Vivo has launched a couple of new smartphones in its home country of China. The phones in question are the Vivo T1 and T1x. They look to be a start of a new smartphone lineup from Vivo. So, let’s walk through the specifications, features, expected price, and availability of Vivo T1 and T1x in Nepal.
Vivo T1, T1x Overview:
Display and Design
Vivo T1 is the more premium of the two. It sports a 6.67-inch LCD panel with a center-placed punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. On the other hand, Vivo T1x has a smaller 6.58-inch panel with a waterdrop notch. Both phones have a 120Hz refresh rate, but T1x misses out on a 180Hz touch sampling rate.
Vivo T1
Vivo T1x
At the back, both of them left-aligned rectangular camera bumps as well. However, the one on the T1 is bigger has it encloses more cameras. Vivo offers T1 in two colors, whereas T1 is available in three colors.
Performance and Memory
Vivo T1 and T1x are powered by two different processors. The company has gone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G for the T1, whereas the T1x gets MediaTek Dimensity 900. It is the same chipset found on the iQOO Z5x. As for memory, these phones max out at 12/256GB and 8/256GB, respectively.
Moreover, Vivo T1 offers a triple camera setup whereas there are only two rear cameras on T1x. Both feature the same 6MP primary and a 2MP macro sensor. T1 even has an 8MP ultrawide camera that is missing on T1x. Over on the front, you get a 16MP selfie camera on T1 and an 8MP shooter on T1x.
Camera Setup
1 of 2
Vivo T1
Vivo T1x
Rest of the specs
Both Vivo T1 and T1x are fueled by the same 5,000mAh battery. They even support the same charging speed of up to 44W. According to the company, these phones can go from 0 to 70% in just 38 minutes. In terms of software, they ship with Android 11-based OriginOs on top. Yet, their global variants are likely to arrive with Funtouch OS 11.
Vivo T1 and T1x are up for pre-order in China where their price starts at CNY 2,199 and CNY 1,599, respectively. We expect the price of the Vivo T1 and T1x in Nepal to be NPR 45,000 and NPR 35,000, respectively, if and when they launch here.
Smartphone Model
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Vivo T1x
6/128GB
CNY 1,699
NPR 35,000
8/128GB
CNY 1,799
NPR 38,000
8/256GB
CNY 1,999
NPR 40,000
Vivo T1
8/128GB
CNY 2,199
NPR 45,000
8/256GB
CNY 2,399
NPR 48,000
12/256GB
CNY 2,599
NPR 52,000
Meanwhile, check out our comparison between Galaxy M52 and OnePlus Nord 2.
Last month, Vivo’s sub-brand iQOO launched the iQOO Z5. And now, it has followed it with the Z5x. Here, we will be looking at the official specs, key features, expected price, and availability of iQOO Z5x in Nepal.
iQOO Z5x Overview:
Design and Display
iQOO Z5x is built around a 6.58-inch FHD+ display with a waterdrop notch. It’s an LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh and 240Hz touch sampling rate.
At the back, the rectangular camera module is now smaller as it only houses a dual-camera setup. Users get to choose between three colors: Lens Black, Fog Sea White, and Sandstone Orange.
Performance and Memory
Under the hood, the phone packs MediaTek’s Dimensity 900 SoC. There are not that many phones with this chip in the market right now. It features two Cortex-A78 (2.4GHz) and six Cortex-A55 (2GHz) cores. iQOO has also included a five-layer cooling system that it says keeps the core cooler by 10° Celcius.
In terms of memory, users can choose between 6GB and 8GB RAM variants. The former comes with 128GB internal storage, whereas you can pair the latter with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage.
As mentioned earlier, the phone has a dual-camera setup at the back. The primary sensor has been downgraded from 64MP to 50MP lens. Accompanying it is a 2MP macro shooter. iQOO has dropped the 8MP ultrawide here that’s available on the standard iQOO Z5. Upfront, there is an 8MP f/2.0 selfie shooter.
Rest of the specs
Fueling the phone is a 5,000mAh battery that supports 44W fast charging. A compatible charger is included in the box, which can get the device from 0 to 58% in just 30 minutes. iQOO has included a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometrics.
It boots on OriginOS based on Android 11. However, if the Z5x were to launch globally, we expect it to arrive with Funtouch OS 11 instead.
Colors: Lens Black, Fog Sea White, Sandstone Orange
iQOO Z5x Price in Nepal and Availability
iQOO Z5x is available for pre-order in China, where its price starts at CNY 1,599 for 6/128GB. Similarly, the 8/256GB variant costs CNY 1,899. iQOO products aren’t officially available in Nepal, yet you can find them via unofficial channels. As such, we expect the price of iQOO Z5x in Nepal to start at NPR 35,000 if they launch here.
After months of wait, Google has finally pulled the curtains off the Pixel 6 series—with the main highlight of the show being the new custom Tensor System on a Chip (SoC). So, let’s walk through the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in Nepal.
Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro Overview:
Design and Display
As evident from all the rumors and leaks, the Pixel 6 series has a huge camera bar on the back that runs through the full width of the phone. Both devices come with a glossy glass back (Gorilla Glass 6) and an aluminum frame. However, the frame on the Pro model is polished whereas it is matte textured on the vanilla model.
Google Pixel 6 Series
1 of 2
Pixel 6 Pro
Pixel 6
Over on the front, Pixel 6 Pro comes with a slightly curved 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED panel with variable refresh up to 120Hz. The Pixel 6, on the other hand, settles for a smaller and less sharp 6.4-inch FHD+ OLED screen that lays flat entirely. The refresh rate is also capped at 90Hz here.
