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Oppo A76 Review: The Bottom Of The Barrel

GadgetByte

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April 24, 2022

Oppo A76 Review: The Bottom Of The Barrel

Oppo’s A-series is home to the company’s affordable and mid-range phones. One of the most recent additions to this series in Nepal is the Oppo A76, which I’ve been using for about 3 weeks now. And, I’ll be letting you know about my experience with this phone and if it is worth purchasing or not in this review of the Oppo A76. Spoiler alert, it’s not. Well, to me at least, so fair with your own judgment after reading this review.

Before we begin, let’s clear the air on cost. Oppo A76 is available in a single 6/128GB variant which will set you back NPR 29,990 here in Nepal and INR 17,499 in India.

Oppo A76 Specifications:

Dimension: 164.4 x 75.7 x 8.4 mm, 189 grams
Display: 6.5-inch IPS LCD, 2-level refresh rate (60Hz, 90Hz), 180Hz touch sampling rate, 480 nits brightness (typical), 600 nits (max)
Resolution: HD+ (1612 x 720 pixels), 269 PPI
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm Mobile Platform)
Memory: 6GB LPDDR4X RAM
Storage: 128GB UFS 2.2 storage (expandable up to 1TB)
Software & UI: ColorOS 11.1 on top of Android 11
Rear Camera: Dual (13MP primary, 2MP portrait)
Front Camera: 8MP (punch-hole)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Battery: 5000mAh with 33W charging

Oppo A76 Review:

Design and Build

164.4 x 75.7 x 8.4 mm, 189 grams
Plastic back/frame, Glass front

First off, I really liked the design of this phone. Initially, I found the Glowing Blue colorway that I have with me to be a bit bright for my taste. But it grew on me after a few days of usage. But if you’re someone who prefers a subtle look, you should check out the black shade instead. Likewise, the matte finish on the back and sides meant less-to-no fingerprint and smudges, which is always welcome.

Moreover, despite the back being plastic made, the phone has a superb in-hand feel. During my time with the phone, I had absolutely zero issues with one-hand usage from the get-go. It felt comfortable to hold and use, thanks to the ergonomic design. Plus, the phone is not hefty either, as it weighs just 189 grams.

Oppo A76 received several design accolades from my colleagues. A handful of people asked me if it was a OnePlus Nord series phone, but they were quite startled to find out it was a smartphone from Oppo. Moreover, this might be a small and ignorable detail, but I appreciate how the bundled case had a frosted finish on the sides.

Display

6.5-inch IPS LCD
HD+ resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio
90Hz refresh rate

Getting on the display, it features a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, the screen here has an HD+ resolution, whilst most companies in this price category ship a Full HD+ panel. Xiaomi, on the other hand, offers an FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED screen on the cheaper Redmi Note 11. So, Oppo has missed the mark by a continent with this one.

Even the Realme 9i, a similarly priced phone from Oppo’s sister company, offers you an FHD display with 400ppi pixel density compared to the A76’s 269ppi. With such a low PPI, small texts look almost pixelated to my eyes. Not only this, the Realme 9i outshines the Oppo A76 in another department too. More on that later.

What about the Audio?

Bottom-firing speaker

Oppo takes another major L in the audio department. While the competition has made stereo speakers widely available in this price range, the Oppo A76 still rocks a single speaker.

Maybe Oppo used a super capable speaker to make up for not having a stereo setup? Well, kind of? The speaker on the A76 sounds better than the ones on budget phones, but it cannot keep up with the stereo speakers on phones in this price bracket.

On rare occasions, there were static noises while using my KZ ZEX via the 3.5mm headphones port on the Oppo A76. At first, I thought something was wrong with my earphones, but I didn’t face this issue with the Realme 9i that I was testing alongside it.

Sadly, I’ve had a not-so-good multimedia experience with the Oppo A76. I love watching YouTube videos, movies, and shows on my phone, and the ease of just laying on my bed with a phone in hand, feasting away on content, is something I’m a sucker for. But, with the sub-par display and mono speaker on the Oppo A76, I barely enjoyed anything.

Performance

Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm)
4/6GB RAM, 128GB storage

In terms of performance, like many sub-30k phones this year, Oppo has gone with the Snapdragon 680 chipset. So how does it fare in day-to-day performance? Frankly speaking, I did not face any sort of micro-stutter or lags in casual usage scenarios as the UI seems to be well optimized for the 90Hz refresh rate. Plus, the ColorOS 11.1 experience on the Oppo A76 is a breeze.

Moreover, the personalization section in the settings allows for exciting visual overhauls. You can change the wallpaper and theme and play around with icon styles, app layout, colors, fonts, and the notification drawer style.

Additionally, the dark mode has three style options gentle, medium, and enhanced. I prefer to use the Enhanced option as it gives an all-black finish to the UI. All of this makes the UI look polished and cohesive.

Unfortunately, the phone still runs on Android 11. Moreover, the phone comes with many pre-installed bloatware apps, including TikTok and the utterly useless PUBG Mobile Gift Box. No worries tho, as most of them can be uninstalled.

Gaming

While the processor provides enough power for your day-to-day usage, it is not suitable for intensive workloads like heavy gaming. Having said that, the Snapdragon 680 on the Oppo A76 is adequate for casual gamers.

Here, Call of Duty: Mobile maxes out at Very High graphics quality and Medium frame rate. However, the frame rate is quite choppy on these settings, so I suggest you game at Low graphics and High frame rates. PUBG: Mobile can go up to Balanced graphics and Medium frame rate. But for the best possible experience, you have to dial down it to Smooth graphics and a High frame rate.

Moreover, Mobile Legends ran on High graphics and Ultra frame rates with minimal stutters. I couldn’t get Mech Arena to run on the 90fps setting despite there being an option to do so. Oh, and Oppo provides 5GB virtual RAM, but it does next to nothing to improve the performance.

Battery

5000mAh, 33W fast charging

In my not-so-scientific battery test, the phone charged from 0% to 100% in approximately 1 hour and 13 minutes. It might not be much, but the 33W fast charging is a chef’s kiss at this price point. With the screen on time of 11 hours and 44 minutes, the phone was at 6% at the end of 48 hours. Most of my time was spent playing Call of Duty: Mobile and watching penguinz0 on YouTube. I have zero complaints about the battery life, which is to be expected from a fairly big 5000mAh battery and a power-efficient 6nm Snapdragon 680 chipset.

Camera

Dual camera setup at the back
(13MP main, 2MP depth)
8MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)

Cameras

1 of 2

The Oppo A76 has a dual-camera setup led by a 13MP primary sensor. Accompanying this is a 2MP portrait lens. Unfortunately, there’s no ultrawide sensor here. For context, the Samsung Galaxy A22 features an 8MP ultrawide camera for around Rs. 4k less.

