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OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G gets a little price hike in Nepal

OnePlus

GadgetByte

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July 4, 2022

OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G gets a little price hike in Nepal

OnePlus has increased prices of couple of its latest mid-range phones citing the increased import duty, including the Nord CE 2 5G. In this article, we will be discussing the specs, features, official price, and availability of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 in Nepal.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Overview:

Design and Display

Looking at the back of the phone, it’s not that hard to tell that OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G gets its design cues from last year’s Find X3 Pro. Though it has a rectangle camera island, the curves are quite similar to what last year’s Oppo flagships had.

The device has a thickness of 7.8mm and weighs just 173 grams. Users can choose between two color options — Bahamas Blue and Gray Mirror.

Upfront, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 has a 6.43-inch AMOLED panel as its predecessor. It even retains the 90Hz refresh rate. Further, it also has HDR10+ certification and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Performance and Software

Under the hood, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes with the Dimensity 900 5G. This chipset brings two Cortex-A78 (@2.4GHz) and six Cortex-A55 (@2GHz) CPU cores alongside Arm’s Mali-G68 MC4 GPU.

In terms of memory, the phone comes with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. The latter can be expanded up to 1TB via a microSD card.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 boots on Android 11 with OxygenOS 11.3 out of the box, which is quite disappointing for a phone of this price in 2022. Anyways, OnePlus has promised two years of major OS updates and an additional year of security patches.

Also Read:

Cameras

The aforementioned camera bump encloses a triple camera setup led by a 64MP primary sensor. Accompanying it is an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro sensor. Over on the front, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 has a 16MP sensor for selfies and video calls. It is enclosed by the left-aligned punch-hole cutout.

Rest of the Specs

Furthermore, the handset gets its juice from a 4,500mAh cell which supports 65W SuperVOOC charging. To note, the SuperVOOC is Oppo’s charging tech and it seems OnePlus is slowly adopting Oppo’s environment in bits and parts. The phone even retains the headphone jack.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Specifications:

Dimensions: 7.32 x 16.06 x0.78-cm; 173 grams
Display: 6.4-inch 90Hz OLED, FHD+ resolution
Front Camera: 16MP IMX471 (punch-hole cutout)
Rear Camera: Triple (64MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G
Software: Android 11 with OxygenOS 11.3
Memory: 8GB LPDDR4XRAM, 128GB UFS 2.2 storage (expandable up to 1TB)
Battery: 4500mAh with 65W SuperVOOC charging
Colors: Gray Mirror, Bahamas Blue
Read our review of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Price in Nepal and Availability (Official)

The official price of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G (8/128GB) in Nepal is Rs. 48,999 after the latest price change. The company is also providing one-year screen breakage insurance on every purchase of the Nord CE 2 5G.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G	Price in Nepal (Official)	Availability
8/128GB	Rs. ~~47,499~~ 48,999	Hukut Store

Meanwhile, check out our review of the OnePlus Nord CE 2.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G gets a little more expensive in Nepal

OnePlus

GadgetByte

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July 4, 2022

1

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G gets a little more expensive in Nepal

OnePlus launched the Nord CE 2 Lite in the Nepali market in May. The phone has now received a price hike because of the bump in the import duty. In this article, we will be discussing the key specs, features, latest official price, and availability of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G in Nepal.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G Overview:

Design and Display

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G comes with a 6.59-inch FHD+ display with a left-aligned punch-hole cutout. The company has opted for an LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. Likewise, the screen supports both the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut.

Over on the back, Nord CE 2 Lite 5G brings a dual-tone finish unique to the lineup. The area around the camera back is full of stripes, while the rest of the panel has a simple matte finish. There are two color options to choose from: Blue Tide and Black Dusk. Moreover, the phone has a thickness of 8.5mm and weighs around 195 grams.

Performance

Inside, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite packs the Snapdragon 695 chipset from Qualcomm. It’s a new chipset based on a 6nm platform that has been quite popular in the mid-range segment lately. It has already been featured in phones like Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G and Realme 9 Pro.

OnePlus offers the phone in two memory configurations. The base variant has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is also an 8GB RAM variant with the exact same storage. The storage is expandable up to 1TB using a MicroSD card.

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Camera

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite flaunts a triple camera setup at the back. Leading the lineup is a 64MP primary shooter. There is no Optical Image Stabilization. However, it does bring Electronic Image Stabilization. Accompanying it are two 2MP cameras for macro and portrait shots. Unfortunately, OnePlus has not included a dedicated ultrawide lens here.

