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Vivo X70 series with Snapdragon 888+, custom imaging chip, quad-OIS cameras launched

GadgetByte
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Vivo X70 series with Snapdragon 888+, custom imaging chip, quad-OIS cameras launched

Vivo has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone lineup in its home country of China. The new X70 series consists of three devices. Here, we will be looking at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Vivo X70, X70 Pro, and X70 Pro+ in Nepal.

Vivo X70 Pro+ Overview:

Let’s start with the elephant in the room. The Pro+ model brings significant improvements in display, camera, and battery over its predecessor.

Design and Display

Let’s start with the display. This time, Vivo has upped the screen size from 6.56-inch to 6.78-inch. Similarly, the display on the X70 Pro+ uses the latest E5 AMOLED display from Samsung.

It’s an LTPO panel that can dynamically switch between 1Hz to 120Hz. The screen boasts a touch sampling rate of 300Hz too. There’s a center-aligned punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera, while the bezels around the screen are quite thin.

Vivo X70 Pro Plus Design Pro+

At the back, you get a massive camera island along with the “Ceramic cloud Window.” The phone is available in three colors. Depending upon the variant, you get Fluorite AG glass or vegan leather finish.

Performance and Memory

Running the show underneath is the Snapdragon 888+ chipset. The latest processor from Qualcomm brings higher clock speeds compared to the vanilla Snapdragon 888 on the X60.

This time around, the camera processing will be handled independently by Vivo’s own V1 chip. As for memory, there are three configurations to choose from – 8/256GB, 12/256GB, and 12/512GB.

Camera

Vivo X60 Pro+ flaunts a quad-camera setup that hasn’t changed much from the previous generation. Vivo is still using the Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor for the primary camera. This particular sensor has been paired with ZEISS ultra-high transmittance glass lens for reduced glare.

It is accompanied by a 48MP ultrawide sensor. Additionally, it also retains the 8MP periscopic lens and a 12MP portrait camera from its predecessor.

Vivo X70 Pro Plus Camera setup Pro+

All four cameras now come with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). In addition, the ultrawide module also has Vivo’s “gimbal-like stabilization”. Similarly, all four sensors have a ZEISS T* coating for reduced ghosting.

Rest of the specs

Fueling the X70 Pro+ is a 4,500mAh battery. It’s slightly bigger than the 4,200mAh cell on X60 Pro+. The charging speed still caps out at 55W.

Moving on, the phone is IP68-rated against dust and water damage. It ships with Vivo’s OriginOS 1.0 based on Android 11 out-of-the-box. However, it is expected to be replaced with FunTouch OS if the phone gets a global release.

Specifications:

  • Display: 6.78-inch E5 AMOLED, 120Hz LTPO (1Hz -120Hz), 10-bit color depth
  • Resolution: WQHD (1440 x 3200 pixels)
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 888+ (5nm)
  • Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR5, 256/512GB UFS 3.1 storage
  • Back Cameras: With ZEISS T* coating
    – 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN1 primary camera, OIS
    – 48MP ultrawide sensor, OIS
    – 12MP Sony IMX63 for portraits, OIS
    – 8MP periscope lens with 5x optical zoom, OIS
  • Front Cameras: 32MP (punch-hole)
  • Security: Fingerprint (under-display), Face unlock
  • Battery: 4500mAh with 55W Fast charge

Vivo X70 Pro+ Price in Nepal & Availability

Vivo X70 Pro+ will be available in China from September 12 at a starting price of CNY 5,499. Although this phone is highly unlikely to launch in Nepal, you might get your hands on one from unofficial channels. As such, we expect the price of Vivo X70 Pro+ in Nepal to start around NPR 105,000.

Vivo X70 Pro+ Price in China Price in Nepal (Expected)
8/256GB CNY 5,499 NPR 105,000
12/256GB CNY 5,999 NPR 115,000
12/512GB CNY 6,999 NPR 135,000

Vivo X70, X70 Pro Overview:

Unlike the X70 Pro+, the other two smartphones in the X70 series offer minimal upgrades over their respective successors. The two sport the same 6.56-inch E4 AMOLED panel with support for a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Pro model is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 1080, while the vanilla X70 settles for Dimensity 1200 from MediaTek.

Here, the Vivo X70 and X70 Pro feature Sony IMX766V sensors for their primary cameras. While the Pro uses its native 50MP resolution, it has been cut to 48MP on the X70. Both phones have a 12MP ultrawide and a 2x telephoto lens.

The Pro model also has a 5x periscope lens that is missing on the vanilla X70. In addition, it enjoys the image processing capabilities of the new V1 chip as well. Moving on, Vivo has included a 4,400mAh and 4,500mAh battery on the X70 and X70 Pro, respectively. Both phones support 44W charging.

Specifications:

  • Display: 6.56-inch E4 AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2376 x 1080 pixels)
  • Chipset: Exynos 1080 (X70 Pro) / Dimensity 1200 (X70)
  • RAM: 8/12GB RAM, 128/256/512GB UFS 3.1 storage
  • Back Cameras:
    – 50MP (Pro) / 48MP Sony IMX766V primary camera
    – 12MP ultra-wide sensor
    – 12MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom
    – 8MP periscope lens for 5x optical zoom (Only on X70 Pro)
  • Front Cameras: 32MP (punch-hole)
  • Security: Fingerprint (under-display), Face Unlock
  • Battery: 4,500mAh (X70 Pro) / 4,400mAh (X70) with 44W Fast charge

Vivo X70, X70 Pro Price in Nepal & Availability

The price of X70 and X70 Pro starts at CNY 3,699 and CNY 4,299, respectively. The first sale starts on September 17 for the Pro and September 30 for the vanilla model. We can expect the price of Vivo X70 and X70 Pro in Nepal to start at NPR 70,000 and NPR 83,000, respectively, if and when they launch here.

Smartphones Price in China Price in Nepal (Expected)
X70 Pro 8/128GB CNY 4,299 NPR 83,000
8/256GB CNY 4,599 NPR 87,000
12/256GB CNY 4,799 NPR 90,000
12/512GB CNY 5,299 NPR 100,000
X70 8/128GB CNY 3,699 NPR 70,000
8/256GB CNY 3,999 NPR 77,000
12/256GB CNY 4,299 NPR 83,000
  • Meanwhile, check out our review of the Realme GT Master Edition.

Vastking Fit M3 Review: Getting The Fundamentals Right

Pratima Adhikari
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Vastking Fit M3 Review: Getting The Fundamentals Right

If you’re familiar with Gadgetbyte, you know how much I love smartwatches and that I never miss a chance to use one. A while ago, Vastking sent us their latest Fit M3 budget smartwatch and I have been testing it ever since. As it costs only USD 60, I’m not expecting anything special here. Let’s find out more about the Vastking Fit M3 smartwatch in this review.