Upfront, there is an 8MP selfie shooter housed in a punch-hole cutout. For this review, I compared the cameras on the Oppo A76 against the Realme 9i.

Normal Images

1 of 8

The Oppo A76’s images have a reddish hue, whereas the Realme 9i’s photos are punchier, making them more pleasing to the eye. Furthermore, the A76’s photos are softer and hazier while the Realme 9i’s images have more detail.

Portrait Images

1 of 6

Moving on, Realme’s portrait photos are better looking as Oppo’s image has a pale skin tone. However, the edge detection is rather comparable on both phones.

Selfie Images

1 of 6

In terms of selfies, the Realme 9i capture image with better colour and contrast.

Lowlight Images

1 of 6

For regular nighttime photographs, Oppo’s images are a little muddier than Realme’s. 9i’s images grew brighter and more detailed when switched to night mode.

Videos

Both phones’ rear and front cameras can capture 1080p video at 30 frames per second. The videos from the rear camera are very shaky and useless. The narrative remains the same for selfie videos too.

Oppo A76 Review: Conclusion

That’s about it for the review. Honestly, I just loved the battery life and how easy it is to use the phone singlehandedly. But besides that, there isn’t much that impressed me. Thus, I find it extremely difficult to recommend the phone to anyone at its current price.

I primarily play CODM on my phone, but the Oppo A76 struggled to keep up with it. Besides, the multimedia experience was a little meh, courtesy of the average display and single speaker.

I expected an Oppo phone to do well in the camera department, but the phone failed to perform once again.

Oppo’s choices leave me bamboozled as I do not know who this phone is for. By no means is the phone terrible, but for the price Oppo is asking for the phone, you will be better off with other devices.

Oppo A76 Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Good design and in-hand feel
Exceptional battery life
33W fast charging

Cons:

720p display with a low pixel density
Mono-speaker
No Android 12 update yet
Below average camera performance

OnePlus Ace debuts with Dimensity 8100-MAX, 150W charging

OnePlus

GadgetByte

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April 24, 2022

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OnePlus Ace debuts with Dimensity 8100-MAX, 150W charging

OnePlus Ace has been launched in the Chinese market. It comes with the latest MediaTek Dimensity 8100-MAX chip encased in a fresh new design, although the overall phone itself is a repackaged Realme GT Neo 3 that launched a while back. Let’s learn about the specs, features, availability, and expected price in Nepal of the OnePlus Ace.

OnePlus Ace Overview:

Design and Display

OnePlus has gone with a total design overhaul on the Ace. The phone features flat frames and round corners which no prior OnePlus device has had. Moreover, a seam in the middle divides the rear panel into two parts creating a two-tone finish. Then there’s the new squarish camera module that houses three lenses in a triangular fashion and an LED flash.

Moving on, the front of the OnePlus Ace is home to a 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED panel that supports a fluid 120Hz refresh rate. Besides, there’s support for up to a 720Hz touch sampling rate for gaming. It covers 100% of the DCI P3 color gamut whilst boasting brightness of up to 1000 nits as well. The HDR10+ support on the device allows for a pleasant binging experience.

Performance and Memory

Driving the OnePlus Ace is the new MediaTek Dimensity 8100-MAX SoC. Besides the onboard GPU, OnePlus had added an additional graphics unit to handle games and boost frame rates. Moreover, the included HyperBoost feature aims to reduce frame drops and stutters. Also, the phone uses the largest Vapor Chamber of all of the OnePlus phones to date.

All of this has been paired with fast UFS 3.1 storage of up to 512GB and LPDDR5 RAM of up to 12GB. The device boots on Android 12-based ColorOS 12 out of the box. Yet, if the phone ever makes its way to the international market, it will boot on OxygenOS 12.

Also Read:

Camera

Moving on, the OnePlus Ace has a triple camera island on the back, with the primary sensor being a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor. The phone also has an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro sensor. For selfies and video calling, the phone includes a 16MP Samsung ISOCELL S5K3P9SP lens on the front hole-punch cutout.

Rest of the Specs

The 4,500 mAh battery on the OnePlus Ace supports 150W SuperVOOC fast charging which takes the phone from 0% to 100% in around 17 minutes only. Moreover, OnePlus claims retention of 80% battery health even after 4 years of usage. For this, the phone has received TÜV Rheinland certification too.

Regarding connectivity, there’s support for 5G, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and WiFi 6E on board. For security, OnePlus has included an in-display fingerprint sensor.

OnePlus Ace Specifications:

Display: 6.7” OLED (1080 x 2412 pixels) FHD+, 120Hz refresh rate
Software: Android 12 with ColorOS 12
Rear Camera: Triple;
– 50MP primary lens (OIS)
– 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens
– 2MP macro Lens
Front Camera: 16MP (hole-punch cutout)
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8100-MAX (5nm)
Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB UFS 3.1 (fixed)
Battery: 4500mAh, 150W fast charging

OnePlus Ace Price in Nepal and Availability

OnePlus Ace is currently only available in China, with prices ranging from CNY 2,499 for the 8/128GB model to CNY 3,499 for the 12/512GB model. If the OnePlus Ace launches in Nepal, we expect its price to start at NPR 56,499.

OnePlus Ace	Price in China	Price in Nepal (Expected)
8/128GB	CNY 2,499	NPR 56,499
8/256GB	CNY 2,699	NPR 60,999
12/256GB	CNY 2,999	NPR 67,999
12/512GB	CNY 3,499	NPR 74,999

Meanwhile, check out our review of the iQOO 9 SE.

Samsung Galaxy M53 5G goes official with 108MP camera, Dimensity 900

Samsung

GadgetByte

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April 22, 2022

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Samsung Galaxy M53 5G goes official with 108MP camera, Dimensity 900

Samsung has been on a roll of launching new smartphones in its A and M-series. The most recent device released by the company is the Galaxy M53 5G. It’s the successor to last year’s M52 and comes pre-installed with Android 12 straight out of the box. So, let’s walk through the specs, features, availability, and expected price in Nepal of the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G.

Samsung Galaxy M53 5G Overview

Design and Display

Compared to the rectangular camera bump of its predecessor, the Galaxy M53 5G brings a squared-shape camera module at the back. The new look is inspired by last year’s M62 and has been consistent across all M-series phones in 2022.

On the front, you get a punch-hole cutout for the selfies and the screen measure 6.7-inch. It’s a Super AMOLED Plus display with a 120Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution. The Galaxy M53 is available in Blue, Green, and Brown color options.

Read our review of Samsung Galaxy M53

Dimensity 900 SoC

In terms of performance, Samsung is replacing Qualcomm which powered last year’s M52 in favor of MediaTek. Specifically, the handset is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC. It’s a 6nm chip with 5G compatibility and two Cortex-A78 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores. However, the chip doesn’t support the WiFi 6 network standards, as a result, the M53’s connectivity maxes out at WiFi 5.

