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iQOO Z5 Review: No OLED, No Party

Nikhil Shrestha
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iQOO Z5 Review: No OLED, No Party

iQOO’s phones have mostly been known for their terrific performance and excellent value-for-money. And the new iQOO Z5 that I have with me is currently the most affordable Snapdragon 778G-powered phone available right now. Apart from the chipset upgrade, the company hasn’t really brought any other significant improvement compared to the iQOO Z3 from earlier this year. Allow me to discuss more on this review of the iQOO Z5.

iQOO Z5 Specifications:

  • Body: 77 x 165 x 8mm, 193 gm, Polycarbonate build
  • Display: 6.67-inches IPS LCD panel, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Panda Glass protection, 100% DCI-P3, HDR10
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (6nm Mobile Platform)
  • Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
  • Software & UI: Android 11 with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 12
  • Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
    – 64MP, f/1.79 primary sensor, PDAF
    – 8MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, 120º FOV
    – 2MP, f/2.4 macro lens (4cm focus)
  • Front Camera: 16MP f/2.0 sensor (punch-hole cutout)
  • Audio: Stereo speaker setup, 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face unlock
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light, E-compass, Gyroscope, Proximity
  • Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo, USB Type-C, 4G LTE, 5G
  • Battery: 5000mAh with 44W FlashCharge (44W adapter provided)
  • Color Options: Mystic Space, Arctic Dawn
  • Price in Nepal: N/A (not launched yet)
    • INR 23,990 (8/128GB) | INR 26,990 (12/256GB)

iQOO Z5 Review:

Design & Build

  • 76.7 x 164.7 x 8.5mm, 193 grams
  • Glass front, polycarbonate back/frame

Starting this review with the design, the iQOO Z5 is a little beefier—which is primarily because of the bigger battery beneath. At 193 grams, it’s certainly not the bulkiest phone to have in your pockets but I wish it had a more even weight distribution to even things out. Anyway, there are some subtle visual glow-ups that I gotta talk about.

While iQOO went with a Vivo X60-inspired camera module for the Z3, its successor brings one inspired by the new Vivo X70. I’m not particularly thrilled about this design—but to each their own, I guess.

iQOO Z5 - Design

Besides the Arctic Dawn colorway that I have with me, iQOO also ships the Z5 in the Mystic Space option that infused black and blue hues. On the contrary, this one appears to have a plain white finish at a glance but upon a closer look, you’ll notice subtle prismatic reflections—complemented by tiny starry patterns across the board.

More importantly, it’s got a matte finish, thereby keeping fingerprints and smudges at bay. I just wish it weren’t this slippery because I would’ve loved to rock it without a case. Overall, the phone’s hands-on feel is further eased up by the 3D curved sides. Still and all, I’m not a fan of how the grooves on the side house the power and the volume buttons.

Buttons could’ve been placed better

This shallow indentation means my finger struggles to naturally find its way to the power button. The tactile feedback of the button itself is fine for a mid-range phone, but this is certainly an area where iQOO could’ve done better.

Yet, this fingerprint scanner-infused button unlocks the phone ridiculously fast—whereas I’m impressed with the face unlock’s response time too. Besides the buttons on the right, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microphone at the top while the left frame stays entirely clean.

The SIM tray that now can’t take a microSD card is located at the bottom alongside the USB-C port, a speaker grille, and an additional mic. And while the phone expectedly skips an IP rating, iQOO has accompanied the SIM tray with a rubber gasket.

Moving on, expecting a compact mid-range phone in 2021 is pretty much pointless so I can’t single out iQOO for delivering a rather wide device. However, the Z5 is an all-plastic phone—so it definitely lags behind in terms of a premium feel compared to similarly-priced phones with a glass back.

Display

  • 6.67-inches FHD+ IPS LCD screen
  • 120/240Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
  • Panda Glass protection, HDR10

Now, getting to the display section of the review, iQOO Z5 does bring some upgrades on this front—but it isn’t entirely what I was looking forward to. The teardrop notch is gone for good this time but the company is still sticking with an IPS LCD panel here. As a result, this is definitely where most of the criticisms surrounding the phone revolve—and rightfully so.

The competition is readily offering a vibrant AMOLED screen on phones that cost almost half as much as the Z5, while iQOO’s stance against AMOLED on its mid-range devices is questionable. In all fairness, this IPS panel is of decent quality. Measuring 6.67” tall, the colors on this display look well-saturated—with a hint of a pinkish tint all-around.

iQOO Z5 - Display 1

This is noticeable in practically every color profile available, and shifting through the temperature settings didn’t do the trick either. On the other hand, iQOO has retained Widevine L1 certification here—whereas its HDR10 compatibility is still half-baked. You can play HDR videos off of YouTube but not on OTT platforms like Netflix.

Not the most competitive display

Pair it with the IPS nature of this screen, I’ve sorely missed the saturation, contrast levels of an OLED display here. This is especially true when watching something bright like the Cowboy Bebop anime that I’ve been rewatching before jumping to its live-action Netflix series.

At 480 nits, the iQOO Z5 gets plenty bright although it does struggle under direct sunlight. Considering the overall fluid performance of the phone, the ambient sensor takes a while to kick in, but it’s nothing to worry about. There was even an update addressing this issue but to no avail.

I’m not a big fan of its viewing angles either as there’s an observable dip in saturation levels when looking at it from the sides. Nevertheless, the 120Hz refresh rate here is quite well-optimized. I did notice micro-stutters when scrolling through the app drawer or triggering the global search on a couple of occasions, but it’s not frequent enough to warrant any immediate concern.

This 120Hz implementation is also a smart one—meaning the display can automatically switch between refresh rates to save battery. Like on the iQOO Z3, this one toggles between 60 and 120Hz only. Complementing this is a 240Hz touch sampling rate. For the most part, it’s handled my gaming sessions admirably fine, while I also can’t complain about the typing accuracy.

Performance

  • Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC (6nm)
  • 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
  • Android 11 with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 12 on top (upgradeable)

Allow me to get to the performance side of things now. Powering the Z5 is the hottest mid-range Qualcomm chip in town—the Snapdragon 778G 5G. Not literally the “hottest”, but the most preferred sub-flagship mobile silicon; you know what I mean.

While I initially thought that iterative upgrade from the 768G on the iQOO Z3 wouldn’t be that big a-deal, I was pleasantly surprised to find out the opposite. And most of this has to do with the faster memory protocols as well.

iQOO Z5 - UI

To note, the Z3 featured LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. On the contrary, iQOO has packed the respective fastest memory solutions here, which means you’re getting 8/12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128/256GB of UFS 3.1 storage on the Z5. If I had to boil down its performance into one word, it’d be “snappy”.

I mean, everything feels so quick and responsive here. There’s also iQOO’s “Extended RAM 2.0” feature that can swap in 4GB of storage as RAM whenever necessary.

When I say snappy, I mean snappy!

As usual, I ran my app opening and multitasking test on this phone and I’m amazed by its results. The 8GB variant that I have was able to keep all 10 apps in memory—completing the test in 2 minutes and 35 seconds. To note, the iQOO Z5 managed to outpace the Dimensity 1200-powered OnePlus Nord 2 in this regard. Most impressive!

App list:
Phone Genshin Impact
Chrome PUBG Mobile
Messenger Netflix
Instagram YouTube
Facebook Adobe Premiere Rush
Speed Test: iQOO Z5 OnePlus Nord 2
1st lap (app opening) 2 minutes 8 seconds 2 minutes 17 seconds
Full lap (multitasking) 2 minutes 35 seconds 2 minutes 45 seconds

Unfortunately, the memory management issue with small background processes that I mentioned in my review of the iQOO Z3 is still persistent with Funtouch OS 12.

iQOO Z5 - Launcher

Talking about Funtouch OS 12, its stock Android-inspired design sits right by me, and iQOO has listened to the criticism of Funtouch OS 11 as I didn’t find as many terms & conditions prompts here. It has gotten rid of the Jovi Home feed on the homescreen as well—leaving you with only the Google Discover card. However, the phone still comes with a bunch of bloatware apps pre-installed—all of which are thankfully uninstallable.

How’s the gaming experience?