Vastking Fit M3 Specifications:

  • Body: 4.35 x 35.8 x 8.5mm, 40 grams
  • Display: 1.65-inches IPS panel, 240 x 295 pixels
  • Design: Metal body, silicon wrist band (20mm)
  • Water Resistance Level: IP68 rating
  • Compatibility: Android 5.0+ / iOS 9.0
  • Companion App: Da Fit (Android | iOS)
  • Sensors: 3-axis accelerometer, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen
  • Sports Mode:  8 different modes
  • Built-in GPS: Unavailable
  • Battery: 200mAh
  • Charging: Magnetic charger

Vastking Fit M3 Review: 

Design

  • Metal body, Silicon wrist band (20mm)
  • IP68 certified against dust/water damage

The first thing you will notice about the Vastking Fit M3 is that it has a really attractive design. Needless to say, its look is reminiscent of Apple’s smartwatches, but that’s not a bad thing really. Besides, I really appreciate how supple the silicon band is, which in turn makes wearing this smartwatch quite comfortable.

Vastking Fit M3 Design

Adding to the premium-ness is its metal body with which the watch weighs only 40 grams. So, it does not feel like you are carrying a lot of weight on your wrist either. At the same time, the Fit M3 doesn’t feel cheap or plasticky, so that’s good too.

For durability, the company has made sure to provide IP68 dust and water resistance here. Therefore, pool dives up to 1.5 meters deep, water splashes, or minute dust particles aren’t going to be a problem on this watch.

Physical controls

Vastking Fit M3 Home Button

Now, as with many smartwatches these days, it features a button on the right frame that triggers both the power and back function. Interestingly, it can also lock your watch, which is a feature that not many budget smartwatches have.

Similarly, navigating the Vastking Fit M3 is really simple too. Swiping left gives you access to all of your health metrics while swiping right brings up the menu. Likewise, swiping up gets you to the notifications panel while the quick toggle menu appears with a downward swipe.

Display

  • 1.65-inch IPS panel
  • 240 x 295 (HD) pixels

For interacting with the smartwatch, you get a 1.65-inch IPS touch screen that features an HD resolution with 240 x 295 pixels resolution. The screen is fairly bright to look at, although it’s better not to expect excellent visibility under direct sunlight.

Also, during my time with this watch, I wished it had a better touch response too. I don’t know if it’s because of the relatively slower animation but scrolling through the widgets takes a bit of time and requires a firm touch gesture as well.

Vastking Fit M3 Display

Apart from that, the company hasn’t disclosed what type of display protection it has or if it has one at all. The reason I am so keen about this is that my usage pattern is quite rough when it comes to smartwatches and our review unit of the Vastking Fit M3 has already seen some scratches.

So, if you’re looking to buy this one, be sure to install a screen protector to ensure long-term durability. Anyway, the raise-to-wake function works perfectly fine here. However, it takes a second or more to do so. You may also sync your calls to the watch, but since it lacks a microphone and speaker, the M3 lacks the ability to make/take calls from the watch itself.

Health, Fitness, Sleep Tracking

  • Heart rate, SpO2 monitoring
  • 8 sports modes in total

With all that out of the way, let’s get to talking about the health tracking features of the Vastking Fit M3. As I said before, this is a budget smartwatch with the most basic of abilities. It can track your steps, calories, heart rate, blood oxygen, alongside a total of 8 types of exercises. This includes walking, running, cycling, skipping, badminton, basketball, football, and swimming.

Vastking Fit M3 Menus

The pedometer on this watch is quite accurate and so is the sleep tracking. I tested it against the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, and the results were impressively comparable. In terms of heart rate monitoring, although the company claims to continuously record heart rate information, it only does so once every half an hour only.

The basics

Moving on, as with other budget smartwatches, the Vastking Fit M3 doesn’t support all-day blood oxygen (SpO2) level tracking. So, you’re gonna have to manually record it. Still, I did compare its heart rate and SpO2 readings with that of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and found them to be more or less similar.

VastkingFitM3 Sensor

In addition, the SpO2 recording on the Fit M3 takes only about 5-6 seconds which is quite fast for a budget smartwatch in this price range. Yet, that affordable tag means you don’t get GPS tracking here. Therefore, in case you’d like to trail your exercise routes, you’re gonna have to refer to the phone’s GPS.

But strangely, turning on GPS just activates the workout on your phone and not the watch. So, you’ll have to start/stop the exercise from your phone, which is a bit annoying. Likewise, there is no automatic workout detection either which is a shame because even budget fitness trackers like the Mi Smart Band 6 and Honor Band 6 support this feature.

Connectivity and App

  • Bluetooth 5.0, Da Fit app

On the connectivity side, the Vastking Fit M3 features Bluetooth 5.0 and it syncs with your smartphone via the Da Fit app. The app is really basic and has nothing sophisticated to interact with. Its landing page contains all your health stats presented in an easy-to-understand manner.

Here, you can simply scroll through stats such as the number of steps, sleep info, exercises, etc. As expected, you’ll get more details about your health data on the app rather than on the watch. Here, swiping to the left takes you to the watch face, notifications, and other settings while the last page has your profile and a few other regulatory information.

In-depth

More about the app—it lets you set your daily steps goal and notifies when you’ve achieved certain milestones. Assorted functions like setting alarms, camera shutter, recording water intake, sedentary reminders, etc. are accessible via the app as well.

One thing to note about notifications is that the watch does not support emojis and Unicode Nepali/Indian font, which is a slight bummer. The app also has quite a large selection of watch faces that you can download. You even have the option to make your own customized watch face if you’d like.

However, the watch can only store 4 of them at once. Plus, you will have to be super patient when downloading and syncing watch faces since it takes quite some time to do so. Other than that, health data and everything else syncs with the watch swiftly enough, so I haven’t had any problem regarding that.

Battery

  • 200mAh cell, magnetic charging

Finally, I have been fairly satisfied with the battery life of the Vastking Fit M3 as well. It packs a 200mAh battery and testing it out with all the functions like continuous heart rate monitoring, 50% brightness, I got good 7-day battery life.

VastkingFitM3 Charger

On the other hand, keeping continuous heart rate monitoring off, the watch endured twice as long. Impressive! As for charging, the Vastking Fit M3 uses a 2-pin magnetic charger that takes around 2 hours to go from 0-100%.

Vastking Fit M3 Review: Conclusion

Wrapping up the review, having used the Vastking Fit M3 for more than 3 weeks, I would say that it’s a decent budget smartwatch that gets the fundamentals right.  It offers an enticing look but apart from that, its functionalities are pretty much similar to what other budget smartwatches provide—or maybe even less in the case of exercise and sports modes.

Still and all, for all its features, the Fit M3 definitely justifies its price. So, if you are looking for a good-looking smartwatch with all the basics under a strict USD 60 budget, I don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t consider the Vastking Fit M3. But if you are more serious about health and fitness, I would suggest you add some more cash and get the Honor Band 6 or Huawei Band 6.

Vastking Fit M3 Review: Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Metal, lightweight body
  • Attractive design
  • IP68 dust-water resistance
  • Easy-to-use companion app

Cons

  • No automatic workout detection
  • No build-in navigation feature

Realme’s first tablet, the Realme Pad goes official with Helio G80 chipset

GadgetByte
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Realme’s first tablet, the Realme Pad goes official with Helio G80 chipset

After series of leaks and rumors, Realme Pad is now official in the market. It’s the company’s first offering in the tablet category which is blooming since the start of the pandemic last year. So, let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of Realme Pad in Nepal.