Other than that, both of them can produce about 16 million colors. The display has support for HDR and is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus.
Google Tensor SoC
Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are debuting with the Google-made Tensor SoC. The chipset takes its name from the Tensor Processing Units (TPU) used in the company’s data centers.
Tensor is a custom chip designed specifically for Google devices. It is the first processor to come with two Cortex-X1 cores. The rest of the CPU cluster consists of four Cortex-A76 and four Cortex-A55 cores. With this architecture, Google is compromising single-threaded benchmark performance for more responsive and efficient high-performance.
Excluding the CPU and GPU, this chip has two major integrated components – Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) for AI and Titan M2 security chip.
Meanwhile, read all the prices and specs of Google products here
Tensor Processing Unit
According to the company, the major rationale for investing in its own processor is to develop AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) capabilities in ways that off-the-shelf components could not. This will mostly be noticeable in on-device voice commands, translation, captioning, and dictation.
For instance, Google claims that the Tensor chip has the most accurate automatic speech recognition from Google for services like Assistant, Gboard, and Translate.
It also enables features like Motion Mode, Face Detection, Live Translation, and many other ML tasks with better efficiency than previous Pixel phones.
Before you worry about the cameras, Google is finally shying away from the 12.2MP Sony IMX363 for the Pixel 6 series. The company had been relying on this sensor from the days of the Pixel 3 lineup launched way back in 2018.
As a result, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro feature a 50MP primary sensor that outputs 12.5MP images natively. Each pixel is 1.2μm wide and can capture 150% more light than the predecessor. The primary sensor even supports Laser Detect Auto Focus and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).
Accompanying the main sensor is a 12MP ultrawide camera with a 114º Field of View (FOV). The Pro model has a third sensor in the form of a 48MP telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom. Upfront, the Pixel 6 Pro features an 11.1MP selfie camera whereas the vanilla model settles for an 8MP shooter.
Camera features
Moreover, the Pixel 6 series comes with multiple new camera features including the Magic Eraser tool that can get rid of unwanted elements of an image, a new long-exposure mode, and the Motion Blur capture mode. Both phones are capable of recording up to 4K/60fps videos and 1080p/240fps slow-mo videos.
Similarly, thanks to the new Tensor chip, Google is able to expand its HDR+ algorithm to videos as well. The new HDRnet feature can stack exposures for every single frame of a 4K/60fps video.
Additionally, the aforementioned face unblur feature will activate the second camera whenever the viewfinder detects a face with motion blur. The two photos will then be aligned and merged for a blur-free image.
Rest of the features
In terms of battery, Google has packed the Pixel 6 Pro with a 5,003mAh cell. The vanilla Pixel 6 being a smaller phone could only accommodate a 4,614mAh battery. Still, Google claims 24 hours battery life on both of them. They support wired charging speeds of up to 30W. However, you won’t find a compatible power adapter inside the box.
There’s also wireless and reverse wireless charging support here. On the software front, the Pixel 6 series boots on Android 12 out-of-the-box. Similarly, Google is promising 3 years of major software updates and additional two years of security patches.
As for connectivity, these phones support 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2. The Pro model even brings Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and mmWave 5G compatibility. Yet, the mmWave 5G is only available in select Pixel 6 in the US sold by Verizon.
Google Pixel 6, 6 Pro Specifications:
Pixel 6
Pixel 6 Pro
Dimension (H x W x D)
6.2” x 2.9” x 6.4”
6.5” x 3.0” x 6.7”
IP rating
IP68 dust-and-water resistant
Display
6.4” OLED, 90Hz, HDR, Gorilla Glass Victus
6.7” OLED, 120Hz, HDR, Gorilla Glass Victus
Resolution
FHD+ (1080 x 2340), 20:9 aspect ratio, 411 PPI
QHD+ (1440 x 3120), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 512 PPI
Chipset
Google Tensor (5nm), Titan M2 (coprocessor)
RAM
8GB LPDDR5
12GB LPDDR5
Internal Storage
128/256GB UFS 3.1
128/256/512GB UFS 3.1
OS
Android 12 (3 years of Android update, 5 years of security patches)
Google Pixel 6, 6 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
Pixel 6 series is available for pre-order in the US and Europe. The price starts at USD 599 for Pixel 6 and USD 899 for the Pro model. Although they’re unlikely to launch here, we expect the price of Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro in Nepal to start at NPR 85,000 and NPR 130,000, respectively if they do.
Google Pixel 6 Series
Price in the US
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Pixel 6
8/128GB
USD 599
NPR 85,000
8/256GB
USD 699
NPR 100,000
Pixel 6 Pro
12/128GB
USD 899
NPR 130,000
12/256GB
USD 999
NPR 145,000
12/512GB
USD 1,099
NPR 160,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition.
Yesterday, Realme held an event in China to announce the arrival of GT Neo 2T. Here, we will be looking at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Realme GT Neo 2T in Nepal.
Realme GT Neo 2T Overview:
Despite its moniker, the Realme GT Neo 2T resembles the GT Neo more than the GT Neo 2, both of which launched earlier this year. To note, the former was rebranded as Realme X7 Max for the Indian market.
Design and Display
The first difference between the GT Neo and GT Neo 2T lies in the material at the back. The former has a plastic back while the latter has a glass build. The dual-tone glossy finish is also gone, replaced by matte black and white, which the company calls Jet Black and Glaze White.
Over on the front, Realme GT Neo 2T sports a 6.43-inch Super AMOLED display with a left-aligned punch-hole cutout. It’s a 120Hz panel with a 360Hz touch sampling rate and 100% DCI-P3 coverage.
