone 6 series has been improved by 80%. It now supports vibration frequency of up to 130Hz and is 20% more power-efficient as well.
Talking about the design, Asus is sticking to its principle of no notch and no punch-hole for its gaming phone. ROG Phone 6 series continue to sport traditional design with bezels.
Maintaining the Cyberpunk aesthetics, Asus ROG Phone 6 is available in Storm White and Phantom Black color option, whereas the latter is not an option on the Pro.
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ROG Phone 6 Pro
ROG Phone 6
One way to distinguish the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro from its sibling is to look at the back. The Pro model features a second display at the back, whereas the ROG Phone 6 only has an RGB strip.
In addition, Asus is touting the Asus ROG Phone 6 as the first splash-resistant gaming phone as the phone will have IPX4 rating.
Upfront, Asus ROG Phone 6 features a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 165Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, the screen boasts touch sampling rates of up to 720Hz, 111% DCI-P3 coverage, and HDR10+ certification. It even has Gorilla Glass Victus protection.
Rest of the specs
Fueling the Asus ROG Phone 6 is a massive 6,000mAh battery. Both ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro support fast charging of up to 65W. The two phones have two USB-C ports, so you can play games even with them plugged into a charger. You can even cast the phone to a bigger screen using a USB-to-HDMI cable on the side charging port.
You get two front-facing speakers on ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro, backed by Dirac. There is even a 3.5mm headphone jack that you won’t find on mainstream flagships these days. The phone even supports Lossless audio thanks to Snapdragon Sound and aptX Adaptive codec.
It may not hold much significance to hard-core gamers, but the ROG Phone 6 series features a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP primary, 13MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro sensor. There is even a 12MP selfie camera on the front. The phones run on Android 12 out of the box with ROG UI on top.
Audio: Front-FacingStereo speaker, Dirac HD, 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 6E a/b/n/ac/ax (2.4GHz, 5GHz), 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, dual-Type-C port (bottom & side)
Battery: 6000mAh with 65W wired charging
Asus ROG Phone 6 Series Price in Nepal (Expected)
In the Indian market, Asus ROG Phone 6 retails at INR 71,999 for the 12/256GB variant. The Pro model, on the other hand, costs INR 81,999. We expect the price of Asus ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro to start at NPR 122,499 and NPR 152,499, respectively, if and when they launch in Nepal.
Asus ROG Phone 6 Series
Price in India (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
ROG Phone 6 (12/256GB)
INR 71,999
NPR 122,499
ROG Phone 6 Pro (18/512GB)
INR 81,999
NPR 152,499
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Poco F4 GT.
In this review, I will be taking an in-depth look at the OnePlus Nord 2T. If you remember, last year’s Nord 2 and the first-gen Nord before it were a couple of very good mid-range phones. So naturally, you would expect its next iteration to also live up to those standards, right? But the Nord 2T is basically the same phone as the Nord 2 with just a few little changes. So, is the Nord 2T a good offering despite the tiny upgrades over its predecessor?
OnePlus Nord 2T Specifications:
Body: 73.2 x 159.1 x 8.2mm, 190gm, Gorilla Glass 5
Okay, on to the review, I have been using the OnePlus Nord 2T as my primary phone for just about 2 weeks now. And there are a few things about it that I appreciate a lot, like the well-built design.
Although its form factor is very similar to the Nord 2, that is not something I would complain about, honestly. It’s such a comfortable phone to use, whereas its glass finish, as well as the slightly curved back, feel great on the hands too.
Also, I cannot emphasize enough how much I love the alert slider.
I mean, it comes so handy when you’re in meetings and you forget to keep your phone in silent mode (which happens to me every time). You just switch the slider and your ongoing conversation goes undisturbed. It just looks very professional, in my opinion.
What’s with that camera module?
The only thing I am not okay with is these camera modules. If you look at it closely, they look so randomly placed! I mean, symmetry can just rest in peace; I think the Nord 2’s camera placement was way cleaner and I would not have complained if they had done something similar here too.
Also, I would like to highlight the fact that this back catches fingerprints quite easily. So if you use the phone without a cover as I do, you will be doing this all day. For durability, OnePlus has included Gorilla Glass 5, both on the front and back of the Nord 2T. Likewise, the power and volume buttons here have a very nice, tactile feedback which has made interacting with this device quite satisfactory.
Besides good design and solid build, the performance on this thing is pretty reliable too. Now, technically, the performance jump from Dimensity 1200 chipset to Dimensity 1300 is not that significant, but I think OnePlus has made some improvements in terms of optimization and thermals with the Nord 2T.
