If you are looking to buy a midrange gaming laptop right now, Asus TUF Gaming A15 can be a decent choice. The 2021 iteration of the laptop launched back in August in Nepal, whose price has dropped considerably since then. So, let’s take a look at the specs, features, latest official price, and availability of the Asus TUF Gaming A15 2021 in Nepal.
Asus TUF Gaming A15 (2021) Overview:
Design and Display
In terms of design, you can choose between the “Eclipse Gray” and the “Graphite Black” finish of the A15, each of which has a distinct personality of its own. Likewise, you get a honeycomb grip at the base and a brushed metal finish across the body.
Inside, there’s a 15.6-inch IPS panel with FHD resolution. The variant that is available in Nepal features a 144Hz refresh rate and covers just 62.50% of the sRGB gamut. To note, more expensive models with a 240Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB color gamut are also available on the international market.
CPU and GPU
As for CPU, you can choose between AMD’s Ryzen 4000 and 5000 series processors. You can configure the laptop with up to Ryzen 7 5800H. This octa-core CPU offers a maximum clock speed of up to 4.4GHz.
This has been paired with RTX 3060 mobile GPU. Thanks to the Dynamic Boost feature, this RTX 3060 can run draw up to 95W power in certain scenarios. On the other hand, the Ryzen 7 4800H variant features RTX 3050 Ti. However, the top-end RTX 3070 model is not available in Nepal yet.
As for memory, Asus has included two SO-DIMM slots here, which you can configure with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM. Likewise, storage options range between 1TB and 512GB of NVMe SSD.
Rest of the specs
Asus TUF Gaming A15 2021 gets its juice from a 90Wh battery. A 200W AC adapter is included in the box. On the other hand, there are two speakers capable of 2W output each onboard. They also support DTS audio.
As for I/O, you get one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one headphone jack, and an HDMI port. This gaming laptop supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless connectivity.
Asus TUF Gaming A15 2021 Specifications:
Design & Build: Metal cover, Plastic, 35.9 x 25.6 x 2.28cm, 2.3kg
Processor: Up to AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8C/16T, 4.4GHz)
Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 90W (6GB GDDR6 VRAM, Up to 95W)
RAM: 16GB DDR4, dual SO-DIMM slot (Max: 32GB)
Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD (up to 1TB)
Audio: 2x 2W speaker with DTS:X Ultra
Battery: 4-cell 90 Watt-hours Li-ion
Connectivity: WiFi 6 802.11 ax, Bluetooth 5.1
I/O Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C , 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.0b
Extras: Free TUF Gaming Backpack + TUF Gaming mouse, 2 years international warranty
Asus TUF Gaming A15 (2021) Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of Asus TUF Gaming A15 2021 in Nepal starts at NPR 153,000 for the Ryzen 4800H variant with RTX 3050. It was previously available for NPR 164,000. Similarly, the Ryzen 5800H configuration with RTX 3060 has dropped to NPR 195,000 from NPR 211,000. You can get it from authorized stores such as ITTI and Hukut.
Samsung has just announced the world’s first 4K 240Hz gaming monitor. The new Odyssey Neo G8 will be launched alongside two other monitors in the upcoming CES 2022. In this article, we will be looking at the individual specs, features, price, and availability of the Samsung monitor lineup 2022.
Samsung Monitor Lineup 2022
Samsung Odyssey Neo G8
As mentioned earlier, Samsung Odyssey Neo 9 sports the world’s first 4K 240Hz panel. This 32″ monitor has a curvature of 1000R.
Samsung has deployed Quantum Mini LED for the backlight here. These mini LEDs are 1/40th the size of traditional LEDs. Moreover, this monitor offers a peak brightness of up to 2000 nits (HDR) and 4096 brightness levels.
As for connectivity, it has two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4 port. The Neo G8 can automatically switch input sources thanks to Auto Source Switch+ feature. In addition, this monitor has RGB lighting at the back that can be adjusted using the CoreSync.
Moving on, the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is both slimmer and thinner than its predecessor. It measures just 11.4mm thick, which is 1/3rd of the Smart Monitor M7. The M8 features a 32″ UHD screen and its height is adjustable as well, thanks to the HAS (Height Adjustable Stand).
Like its predecessor, Samsung Smart Monitor M8 can stream content from multiple OTT platforms. In addition, it comes with SmartThings Hub that allows users to control their smart home devices too.
One can even install a dedicated webcam on the top to use it with the Google Duo which comes pre-installed.
Samsung S8
Next up is the Samsung S8, which is a monitor for content creation. There are two screen sizes to choose from: 32″ and 27″. Both variants have UHD panels with 98% DCI-P3 color coverage and are glare-free certified by Underwriters Laboratories. In addition, the 32″ model also has VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification.
As for connectivity, the Samsung S8 comes with one ethernet and one USB-C port. The latter has a 90W charging support in addition to data transmission.