Performance and Memory
Inside, the phone packs Dimensity 1200-AI, just like the OnePlus Nord 2. This chipset comes with some modifications over the regular Dimensity 1200, courtesy of the Open Resource Architecture. Realme says the 3D tempered liquid cooling used here can keep the core cooler by up to 35º Celcius.
As for memory, users can choose between 8/128GB, 8/256GB, and 12/256GB memory configurations.
The rectangular camera bump at the back encloses a triple camera setup and an LED flash. Leading the lineup is a 64MP sensor with an f/1.79 aperture. Accompanying it is an 8MP ultrawide and a 4cm macro sensor. There is a 16MP shooter on the front for selfies and video calls.
Rest of the specs
Fueling the Realme GT Neo 2T is a 4,500mAh battery. The company has increased the charging speed from 50W to 65W here. Moreover, the phone has stereo speakers with Hi-Res and Dolby Atmos certification. Disappointingly, it boots on Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11, even when Realme UI 3.0 (Android 12) is already official.
Realme GT Neo 2T Specifications:
Body: 158.5mm x 73.3mm x 8.4mm, 179 gm
Display: 6.43-inch Super AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate, 100% P3 Wide Color
Realme GT Neo 2T is now available for pre-order in China, where its price starts at CNY 2,099 for 8/128GB and goes all the way up to CNY 2,599 for the 12/256GB variant. The sale starts on November 1. We expect the price of Realme GT Neo 2T in Nepal to start at NPR 42,500, if and when it launches here.
Realme GT Neo 2T
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
8/128GB
CNY 2,099
NPR 42,500
8/256GB
CNY 2,299
NPR 48,500
12/256GB
CNY 2,599
NPR 55,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition.
Realme recently hosted an event in China where it launched a new smartwatch. The Realme Watch T1 is the company’s first smartwatch in its home country of China. Here, we will look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Realme Watch T1 in Nepal.
Realme Watch T1 Overview:
Design and Display
Realme Watch T1 brings a sporty circular design. We are looking at a 1.3-inch AMOLED panel with a 416 x 416-pixel count. The display has Gorilla Glass protection and supports Always-on Display as well.
Here, the watch case is made of stainless steel, whereas you will get silicone or leather straps depending upon the color variants. The straps house the “Dare to Leap” slogan and are available in Vitality Black, Olive Green, and Black Mint options.
Features
Realme Watch T1 boasts a couple of new features never seen in the company’s smart wearable lineup. To start, it comes with a dedicated mic and speaker for Bluetooth calls. Similarly, it comes with 4GB of internal storage. You can use it to store up to 500 songs that you can directly listen to over a pair of Bluetooth earphones.
Another feature uncommon on budget smartwatches is built-in GPS navigation, which is present here. Thus, you do not need to bring your smartphone to trail your workout routes.
Other features of the Realme Watch T1 are fairly standard. It supports Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. Likewise, you get heart rate, stress, blood oxygen level (SpO2) monitoring, and sleep tracking. It even has support for 110 sports modes.
Battery and Charging
On the other hand, Realme Watch T1 packs a 228mAh battery with an advertised backup of up to 7 days. Thanks to its fast charging capability, it can go from 0 to 90% in just 35 minutes. The watch even has NFC for contactless payment.
Realme Watch T1 Specifications:
Dimension: 43.5 x 10.2 (w/ strap)
Design: Stainless Steel case, Silicone/PU Leather Wrist band
Display: 1.3-inches AMOLED panel, Always On Display
Resolution: 416 x 416 pixels
Water Resistance Level: 5 ATM
Sensors: Accelerometer, Optical Heart Rate, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic, Air Pressure
Sports Mode: 110 different modes
GPS: Yes, built-in
Battery: 228mAh, 90% in 35 minutes
Battery Endurance: Up to 7 days
Charing Type: Magnetic charging base
Color Options: Vitality Black, Olive Green, Black Mint
Realme Watch T1 is now available for pre-order in China, where its price is CNY 699. It will go on sale from November 1. There is no news of a global launch yet. We expect the price of Realme Watch T1 in Nepal to be NPR 15,000 if it launches here.
Smartwatch Model
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Realme Watch T1
CNY 699
NPR 15,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
Samsung’s current offering in the upper mid-range segment consists of two interesting phones—the Galaxy M52 5G and the Galaxy A52s 5G. Between the two, the M52 is more affordable and intends to deliver a similar smartphone experience as the A52s 5G. Allow me to discuss more about the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G in this review.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Specifications:
Body: 76.4 x 164.2 x 7.4mm, 173 gm, Polycarbonate build
Display: 6.7-inches “Infinity-O” Super AMOLED Plus panel, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (6nm Mobile Platform)
Battery: 5000mAh with 25W fast charging (15W adapter provided)
Color Options: Icy Blue, Blazing Black, White
Price in Nepal: Rs. 48,999 (6/128GB) | Rs. 50,999 (8/128GB)
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Review:
Design & Build
75.1 x 159.9 x 8.4mm, 189 grams
Glass front, polycarbonate back/frame
The Galaxy M52 brings a slim and lightweight design—contrary to other phones in this lineup so far. So yeah, your hands and your pocket will definitely be thankful for this. The lightweight build quality comes from the all-plastic material that covers the back of the phone and its frames.
While I do understand the appeal of feathery phones, when implemented poorly, it ends up ruining the charm to some extent. Here, M52’s weight is distributed over this large chassis which means there’s no substantial heft to it. As a result, the phone ends up feeling a little too hollow for my taste.
To compare, the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G is even lighter (158 gm < 173 gm), but its hands-on feel is much better. Moreover, I’m not thrilled about its wide form factor either. Using the phone with one hand becomes a struggle here, albeit One UI helps a lot.