It is available in a sole memory configuration of 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Yet, you can expand the internal storage via a microSD card. Likewise, the smartphone boots on the latest Android 12-based One UI 4.1.

Also Read:

108MP Camera

Just like the newly announced A53 5G, M53 5G has a 108MP primary camera, which is quite an improvement over last year’s 64MP shooter. However, this comes at a price as the rest of the camera modules are downgraded. While the M52 has a 12MP ultrawide sensor, the M53 has just an 8MP sensor and Samsung has introduced a 2MP depth sensor while downscaling the macro to 2MP. For selfies, it has a 32MP camera on the front.

Rest of the specs

Fueling the phone is a 5,000mAh battery, which has 25W wired charging support. However, you will have to shell out extra bucks for the charger as there won’t be any charger in the box. Similarly, biometric options include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a face unlock.

Samsung Galaxy M53 5G Specifications:

Display: 6.7-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED “Infinity-O”, 120Hz refresh rate
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G (6nm mobile platform)
Memory: 6GB RAM, 128GB storage
Software & UI: Android 12 with Samsung’s One UI 4.1 on top
Rear Camera: Quad (with LED flash);
– 108MP primary sensor
– 8MP ultrawide sensor
– 2MP depth sensor
– 2MP macro sensor
Front Camera: 32MP (hole-punch cutout)
Battery: 5000mAh with 25W wired charging (no power adapter provided)
Colors: Blue, Green, and Brown

Samsung Galaxy M53 5G Price in Nepal

Galaxy M53 5G will be available in India starting April 29 for INR 26,499 for the 6/128GB and INR 28,499 for the 8/128GB configuration. There’s also INR 2,500 bank discount for ICICI credit card owners. We expect the price of the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G in Nepal to start at NPR 44,999 when it launches here shortly.

Samsung Galaxy M53 5G	Price in India	Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB	INR 26,499	NPR 44,999
8/128GB	INR 28,499	NPR 47,999

Meanwhile, check out our early impressions of the Galaxy A53 5G.

Xiaomi Civi 1S launched in China with MIUI 13, Snapdragon 778G+

Xiaomi

GadgetByte

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April 21, 2022

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Xiaomi Civi 1S launched in China with MIUI 13, Snapdragon 778G+

Xiaomi Civi 1S is now official in China. The phone is quite similar to the first-gen Civi with a few updates here and there. Let’s take a look at the specifications, availability, features, and expected price in Nepal of the Xiaomi Civi 1S.

Xiaomi Civi 1S Overview:

Design and Display

When it comes to the design, the new Civi 1S is identical to the old Civi. The rectangular camera bump features a large sensor and two smaller ones. Besides, there is a horizontal strip of LED underneath it. The frame is made of metal and the back is glass.

Xiaomi has made this phone super light at 166 grams while it measures only 6.98mm thick. The phone is available in four different gradient finishes.

Moving on to the screen, the Xiaomi Civi 1S sports a 6.55-inch FHD AMOLED panel which has a peak brightness of 950 nits. This display also supports a 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz sampling rate. Furthermore, Xiaomi provides support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, while the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla 5 as well.

Also Read:

Performance

As for the performance, Xiaomi Civi 1S houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus chip under the hood. Xiaomi has paired this with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.1 storage. The handset boots on MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box.

Camera

Moving on, the Xiaomi Civi 1S is also a camera-centric phone marketed mostly toward the female demographics. The primary rear camera here is a 64MP sensor followed by an 8MP Sony IMX616 ultrawide sensor and a 2MP macro shooter.

Over the front, the phone houses a 32MP Sony IMX616 sensor. This selfie camera also features a human eye-tracking feature called “CyberFocus”.

Rest of the specs

Besides, the Civi 1S gets its juice from a 4,500mAh battery which supports 55W fast charging. On the other hand, it features stereo speakers, a linear vibration motor, and an IR blaster. As for connectivity, the phone supports WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and 5G connectivity.

Xiaomi Civi 1S Specifications:

Display: 6.55” AMOLED (1080 x 2400 pixels) FHD+, 120Hz refresh rate
Software: Android 12 with MIUI 13
Rear Camera: Triple;
– 64MP primary lens
– 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens
– 2MP Macro Lens
Front Camera: 32MP Sony IMX616 (hole-punch cutout)
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ (6nm)
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256GB
Battery: 4500mAh, 55W fast charging
Color Option: Blue, Pink, Black, Silver

Xiaomi Civi 1S Price in Nepal and Availability

Xiaomi Civi 1S is currently exclusive to China where its price starts at CNY 2,299 for the 8/128GB variant and goes all the way up to CNY 2,899 for the 12/256GB model. We expect the price of the Xiaomi Civi 1S in Nepal to start at NPR 50,000 if it launches here.

Xiaomi Civi 1S	Price in China	Price in Nepal (Expected)
8/128GB	CNY 2,299	NPR 50,000
8/256GB	CNY 2,599	NPR 55,000
12/256GB	CNY 2,899	NPR 60,000

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Xiaomi 12 Pro.

Check out the latest official price list of Razer laptops in Nepal

Razer

GadgetByte

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April 20, 2022

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Check out the latest official price list of Razer laptops in Nepal

Razer entered the Nepali laptop market last year via EvoStore with two laptops. The company has not added any laptops since. However, its initial lineup has gone through a significant price drop. So, let’s check out all the Razer laptops that are available in Nepal along with their specs, features, and official price.

Razer: Brand Overview

Razer was founded by Min-Liang Tan and Robert Krakoff back in 2005. Back then, the company had two headquarters, one in San Diego and the other in Singapore. In the same year, the company launched its flagship Razer Diamond gaming mouse. Razer, in collaboration with Microsoft, launched the Habu gaming mouse and Reclusa gaming keyboard in the following year.

In 2009, the company launched the Razer Mamba gaming mouse. This made headlines as it was the world’s first gaming-grade wireless mouse technology. The same year, the company moved its headquarter to San Francisco. The company launched Razer Blade in 2012, a year after the introduction of the Switchblade.

Fast forward to today, Razer is one of the leading lifestyle brands for gamers around the world like Europe, China, and the USA. The company produces gaming systems, mice, keyboards, and even audio equipment. It also has its own cloud platform (Razer Synapse), RGB lighting technology (Razer Chroma), and game launcher (Razer Cortex). Razer Gold and Fintech are the company’s fintech products.

Razer in Nepal

EvoStore has officially brought Razer products to Nepal. It will now handle the import and distribution of Razer products in Nepal, which includes laptops and a couple of accessories for now. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at all the available models of Razer laptops in Nepal and their respective prices.