Moving to gaming, the phone has fared significantly better compared to other Snapdragon 778G-powered phones I’ve tested so far. Genshin Impact is well inside the playable boundary under High graphics, 60fps mode, and with motion blur turned off.

iQOO Z3 iQOO Z5
(Snapdragon 768G) (Snapdragon 778G)
Androbench Sequential Read 998.96 MB/s 1500.04 MB/s
Sequential Write 463.49 MB/s 939.79 MB/s
AnTuTu v8.5 Total 375542 492724
CPU 120274 160310
GPU 106404 150960
Memory 71474 97169
UX 77390 84285
Geekbench 5 CPU (Single Core) 708 797
CPU (Multi-Core) 2014 2981
Compute (OpenCL) 1504 2318
PCMark (Work 3.0 Performance) 8361 11538
3DMark (Wild Life) 1949 2529

But I know most of us would rather have an even smoother gameplay, so dialing the graphics down to medium does the trick. There are still some minor frame drops every now and then, but I can’t complain much. After 30-35 minutes into the game, I graphed the CPU and GPU temperatures climb to 42ºC and 38ºC, respectively.

iQOO Z5 - Gaming

Under this, you’ll find the phone getting the hottest near the camera module although I didn’t notice any significant discomfort. iQOO Z5’s vapor chamber cooling seems to have done its job just fine. Likewise, PUBG Mobile can hit up to HDR graphics and Ultra frame rates where I noticed minimal frame drops on a couple of occasions. So I had to switch to Smooth graphics and Extreme frame rates for a stable 60fps gameplay.

Besides these, the Z5 sails past COD Mobile at its highest of settings with minimal lag/stutters. Even after a little over 40 minutes into the game, the phone doesn’t get that hot. A relatively less-demanding title like MLBB is well playable with HD and HFR turned on.

High fps gaming is absent 

Despite all this, you won’t be able to enjoy high-fps games at their best on this phone. Critical Ops is restricted to 60fps where it plays smoothly at Ultra graphics, but the missing 120fps mode makes a big difference.

Similarly, playing Injustice 2 capped out at 60fps was a fairly enjoyable experience although I did notice infrequent frame drops here and there. Amidst this review, I also ran a CPU throttle test on the iQOO Z5 to verify its impressive enduring performance. And as you can see from this chart, the 778G on the iQOO Z5 throttled to just 89% after an hour.

So, if you’re looking for a reliable performer in the mid-range category, the iQOO Z5 is definitely a top contender. Further sweetening the pot is the fact that this phone is also guaranteed to get 2 years of platform and 3 years of security updates.

Cameras

  • Triple-camera setup at the back
  • (64MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
  • 16MP selfie camera (punch-hole cutout)

On to the cameras, there’s not much to be excited by since the company has borrowed the same camera array from the iQOO Z3. In fact, there’s a downgrade in the video department since it can’t shoot 4K/60fps videos, unlike its predecessor. Anyway, this setup includes a 64MP Samsung GW3 primary sensor followed by an 8MP ultrawide and a hopeless 2MP macro lens.

For this review, I compared the cameras on iQOO Z5 against the Samsung Galaxy M52, and here are the results.

Normal Images

Normal daytime images from both phones are well-detailed but I noticed that images from the M52 retain greater contrast. Therefore, Z5’s photos look relatively flatter and the colors don’t pop as much either.

But as you can see from these samples, there’s a noticeable reddish tint from M52’s photos too. And in some cases, I found iQOO to be doing a better job in terms of dynamic range as well.

Wideangle Images

There’s a similar progression on ultrawide shots too. Low contrast and therefore brighter shadow details from the Z5, but I like M52’s images more as it manages to retain the punchy contrast that I expect from an image.

Compared to the primary camera, the color shift in the ultrawide lens is more pronounced on the M52 though.

Portrait Images

Getting to the portrait images, neither of them has a dedicated depth sensor.

I find images from iQOO better in terms of dynamic range although its detail level isn’t up to the mark most of the time. Both phones are similar when it comes to edge detection though.

Macro Images

Macro shots, on the other hand, are pretty useless from either of them while Z5’s close-up photos are relatively softer.

Nighttime Images

Under low-light conditions, even though Galaxy M52 struggles with maintaining exposure sometimes, its sharper, brighter photos are ultimately superior to the softer results from the iQOO Z5.

There’s not much to expect in the ultrawide nighttime shots of either phone where Z5 produces rabidly greenish tint in extremely low-light conditions.

Turning on night mode, the results are still muddy and with a greenish hue on the iQOO Z5 whereas M52’s shots have a more natural white balance and are sharper with finer details. Shifting to the ultrawide camera, iQOO softens the details while M52 shoots relatively sharper but often times grainier photos.

Selfie Images

Although M52’s selfies have better contrast, they tend to look a little dark and sometimes even oversharpened. On the contrary, the iQOO Z5 shoots warm and a bit greenish selfies.

Moreover, the Z5 also oversharpens the selfie portraits but pretty much matches the M52 in terms of edge detection.

Videography

Moving to videos, 4k/30fps footages are jittery from both phones although I like the contrast and color balance from the M52 more. Unlike Samsung, iQOO has enabled stabilization at 1080p/60fps mode too—but it crops way too much to achieve a steady result. As you can tell, even the videos from the iQOO Z5 have the aforementioned greenish tint.

Weirdly enough, the level of stabilization on this phone is downgraded when shooting at 1080p/30fps. Here, the steadiness is comparable from both phones but Samsung wins out in terms of contrast levels—despite its warm hue. I also like the 1080p/30fps ultrawide videos more from the M52 for its wider field of view, balanced black levels, and contrast.

Samsung wins in the selfie video department as well, since it can shoot up to 4k/30fps resolution compared to the 1080p/30fps cap on the Z5. Under this, videos from both phones have a similar level of stabilization but M52’s recordings are richer in contrast.

Battery

  • 5000mAh battery with 44W FlashCharge

iQOO Z5 gets its juice from a larger 5000mAh battery—compared to the 4400mAh cell on its predecessor. Under my regular usage with hours of streaming Netflix, browsing through my social media feeds, and playing a couple of games every now and then, I got about 5.5 hours of screen-on time. To note, I’d set the brightness to auto while setting the refresh rate to a steady 120Hz.

There’s no overnight battery drain issue either, so that’s great. With the bigger battery at the helm, iQOO has had to reduce the charging speed. Using the 44W power brick that comes inside the box, it takes about one hour and 12 minutes to fully juice it up.

Audio

  • Stereo speaker setup
  • 3.5mm headphone jack

Moving to the audio portion of this review, the iQOO Z5 brings a stereo speaker setup contrary to the mono speaker on its predecessor. These are not dedicated dual speakers since the earpiece serves as the secondary unit to deliver stereo audio instead. Regardless, the audio output is quite loud and is suitable for watching shows/movies.

But listening to dynamic music—especially one that favors high frequencies like Radiohead’s “You and Whose Army?”—I noticed that vocals and other instruments are overpowered by treble.

iQOO Z5 - Display 2

Call quality is more than satisfactory though. I got no complaint from people on the receiving end about the loudness or clarity of my voice. There’s no trouble with the proximity sensor either. Additionally, the haptic feedback of the iQOO Z5 is pretty nice. It’s not as weak on the Galaxy M52 but I would’ve liked it more if it had a quieter noise profile.

iQOO Z5 Review: Conclusion

Wrapping up this review, the iQOO Z5 is a decent mid-range phone with snappy performance. But the fact that it still hosts an IPS display is kind of a major letdown, especially considering how other brands are offering a superior AMOLED screen at a similar price range. And compared to the competition, its cameras aren’t exactly on par either.

So, instead of driving up costs with advertisements on IPL, iQOO, a brand that launched the iQOO 7, which is still the best phone under INR 35,000 in India, could’ve definitely done a better job by bringing more competitive phones.

As of now, I’m sorry to say that the iQOO Z5 simply doesn’t strike the right note. I would rather recommend you the Galaxy M52 or the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE or the Mi 11X that are currently on sale at under INR 25,000 on Flipkart.

  • Watch our video review of the iQOO Z5.

iQOO Z5 Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Snappy performance
  • DDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage
  • Doesn’t heat up that much
  • Decent battery endurance
  • 44W fast charging
  • Nice haptic feedback

Cons:

  • Still no AMOLED display
  • Skips a glass back design
  • Photos are lacking in contrast
  • Mediocre videography ability

Nepal Telecom brings unlimited data packs under the latest Autumn offer

GadgetByte
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Nepal Telecom brings unlimited data packs under the latest Autumn offer

A couple of months ago, the Managing Director of Nepal Telecom teased that the company was working on cheap unlimited data packs. The said packs are here, but they are not exactly what we made them out to be. So, let’s walk through the pricing and availability of the new Sajilo Unlimited Packs from Nepal Telecom.