But I do wish Samsung would move the settings and other options in the quick settings menu below the brightness slider in the upcoming One UI 4 update since reaching them with one hand is an unnecessary tussle at this point.
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
On the other hand, you’ll find a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on this phone, even though it sports an AMOLED display. It’s fairly quick and responsive but expectedly underdelivers when your fingers are sweaty. Plus, the plasticky feedback of this power button–fingerprint reader hybrid goes against my taste as well.
Finally, Galaxy M52 also lacks a headphone jack and I’m sure Samsung will cite the phone’s lightweight design for this omission. It’s a pretty major miss if you ask me. And unlike the more expensive A52s that this phone draws its inspiration from, there’s no ingress protection of any sort on the M52 either.
Display
6.7-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED display
120/240Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Getting to the display, the Galaxy M52 has a big 6.7” Super AMOLED Plus panel with a Full HD resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. As expected from a Samsung-made screen, it delivers pitch-black contrast and the colors on this display look pretty vibrant and punchy.
And neither did I face any issue in terms of visibility here—be it indoors or even outdoors. The ambient sensor kicks in fairly fast enough to adjust brightness levels too, so that’s great! Still and all, this display is far from Samsung’s best. Compared to the A52s, the difference between these two screens is pretty easily noticeable.
While the A52s produces even more vibrant colors with quite an accurate white balance, the M52’s display looks relatively washed out and with a worse white balance. I also noticed that its viewing angles is a tad bit narrow.
Smooth 120Hz experience
Regardless, the 120Hz refresh rate here means everything just… flows. Thankfully, it also stays clear of the weird micro-stutter issue that we usually associate with mid-range phones from Xiaomi and POCO.
But this is not an intelligent 120Hz implementation—meaning the screen can’t automatically switch between 60 – 120Hz depending on the content. Seeing how the competition is providing adaptive refresh rate on much cheaper phones, it really makes you question Samsung’s incompetence—or rather its hesitation to stay competent.
Additionally, M52 doesn’t support HDR playback on Netflix either. It’s Widevine L1 certified for HD streaming, sure, but the lack of HDR support means the phone can’t reproduce true blacks when I’m watching Marvel’s Daredevil on the M52—especially the hallway fight scenes, for instance.
Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top (upgradeable)
Okay, let’s now talk performance. Powering the Galaxy M52 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G 5G—the same chipset found on the more expensive A52s. This is quite a capable SoC, and a massive upgrade coming from the 730G on last year’s Galaxy M51. Complementing this is 6/8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage.
The phone has a shared SIM slot that can accept a micro SD card to expand the storage. And even though M52 is void of any degree of IP rating, the SIM tray does get a rubber gasket to prevent damage from water/moisture. Nevertheless, I’m fairly content with how this phone has handled my everyday workloads.
Granted you can get even more powerful smartphones in this price bracket, the M52 is as good as it gets when it comes to a value-oriented Samsung phone. Heavy multitasking does take a toll on this thing and I was pretty disappointed with Samsung’s choice of animation scale as well.
I know I can easily disable it from the Developer Options but someone who’s not as tech-savvy as you and I will write this off as sluggish performance instead—without giving it much of a second thought. Fortunately, the latest OTA update which also brought September’s security patch dialed down the animation levels to some degree.
6GB vs 8GB RAM?
Anyway, if you’re planning on buying this phone, I’d strongly advise you against the 6GB variant. Though the 6GB model can handle lightweight usage just fine, I noticed a bit of a lag when kicking things up a notch—while it can’t keep apps in memory effectively for a smooth multitasking experience either.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
Androbench
Sequential Read
955.83 MB/s
Sequential Write
494.71 MB/s
AnTuTu v8.5
Total
437289
CPU
147957
GPU
143604
Memory
67536
UX
78192
Geekbench 5
CPU (Single Core)
771
CPU (Multi-Core)
2745
Compute (OpenCL)
2222
PCMark (Work 3.0 Performance)
11533
3DMark (Wild Life)
2462
Under my regular speed test, the M52 clocked in way worse numbers than I’d expected, failing to hold any app in memory except for a couple of light ones. So yeah, get the 8GB configuration of this phone if you’re shopping for it.
App list:
Phone
Genshin Impact
Chrome
PUBG Mobile
Messenger
Netflix
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Adobe Premiere Rush
Speed test:
1st lap (app opening)
2 minutes 22 seconds
Full lap (multitasking)
4 minutes 31 seconds
Moving on, I don’t have any major complaint with Samsung’s software optimization, and the fact that it runs on One UI 3.1 instead of One UI Core 3.1 is a welcome—and necessary bonus. To recall, the Galaxy M51 shipped with the Core version of the company’s custom Android skin, which is void of a couple of features like Secure Folder, Windows Link, Knox Security, Good Lock compatibility, etc.
Gaming experience
Likewise, the M52 isn’t specifically geared towards gaming, but you can get decent results here. I got a stable 40 – 41fps in PUBG Mobile under HDR graphics and Ultra frame rates, whereas sacrificing visual details for smoother gameplay gets you a fluid 60fps at Smooth graphics and Extreme frame rates.
However, the phone gets warm rather quickly, especially near the camera module, with CPU and battery temperatures measuring 43ºC and 38ºC, respectively—after mere 10 minutes. On the other hand, I enjoyed Call of Duty: Mobile at a steady 60fps under Very High graphics and Very High frame rates or High graphics and Max frame rates.