Realme Pad Overview:

Design and Display

Realme Pad features a 10.4-inch WUXGA+ IPS panel with a standard 60Hz refresh rate and an 82.5% screen-to-body ratio. While there is nothing particularly wrong with those specs for a budget tablet, it has surely disappointed the fans who were anticipating an AMOLED panel as tipped by Francis Wong, CMO of Realme India and Europe.

Realme Pad Design and Display

This screen can get as dim as 2 nits under the night mode. Moreover, the device has an aluminum casing measuring 6.9mm in thickness and weighs 440 grams. Realme Pad’s back has a matte finish with a circular camera module. There are two colors to choose from: Real Grey and Real Gold.

  • Meanwhile, check out all the prices and specs of tablets from Realme here!

Performance

In terms of performance, the Realme Pad is powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 chipset. This processor is coupled with either 3/4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 32/64GB of eMMC 5.1 onboard storage. On the software side of things, the new tablet boots on Realme UI for Pad based on Android 11.

Likewise, the device is fueled by a 7,100mAh battery that charges via an 18W fast charger. As per the company, it can provide 12 hours of offline video playback and up to 65 days of standby time.

Rest of the specs

Aside from that, Realme Pad has an 8MP front-facing camera with a dual noise-canceling mic setup. There’s also an 8MP camera on the back. In terms of audio, it comes with a quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio, and Adaptive surround sound support.

Realme Pad Specifications:

  • Body: 6.9mm, 440grams
  • Display: 10.4-inch IPS panel, 60Hz refresh rate, 82.5% screen-to-body ratio
  • Resolution: WUXGA+ (2,000 x 1,200 pixels)
  • Chipset: MediaTek Helio G80 4G (12nm)
  • Memory: 3/4GB LPDDR4X, 32/64GB eMMC 5.1 storage (expandable)
  • Camera: 8MP front, 8MP rear
  • Battery: 7,100mAh (18W fast charging)
  • Colors: Real Grey, Real Gold
  • Connectivity: WiFi only, LTE + WiFi

Realme Pad Price in Nepal and Availability

The price of the Realme Pad is INR 13,999 for the 3/32GB WiFi-only model. Likewise, the 4/64GB WiFi + LTE configuration costs INR 17,999. Realme Pad will go on sale in India from September 16. We expect the price of Realme Pad in Nepal to start at NPR 25,000 if and when it launches here.

Realme Pad Price in India Price in Nepal (Expected)
3/32GB (WiFi) INR 13,999 NPR 25,000
3/32GB (LTE) INR 15,999 NPR 28,000
4/64GB (LTE) INR 17,999 NPR 31,000
  • Watch: Best budget tablets to buy in 2021.

Realme 8s 5G launched as the world’s first phone with Dimensity 810 chipset

GadgetByte
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Realme 8s 5G launched as the world’s first phone with Dimensity 810 chipset

Realme has announced a new device in its 8 series, called the Realme 8s 5G. It’s the world’s first smartphone with MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G chipset. So, let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of Realme 8s 5G in Nepal.

Realme 8s 5G Overview:

Design and Display

Starting with the display, the 8s 5G flaunts a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel with FHD+ resolution and a 90.5% screen-to-body ratio. The screen has a peak brightness of 600 nits, and a 90Hz refresh rate.

Realme 8s Design and Display

On to the design, it comes with a rectangular camera module at the back and a punch-hole cutout on the front. Thankfully, there is no “Dare to Leap” branding this time around like on the standard Realme 8. The Realme 8s 5G is available in two color options: Universe Blue and Universe Purple.

Performance

Now, as aforementioned, the Realme 8s 5G is powered by the new MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G chipset (6nm). This chipset has two Cortex-A76 and six Cortex-A55 CPU cores. Accompanying it is up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage.

In addition, the device also supports virtual RAM expansion that the company is citing as “DRE Technology”. With this, you can extend the phone’s RAM up to 13GB. Similarly, the handset sports a 5000mAh cell that supports 33W fast charging.

Cameras

Over on the optics, it has a triple-camera setup at the back. There’s a 64MP primary, a B&W portrait, and a macro sensor. On the front, there’s a 16MP camera inside the left-aligned punch-hole cutout. Here, the rear camera can shoot up to 1080p videos at 30fps.

Rest of the specs

Moving on, Realme 8s 5G has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometrics. The device boots on Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11. The wireless connectivity options include WiFi (2.4G/5.1/5.8GHz) and Bluetooth 5.1. Plus, the device supports dual 5G standby.

Realme 8s 5G Specifications:

  • Body: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.8mm, 191 gm
  • Display: 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel, 90Hz refresh rate, 600 nits peak brightness
  • Resolution: Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 90.5% screen-to-body ratio
  • Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G (6nm)
  • CPU: Octa-core (2× Cortex-A76 & 6x Cortex-A55)
  • GPU: Arm Mali-G57 MC2
  • Memory: 6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM (5GB expandable RAM)
  • Storage: 128GB UFS 2.1 storage (expandable)
  • Software & UI: Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top
  • Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
    – 64MP f/1.8 primary lens
    – B&W Portrait lens
    – 4cm Macro lens
  • Front Camera: 16MP f/2.1 (punch-hole)
  • Security: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
  • Sensors: Acceleration, Gyroscope, Magnetic Induction, Proximity, Light
  • Connectivity: Dual 5G SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / Beidou, USB Type-C
  • Battery: 5000mAh with 33W Dart Charge
  • Color Options: Universe Blue, Universe Purple

Realme 8s 5G Price in Nepal and Availability

Realme 8s 5G will be available in India from September 13 at a price of INR 17,999 for the 6/128GB variant while the 8/128GB model costs INR 19,999. We expect the price of Realme 8s 5G in Nepal to start at around NPR 32,000 if and when it launches here.

Realme 8s  Price in India  Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB INR 17,999 NPR 32,000
8/128GB INR 19,999 NPR 35,000
  • Meanwhile, check out our review of Realme 8.

Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker is official with IPX5 rating, game mode

GadgetByte
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Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker is official with IPX5 rating, game mode

Today, Realme held an online event in India to announce its new range of products, including two portable Bluetooth speakers. Here, we will be discussing the new Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker, along with its specs, features, and expected price in Nepal.

Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker Overview:

Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker is cheaper than the Cobble Bluetooth Speaker that it was launched alongside. However, it retains most of the features of its more expensive sibling.

Design

This speaker sports an elliptical case with rounded edges. It is available in two colors: Desert White and Classic Black. The former has stylish look as it substitutes the company’s logo on the speaker grille for a camouflage pattern instead.

Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker Design

As the name suggests, the Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker is pretty lightweight. It weighs just 113 grams and features a lanyard that adds to the portability.

Audio quality

Over on the audio, Realme has included a 3W dynamic driver with a passive radiator here. You can switch between three presets for the best listening experience: Dynamic, Bass, and Bright. Similarly, two Realme Pocket Bluetooth speakers can be connected together for a stereo sound effect.

