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Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Review: My Favorite Realme Phone

Pratima Adhikari

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October 22, 2021

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Review: My Favorite Realme Phone

Today, I have the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition in for review. It is somewhat of a middle ground between Realme’s GT Master Edition and the more expensive Realme GT that’s available in many markets.

This one, on the other hand, has only launched in China so far, and will probably launch in other markets soon—at least that’s what I am hoping for. Because after using this phone for a week now, I have grown quite a liking towards it. And without a doubt, it’s my favorite Realme phone among all the Realme phones I have used so far.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Specifications:

Body: 72.5 x 159.9 x 8.0-8.8mm, 183.5/185 gm, 3D Glass Body/Vegan Leather
Display: 6.55-inches Super AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling rate, 92.1% screen-to-body ratio, HDR10+, 1100 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio, 402 PPI
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (7nm Mobile Platform)
CPU: Octa-core (1×3.2 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 585)
GPU: Adreno 650
Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
Software & UI: Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top
Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
– 50MP f/1.88 Sony IMX766 primary sensor, OIS
– 16MP f/2.2 Sony IMX481 ultra-wide sensor, 123º FOV
– 2MP f/2.4 macro camera, 4cm focus distance
Front Camera: 32MP f/2.45 Sony IMX615 sensor (punch-hole)
Audio: Dual stereo speaker, Hi-Res Audio, Dolby Atmos, No headphone jack
Security: In-display fingerprint sensor (optical), Face unlock
Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyro, Light, Geomagnetic
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / Beidou / QZSS / NavIC, USB Type-C, 4G LTE, 5G (dual SIM)
Battery: 4500mAh with 65W SuperDart Charge (65W adapter inside the box)
Color Options: Voyager Grey, Voyager Apricot, Luna White, Daybreak Blue
Price in Nepal: N/A (not launched yet)
- China: CNY 2,899 (8/128GB) | CNY 3,099 (12/256GB)

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Review:

But the sad news is that Realme won’t be launching this in markets like Nepal and India, where it will bring the Realme GT Neo 2 instead, which has a pretty similar spec-sheet to this phone.

Design & Build

72.5 x 159.9 x 8.0mm, 183.5 grams
Glass front/back, aluminum frames
Vegan leather finish (optional)

Design

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Let me now start with the things that I really like about this phone, which begins with the design itself. I mean, just look at it, it looks soo good! This matte white finish is absolutely gorgeous.

Apart from this, other color options of the phone include Daybreak Blue, which has the same matte finish—while the other two variants, Grey and Apricot, feature Realme’s signature suitcase design, just like the GT Master Edition. And it’s not just the looks, the build quality here is quite solid too, featuring a glass finish and aluminum frames.

With this, the phone obtains a good heft at 185 grams, which is not uncomfortably heavy. So, I’ve had no problems using it for long hours while the gentle curves on both sides further add to the comfortable grip.

I know many of you are not a fan of curved designs, but I for one don’t mind slight curves as long as they don’t result in accidental touches or inconveniences.

Thankfully, I haven’t had such issues with this phone whatsoever. However, Realme has gotten rid of a headphone jack in here for some strange reason, which is present on both Realme GT and GT ME. Such inconsistency is kinda weird to see.

Stereo speakers, no headphone jack

Moving on, just like many other premium mid-range phones, you get a downward-firing speaker here alongside the earpiece that combines to produce a stereo sound effect.

It gets respectably loud and the audio output has pleasing balanced mids and highs. Additionally, I am quite impressed with its haptics too. They’re not as good as other high-end phones, but feel quite satisfying nonetheless.

Performance

Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G SoC (7nm)
8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top (upgradeable)

Now another aspect where the Explorer Edition scores gold is performance. What I really like about the Snapdragon 870 is that it’s only slightly inferior to the Snapdragon 888, which is the best chip Qualcomm has to offer right now. Plus, it also has balanced thermal performance and doesn’t overheat like the 888, which is evident when playing high-end games and doing demanding tasks.

Gaming experience

Playing games like PUBG and COD Mobile for 30 to 40 minutes straight doesn’t heat up the phone beyond 40ºC. And the gameplay is incredibly stable in both games as well. You can get a stable 60fps gameplay under HDR graphics and Extreme frame rates in PUBG while COD runs at a similar fps count at its highest settings.

It’s only when playing really demanding games like Genshin Impact in the highest setting with 60fps mode turned on, that the phone’s temperature reaches around 43ºC after 20 minutes into the game. But that’s to be expected from such a graphics-intensive title.