Likewise, Mobile Legends Bang Bang also delivers an easy 60fps under High graphics with HD, HFR mode turned on. I’m happy to report that Samsung has even optimized high fps titles to work well on its high refresh rate screen. You can play Critical Ops at Ultra graphics and get a smooth 120fps too.
Yet, when playing Injustice 2, the M52 beings to break a sweat. It rarely hits the 120fps mark and hovers around the 90-95fps boundary instead. Plus, I even noticed the fps drop to as low as 73fps sometimes.
Similarly, Genshin Impact is practically unplayable under High settings at 60fps mode with motion blur turned off since the gameplay is way too stuttery, only managing about 33fps on a couple of occasions. On the contrary, bringing it down to Medium settings gets you about 41fps with comparatively fewer stutters.
Cameras
Triple camera setup at the back
(64MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro)
32MP selfie camera inside the punch-hole cutout
Cameras
1 of 2
Back
Front
Okay, let’s talk cameras now. Here, the Galaxy M52 has a 64MP triple camera array, whereas the A52s brings an additional depth camera on top of OIS support on its primary lens. Upfront, there’s a 32MP selfie shooter on either phone. For this review, I compared the cameras on the Samsung Galaxy M52 against the A52s 5G.
Normal Images
Under normal daytime conditions, photos look relatively more vibrant on the A52s. To compare, M52’s shots are nominally low on contrast—while also coming off a little warm sometimes.
Normal
1 of 12
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
Then again, the difference between the two is almost negligible at times and I found that neither of them struggles with locking focus on close-up subjects.
Wideangle Images
On the other hand, ultrawide photos from M52 are subject to a noticeable color shift.
Ultrawide
1 of 12
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
As you can see, they have comparatively low contrast, and worse exposure and white balance as well. Still, the A52s occasionally delivers oversharpened images, while its field of view is also narrower.
Portrait Images
Edge detection in portrait photos is also similar from both phones. But upon closer inspection, you can see that subjects look a bit smoothened on the M52.
Portrait
1 of 12
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
Whereas, there’s a hint of reddish/pinkish tint in portrait shots from the A52s alongside low black levels.
Selfie Images
Similarly, M52’s selfie looks a tad bit warm, to the pinkish hue from the A52s.
Selfie
1 of 10
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
The latter manages low black levels in this department as well which continues in terms of portrait selfies too.
Portrait Selfie
1 of 10
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
I also find edge detection and black levels to be better on the M52. However, their output would turn out almost identical in some instances.
Nighttime Images
Thanks to OIS, low-light photos are uncontestedly superior from the A52s. They’re sharper, retain more details, and have brighter exposure.
Nighttime
1 of 8
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
The images also look cooler here as compared to the greenish hue on M52’s shots.
Night Mode
1 of 8
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
However, the A52s is far from perfect when it comes to nighttime photography as it delivers worse shadow details when its brighter exposure goes out of hand.
Ultrawide Nighttime
1 of 8
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
Turning night mode on, the M52 compensates for its performance a bit—even though images are still sharper and brighter from the A52s.
Ultrawide Night Mode
1 of 8
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
M52
A52s
The same trend continues with the ultrawide nighttime and night mode shots too.
Videography
Getting to videos, even though the OIS support on A52s indicated stable recordings, the reality couldn’t be farther from those implications. Under both 4k/30fps and 1080p/60fps, compared to M52, while videos look relatively more stable here, its stabilization is still far from the level of steadiness I’ve come to expect.
Not to mention, A52s also uses image cropping to achieve this. Shifting to the 1080p/30fps mode, videos look much better on the A52s—whereas the M52 fails to maintain stabilization, giving off jittery recordings with low contrast instead. Moreover, both phones can shoot up to 4K/30fps videos from the ultrawide camera, while they’re void of a 60fps option across all resolutions.
Under this, footage from neither phone is stable and the M52’s videos look relatively warmer. Dialing it down to 1080p/30fps, the results are much more stable from both of them, although the M52’s result still looks warmer and with worse exposure control.
Likewise, 1080p/60fps selfie videos have comparable stabilization on both phones. The ones from A52s have low black levels while one can notice a mild greenish hue on M52’s footage. You can even shoot 4k/30fps selfie videos here, that achieve similar results.
Audio & Haptics
Mono speaker, No headphone jack
On the audio front, the Galaxy M52 brings a mono down-firing speaker, and as I mentioned earlier, it also lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. Pretty disappointing stuff, I know. While this speaker doesn’t get as loud as other midrange phones I’ve tested so far, the good news is that there is no audio distortion even at the highest volume.
Yet, I have no problem with its call quality and the proximity sensor works as expected as well. But I’m not too crazy about the vibration motor on this thing. The haptic feedback is simply too weak and all over the place for my taste.
Battery
5000mAh with 25W fast charging support
Finally, let’s talk battery life. Unlike its predecessor that featured a monstrous 7000mAh cell, Samsung has fitted in a relatively small 5000mAh battery on the M52. It’s still a sizable unit by 2021 standard but it obviously can’t match the legacy of the Galaxy M51.
Nevertheless, I could rely on it for a day’s worth of endurance all the time as it managed about 6.5 – 7 hours of screen-on time on average. My usage mostly consisted of surfing the web, streaming Netflix, occasional gaming, and clicking a few photos every now and then—all with 120Hz refresh rate turned on and brightness set to auto.
Its overnight battery drain is also almost next-to-nothing! Fueling this battery is a little upsetting since Samsung only ships a 15W power brick inside the box even though the phone supports 25W fast charging. Using a compatible 25W charger, the M52 goes from 0 to 100% in a little over 1.5 hours.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Review: Conclusion
That brings me to the end of this review of the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G. As I discussed earlier, it is the closest thing to a value-for-money Samsung phone. Moreover, it’s a pretty big step-up from the Galaxy M51—especially in terms of performance. And for a cheaper price, the phone delivers practically the same smartphone experience as the A52s.