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.0 on Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker has a range of 10 meters. You can even sync it with the Realme Link app for more controls, which lets you switch between equalizer presets, game/normal mode, and even customize the functions of the buttons.

Battery

Powering the speaker is a 600mAh battery that Realme claims can last up to 6 hours. It charges via the Type-C port which takes around 2.5 hours to fully juice up the battery.

Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker Specifications:

  • Weight: 113 grams
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 (up to 10m)
  • Codec: SBC
  • Audio Setup: Dynamic Driver + Passive Radiator
  • Output Power: 3W
  • Frequency Response: 110Hz – 18kHz (-10dB)
  • Signal to Noise ratio: ≥85dB
  • Protection: IPX5 certified
  • Battery: 600mAh (up to 6 hours)
  • Charging: Type-C (around 2.5 hours)
  • Companion app: Realme Link (Android | iOS)
  • Color options: Classic Black, Desert White
  • Read our review of the Realme Pocker Bluetooth Speaker.

Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker Price in Nepal

Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker will be available from September 15 in India for INR 1,099. We expect the price of the Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker to be NPR 1,900 if and when it launches in Nepal.

Bluetooth Speaker Price in India Price in Nepal (Expected)
Realme Pocket Bluetooth Speaker INR 1,099 NPR 1,900
  • Meanwhile, check out our long-term review of the Samsung Galaxy A22.

Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker launched with up to 9 hours of music playback

GadgetByte
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Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker launched with up to 9 hours of music playback

Realme India held an online event to announce a slew of products, including smartphones, the company’s first tablet, and a couple of Bluetooth speakers. Here, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Realme Cobble Bluetooth speaker in Nepal.

Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker Overview:

Realme Cobble is a more premium offering of the two speakers the company launched in India today. It was initially launched in Malaysia this year and is now making its way to other markets.

Design

It’s not hard to guess why Realme is calling it Cobble as this curved round shape is reminiscent of a stone. You can choose between two colors: Electric Blue and Metal Black.

Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker Design

Electric Blue variant has a camouflage pattern on the grille instead of Realme branding on the other. Also, its lanyard glows in the dark. The speaker weighs around 200 grams and is IPX5 rated against water splashes.

Sound quality

Here, Realme has gone with a 5W dynamic driver which is paired with a passive radiator. The speaker covers audio frequencies ranging from 110Hz to 18kHz. You can even choose between three audio presets – Dynamic, Bass, and Bright. There is also a dedicated Game Mode that Realme claims can limit the latency to 88ms.

Connectivity

As for connectivity, the Cobble features Bluetooth 5.0 with an effective range of ≤ 10m radius. You can even control this speaker using your phone via the Realme Link app. However, this feature is only available on Android smartphones for now. Similarly, you can pair two Cobble Bluetooth speakers together for stereo sound output.

Battery endurance

Fueling the speaker is a 1500mAh battery that is rated to last up to 9 hours. The Type-C charging port is protected by a rubber flap to prevent water from getting in.

Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker Specifications:

  • Weight: 200 grams
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 (up to 10m)
  • Codec: AAC, SBC
  • Audio setup: Dynamic driver + Passive radiator
  • Output power: 5W
  • Frequency response: 110Hz – 18kHz (-10dB)
  • Signal to Noise ratio: ≥85dB
  • Protection: IPX5 certified
  • Battery: 1,500mAh (Up to 9 hours)
  • Charging interface: Type-C (around 2.5 hours)
  • Companion app: Realme Link (Android | iOS)
  • Color options: Electric Blue, Metal Black

Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker Price in Nepal

Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker will be available in India for INR 1,799 starting September 15. We expect the price of the Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker in Nepal to be around NPR 3,000 if and when it launches here.

Bluetooth Speaker Price in India Price in Nepal (Expected)
Realme Cobble Bluetooth Speaker INR 1,799 NPR 3,000
  • Meanwhile, check out our review of Realme GT.

Poco M3 Pro 5G is now available in the 6/128GB memory variant in Nepal

GadgetByte
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Poco M3 Pro 5G is now available in the 6/128GB memory variant in Nepal

Poco launched its latest 5G-ready mid-range phone, the M3 Pro 5G in the global market back in May 2021. The 4/64GB memory variant of Poco M3 Pro 5G made its way to Nepal last month. And now the company has launched the higher 6/128GB variant as well. Here, we will be discussing the key specs and features of the Poco M3 Pro 5G along with its official price in Nepal.

Poco M3 Pro 5G Overview:

Design and Display 

Poco M3 Pro features a 6.5-inch FHD+ DotDisplay with a 90Hz refresh rate. The company has included DynamicSwitch technology that switches between 30Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, and 90Hz based on the content being viewed. Its 360º ambient light sensor has 4096 different brightness levels.

Poco M3 Pro 5G Color Options

Poco M3 Pro 5G is based on Redmi Note 10 5G. To differentiate the two, Poco has gone with an aggressive design here. It’s quite apparent with the huge camera module and the company’s branding.

The 3D-curved back of the M3 Pro has a glossy finish and is available in three colors: Poco Yellow, Power Blue, and Cool Blue. It surely is a big phone with 8.92mm thickness and a weight of 190 grams.

Performance and Memory 

Under the hood, Poco M3 Pro 5G packs MediaTek’s Dimensity 700, which is based on a 7nm process. It features two Cortex-A76 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and 2.0GHz, respectively. There is a Mali-G57 GPU for graphics rendering which is clocked at 950MHz.

Poco M3 Pro 5G supports 12 different 5G bands. It supports dual 5G standby as well. The chipset even supports 5G carrier aggregation but it looks like the feature is not activated in the M3 Pro 5G.

There are two RAM variants to choose from here – 4GB and 6GB. They come with 64GB and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage, respectively. M3 Pro 5G boots with MIUI 12 for Poco on top of Android 11.

Camera

The phone has a triple-camera setup. Its 48MP primary lens utilizes a 1/2″ sensor. It shoots 12MP shoots natively with 4-in-1 pixel binning. Here, four pixels combine to a Super Pixel of 1.6µm. Sadly, there is no ultrawide camera here. What you get instead are two 2MP sensors for macro and portrait shots.

Poco M3 Pro 5G Triple Camera Setup

On the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

Rest of the specs

The phone packs in a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. Poco is including a 22.5W charger in the box too. Poco M3 Pro supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, IR blaster, and Multi-Function NFC. However, the availability of the latter will vary according to the market.

Poco M3 Pro 5G Specifications: 

  • Body: 161.81 x 75.34 x 8.92mm, 190 grams
  • Display: 6.5-inches IPS LCD panel, 90Hz refresh rate with DynamicSwitch, 400 nits, Gorilla Glass 3
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G (7nm)
  • Memory: 4/6GB LPDDR4X RAM, 64/128GB UFS 2.2 storage (expandable)
  • Software & UI: MIUI 12 for Poco on top of Android 11
  • Rear Camera: Triple (48MP primary, 2MP depth, 2MP macro)
  • Front Camera: 8MP f/2.0 sensor (punch-hole)
  • Security: Physical fingerprint sensor (side-mounted)
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.1, USB Type-C, NFC (select region), IR Blaster
  • Battery: 5000mAh with 18W fast charging (22.5W charger in-box)
  • Colors: Power Black, Poco Yellow, Cool Blue

Poco M3 Pro 5G Price in Nepal & Availability

The price of the Poco M3 Pro 5G in Nepal is NPR 23,999 for the 4/64GB variant and NPR 26,999 for the 6/128GB variant. You can buy Poco M3 Pro 5G in Nepal from Xiaomi-authorized retail stores or the company’s e-commerce partners like Daraz and Sastodeal.