Samsung Monitor Lineup 2022 Price and Availability
Samsung Odyssey Neo G8, Smart Monitor M8, and S8 will be available in Korea in the first half of 2022. Further details regarding the price and global availability will be announced in CES 2022, where Samsung will also unveil the rest of its 2022 monitor lineup.
Samsung Monitor Lineup
Availability
Odyssey Neo G8
H1 2022 (South Korea)
Smart Monitor M8
UHD Monitor S8
Meanwhile, check out our review of Huawei’s latest high-end monitors (Nepali).
Realme Nepal has just added another device in the C-series. The new C25Y is Realme’s first launch of 2022 in Nepal. In this post, we’ll look into the specs, features, official price, and availability of Realme C25Y in Nepal.
Realme C25Y Overview:
Design and Display
The C25Y features a 6.5-inches IPS LCD panel with 420 nits of brightness and HD+ resolution. It has a textured pattern at the back and an all-plastic build. Likewise, the back of the phone has a fingerprint sensor and a square camera island. Realme C25Y is available in Glacier Blue and Metal Grey color options.
Performance
Under the hood, the C25Y packs an octa-core Unisoc T610 chipset. It’s fabricated under a 12nm process and features two Cortex-A75 and six Cortex-A55 cores, all clocked at 1.8GHz. This is accompanied by 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of eMMC 5.1 storage.
Over on to the software, the phone runs on Realme UI R Edition on top of Android 11. We’ve used the Realme UI R and our experience was not pleasant. It makes a slew of concessions to the phone, making it more difficult to use.
As for the optics, the C25Y has a 50MP primary sensor and two 2MP lenses for portrait and macro shots. Similarly, the waterdrop notch on the front houses an 8MP selfie camera.
Rest of the specs
Besides this, it has a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging, a mono speaker, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Realme C25Y Price in Nepal and Availability (Official)
Realme C25Y is now available in Nepal at the price tag of NPR 20,449 for the 4/128GB variant, whereas the 4/64GB variant costs Rs. 18,749. You can buy it from Realme Nepal’s authorized stores across the country.
Realme C25Y
Price in Nepal
Availability
4/64GB
NPR 18,749
Authorized stores
4/128GB
NPR 20,449
Authorized stores
Meanwhile, check out our pick for the best premium mid-range phones of 2021.
Before getting into the best streaming devices to buy in 2022, let me make a proper introduction first. Cable TV is dead as disco—we’ve known it for some time now. It’s all about streaming these days. I mean, I can’t remember the last time I intentionally turned on a TV to watch something.
But obviously, this doesn’t apply to everyone and I totally get that. Regardless, if you want to binge the new season of “The Witcher” on Netflix, “The Book of Boba Fett” on Disney+ Hotstar, “The Boys” on Prime Video, and so on and so forth on your TV, then you’ve got two options.
Either buy a relatively expensive smart TV that supports all those OTT platforms or get a streaming device that can even turn a basic television smart by connecting to an HDMI source. And that’s exactly what I’ll be talking about today. Not smart TVs but some of the best streaming devices you can buy in 2022.
Best Streaming Devices In 2022
For this list of the best streaming devices in 2022, I’ve been testing out a few popular TV sticks you can buy right now—all under USD 50 or roughly NPR 10,000 here in Nepal. So you won’t find high-end streaming devices like the Apple TV 4K, NVIDIA Shield TV, or Amazon Fire TV Cube here. On top of this, I would’ve liked to get my hands on the Roku Streaming Stick 4K as well—but couldn’t find it.
1. Chromecast with Google TV
So, the first one on my list is the Chromecast with Google TV—which is also my favorite one of the bunch. It’s not perfect—no—but for someone like me who uses an Android phone and doesn’t own any Alexa device, Chromecast does it all.
Powered by Arm’s quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU alongside 2GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage, it runs pretty damn smooth. For an even snappier UI response, you can also enable developer options and reduce animation scale.
Anyway, as the name implies, this thing runs on Google TV, which is an upgraded version of the Android TV interface that’s popular on most smart TVs. Its enhanced UI/UX with the material design that’s complemented with big icons, makes browsing through the TV a thoroughly refreshing experience.
But maybe it’s geoblocked or something—the Chromecast didn’t share the same visual layout as depicted in the official product page in my case.
How’s the UI?
The “For You” tab, for instance, is called “Home” here. And there’s no separate tab for “Movies” and “Shows” either. Things are a lot more simplified with the “App” and “Library” sections instead. Regardless, the aforementioned “Home” section is where you’d be spending most of the time with the Chromecast. It hosts a rearrangeable list of your installed apps, followed by the “Continue Watching” section.