From their display, performance, to the battery, these two phones deliver comparable results. Admittedly, it is a tad bit overpriced here in Nepal compared to markets like India. But if you don’t want to pay a premium price for the A52s and are set on getting a Samsung-made mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy M52 is totally worth it.
Watch our video review of the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G.
When the Xbox Series X was first announced in 2019, people instantly noticed how its boxy and rectangular design mimicked a refrigerator. This is when people began making memes about it on the internet. Surprisingly, Microsoft embraced the concept and created an actual Xbox Series X fridge for a giveaway in 2020. Following this, the company officially announced the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge in June this year, which is now up for pre-order.
Microsoft Xbox Series X Mini Fridge:
At the end of the E3 2021 showcase, Microsoft made the announcement stating that it will offer “the world’s most powerful mini-fridge”. It looks identical to the Xbox Series X in the product’s promotional trailer. The fridge will include an Xbox logo on the back and a green lighting effect when opened.
This mini fridge is powered by “Xbox Velocity Cooling Architecture”. Microsoft appears to be making a play on Xbox’s Velocity Architecture with this naming convention. It can hold up to 10 cans of beverages (or 12 thinner energy drink-style cans) and features two shelves in the door. Moreover, there’s a USB connection on the front while Microsoft also ships a DC power adapter inside the box.
Without any context, all of this may sound like a spoof. But, Microsoft vowed to create the fridge after defeating Skittles in a Twitter poll. Earlier this year, Twitter held a contest called the “Best of Tweets Brand Bracket” to choose the best brand on the social media network.
Xbox and Skittles were in the finals, and the nature of the contest required the highest amount of votes to win. For this, Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft’s general manager of Xbox Games Marketing stated that if users helped Xbox win, the company will put Xbox Series X Mini Fridge into production this year.
— Aaron Greenberg ??♂️?U (@aarongreenberg) April 2, 2021
So, as you could’ve guessed by now, Xbox won the tight contest. Out of 341,731 votes cast, it secured 50.5% of them while 49.5% of votes went to Skittles. Likewise, Microsoft fulfilled its pledge to develop its mini fridge project. In a true Xbox fashion, Aaron also said, “The first one off the line will be filled with games & headed to our friends Skittles of course”.
Xbox Series X Mini Fridge Price and Availability
The Xbox Series X Mini Fridge will be available for pre-order in the United States from October 19 for USD 99.99 via Target.com or its retail stores. Similarly, the shipping will start in December. Microsoft says it will be available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, and Poland as well.
Product
Price in the US
Xbox Series X Mini Fridge
USD 99.99
Meanwhile, check out our comparison of Galaxy M52 vs OnePlus Nord 2.
HTC has just released its newest consumer-focused VR headset. The HTC Vive Flow is a compact and lightweight VR headset that you can wear like sunglasses. Here, we will be looking at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the HTC Vive Flow in Nepal.
HTC Vive Flow Overview:
HTC is not new to the VR headset industry. The company has launched a bunch of enterprise-level products previously, including the Vive Focus 3. However, the Vive Flow is the first entry-level VR headset from the company for the mainstream audience, and it will be competing against the likes of Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2.
Design
Unlike the majority of the mainstream VR headsets that require you to put a strap around your head, the Vive Flow can be worn as pair of sunglasses. Plus, it only weighs around 189 grams. That being said, it looks bulky and is nothing like the recently launched Ray-Ban Stories.
You can fold HTC Vive Flow like regular sunglasses thanks to the dual-hinge system. The arms are fitted with stereo speakers that support spatial audio.
Specifications and Features
As for specs, HTC Vive Flow features two displays of 1600 x 1600 pixels each. They run at 75Hz and have a 100º field of view. Since HTC has used diopter lenses here, users do not need to wear glasses while using the headset. Moreover, there are two cameras on the front for “passthrough videos”. Also in the future, they will be able to track users’ hand movements.
Vive Flow also features an active fan that pulls in cold air from around the face and pushes warm air out of the top vent. It doesn’t come with a dedicated controller though. Thus, you will have to rely on your Android phone that you can use as a pointer after the pair up.
HTC Vive Flow Price in Nepal and Availability
HTC Vive Flow is currently available for pre-order in the US for USD 499. Users who pre-order will receive a carrying case and some VR content for free. We expect the price of HTC Vive Flow in Nepal to be around NPR 65,000, if and when it launches here.
VR Headset
Price in the US
Price in Nepal (Expected)
HTC Vive Flow
USD 499
NPR 65,000
Meanwhile, check out our comparison between Galaxy M52 and OnePlus Nord 2.
In this full review, I’ll be discussing the Realme GT Master Edition at length, which is the most affordable phone in the company’s GT series right now. If you are not aware, the Realme GT series features three devices: the Realme GT, the GT Master Explorer Edition, and the GT Master Edition.
Sadly, the GT Master Explorer Edition isn’t launching in Nepal, India, and other South Asian markets. Anyway, the Realme GT Master Edition, or GT ME in short, delivers an excellent value for money. For me, it is almost a perfect mid-range phone in 2021, although there are some caveats which I will talk about later in this review.