In this setting, you can still experience a relatively stable 40fps, even during combat, so things look quite good. Yet, I still have one complaint which is how Realme hasn’t enabled 120fps gameplay in any of the supported games.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition vs GT — Left: GT Master Explorer Edition | Right: Realme GT

I tried playing Bomb Squad, Oddmar, and Critical Ops—all of which cap out at 60fps, which is a major bummer considering the chipset’s potential. But this issue is persistent with the GT Master Edition and the Realme GT as well.

Regardless, its day-to-day usage hasn’t been any problem either, as expected from such a powerful chipset. Everything from heavy multitasking to app opening is a breeze here. Plus, Realme UI 2.0 on this phone is extremely well-optimized.

Display

6.55-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED display
120/480Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
HDR10+ compliant, 1100 nits brightness

The smooth performance of this phone is further elevated by its 120Hz refresh rate display. Not just that, the touch response on the Explorer Edition is quite effective—especially when playing games. Even under regular usage, this 6.5 inch AMOLED display looks great, with vibrant, contrasty colors, and sufficient brightness.

The bezels are pretty minimal too, so watching videos is an immersive experience here. Realme has also been thoughtful enough to provide features like DC dimming for reduced screen flickering. Having said that, one weird thing about this display is that it is only Widevine L3 certified.

Hence, if you stream a ton of content from OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, it can only play at a maximum of 580p resolution, and nothing more. I think that is so because this is a Chinese unit. Hopefully, the global variant of the phone will bring Widevine L1 certification.

Cameras

Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP primary, 16MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
32MP selfie camera in the punch-hole cutout

Cameras

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Okay, let’s now talk about the cameras of the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition. And the phone delivers great results in this aspect too. Here, you get a 50MP Sony IMX766 lens equipped with OIS, 16MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro sensor at the back. Then there’s a 32MP sensor up front for selfies.

Normal Images

If you look at the normal daytime images from the Explorer Edition, you will instantly notice that extra punch in colors. Detail levels, sharpness, and HDR processing are really impressive though.

Normal

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Likewise, I compared its cameras against Samsung’s Galaxy A52s—which in my opinion has the best cameras in this price category—and I instantly noticed Realme’s images to be a bit more vibrant in comparison. Sometimes, that works in Realme’s favor, but at other times, the color pop is just too much.

Wideangle Images

Even the ultra-wide images have the same punchy color processing with pronounced contrast.

GT Master Explorer Edition

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But since this phone has a 16MP sensor as opposed to an 8 or 12MP one you get on other Realme phones, the wideangle images have quite good detail levels.

Again, pitting it against the A52s, you will find Realme’s images to be slightly more contrasty and dark—whereas they have a narrower field of view as well.

Ultrawide

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So, even though Realme’s ultra-wide-angle shots look good, Samsung’s 12MP lens still manages to do a better job.

Portrait Images

Similarly, portrait images also have that signature pop in colors.

Portrait

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But here, I won’t complain because most of the images look great. As a result, even though A52s manages to produce relatively toned-down colors, Realme’s portraits are eye-catching.

Selfie Images

Selfie

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However, unlike the back cameras, the selfies don’t produce over-saturated colors.

Portrait Selfie

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In fact, it brings out a balanced skin tone and good details. I won’t say that it’s essentially better than the A52s but gives a good competition nonetheless.

Nighttime Images

During the nighttime, Realme manages to suppress noise better than Samsung in the normal mode, along with producing well-exposed and detailed shots.

Nighttime

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But again, the colors are a bit punchy like the daytime photos. Turning on night mode further improves the details and exposure alongside making the colors even punchier.

Night Mode

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Ultra-wide nighttime shots are better from the A52s as Realme’s outputs look a little muddy. With night mode on, it does manage to bring out finer details but also has a weird green tint, so I will go for Samsung in this one!

Videography

As for the videos, the Explorer Edition is easily one of the best phones in its class. Not only can it shoot at 4k/60fps with good enough stabilization, but its footages at 4k/30fps as well as 1080p/60fps are also better stabilized than A52s. Selfie videos cap out at 1080p/30fps, which is a bummer. The videos here are well stable, detailed, and the microphone quality isn’t that bad either.