Nepal Telecom Sajilo Unlimited Packs

The Sajilo Unlimited Packs from Nepal Telecom bring unlimited monthly mobile/voice data, along with the option to buy add-on packs in the future. It’s a part of the company’s latest Autumn offer.

To note, these unlimited packs have their limitations. Based on your subscription, you can only enjoy full-speed internet for a pre-determined volume (1GB/2GB/4GB). After the consumption of the target bandwidth, the speed will be reduced to 64Kbps.

In addition, they are mainly for postpaid customers, with only the basic pack available for prepaid users. These packs can be activated by dialing *1415# or via the Nepal Telecom mobile app.

Sajilo Unlimited Pack – Rs. 599

At Rs. 599, this is the cheapest of the Sajilo Unlimited data packs. Here, users can choose between unlimited data or unlimited voice calls for 30 days.

If you choose the former, you will get 1GB of data per day for the total validity period. You can also buy an add-on voice pack for Rs. 299.

If you go with the voice option, you will get unlimited voice calls within the Nepal Telecom network. You can also buy an add-on data pack for Rs. 299. This offer is valid for both prepaid and post-paid users.

Plan Voice Data SMS Validity Period Beneficiary Price
Unlimited Data – 1GB per Day (fallback speed of 64Kbps) –
  • 30 days (postpaid)
  • 28 days (prepaid)
  • Prepaid users
  • Postpaid users
  • Rs. 599
  • Rs. 299 for data/voice add-on
Unlimited Voice Unlimited calls within NT network – –

Sajilo Unlimited Pack – Rs. 799

Under this, you will get unlimited voice calls (NT-NT) and 200 free SMS (NT-NT) in addition to 30GB of data. It includes 50 minutes of voice calls and 50 SMS valid outside of NT’s network as well. This pack is valid only for post-paid users.

Plan Voice Data SMS Validity Period Beneficiary Price
Unlimited Data + Voice + SMS
  • Unlimited calls within NT network
  • 50 minutes talk time (NT-Others)
 1GB per Day (fallback speed of 64Kbps)
  • 200 SMS (NT-NT)
  • 50 SMS (NT-Others)
 30 days Postpaid users Rs. 799

Sajilo Unlimited Pack – Rs. 999

If you subscribe to this pack, you will get 2GB of mobile data per day. It is bundled with unlimited voice calls and 400 SMS within the NT network. Then there are 100 minutes of voice calls and 100 SMS for other networks.

Plan Voice Data SMS Validity Period Beneficiary Price
Unlimited Data + Voice + SMS
  • Unlimited calls within NT network
  • 100 minutes talk time (NT-Others)
 2GB per day (fallback speed of 64Kbps)
  • 400 SMS (NT-NT)
  • 100 SMS (NT-Others)
 30 days Postpaid users Rs. 999

Sajilo Pack – Rs. 1,499

As you could tell, this is the most expensive pack of all. With this, you get 4GB of mobile data per day, unlimited voice calls, and 1000 SMS within the NT network. You also get additional 200 minutes of talk-time and 200 SMS valid outside of the company’s network.

Plan Voice Data SMS Validity Period Beneficiary Price
Unlimited Data + Voice + SMS
  • Unlimited calls within NT network
  • 200 minutes talk time (NT-Others)
 4GB per day (fallback speed of 64Kbps)
  • 1000 SMS (NT-NT)
  • 200 SMS (NT-Others)
 30 days Postpaid users Rs. 1,499

Nepal Telecom Sajilo Unlimited Packs: Add-on Packages

In case, you have exhausted the daily data limit, you can buy the following add-on packs to avoid the fallback speed.

Add-on Data Price Validity
1GB Rs. 30 1 Day
2GB Rs. 40
4GB Rs. 50

Nepal Telecom Sajilo Unlimited Packs: Initial Thoughts

Honestly, I was quite excited when the initial news broke about Nepal Telecom working on a monthly unlimited pack. Starting at Rs. 599, it is not as cheap as we expected it to be. Similarly, the throttled speed of just 64Kbps reduces the appeal as well. Moving on, most of these packs are not even available for prepaid customers that form the majority of users.

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

Acer Swift X Pro with Ryzen 5800U, RTX 3050 Ti now available in Nepal

GadgetByte
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Acer Swift X Pro with Ryzen 5800U, RTX 3050 Ti now available in Nepal

Acer’s Swift lineup is famous for the thin and light Ultrabooks suitable for homes and offices. However, the company has lately added some devices targeting content creators as well. One of them is the new Swift X Pro, which has just hit the Nepali market. In this post, we will be discussing the Acer Swift X Pro in more detail, including its specs, features, price, and availability in Nepal.

Acer Swift X Pro Overview:

Design and Display

Acer Swift X Pro follows the thin and lightweight design of previous Swift laptops. It sports a metal chassis with options for Gold, Pink, and Black color variants for the lid. This laptop weighs around 1.39 kg and is 17.9mm thick.

Opening the lid, you are greeted with a 14″ IPS panel with FHD resolution. Its thin bezels contribute to an 85.73% screen-to-body ratio. The panel has 99% sRGB coverage and can get as bright as 300 nits.

Acer Swift X Pro 2021 Design

Performance and Memory

Although the Swift X Pro is available with processors from both Intel and AMD, only the latter is available in Nepal as of now. In particular, it has the Ryzen 7 5800U. This CPU is based on the latest Zen 3 architecture and features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a maximum clock speed listed at 4.4GHz.

This has been paired with NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 Ti GPU, which should get you through tasks like light video editing and even casual gaming. It features 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM and has a maximum wattage of 40W. As for memory, you get 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.

Acer Swift X Pro 2021 Performance

Keyboard, Webcam, Audio

Acer Swift X Pro has a full-size backlit keyboard. Interestingly, this keyboard also allows cool air to pass through to help with heat dissipation. It is accompanied by a Windows Precision trackpad. There is also a physical fingerprint scanner for biometrics.

Over on the audio, there are stereo speakers with DTS Audio. Acer has even included its proprietary AI Noise reduction technology that helps suppress ambient noise at both ends of a video call.

Rest of the specs

Fueling the laptop is a 3815mAh battery that Acer claims can provide up to 7 hours of endurance. The laptop ships with a 90W power brick for charging.

The ports selection is also decent here. You’re getting two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (with DisplayPort and USB charging), one HDMI, and a DC-in port. It misses out on a microSD card slot but features a Kensington lock.

Acer Swift X Pro 2021 Ports

Acer Swift X Pro Specifications:

  • Design & Build: Metal body, 12.7W x 8.4D x 0.71H-inches, 1.39 kg
  • Color Options: Gold, Pink, Black
  • Display: 14″ matte IPS LCD panel, 300 nits brightness, 60Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB color gamut
  • Resolution: FHD (1920×1080) resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio
  • Keyboard: Backlit chiclet keys (white)
  • Trackpad: Windows Precision trackpad
  • Security: Windows Hello-certified fingerprint reader
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800U (Zen 3), 8C/16T, 4.4GHz Max Boost Frequency, 16MB L3 Cache
  • RAM: 16GB LPDDR4
  • Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
  • Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti (4GB GDDR6 VRAM, 40W)
  • Audio: Stereo speaker with DTS: Audio
  • Battery: 3815mAh 4-cell Li-Ion battery
  • Power Supply: 65W barrel-pin power connector
  • Webcam: 720p HD camera, No privacy shutter
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax), Bluetooth 5.0
  • I/O Ports: 1x 3.5mm jack, 1x Thunderbolt 4 (with DisplayPort and USB charging), 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (one with power-off charging), 1x HDMI 2.0

Acer Swift X Pro Price in Nepal and Availability

The price of Acer Swift X Pro in Nepal is Rs. 168,000. It is for the Ryzen 7 5800U variant with RTX 3050 Ti GPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD. You can buy Acer Swift X Pro in Nepal from ITTI and other authorized stores.

Acer Swift X Pro Price in Nepal Availability
Ryzen 7 5800U, RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Rs. 168,000
  • Authorized Stores
  • Meanwhile, check out our review of Acer Aspire 5 2021.