Razer Laptops in Nepal:

1. Razer Blade Stealth 13

The company advertises the Blade Stealth 13 as the world’s first gaming Ultrabook. That is because the laptop is just 0.60 inches thick. It sports a unibody design carved out of aluminum. The metal is further anodized for added durability.

It comes with a 13.3-inch FHD Matte panel that covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut. The bezels are slim at 4.9mm. There is also a variant with an OLED touch screen but that is not available in Nepal. The refresh rate on the non-touch displays can go up to 120Hz.

The latest Blade Stealth 13 laptop is powered by the latest 11th-gen Intel Core i7 processors. It is paired with NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q. It may not be as powerful as the non-Max-Q edition but this allows the laptop to have a small footprint. The Blade Stealth comes with 16GB of dual-channel RAM that is fixed on the motherboard. Similarly, there is 512GB of SSD storage.

Powering the laptop is a 53.1 Watt-Hour battery and ships with a 100W USB Type-C power adapter. Connectivity-wise, Razer has included Intel Wireless-AX 201 and Bluetooth 5.1 modules. The laptop features two Thunderbolt 4, two USB Type-A USB 3.1, and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack. Other features include a single-zone RGB backlight keyboard, Windows Precision touchpad, IR HD webcam, and THX spatial audio.

Razer Blade Stealth 13 Specifications:

Design and Build: Anodized Aluminum unibody, 1.41kg
Display: 13.3″ FHD Matte non-touch display, 4.9mm Slim bezels, 120Hz
Keyboard: Single-Key RGB Keyboard powered by Razer Chroma
Processor: Intel 11th Gen Core i7 – 1165G7
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q (4GB VRAM)
RAM: 16GB (dual-channel, fixed)
Storage: 512GB SSD
Webcam: 720p Webcam with IR for Windows Hello
Audio: 4 speakers + Smart AMP, THX Spatial Audio, 4 mic Array
Connectivity: Intel Wireless-AX 201 (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), Bluetooth 5.1
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 2x USB Type-A port, 1X 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo port.
Battery: 53.1 Watt-hours
Adapter: 100 Watts
Read our review here.
Watch our review here.

Razer Blade Stealth 13 Price in Nepal

Razer Blade Stealth 13	Price in Nepal
FHD 120Hz, Core i7-1165G7, GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD	NPR ~~258,000~~ 225,000

2. Razer Blade 15

Razer promotes the Blade 15 as the smallest gaming laptop. It has an aluminum chassis that is 0.7” thick and weighs around 4.5 pounds. The laptop comes with a 15.6 edge-to-edge display. The variant with an FHD Matte screen is offered with up to a 300Hz refresh rate. But the models that are available here have support for a 144Hz refresh rate. Similarly, they also boast 100% of the sRGB gamut. The premium variant with a 4K OLED touch panel is currently not available in Nepal.

Blade 15 is powered by a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 processor. The base model comes with Core i7–10750H with a core/thread count of 6/12. The advanced model features a quad-core Core i7-10875H with a higher boosted clock speed (5.1GHz>5GHz) and a bigger L3 cache (16MB>12MB). Sadly, only the base variant is available in Nepal. Likewise, the base model has NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 whereas the advanced model has RTX 2080 Super.

Talking about memory, you get 16GB of dual-channel RAM and 512GB NVMe storage. You also get a vacant M.2 PCIe x4 slot for easy upgrade. The advanced model is also equipped with a vapor chamber instead of heat pipes. Razer Blade 15 is backed by a 60.8 Watt-Hour battery and ships with a 180W power adapter.

Razer Blade 15 Specifications (Base Model):

Design and Build: Anodized Aluminum unibody
Display: 15.6″ FHD Matte non-touch display, 4.9mm Slim bezels, 144Hz
Keyboard: Single-Zone RGB Keyboard powered by Razer Chroma
Processor: Intel 10th-gen Core i7–10750H
Graphics: Up to GeForce RTX 2060 / RTX 2070 with Max-Q
RAM: 16GB (dual-channel, fixed)
Storage: 512GB SSD + M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slot
Audio: Stereo speakers, THX Spatial Audio / Dolby Atmos, 4 mic Array
Connectivity: Intel Wireless-AC 9560 / Intel Wireless AX-201, Bluetooth 5.1
Ports: 2 x USB A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.0b
Battery: 60.8 Watt-hours
Adapter: 180 Watts

Razer Blade 15 Price in Nepal

Razer Laptop Model	Price in Nepal
FHD 144Hz, Core i7-10750H, RTX 2060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD	NPR ~~278,000~~ 258,000

Razer Laptops Price in Nepal (Summary)

Razer Laptop Model	Price in Nepal
Razer Blade Stealth 13 (FHD 120Hz, Core i7-1165G7, GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)	NPR 225,000
Razer Blade 15 (FHD 144Hz, Core i7-10750H, RTX 2060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)	NPR 258,000

OnePlus Nord N20 5G launched with Snapdragon 695, AMOLED screen

OnePlus

GadgetByte

-

April 20, 2022

0

OnePlus Nord N20 5G launched with Snapdragon 695, AMOLED screen

OnePlus has launched a new device in its Nord N series, called the OnePlus Nord N20. It’s the successor to last year’s Nord N10 and comes with an AMOLED screen, compared to the IPS on its predecessor. In this article, we will go through the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the OnePlus Nord N20 5G in Nepal.

OnePlus Nord N20 5G Overview:

Design and Display

OnePlus Nord N20 differs heavily from its predecessor in terms of design. On the rear, it sports two camera bulges flanked by a small camera cut and an LED flash on the left and right sides, respectively. Furthermore, the rear appears to have a matte back.

Moreover, it boasts a 6.43-inch 1080p AMOLED display on the front. However, the OnePlus has reduced the refresh rate to 60Hz from 90Hz on its predecessor.

Also Read:

Performance

Under the hood, it gets its power with a Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. In terms of memory, it’s currently available in a sole 6/128GB configuration. The disappointment comes on the software front though, since it comes with Android 11 out of the box. Interestingly, the OnePlus 10 Pro is the only smartphone from the company to come pre-installed with Android 12 to date.

Samsung, on the other hand, has been launching its mid-range A and M-series phone with Android 12 and a good number of pledged software updates.

Cameras

Over on the cameras, the Nord N20 features a triple camera setup on the back led by a 64MP primary sensor. Accompanying this is an 8MP ultrawide lens and a depth sensor. There’s a single selfie camera on the front, however, its sensor size isn’t disclosed as of now.

Rest of the specs

Moving on, fueling the phone is a 4500mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. For biometrics, it has an under-display fingerprint sensor. Likewise, the Nord N20 5G is available in a single Blue color.