Here, I tested some popular games like PUBG where I was able to get stable 40 fps in the highest possible settings (HDR+Ultra), while it also maintained an impressive 60 fps mark at Smooth graphics and Extreme settings.
The phone is also optimized to play some of the high fps games like Mech Arena at 90 fps where I got 87 to 89 fps on average, even in the Ultra graphic profile.
Decent gaming experience
I also tried playing the newly launched Apex Legends on it, where I got respectable results. It was only when playing GPU-demanding games like Genshin Impact that the device showed some signs of distress. At the highest settings with 60 fps mode turned on, the game would hover around just 30 fps with frequent stutters.
So, you’ll need to turn down to medium graphics for stable gameplay where the fps mark is still around 30 fps only. But the stability this time is so much better. And yes, the OnePlus Nord 2T would heat up to about 41°C when playing Genshin Impact for about 20 minutes or so. But with other games, it would remain relatively cooler.
Smooth performance
Other normal tasks including heavy multitasking and app opening are superb with no hiccups whatsoever. The typing experience is quite nice too and so is the vibration feedback. It’s strong enough so that you don’t miss your phone calls, but it’s irritatingly buzzy either.
However, I did notice that there’s a bit of an aggressive battery optimization going on here, which would kill background processes after a while. But except that, the overall performance has been satisfactory, and that’s partially also due to the well-optimized OxygenOS.
And talking about OxygenOS, I feel like OnePlus has been getting a lot of unnecessary hate because of the whole OnePlus–Oppo merger thing. But for me, the overall usability hasn’t really changed that much.
Yes, there are a couple of minor UI tweaks in the settings and camera app for example, but that’s all there is. Those core OxygenOS functions are still here, it’s still ad-free, and there are very few bloatware apps, so I wouldn’t make a huge fuss about the merger, at least for now. By the way, OnePlus has also pledged to provide 2 years of OS and 3 years of security updates here, which is nice.
Display
6.43-inches FHD+ AMOLED panel
90Hz refresh rate (180Hz touch sampling rate)
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
On the display side of things, well it’s pretty much the same stuff as the Nord 2. You get the same 6.43-inch AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification on the OnePlus Nord 2T.
It’s a quality screen to look at with nice colors, contrast, and brightness levels. And since the company has optimized the 90Hz refresh rate quite well, I haven’t faced any jitters or micro stutters on this phone either.
Now, one might argue that it’s not a 120Hz screen, so it won’t be as smooth. But I haven’t felt much of a difference honestly. However, I would have liked it if there was an auto-refresh rate option in the settings.
Battery
4500mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC charging
So during my usage, I had to set the display to 90Hz all the time, which in turn resulted in just average battery life and I always had to charge my phone before leaving my office for home at around 8 PM. But since my smartphone usage pattern is quite demanding, this is common for me.
Therefore, if your usage is a little less taxing, then this phone should easily last you an entire day. On the plus side, its 80W charger only takes around 30 minutes to fully juice this device. That means even if your phone dies in the middle of the day, you can fill it up within a matter of minutes!
Cameras
Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP depth)
32MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)
Cameras
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Back
Front
Ok, getting to the cameras, we get a very similar triple camera setup that consists of a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary lens, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP depth sensor.
We have seen the IMX766 at work in many other devices, like the Realme GT 2 Pro, GT Neo 3, and even the OnePlus Nord 2, so we know that it’s a reliable sensor. As a result, the Nord 2T does well in the camera department.
Normal Images
Here, the main lens produces well-detailed photos with a good dynamic range.
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I also gotta appreciate how OnePlus has not gone with overly saturated optimization. Instead, its images have a very digestible level of vibrancy. Having said that, the phone does boost contrast by a bit.
Portrait Images
Portrait
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Likewise, the contrast looks slightly boosted in portrait images too and the camera seems to brighten the subject a bit. But since the end results look pleasant, I wouldn’t complain much about it.
Selfie Images
Selfie
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Selfies from the 32MP camera are acceptable too. They look slightly pale in comparison to the primary images but are good enough for their class.
Lowlight Images
Lowlight
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Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
I am impressed with the OnePlus Nord 2T’s nighttime shots too, as even without the night mode turned on, it manages to capture well-detailed shots. Turing on night mode makes the exposure and detail levels even better.
Ultrawide Images
However, as with most midrange phones, its ultra-wide camera is strictly average.
Ultrawide
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Ultrawide
Normal
Ultrawide
Normal
Ultrawide
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Ultrawide
It fails to deliver a good dynamic range, there’s distortion around the edges, and detail levels are just subpar as well.