Weirdly enough, the continue watching tab only displays my Netflix history—and not from other apps like Prime Video, YouTube, and Crunchyroll. Following this are the separate tabs (or “Channels” as Google calls them) for all your installed apps. But like on the older Android TV interface, I wish I could change the hierarchy of how they appear.
In my case, Chromecast failed to show Prime Video recommendations and was instead limited to Netflix, YouTube, and Google Play Movies & TV. About the playback quality itself, it doesn’t disappoint. While there’s no support for adaptive resolution here, you can set HDR to “Always HDR” or one that matches the content type.
I watched a couple of 4K HDR-compatible videos on multiple platforms and they played like a charm—“Marvel’s Daredevil” on Netflix and “The Wheel of Time” on Prime Video, to name a few. It can play compatible Dolby Vision/Dolby Atmos contents without breaking a sweat as well.
Up to 12-bit colors
For even superior colors, Chromecast also supports up to 12-bit colors. Then again, your TV should be 12-bit compatible as well. Besides streaming content, you can also search web results, download your favorite apps from the Play Store, add shows/movies on your watchlist, or cast content from your phone, laptop, and other devices to the TV.
At times, however, Google Assistant couldn’t process my voice commands properly—especially the final words of the sentence. Weird.
Furthermore, Chromecast lets you add a separate user profile for your kids too. Under this, you can set the TV viewing schedule, restrict app access, and even set content rating limits for your children. Yet, storage could be big trouble in the long run since after just installing a couple of apps and setting up a Kids profile, I’m left with roughly 750MB of free space out of the 4.4GB available.
Let’s briefly go over its design now. Because the Chromecast doesn’t have a traditional stick-shaped design, it slots in non-intrusively on most TVs.
That’s why Google doesn’t ship an HDMI extender inside the box. And its remote is something to admire as well. From its ergonomic design to the soft-feedback buttons, this is one of the best TV remotes out there. Plus, it even has a dedicated button to switch between input devices connected to the TV.
Chromecast with Google TV Specifications:
Body: 162 x 61 x 12.5mm, 55 gm
Power: USB Type-C
Processor: Amlogic S905D3
CPU: 4x Cortex-A55 (1.9GHz)
GPU: Arm Mali-G31 MP2
Memory: 2GB RAM, 8GB storage
Display: Up to 4K Ultra HD @60fps
HDR: Yes (HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision)
Audio: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos
Connectivity: WiFi 5 (802.11 ac, dual-band), Bluetooth 4.2
Ports: HDMI (to plug directly into the TV)
OS: Android TV OS (with Google TV on top)
Remote: 122 x 38 x 18mm, 63 gm
Mic: Integrated microphone for Google Assistant
Color Options: Snow, Sunrise, Sky
What’s In the Box: Chromecast, Power cable, Power adapter, Voice remote, 2x AAA batteries
Price in Nepal: Rs. 10,500
2. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
Next up in our list of best streaming devices in 2022, we have the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. Before getting to the nitty-gritty details, you need to know that there’s a newer version of this streaming stick called the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It’s USD 5 more expensive, but for the added cost, brings a whole lot of value.
From faster performance, WiFi 6 support, to all the more buttons on the remote, the “Max” edition is well worth the extra money.
That’s not to say the regular Fire TV Stick 4K is any slouch. In fact, among all the streaming devices I’ve tested so far—it’s the fastest. Running on a custom Fire OS platform (which is still based on Android, by the way), I haven’t faced any major performance hiccup here. Sure, there are minor lags every now and then—especially during first-boot—but that’s about it.
Oh-so-Prime
However, the way Amazon so aggressively pushes Prime Video content here is overwhelmingly frustrating. The homescreen is littered with recommendations from Prime Video across several genres, and neither can they be customized.
So, if you’re like me who’s mostly in the “Netflix wall”, then none of this is going to be of any use. On top of this, the Fire TV Stick 4K makes more sense if you also own Amazon Echo devices like Echo Show, Echo Dot, and such.
Besides recommendations, it even refuses to show Netflix contents inside the “Recently Watched” tab, whereas I couldn’t get Alexa to find content on Netflix either. Interestingly, logging in with a US-based Amazon account, the Fire TV Stick 4K could discover Netflix contents.
Some features are geoblocked
Looking at the official product page, it seems that the Fire TV Stick 4K can indeed search content on Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and other streaming services—so I’m guessing this feature is just geoblocked here in Nepal. Apart from Prime Video recommendations, the homescreen also shows the list of recently used apps for quick access.
Swiping to the right, you have the “Find” page that hosts a categorical list of discoverable shows/movies, while the “Live” section is missing in this part of the world. All in all, I found Fire OS incredibly easy to get used to—and the aforementioned responsiveness makes using Fire TV Stick 4K all the more delightful.
Although Amazon Appstore’s library isn’t as vast as that of the Google Play Store, you’ll find all the streaming platforms, games, and other utility apps here. Amazon lets you install apps directly from its website as well.