Poco M3 Pro 5G Price in Nepal
4/64GB NPR 23,999
6/128GB NPR 26,999
  • Check out our review of the Poco M3 Pro 5G.

Samsung AU8000 75″ 4K TV Review: A Grand TV Experience

GadgetByte
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Samsung AU8000 75″ 4K TV Review: A Grand TV Experience

We recently came up with the review of Samsung’s AU7700 55” 4K TV. And today, we’re kicking things up a notch with the AU8000 75” 4K TV. It offers the best-in-class look owing to the narrow bezels, all on the attractive Air Slim design that’s just begging to be a part of your home theatre system. I have been testing the 75” version of the Samsung AU8000 4K UHD TV for the better part of a month now and will be sharing everything you need to know about it in this review.

Samsung AU8000 75″ 4K TV Specifications:

  • Display: 75-inches LED-backlit LCD, PurColor technology
  • Resolution: 4K Ultra-HD (3840 x 2160 pixels)
  • Dimensions:
    • Without Stand (W x H x D): 1676.7 x 960.3 x 26.6 mm
    • With Stand (W x H x D): 1676.7 x 1003.4 x 332.2 mm
  • Weight: 32.1 kg (without stand) | 33.3 kg (with stand)
  • Sound: 2x Speakers (2CH) with 20W Output
  • Audio: Dolby Digital Plus Support, Q-Symphony
  • OS: Tizen OS
  • Processor: Crystal Processor 4K
  • HDR: Yes (HDR, HDR10+, HLG)
  • Refresh Rate: 60Hz, Motion Xcelerator, ALLM
  • Viewing Angle: Standard
  • Power: AC100-240V 50/60Hz (260W)
  • Wireless Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2
  • I/O Ports: 3x HDMI (with eARC support), 2x USB 2.0, 1x AV in, 1x RF in, 1x Digital Audio Output, 1x Ethernet
  • Remote: One Remote (battery included inside the box)
  • Price in Nepal: Rs. 379,990
Buy Samsung AU8000 75″ 4K TV here

Samsung AU8000 75″ 4K TV Review:

By the way, this particular model costs some USD 1200 in the US, Rs. 379,990 in Nepal, and Rs. 209,990 in India. Also, Samsung Nepal will be heavily discounting this TV during the upcoming festive seasons (Dashain, Tihar). We expect the AU8000 (75″) to cost under Rs. 3 lakhs by then—making it the perfect time to buy this big TV.

Design and Build

  • Plastic back, minimal bezels on all four sides
  • Height-adjustable stand, wall-mount support

Okay, let’s start this review of the Samsung AU8000 75″ TV with the design. From the back of the TV to its bezels or stands, the AU8000 is largely plastic-made. The front of the TV has minimal bezels, ensuring a stylish look. Samsung calls this design language “Air Slim”, which has contributed the relatively thinner form-factor compared to last year’s TU8000 series.

The back of the TV borrows most of its design elements from the Q60A, which is Samsung’s entry-level lineup of QLED TVs. Meaning, the back face of the AU8000 is almost flat and is covered by textured plastic, while it also has the inset to house all the ports.

The connectivity options include two USB-A, one LAN, one AV-in, one antenna, and three HDMI ports, among which one of them supports eARC as well. On the other hand, the power-in connection is positioned independently over on the left. Furthermore, there are four slits at the back to hold all the cables for a cleaner setup.

The Flats

Contrary to the AU7700 that we recently reviewed, this TV brings a rather wide rectangular stand called “Flat Lift”. One can easily assemble it into the TV with a simple snap. But more importantly, this is a height-adjustable stand so you can dynamically fit the TV in a room.

Samsung AU8000 75 Stands

Apart from this, there’s a Samsung logo off-center to the right side of the bottom bezel. You also can find the sole control button below the logo. Using this, you can power on/off the TV, control volume levels, and make other minor adjustments.

Now, in case you want to wall-mount the TV, that’s entirely possible as well. And based on my experience, I would advise you wall-mount it since the tall and thin form factor of this TV isn’t nearly as sturdy as you’d want.

Display

  • 75″ 4K UHD resolution, LED backlighting
  • HDR, ALLM, Motion Xcelerator, Ambient Mode

Getting to the display, the AU8000 is a decent 75” 4K TV that delivers good pictures, but with a few exceptions. It supports HDR10+ and HDR10 high dynamic range (HDR) content on top of Motion Xcelerator for smoother picture quality.

Out of the box, the colors, contrast, and vibrancy of the panel are pretty good, and it can seamlessly play 4K video at 60fps. If you’re not a fan of the default color calibration, Samsung lets you play around with brightness, contrast, sharpness, and other settings as well.

Samsung AU8000 75 4K TV Display

Similarly, as with most Samsung TVs, it has five picture presets to choose from—Dynamic, Standard, Natural, Movie, and the Filmmaker Mode. While I didn’t like the extreme contrast from the Dynamic preset, my personal favorite is the Natural mode. It brings a perfect balance of the blacks and whites of the content, offering a crisp look.

However, if you do not prefer the highlighted tones of these picture modes, then either Movie or the Filmmaker mode is your go-to option here. It brings the brightness and contrast level down a notch while adding a bit of warmth to the color tone, which makes for the perfect color profile for enjoying a movie or a Netflix series.

But of course, this doesn’t apply to every type of movie/show. And ultimately, I found myself switching between different presets depending upon the content.

Perks

Adding to the viewing experience is the Contrast Enhancer feature which works like a charm to give that extra bit of punch the picture needs, particularly in gloomy scenes. It perfectly balances the details in light and dark areas and outputs an impeccable image quality.

Samsung AU8000 75 4K TV Display-1

Also, AU8000 auto-recognizes HDR contents and displays an “HDR” label in the picture mode settings. Similarly, Motion Xcelerator settings lie under the Picture Clarity menu where you can even opt for the custom option and set the judder value yourself.

From my experience, setting it to 4 or 5 for action, sports, or similar fast-paced content seemed to work best. Furthermore, to make this large TV gaming-friendly, there’s a dedicated Game Mode as well.

Ambient Mode

Besides all this, one of the coolest features of the Samsung AU8000 is the Ambient Mode. It lets your TV blend in with the room it’s set up in by applying different artworks—instead of just sitting there like a big canvas when not in use. You can choose from different live wallpapers and artworks, and select from multiple sleep-time options for when you’d like the TV turned off.

SamsungAU8000 4K TV Ambient Mode

Disappointingly, Samsung doesn’t let you set a custom value for this—meaning either you’ll have to manually turn off the screen or have it on for up to 4 hours. Also, for a more customized experience, I would recommend using the SmartThings app, which lets you showcase your personal photos on the TV.