Realme GT Master Edition Specifications:
Body: 73.5 x 159.2 x 8.0mm, 174 gm, 3D Glass Body/Vegan Leather
Battery: 4300mAh with 65W SuperDart Charge (65W adapter inside the box)
Color Options: Voyager Green, Luna White, Cosmos Black
Price in Nepal: N/A (launching soon)
Realme GT Master Edition Review:
Design & Build
73.5 x 159.2 x 8.0mm, 174 grams
Glass front, Vegan leather option
Here, the first thing that Realme has learned from its previous mistakes can be seen on the design front. The company’s recent couple of launches like the X7 Max and X7 Pro had this bizarre design choice, which naturally received a lot of valid criticism.
Design
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Power Button
Ports
Volume Rockers
However, that complaint is gone for good with the GT ME since this phone adopts a new, unique-looking design that feels refreshing and definitely something I like. For this, Realme collaborated with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa to make something they call a “suitcase” design.
Looks aside, I’m quite fond of the feel of this vegan leather as well, while the horizontal grid pattern provides me with a nice grip. It doesn’t gather any dust or smudges either, so I’ve used it without a case so far. But sadly, it did catch some scribbles that don’t go away easily.
Textured casing
So yeah, it’s always safer to use a case and Realme has provided one inside the box. Even the case embodies the aforementioned suitcase design so that the phone’s texture isn’t quite lost when putting it on. And of course, it is much better than the generic transparent case that we usually get on phones these days.
If the suitcase approach isn’t quite up to your taste, there’s also a Luna White version of the GT ME with a standard glossy glass-like finish.
I also admire Realme’s signature form factor which is lighter and compact than most mid-range phones you could find right now. Not to mention, they have also retained the 3.5mm headphone jack, which I think is a perfect example of companies taking feedback seriously from their community. In this case, the Realme Community.
Display
6.43-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED display
120/360Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
HDR10+ compliant, 1000 nits brightness
Moving on to the display, in 2021, it has pretty much become a norm for premium mid-range phones to feature quite a stellar display. And the GT ME is no exception. I found its screen quality to be almost identical to the one from the Realme X7 Max—maybe even better.
You’re getting a familiar 6.43-inch 1080p AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and up to 360Hz touch sampling rate. During my usage, I’ve been quite pleased with the overall quality of the panel.
Although it’s not as color-accurate as the ones on significantly more expensive flagship phones, this one still offers punchy colors with excellent contrast and brightness levels. And thanks to the 360Hz touch sampling rate, the touch response is excellent as well. During my usage, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the fluidity while typing or playing games on this thing.
Plus, the onboard in-display fingerprint sensor is quite responsive too. Because of the phone’s compact form factor, the position of the sensor is also spot-on for my hand. Still and all, the vibration feedback isn’t that great and is strictly okay-ish for the price. So yes, this is definitely one area where Realme can improve upon.
As for the performance, with the combination of Snapdragon 778G and a 120Hz refresh rate, everything is smooth on the GT ME: from UI transitions to using any apps like Chrome or Instagram. Furthermore, Realme has optimized this chipset and its UI ridiculously well.
So much so that you don’t feel that big of a difference between say, this phone and a Snapdragon 888-powered device like the Realme GT. Just goes on to show how much Qualcomm’s midrange Snapdragon 700-series chipsets have evolved and are impressively closing the gap over the flagship Snapdragon 800 lineup.
So, if you are a light-to-moderate user who mostly uses Instagram, WhatsApp, Chrome, such kinds of apps, practically, you should have the same user experience on the GT ME as the more expensive phones.
Additionally, GT ME doesn’t tend to get warm or overheat when using light apps either—while that’s not the case with Snapdragon 800-series or MediaTek’s Dimensity 1200-powered smartphones.
Gaming experience
However, the one key area where the GT ME lags behind is when playing extremely demanding games. Here, pushing Genshin Impact to the highest of settings results in frequent stutters and overheating after just 5 minutes into the game. On the contrary, you will get comparatively better performance from Dimensity 1200 or Snapdragon 870 powered phones.
Other games like PUBG Mobile and COD run fairly smoothly though, and the phone doesn’t heat up that bad either. You can achieve 40fps in PUBG mobile under HDR Graphics and Ultra frame rates, with 100% stability. Setting the graphics to Smooth and frame rates to Extreme gets you smoother 60fps gameplay as well.
COD, which is another graphics-intensive yet optimized game, can hit 60fps under High graphics and Max frame rates as well. Sadly, 120fps titles like Critical Ops, Oddmar, and Mortal Kombat cap out at 60fps. But according to Realme, they’ve vouched to bring 120fps mode on these games pretty soon including a high refresh rate option in PUBG Mobile.
Cameras
Triple camera setup at the back
(64MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
32MP selfie camera in the punch-hole cutout
Cameras
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Back
Front
One of the reasons why I said the Realme GT ME might just be a perfect midrange phone is because of its impressive camera performance.
Normal Images
Here, I like the images from its primary camera during daylight. Compared to the OnePlus Nord 2, it has better details and pleasing punchy colors. So most of the time, you will find Realme GT ME doing a better job here.
Normal
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GT ME
Nord 2
GT ME
Nord 2
GT ME
Nord 2
Still, being a mid-range phone, it does struggle to take close-up shots better as it doesn’t have a shallow depth of field. At times, you will notice the camera struggling to lock in focus as well.
Portrait Images
Nonetheless, portraits are much, much better on the Realme GT ME. Maybe even the best in its class. As you can see, it has superior highlight control and shadow processing alongside better skin tone.
Portraits
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GT ME
Nord 2
GT ME
Nord 2
GT ME
Nord 2
GT ME
Nord 2
GT ME
Nord 2
It also maintains the exposure and the background color better. Hence, the GT ME is a clear winner on this front.
Selfie Images
Selfies are equally good from this phone too. I like the warm skin tone it produces, whereas the details and colors look equally nice too.
Selfie
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Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Portrait selfies also have a good natural background and look pleasing.