Videography
As for videos, the Nord 2T can shoot up to 4K 30 fps videos from the back camera. But despite the onboard OIS, the stabilization is not so good at this resolution. And the selfie videos are still capped at 1080p 30 fps, which is something OnePlus needs to improve by quite a bit.
Audio
Dual stereo speakers (with custom Dirac drivers)
Lastly, something that I am not impressed with OnePlus Nord 2T is its speaker quality. They’re loud, yes, and there is no distortion in the highest volumes either. But the highs sound very sharp and the overall audio doesn’t sound balanced. They’re okay for casually watching movies and stuff, but if you listen to a lot of music, you will find its audio quality to be just average.
OnePlus Nord 2T Review: Conclusion
Okay, so from everything that I have discussed so far in this review, you must have guessed that the OnePlus Nord 2T is a good phone in its class. And if you buy this phone, you won’t regret it, experience-wise. On the other hand, the phone is quite overpriced in Nepal.
But at the same time, while using the Nord 2, I kept questioning myself if it was an unnecessary addition to OnePlus’ portfolio, to begin with.
I mean, it’s basically the same as the Nord 2 in almost every aspect. I think it would have been better if the company had skipped this phone altogether, and brought the OnePlus Nord 3 instead with upgrades such as a 120Hz screen, a better ultra-wide sensor, some quality of life improvements in terms of battery life, and a 4K selfie video recording option!
Xiaomi recently expanded its laptop series with the 2022 iteration of 16” and 14” Xiaomi Book Pro. In this article, we will be discussing the specs, features, expected price and availability of the Xiaomi Book Pro Series (2022) in Nepal.
Xiaomi Book Pro 2022 (14”/16”) Overview:
Design and Display
The new Xiaomi Book Pro (14/16) comes with aircraft-grade aluminum chassis made using an advanced CNC process. Both laptops measure 14.9mm in thickness. That being said, the 14” model is more portable because of its smaller size and lighter form factor.
Except for the screen’s diagonal length and resolution, the display on the new 14” and 16” Xiaomi Book Pro are basically the same. Here, you get the Samsung-made E4 OLED touch screen with 100% DCI-P3 coverage and 600 nits of peak brightness.
These are 10-bit panels and thus support over a billion colors. Xiaomi has even come up with an in-house color correction algorithm for higher color-accuracy.
Performance and Memory
Under the hood, you get the latest Intel Alder Lake P-series processors. Xiaomi gives you the option to choose between 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1240P and Core i7-1260P. Both processors feature 12 cores and 16 threads, but the Core i7 can reach higher clock speeds of up to 4.7GHz. Furthermore, it even has a bigger 18MB cache.
The two new laptops also have EVO certification, which means they meet the standards set by Intel for ultrabook laptops. Despite being thin-and-light laptops, Xiaomi has included a dual-fan cooling setup along with dual-fan radiators, outlets, and heat pipes on the new 14” and 16” Book Pros.
The base variants of the Xiaomi Book Pro series (2022) rely on the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. However, users can opt for the higher-end models with the RTX 2050 GPU from NVIDIA. There is even a MX550 option exclusive to the 14” model.
Xiaomi is offering its latest 14” and 16” Book Pro (2022) in a single 16GB LPDDR5 dual-channel RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.
Rest of the Specs
Xiaomi Book Pro 14 OLED (2022) is fueled by a 56Wh battery pack, whereas it is increased to 70Wh on the 16” model. Irrespective of the battery size, Xiaomi ships the laptops with 100W GaN chargers.
As for I/O, the new Xiaomi Book Pro laptops come with two full-fledged USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports with DisplayPort 1.4 and PD charging. There is also an additional Thunderbolt 4 port capable of single 8K or dual 4K output.
In addition, the laptops feature a 3.5mm combined audio jack for microphones and headphones. You also get a stereo speaker setup with a total output of 4W. It is backed by DTS Audio.
By default, the 2022 edition of Xiaomi Book Pro (14/16) boots on Windows 11. Pre-installed software on these laptops includes Xiaomi assistant, MIUI+, Xiaomi Cloud, Microsoft Office, Dolby Vision.