Software

  • Tizen OS
  • Windows Sharing / Samsung DeX / Apple AirPlay

Over on the software side of things, the AU8000 runs on Samsung’s own Tizen OS. I’ve already praised its ease of use and simplicity in our review of the AU7700. So this time, I’ll keep it brief and to the point.

A full web browser is also present on the TV, which is easy to use thanks to the remote’s cursor functionality. Similarly, voice control options include Bixby for Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, while Samsung has also enabled Google Assitant and Alexa support in India.

SamsungAU8000 75 User Interface

However, Bixby hasn’t let me down as it seamlessly performs the tasks requested. Plus, this TV can also mirror your computer or smartphone screen through Window Sharing, Apple AirPlay 2, and Samsung DeX.

Still, I found the entire UI/UX to be slightly choppier than expected, be it scrolling through the home screen or activating any functions. This isn’t essentially the fault of the Tizen OS. Instead, the aging Crystal Processor 4K powering the TV feels like the major culprit here.

To compare, the AU7700 that I reviewed a few days back has the same processor and is therefore afflicted with the same issues. For what’s supposed to be a premium TV option, Samsung most definitely should have upgraded the processor for delivering a smoother TV experience.

Audio

  • 2CH 20W bottom-firing speaker
  • Dolby Digital Plus, Q-Symphony

Over on the audio, the AU8000 hosts two bottom-firing 2CH speakers with 20W of total output and Dolby Digital Plus support. The speaker system of the AU8000 is apparently the same as that of the AU7700, and so is the processing and audio output.

Here, the sound quality is punchy and loud enough to fill our medium-sized room. But at full volume, the soundstage gets narrower, where it kind of blends the instrument and human voices. The bass feels relatively flat as well, which most audiophiles might not like. Nonetheless, the acoustics are ideal for watching Netflix movies and series.

That said, if you can go the extra mile, you can partner the AU8000 with a dedicated sound system or a soundbar. The latter is also compatible with Samsung’s Q-Symphony technology allowing for a more immersive audio experience where the audio output from the TV’s speakers and the soundbar sync up.

Remote

  • Made from recycled material
  • Decent tactile feedback

SamsungAU8000 TV Remote

Moving on, the bundled remote is compact and rectangular, with only the essential keys. The power, microphone, number, and ambient mode buttons are located above the circular navigation pad, while the channel and volume rockers, as well as dedicated service buttons for Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and the internet, are located right below. There’s a pinhole microphone at the top to pick up your voice commands.

Samsung AU8000 75″ 4K TV Review: Conclusion

To conclude this review, the Samsung AU8000 is an outstanding 75″ 4K TV with excellent contrast and color accuracy. Furthermore, its gaming-oriented features like ALLM and Motion Xcelerator definitely helps the TV stand out in the market.

The nightmare, however, is the sluggish performance, which ultimately weakens the ideal combo of excellent picture and audio quality. While this is pretty common for a budget TV, such an issue should be non-existent on a TV that costs over a thousand dollars. Thus, Samsung really needs to upgrade the processor on its forthcoming upper mid-range TVs. Yet, many people might still find AU8000 a decent choice, especially if you find it on sale with big discounts.

Samsung AU8000 75″ 4K TV Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Air Slim design
  • Good viewing angles
  • Ambient Mode
  • ALLM, Motion Xcelrator
  • Simple-to-use UI
  • Loud, balanced sound
  • Samsung One Remote

Cons:

  • Plastic stand
  • Laggy user interface
  • No multi-voice assistant support as in India

Acer Aspire 5 2021 (A514) Review: Ticks Most Boxes

GadgetByte
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Acer Aspire 5 2021 (A514) Review: Ticks Most Boxes

The Acer Aspire series has delivered some of the best value-for-money laptops in recent years. So, when we decided to review some of the best budget laptops of 2021, the Acer Aspire 5 2021 was a name that we simply could not afford to miss. Having used it for over a week as my daily driver, I’m sharing my experience with the Acer Aspire 5 2021 in this full review.

This particular model that I have brings Intel’s Core i5-1135G7 processor paired with entry-level MX350 graphics from NVIDIA, while memory options include 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD. You can get the exact same model for around NPR 100,000 here in Nepal, INR 60,000 in India, and some USD 700 in the US.

Acer Aspire 5 2021 (A514) Specifications:

  • Design & Build: Aluminum lid/plastic chassis, 12.91W x 8.78D x 0.70H-inches, 1.7 kg
  • Color Options: Blue, Black, Pink, Silver, Gold
  • Display: 14-inch IPS panel, Acer ComfyView (matte)
  • Resolution: FHD (1920 × 1080 pixels)
  • Keyboard: Backlit chiclet keys
  • Processor: 11th gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 (4C/8T, Up to 4.2GHz, 28W)
  • Graphics:
    • Integrated: Intel Iris Xe
    • Optional: NVIDIA GeForce MX350 (2GB GDDR5 VRAM)
  • RAM: 8GB DDR4 (single-channel)
  • Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD
  • Connectivity: WiFi 6 AX201, Bluetooth 5.2
  • I/O Ports: 3x USB Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 1x combo audio jack, 1x RJ45, 1x HDMI
  • Battery: 52Wh battery, 65W AC power adapter
  • What’s inside the box: Laptop, power adapter, quick start guide
Buy Acer Aspire 5 2021 here

Acer Aspire 5 2021 Review:

Design

  • 12.91W x 8.78D x 0.70H-inches, 1.7 kg
  • Aluminum lid (matte finish), plastic body

Let’s start with the design first. For the most part, while the body of this laptop is plastic-made, Acer has been kind enough to include a sand-blasted aluminum lid. Like the rest of the chassis, it has a matte finish which keeps out fingerprints and smudges quite effectively.

As you can see, my unit of the laptop enjoys a blue shade. But you can get one that suits your personality the best as Acer offers four more color options for the Aspire 5, namely: pink, silver, black, and gold. However, this vibrant aesthetics doesn’t extend to the rest of the laptop as everything from the keyboard deck to the bottom panel gets a silver finish.

Its hinge is yet another thing I’m fond of as I found it to be better than the one on other laptops that we have been testing, like the Asus VivoBook 15. Even though it’s made of plastic, the hinge feels quite sturdy. And the fact that it elevates your laptop’s keyboard deck to a slight extent is an added bonus.

Still, I wished this hinge could lay the lid further down. I know I’m nitpicking at this point but coming from the amazing Lenovo IdeaPad 3, I can’t help but miss such nifty features.

Getting to the I/O, most of the ports are located on the left frame. There are two USB-A, one USB-C, one HDMI, one DC-in, and an Ethernet port. Over on the right, you have one USB-A, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Kensington lock slot. Acer has fitted in two LED indicators for power and charging on this side as well.

Display

  • 14″ non-touch matte FHD IPS panel
  • 45% NTSC, 260 nits of brightness

Moving on, the matte coating on this 14” FHD panel means I had no problem using it under indoor lighting conditions. But since this is a budget laptop, color accuracy is going to take a major hit here—and it does. This display covers just 45% of the NTSC color gamut, although that’s pretty standard among laptops in this price range.

