Samsung Galaxy F22 was our favorite budget smartphone of 2021. And it looks like we are going to get its successor pretty soon. Galaxy F23 recently popped up on a benchmark platform with a significantly better chipset. In this article, we will be discussing all the major leaks and rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy F23, its specs, features, and availability.
Samsung Galaxy F23 Rumors Roundup:
Samsung Galaxy F23 was recently spotted on the Geekbench platform. It was easy to recognize the device from its model number SM-E236 — last year’s F22 had model number SM-E225.
The most amazing part of the listing has to the be processor. Samsung Galaxy F23 appears to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 750G, which is a big upgrade from the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset on its predecessor. We have seen this processor in popular midrange phones like OnePlus Nord CE and Galaxy A52 5G.
Based on an 8nm process, Snapdragon 750G features two Cortex-A77 cores (@2.2GHz) and six Cortex-A55 cores (@1.8GHz). As for graphics performance, it has Adreno 619 GPU.
This also confirms the 5G support on the Samsung Galaxy F23 as the chipset features an integrated X52 modem.
Likewise, the Geekbench listing shows 6GB of RAM. However, we expect other RAM variants to be available during the launch as well. The phone runs on Andriod 12 with Samsung’s One UI 4.0 on top.
Sadly, we don’t have any additional information about the phone. That being said, we can expect an sAMOLED panel, quad cameras, and a big battery. We will learn more as the day passes.
Samsung Galaxy F23 Launch and Availability
The F-series is pretty much an Indian-focused lineup, except for some instances where it is available elsewhere. Thus, we expect Galaxy F23 to launch in India first in the coming months.
Smartphone Model
Launch Date (Expected)
Samsung Galaxy F23
Q1, 2022
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy F22.
Oppo is a brand that invests heavily in research and development. The company recently released a whitepaper envisioning communication devices without batteries, which it calls Zero-Power Communication. In this article, we will be diving deeper into Oppo’s battery-less tech.
Zero-Power Communication: Everything you need to know
Before we start — What exactly is Zero-Power communication? Well, it’s a concept that future IoT devices will operate without a battery. These devices will generate power in real-time from nearby radiations such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and even smartphone signals. As per Oppo, Zero-Power Communication will not only address the current power need but will also create a roadmap for IoT devices to co-exist in the future.
How does Zero-Power Communication Work?
Zero-Power Communication devices won’t have built-in batteries to power them. They will instead get their power off the radiation around them. Think of it as an evolution of low-power devices. Instead of packaging devices with a chemical battery, we are giving them the ability to create their energy from the radiation.
Here, Zero Power IoT devices will harvest the data/ signals coming towards them and use it to distribute their own data. It could give things like tracking devices like Apple’s AirTag their own endless supply of energy.
RF Harvesting
There is also a scientific term for this — RF Harvesting. It involves the conversion of ambient frequencies into usable DC voltage. Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Eco Remote 2022 based on this same technology.
However, in its current state, RF harvesting has restrictions related to coverage, which Oppo has claimed to address via its Zero-Power Communication.
Oppo’s Zero-Power Communication devices will be based on cellular communication, sidelink communication, or both. A sidelink approach would be good for short-range applications such as smart homes and smart wearables, whereas a cellular approach would fit industrial systems.
As they won’t have any battery in them, Zero Power Communication devices will be extremely efficient. Likewise, they will be highly compact with low manufacturing costs.
Oppo’s Proof of Concept
Oppo says that it has successfully demonstrated the working of a Zero-Power Communication device. It is now trying to promote a new Zero-Power Communication standard to 3GPP, FuTURE, and ICCC. Oppo believes that Zero-Power Communication will be pivotal in unleashing the full potential of 6G.
Meanwhile, check out our comparison between Pixel 6 and Galaxy S21 FE.