Xiaomi Book Pro Series (2022) Specifications:
Body:
Pro 14: 313.83W x 219.42D x 14.9H-inches, 1.5 kg
Pro 16: 365.45W x 243.76D x 14.9H-inches, 1.8 kg
Display:
Pro 14: 14″ OLED 2.8K (2880 x 1800) Super Retina screen, 90Hz, VESA HDR 500
Pro 16: 16″ OLED 4K (3840 x 2400) Super Retina screen, 60Hz, VESA HDR 400
Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1240P / Core i7-1260P
RAM: 16GB DDR5 (dual-channel) RAM @5200MHz
Storage: 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Graphics:
Integrated: Intel Iris Xe
Discrete: NVIDIA MX550 (14″) / RTX 2050 (14″ and 16″)
Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Audio: 2x2W stereo speaker setup, DTS Audio
Battery:
Pro 14: 56 Whr
Pro 16: 70 Whr
Power Adapter: 100W GaN charger
Webcam: 720p HD camera
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 6 (ax), Bluetooth 5.2
I/O ports: 1x 3.5mm mic/headphone jack, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (PowerDelivery, DisplayPort 1.4), 1x USB Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gbps)
Xiaomi Book Pro (2022) Price in Nepal and Availability (Expected)
2022 edition of the Xiaomi Book Pro (2022) starts at CNY 6,799 and CNY 7,399 for the 14” and 16” variant, respectively. For the price, you get Core i5-1240P, integrated graphics and 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB SSD. Moreover, we expect the price of Xiaomi Book Pro (2022) to start at NPR 145,000 and NPR 155,000, respectively, when it launches in Nepal.
Xiaomi Book Pro (2022)
Price in China (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Xiaomi Book Pro 14 OLED
Intel i5-1240P, Iris Xe, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
CNY 6,799
NPR 145,000
Intel i5-1240P, MX550, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
CNY 7,399
NPR 155,000
Intel i7-1260P, RTX 2050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
CNY 8,899
NPR 185,000
Xiaomi Book Pro 14 OED
Intel i5-1240P, Iris Xe, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
CNY 7,399
NPR 155,000
Intel i7-1260P, RTX 2050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
CNY 9,399
NPR 195,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Xiaomi NoteBook Ultra [Nepali].
These days, everyone seems to be talking about the Nothing phone (1) and there’s just too much hype around it. And when there’s that much hype about one device, other similar products are often overlooked. And one such product is this guy, the Realme GT Neo 3. At a price of NPR 77,999 here in Nepal (or starting at INR 36,999 in India), I think this is definitely one of the most underrated phones of 2022! More on our full review of the Realme GT Neo 3.
Realme GT Neo 3 Specifications:
Body: 75.6 x 163.3 x 8.2mm, 188gm, Matte AG (Anti-Glare) glass
I remember when I made its impressions video about 2 months ago, it had a lot of optimization issues and there were some mixed reactions among reviewers too. But with multiple updates that we’ve received so far, Realme has addressed most of the problems.
And after weeks of testing, what I can FINALLY say is that it is indeed a very good phone for the price. I think the only mistake that Realme did here is, by launching a 150W version, which is a bit costlier.
Yeah, the 150 Watt charging is pretty cool tech. There’s this dope Milky Way galaxy animation going on if you hook up the charger, and it just takes 16-17 minutes to get the phone fully juiced up, which is quite impressive. But for a normal user, I think the 80W version is the way to go since it’s way cheaper and it also comes with a bigger 5000mAh battery.
Design & Build
75.6 x 163.3 x 8.2mm, 188 grams
Glass front/back, Polycarbonate frames
No IP certification against dust and water damage
Apart from this, I also wished Realme had made its design less flashy here, ‘coz I’m someone who prefers minimal and clean design over everything else. Hence, I found this Nitro Blue color variant a little out of place!
Of course, you can get it in the boring plain black color option, but for a brand like Realme that has delivered phones like the GT 2 Pro and last year’s GT Master Explorer Edition, I think they are well capable of making a better design phone than this. Even its form factor is a bit wider than what I’d like! But over time, you should get used to it as it’s quite ergonomic and has just the right heft as well.
Display
6.7-inches FHD+ AMOLED panel
120Hz refresh rate (1000Hz instant touch)
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Up front, you get a quality 6.7-inch AMOLED panel, which has a first-class color calibration, superb touch response, and all the high-end features like a 120Hz refresh rate, 10-bit colors, and HDR10+ support.
This display can also get plenty bright, although I would have liked it more if the brightness level could get a bit dimmer for bedtime usage. Likewise, the fingerprint sensor is also placed a little lower here. So for someone like me with smaller hands, it will take some time to get used to. But this optical fingerprint sensor itself is quite fast and accurate!
I am also quite impressed with its stereo speakers as it’s loud and has a good dynamic range. Apart from watching movies, you will definitely enjoy listening to music from its speakers! But the aspect where I am actually blown out is the performance.
It is one of the first phones to feature the new MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset, and it delivers quite handsomely! The Neo 3’s performance is almost flagship-like! It’s as smooth as a high-end phone can get, there are zero micro stutters, and the phone can keep a lot of apps in memory at a time as well.