Anyway, like the Chromecast with Google TV, it comes with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support too. Weirdly enough, some of the Netflix shows with these two standards that played perfectly fine on Chromecast didn’t support Atmos playback on the Fire TV Stick 4K—while Prime Video didn’t face such an issue. This feels more like a Netflix issue, so I’m hoping a fix is on the way.
Dialog Enhancer
Similarly, you can set its resolution up to 4K/60Hz or keep it at auto. With a compatible TV, it can even render content in up to 12-bit colors. There’s also a “Dialog Enhancer” feature built-in, but I didn’t really notice any difference when turning it on/off. Watching Daredevil on Netflix, the Fire TV Stick 4K comfortably jumped to 4K HDR settings in a matter of seconds on our 60Mbps home internet.
I personally didn’t encounter any issue with wireless connectivity, but if you have an Ethernet adapter lying around, hooking it up isn’t gonna do any harm. Its stick-like design could be difficult to install on some TVs, so Amazon does provide an HDMI extender inside the box. On the other hand, this plastic-made remote is equally impressive.
It’s taller than the Chromecast remote but you can easily operate it with one hand. The button feedback is pretty great and it can even control your TV volume, on top of turning it on/off. So, that’s one less reason to have the TV remote by your side at all times!
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Specifications:
Body: 108 x 30 x 14mm, 53.6 gm
Power: Micro USB
Processor: MediaTek MT8695 + MT7668
CPU: 4x Cortex-A53 (1.7GHz)
GPU: PowerVR IMG GE8300
Memory: 1.5GB RAM, 8GB storage
Display: Up to 4K Ultra HD @60fps
HDR: Yes (HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision)
Audio: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos
Connectivity: WiFi 5 (802.11 ac, dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0
Ports: HDMI (to plug directly into the TV)
OS: Fire OS 6 (Android 7.0 Nougat)
Remote: Integrated microphone for Amazon Alexa
Color Options: Black
What’s In the Box: Fire TV Stick, HDMI extender, Power cable, Power adapter, Voice remote, 2x AAA batteries
Price in Nepal: Rs. 9,500 (unofficial)
3. Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick
Moving on, Realme recently entered the streaming arena with its own 4K Smart Google TV Stick. And it’s already managed to find a spot in our list of best streaming devices to buy in 2022. But if you have a fairly high-end TV with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos compatibility, you should skip this altogether since it supports neither of them.
Plus, considering the deals you can get on Chromecast and Fire TV Stick 4K, Realme’s streaming stick is a tad bit too expensive as well. And compared to the other two streaming devices I’ve discussed so far, its performance leaves something to be desired as well.
With a relatively slower quad-core processor with Cortex-A35 cores, you can notice the sluggishness every now and then on this thing. And although 2GB RAM may sound like a lot for a streaming device, this isn’t the most powerful streaming device you could find. I noticed that it even struggled to keep the homescreen in memory after playing videos on Netflix or other OTT platforms for a while.
Google TV experience
That’s not to say it’s unbearably slow—absolutely not. I know it sounds like I’m nitpicking things here, but pitting it against two of the best streaming devices available, you start to observe such things.
Running on Android TV OS 11 unlike the older Android TV 10 in our unit of the Chromecast, there’s no “Continue Watching” section here either, which is a little disappointing. Plus, it also skips a separate channel for Netflix—while every other app gets an entry in the homescreen.
Apart from this, its Google TV UI is pretty much the same as that of the Chromecast so I won’t be brushing on that topic again. This means, all the searches and recommendations are prioritized to Google’s services like YouTube—and that stuff.
Weird issues that have since been resolved
Instead, I’ll talk about the more pressing issues I’d found with this TV stick. And the biggest of them all was definitely the lacking HDR playback. I’d set all the display settings in favor of HDR playback but still nada.
Also, the volume toggles on the remote didn’t work on Netflix and Prime Video for some reason. It worked on YouTube, Spotify, and Crunchyroll as intended, but those streaming platforms were a couple of weird exceptions. Fortunately, I recently received a 729MB update that fixed both of these issues.
While the Realme 4K Stick initially had a single 8-bit color format option, the update brought support for up to 12-bit color depth—which eventually enabled HDR playback.
Getting to the remote, it’s pretty nice. I have no trouble with the button feedback and these dedicated buttons for different services is a great thing to have. The horizontal placement of the volume buttons is a bit strange—yes—but I got used to it pretty quickly.
Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick Specifications:
Body: 90 x 29.8 x 14.5mm, 30 gm
Power: Micro USB
Processor: 4x Cortex-A35 CPU, dual-core GPU
Memory: 2GB RAM, 8GB storage
Display: Up to 4K Ultra HD @60fps
HDR: Yes (HDR10, HDR10+)
Audio: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0
Ports: HDMI (to plug directly into the TV)
OS: Android TV OS 11 (with Google TV on top)
Remote: Integrated microphone for Google Assistant
Color Options: Black
What’s In the Box: Realme TV TV Stick, HDMI extender, Power cable, Power adapter, Voice remote, 2x AAA batteries
Price in Nepal: N/A
4. Xiaomi Mi Box 4K
The final entry in our list of best streaming devices to buy in 2022 is the Mi Box 4K, which also goes by “Mi Box S” or “Mi Box 4” depending on the market. Launched in 2020, it has a bulkier, squarish build quality which isn’t the most elegant design. Then again, its bigger form factor means Xiaomi has managed to fit in a USB-A and a 3.5mm audio jack as well.
So, if you want to stream something off of your thumbdrive and your TV’s USB-A port is occupied for some reason, then there’s no need to connect a dongle here.
Aside from the design, the Mi Box 4K is powered by a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU with 2GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage. However, I found its UI/UX response is the slowest of the bunch. Be it scrolling through the menus or launching apps, the minor delay here is palpable. Even voice commands take a while to process on this streaming box—which flat-out fails to deliver the desired result sometimes.
Google Assistant is a bit sluggish here
What I mean is, I’d say something like “Launch YouTube”. Then, even after I get the audio/visual prompt acknowledging my request, it doesn’t launch the said app. Another uncanny thing I noticed here was how the Netflix app failed to load completely, giving off the “ui-800-3” error code instead.
I tried every solution I could find on the web, from clearing cache to re-installing the app and such—but none of them worked.
Thankfully, the Mi Box 4K recently received an update that finally solved this issue, while also bringing July’s security patch and a smoother UI/UX experience. Likewise, searching content on Netflix also works better now, but Google Assistant still can’t discover shows/movies on Prime Video.
Even though this Android TV interface looks dated compared to Google TV, I like how I can re-arrange the app channels on the homescreen. Like Realme’s TV stick, it can’t play Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos content either. But unlike the competition, I had no trouble playing HDR videos on the Mi Box 4K.
No “SDR to HDR” option
You can also select from different color space settings, whereas the “SDR to HDR” option is absent on my unit. Unlike Xiaomi TVs, the Mi Box 4K doesn’t have Patchwall built-in although you can find its option inside the settings menu.
Thus, the Patchwall button on the Mi Remote is replaced by a menu button instead, that triggers your TV’s app list—alongside a few recommendations. And about this remote… I… don’t like it. The form factor is just fine but the buttons are a little too stiff, especially the circular D-pad. And Xiaomi has been greedy enough to skip the AAA batteries inside the box as well.
In related news, Xiaomi recently announced TV Stick 4K, which is the direct successor to the aging Mi TV Stick. With newer hardware and support for Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos audio, it looks like a direct competition to other popular streaming devices. As a result, even if you just own a Full HD TV or don’t care about the premium HDR standards, I wouldn’t suggest getting the older Mi TV Stick.
It is way too stuttery and lacks even the most basic HDR playback. And maybe because of this, I noticed that videos have worse black levels here. Heck, even Chromecast crashes on this sometimes.
Xiaomi Mi Box 4K Specifications:
Body: 167 x 95.2 x 95.2mm, 148 gm
Power: Micro USB
Processor: Amlogic S905X
CPU: 4x Cortex-A53 (1.5GHz)
GPU: Arm Mali-450 (750MHz)
Memory: 2GB RAM, 8GB storage
Display: Up to 4K Ultra HD @60fps
HDR: Yes (HDR10)
Audio: Dolby Audio, DTS 2.0
Connectivity: WiFi 5 (802.11 ac, dual-band), Bluetooth 4.2
Ports: HDMI (to plug directly into the TV)
OS: Android TV 9.0
Remote: Integrated microphone for Google Assistant
Color Options: Black
What’s In the Box: Mi Box 4K, Power cable, Power adapter, Voice remote
Price in Nepal: Rs. 7,500 (unofficial)
Best Streaming Devices In 2022: Conclusion
So that was it for my top picks of the best streaming devices in 2022. As evident from everything I’ve discussed so far, Google’s Chromecast and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K are among the best options available. Brands like Xiaomi and Realme are doing pretty good in this space as well, but they’ve got a lot more refining to do.
MSI announced the Pulse GL66 gaming laptop back in May of 2021 with the latest Intel Tiger Lake-H series processors and NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30-series GPU. The laptop, which has been available in the Nepali market for some time, is currently enjoying a massive price drop. So, let’s go through the specs, features, and latest official price of MSI Pulse GL66 in Nepal.
MSI Pulse GL66 Overview:
Design and Display
MSI Pulse GL66 still sports the same old-school mean gaming laptop look. The chassis is made entirely out of plastic and is available in the “Titanium Gray” color option. It is specifically designed by Maarten Verhoeven. The design is said to be based on his vision of future fighters. Its chassis measures 359 x 259 x 23.95 mm and weighs around 2.3 kg.