Asus has launched its new 2-in-1 notebook in China, called the Asus ROG Magic X. It’s powered by Intel’s 12th gen H-series processors, which are likely to be found in most gaming laptops. In this article, we will go through the specs, features, availability, and expected price of Asus ROG Magic X in Nepal.
Asus ROG Magic X Overview:
Design and Display
The ROG Magic X is a thin 2-in-1 notebook that comes with a detachable keyboard. As a result, it can be used on a laptop as well as a Windows tablet. The device weighs 1.2 kg, measures 12mm thick, and has a built-in stand that can be adjusted up to 170 degrees.
Over on the front, it flaunts a 13.4-inch touchscreen with 1920 x 1200 pixels resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass protection, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Likewise, it features a 16:10 aspect ratio with Adaptive-sync technology, Dolby Vision HDR, 500nits brightness, and Pantone color certification.
Performance
In terms of performance, you can choose the ROG Magic X in three different configurations—Intel Core i5-12500H, Core i7-12700H, or Core i9-12900H. The latter two are paired with GeForce RTX 3050 and 3050Ti graphics cards, respectively.
Moreover, the memory option includes up to 16GB of LPDDR5@5200MHz RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe 4x4SSD storage. The notebook even supports XG mobile docking station—an external GPU dock—which comes with GeForce RTX 3080 GPU at 150W TGP for professional gamers.
Rest of the specs
Furthermore, the port options include a USB Type-A, a USB 3.2 Type-C (w/ DP1.4 and PD), a Thunderbolt 4, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a micro SD card slot. For biometrics, it has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button. Fueling the laptop is a 56Wh cell with a 100W adapter that juices it to 50% in just 30 minutes.
I/O Ports:1x USB Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Type-C (w/ DP1.4 and PD), 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x micro SD card slot, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
Asus ROG Magic X Price in Nepal and Availability
The ROG Magic X is up for pre-order in China at a starting price of CNY 8,999 for the base Core i5 model while the Core i7 and i9 variant retail for CNY 11,499 and CNY 13,499, respectively. We expect the price of Asus ROG Magic X in Nepal to start at NPR 180,000 if and when it launches here.
Asus ROG Magic X
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
i5-12500H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
CNY 8,999
NPR 180,000
i7-12700H, RTX 3050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
CNY 11,499
NPR 225,000
i9-12900H, RTX 3050Ti, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
CNY 13,499
NPR 265,000
Meanwhile, check out our pick for the best mid-range gaming laptops.
Last year, Yatri Motorcycles created quite a buzz when it officially unveiled Project Zero (P0) and Project One (P1). The company has just announced that the booking for the first series P1 is now closed. In this article, we will be discussing the key features, official price, and availability of Yatri Motorcycle’s Project One (P1) in Nepal.
Yatri Project One (P1) Overview:
Despite the Rs. 4,95,000 price tag, Project One is actually the more affordable of the two electric motorcycles that Yatri has in its current lineup. While the P0 is more of a flagship bike, P1 is designed to be used by the masses for everyday commute.
Project One sports a minimalistic design. You can even customize the paint scheme from the pre-order page if you are not fond of the black-and-white finish. P1 has an overall weight of 110kg and boasts peak power of up to 14kW (19hp). Similarly, the maximum torque at the wheel is 480Nm.
Powering Yatri Project One is a 3.0kWh Lithium Manganese Oxide battery. The bike has onboard 4G and Bluetooth connectivity. Similarly, it also has its own Android and iOS app. The app facilitates features like antitheft, service appointments, roadside assistance, and so on.
Yatri currently opened its first experience center at Baluwatar, where potential customers can test ride the Project One (P1). In addition, the company is also working on developing a charging network across the country. It even developed its first DC fast charger for P1 recently.
Yatri Project One (P1) Price in Nepal and Availability
As I said at the beginning of the post, Yatri has just announced that it has sold out its first batch of Project One (P1) electric bikes. The company did not disclose the number of bikes sold in the process. The delivery is will start towards the end of Q1.