Overall, you are going to get a swift smartphone experience with great touch response and vibration feedback, be it while texting, scrolling through your Facebook feeds, or playing games.
And since it uses the same cooling solution as its more expensive siblings like the GT 2 and GT 2 Pro, you won’t notice any kind of unusual overheating or other similar issues either. The sustained performance is also great and apart from using the phone while charging and heavy gaming, the Realme GT Neo 3 remains cool most of the time.
Gaming performance
Alright, in terms of gaming, as I said earlier, the Dimensity 8100 chip wasn’t that optimized to run many games at 60 fps when the GT Neo 3 first launched. But in the 2 months’ time, game developers have optimized most of the games to run fluidly at 60 fps.
Everything from PUBG Mobile, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty run at a stable 60 fps now. But I think with a few more updates and further optimizations, it should enable higher graphics settings too. For instance, PUBG can only hit 60 fps if I set it to Smooth graphics quality.
With such a capable graphics processor, the phone should be able to hit at least HD or HDR graphics though! Likewise, most of the popular 120 fps games like Injustice 2 and Critical Ops are capped at 60fps only, while it just received an update in Mech Arena which enables 120 fps gameplay. So yeah, this is more of an optimization issue rather than a hardware limitation. Hence, we can expect the performance of this MediaTek chipset to be even better with time!
Cameras
Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
16MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)
Cameras
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Back
Front
Similarly, another thing that can certainly improve with updates is the cameras! That’s because this phone has the same hardware underneath as the GT 2 Pro. You get the same 50MP Sony IMX766 primary camera, alongside an 8MP wide-angle, and a 2MP macro lens.
However, it’s not all that reliable as its Pro-siblings.
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Actually, I found a couple of issues with its cameras! First, I think the exposure and the ISO levels could be more consistent, since the Realme GT Neo 3 tends to capture images with darker exposure at times, and hence they tend to look more contrasty. But if you are clicking indoor or portrait shots, this doesn’t seem to be a problem.
Videography
Likewise, this main camera has optical image stabilization and yet there’s no stabilization while recording videos across any resolution! You can shoot up to 4K 60 fps footage, which is great and the quality itself is decent too, but it looks like Realme has disabled OIS here!
Nighttime
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And if you click photos at night, it takes around 1-2 seconds to process the shot, which defeats the purpose of having OIS in the first place. In fact, if the subject is not very still, you will end up with shaky images!
Normal Images
Other than that, the overall image quality coming from this camera is really good considering the price.
Normal
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It’s pretty comparable to the GT 2 Pro because of the sharp and detailed results. The colors are slightly punchier, but most of the time, it works in Neo 3’s favor.
Portrait Images
Portrait
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I also like its portraits as the phone brings good colors, the right amount of background blur, and acceptable edge detection!
Portraits
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GT Neo 3
Galaxy A73
GT Neo 3
Galaxy A73
GT Neo 3
Galaxy A73
In fact, most of the time, it’s even better than the Galaxy A73, which is one of my favorite midrange camera phones of 2022.
Lowlight Images
During low-light too, it captures sharp and well-balanced shots.
Lowlight
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Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
And since it takes around 1-2 seconds to shoot and process an image, you get a bright and detailed output, with very little room for improvement.
Ultrawide Images
Ultrawide
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Normal
Ultrawide
Normal
Ultrawide
Normal
Ultrawide
However, the ultra-wide-angle photos are quite average for the class, and the quality further deteriorates as the Sun goes down.
Selfie Images
I do like its selfies though. Realme GT Neo 3 maintains good skin tone and excellent exposure balance while taking a selfie against the Sun.
Selfie
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However, given how popular vlogging and going live on TikTok has become these days, I think Realme should start offering 4K recordings from their selfie camera as well since this guy still caps out at 1080p.
Battery
4500/5000mAh with 150/80W fast charging
No wireless charging support
Lastly, the battery life on the GT Neo 3 is also quite reliable. I have the 150W version with me which comes with a smaller 4500mAh cell. But even so, I was constantly getting around 5 to 6 hours of screen-on time under heavy usage! So if you are a moderate user, it’s an easy one-day battery phone, and you’ll only need to charge it before going to bed.
That means you actually don’t need the 150W version of this phone. Yeah, it’s pretty cool that it fills up the phone within 20 minutes, but the 80W charger does it inside 30 minutes too. And I don’t think 10-15 minutes is going to make a lot of difference for most people.