OnePlus Nord N20 5G Specifications:

Display: 6.43” AMOLED (1080 x 2400 pixels) FHD+ panel; 60Hz refresh rate
Software: Android 11 with Oxygen OS
Rear Camera: Quad;
– 64MP primary lens
– 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens
– Depth lens
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 695
Memory: 6GB RAM
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 4500mAh, 33W fast charging
Color Option: Blue

OnePlus Nord N20 5G Price in Nepal and Availability

OnePlus Nord N20 5G is available in a single 6/128GB model for USD 282. However, OnePlus is yet to reveal the smartphone’s availability date. We expect the price of the OnePlus Nord N20 5G to be NPR 40,000, if and when it launches in Nepal.

OnePlus Nord N20 5G	Price in the US	Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB	USD 282	NPR 40,000

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

iQOO 9 SE Review: The Galaxy A53 Killer!

Yural Maskey

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April 19, 2022

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iQOO 9 SE Review: The Galaxy A53 Killer!

In this review, I am going to talk about the iQOO 9 SE, which—believe me—is an insanely good midrange phone to buy right now. And, this could even be a Samsung Galaxy A53 killer! As a result, I’ve been putting it through its paces alongside the Galaxy A53, and what we can tell is that the A53, for what it’s worth, is a good camera phone. Plus, it has an IP67 rating and a class-leading display too. But that’s about it! Its performance is pretty bad for the price, you don’t get a charger inside the box, and more importantly, it is more expensive than the iQOO 9 SE.

For INR 34,000 and some bank discounts, the IQOO 9 SE is the best phone in its price range in my opinion. We don’t really have as many things to complain about here since iQOO has delivered an excellent all-rounder phone—just like last year’s iQOO 7. Anyway, let me talk about the things that are great about the iQOO 9 SE and some aspects where it could improve with future updates.

iQOO 9 SE Specifications:

Body: 163.2 x 76.4 x 8.4 mm, Plastic frame
Display: 6.62-inches AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) brightness, Panda Glass Protection
Resolution: FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels), 398 PPI, ~20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm mobile platform)
CPU: Octa-core:
– 1x Kryo 680 Prime (Cortex-X1, 2.84 GHz)
– 3x Kryo 680 Gold (Cortex-A78, 2.42 GHz)
– 4x Kryo 680 Silver (Cortex-A55, 1.80 GHz)
GPU: Adreno 660
Memory: 8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
Software & UI: Android 12 with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 12 on top
Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
– 48MP, f/1.8 primary sensor, OIS
– 13MP, f/2.2 ultrawide sensor, 120º FoV
– 2MP, f/2.4 depth sensor
Front Camera: 16MP, f/2.0 sensor (hole-punch cutout)
Audio: Dual speaker, Hi-Res Audio, No 3.5mm headphone jack
Security: In-display fingerprint sensor (optical), Face unlock
Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light, E-compass, Gyro, Proximity
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 5 a/b/g/n/ac (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS / AGPS / Glonass, USB Type-C, 4G LTE (VoLTE), 5G
Battery: 4500mAh with 66W FlashCharge (66W power adapter provided)
Color Options: Space Fusion, Sunset Sierra
Price in Nepal: N/A (INR 33,990 for 8/128GB | INR 37,990 for 12/256GB)

iQOO 9 SE Review:

Design

163.2 x 76.4 x 8.4 mm
Glass front, Plastic frames

First off, let’s talk about the design. And I must admit that although it’s not as good as the more expensive iQOO 9, it is still a well-built phone. It has a good heft to it and the phone doesn’t feel that bulky either. Moreover, the slight curves on the sides help with the grip as well.

But, being Vivo’s sub-brand, I wished iQOO had gone with that color-changing back like the one on the Vivo V23, which would have made it more appealing. This Sunset Sierra variant does catch some fingerprints and smudges, but it’s not that prominent.

Overall, the design of the iQOO 9 SE isn’t spectacular. You don’t get any form of IP rating, the frames are still plastic-made, and the display comes with a cheaper Panda glass protection. But these are the things where you expect brands to cut costs on their midrange phones. So for me, it’s not a deal-breaker.

Display

6.62-inches FHD+ AMOLED
120/300Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
HDR 10+, 1200 nits peak brightness

Moving on to the front, the iQOO 9 SE’s display is quite similar to the one we got on the iQOO 7, which means it’s a very good AMOLED panel. We found its quality to be a class above some of the cheaper phones like the Redmi Note 11 Pro or even the Realme 9 Pro+ that we recently reviewed.

But when it comes to displays, I think Samsung’s color optimization on its A-series phones is still marginally ahead of other brands.

Still and all, the iQOO 9 SE’s screen is quite good. It has excellent contrast, near-accurate colors—albeit with a slightly blueish tinge—and it can get plenty bright too. Hence, you will enjoy watching movies and shows here. This display is also HDR10-certified and it plays HDR videos on Netflix and Prime Video just fine. It houses an optical fingerprint sensor as well and if you compare it against the A53, it’s just way faster and more reliable.

I also found the typing experience to be pretty decent on the 9 SE. However, its 300Hz touch sampling rate is nothing extra-ordinary and personally, I find Xiaomi and Realme’s premium midrange phones to have slightly better touch latency, but this is something not everyone’s gonna notice.

Few Caveats

The only issue we found with this display is that auto-brightness doesn’t work as it should. For instance, while I am in bed at night with lights turned off, the phone’s brightness level doesn’t drop all the way to its lowest possible nits. And most of the time I had to manually toggle it to a more comfortable viewing level.

Likewise, this screen refreshes at 120Hz and we used the phone in the 120Hz mode at all times instead of the Smart Switch option that iQOO offers. That’s because the Smart Switch option is kinda hit-or-miss. For example, while browsing Chrome or scrolling through the Messenger app, the refresh rate is restricted to just 60Hz.

And because of this, we used it at 120Hz mode, which means it did take a toll on the battery life—although you can turn on Smart Switch for slightly better endurance. But even so, the battery life here isn’t that great as I was getting just around 5 to 6 hours of screen on time under moderate usage. Charging, on the other hand, is quite fast as the phone can go from 0 to 100% in less than 40 minutes with the provided 67W brick.

Performance

Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G SoC (5nm)
8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
Android 12 with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 12 on top

Now, getting to the performance side of things in this review, the iQOO 9 SE has one of the most powerful hardware packages for the price. It employs Snapdragon 888 with 8GB of RAM on the base model which easily makes it the best performing smartphone per dollar.

In our 3 weeks of use so far, we played a lot with the phone, and we saw no stutter, no lags, no weird screen issues, and it never heated enough to trigger throttling. Multitasking is fluid and memory management is excellent too.

Gaming

As for gaming, PUBG mobile runs smoothly at 60 fps in its highest setting which is HDR graphics and Extreme frame rates. The phone does get warm pretty fast under this setting, so we needed to dial down the setting for better thermals.

But overall, it looks like the vapor chamber cooling inside the iQOO 9 SE does a decent job of not throttling the performance that much, contrary to what we saw on last year’s Snapdragon 888-powered phones. Still, iQOO needs to work on an update to improve the gaming performance in other games.