Likewise, the reservation is on hold for now and will only resume for the second series after a few weeks.
Yatri Electric Motorcycles
Price in Nepal (Official)
Project One (P1)
NPR 4,95,000
Meanwhile, check out our first look at Project One (P1). [Nepali]
The computer hardware market has not been that good for users recently because of the ongoing chip shortage. While we hoped it would get better with the new year, reports have shown the complete opposite. According to a report by DigiTimes Asia, the price of the latest CPU and GPU from AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA will only increase in 2022.
Prices of CPU and GPU are going up in 2022
As per the latest report, the cause for the price hike is the new quote by TSMC. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (or TSMC in short) is the world’s biggest semiconductor foundry. It’s the go-to company when it comes to silicon with partnerships with companies such as Apple, NVIDIA, and even Intel.
Thus, any kind of price hike by TSMC is bad news for the whole PC industry. The closest alternative for chipmakers is Samsung, which is not at the same level as TSMC in terms of efficiency as revealed by recent Exynos and Snapdragon processors.
As you can guess, the main culprit here is the global chip shortage. Since the pandemic, the demand for PC components has gone through the roof, making it difficult for manufacturers to keep up. This state of high demand and low supplies have caused the price to increase. Likewise, costs for raw material, freight, and logistics have also increased due to restrictions caused by the ongoing pandemic, contributing to the cause.
AMD
AMD will suffer the most from these raised quotes. The company is currently working on its Ryzen 7000 processors, which will be based on TSMC’s process. Similarly, all of its current Ryzen 3000 and Ryzen 5000 processors are dependent on TSMC. The company has even built its RDNA 2-based Radeon graphics on TSMC’s 7nm process.
As a result, AMD is likely to raise the price of its CPU and GPU in 2022.
Next on the list is NVIDIA. The graphics card maker currently uses Samsung’s foundry for its RTX 30-series graphics card. However, if reports are to be believed, the company has already made pre-payments to use TSMC’s 5nm process for its upcoming RTX 40-series.
While we are not sure what it means for the RTX 30-series cards, NVIDIA’s upcoming RTX 4000 GPU series won’t have affordable price tags whether it launches in 2022 or later.
Intel
The least affected company, according to the report, will be Intel. That being said, we see no reason for the company to not jump in on the bandwagon if NVIDIA and AMD do increase the price of their CPU/GPU in 2022.
For starters, Intel has invested heavily in new fabs for in-house chip production, and it will be looking to get most of it back as quickly as possible. Second, the company also has a outsource contract with TSMC. And since AMD is also projected to hike its CPU price for 2022, it will be even easier for Intel.
GPU and CPU Price in 2022
All in all, 2022 is not looking any good for gamers or anyone looking to build a new rig. If the latest reports turn out to be true, AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel will all be raising the price of their CPU/GPU this year.
Also, Watch: Should you buy a budget gaming laptop for a budget gaming desktop?
Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is preparing to withdraw Smart Telecom’s (previously Smart Cell) license as the business has failed to pay the regulator’s arrears. Furthermore, it has been speculated that the frequency would be handed to CG Telecom. In this article, we will learn about the reasons and the entire story surrounding the ongoing preparations to revoke the license of Smart Telecom.
Smart Telecom License Revoke:
A hefty pay
To note, this is not the operator’s first failure to pay the periodic license costs. Smart Telecom has experienced this predicament in the past as well. This time, the company was supposed to pay Rs. 59.88 crores as the first installment till January 14, but it was unable to do so.
NTA had earlier decided to cancel Smart Telecom’s license on Shrawan 13, 2076 B.S. However, the then government allowed the company to pay the sum in five installments after it filed an appeal with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT). Despite this, Smart Telecom hasn’t even paid the first payment in the last two years.