Nevertheless, the display on my unit had poor factory color calibration. It produced a greyish tint that made pink hues look purple-ish. Thankfully, things now look better with superior saturation after I re-calibrated with the SpyderX Pro.

Acer Aspire 5 2021 Display

On the other hand, the Aspire 5 2021 hits 260 nits of peak brightness. Thus, I had no trouble looking at this display indoors at around 50% brightness. This IPS panel has good viewing angles as well.

Plus, the side bezels are pretty minimal here. Yet the ones on the top and bottom are quite thick as they house a webcam and an “Acer” branding, respectively.

Keyboard and Trackpad

  • Full-size backlit keyboard (single-color)
  • Precision trackpad, integrated left/right keys

Coming to the keyboard, I was quite skeptical of the white backlight on these silver keys. This type of color combination would normally render the backlight useless. While I strongly believe Acer should have given something with better contrast, I didn’t find it to be that bad after all my time typing on this thing. The keys are quite decent with fairly minimal key travel too.

Acer Aspire 5 2021 Keyboard and Trackpad

The Aspire 5’s trackpad also shares the silver-matte finish as the keyboard deck. Some models even feature a fingerprint scanner but our unit lacks one. Regardless, the relatively central placement of this trackpad makes sure accidental touches are avoided. Plus, I have no complaints about its responsiveness or gesture compatibility either.

Audio

  • Down-firing stereo speakers

In terms of audio, the Aspire 5 gets bottom-firing dual speakers. And as you’d expect, these aren’t that good. While the mids and highs come off marginally better, from the lacking bass to insufficient loudness, Acer has delivered an incredibly lackluster audio setup on this laptop.

Webcam

  • 720p HD camera
  • No privacy shutter

Videos from this 720p webcam come off grainy even if you are in a well-lit room. Still, it should suffice for attending online classes and such. But if you want a more professional setup, you’re gonna have to buy a separate external webcam.

Acer Aspire 5 2021 webcam

Performance

  • Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU (28W TDP)
  • NVIDIA GeForce MX350 discrete graphics
  • 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD

Now, let’s talk about the performance. As I mentioned in the beginning, our Acer Aspire 5 2021 packs the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU and NVIDIA’s MX350 GPU. I would’ve loved to see the newer MX450 in action, but I digress. As for memory, there’s 8GB of soldered RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD.

Here, the SSD storage is user-upgradable and you even get an additional DIMM slot to install one more RAM stick. There’s a vacant SATA interface to add a hard disk (HDD) or SSD. Acer also offers this laptop with AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series CPU, but this variant isn’t as widely available as the one with an Intel processor.

Anyway, the Aspire 5 has handled my daily workloads quite well—which includes having multiple Chrome tabs open in the background alongside opening apps like LibreOffice and Photoshop. That being said, I did notice a couple of instances where the fan noise got quite audible while the keyboard deck would also get mildly warm sometimes.

Gaming experience

Since there’s a discrete GPU onboard, albeit an entry-level one, I played a few rounds of CS: GO to see how well the Aspire 5 fares under demanding workloads. With graphics set to High, I was able to get 40 – 50fps on average. Under this, I noticed stutters on multiple occasions while the fps count would drop as low as 20 sometimes.

Additionally, the laptop also tends to heat up quickly during gaming, especially on the left side of the keyboard deck. I recorded the temperature of this area at 42º Celsius after just 30 minutes into the game.

CrystalDiskMark
Read (MB/s) Write (MB/s)
SEQ1M Q8T1 3440.37 2094.94
SEQ1M Q1T1 1570.13 1806.47
RND4K Q32T1 416.34 393.17
RNK4K Q1T1 44.53 131.97
Cinebench R23
CPU: Multi-Core 4312
CPU: Single Core 1357
MP Ratio 3.18x
Geekbench 5
CPU: Single Core 1309
CPU: Multi-Core 3930
Compute (OpenCL, MX350) 13773
Compute (OpenCL, Irix Xe) 9781

Battery

  • 52Wh 3-cell battery
  • 65W AC power adapter

On to the battery, Acer has not specified the exact capacity but opening up the laptop, we found it to be 52Wh cell. As for its endurance, using the laptop at 100% brightness can give you up to 5 hours of screen-on time (SoT).

AcerAspire5 2021 with charger

On the other hand, keeping brightness at around 60% under regular usage yields 6.5 – 7 hours of SoT. In terms of charging, the 65W power adapter takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes to juice it up from 0 to 100%.

Acer Aspire 5 2021 (A514) Review: Conclusion

Wrapping up this review, after using the Aspire 5 2021 as my daily driver for over a week, what I can confidently say is that Acer has delivered a powerfully compact laptop that ticks most of the boxes. While it’s somewhat of an eye-candy as well, it also has a sturdy design, decent display, battery life, and reliable performance.

Getting the one with discrete graphics lets you play few lightweight games at low to medium settings as well. However, the company should try to improve on aspects like thermals, webcam, audio, and keyboard backlight on the upcoming iterations of this laptop.

Acer Aspire 5 2021 (A514) Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Sturdy build quality
  • Adequate brightness
  • Reliable performance
  • Discrete graphic option
  • Rich port selection
  • Decent battery endurance

Cons:

  • Default color calibration is quite off
  • Backlight blends with keyboard

Realme Watch 2 Review: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

GadgetByte
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Realme Watch 2 Review: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

In this review, I’ll be discussing the Realme Watch 2 at length. Last year, Realme launched its very first smartwatch, dubbed the “Realme Watch”. And it was not well received, to say the least. The company then went on to launch a few smartwatches with moderate success, before coming up with the Realme Watch 2 a couple of months ago.

On paper, this looks like a decent upgrade over its predecessor, but just how much of that pans out in terms of real-life usage is the real question. Plus, with fitness trackers like Honor Band 6 and Mi Band 6 pushing the envelope for health tracking on a budget, should you really be considering budget smartwatches like this? Let’s find out in this review of the Realme Watch 2.

Realme Watch 2 Specifications:

  • Body (H x W x L): 35.7 x 257.6 x 12.2 mm, 38 grams
  • Display: 1.4-inches IPS LCD panel,320 x 320 pixels, 600 nits
  • Design: Polycarbonate body, Silicon wrist band (22mm)
  • Water Resistance Level: IP68 rating
  • Compatibility: Android 5.0+ / iOS 11
  • Companion App: Realme Link (Android | iOS)
  • Sensors: 3-axis Accelerometer, Heart rate, Blood oxygen
  • Sports Mode: 90 different modes
  • Built-in GPS: No
  • Battery: 315mAh (up to 14 days)
  • Charging: Magnetic charger
  • Price in Nepal: N/A (not launched yet)

Realme Watch 2 Review:

Design and Display

  • Polycarbonate body, Silicon wrist band (22mm)
  • 1.4-inch TFT LCD display, 600 nits of brightness

So, let’s start with the display. While its 1.4-inch screen sounds untouched coming from the first-gen Realme Watch, the company has brought noticeable changes to the panel. The first thing you will notice is the symmetrical bezels on the top and bottom. Additionally, the screen is brighter and more vibrant, too. It also feels relatively more fluid and responsive.