Wideangle Images
Here, its 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor isn’t extraordinary, although decent for the price. Its images have a slight color shift with a warmer tone and subpar details.
Wideangle
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Normal
Ultrawide
Normal
Ultrawide
Normal
Ultrawide
But if there is ample light, the photos come up usable.
Nighttime Images
Now, what’s average about the GT ME is its nighttime shots and videography capabilities. As you can see, the nighttime images from the GT ME introduce a lot of noise and have a soft, not-so-pleasing output.
Nighttime
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GT ME
Nord 2
GT ME
Nord 2
On the contrary, the OnePlus Nord 2 shoots photos with better low-light performance in the normal mode.
Night Mode
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GT ME
Nord 2
GT ME
Nord 2
Turning on night mode, once again, the Nord 2 maintains better exposure and details most of the time, while the Realme GT ME is not that far behind—while being slightly inconsistent.
Videography
In terms of videography, you can record upto 4K 30fps footage with gyro-EIS from this phone. However, the stabilization isn’t great in 4K 30fps and 1080p 60fps mode, while there’s a noticeable wobble if your hands aren’t that still. To compare, Nord 2’s videos come out much steadier. So, I had to dial down the setting to 1080p 30fps to get better stabilization.
You can also shoot videos from the ultra-wide-angle lens at 1080p resolution with fairly decent stabilization. Selfie videos cap out at 1080p 30fps and you can get pretty steady results with “Super Steady Mode” turned on—although it does come at an expense of a narrower field of view.
Battery
4,300mAh battery with 65W charging
Another aspect where the Realme GT Master Edition does a pretty good job is the battery endurance. Realme is one of those brands that does not usually include a big battery in favor of a lighter and slim form factor. To no one’s surprise, Realme has opted for a relatively smaller 4500mAh cell here.
Its battery life isn’t spectacular but if you are a moderate user, it should last you through the day. But since I am a relatively heavy user, I had to charge the battery as soon as I’d get home by night. Nevertheless, it’s not that big a-deal since Realme’s proprietary 65W Type-A to Type-C charger only takes about 30 minutes to go from 0 to 100%.
Software
Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top (upgradeable)
With that out of the way, allow me to talk about the things I didn’t like about this phone. First, it has to be the number of bloatware apps that come pre-installed. This has to be some sort of record for the number of bloatware among any other smartphone brand right now.
Although someone like us with the technical know-how will be able to uninstall such apps or block their notification pretty easily, such notifications could be incredibly frustrating to someone like your grandparents or anyone with little to zero idea about the cause of such nuisances.
Audio
Mono speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack
Another aspect where the Realme GT ME sees an unnecessary compromise is in the speaker front. You only get a single speaker here while smartphones from practically every other company at this price range come with dual speakers.
Even though this audio setup is decently loud with good clarity, I’ve dearly missed the immersive audio experience that we get from phones with dual speakers
Realme GT Master Edition Review: Conclusion
Regardless, despite some of its obvious flaws, if you look at what the Realme GT Master Edition offers for the price, overall, it is without a doubt an incredibly promising and well-balanced offering.
Still, one crucial thing you might wanna consider is that the Realme X7 Max, which is quite similar to the GT ME, actually delivers better raw performance, is usually available for INR 25,000 every now and then.
So you might want to get that instead and save some cash. However, if you prefer a unique-looking design, you should definitely cash in extra for the GT ME. Plus, with Realme axing the “X” series, the X7 Max might not be in stock for very long either.
Watch our video review of the Realme GT Master Edition.
Infinix recently announced the successor to its Note 10 series that was launched a while ago. The new Note 11 series, which includes the Note 11 and Note 11 Pro, promises significant improvements in terms of display, performance, and cameras. So, let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of Infinix Note 11 and Note 11 Pro in Nepal.
Infinix Note 11, 11 Pro Overview:
To be clear, Infinix has withheld some details on the vanilla Note 11. Thus, we’ll update the article as soon as the information becomes available.
Design and Display
To begin with, both phones in the Note 11 series sport a big 6.95-inch display with FHD+ resolution. The refresh rate has been upped to 120Hz while the touch sampling rate remains at 180Hz.
Moreover, there is a rectangular camera cutout on the rear, as well as an Infinix logo on the bottom. The Note 11 comes in Graphite Black, Celestial Snow, and Glacier Green color options, while the Note 11 Pro comes in Mithril Grey, Haze Green, and Mist Blue.
Powering both smartphones is an octa-core Mediatek Helio G96 processor. On Note 11 Pro, it is coupled with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage. The latter is expandable up to 2TB via a microSD card, whereas you can virtually expand the RAM up to 11GB too.
However, the memory configuration for the Note 11 is yet to be announced. Similarly, there is a 9-layer graphene cooling system to keep the chipset cool. Fueling the devices is a 5000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging.
Camera
In terms of optics, the Pro variant has a triple-camera system at the back, led by a 64MP primary sensor. This is accompanied by a 13MP telephoto lens with 30x digital, 2x optical zoom, and a 2MP depth sensor.
On the other hand, the standard Infinix Note 11 has a 50MP main camera and a 2MP telephoto lens. Both devices include a 16MP camera on the punch-hole cutout for selfies.
Rest of the specs
Besides the cameras, the Pro model also stands out with its stereo speakers setup. Furthermore, for biometrics, there is a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. You also get a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for FM radio.
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth, USB Type-C
Battery: 5,000mAh with 33W fast charging
Infinix Note 11, 11 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
Infinix has neither revealed the availability of these devices, nor their prices. We’ll keep you updated with all those details once they’re available.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition.