Here, the COD Mobile can only reach 30 fps for some reason. And other 120 fps-ready games like Critical Ops and Injustice 2 don’t reach their full fps potential as well, even though the Snapdragon 888 is more than capable of handling it.

Cameras

Triple camera setup at the back
(48MP main, 13MP ultrawide, 2MP depth)
16MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)

Camera

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Alright, let’s talk cameras now. And this is an area where iQOO has got to improve many things since I found its cameras to be “not as reliable” and definitely not that consistent.

Normal Images

Normal

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Although it’s marginally better than say the OnePlus Nord 2 or the Vivo V23, but given its camera hardware and the image signal processor of the Snapdragon 888, it should be doing better.

9 SE vs Galaxy A53

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In comparison, the Galaxy A53’s camera brings livelier photos most of the time, whereas the iQOO 9 SE’s images feel unnaturally warm.

Portrait Images

9 SE vs Galaxy A53 (Portraits)

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When it comes to human subjects, there’s too much processing going on, which I definitely think could be improved with a software update.

iQOO 9 SE - Portraits

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But if there’s uniform lighting, the portraits come out decent as well with acceptable subject separation and bokeh.

Nighttime Images

Plus, during nighttime, the normal photos take 1 or 2 seconds to process the shot which means if you are taking a photo of your pet or your drunk friend, chances are the image will end up blurry.

Lowlight

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But if you could look past all of these issues, the iQOO 9 SE does take some good photos with excellent dynamic range and sharpness thanks to OIS.

Selfie Images

Selfies

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Selfies are also quite good with excellent HDR processing, good color presentation, and exposure levels.

Videos

Moreover, for what it’s worth, I think the 9 SE is a good camera phone for shooting videos too. It can record at up to 4K 60 fps although iQOO has disabled both EIS as well as OIS at this resolution. But other resolutions like 4K 30 and 1080p 60 fps have good stabilization where the videos are fairly detailed and with accurate color processing. Still, it would have been great if the selfie and ultra-wide lens could record beyond 1080p 30fps.

IQOO 9 SE Review: Conclusion

Wrapping up this review, the iQOO 9 SE is a great smartphone with a good design, excellent screen, a powerful Snapdragon 888 processor, and a good set of speakers. So, despite its cameras not being as capable as the Galaxy A53, at Rs. 34,000, the iQOO 9 SE is an unbeatable value and without a doubt my first choice in the sub 35K price segment right now.

IQOO 9 SE Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Quality 120Hz AMOLED screen
66W Fast Charging
Optimized for day-to-day tasks
67W fast charging
Good set of speakers
Value for money

Cons:

No IP rating against dust and water damage
Most games aren’t well-optimized
Not so reliable cameras
Average battery endurance
No 3.5mm headphone jack

Intel Evo certified Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) launched in Nepal

GadgetByte

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April 19, 2022

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Intel Evo certified Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) launched in Nepal

At the start of the month, Asus launched the VivoBook 15 M513 OLED in Nepal, which is currently the cheapest OLED laptop in Nepal. The company has now followed it with the launch of ZenBook 13 OLED, which is a more premium offering. In this article, we will be discussing the key specs, features, official price, and availability of the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED in Nepal.

Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) Overview:

Design and Display

The ZenBook series is home to some of the most premium and lightweight ultrabooks in Asus’ portfolio. And that does reflect on the ZenBook 13 OLED (2021). It sports the classic ZenBook spun-metal finish that is loved by many. Asus offers the laptop in two shades: Pine Grey and Lilac Mist. It is an portable laptop, measuring just 14mm in thickness and weighing around 1.15 kg.

Opening the lid, the ErgoLift hinge lifts the keyboard deck and rear chassis. On one hand, it improves the user’s typing experience, and on the other, it improves the laptop’s cooling and audio output.

Asus ZenBook 13’s OLED display is one of its main selling points. Here, you get a 13.3-inch OLED screen with an FHD resolution. You won’t have any problem with the color reproduction as it is a 10-bit OLED screen with 100% DCI-P3 coverage. In addition, it even comes with Pantone Validation. It peaks at 550 nits of brightness with VESA DiplayHDR True Black 500 certification.

Performance and Memory

Under the hood, Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) packs 11th Gen Intel Core processors. It is also part of the Intel Evo platform. Asus has made the Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1165G7 variants available in Nepal. There is no option for discrete graphics, so you will have to rely on the integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU for graphics-related tasks.

In terms of memory, both the Core i5 and Core i7 variants of the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) come with 16GB of LPDDRAX RAM and 512GB of internal storage. Sadly, the RAM modules are soldered into the motherboard and are not upgradeable.

Also Read:

Keyboard and Trackpad

For typing, you get a backlit chicklet keyboard with an edge-to-edge design. You also get a row of function keys on the top row. Since it is a 13-inch laptop, there is no space for a dedicated number pad. Thus, Asus has included one in the trackpad itself. You can activate the LED-illuminated NumberPad 2.0 with the icon on the top left corner. Even when the NumberPad 2.0 is activated, users can still use the trackpad for cursor.

Rest of the Specs

Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) features a stereo speaker setup tuned by Harman Kardon. The HD camera on the top bezels has IR for 3D face unlock and even supports Windows Hello. Likewise, the built-in microphone array has support for Cortana and Alexa. Asus has even included its own AI noise-canceling audio tech here.

Fueling the laptop is a 67Wh battery that Asus claims can last up to 13 hours. It charges via the 65W Type-C adapter that comes inside the box. As per the company, the laptop can fast-charge up to 60% in just 49 minutes. On the I/O front, Asus ZenBook 13 OLED features two Thunderbolt 4, one USB 3.2 Gen 1, an HDMI, and a MicroSD card reader.

Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) Specifications:

Design and Build: Metal Build, 1.14kg (starting), US MIL-STD 810G
Display: 13.3″ OLED panel, 100% DCI-P3, 10-bit color depth, 0.2ms response time, 550 nits
Display Certification: VESA Display HDR True Black 500, Pantone Validation,
Resolution: FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 16:9 aspect ratio
Keyboard: Backlit, 1.4mm key travel
Processor: 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 / Core i7-1165G7
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X (soldered)
Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe 3.0 SSD
Audio: Stereo speakers, tuned by Harman Kardon
Security: IR webcam with Windows Hello, TPM, Firmware TPM
Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x microSD card reader
Battery: 4-cell 67Wh Li-ion
Power Supply: 65W AC adapter

Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) Price in Nepal and Availability

The official price of the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021) starts at Rs. 135,555 for the Core i5 variant. Likewise, you can bring home the Core i7 variant for Rs. 162,222. Asus ZenBook 13 OLED is available via Nagmani International and authorized stores like Hukut.

Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (2021)	Price in Nepal (Official)
13.3” FHD OLED, Intel Core i5-1135G7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD	Rs. 135,555
13.3” FHD OLED, Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD	Rs. 162,222

Meanwhile, check out review of the Asus VivoBook 15 (K513).

Xiaomi 12 Pro Review: Better Than The S22+?

Pratima Adhikari

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April 18, 2022

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Xiaomi 12 Pro Review: Better Than The S22+?

In this review, I’ll be talking about my experiences with the Xiaomi 12 Pro. It arrived in Nepal a couple of weeks ago and it’s been confirmed to launch in the Indian market on April 27. Anyway, this is the most expensive Xiaomi phone on the market right now.

Technically, this is not their top-of-the-line flagship phone of 2022 since there will also be an “Ultra” variant just like last year. Here, I have been using this phone for about 2 weeks or so along with the Galaxy S22+. So, let me share all my experiences with it, where I will be focussing on the differences I noticed while using this Xiaomi flagship against the S22+.

Xiaomi 12 Pro Specifications:

Body: 163.6 x 74.6 x 8.16/8.66mm, 204/205 gm
Display: 6.73″ E5 AMOLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, Up to 480Hz touch sampling rate, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1500 nits brightness, 10-bit colors
Resolution: WQHD+ (3200 x 1440 pixels)
Display Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm Mobile Platform)
Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
Software & UI: Android 12 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 on top
Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
– 50MP Sony IMX707, f/1.9 primary lens
– 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, 115º FOV
– 50M f/1.9 2x telephoto lens
Front Camera: 32MP sensor (punch-hole cutout)
Audio: Quad speaker setup, No headphone jack
Security: In-display fingerprint sensor, Face unlock
Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Proximity, Electronic Compass, Linear Motor, IR Blaster
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Beidou / NavIC / GLONASS / QZSS, NFC, 5G, USB Type-C
Battery: 4600mAh (single-cell)
Charging: 120W wired, 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless

Xiaomi 12 Pro Review:

Display

6.73″ E5 AMOLED panel, 10-bit colors
120Hz/480Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1500 nits brightness

Let me get started with the good things about this phone. And for me, one of the best things about the Xiaomi 12 Pro has to be its display. There is practically no flagship feature missing from this screen whatsoever. It’s a Samsung-made 120Hz E5 AMOLED panel with 2K resolution, it’s got 480Hz touch sampling rate, HDR10+ support, and it’s also a 10-bit display with LTPO 2.0.

And quality-wise, I found that it competes with the S22+ impressively. I still love Samsung’s color calibration over Xiaomi’s a bit more—and the S22+ is slightly brighter too—but that’s me nitpicking. In real-life usage, Xiaomi 12 Pro’s display is legitimately top quality. The company has also implemented the adaptive refresh rate really well.

The only thing that I’ve missed here is DC dimming, which I consider to be an important aspect when it comes to flagship displays. Realme’s GT 2 Pro which is a much cheaper phone than this has it and other flagships such as the S22+ also support DC dimming, so I wish Xiaomi hadn’t skipped on it.

Likewise, the fingerprint sensor here is an optical one, as opposed to an ultrasonic implementation in the S22+. But I don’t mind that since the one on Xiaomi 12 Pro is fast and reliable. Overall, the display experience has been quite pleasant for the most part.

Audio

Quad speaker setup
No 3.5mm headphone jack

And, I don’t mean that just visually because interacting with this screen feels really good too—thanks to the phone’s excellent vibration motor. So, while typing or unlocking the device, you are greeted with effective haptic feedback that’s strong but not buzzy.

Ports

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Now, as someone who spends most of their time watching YouTube and Netflix, I am fairly impressed with the quality of its speakers too. It has four speakers in total tuned by Harman Kardon.

Again, I did compare it against the Galaxy S22+ and found S22+’s audio to have a wider soundstage while sounding fuller and more balanced too. So, although the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s audio quality is quite crisp, it still isn’t there with Samsung’s flagships just yet.

Design

163.6 x 74.6 x 8.16/8.66mm, 204/205 gm
Glass front/back, Aluminum frames
No IP certification against dust and water damage

Another aspect that I’m quite fond of about this phone is the design. I know, it’s not a particularly unique-looking device or anything. In fact, it’s quite simple but it looks good. And more importantly, it’s well-built. So when you take the Xiaomi 12 Pro in your hands, you will instantly notice that it’s got a good heft, thanks to the premium glass design and metal frames.

From the very first day, I used this phone without a cover because it felt really good on my hands. But then, I quickly realized how slippery it was, so I had to slap in the silicone case that Xiaomi provides inside the box.

And I would advise you to do the same because, unlike the front which has Gorilla Glass Victus, the back of this device only sports Gorilla Glass 5. And on a related note, something that’s bugged me since day 1 of using the Xiaomi 12 Pro is that it does not come with any form of IP rating and that’s a major bummer for me.

I’m ashamed to admit that I am a very clumsy person, so I’ve had to be extra careful not to accidentally spill water, tea, or anything on the phone. And mind you that I have been using the S22+ long before this and the S22+ has gone through a lot.

Performance

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm)
8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
Android 12 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 on top

Okay moving on, when this phone was first released in China, a lot of reviewers complained about its insane throttling issues. Hence, the performance side of things on the Xiaomi 12 Pro was something I was quite eager to test out. So, I also ran a couple of throttling tests aaaand…. look at the results yourself. It throttled to 55% of its max performance in this 30-minute stress test, which is terrible.

CPU Throttling

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For those of you who are not very technical, the yellow and red colors on the graph are bad news. And here, the reds would start appearing within the very first 5 minutes, so I kept my hopes pretty low regarding its performance.

But surprisingly enough, I didn’t find many issues here in real-life usage. Under all my day-to-day chores, which basically include using social media, writing emails, clicking photos, receiving and making phone calls, etc, the phone felt fast and responsive with zero lags or micro stutters. And I didn’t find it overheating or struggling to keep up even once.

Gaming

It was only when playing demanding games like Genshin Impact that this Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-powered phone would start showing signs of distress. At its highest graphics settings, the Xiaomi 12 Pro would get rather hot around the camera module within 5-7 minutes into the game. And after about 10-12 minutes, I measured its peak surface temperature at 43°C.

I did not notice performance throttling so much since the fps hovered around 50-55 at all times, but because the phone gets significantly warm, it does feel somewhat uncomfortable to hold at times.

Other games like PUBG and Call Of Duty that go easy on the processor do not make the phone heat up as much. At their highest possible settings, the Xiaomi 12 Pro would easily give a stable 60 fps while also keeping the temperatures below 40°C.