Tecno Camon 18i launched with a 90Hz HD display, Helio G85, 48MP camera

GadgetByte
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Tecno Camon 18i launched with a 90Hz HD display, Helio G85, 48MP camera

Tecno has just launched Camon 18i in select African markets. It is the latest addition to the company’s Camon 18 series, which consists of Camon 18 Premier. Here, we will be discussing the key specs, features, expected price, and availability of Tecno Camon 18i in Nepal.

Tecno Camon 18i Overview:

The Camon 18i is the smaller and cheaper option in the Camon 18 series. Still, it’s not that difficult to see that it’s heavily based on Tecno Camon 17. The phone is yet to be listed on the company’s official site but it is already available in select markets like Kenya and Nigeria.

Design and Display

Like the Camon 17, the 18i sports a 6.6-inch LCD panel with an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels. The display supports a 90Hz refresh rate and features a punch-hole cutout for the 8MP selfie camera.

All the buttons are on the right side of the phone. At the back, there is a left-aligned rectangular camera bump and a physical fingerprint scanner.

Tecno Camon 18i Design

Performance and Memory

Under the hood, Tecno Camon 18i packs MediaTek Helio G85 chipset. The chip is fabricated using TSMC’s 12nm FinFET process and features two Cortex-A75 (@2GHz) and six Cortex-A55 (@1.8GHz) cores.

As for memory, you get 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Its SIM tray can also hold a microSD card for storage expansion.

Rest of the specs

Over on the back, Tecno Camon 18i flaunts a triple camera setup. The primary camera uses a 48MP sensor. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro sensor.

Tecno Camon 18i Camera

Fueling the phone is a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W charging. The phone ships with Android 11-based HiOS 8.0.

Tecno Camon 18i Specifications:

  • Display: 6.6-inches “Dot-in” LCD panel, 90Hz refresh rate
  • Resolution: HD+, 1600 × 720 pixels
  • Chipset: MediaTek Helio G85 4G (12nm)
  • Memory: 4GB RAM, 128 storage storage
  • Software: Android 11 with HiOS 8.0 on top
  • Rear Camera: Triple (48MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro)
  • Front Camera: 8MP (punch-hole)
  • Security: Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor
  • Battery: 5000mAh, 18W fast charging

Tecno Camon 18i Price in Nepal and Availability

Tecno Camon 18i is already available in Kenya, where its price is KES 18,999 for the 4/128GB variant. We expect the price of Tecno Camon 18i in Nepal to be NPR 22,500 if and when it launches here.

Tecno Camon 18i Price in Kenya Price in Nepal (Expected)
4/128GB KES 18,999 NPR 22,500
  • Meanwhile, check out our review of the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G.

HiFuture Sound Mini Review: Loud Speaker With Great Battery

GadgetByte
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HiFuture Sound Mini Review: Loud Speaker With Great Battery

HiFuture has launched some cool products ever since it burst into the Nepali market last year. The company’s latest product here is the Sound Mini portable Bluetooth speaker. I have been testing the HiFuture Sound Mini portable Bluetooth speaker for quite some time now, and I’ll be sharing my experience in this review.

HiFuture Sound Mini Specifications:

  • Body (L x W x H): 98 x 98 x 47.5mm, 170 grams
  • Color Options: Black
  • Battery: 1800mAh Li-Ion Polymer
  • Music Playback: Up to 12 hours
  • Charging: Around 3.5 hours (5V/1A)
  • IP Rating: IPX4 water resistant
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
  • Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6, HFP 1.7
  • Audio Codec: SBC, CVSD
  • Driver: 40mm Full Range
  • Output Power: 5W
  • Frequency Response: 100Hz – 20kHz (6dB)
  • Signal-to-noise Ratio: > 75dB
  • Microphone: Yes, Omni-directional
  • Price in Nepal: Rs. 3,800

HiFuture Sound Mini Review:

Design

  • Circular design, LED stripe
  • IPX4 splash resistance

Let’s talk about the design first. The Sound Mini is well-built for a budget speaker. However, nothing about it screams premium. It has a circular design with a curved top and flat bottom. The top has a speaker grille covered with fabrics.

Below the grille lies a thin LED stripe that glows green, blue, and red on different occasions. I have to be honest—this LED does very little to add to the aesthetic of the speaker.

The majority of this speaker is made from plastic which catches smudges pretty easily.  There is also a lanyard to easily carry the speaker around. To its opposite lies a Type-C charging port, which doesn’t have any covering. The speaker is still IPX4 water-resistant. This doesn’t make the speaker fully waterproof, but it should survive some minor water splashes.

Connectivity and Pairing

  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Two speakers for stereo output

HiFuture Sound Mini comes with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. First-time pairing is quite easy. Just turn on the speaker and look for HiFuture Sound Mini on your phone, PC, or other devices. If you want to quit the current connection, you’ll need to press the pairing button for around 10 seconds until the green light flashes twice.

HiFuture Stereo Pairing

You can even pair two Sound Mini speakers for stereo effect. In my case, the two speakers connected automatically when brought together. However, if the process is not automatic, you need to press the pairing button for around 3 seconds on both speakers. You can exit the stereo mode by following the same process.

Controls

As for the controls, they are placed awkwardly at the bottom of the speaker. Thus, you will end up covering the speaker every time you need to use it while the speaker is playing. That being said, the buttons are clicky and responsive.

HiFuture has included buttons for power, volume up/down, pairing, and activating voice assistant. A circular rubber padding offers little ground clearance so as to avoid accidental presses.

HiFuture Sound Mini Controls

Audio

  • 40mm full-range driver

HiFuture Sound Mini features a massive 40mm full-range audio driver. And it’s plenty loud given the price and size of the speaker. It’s so loud that I found myself using it at volumes lower than 50% most of the time. At full volume, the Sound Mini can fill up a moderate-sized room.

That being said, the sound quality is not that impressive. The vocals sound subdued. They also distort as you go higher up in the volume. The bass is passable. However, it does get muddy, while listening to songs like Hammer by nothing, nowhere.

HiFutureSoundMini Music Playback

That being said, it is pretty much what you get with most of the budget speakers. At a lower volume, the experience is decent for casual listening. HiFuture Sound Mini outputs mono audio by default. But if you want, you can pair two of them for stereo output.

Built-in microphone

Moving on, the HiFuture Sound Mini features a built-in omnidirectional microphone. You can use it to take calls or summon your phone’s voice assistant. For the latter, HiFuture has included a voice assistant button at the bottom. I tested it with my phone’s Google Assistant and it seems to work fine.

As for the call quality, it is just average. While I didn’t face much problem with it, there were times where the person on the other end could not hear me clearly enough.

HiFutureSoundMini Mic

Battery

  • 1800mAh battery
  • Type-C charging port

HiFuture rates the 1800mAh battery on the Sound Mini for 12 hours of playback. I generally got closer to 10.5 hours of listening time on average usage. I used the speaker at variable volumes but mostly below the 50% range.

HiFutureSoundMini Charger

Given how loud it is, I don’t think anyone will ever need to crank it past 60%. There is a Type-C port that accepts 5W DC input. In my test, the speaker took 3 hours 45 minutes to go from 0 to 100%.

HiFuture Sound Mini Review: Conclusion

All in all, HiFuture Sound Mini doesn’t stand out much from other budget speakers in the market. It is loud and can come in handy during picnics and small gatherings. It also has long-battery life to back it up while you can even pair two of them for stereo effect. That being said, everything else about it is just average, from its design to actual sound quality.

HiFuture Sound Mini Review: Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Lightweight, portable design
  • IPX4 splash resistance
  • LED stripe to spice things up
  • Loud enough to fill up a room
  • Mic for taking calls
  • Great battery life

Cons

  • Awkwardly placed controls
  • Average sound quality
  • Calls are not always clear
  • Slow charging

The best midrange phone, Galaxy A52 is now available in Nepal in limited stocks

Nikhil Shrestha
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The best midrange phone, Galaxy A52 is now available in Nepal in limited stocks

Samsung officially launched the Galaxy A52 in Nepal back in March at a fairly competitive price. It is one of the best-selling midrange phones of 2021 from Samsung, thanks to its superb specs at an exceptional price.

Because of the ongoing pandemic, Samsung Nepal hasn’t been able to keep up with the demand, and buyers were felt frustrated for months. However, the phone is now available for purchase in limited quantities from select retail outlets all over Nepal. So, make sure you grab one before the stock runs out.