Installment
Due Amount
First
Rs. 59.98 crores
Second
Rs. 83.23 crores
Third
Rs. 77.40 crores
Fourth
Rs. 71.56 crores
Fifth
Rs. 65.72 crores
Overall, the operator is yet to pay the Rs. 1.25 billion for the eighth tranche of the license renewal fee to NTA.
Purushottam Khanal, chairman of the NTA, stated that the cancellation procedure will be started as Smart Telecom has failed to pay the sum on time. However, it will give the company an opportunity to clarify the issue before moving forward with the termination procedure.
Rise of CG Telecom?
While there is a high chance that Smart Telecom will lose its license and go out of business, we might see the rise of CG Telecom. CG has repeatedly failed to obtain a unified license from the government to launch its telecom services in Nepal.
As a result, instead of operating as a telecommunication company, CG Telecom began its venture as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) instead. Nirvana Chaudhary, Managing Director of CG Telecom, stated on a TechPana talk show that they didn’t have 900MHz and 1800MHz frequencies to get up and running.
Smart Telecom currently holds the 900MHz frequency in the 10MHz band and the 1800MHz frequency in the 24MHz band. Since these frequencies will be withdrawn from the company if NTA revokes Smart’s license, CG may be the next operator to receive them.
Smart Telecom License Revoke: What’s next
We still don’t know what the future of Smart Telecom will be. Everything now rests on NTA’s decision. Akin to Nepal’s ISP industry, the advent of CG Telecom might disrupt the market and break NTC and Ncell‘s supremacy as well. But, we still hope Smart Telecom can pay its liabilities and continue to provide its services.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Wifi 6 vs Wifi 5 (Nepali).
Yesterday, Xiaomi held an event in India to announce the arrival of 11T Pro 5G. The key highlight here is the phone’s 120W fast charging support. Let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro in Nepal.
Xiaomi 11T Pro Overview:
Design and Display
Here, the Xiaomi 11T Pro is the successor of the Mi 10T Pro. To note, the company has now dropped the “Mi” branding on these phones. This change was first signaled with the MIX 4, and Xiaomi later officially announced this branding change.
Anyway, on the design front, the 11T Pro is inspired by vintage film camcorders which is pretty visible from the rear camera arrangement. It features an aluminum frame and a glass back with an anti-glare finish.
Furthermore, the 11T Pro flaunt a 6.67-inch flat AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. The panel features a 120Hz AdpativeSync refresh rate (down from 144Hz on Mi 10T series), 480Hz touch sampling rate.
Similarly, it supports HDR10+, TrueColor, Sunlight Mode 3.0, and has 1000nits of peak brightness. On the other hand, the Pro variant also gets Dolby Vision HDR and DisplayMate A+ certification.
Moving on, the Xioami 11T Pro is powered by last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. The chip is paired with up to 12Gb of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. There is also a vanilla Xiaomi 11T which is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200-Ultra SoC coupled with up to 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. Apparently, this “Ultra” version of the chip has Xiaomi-specific optimizations.
Camera
Over on the optics, Xiaomi 11T series features a triple camera setup at the back and are led by a 108MP primary sensor. Following this is an 8MP ultra-wide unit (120° FOV), and a 5MP tele-macro lens.
In comparison, its predecessor featured a 13MP ultrawide lens with 123° FOV, while the Pro variant also misses the OIS support, which the 10T Pro had. On the front, Xiaomi 11T series bring a 16MP lens for selfies.
The 11T Pro can shoot 8K videos at 30fps while the vanilla model maxes out at 4K 30fps. Besides this, there are other camera features like Audio Zoom, One-Click AI Cinema, Time Freeze, and Magic Zoom.
Battery and Charging
Coming to the battery, Xiaomi 11T Pro packs a 5000mAh cell. It also enjoys Xiaomi’s 120W HyperCharge technology, which can take the phone from 0 to 100% in just 17 minutes. In addition, the HyperCharge solution is TÜV Rheinland Safe Fast-Charge System Certified.