That being said, there is still no automatic brightness adjustment onboard, while the flip-to-wake function is quite inconsistent.

Still no AMOLED

Furthermore, the screen isn’t AMOLED either, meaning you’ll miss out on Always-on Display here. As a result, I found myself relying heavily on the screen wake-up button. This wouldn’t have been a problem at all, had Realme not cheaped out on such an essential component. The tactile feedback of this button is even worse than the one on Realme Watch as it feels more plasticky and squeaky when pressed.

Watch faces from Grafflex

Anyway, you get plenty of watch faces to choose from on Watch 2, including the one Realme made in collaboration with the South Korean artist “Grafflex”. A total of 6 watch faces come pre-loaded, including some live wallpapers. And you can replace them with a variety of other options from the Realme Link app.

Comfortable strap

In case you haven’t noticed, the “Realme” branding from the chin is gone this time. Instead, there is the company’s “Dare to Leap” slogan slapped onto the wrist strap. The branding is subtle and not that noticeable when putting on the smartwatch—which begs the question: why even bother to put it in the first place?

Realme Watch 2 vs Realme Watch Strap Comparison
Top: Realme Watch | Bottom: Realme Watch 2

Compared to the 20mm strap on its predecessor, I found the wider 22mm strap on the Watch 2 to be more comfortable. I also like the fact that it’s a traditional loop-buckle strap, which feels more convenient to me than the Apple Watch-inspired strap on the first-gen Realme Watch.

Watch UI

  • Realme’s custom OS

Getting to the UI, for the most part, it’s remained the same as last year. Swiping from the left brings the status bar, which now features a quick shortcut to settings.

Similarly, swiping down triggers the notification shade where you can scroll between the recent notifications. Weirdly enough, opening up a notification on Realme Watch 2 shows less information than on the Realme Watch.

Need for further optimization

That’s because the company has enlarged UI elements like fonts and icons this time around. While the latter has been optimized for a streamlined view on the app list, the same design practice is absent in terms of notifications. Plus, these non-actionable notifications lack emoji support as well.

Realme Watch 2 vs Realme Watch Display comparison
Left: Realme Watch | Right: Realme Watch 2

Additionally, you will find quick tiles for activity, heart rate, weather, and music control on the right. Except for the last one, these tiles aren’t interactive (or customizable). As a result, you will have to open the desired app from the app list on the bottom for further detail.

Here, you can access all of the watch features, including SpO2 monitoring, camera control, and a bunch of basic functionalities like alarm, stopwatch, etc.

Realme Link app

  • Android 5.0 and above, or iOS 11 and above

Moving on, the Realme Watch 2 pairs with your smartphone via the Realme Link app—just like any other smart AIoT product from the company. What’s commendable here is that the app is now available for iOS users too. Though Realme Link’s iOS version was made available last year, it still doesn’t let you connect the original Realme Watch to iPhones to this day.

Regardless, the process of connecting the Watch 2 to an iPhone is the same as that on Android smartphones. Just scan the QR code on the watch when turning it on for the first time. The app’s UI is pretty much the same across the two platforms while features like music, camera control, and find my phone work flawlessly across the two platforms.

Smart AIoT control

Another highlight here is that the Realme Link app has been integrated into the watch itself. With this, you can control other Realme AIoT products connected to your phone. I tested this feature with my Buds Air 2 Neo and Buds Wireless 2 and found it to be quite useful.

I could toggle between ANC/Transparency mode and gaming mode on them without having to reach out to my phone or the wireless earbuds themselves. However, if you don’t own any other Realme AIoT product, this feature won’t amount to much.

Health and Fitness Tracking

  • 24-hour heart monitoring
  • Blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring
  • 90 sports mode (no swim tracking)

Realme Watch 2 Sensors

Let us now move on to the health and fitness tracking side of things. Under this, the Realme Watch 2 offers everything you would want from a budget smartwatch. For starters, it features an optical heart sensor for 24-hour heart monitoring. And just like on last year’s model, the watch can be configured to check your heart rate every 5 minutes.

Inconsistent sleep tracking

Still and all, I simply don’t understand why Realme decided to get rid of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep tracking on Watch 2. Not adding a feature is one thing, but removing something present on the previous iteration feels unreasonably weird.

I also found that the first-gen Realme Watch was more capable of accurately recording my time to bed, the time I got up, and my other sleep metrics like the time I would be awake in the middle of my sleep sometimes. Also, there’s no tile for sleep data which is kinda frustrating.

90 sports modes

Nevertheless, the 90 sport modes present on the Realme Watch 2 is a big improvement over its predecessor. Yet, the watch can only store 10 of them at once. Basic workouts like an indoor and outdoor run are irremovable but you can replace the other 8 with the remaining 80 modes via the Realme Link app.

RealmeWatch2 Workout Modes

That being said, most of the sports modes record the same metrics like steps, heartbeat, and duration with some difference here and there. Compared to the Realme Watch, I noticed that it graphed my workout data fairly better in terms of the pace and cadence—while being neck-and-neck in terms of metrics like steps, distance, and heart rate.

Still no swim tracking

In addition, Realme Watch 2 can’t even track pool swimming despite its IP68 dust-and-water resistance, while the company says the watch is not suitable to wear during showers either. Additional 5ATM certification would’ve been even more ideal for things like deep dive swimming but this ultimately feels like yet another inexcusable omission.

With that out of the way, all the data from the watch is synced to your Realme account. You can view some of them on the watch itself but obviously, you’ll have to refer to the companion app for deeper insights.

Even though viewing your workout data on the watch is quite easy thanks to color-coded metrics, I had to refer to the app for more details. Weirdly enough, things like average speed and peak heart rate are only viewable on the watch.

Battery and Charging

  • 315mAh battery
  • Magnetic Pin charger

In terms of battery endurance, the Realme Watch 2 has been pretty great. I was able to get over a week (~ 9 days) of battery life from this smartwatch on a full charge. During my usage, I set its brightness to 60%, tuned all-day heart rate monitoring to every 5 minutes, and tracked about two hours of workout every day.

As for charging, you get a 2-pin magnetic charger that takes the Watch 2 from 0 to 100% in about 1 hour and 52 minutes.

Realme Watch 2 Review: Conclusion

All in all, I have mixed feelings about the Realme Watch 2. It is a clear upgrade from the Realme Watch although it was not a good product, to begin with. While I had fun using the watch, neither of its features stands out in particular. In addition, the Watch 2 misses out on features like an AMOLED panel, REM sleep tracking, 5ATM rating, and swim tracking that have become standard across mainstream fitness bands these days.

I feel like Realme is positioning this smartwatch as an unofficial successor to the Realme Band, seeing how that budget fitness tracker is lacking a successor to this day—while the Watch 2’s spec-sheet reads fitting to a fitness tracker instead of a smartwatch.

Realme Watch 2 Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Bright, vibrant screen
  • Buckle-strap is convenient
  • Up to 90 sports mode
  • Decent battery life

Cons:

  • No AMOLED panel
  • No swim tracking
  • UI needs optimization
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