Buy Galaxy A52 here (Limited Stocks)

Samsung Galaxy A52 Overview:

Before moving forward, it’s pertinent to understand that there are two variants of this phone. One with 4G connectivity, and the other with 5G, whose name goes by Galaxy A52s. This article is dedicated to the standard Galaxy A52 which is void of a 5G connection. Having said that, these two phones are basically one and the same except for the difference in the chipset, refresh rates( 90Hz vs 120Hz), and the said cellular connectivity.

While Galaxy A52s 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G, its 4G counterpart comes with the Snapdragon 720G instead. On top of being 5G-ready, the 778G is also comparatively more powerful silicon.

Design

With that out of the way, let’s start with the design. This time around, Samsung has stirred up a completely new look for the A52. The glossy prismatic back of the Galaxy A51 has been substituted with something much more subtle. Featuring a smooth matte finish, this phone is a breath of fresh air. The camera module sees a rework as well.

Galaxy A52 - Design

Samsung is already retiring the L-shaped layout that prevailed in the company’s 2020 lineup of midrange phones. Instead, the camera arrangement on the A52 is inspired heavily by the Galaxy S21 series with its beady and pronounced sensor design. The camera bump is pretty minimal although the lenses themselves don’t protrude as much. Another upgrade in the design front is the inclusion of IP67 dust/water resistance.

This is something of a rarity in Samsung’s non-flagship phones and for now, we can only hope that the company keeps this tradition alive in future devices as well. Galaxy A52 is available in four color options: Awesome Black, Blue, White, and Violet—all of which maintain a pastel finish.

Display

In terms of the display, we’re looking at a 6.5″ FHD+ Super AMOLED “Infinity-O” screen. It is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5. But more importantly, the company has bumped the refresh rate from 60Hz to 90Hz. To note, the recently launched Galaxy A32 4G was the first non-flagship phone from Samsung to feature a high refresh rate screen.

However, it doesn’t employ a variable refresh rate (VRR) mechanism meaning the display won’t dynamically adjust the refresh rate according to the content on the screen. On top of this, Samsung has also nabbed SGS eye comfort certification for reduced blue light emission. You can even schedule the time period to automatically turn this on.

On the illumination front, the Galaxy A52 boasts up to 800 nits of brightness under HBM (High Brightness Mode). It also gets AMOLED-exclusive features like Always-on Display and an in-display fingerprint sensor. Unlike the ultrasonic reader in Samsung’s flagship phones, the A52 hosts the regular optical in-display fingerprint sensor.

Performance

Moving on to the performance side of things, Samsung has gone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G here. This is a healthy upgrade over the notoriously overused Exynos 9611 in the Galaxy A51, but considering the competition, it’s far from the ideal chipset on a phone of this premium. It’s an 8nm chipset and is found in mid-range phones like the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC

Anyway, you can choose between 4, 6, or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and either 128 or 256GB of internal storage. You can also expand the storage up to 1TB using a micro SD card.

Running the show is Samsung’s One UI 3.1 based on Android 11. The company recently announced its revised software update policy. Under this, Samsung promises 3 years of OS and 4 years of security updates on its smartphones. With this, the Galaxy A52 is set to receive up to Android 14 (or whatever Google ends up naming it) update.

Camera

Like I mentioned earlier, this phone has a quad-camera setup at the back. The 48MP primary camera on the A51 has been substituted with a 64MP sensor whereas the rest of the setup remains pretty much the same. You get a 12MP ultrawide camera with a 123º Field Of View (FOV), a 5MP macro, and a 5MP depth sensor.

Unlike the new Galaxy A72 which has a telephoto lens as well, the A52 is only capable of digital zooms of up to 10x. Additionally, Samsung has also brought in OIS on the rear camera. Consequently, you can shoot stable videos even at 4K/30fps by turning on the “Super Steady” mode.

Talking about videos, there’s no 60fps option in any resolution, while you can shoot 4K videos from the ultrawide lens, this does come at a sacrifice of OIS. The 32MP selfie shooter upfront can record 4K/30fps footages too but it’s void of stabilization. Other interesting camera features on the Galaxy A52 include Single Take, Fun mode (developed in partnership with Snapchat and currently exclusive to Samsung phones), Super Slo Mode, Night Mode, etc.

Rest of the specs

Fueling the device is a decent 4500mAh battery that supports 25W fast charging. Thankfully, you will get the power adapter inside the box—but only a 15W unit.

Galaxy A52 - Display

Samsung is claiming up to two days of battery life on this thing but our tests revealed far less endurance. A52 also has Dolby Atmos-certified stereo speakers making it a confident device for content consumption. As expected, it features Samsung’s Knox security as well.

Samsung Galaxy A52 Specifications:

  • Body: 75.1 x 159.9 x 8.4mm, 189 gm, IP67 dust/water resistant
  • Display: 6.5-inches “Infinity-O” Super AMOLED panel, 90Hz refresh rate, 407 PPI
  • Resolution: Full-HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (8nm)
  • CPU: Octa-core (2×2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver)
  • GPU: Adreno 618
  • Memory: 4/6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128/256GB storage (expandable)
  • Software & UI: Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top
  • Rear Camera: Quad (with LED flash);
    – 64MP f/1.8 primary lens, AF, OIS
    – 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, 123º FOV
    – 5MP f/2.4 macro sensor
    – 5MP f/2.4 depth sensor
  • Front Camera: 32MP f/2.2 sensor (punch-hole cutout)
  • Audio: Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos audio, 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Security: Optical in-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
  • Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / Beidou, NFC, USB Type-C, 4G LTE
  • Battery: 4500mAh with 25W fast charging (15W adapter provided)
  • Color options: Awesome – Black, Blue, White, Violet (No white color in Nepal)
Buy Galaxy A52 here (Limited Stocks)

Samsung Galaxy A52 Price in Nepal & Availability

Samsung Galaxy A52 is now available in Nepal for a price of Rs. 41,999. This price is for the 8GB RAM, 128GB storage variant. You can purchase Galaxy A52 from different Samsung retail shops located all over Nepal.

Samsung Galaxy A52 Price in Nepal (Official)
8/128GB NPR 41,999
  • Check out our long-term review of the Samsung Galaxy A52.

Samsung Nepal is giving away gold coins to 3 lucky winners every day

GadgetByte
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Samsung Nepal is giving away gold coins to 3 lucky winners every day

Samsung Nepal has just announced another promotional campaign amidst the ongoing festive season. Under this, the company is giving away 5 grams of gold coin to 3 lucky customers every day. Let’s learn more about this gold coin offer from Samsung Nepal, including its terms and condition and validity period.

Samsung Nepal Gold Coin Offer

This offer is live starting today, i.e. Kartik 15 (November 1), and will be valid till Mangsir 14 (November 30). Samsung will be offering 5 grams of gold coin to 3 lucky winners every day. The winners will be chosen via lucky draws among the pool of candidates.

How to participate?

If you have bought a new Samsung smartphone or a tablet during the campaign, you can participate in the lucky draw by registering the serial number of your product.

For this, you can find the serial number of your Galaxy device in the “About My Phone” section under the Settings menu. Alternately, you can dial *#06# on your phone/tablet’s dialer app to get the serial number.

Once you have the serial number, type “SAMSUNG <space> Serial Number” and send an SMS to 31003. You should then get an SMS confirming your participation.

Samsung Nepal Gold Coin Offer: Winner announcement

As mentioned earlier, Samsung will be choosing winners through a lucky draw, and it will be held once every week. The first lucky draw will be held on Kartik 23 (November 9). It will be followed by luck draws on Kartik 30 (November 16), Mangsir 7 (November 23), Mangsir 14 (November 30), and Mangsir 21 (December 7).

You can follow Samsung Nepal on their social media handles (Facebook, Instagram) for any offers on this gold coin offer.

Samsung Dasain Tiharma Umanga

In case you missed it, Samsung is also running another festive campaign under which it is offering discounts of up to 35% discount on its TVs, washing machines, and other home appliances. This offer will end on Kartik 29 (November 15).

  • Meanwhile, check out our comparison between Galaxy A52s and Galaxy M52.

Redmi Watch 2 goes official with an AMOLED panel, up to 117 sports modes

GadgetByte
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Redmi Watch 2 goes official with an AMOLED panel, up to 117 sports modes

Redmi hosted an online event yesterday to announce the Note 11 series. The company also announced its second-gen smartwatch at the same event. Here, we will be discussing the key specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Redmi Watch 2 in Nepal.