Inside, you get a 15.6” FHD IPS panel with support for a 144Hz refresh rate. There is also a higher-end model with a 165Hz QHD display.
MSI Pulse GL66 is equipped with the latest 11th-gen Tiger Lake-H series mobile processor. You can go all the way up to Core i7-11800H that features 8 cores and boasts a dual-core max turbo frequency of 4.6GHz. Compared to i7-10750H, this CPU boasts a performance boost of up to 40%.
Also, the L3 cache is twice as big here. Similarly, you can choose from three GPUs – RTX 3060 (85W), RTX 3050 Ti (60W), and RTX 3050 (60W). RTX 3060 even supports Dynamic Boost 2.0 technology.
Getting to cooling, Pulse GL66’s Cooler Boost 5 setup consists of two fans and up to 6 heat pipes. Also, the heat pipes are now thinner as MSI has increased their internal diameter. For memory, you get two SO-DIMM slots with a combined max capacity of 64GB. On the other hand, you will get one or two M.2 NVMe slots for SSD depending on the variant.
Rest of the specs
MSI Pulse GL66 features a full-sized keyboard with RGB backlighting. There is also a dedicated numeric keypad here. You can customize the RGB backlight from the MSI Center too. The laptop features one Type-C, three Type-A, one RJ45 Ethernet, and one HDMI port.
Moving on, MSI has included a 53.5Wh battery inside, and ships it with a 180W power adapter. The base variant only gets a 150W adapter though.
Connectivity: Gb LAN, 802.11 ax Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth v5.2
I/O Ports: 1x Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen2), 2x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB 2.0, 1x RJ45, 1x (4K @ 60Hz) HDMI, 1x audio combo jack
MSI Pulse GL66 Price in Nepal & Availability
The price of MSI Pulse GL66 in Nepal is now NPR 245,000 for the Core i7 variant with QHD display, RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. This same variant previously went for NPR 259,000 in the Nepali market.
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 is a top-tier laptop for gaming and content creation. It first entered the Nepali market in August and is now available for its cheapest price ever. So, let’s go through the specs, features, latest official price of the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 in Nepal.
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 Overview:
Design and Display
Zephyrus M16 comes with a 16-inch 16:10 display with an option for up to WQHD resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate. However, you can also opt for the FHD panel with a lower 144Hz refresh rate. It’s worth noting that the screen is mounted on a 15-inch ultraslim chassis.
Moving on, the device has a dot-matrix pattern at the back that glows underneath and gives a shimmering look. Plus, its chiclet keyboard has RGB backlighting, and the screen can bend up to 180º thanks to the ErgoLift hinge.
Performance
M16 gets its power from Intel’s Core i9-11900H CPU, which can reach a top clock speed of 4.9GHz. It can be paired with three of the RTX 30-series mobile GPU: RTX 3070 (8GB), RTX 3060 (6GB), or RTX 3050 Ti (4GB).
Zephyrus M16 comes with 16GB/32GB of DDR4 RAM that can be extended up to 48GB via the available DIMM slots. In terms of storage, this gaming laptop comes with up to 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD. Furthermore, it employs a 4-cell 90Wh Li-ion battery.
Rest of the specs
Following that, the I/O ports here include two USB Type-A, one Type-C, one Thunderbolt 4, one HDMI 2.0b, one RJ45 (LAN) port, and a microSD card reader. A Wi-Fi 6 module with Bluetooth 5.2 handles wireless connectivity. Aside from that, it has Dolby Atmos-certified speakers with Smart Amp Technology. Both Type-C and Thunderbolt 4 ports support Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 Specifications:
Design&Build: Dot-matrix, 13.98 x 9.57 x 0.88-inch, 1.90 kg
I/O Ports: 1x 3.5mm jack, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x RJ45 LAN port, 1x card reader (microSD), 1x Thunderbolt 4
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 in Nepal is NPR 240,000 for the i9-11900H model with RTX 3050 Ti. The same configuration previously retailed for NPR 255,000. Similarly, the price of the WQHD variant with RTX 3060 has dropped down to NPR 310,000 from NPR 338,889.
Zeep Z is the first premium smartwatch from Zepp Health (Huami Corp in China). It launched a couple of months ago here as well. Thankfully, the Zepp Z and has now received a healthy price cut in Nepal.
Zepp Z Overview:
Design and Display
Zepp Z has the classic circular watch design. Its body is made of NTC-coated titanium alloy, whereas the company has used polycarbonate and glass fiber for the bottom. This premium design is further complemented by the leather strap.
Moving on, this smartwatch features an AMOLED panel with a 1.39-inch diameter. Its 454 x 454 pixels resolution results in a 326 PPI pixel density. The display boasts 100% NTSC color space and 550 nits of peak brightness.