Battery

4500mAh battery with 65W charging

Finally, the battery life on this phone is also pretty decent. Obviously, it’s not as good as the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which I am currently using. Still, its relatively smaller 4,500 mAh battery easily gave me around 6 to 7 hours of screen-on time under my usual usage pattern which includes a ton of YouTube streaming, a lot of chatting, clicking camera samples, and social media usage.

Also, with Realme’s proprietary 65-Watt charger, this phone can go from 0-100% in exactly 35 minutes, which is incredibly convenient than the relatively slow 20W charging that I am getting used to on my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Review: Conclusion

Wrapping up this review, as you might tell, I have quite enjoyed my time with the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition. With its curved design and the Snapdragon 870 on board, it felt like I was using a flagship phone. Then again, it does have some caveats that you can’t expect at this price range.

For instance, its cameras aren’t as good as last year’s flagships and you don’t get any sort of IP rating either. But with all things considered, among all the phones I have used this year, I can go as far as to say that this is the best premium midrange phone of 2021.

And probably the “flagship killer” phone of the year too. Therefore, I am really looking forward to Realme launching this phone globally, and I hope BBK doesn’t mess this up and prioritize the OnePlus 9RT instead—which simply won’t be fair for Realme.

Watch our review video of the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

Premium design language
Powerful performance
Smooth 120Hz AMOLED display
Fairly reliable set of cameras
Decent battery endurance
65W fast charging support

Cons:

Lacks a headphone jack
No Widevine L1 certification
Daytime images look extra-punchy
Lacks an official IP certification

Oppo K9s goes official with Snapdragon 778G and 120Hz refresh rate

OPPO

GadgetByte

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October 21, 2021

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Oppo K9s goes official with Snapdragon 778G and 120Hz refresh rate

Oppo has finally launched K9s in China after a series of teases. The new smartphone sits right between the original K9 and the K9 Pro that came after it. Here, we will be discussing the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Oppo K9s in Nepal.

Oppo K9s Overview:

Design and Display

With its 6.59-inch panel, the K9s is the biggest of the three phones in the series. However, it is also the only one with an LCD panel. That being said, it has 100% coverage of DCI-P3 color space, 120Hz refresh rate, and 240Hz touch sampling rate. The peak brightness here is listed at 600 nits and there is no support for HDR.

Since it’s an LCD panel, Oppo has moved the fingerprint scanner to the right. The phone is 8.52mm thick and weighs around 199 grams. Users can choose between three colors: Obsidian Warrior, Magic Purple Quicksand, and Neon Silver Sea.

Performance and Memory

Running the show is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G chip. Users can choose between two RAM (LPDDR4x) variants: 6GB and 8GB. Both of them come with 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage. Oppo has used a multi-dimensional composite liquid colling setup on the K9s that it says can cool the CPU by 15° Celsius.

Also Read:

Camera

The cameras on the K9s are the same as those on the K9. It’s a triple camera setup consisting of a 64MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro unit. Over on the front, there is a 16MP selfie shooter enclosed by the punch-hole.

Rest of the specs

Oppo has utilized the larger size of the K9s to fit in a bigger battery. It now packs a 5,000mAh battery. However, the charging speed has been capped at just 30W here. With a compatible charger, the phone can go from 1 to 100% in just 1 hour.

As for connectivity, Oppo K9s boasts dual-SIM card slots, 5G connectivity, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and it even retains a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Oppo K9s Specifications:

Display: 6.59-inch IPS LCD, 100% DCI-P3, 120Hz refresh, 240Hz touch sampling rate
Resolution: FHD+ (1,080 × 2,412 pixels), 401PPI
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (6nm)
OS: ColorOS 11.2 based on Android 11
Memory: 6/8GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB UFS 2.2 internal storage
Rear Camera: Triple (64MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
Front Camera: 16MP sensor (punch-hole cutout)
Battery: 5000mAh, 30W fast charging
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Colors: Obsidian Warrior, Neon Silver Sea, Magic Purple Quicksand

Oppo K9s Price in Nepal and Availability

Oppo K9s is currently exclusive to China, where its price is CNY 1,699 for the 6/128GB and CNY 1,899 for the 8/128GB variant. The company is even offering a flat CNY 200 as part of a promotional offer. We expect the price of Oppo K9s in Nepal to start at NPR 35,000, if and when it launches here.

Oppo K9s	Price in China	Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB	CNY 1,699	NPR 35,000
8/128GB	CNY 1,899	NPR 40,000

Meanwhile, check out our comparison between Galaxy M52s and OnePlus Nord 2.