Redmi Watch 2 Overview:

Design and Display

Redmi has made some significant changes in the display department. The Watch 2 weighs 31 grams and sports a bigger 1.6-inch square display than its predecessor. Not only is the display larger here, but it also uses an AMOLED panel instead of LCD, thus resulting in better colors.

Also, the bezels around the display have been trimmed for a better screen-to-body ratio. In terms of watch faces, Redmi says you can choose from over 100+ options.

Redmi Watch 2 Design and Display

Health and Fitness Tracking

Redmi Watch 2 comes with all the health and fitness tracking features that we expect on a budget smartwatch. It supports 24-hour heart rate, blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2), and sleep monitoring. It also comes with menstrual cycle tracking, stress monitoring, step counter, and more.

Redmi Watch 2 GPS Tracking

On top of this, the Watch 2 has a total of 117 sports modes. And since it is 5ATM rated, you can wear it when swimming as well. It even has a built-in GPS (dual) to track your workout trails. This smartwatch can also automatically detect a few workouts.

Battery and Charging

Getting to the battery, Redmi Watch 2 packs a 225mAh cell and the company is claiming up to 12 days of endurance on normal usage. The being said, it can only last up to 7 days on heavy usage and a mere 18 hours with GPS turned on. It juices up via a proprietary 2-pin charger.

Redmi Watch 2 Charging

Redmi Watch 2 Specifications:

  • Body: 39.1 x 34.4 x 9.98mm, 31 grams
  • Display: 1.6″ AMOLED panel, 320 x 360  pixels, automatic brightness
  • Water Resistance: 5 ATM waterproof
  • Sports Mode: 117 sports modes in total
  • Battery: 225mAh battery, Up to 12 days of endurance
  • Compatibility: Android 5.0+, iOS 10.0+
  • Companion App: Xiaomi Wear (Android | iOS)

Redmi Watch 2 Price in Nepal and Availability

The price of the Redmi Watch 2 is CNY 399. However, it will be available for just CNY 349 during the first sale on November 1. We expect the price of the Redmi Watch 2 in Nepal to be NPR 8,500 if and when it launches here.

Smartwatch Model Price in China Price in Nepal (Expected)
Redmi Watch 2 CNY 399 NPR 8,500
  • Meanwhile, check out our review of Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite (Redmi Watch).

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G debuts in China with 120W fast charging

GadgetByte
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Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G debuts in China with 120W fast charging

This year, Redmi has added a new premium model in its Note series in the form of Note 11 Pro+. It is quite similar to the other Pro model but boasts a faster charging capability. Here, we take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G in Nepal.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ Overview:

Design and Display

This time around, Redmi has gone with a flat-edge design for its Note lineup of smartphones. The company has used anti-glare glass for the rear panel. Furthermore, it is IP53-rated and is available in four color options altogether.

In terms of display, Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G features a 6.67-inch FHD AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate.

Performance

Despite the widespread rumors, the Note 11 Pro+ is not powered by Dimensity 1200. Like the Pro variant, it features MediaTek’s Dimensity 920 inside. While it is a powerful chipset in itself, it is not as capable as the Dimensity 1100 that powered last year’s Note 10 Pro 5G.

On top of this, Redmi has included a vapor chamber here for keeping the temperature in check. It will help keep the phone cool during extensive workloads and when it’s charging.

Camera

As for optics, the phone features a triple-lens setup at the back. Leading the line is a 108MP primary sensor, followed by an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro shooter.

Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G Camera setup

Rest of the specs

Fueling the phone is a 4,500mAh battery (2x 2250mAh). The Note 11 Pro+ is also the fastest charging device in the lineup’s history as it comes with 120W fast charging support. It can go from 0 to 100% in just 15 minutes with a compatible charger.

As for wireless connectivity, Redmi Note 11 Pro+ has support for Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. Its stereo speakers are tuned by JBL and they support both Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Specifications: 

  • Display: 6.67-inch AMOLED screen, 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate
  • Resolution: Full HD+ (1080 × 2400 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G (6nm)
  • Memory: 6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
  • Back Cameras: 108MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro
  • Front Camera: 16MP front-facing camera
  • Audio: Stereo speaker by JBL, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio
  • Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
  • IP Rating: Yes, IP53 dust-and-splash resistant
  • Connectivity: Dual 5G, Wi-Fi ax (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS / GLONASS / Beidou / Galileo / QZSS / A-GPS, USB Type-C, 5G, NFC
  • Battery: 4,500mAh with 120W fast charging

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Price in Nepal and Availability

The price of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ in China starts at CNY 1,899 for the 6/128GB variant. Redmi usually has different Note lineups for the global and the Chinese market. Still, if the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G launches in Nepal, we expect its price to start at NPR 40,000.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Price in China Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB CNY 1,899 NPR 40,000
8/128GB CNY 2,099 NPR 45,000
8/256GB CNY 2,299 NPR 48,000
  • Meanwhile, check out our review of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.

HP Omen 15 (2021) Review: Good Omen, Cool Omen

Nikhil Shrestha
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0
HP Omen 15 (2021) Review: Good Omen, Cool Omen

HP’s decision to introduce a design overhaul in its Omen series of gaming laptops received a warm welcome all-around. After all, why should such a powerful piece of hardware be socially unsuitable for office, college, and other professional settings? No wonder the company has continued that design on its 2021 edition I have with me right here. More on this review of the HP Omen 15 (2021).

HP Omen 15 (2021) Specifications:

  • Design & Build: Polycarbonate-aluminum hybrid build, 14.09W x 9.44D x 0.89H-inches, 2.46 kg
  • Color Options: Shadow Black (Matte cover and base)
  • Display: 15.6″ anti-glare IPS panel, 144Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB, 300 nits brightness, 3ms response time
  • Resolution: FHD (1920×1080) resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio
  • Keyboard: Full-size backlit keyboard (White), 1.5mm key travel, 26-key rollover anti-ghosting key technology
  • Trackpad: Glass multi-touch trackpad, Windows Precision drivers
  • Security: TPM 2.0 chip, No fingerprint sensor
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU (Cezanne), 8C/16T, 4.4GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 16MB L3 Cache, 7nm process, 45W TDP
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4-3200MHz (2x 8GB), Up to 64GB
  • Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD (2x M.2 slots total)
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (100W), 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
  • Audio: 2x 2W speakers, Bang & Olufsen tuned
  • Battery: 70.9 Watt-hours 6-cell Li-Ion battery
  • Power Supply: 200W Smart AC power adapter
  • Webcam: 720p HD camera, No physical shutter, Dual-array microphones
  • Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 6 (AX200), Bluetooth 5.0
  • I/O Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (1x HP Sleep and Charge), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Mini DisplayPort, 1x RJ45 (LAN), 1x combo audio jack, 1x AC smart pin, 1x multi-format SD card reader
  • Price in Nepal: N/A (not launched yet)
  • What’s inside the box: Laptop, power adapter, quick start guide

HP Omen 15 (2021) Review:

Design

  • 14.09W x 9.44D x 0.89H-inches, 2.46 kg
  • Polycarbonate-aluminum hybrid build

As the name implies, I have the 15” variant of this laptop—whereas HP also sells it in 16 and 17” configurations. But unless you’re hunting for a desktop replacement—sort of—I doubt the extra heft on your back is worth the bigger display and slightly better thermals.

Heck, even this 15” Omen isn’t exactly backpack-friendly as it weighs 2.46 kg.

Packing similar specs, you can readily find much more lightweight gaming laptops on the market. More notably, the 16” Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 with all the latest silicons scales to just 1.9 kg. But there’s gotta be a method to this madness, right? It certainly seems so—and I’ll be discussing it shortly.

Spoilers, build quality has got nothing to do with it since this laptop is constructed entirely of polycarbonate-aluminum hybrid material. As a result, the device doesn’t feel as premium as one might expect. There’s a definite flex to the laptop’s lid and I’d be extra-careful before placing anything on top of the Omen 15.

HP Omen 15 2021 - Design 1

Arriving in a single Black color option, the Omen strictly sticks to the “universal” approach that I discussed earlier, whereas its lid retains the most bare-minimum branding.

Look at that subtle gradient coloring—the tasteful approach of it. Oh my god, it even has an “Omen” watermark.