Navigation and Controls
Zepp Z has two buttons and a crown on the right. Users can scroll and slide through the UI using the crown. The button to its top is a shortcut to the health features. However, you can customize it as you please. The other button looks to be a power button.
Health Tracking and PAI
Zepp Z is equipped with BioTracker 2 PPG optical sensor. It is capable of 24/7 heart rate monitoring. You also have the option to keep track of your SpO2 level. Then, there is sleep monitoring which can measure different sleep cycles including REM and short naps.
A stress monitoring system is also built into the system to help the user relax. Zepp’s proprietary PAI health assessment system takes different metrics of your health stats and provides an overall score that everyone can understand.
Moving on, the Zepp Z boasts 90 different built-in workout modes, including running, skiing, and climbing. Since the watch has 5ATM certification, you can even wear it to your swimming training too. Likewise, the total of 90 sports modes includes 12 professional workout modes like rowing, walking, etc.
The watch supports real-time heart monitoring during workouts as well. It also notifies you of your active heart rate zone. Zepp has included a dual-positioning system with GPS and GLONASS for accurately trailing your workout sessions.
Smart features
Additionally, this smartwatch has Alexa built-in, which you can use to make weather inquiries, control smart devices, set alarms, etc. However, you will need a smartphone for most of these features. In contrast, there are over 58 voice commands that you can use to interact with the watch even without a smartphone.
Battery life
Zepp Z boasts up to 15 days of battery life with its 340mAh battery. This can extend to up to 30 days in the Basic Watch Mode. It takes around 2.5 hours for the smartwatch to recharge completely using magnetic wireless charging.
Zepp Z Specifications:
Body: 46.3 x 46.3 x 10.7-mm, 40 grams
Band: 22mm leather, classic pin buckle
Display: 1.39 AMOLED, Always-on Display (AoD), 454 x 454 pixels, 326PPI, 100% NTSC, 550 nits maximum brightness
Health Tracking: 24/7 Heart Rate Monitoring, SpO2 Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, Stress Monitoring, PAI assessment
Sports Modes: 90 total (12 professional modes)
Zepp Z Price in Nepal and Availability
Zepp Z premium smartwatch was initially launched in Nepal with a price tag of Rs. 48,000. However, after just 4 months of its release, it is now available for Rs. 43,000. You can buy the Zepp Z smartwatch in Nepal from Oliz Store.
Xiaomi’s flagship smartphone lineup for 2022, the Xiaomi 12 series is now official. Along with it, the company officially unveiled the MIUI 13 Android skin as well. And now, we have the list of smartphones getting the MIUI 13 update in the first batch.
MIUI 13 Update Roadmap:
Before going over the list, let’s talk a bit about the new UI. It’s based on Android 12 and brings a respectable performance boost over MIUI 12.5. Xiaomi claims that the new UI reduces the number of dropped frames in third-party apps by up to 15%. It also brings privacy features such as face verification protection, privacy watermark (adds a watermark to the image you share), and fraud protection.
Furthermore, the MIUI 13 has new live wallpapers and widgets options for customizing the home screen to the user’s preferences.
For now, Xiaomi has confirmed 19 devices that will receive the said update in the first batch. These handsets should begin receiving updates in Q1 2022.
As expected, Xiaomi’s flagship lineup of 2021—the Mi 11 series is among the first to get the MIUI 13 update. Then, the list is crowded with the popular Redmi 10 and Note 10 series. Surprisingly enough, we also have the Xiaomi Pad 5 in the first batch. To note, the latter will get the MIUI 13 Pad update.
To reiterate, this is just the initial batch of phones/tablets getting the MIUI 13 update. Thus, the remaining Xiaomi, Redmi smartphones will receive the update in the near future. However, whether Xiaomi will push the update to older phones such as the Redmi Note 8 series remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Google Pixel 6.
Nintendo announced the Switch (OLED model) with an OLED panel and a larger display than the Switch and Switch Lite back in July 2021. Now, Nepali gamers can finally get their hands on the new Nintendo Switch OLED. So, let’s have a look at the specifications, features, and price of the Nintendo Switch (OLED model) in Nepal.
Nintendo Switch (OLED model) Overview:
Design and Display
The most noticeable upgrade, obviously, is the new 7-inch OLED panel. As a result, you can be assured that you’ll get deeper blacks and more vibrant colors than older Switch devices. However, Nintendo has still opted to limit the display resolution to 720p—that can output to 1080p resolution when docked.
At the back, you get a wider adjustable kickstand that extends to the entire bottom part to better support the device’s weight. It should allow you to enjoy the content from multiple viewing angles.
Other than the new OLED panel, the Switch comes with 64GB of onboard storage, which is double of what you get in the standard model. Powering the device is the same Nvidia Tegra X1 SoC paired with the 4GB of RAM.