On a side note, there is a 16MP Sony IMX471 sensor on the front for selfies.

Rest of the specs

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G gets juice from the built-in 5,000mAh battery. It even has 33W SuperVOOC fast charging. In addition, the phone has 9 temperature sensors and a dedicated chip safeguarding the battery.

The phone runs on the latest Android 12 with OxygenOS 12 on top. It is also confirmed to receive two years of major software and three years of security updates

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G Specifications:

Body: 164.3 x 75.6 x 8.5mm; 195 grams
Display: 6.59-inch FHD+ LCD panel, 120Hz refresh rate
Resolution: FHD+ (2412 x 1080 pixels); 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 (6nm)
Memory: 6/8GBGB RAM, 128GB storage
Software & UI: Android 12 with OxygenOS 12.1 on top
Rear Camera: Triple-camera (64MP primary + 2MP macro + 2MP depth)
Front Camera: 16MP (punch-hole)
Security: Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted)
Battery: 5000mAh with 33W SuperVOOC charging
Color options: Blue Tide, Black Dusk
Read our review of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G Price in Nepal & Availability

After the recent price revision, OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite is now available at Rs. 40,999 in Nepal for the sole 8/128GB variant. For context, it was initially launched at Rs. 39,999. If you buy OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite from authorized stores like Hukut, you will be eligible for one year of breakage insurance.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G	Price in Nepal (Official)	Availability
8/128GB	NPR ~~39,999~~ 40,999	Hukut

Meanwhile, check out our review of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G.

OnePlus 10RT bags certification in India; to feature 120Hz AMOLED screen

GadgetByte

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July 4, 2022

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OnePlus 10RT bags certification in India; to feature 120Hz AMOLED screen

Following the debut of the OnePlus 10R a few months ago, the firm is now preparing to introduce another sub-flagship phone in India named the OnePlus 10RT. It is the successor to last year’s OnePlus 9RT, which recently gained BIS certification. So, let’s go through all of the leaks and rumors surrounding the upcoming OnePlus 10RT.

OnePlus 10RT Rumors Roundups:

BIS Certification

The smartphone was recently certified by BIS with the model number CPH2413. The news came as a surprise since the OnePlus 10T was expected to be the company’s last flagship of the year. In any case, its inclusion in the BIS confirms the device’s existence.

Also Read:

Specifications

In addition to certification, Mukul Sharma, a reliable tipster from India, revealed a few specifications of the device. Per him, the OnePlus 10RT will have a 120Hz AMOLED display and will be available in two storage options: 8/128GB and 12/256GB. In terms of software, it is likely to ship with OxygenOS 12, which is based on Android 12.

The smartphone will include a triple camera arrangement on the back, led by a 50MP lens. Following that are 8MP and 2MP lenses, which will most likely feature ultrawide and macro sensors. On the other hand, the front display will house a 16MP camera.

OnePlus 10RT Specifications (Rumored):

Display: 120Hz AMOLED, Full HD+ resolution
Memory: Up to 12GB
Storage: Up to 256GB
OS: Android 12-based OxygenOS
Rear Cameras: Triple;
– 50MP primary
– 8MP ultrawide
– 2MP macro
Front Camera: 16MP
Colors: Green, Black

OnePlus 10RT Launch and Availability

For the time being, we can only confirm that the OnePlus 10RT is in the works and will launch in India sooner or later. Aside from that, no further information about the device’s launch or availability has surfaced online just yet.

Weekly Tech Quiz #7

Quiz

Nikhil Shrestha

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July 2, 2022

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Welcome to the seventh edition of our weekly tech quiz. Take our quiz to put your tech knowledge to the test (no cheating, obviously). There are 15 questions in total, so it shouldn’t take more than 3 minutes. And the questions could be from any field—smartphones, gaming, music, and more. Let’s go!

<a href="https://cvof.survey.fm/weekly-tech-quiz-7">View Survey</a>

Sony launches three new headphones kickstarting their Inzone series

GadgetByte

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July 1, 2022

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Sony launches three new headphones kickstarting their Inzone series

Sony has released three headphones in their new Inzone series, in addition to two monitors. These headphones are aimed at gamers with a variety of budgets. Let’s learn about the specs, features, availability, and price in Nepal of Sony Inzone headphones.

Sony Inzone Headphones Overview:

Sony’s three Inzone Headphones have a similar design language. The white exterior and black paddings are shared by all three headphones. They all come with a non-detachable microphone because they are designed for gaming.