Realme GT Neo 3 Review: Conclusion
Anyway, let’s conclude this review since I think I have covered almost everything about the Realme GT Neo 3 by now. And my verdict about this phone is pretty simple. It’s an excellent all-rounder smartphone for 2022, especially considering all the upgrades it brings over its predecessor, the GT Neo 2. It is a bit overpriced here in Nepal and maybe the company should’ve brought the 80W version instead.
Anyway, I am quite happy that Realme is gradually improving its performance with each software update. And I am hopeful that they continue to do that, mainly in terms of camera exposure optimizations, enabling video stabilization in 4K recordings, and collaborating with game developers to bring 120 fps mode in higher refresh rate supported titles.
Huawei has introduced two smartphones from its latest Nova 10 series in China. The Nova 10 and 10 Pro are the successors of the Nova 9 series. Let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the Huawei Nova 10, and Nova 10 Pro in Nepal.
Huawei Nova 10, Nova 10 Pro Overview:
Design and Display
The Nova 10 series borrows design elements from its predecessor. The smartphones retain a curved body design and a pill-shaped camera module on the rear. To differentiate, Huawei has highlighted the ring surrounding the camera module with a yellow accent.
Nova 10 Series Design
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Nova 10
Nova 10 Pro
On the front, both devices boast an OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 300Hz. They differ in terms of display size and resolution though, with the 10 Pro sporting a slightly bigger 6.78-inch screen with 2652 x 1200 pixel resolution compared to the vanilla model’s 6.67-inch panel with 2400 x 1080 pixel count.
These smartphones are powered by the Snapdragon 778G chipset. It’s a year-old processor, but it still holds ground and offers a good blend of performance and efficiency. In fact, the much-hyped Nothing Phone (1) s debuting with the same SoC too.
For memory, you get up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. As expected, the handset boots on the company’s own Harmony OS 2.0.
Camera
Both phones in the Nova 10 Series have the same triple camera setup on the back. This includes a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. However, the camera system changes for selfies, with the Nova 10 Pro gaining a dual-camera setup with a 60MP main and an 8MP portrait lens. In contrast, the standard model has a single 60MP selfie camera.
Rest of the specs
Other things that are different between these two devices are battery capacity and charging speed. The 10 Pro comes with a 4500mAh battery that supports faster 100W charging. The Nova 10, on the other hand, has a 4000mAh battery with 66W fast charging support.
Regardless, both of them utilizes in-display fingerprint sensor for biometrics. Likewise, the connectivity option includes WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and USB Type-C.
Huawei Nova 10, 10 Pro Specifications:
Display:
Nova 9: 6.67-inch OLED, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, P3 wide color gamut
Nova 9 Pro: 6.78-inch OLED, 2652 x 1200 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, P3 wide color gamut
Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2 with LDAC, NFC, GPS, USB Type-C
Huawei Nova 10, 10 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
The Nova 10 Series is already up for pre-order in China with sales starting from July 8th. The vanilla 10 costs CNY 2,699 for the base 128GB variant, while the 10 Pro costs CNY 3,699 for the same memory configuration. If Huawei Nova 10 and Nova 10 Pro are released in Nepal, we estimate the prices to start at NPR 60,000 and NPR 80,000, respectively.
Huawei Nova 10 Series
Configuration
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Nova 10
128GB
CNY 2,699
NPR 60,000
256GB
CNY 2,999
NPR 65,000
Nova 10 Pro
128GB
CNY 3,699
NPR 80,000
256GB
CNY 3,999
NPR 85,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the OnePlus Nord 2T.
Xiaomi just announced the Xiaomi 12S Ultra in China at a virtual event today. The phone is part of the Xiaomi 12S series, which also includes the standard 12S and 12S Pro. Here, we will look at the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra in Nepal.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra Overview:
1-inch type Sony IMX989 Sensor
To begin with, the headlining feature of this smartphone is Sony’s 1-inch camera sensor. In case you were unaware, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the first phone in the world to use Sony’s IMX989 flagship sensor. This has been co-engineered by Xiaomi and Sony with a reported development cost to be around USD 15 million.
Sony IMX989 is the first 1-inch image sensor built specifically for smartphones. We also had the Xperia PRO-I with a 1-inch sensor but that came from Sony’s RX100 VII compact camera.
To note, both are 1-inch type sensors, meaning they don’t have literal 1-inch diagonal lengths. Still, they look humongous compared to the camera sensor on other mainstream flagships.
Backed by Leica
Aside from a collaboration with Sony on camera hardware, the Xiaomi 12S series also marks the beginning of the Xiaomi-Leica partnership. Everything from the optical design to the imaging software of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has been refined by Leica.
Here, the aforementioned 1-inch sensor is paired with Leica’s Summicorn 8P lens, which eliminates flare, chromatic aberration, and ghosting. In addition, each lens features an IR filter and an anti-glare coating.