Moreover, the Nintendo Switch (OLED model) boasts an improved bottom-firing speaker setup. However, the company did not bother to detail the improvement.
Rest of the specs
Moving on, the dock allows video output to TV and has an integrated LAN port for those who would want to use a wired internet connection. The Switch OLED has detachable Joy-Con Controllers and weighs approximately 0.93 lbs with it. The battery is expected to give a playtime of up to 9 hours.
Nintendo Switch (OLED model) Specifications
Weight: 0.93 lbs with Joy-Con controller
Display: 7.0-inch OLED touchscreen
Resolution: 1280×720 pixels
Memory: 4GB RAM, 64GB storage
Controllers: Joy-Con with HD Rumble and IR Motion Camera
Switch Dock: Yes, LAN port
Battery: Up to 9 hours
Game Compatibility: All Switch Games
Play Modes: TV mode, Tabletop Mode, Handheld Mode
Nintendo Switch (OLED model) Price in Nepal and Availability
Nintendo Switch (OLED model) is now available in Nepal with a price tag of NPR 59,000. You can buy it from Allure International, located at New Road Complex.
Back in October, Amazfit updated its portfolio of smartwatches with the introduction of three new models across the GTS and GTR lineup. These third-gen smartwatches have finally started arriving in Nepal. Here, we will be discussing the specs, features, official price, and availability of the new Amazfit GTR 3, 3 Pro, and GTS 3 in Nepal.
Amazfit’s new custom OS for smartwatches: Zepp OS
Before talking about the new products themselves, let’s look at the technologies that they are based on. Amazfit’s third-gen smartwatches are powered by an in-house Huangshan 2s chip. They also boot on the company’s own Zepp OS.
Amazfit has introduced the concept of mini-apps in Zepp OS to help elongate battery life. It is also allowing third-party developers to make use of this new framework for their apps.
All three of the new smartwatches come with a BioTracker 3.0 heart sensor. It uses six photodiodes and two LEDs for more accurate readings.
Similarly, with One-tap, users can get their heart rate, blood oxygen level, stress level, and breathing level measurements in just 45 seconds. Amazfit has also announced PumpBeats for blood pressure monitoring, which is now awaiting approval from concerned authorities.
Amazfit GTR 3 Pro Overview:
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. The GTR 3 Pro features a 1.45-inch circular AMOLED display. The watch case is made from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy and the whole setup weighs just 32 grams. It is available in two colors: Brown Leather and Infinity Black.
Unlike the other two watches in the lineup, it comes with a built-in speaker as well. You can use it to make phone calls or even summon Alexa voice assistant. As for the battery, Amazfit claims 12 days of endurance under normal usage and up to 35 hours with continuous GPS usage.
Moving on, the Amazfit GTR 3 shares the same form factor as its Pro sibling, but with a smaller display of 1.39-inch. Its bezels are also thicker, resulting in a 66% screen-to-body ratio. That being said, the GTR 3 can hit 1,000 nits of brightness like the Pro model. There are two color options to choose from: Thunder Black and Moonlight Grey.
However, the GTR 3 doesn’t have a speaker, though its predecessor had one. It looks like the feature will now be exclusive to the Pro model from this year. Moreover, this smartwatch doesn’t have onboard storage either.
The main selling point of GTR 3 is its battery life. On normal usage, it can last up to 21 days. Similarly, Amazfit is claiming 35 hours of endurance with active GPS.
Health Tracking: 24/7 hour heart rate monitoring, SpO2, Sleep tracking, Stress monitoring, PAI assessment
Sports Modes: 150 total (8 smart recognition)
Amazfit GTS 3 Overview:
GTS 3 has the biggest display of the bunch. It sports a 1.75-inch square AMOLED panel with 341 PPI pixel density. There are three colors to choose from: Graphite Black, Terra Rose, and Ivory White. It measures 8.8mm thick and weighs just 24.4grams.
Like the GTR 3 series, it has the new navigation crown but lacks any other button. Its battery life is on par with the GTR 3 Pro as well. As for sports tracking, all three support up to 150 modes with automatic detection of eight of them. They also have 5ATM ratings, and thus, can be taken for swimming.
Amazfit GTS 3 Specifications:
Body: Aluminum body, 42.4 x 36 x 8.8-mm, 24.4 grams
The Amazfit GTR 3 and GTS 3 have officially launched in Nepal, courtesy of the Hukut Store. The latest price of Amazift GTR 3 and GTS 3 in Nepal is NPR 22,499. In addition, the high-end GTR 3 Pro (Limited Edition) is available for a price of NPR 28,500.
The C25Y features a 6.5-inches IPS LCD panel with 420 nits of brightness and HD+ resolution. It has a textured pattern at the back and an all-plastic build. Likewise, the back of the phone has a fingerprint sensor and a square camera island. Realme C25Y is available in Glacier Blue and Metal Grey color options.