The feature set offered is what distinguishes the headphones. The H3, the most affordable of the bunch, is wired, whereas the H7 and H9 are wireless headphones.

360 spatial sound is supported by all three models. The Inzone Hub PC software lets the user make changes to the sound profiles as well as the spatial audio.

Inzone H9 and H7

The Sony Inzone H9 and H7 headphones support both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connection via a dongle. The headphones can be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth and to a PC via the dongle at the same time.

The foldable boom mic mutes itself while folded up. Furthermore, Sony has included a physical button to change the balance between game sound and voice chat.

Inzone Headphones

1 of 2

The 40mm drivers on the H7 and H9 have a frequency response of 5Hz-20,000Hz.

Additionally, the H9 also supports active noise cancellation. With ANC turned off, it lasts up to 32 hours. On the other hand, the H7 lacks ANC but has a battery life of 40 hours.

Also Read:

Inzone H3

The Inzone H3 is a straightforward gaming headset with no fancy wireless capabilities. It has an easily accessible knob for volume control on the left earcup.

Like the previous headphones, the H3 has a 40mm driver too but the frequency response ranges from 10Hz to 20,000Hz.

Sony Inzone Headphones Price in Nepal and Availability

As far as the pricing is concerned, the Inzone M3 (wired headphone) retails at USD 100 while the wireless M7 and M9 model carries a price tag of USD 230 and USD 300. We expect the price of Sony Inzone headphones to start at NPR 15,000, if and when it launches in Nepal.

Sony Inzone Headphones	Official Price	Price in Nepal (Expected)
M9	USD 300	NPR 41,000
M7	USD 230	NPR 33,000
M3	USD 100	NPR 15,000

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Asus TUF Gaming F15 (2022).

Worldlink to upgrade existing FTTH network to 10 Gbps XGS-PON technology

WorldLink

GadgetByte

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June 30, 2022

0

Worldlink to upgrade existing FTTH network to 10 Gbps XGS-PON technology

Worldlink, the country’s largest ISP, is soon upgrading its current FTTH network with XGS-PON technology. This will make it the first firm in Nepal to upgrade to XGS-PON for its network. Read along to know more about the Worldlink XGS-PON technology.

Worldlink XGS-PON Overview:

What is XGS-PON?

Before diving into the story, let’s first discuss what is PON technology in general.

Passive optical network, or PON, is a telecommunications technology that employs fiber-optic to transfer data from a single source to multiple endpoints. XGS-PON, on the other hand, is an upgraded standard for PON that can handle data transfers of 10 Gigabits.

But, the most significant advantage of this technology is that it enables symmetrical data transmission in both the upstream and downstream directions. This means—contrary to the current trend—users will experience the same upload and download speeds.

Also Read:

Current system

Worldlink currently relies on Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology for data transmission and it does not provide symmetric download and upload speeds. Additionally, it has a download speed of 2.5 Gbps and an upload speed of just 1.25 Gbps. As a result, XGS-PON deployment in Worldlink’s infrastructure will not only enable symmetric data transfer but will also be able to meet rising bandwidth demand.

Furthermore, this technology has slightly lower latency, and each XGS-PON port will theoretically be able to give internet connections to 256 clients, which is double the present 128 users.

Testing and Launch

Worldlink has already completed the necessary tests to update the company’s Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON). It has also announced plans to upgrade its current FTTH network to the XGS-PON network beginning next week.

Moreover, thanks to this technology, Worldlink will now be able to provide consumers with connections that are faster than 1Gbps. For even better service, the ISP giant is planning to test 25G-PON in the near future in partnership with Nokia.

Meanwhile, check out our review of Worldlink’s 300Mbps Mesh WiFi.

Sony launches two monitors in its new Inzone lineup

GadgetByte

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June 30, 2022

0

Sony launches two monitors in its new Inzone lineup

Sony is a giant in the console gaming industry. And now, the brand has introduced a new lineup of gaming hardware called “Inzone”. This series currently has two new monitors and three headphones designed for PS5 and PCs. In this article, we will cover the specs, features, availability, and expected price of Sony Inzone monitors in Nepal.

Sony Inzone Monitors Overview:

Inzone M9

Starting off with the Inzone M9, this monitor has a 27-inch IPS LCD panel with a 4K resolution. While it has a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz, it drops to 120Hz via HDMI.

Besides, it offers features such as Full Array Local Dimming which help improve the contrast. The Inzone M9 is VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified and its brightness peaks at 600 nits. When it comes to colors, it covers 95% of DCI-P3. Sony has included an adjustable RGB strip on the back for customization.