On the other hand, the software feature includes two photographic styles called “Leica Authentic Look” and “Leica Vibrant Look”. These new filters offer a natural-looking image that focuses on light and shadow contrast adding depth to the photos.
Anyways, the camera hardware of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra includes a triple camera setup on the back led by a 50MP 23mm wide-angle primary camera. The other two rear cameras employ the 48MP Sony IMX586 1/2.0-inch sensor. One is a 13mm ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture, while the other is a telephoto camera with a 120mm f/4.1 aperture.
Moving on, Xiaomi 12S Ultra features a 6.73-inch E5 AMOLED panel with 3200 x 1440 pixels resolution and AdaptiveSync Pro support that helps the display refresh from 1Hz to 120Hz.
As for design, the smartphone flaunts a squared-off design with no sharp edges and a curved screen. It gets a faux leather treatment on the back and there’s also a 23K gold ring that covers the huge camera bump on the rear. Per Xiaomi, the camera design at the back is supposed to resemble the camera lens on a DSLR.
Moreover, the 12S Ultra has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and comes in black and green color options.
Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
The Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro were among the first smartphones to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. Likewise, Xiaomi 12S Ultra marks history as the first phone to have Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor. This is Qualcomm’s latest chipset, which uses TSMC’s 4nm manufacturing process and provides 10% better CPU, 10% faster GPU, and 20% higher AI performance.
To keep the temperature in check, Xiaomi 12S Ultra utilizes a 3D cooling system which the company claims can improve smartphone efficiency by up to 100%. Along with this, the smartphone includes the brand’s own Xiaomi Surge G1 and Surge P1 chips, which are touted to boost battery performance.
Xiaomi will be offering the phone in 8GB and 12GB RAM variants with 256GB and 512GB of internal storage, respectively.
Battery and Charging
The phone relies on a 4,860mAh battery. Contrary to previous reports, Xiaomi 12S Ultra supports just 67W of wired charging. Furthermore, the phone also supports 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.
Battery: 4,860mAh, 67W fast charging, 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless
Xiaomi 12S Ultra Price in Nepal and Availability
As far as the pricing is concerned, the base variant of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra retails at CNY 5,999. Likewise, the higher 12/256GB and 12/512GB model retails at CNY 6,499, and CNY 6999, respectively. We expect the price of Xiaomi 12S Ultra to start at NPR 125,000, if and when it launches in Nepal.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
8/256GB
CNY 5,999
NPR 125,000
12/256GB
CNY 6,499
NPR 135,000
12/512GB
CNY 6,999
NPR 145,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Xiaomi 12 Pro.
Today, Xiaomi held an online event in China, where the company announced the latest 12S flagship series. The series is home to three new devices, including the vanilla 12S, 12S Pro and 12S Ultra. We have already covered the 12S Ultra in our other post, and here we will be looking at the Xiaomi 12S and 12 Pro, including their specs, features, expected price, and availability in Nepal.
Xiaomi 12S, 12S Pro Overview:
Xiaomi 12 and 12S Pro are a mid-year refresh of the vanilla 12 and 12 Pro. Thus, the two bring some mild upgrades over the Xiaomi 12 series launched in December.
Performance and Memory
The biggest difference between the Xiaomi 12S phones and their non-S counterparts is in the chipset. Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro were among the first phones to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. Likewise, the Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro, along with the Ultra model, are the first to feature the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset.
This new chip is based on TSMC’s 4nm process, unlike the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, built on Samsung’s process. Likewise, the chip features an overclocked Cortex X2 Prime core and boasts a 10% better CPU, 10% faster GPU, and 20% greater AI performance. So, expect Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro to have better all-round performance than their non-S siblings.
Camera
Moving on, the Xiaomi 12S duo is also among the first products to be part of the company’s new partnership with Leica. As a result, you can notice the Leica branding just below the LED flash in the camera bump.
Coming to the camera hardware, both Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro come with a triple camera setup, led by the 50MP IMX707 sensor from Sony. It is the same sensor used in the Xiaomi 12 Pro. As a result, there is no change in the camera hardware going from Xiaomi 12 Pro to 12S Pro hardware.
On the software side, however, Xiaomi has introduced AI Image Solution 2.0 which utilizes both hardware and software for improved cameras.
On the other hand, IMX707 on the Xiaomi 12S means it now has a bigger sensor than the regular Xiaomi 12.
Apart from the primary sensor, Xiaomi has included two other 50MP sensors for ultrawide and telephoto on the 12S Pro, whereas we only get a 13MP ultrawide and a 5MP tele-macro sensor on the 12S.