All in all, I think it’s important to note that the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s performance is top class when using it for regular, everyday tasks. But demanding stuff like prolonged gaming sessions or recording 4K/8K videos does turn up the heat—literally. Then again, it’s not just the Xiaomi 12 Pro that suffers from these issues. Other Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phones like the S22+ and the Realme GT 2 Pro show a similar thermal pattern as well.

I’ll highly encourage you to watch Beebom’s video of the Xiaomi 12 Pro, where Rupesh has explained quite well regarding this issue. And there’s Mr. who’s the Boss who has covered this in his Samsung scandal video. I totally agree with his proposed solution where, no. 1. chip manufacturers should focus on attaining better power efficiency rather than just peak performance and no. 2, smartphone companies need to come up with better cooling mechanisms if they want to use such powerful chipsets in their devices.

Software

Alright, moving on to the software side of things, it runs on MIUI 13 based on Android 12. And for the most part, Xiaomi has done a good job of optimizing its software here.

Previously with the Mi 11, I had experienced some petty software bugs that made my overall smartphone experience bitter. But now, the company seems to have resolved those things, so I am quite happy about that. Plus, Xiaomi has also promised 3 years of OS and 4 years of security updates for the 12 Pro, which is neat!

Cameras

Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto)
32MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)

Cameras

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The Xiaomi 12 Pro has a unique triple camera setup with all the 3 lenses using a 50-megapixel sensor.

Normal Images

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And when I tested its cameras against the S22+, I found it to be competing pretty well. Xiaomi’s photos do have an extra punch, but in most instances, it looks pleasing. I did find Samsung’s overall color optimization to be better.

Normal / Ultrawide

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But if you don’t compare them side by side, Xiaomi’s images are quite appealing too—both in normal and ultra-wide shots.

Portrait Images

Portraits

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For portraits, the 12 Pro uses its 2x telephoto lens. With it, the subject focus looks really good and the shadow processing on the subject is done well—sometimes even better than the S22+ itself! The S22+ does have better skin tone though, but Xiaomi’s pictures are a close second.

Selfie Images

Selfies

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In terms of selfies, I found Samsung’s output to have far better colors, background exposure, and skin tone. So, there’s a lot of room for Xiaomi to improve upon in this aspect.

Nighttime Images

Nighttime

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During nighttime and lowlight conditions, the Xiaomi 12 Pro manages to bring out bright and detailed shots with less noise.

Nightmode

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Sometimes it does process the image a little too much making it look a bit unnatural compared to Samsung’s, but its camera is still reliable enough during nighttime.

Videos

However, the Xiaomi 12 Pro still misses out on some features to call it a true flagship camera phone. For instance, you cannot switch between different lenses when shooting videos in 4K resolution, and its selfie camera is limited to 1080p 60 fps recordings only. The overall color optimization, both in the photos as well as videos, is still not quite as there as Samsung or Apple.

But what I will say is that Xiaomi is on to something really impressive here and further efforts on camera optimization will surely make it among the best in the business.

Battery

4600mAh with 120W fast charging
50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless charging

Lastly, battery life is something that the Xiaomi 12 Pro hasn’t impressed me with that much. Its 4,600 mAh battery gave me just about 6 hours of screen-on time which translates to roughly a day’s endurance on normal usage.

However, the company has tried to compensate for that with a super-fast 120 Watt charger included inside the box which takes around 22 minutes to fill up its battery.

I am also happy to report that its overnight battery drain isn’t that high. I always turn off WiFi and mobile data at night while I get my 8 hours of sleep. And during that period, I graphed around 4% battery drain, which is not so bad. But with a little more aggressive optimization, that number could be a lot less though!

Xiaomi 12 Pro Review: Conclusion

Okay, so what do I make of the Xiaomi 12 Pro? I think Xiaomi is definitely off to a good start with this phone. It provides a really good display experience, the design is well built, and the cameras are reliable and consistent enough—although not entirely flagship-level—while the company has also improved on the software side of things a lot compared to last year. And more importantly, this phone is somewhat cheaper than your typical flagship phone, so you are getting a premium experience at a lesser price as well.

On the other hand, there are some things that I’m not happy about the Xiaomi 12 Pro like the missing IP68 rating. And I also wish the phone had a better cooling mechanism to keep the thermals in check. But overall, the Xiaomi 12 Pro surprisingly is an easy recommendation.

Xiaomi 12 Pro Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

Premium design, build quality
Great AMOLED display
Optimized MIUI 13
120W fast charging

Cons:

No IP Rating
Thermals could be better
Cameras could’ve better optimization

Infinix Hot 11 Play launched in Nepal with Helio G35, 6000mAh battery

Infinix

GadgetByte

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April 18, 2022

0

Infinix Hot 11 Play launched in Nepal with Helio G35, 6000mAh battery

Infinix has launched a budget smartphone in Nepal called the Infinix Hot 11 Play. Despite the fact that it is the successor of last year’s Hot 10 Play, it shares the same set of features. In this article, we will go through the specifications, availability, and official price of the Infinix Hot 11 Play in Nepal.

Infinix Hot 11 Play Overview:

Design and Display

On the front, the Hot 11 Play flaunts the same 6.82-inch TFT IPS panel with HD+ resolution as its predecessor. There is no higher refresh rate or touch sampling rate here. In terms of design, the phone has a glossy finish on the back with a rectangular camera layout. The Infinix Hot 11 Play is available in Sunset Gold, Exploratory Blue, Polar Black, and Haze Green color options.

Also Read:

Performance

Powering the handset is a MediaTek Helio G35 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage. The latter is expandable up to 512GB via a microSD card. Likewise, the handset boots on Android 11-based XOS 7.6.

Rest of the specs

Over on to the cameras, the Hot 11 Play has a dual-camera setup on the rear. This includes a 13MP primary lens and an AI lens. For selfies, there is an 8MP sensor on a waterdrop style notch. Furthermore, fueling the handset is a big 6000mAh battery that charges via a micro USB port. For biometrics, it has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Infinix Hot 11 Play Specifications:

Display: 6.82-inches TFT IPS LCD panel, 90.66% screen-to-body ratio
Resolution: HD+ (1640 x 720 pixels), 20.5:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G35 (12nm)
Memory: 4GB RAM, up to 64GB storage (expandable up to 512GB)
Software& UI: XOS 7.6 on top of Android 11
Rear Camera: Dual (13MP primary lens, AI sensor)
Front Camera: 8MP
Security: Physical fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
Audio: Single speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, Micro USB, OTG
Battery: 6000mAh
Colors: Sunset Gold, Exploratory Blue, Polar Black, Haze Green

Infinix Hot 11 Play Price in Nepal and Availability

Infinix Hot 11 Play is launched in Nepal in a sole 4/64GB memory variant for NPR 16,990. It is available for purchase at retail stores across Nepal.

Device	Price in Nepal (Official)
Infinix Hot 11 Play	NPR 16,990

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Infinix Hot 10 Play [Nepali].