Also Read:

Inzone M3

Like the M9, Sony’s Inzone M3 is a 27-inch monitor too. Unlike the M9, this monitor features a lower 1080p resolution. However, it has a higher refresh rate of 240Hz and 99% sRGB coverage. The M3 is edge-lit and DisplayHDR 400 certified.

Similarities

Besides the 27-inch screen size, these two monitors have a lot in common. Both of them support HDR 10 and HLG and an impressive gray-to-gray responsive time of 1ms. Free Sync is absent but they support G-Sync and Variable Refresh Rate through HDMI 2.1.

The monitors can be connected to a PC as well as a PS5, and the USB passthrough connections switch accordingly to the video input.

Sony Inzone Monitors Specifications:

Model	M9	M3
Screen Size	27”	27”
Display Panel	IPS LCD
Resolution	4K	1080p
Color Gamut	95% DCI-P3	99% sRGB
HDR	HDR600	HDR400
Response Time	1ms (GTG)
Refresh Rate	144Hz	240Hz
Adaptive Technology	G-Sync, VRR
I/O	1x Display Port 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Jack, 3x USB Type-A, 1x USB Type-B, 1x USB Type-C

Sony Inzone Monitors Price in Nepal and Availability

The Sony Inzone M9 is currently available for pre-order at the price of USD 900. Likewise, the Inzone M3 will be available by the end of 2022 for USD 530. The M9 is expected to retail at around NPR 120,000 and the M3 at NPR 70,000 when they launch in Nepal.

Sony Inzone Monitors	Official Price	Price in Nepal (Expected)
M9	USD 900	NPR 120,000
M3	USD 530	NPR 70,000

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Asus TUF F15 (2022).

Arm’s 2nd gen of Armv9 CPUs unveiled with up to 25% performance boost

ARM

GadgetByte

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June 30, 2022

1

Arm’s 2nd gen of Armv9 CPUs unveiled with up to 25% performance boost

The Cortex-X3 and Cortex-A715 cores are the next flagship CPUs from ARM. The new cores come with a significant performance boost and will power premium Android phones in 2023. Continue reading to learn more about the Arm 2nd gen v9 CPUs.

Arm 2nd gen v9 CPUs Overview:

The Cortex-X3 builds on last year’s Armv9 architecture. Alongside this, the company has also introduced a new Cortex-A715 core and an improved Cortex-A510 core.

Cortex-X3

To begin with the elephant in the house, the Cortex-X3 offers a 25% boost in performance over the current best Cortex-X2. It is also said to be more efficient, and capable of delivering the same level of performance while consuming less power.

Furthermore, Arm claims to deliver up to 34% higher single-threaded performance than the latest mainstream laptops. Android Authority compares it to the Intel Core i7-1260P, a power-hungry 28W CPU.

Cortex-X3 also improves upon DynamIQ Shared Unit (DSU-1010) platform and can now support up to 12 cores and 16MB of L3 cache. This allows for more scalability, allowing Arm CPUs to be adapted for everything from phones to high-end laptops.

Cortex-A715, Cortex-A510

The Cortex-A715 core, on the other hand, also brings a fair set of improvements; the most significant of which is the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit processors. This is Arm’s roadmap for fully transitioning to 64-bit, and we will see 64-bit only Android smartphones starting next year. It has a 20% higher energy efficiency than the last year’s Cortex-A710 cores. The performance increase is 5% and is said to match the performance of the Cortex-X1 CPU from 2020.

Arm has also upgraded the Cortex-A510 core for energy efficiency (5% more efficient than the previous generation). This should result in better battery life.

Composition

With Arm releasing new CPUs, the 2023 flagship processor cluster will have Cortex-X3, Cortex-A715, and Cortex-A510 cores. Chipmakers (Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Samsung) may use 1+3+4 designs like the current flagship chips, or they can also go with 1+4+4 or 2+2+4 cluster designs.

Watch our gaming comparison of Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Arm unveils “Immortalis” GPU with hardware-based ray tracing

ARM

GadgetByte

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June 29, 2022

1

Arm unveils “Immortalis” GPU with hardware-based ray tracing

Arm has announced its new flagship GPU called “Immortalis.” It is Arm’s first mobile GPU to come with hardware-based ray tracing. The GPU is targeted toward flagship Android users who are keen on gaming on their phones. In this article, we will be discussing the Intel Arm Immortalis GPU in more detail.

Arm Immortalis GPU Overview:

According to Arm, the new Immortalis-G715 GPU is designed for next-generation flagship smartphones. In addition, the company claims to offer a 15% improvement in performance with its new GPU.