But this surface does catch fingerprints and smudges rather easily—although it’s nothing a simple wipe can’t get rid of.

180º hinge

While I wished this hinge was sturdier, I am thankful for the fact that it can lay 180º flat. Seems like such a minor thing but when you think about it, I no longer need to worry about my niece accidentally pulling the laptop and breaking the hinge. And you can lift it with one hand as well.

Like most gaming laptops in 2021, the Omen 15 has minimal bezels on the side—but HP is still hanging on to the traditionally large bezel on the top and a bigger chin which also houses another “Omen” branding.

Painfully sharp edges

Moving on, I’m not a fan of its sharp edges either. The bold, squarish edges do look intimidating, sure. But using the laptop for long hours is a pain-in-the-arm, complemented by press-marks around the wrist. Moreover, like the lid, this keyboard deck isn’t quite robust.

And before the perforations at the top fool you for a front-firing speaker setup, those are simply ventilation grilles for helping with the airflow. The actual speakers are on the bottom edges instead.

Somewhat compromised I/O

In terms of I/O, the Omen 15’s selection isn’t half bad. However, I don’t like how all the USB 3.2 ports here are Gen 1 as opposed to the faster Gen 2 protocol, which brings faster data transfer rates of up to 10Gbps.

Anyway, the left frame houses a barrel-pin power connector alongside an LED indicator, one RJ45, one Type-A port with HP Sleep and Charge, one HDMI 2.1, one 3.5mm combo audio jack, and one multi-format SD card reader. Over on the right are a couple more Type-A connections (both without HP Sleep and Charge), a Mini DisplayPort, and finally a Type-C port.

Display

  • 15.6″ anti-glare non-touch FHD IPS panel
  • 144Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB gamut

Let’s now talk about the display. The HP Omen 15 can also be configured with a 165Hz QHD screen, whereas the one I have with me is a 144Hz FHD display. That sounded a bit weird, huh? We usually see manufacturers couple higher refresh rates with lower resolution but HP has walked the opposite road here.

Additionally, the 165Hz variant boasts 100% DCI-P3 colors contrary to the 100% sRGB gamut on the 144Hz model. So, it should be a pretty easy choice to select between the two. If your workload also consists of video/photo editing and such, then get the one with the QHD display.

HP Omen 15 2021 - Display

Otherwise, the FHD variant is more than enough for many. Anyhow, Omen 15’s screen has served me well. Its color accuracy is quite great and the viewing angles here are excellent. Practically no dip in saturation levels unless viewing it from extreme angles!

Gets bright enough

I can’t complain about the brightness of this thing either. With an advertised 300 nits of brightness, the Omen 15 manages to stay visible indoors and even outdoors. Furthermore, I’m glad to report that my unit of the laptop hits 351.2 nits of peak brightness. The factory color calibration feels marginally off with whites looking a-bit grayish instead.

But playing around with the default color calibration settings can get it to respectable levels quite easily. On top of this, HP isn’t overstating the color space of this laptop. I measured that it covers 98% sRGB and 75% of DCI-P3 gamut which is perfectly sufficient for a gaming device.

This screen also enjoys an anti-glare coating so using it in a room with one or more light sources isn’t going to be a hassle. Now, even though this screen has earned pretty great remarks up until now, it’s not completely devoid of any flaws.

Pretty terrible backlight bleeding

The most notable issue I have encountered with the display of our review unit of the HP Omen 15 (2021) is the backlight bleeding—the insufferably horrible backlight bleeding. In all fairness, it’s practically unnoticeable when using the laptop for my regular office chores which obviously doesn’t include any gaming or media consumption.

But when I’m streaming the newest episodes of Doom Patrol, for instance, the backlight bleed on the right edge of the display is simply too distracting. You can only imagine how worse it gets in a dimly lit room.

Besides this, the 16:9 aspect ratio married with the big bezels on the bottom isn’t exactly my cup of tea either. Having used the Realme Book Slim recently, I haven’t gotten over its 3:2 aspect ratio. And no, I don’t think I (ever) will. Come on, HP! I thought we were progressing to the 16:10 category in 2021!

Keyboard

  • Backlit full-size keys (single-color)
  • 26-key rollover anti-ghosting

Moving on, the Omen 15 arrives in two keyboard layouts. One with single-zone backlighting like this, while there’s also a fancier version with 4-zone RGB backlighting.

HP says this keyboard also boasts a 26-key rollover so there shouldn’t be any ghosting issue when playing eSports titles like Dota 2 or simply when typing up documents. During all my time using this laptop, I’m yet to encounter any instance where it’s failed to register any key input. Great!

HP Omen 15 2021 - Keyboard - Trackpad

With its 1.5mm key travel distance, I’ve had no trouble maintaining my usual typing speed here either. The keys do feel a little soft but that’s fine. More importantly, the key-press is fairly quiet enough to prevent any degree of disturbance when you’re in a work setting.

Top-notch keyboard feedback

Disregarding the Spacebar, I won’t say these keys rattle that much as well. Moreover, unlike a couple of Asus laptops that I’ve tested recently, there’s no problem with Omen 15’s backlighting. It offers the perfect contrast to preserve visibility in a dark room—and the all-black keyboard well means the laptop’s overall aesthetics also stays undisturbed.

Even so, you can notice some compromises with this keyboard. Take some time to see if you can notice it. Yeah, despite its 15” chassis, HP hasn’t managed to fit in a dedicated Numpad here. Instead, you get a bunch of full-sized shortcut keys on the right flank—most of which stay unused.

If it’s any consolation, the company has included large arrow keys with a comfortable gaming experience in mind—especially for left-handed gamers.

Adding to my disappointment is the placement of the power button. HP could’ve easily placed it on the right-most edge of the keyboard deck but no—the power button is awkwardly crammed between the F12 and the Delete key for some reason. As a result, reaching it isn’t as intuitive as it should be and I still mistake the “Omen Gaming Hub” shortcut for the power button sometimes to this day.

Trackpad

  • Glass trackpad with integrated left/right keys

Anyway, Omen 15’s glass trackpad does its job just fine. I would’ve liked it more if it were placed right in the middle but this off-center position hasn’t bothered me as much as I thought it would.

Backed by Windows Precision Drivers, this trackpad handles drag-and-drop, swipe, and other multi-finger gestures with excellent accuracy. And its palm rejection also works amazingly. The integrated left/right keys offer decent feedback as well—but maybe at the expense of a quieter sound profile.

Audio

  • 2x 2W side-firing speakers
  • Tuned by Bang & Olufsen

Getting to audio, as I mentioned above, the Omen 15 brings a pair of speakers on its bottom edges. It isn’t entirely side-firing like you’d find on budget laptops but there’s still some way the audio from these speakers gets muffled before it reaches your ears. Regardless, I’m pretty satisfied with its audio output.

HP Omen 15 2021 - Intake Vent

As expected, these are Bang & Olufsen-tuned and the sound quality sounds relatively crisp—with clear mids and highs—although this setup doesn’t deliver in terms of bass. Under the “Omen Audio Control” center, HP lets you play around with 3 different audio presets: Music, Movie, and Voice, which fine-tune the sound quality accordingly.

Furthermore, there’s the option to mess around with the equalizer control too. But even this doesn’t do the trick for improved bass reproduction. Even so, the Omen 15’s speakers get loud enough to fill an average-sized room, and watching shows/movies on this thing is a plenty pleasant experience.

Webcam

  • 720p HD camera
  • No privacy shutter

On the other hand, things are strictly average when it comes to the camera. There’s a standard 720p HD webcam on the top bezel alongside the dual-array microphones and an LED indicator. Videos look quite noisy—and more importantly—make sure you’re not sitting behind a window or any other direct light source since its dynamic range is flat-out terrible.

Additionally, I noticed that the colors look a little undersaturated as well. However, I’d say Omen 15’s webcam quality is above average thanks to its sharp video output where the subjects also come of pretty well-exposed. Just keep the aforementioned lighting setup at check and you’re good to go—off to your Zoom meetings or online classes.

Omen15 (2021) - Webcam

I’m also impressed with the audio pickup from the built-in microphones. And turning on noise cancellation on the Omen Audio Control center works wonders. It mostly drowns out the ambient white noise including the fan noise and other low-frequency hums—while boosting human voices to some extent. Nevertheless, I wish HP had provided a physical privacy shutter instead of the LED indicator.