Galaxy Z Flip 3, Watch 4 Series Bespoke Edition lets you color-customize them

Samsung

GadgetByte

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October 21, 2021

0

Galaxy Z Flip 3, Watch 4 Series Bespoke Edition lets you color-customize them

Samsung has released the new Bespoke Edition of the Z Flip 3 and Watch 4 series in the “Galaxy Unpacked Part 2” event held a couple of days ago. The latest foldable lineup was such a huge success for Samsung that it became the third-fastest set of smartphones to sell a million units. In this post, we’ll take a look at the new Bespoke Edition of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Watch 4 Series.

Galaxy Flip 3, Watch 4 Series Bespoke Edition Overview:

Here, the Bespoke Edition of these devices allows you to customize them from a palette of different colors. And each individual unit is made to order—meaning Samsung assembles all the components of the device including the back/front panels of the Z Flip 3 with the color of your choice, only after the order is placed and confirmed.

However, there’s no such option for the Galaxy Z Fold 3. To remember, the company gave you the option to customize the hinge cover for last year’s Z Fold 2 in select markets.

More youthful options

Anyway, for the Z Flip 3, Samsung allows users to pick between black and silver frames. Similarly, you may select from blue, pink, yellow, white, and black color options for the top and bottom portions. The camera area, on the other hand, stays black regardless of the color scheme chosen. According to Samsung, there are a total of 49 different combinations a user can choose from.

Furthermore, the company will also let you change the colors of the top and bottom back panels if you want them. But of course, this comes at an additional cost. And it is available as part of a program called “Bespoke Upgrade Care”.

Also Read:

The Bespoke Edition also includes the new Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic. Here, buyers can select from a variety of band colors as well as three distinct cases—black, silver, and bronze. In addition, Galaxy Watch 4 users will get an update for a more refined fall detection feature and a “knock-knock” wrist motion that activates the most used apps and features.

Maison Kitsuné Special Edition

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On top of this, Samsung also announced the “Maison Kitsuné” Special Edition of the Watch 4, which retails for USD 399.99 (40mm, Wi-Fi only). To compare, this is USD 150 more than the standard 40mm Galaxy Watch 4. There’s also the Galaxy Buds 2 “Maison Kitsuné” Special Edition that costs USD 249.99—a whopping USD 100 more than the regular Buds 2.

Galaxy Z Flip 3, Watch 4 Series Bespoke Edition Price and Availability

As for pricing, it’s the same as the one announced for the regular Galaxy Watch 4 Series. The Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 Bespoke Edition, on the other hand, costs only USD 50 more than the standard 256GB model. Yet, this also includes a year of Samsung Care+ protection. To note, there’s no Bespoke edition for the 128GB variant.

Moving on, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Watch 4 Bespoke Edition will be available in select markets only—including South Korea, US, UK, Germany, France, Canada, and Australia beginning October 20. Samsung is also planning to make it available in other markets in the near future.

Bespoke Edition	Price
Galaxy Z Flip 3 (256GB)	USD 1,099.99
Galaxy Watch 4	Starts at USD 249.99
Galaxy Watch 4 Classic	Starts at USD 349.99

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series.

Vivo unveils T1, T1x with 120Hz display, 64MP cameras, and 44W fast charging

Vivo

GadgetByte

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October 21, 2021

0

Vivo unveils T1, T1x with 120Hz display, 64MP cameras, and 44W fast charging

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.

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.

Also Read:

Camera

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

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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.

Specifications:

	Vivo T1	Vivo T1x
Display	6.67-inch LCD, 120/90/60Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling	6.58-inch LCD, 120/90/60Hz refresh rate
Resolution	2400 x 1080 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset	Snapdragon 778G	Dimensity 900
OS	OriginOS Based on Android 11
Memory	8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB storage	6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage
Rear Camera	Triple (64MP primary + 8MP ultrawide + 2MP macro)	Dual (64MP primary + 2MP macro)
Front Camera	16MP, f/2.45	8MP, f/2.0

Vivo T1, T1x Price in Nepal and Availability

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.

iQOO Z5x goes official with Dimensity 900 5G, 120Hz LCD screen

iQOO

GadgetByte

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October 21, 2021

0

iQOO Z5x goes official with Dimensity 900 5G, 120Hz LCD screen

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.