Moving on, the connectivity option on the 11T series includes 5G, dual SIM, dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, A-GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BeiDou, NFC, and USB Type-C. Other specifications include X-axis linear vibration motor, Hi-Res Audio certification, and dedicated dual stereo speakers with support for Dolby Atmos.
Plus, the speakers on the Xiaomi 11T Pro are tuned by Harmon Kardon. Xiaomi is also promising 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security patches.
Xiaomi 11T Pro Specifications:
Design: Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame, glass back
Display: 6.67″ AMOLED DotDisplay, 20:9, 120Hz, up to 480Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits, DisplayMate A+ (Pro), Dolby Vision (Pro)
The official price of Xiaomi 11T Pro in India starts at INR 39,999 for the base 8GB+128GB variant. Likewise, the 8+256GB and 12+256GB variants costs INR 41,999 and INR 43,999, respectively. Unfortunately, as it stands, Xiaomi Nepal has no plans of launching 11T Pro in Nepal.
It has hardly been over a year since commercial Wi-Fi 6 devices hit the market, and Wi-Fi 7 is already the talk of the town. MediaTek recently announced that it has successfully completed live demos of next-gen Wi-Fi technology. It is currently working on two Wi-Fi 7 hardware under the Filogic brand, which we can expect to be market-ready in 2023. In this article, we will be discussing the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 in more detail, including the latest demo by MediaTek.
Wi-Fi 7: Story So Far
As of now, Wi-Fi 7 is still a work-in-progress. The Wi-Fi Alliance is not done completing the standards for the next-gen Wi-Fi network. That being said, the next standard will be called the IEEE 802.11be and will support a maximum throughput of up to 30 Gbps.
It’s a massive improvement as Wi-Fi 6 only has support for up to 9.6 Gbps. For reference, Nepali households are only beginning to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 5 on the other hand, theoretically supports a maximum throughput of up to 3.5 Gbps.
As per MediaTek, Wi-Fi 7 will address the growing trend of 4K/8K TV streaming, VR/AR, and cloud computing. It will also bring improvements in channel width and modulation scheme while also introducing new features like the Multi-Link Operation (MLO).
For starters, Wi-Fi 7 will make use of new 320MHz channels. Similarly, it will have support for 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). MLO will help reduce latency through the transmission of signals over multiple bands. It will work alongside Multi-User Resource Unit introduced in Wi-Fi 6 (8.2.11ax) for tackling interferences.
There will be no additional bands. In fact, Wi-Fi 802.11be will utilize the same 2.4, 5, and 6GHz bands as the Wi-Fi 6E. Still, MediaTek claims to have achieved 2.4 times better theoretical speeds over Wi-Fi 6 because of other improvements.
Wi-Fi 7 Rollout Date (Expected)
As the standard has not been finalized yet, it’s hard to say when compatible devices will be available in the market. However, MediaTek says its Wi-Fi 7 Filogic devices will hit the market in 2023.
Networking Devices
Launch Date (Expected)
MediaTek Filogic (Wi-Fi 7)
Q1 2022
Meanwhile, check out our comparison between Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. (Nepali)
Back in 2020, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 888 as the first smartphone processor with Integrated Sim (iSIM). Now the chipmaker has demonstrated the technology in collaboration with Vodafone and Thales. In this article, we will be discussing the iSIM technology in more detail, including its advantages over traditional and eSIM.
What’s an Integrated Sim (iSIM)?
Let’s start with the basics. iSIM is the next evolution of SIM cards. Initially, we had physical cards which took a lot of real estate inside our phones. And even though the size of the cards kept reducing over the years, it was not enough.
Then came the eSIM. Contrary to the traditional sim cards, eSIM is permanently fixed into the phone. They are significantly smaller in comparison to physical SIM and even have better security. In addition, they also offer flexibility when it comes to switching carriers, international roaming, and sharing data plans across eSIM-enabled devices.