Besides, Arm is raving about a two times improvement in architectural machine learning. Moreover, it should provide “ultimate mobile gaming and graphics experiences.”

Hardware-Based Ray Tracing

As mentioned, the Immortalis-G715 is the first Arm GPU to offer hardware-based Ray Tracing. According to Andy Craigen, the product management director of Arm, the main challenge of RT is high power usage.

However, per the Arm, the ray tracing on the Immortalis-G715 only uses 4 percent of the shader core area. The company also claims a 300 percent performance improvement via hardware acceleration.

Arm claims its partners and hardware are ready to utilize hardware ray tracing fully. The developer ecosystem, however, still needs to catch up.

Also Read:

Variable Ray Shading

With the announcement of Immortalis, Arm has also updated its Mali lineup of GPUs with the Mali-G715. In addition, it supports variable-rate shading, which allows for “significant energy savings and a performance boost.”

VRS lets the GPU focus the rendering on the parts that matter. So, for example, the foreground will have fine pixel granularity, whereas the background will render with coarse pixel granularity.

Immortalis-G715 vs. Mali-G715

Arm GPU
Immortalis-G715	Mali-G715 GPU
Hardware-based Ray Tracing	Software-based Ray Tracing
Variable Rate Shading
New Execution Engine
10 or more cores	7 to 9 cores

Arm Immortalis GPU Availability

The Immortalis GPU will be available in flagship smartphones in Q1 of 2023. Arm also shared a roadmap showing that they will follow up the Immortalis with a GPU dubbed “Titan” in 2023 and “Krake” in 2024.

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Asus TUF F15 (2022).

Metaverse focused HTC Desire 22 Pro official with 120 Hz display, Snapdragon 695

HTC

GadgetByte

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June 28, 2022

1

Metaverse focused HTC Desire 22 Pro official with 120 Hz display, Snapdragon 695

HTC’s intention to capitalize on the metaverse, or Web3 universe, is audacious with the new Desire 22 Pro. It’s a sequel to last year’s Desire 21 Pro, with a few metaverse-focused features. Learn about the HTC Desire 22 Pro’s specifications, features, availability, and expected pricing in Nepal.

HTC Desire 22 Pro Overview:

Viverse Integration

The HTC Desire 22 Pro has the Viverse platform built into it. Viverse is a cross-platform service that lets you take your avatar in and out of different virtual worlds. Similarly, the phone can play content on XR (Extended Reality) devices. It also comes with applications pre-installed to facilitate the trade of digital assets in the Viverse.

Likewise, users can easily create Vive Avatars and customize them. They can travel in the metaverse freely and attend virtual art exhibitions, concerts, meetings, and more.

The Vive Wallet is another essential part of the phone. Users can manage and store their virtual assets in the wallet. It also allows easy access to the Vive Market, where NFTs can be purchased and sold.

According to the company, the Vive app and VR glasses are perfectly compatible.

Specs

Leading the display front is a 6.6-inch Full HD+ LCD screen with a 120Hz high refresh rate. HTC provides Corning Gorilla Glass protection alongside IP67 splash and dust resistance.

The performance is handled by a Snapdragon 695 SoC paired with Adreno 619 GPU. The phone is available in a single 8/128GB memory configuration.

For optics, HTC packed the Desire 22 Pro with a 64MP triple camera setup. Over on the front, a 32MP selfie shooter is placed in a punch-hole cutout.

Moving on to the battery, the phone gets its power from a 4,520mAh cell with 18W fast charging. It also supports wireless charging.

Overall, the Desire 22 Pro is a rather ordinary midrange phone if the metaverse features are overlooked.

HTC Desire 22 Pro Specifications:

Display: 6.6-inch LCD, FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Snapdragon 695 5G (7 nm)
Memory: 8GB RAM, 128GB storage
Rear Camera: Dual (64MP primary, 13MP ultrawide, 5MP depth)
Front Camera: 32MP
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Battery: 4520mAh, 18W fast charging, Qi-compatible wireless charging

HTC Desire 22 Pro Price and Availability

The only 8/128GB variant of the HTC Desire 22 Pro costs TWD 11,990, which translates to roughly USD 400. We expect the phone to sell at NPR 54,999 if HTC plans to launch it in Nepal.

The device is available in Gold and Midnight Black colorways. It will go on sale in Taiwan on July 1 this year. However, it is also available for pre-order in the UK for GBP 399.

Meanwhile, check out our unboxing of the Poco F4.