Also Read:

Camera

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.

iQOO Z5x Specifications:

Display: 6.58-inch IPS LCD, HDR, 120Hz refresh, 240Hz touch sampling rate
Resolution: FHD+ (1,080×2,408 pixels); 20:8 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G (6nm)
OS: OriginOS based on Android 11
Memory: 6/8GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 internal storage
Rear Camera: Dual (50MP main, 2MP macro)
Front Camera: 8MP sensor (punch-hole cutout)
Battery: 5000mAh, 44W fast charging
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
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.

iQOO Z5x	Price in China	Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB	CNY 1,599	NPR 35,000
8/128GB	CNY 1,699	NPR 37,000
8/256GB	CNY 1,899	NPR 40,000

Meanwhile, check out our review of iQOO Z3.

Google Pixel 6 series is here with the custom Tensor chip and so much more

Google

GadgetByte

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October 20, 2021

1

Google Pixel 6 series is here with the custom Tensor chip and so much more

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

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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.

Also Read:

Camera

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)
Rear Camera	Dual (50MP primary, OIS + 12MP ultrawide sensor)	Triple (50MP, OIS + 12MP ultrawide + 4X telephoto sensor, OIS)
Selfie Camera	8MP, f/2.0	11.1MP, f/2.2
Audio	Stereo speakers
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner, Titan M2 security
Connectivity	5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2	5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 Ultra-wideband
Battery	4,614mAh, 30W fast charging, Wireless Charging	5,003mAh, 30W fast charging, Wireless Charging
Colors	Sorta Seaform, Kinda Cool, Stormy Black	Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, Stormy Black

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
Pixel 6	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.

Realme GT Neo 2T goes official with Dimensity 1200-AI and 65W fast charging

Realme

GadgetByte

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October 20, 2021

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Realme GT Neo 2T goes official with Dimensity 1200-AI and 65W fast charging

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.

Also Read:

Camera

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
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI 5G (6nm)
Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
OS: Realme UI 2.0 on Android 11
Rear Camera: Triple (64MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide-angle, 2MP macro)
Selfie Camera: 16MP sensor (punch-hole)
Audio: Stereo speaker, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio
Security: Fingerprint scanner (in-display)
Connectivity: 5G, Dual Nano SIM slot, Wi-Fi a/b/n/ac/ax (2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / GLONASS / Beidou / Galileo / QZSS, NFC, Type-C
Battery: 4500mAh with 65W fast charging
Colors: Jet Black, Glaze White

Realme GT Neo 2T Price in Nepal and Availability

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 Watch T1 launched with AMOLED display, Bluetooth calling, and more

GadgetByte

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October 20, 2021

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Realme Watch T1 launched with AMOLED display, Bluetooth calling, and more

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.

Also Read:

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
Companion App: Realme Link (Android | iOS)

Realme Watch T1 Price in Nepal and Availability

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 Galaxy M52 5G Review: Less Is More

Nikhil Shrestha

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October 17, 2021

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Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Review: Less Is More

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)
Memory: 6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128/256GB storage (expandable)
Software & UI: Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top
Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
– 64MP f/1.8 primary lens, AF
– 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, 123º FOV
– 5MP f/2.4 macro sensor
Front Camera: 32MP f/2.2 sensor (punch-hole cutout)
Audio: Mono speaker with Dolby Atmos audio, No headphone jack
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face unlock
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic, Light, Proximity
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / Beidou / QZSS, NFC, USB Type-C
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.

Performance

Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC (6nm)
6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128/256GB UFS 2.1 storage (expandable)
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
Androbench	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

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

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

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

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

The latter manages low black levels in this department as well which continues in terms of portrait selfies too.

Portrait Selfie

1 of 10

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

The images also look cooler here as compared to the greenish hue on M52’s shots.

Night Mode

1 of 8

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

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

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.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

Decent value for money
Lightweight build quality
Smooth 120Hz display
Fairly reliable performance
One UI is well-optimized
Pretty decent cameras
Decent battery endurance

Cons:

Wide, bulky form factor
Sub-par videography
Lacks a headphone jack
No stereo speaker setup
Weak haptic feedback

Microsoft Xbox Series X Mini Fridge is up for pre-order at a fantastic price

GadgetByte

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October 16, 2021

0

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.

Also Read:

The story behind

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.

Ok…here goes. Help @Xbox win this and we’ll put into production this year REAL XBOX SERIES X MINI FRIDGES! Yep, you read that right. Not an April Fools joke. Not clickbait. #Xbox #BestofTweets https://t.co/vm5B0kZht1 pic.twitter.com/A28hWBP3Db

— 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.