Performance

  • AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU (45W TDP)
  • NVIDIA RTX 3070 100W (discrete GPU)
  • 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD

Okay, let’s now move on to its performance. Powering the 2021 edition of Omen 15 is AMD’s Ryzen 5000-series CPU alongside the RTX 30-series GPU from NVIDIA. Here, my unit features Ryzen 7 5800H octa-core processor, RTX 3070 graphics card, 16GB dual-channel RAM, and 512GB NVMe SSD.

This configuration goes for about USD 1,659 in the US or some INR 160,000 in India. Unfortunately, it’s not available in Nepal yet.

Besides this, HP sells this gaming laptop with Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU or RTX 3060 GPU too. To note, the RTX 3070 running on the Omen 15 can draw in up to 100W of power and has 8GB GDDR6 video memory.

Omen15 (2021) - Internal

Likewise, because this is a 15” gaming laptop, you can expect great upgradeability options here—and you’d be right. There are two SO-DIMM slots that can take up to 64GB RAM alongside two M.2 PCIe slots in total.

High-speed SSD

On that note, I’m really with the read/write speed of this thing. Installing apps or launching them happens in a jiffy and writing files onto the SSD is wicked fast as well. With 16GB RAM onboard, I’ve had no trouble with multitasking either.

CrystalDiskMark
Read (MB/s) Write (MB/s)
SEQ1M Q8T1 3459.18 2683.15
SEQ1M Q1T1 2154.76 2492.86
RND4K Q32T1 471.87 403.35
RNK4K Q1T1 55.56 124.23
Cinebench R23
CPU: Multi-Core 11255
CPU: Single Core 1343
MP Ratio 8.38x
Geekbench 5
CPU: Single Core 1257
CPU: Multi-Core 6971
Compute (OpenCL) 108059
Unigine Heaven

(FPS: 141.7, Score: 3570, Min FPS: 9.4, Max FPS: 276)

API: OpenGL Multi-monitor: Disabled
Quality: High Anti-aliasing: x2
Tessellation: Extreme Fullscreen: Yes
Stereo 3D: Disabled Resolution: System
3DMark
Overall Graphics Physics Combined
Fire Strike Extreme v1.1 11017 11416 21872 5491
Fire Strike Ultra v1.1 5994 5879 23070 3055
Total Graphics CPU
Time Spy v1.2 8884 8982 8370
Blender (CPU)
bmw27 3m42s
classroom 9m39s
fishy_cat 4m50s
koro 7m22s
pavillon_barcelona 10m1s
victor 16m14s

Keeping around a dozen of Chrome tabs open, alongside light editing on Photoshop, typing up word documents on LibreOffice, while also streaming music off of Spotify—I’m yet to notice a single instance where the Omen 15 has failed to keep apps in memory.

But I will say that there were a couple of occasions where the mouse pointer would get sluggish all of a sudden for a couple of seconds. This is purely a Windows 10 issue so I can’t pin it on the laptop’s hardware. That reminds me, the Omen 15 is obviously Windows 11-compatible as seen on the Windows Update page—but it looks like it’s gonna be a while before the said update arrives here.

Different performance profiles

Under the Omen Gaming Hub, you can set this machine to “Balanced” or “Performance” mode while deciding between Max, Auto, or Manual fan profiles. Usually, I’d keep its power mode at Balanced and thermal control to Auto since this configuration delivers sufficient power while also keeping the fan noise in check.

With a keen pair of ears in a quiet room, you can still hear the low hums but in a casual office setting, it is practically inaudible. However, when throwing multiple demanding applications into the mix, the Omen cranks up the speed of its dual-fan setup to as fast as 5900 RPM. And yeah, things get ridiculously loud under such instances.

Omen15 (2021) - Exhaust Vent
Exhaust vent

In terms of cooling, the Omen 15 has large air-intake vents on the bottom while it blows out hot air through the exhaust vents at the back and the right frame. Similarly, managing heat flow underneath is a total of 3 heatpipes—two of which are shared between the CPU and GPU, whereas the third one is dedicated to the GPU.

Let’s talk games

This, paired with the 100W TGP of the RTX 3070, indicates impressive heat management on the Omen 15. Here, 100W is sort of a middle ground for this GPU since you can find RTX 3070 configurations with up to 140W TGP.

And after all my tests throughout this review period, I’m glad to report that the HP Omen 15 (2021) has one of the most efficient cooling systems I’ve ever tested on a gaming laptop. It can run all the AAA titles at the highest settings at a respectable fps—but more importantly—this laptop doesn’t get uncomfortably hot even after a couple of hours of continuous gaming.

1080p Gaming Benchmarks
Performance mode, Max thermal control
Game Settings Average FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 Texture quality: High 33-35fps
Ray Tracing: Ultra
Texture quality: Medium 47fps
Ray Tracing: Medium
Control Texture resolution: Ultra 51-56fps
Ray Tracing: High
GTA V Texture Quality: Very High 75-78fps
Reflection Quality: Ultra
CS: GO Texture Detail: High 224fps
Anti-Aliasing: 8X MSAA
FIFA 22 Rendering Quality: Ultra 146-155fps
Anti-Aliasing: 4X MSAA
Rendering Quality: High 155-167fps
Anti-Aliasing: MSAA off
Valorant Texture Quality: High 146-155fps
Anti-Aliasing: 4X MSAA

The heat is mostly localized at the middle of the keyboard deck, which is still cozy enough to lay your fingers on. Cyberpunk 2077 delivers a respectable 33-35fps on average at High texture quality with ray tracing set to Ultra, whereas bringing down ray tracing to Medium gets you around 47fps.

Omen15 (2021) - Design 2

GTA V is easily playable at its highest graphics settings as it manages 75-78fps on average. I enjoyed playing Control with ray tracing and graphics preset set to High since the Omen 15 gave a stable 51-56fps under those settings.

Minor dip in performance

Comparatively less demanding titles like CS: GO can hit up to 224fps at the highest settings which dip to the 176-184 territory after about an hour of gameplay. On the other hand, Valorant and FIFA 22 deliver around 146-155fps at the highest settings.

These results are quite comparable with 130W RTX 3060-powered gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion 5. However, there’s no significant performance drop on the Omen 15 whereas the Legion 5 throttles by quite a bit after more than an hour of gaming.

Oh, by the way, for this review, I tested all these games and benchmarks on the HP Omen 15 (2021) under the Performance power mode with the fan speed set to Max.

Battery

  • 70.9 Watt-hour 6-cell battery
  • 200W Smart AC power adapter

Moving on, the HP Omen 15 is fueled by a 6-cell 70.9Wh battery. Under my regular office chores, I got about 3-3.5 hours of screen-on time when setting the brightness to 50%.

Omen15 (2021) - Charger

Those are quite the rookie numbers, but with such power-hungry silicons inside, we can’t expect much either. It fills up via a 200W AC power adapter in about 2 hours. Sadly, the onboard USB-C port doesn’t support power delivery so you’re gonna have to carry around the large power brick all the time.

HP Omen 15 (2021) Review: Conclusion

Wrapping it all up, the 2021 edition of HP Omen 15 is one heck of a gaming laptop. Its covert design language means you can take it to professional work settings without raising any eyebrows either.

Moreover, it can run the most demanding games at their highest settings—while the keyboard deck doesn’t get scorchingly hot either. Its display has great color reproduction and the 144Hz refresh rate further elevates the gaming experience.

But that’s not to say the Omen 15 does everything right. Its build quality feels a bit flimsy and the backlight bleed thing gets distracting rather easily. I just hope this issue is confined to our review unit and doesn’t repeat with other units of the HP Omen 15 (2021).

Plus, it could’ve seen better battery endurance as well if HP had delivered specifically low-battery performance modes. All in all, if you’re looking for a powerful gaming laptop that can also double as your professional workstation, the HP Omen 15 is a great choice.

  • Watch our video review of the HP Omen 15 (2021).

HP Omen 15 (2021) Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • The hinge can lay 180º flat
  • Smooth, colorful, bright display
  • Comfortable full-size keys
  • Decent stereo speaker setup
  • Above-average webcam
  • Powerful performance
  • Excellent cooling system

Cons:

  • Built quality isn’t premium
  • Uncomfortably sharp edges
  • No USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
  • Suffers from backlight bleeding
  • Sub-par battery endurance
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