Integrated SIM (iSIM) is an advanced form of the eSIM. While eSIM exists as an independent chip inside your phone, Integrated SIM resides on your phone’s processor. ARM introduced the concept back in 2018 with IoT devices in mind. 2020’s Snapdragon 888 was the first processor to feature this new technology. Likewise, it is also in the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
As per ARM’s vision, iSIM is integrated into the System on Chip (Soc), alongside the cellular modem and hardware-based security. Thus, it has a smaller footprint, reduces power consumption, and brings down manufacturing costs.
iSim Proof of Concept
Qualcomm recently demonstrated a proof of concept of iSIM using a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G. The test was held in Samsung’s R&D labs using Vodafone’s remote management platform. The phone featured Qualcomm’s Secure Processing Unit with Thales iSIM operating system.
Advantages of Integrated SIM (iSIM)
Based on the working demonstration, Qualcomm, Vodafone, and Thales have agreed upon the following benefits of iSIM.
Makes room for other design and performance-based feature
Provides flexibility of multiple accounts based on the existing eSIM platform
Offers improved efficiency with less power
Opens the way for mass IoT connectivity
Also Watch:Should you Buy a budget gaming laptop or a gaming PC?
Last year, Moto forayed into the Android tablet market with the Tab G20. The company has now followed it with another tablet with improved specs, including a 2K display. In this post, we will be discussing the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Moto Tab G70 in Nepal.
Moto Tab G70 Overview
Design and Display
Moto Tab G70 is the rebadged version of Lenovo Tab P11 Plus. It sports the same metallic design with a dual-tone finish at the back. The rear panel also houses the circular camera bump at the top left and the iconic batwing logo at the middle.
Overall, the tablet measures 0.29” in thickness and 490 grams in weight. It also has an IP52 water repellent rating.
Over on the front, we have the aforementioned 2K display. It is an 11” IPS LCD panel with 10-point multitouch and brightness of up to 400 nits. Similarly, it is also TUV’s eye comfort certification.
Performance and Memory
Under the hood, Moto Tab G70 brings a significant performance boost over the Tab G20’s Helio P22T. It is powered by Helio G90T, which features two Cortex-A76 performance cores (@2.05 GHz) and six Cortex-A55 cores (@2.0 GHz).
The chip is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. You can even expand the storage up to 1TB by slotting in an external MicroSD card.
The tablet ships with Android 11 out-of-the-box, and it also has Google’s Kids Space and Entertainment Space pre-installed.
The 13MP camera at the back of Moto Tab G70 comes with auto-focus and an LED flashlight. Over on the front, it has an 8MP sensor with a fixed focus to get you through online classes and video calls.
In terms of audio, Motorola has included a quad-speaker setup and thrown in Dolby Atmos support too. The tablet features two microphones with DSP’s Smart Voice.
Rest of the Specs
Feuling the Moto Tab G70 is a 7700mAh battery that boasts 12 hours of continuous offline video playback on a full charge. It supports 20W Rapid Charge via the USB 2.0 Type-C. The port can also be used to connect Type-C headsets as the tablet lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack.
In terms of wireless connectivity, there is support for LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.1. There is also a 4-point Pogo pin for the external keyboard.
Moto Tab G70 Specifications:
Body: 10.17″ x 6.4″ x 0.29″, 490 gm, Metal Body, IP52 rating
Display: 11″ IPS LCD panel, 10-point Multitouch, up to 400 nits brightness
Resolution: 2K (2000 x 1200 pixels)
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G90T (12nm Mobile Platform)
Moto Tab G70 will go on sale in India starting January 22, with the price listed at INR 21,999. However, it will be available for just INR 21,249 during Flipkart’s Republic Day Sale. At the moment, there is no information about the tablet’s availability outside of India. However, if it launches in Nepal, we expect the price to be NPR 37,500.
Moto Tab G70 LTE
Price in India (Official)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
4/64GB
INR 21,999
NPR 37,500
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Moto Tab G70.