Over on the front, both phones feature a 32MP selfie shooter enclosed inside the center-aligned punch-hole cutout.
Design and Display
The Xiaomi 12S duo has nothing new to offer on the design side. The two sport the same glass sandwich design as their non-S counterpart. The only thing that sets them apart is the Leica branding on the camera bump at the back.
Upfront, Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro sport curved AMOLED screens of 6.28” and 6.73” sizes, respectively. Both are 10-bit panels with support for 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision. They even sport Gorilla Glass Victus protection and an optical in-display fingerprint scanner.
That being said, you will have a more premium experience with the 12S Pro as it has QHD+ resolution, LTPO 2.0 technology, and a peak brightness of 1500 nits, all of which are missing on the regular 12S.
Rest of the Specs
Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro come with different-sized batteries as well. The former packs a 4,500mAh battery, while the latter brings a slightly larger 4,600mAh battery. Likewise, the 12S Pro supports 120W fast charging against 12S’s 67W solution. Furthermore, both phones are capable of 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.
Xiaomi 12S Series ships with MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box. On the connectivity front, Xiaomi has included support for 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. They also feature stereo speakers tuned by Harman Kardon.
Xiaomi 12S, 12S Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
The Xiaomi 12S series is currently exclusive to China where the price starts at CNY 3,999 and CNY 4,699 for the 12S and 12S Pro, respectively. We expect the price of Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro to start at NPR 85,000 and NPR 100,000, respectively, if and when they launch in Nepal.
Xiaomi 12S Series
Price in China (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Xiaomi 12S
8/128GB
CNY 3,999
NPR 85,000
8/256GB
CNY 4,299
NPR 90,000
12/256GB
CNY 4,699
NPR 100,000
12/512GB
CNY 5,199
NPR 110,000
Xiaomi 12S Pro
8/128GB
CNY 4,699
NPR 100,000
8/256GB
CNY 4,999
NPR 105,000
12/256GB
CNY 5,399
NPR 115,000
12/512GB
CNY 5,899
NPR 120,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Xiaomi 12 Pro.
South Korean smartphone giant, Samsung has announced a new member of the F-series in Nepal. Dubbed Galaxy F13, it’s a budget offering that comes with a big 6000mAh battery. In this article, we will walk through the specs, features, availability, and official price of the Samsung Galaxy F13 in Nepal.
Samsung Galaxy F13 Overview:
Like with most other F-series phones, Samsung didn’t build the F14 from the ground up. It is more or less based on the Galaxy M13 that was announced a few months ago. The only major differentiating factor between the two is battery.
Design and Display
The design of the Galaxy F13 is similar to that of other F-series phones. It sports a rectangular camera module with a matte finish on the rear. Samsung offers the phone in three colorways: Waterfall Blue, Sunrise Copper, and Nightsky Green.
On the front is a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD screen with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Galaxy F13 has teardrop style notch at the top and a thick bottom chin. Samsung hasn’t entertained the display with a higher refresh rate or touch sampling rate and the brightness is limited to 480 nits.
Samsung Galaxy F13 is powered by the Exynos 850 SoC. To reiterate, is the same 8nm the same mobile silicon used in last year’s Galaxy F12. Anyways, it features eight cores of Cortex-A55 arranged in two clusters with maximum clock speed of 2GHz.
Memory option includes 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage. You can expand the storage up to 1TB since the device supports a microSD card. Likewise, it also has the RAM Plus feature that uses the internal storage to give the phone effective RAM of 8GB.
Furthermore, Galaxy F13 boots on OneUI 4.1 based on Android 12. However, the company hasn’t pledged anything about the future software update.
Rest of the specs
The camera hardware on the Samsung Galaxy F13 includes a combo of 50MP primary, 5MP ultrawide, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and video calls, the aforementioned teardrop notch houses an 8MP camera. The biometric option features a fingerprint scanner on the side.
Likewise, as aforementioned, it gets its juice from a big 6000mAh battery and supports 15W fast charging. And, thanks to the bigger battery inside, the phone is quite thick and hefty at 9.3mm and 207 grams.
Samsung Galaxy F13 Specifications:
Display: 6.6-inch LCD, Full HD+ resolution, 480 nits
Samsung Galaxy F13 Price in Nepal and Availability
The official price of Samsung Galaxy F13 in Nepal is Rs. 23,999 for the 4/128GB variant in Nepal. You can buy Samsung Galaxy F13 from Hukut and other authorized stores across Nepal.
Samsung Galaxy F13
Price in Nepal (Official)
Availability
4/128GB
NPR 23,999
Hukut Store
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy F23.
